Live in the NOW

Increase You Focus During Difficult Times

2010-04-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Acts 16:19-31

I just love today's passage of scripture. I have been having trouble cutting and pasting the scripture text since I upgraded my Internet Explorer, so, you will have to read the passage from your Bible. I think of what my reaction would be if I were in a similar circumstance as Paul and Silas. We can learn great truths from the way they acted toward the hardship they were facing. Paul and Silas had learned to channel their focus toward the Lord and not toward the obstacle. If we could only learn to do the same. Jesus Christ is the same and deserves the same intimacy and love from us regardless of what we are facing in our lives. When we have an awareness of being in His presence we are almost in a perfect state of mind. We have trust in Him and bask in His glory to where nothing around us even matters. Jesus is what matters. He is our focus and we will never find disappointment in Him. I encourage you to direct your focus toward Him as the obstacles mount up before you. You will be strengthened buy Him and before you know it, the obstacle that was facing you will be well behind you.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Making Permanant Changes

2010-04-05T07:41:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Psalms 63:1 " O God,thou art my God, early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:"

When we are making progress in our relationship with God, that is when changes begin to appear and we are being conformed into the image of Christ, we must realize that there are reasons for this change. We are given the power to change, and that power is in the Holy Spirit when we are first saved and the actual change is based on our efforts toward wanting His qualities to manifest in our lives. Things do not happen by accident. Our growth always centers on the intimacy of our relationship with Christ. In the times in my life where the most change has taken place there is a direct correlation with the closeness of my relationship with Him. When I seek Jesus above all else, everything else becomes better, I hear from Him, I live a more holy life, every decision I make, I make with a consideration of what will bring Him honor. It is when I slack off in my seeking of Him that my growth in Him becomes stagnant. Seek Him first, it will keep you progressing on the path of having His character qualities become evident in your life. Remember what got you to the point you are with Him, and if there has been a period of growth, keep on doing what you are doing. Never slack off. It is too important.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Never Forget How Much You Cost

2010-04-02T07:44:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - I Cor. 6:20 " For ye are bought with a price : therefor glorify God in your body and spirit which are God's."

We must never forget to look back to Calvary where the great price for our salvation was paid by our Lord and Savior. Today is Good Friday, the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. We need not only to remember on Good Friday, but, we need to remember the cross every day of our lives and live in a way that agrees with today's scripture reading. We have been bought with a price and that great price was the death of our Lord. We no longer belong to ourselves, we are now His. It is our duty to glorify and honor Him by the way we live our lives. Never forget the great price that was paid for you. You did not come cheap. Take some time today and thank the Lord for purchasing you and always bear in mind the suffering of Jesus.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Walking into Dangerous Territory

2010-04-01T06:44:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Psalms 23 "The LORD is my shepherd ; I shall not want . He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever ."

As we travel along the path that Jesus Christ leads us on, we sometimes have to go through some places and trials that are not very pleasant for us to pass through. This morning I have been thinking about the last evening Jesus spent on this earth before He was taken captive. He very well knew what was in store for Him. I recall His asking Peter, James and John to pray and watch with Him while He prayed in the garden. I can almost see the drops of blood fall from His face as He was sweating in prayer before His passion was to begin. Jesus knew what He had to do to be able to proceed into this part of His life, He had to feel that intimacy with His Father. Although we are not facing crucifixion for the sins of the whole world, we at times are facing with walking into some very dangerous territory. We face cancer diagnosis' , sudden deaths, divorce, financial failure, ect. Walking into these areas is never comfortable, no one wants to do it. But, it may very well be the road we have to travel. We can take great comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ is our Shepherd. If we have trusted Him as our Lord and Savior we do not go through these areas alone. We can actually fear no evil because Jesus' rod and His staff comfort us, He is our protector, Our very lives lie in His hands. We need not only to love Him, we need to trust Him totally. He is trustworthy. He is loyal. He is all powerful. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is with us on the start of these dangerous roads and He will be with us at the end of the road.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Our Destiny

2010-03-31T07:36:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Ecc. 7:2 "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart."

I was shocked this week by the unexpected death of a friend. When someone appears to be healthy and then suddenly passes away it brings to mind how fragile life really actually is. We sometimes think we are invincible and live our lives that way. Today's scripture reading really reinforces the fact that we must consider that death is our final destiny. It is going to happen to us, and we do not know when. We must keep this thought in our minds and live our lives accordingly. In Francis Chan's study resources video on chapter 2 of his book Crazy Love, the author asks the question, "If today was the day that you actually died and came before God, would you have any regrets of things you wished you had done?" Once you had answered that question, you were instructed to figure out how you could actually live a life where you would have no regrets. In other words, we need to live like this could our last day, even our last minute. There are things we want to do, need to do, that don't need to be put off any longer. We quite possibly may never have another chance to do them. Maybe your regret is a family situation that needs forgiveness and reconciliation, maybe it is someone who God has laid upon your heart to share the gospel message of Jesus with, and even greater still, maybe you have never decided to follow Jesus and make Him your Lord and Savior. Whatever good intentions you may have, change them from intentions to actions. It may be your last chance.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Get It Done

2010-03-30T06:53:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - John 11:28,29 "And when she had so said , she went her way , and called Mary her sister secretly, saying , The Master is come , and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. "

Recently on a golf trip to Pinehurst, NC we were staying at the Mid-Pines - Pine Needles Resort and had played the Mid-Pines golf course in the morning and was getting ready to play the Pine Needles golf course that afternoon when one of my friends noticed that he had left his cell phone in the golf cart at the Mid-Pines course we had played that morning. We had a specific tee time and actually was already 20 minutes late for that because of a frost delay that morning, so it was not feasible for us to leave and go back to get it. We informed a lady who was serving as the starter at Pine Needles that we had left the phone and she told us, "no problem, I'll take care of it." We had not even finished playing the first hole when here came a young man bringing my friends phone to him. There had not even been 10 minutes between the time we had informed the lady the phone had been left and the time it was brought back to us. We were all very impressed by how quickly she had got the job done. It never seemed as if it were a bother to her, she just went ahead and got the task done. It was encouraging to see someone who had a sense of urgency to even a small issue. We need to have the same attitude when it comes to our service to the Lord. When we have a task before us we need to arise quickly and get the job done. There are great dangers in putting things off, placing them on the back burner. I know God inspires us to do many things that we never accomplish by not going ahead and completing the task at hand. We are sometimes good at starting new things and unfortunately we are also good at not seeing those things to completion. Have a sense of urgency in getting things done for the Lord. If you need to talk to Him, go to Him in prayer quickly. If God lays a scripture or thought on your heart, study and meditate on it quickly,while it is fresh in your mind. If God is leading you to talk or go see someone, seek out the first opportunity He opens up for you. Act upon the Word of the Lord with haste. We are not promised of tomorrow.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

True Love is Selfless Not Selfish

2010-03-29T07:05:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - 1 Cor. 13:4-7 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

There is no room in our walk with Christ for selfishness. It is as far removed from the attitude Christ intends for us to have as the east is from the west. Even our love for Him cannot be for selfish reasons, if our motive for loving Christ or others is what we can gain, then it is not true love. Unconditional love is a great thing, maybe the greatest thing. When we love out of pure motives, there is no greater joy we can experience. Lets look for a moment at the love Christ has for us. In Rom. 5:8 we are told that God directed His love toward us while we were yet sinners. His love for us is pure, it is not based on what we can do for Him, it is based on what He desires and wants to do. When we love because it is what we desire and want to do we will be on the right track. If your motives for the love of Christ and others are not what Jesus would have them to be, ask God to change your motives and teach you to love in an unconditional, selfless way.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Persistance in Prayer

2010-03-28T06:56:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - "And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up , eat and drink ; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink . And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up , and looked , and said , There is nothing. And he said , Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said , Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said , Go up , say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down , that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain."

I am amazed at how quickly we give up at times in our prayers. We pray and pray and when we don't here from God we move on to something else assuming that it must have not been God's will for our request to be answered. There is a key element to prayer that we leave out when we are caught in this trap. We forget the element that faith plays in our prayers. Faith is not hope, it is a confident belief that what we pray for will come to fruition. There are no.. maybes in prayer. As you take a look at today's scripture, I would like you to notice a few things. First, take a look at the fact that Elijah told Ahab that there would be an abundance of rain. He did not tell Ahab that if God desires there would be an abundance of rain, he told Ahab there would be rain. Elijah had the faith. I want you also to realize that when Elijah prayed he didn't give up when the answer did not come after the first request. It ended up being on the seventh request that Elijah's prayer was answered. Yet, he confidently sent his assistant to look for the rain. He was confidently anticipating the answer. We need to do the same, we have to have faith without worry. It is how God wants us to live.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Be Steadfast, The End Result is Worth It

2010-03-27T08:01:00.004-04:00

Scripture Reading - 2 Peter 1:5-8 "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound , they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. "

We are told in today's scripture make every effort to add virtue to faith, knowledge to virtue, and temperance or steadfastness to knowledge. Being steadfast is a quality that is difficult to make effort towards. It is not easy, and it definately is not painless. We sometimes are not able to look past our present circumstances in order to see the end result of our struggles. Our prayers are usually to ask God to relieve us from our burdens, that things will lighten up for us. We need to seek that God would develop His character in us through every circumstance. We need to learn to have full trust in Him, knowing that there is nothing that can happen to us that does not first pass by the mind of the Lord. It is usually through the most difficult times in our lives that God is best able to develop His character in us. Today I want everyone that is facing difficult circumstances in your life to take comfort in the fact that God does indeed hear you as you cry out to Him. Be steadfast in seeking Him and His answers. It quite possible can be that God is delaying His answer because He is developing character in you. Hold on, God is in control.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Our Main Goal

2010-03-25T07:03:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - 2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

What goals do you have set for yourself at this present time? It is good to set goals and work towards them. I think of how people go about trying to loose weight. Sometimes a person is very successful in their quest to lose weight. Usually they have a target weight they would like to get at. They set many small goals that they gain confidence by achieving and with perseverance they sometimes reach their goal. But, more times than not, after a period of time elapses, they regain the weight they lost plus a few pounds. Why? It is because the focus on the discipline it took to lose the weight, which almost always consists of discipline in eating and a consistent exercise program, is lost. Maintaining a consistent, healthy weight requires not a quick fix program, it requires a life long commitment to focusing eating right and exercising regularly. In our Christian walk we must make a life long commitment to becoming the man or woman that God desires us to be. It must always be our goal to be conformed into the image of Christ. When we lose focus on this goal, we will always experience a feeling of distance from our Lord and Savior. We need to constantly strive toward this goal.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Be a Transformer

2010-03-24T07:34:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Romans 12:1-2 " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Our live with Christ is meant to be one in which our very character is constantly being change into His image. We are to become "more like Jesus" as the old song says. We really never should lose sight of this. If you have lived with this motive for a while now, maybe a long while, you still need to perpetually move toward this goal. It is a goal that we must realize that always needs to be in place. Today's scripture reading reinforces this principle. Romans 12:1-2 lays out the groundwork of how to accomplish this goal. We are to present our bodies as a sacrifice to the Lord, they belong to Him and we need to allow Him to use us as He sees fit. This is not an optional command, one that is only for those who desire a closer walk with God, it is a command for all Christians. It is our reasonable service. It is what we should all be doing. Remember, we have been "bought" with a price. The way we are transformed into the image of Christ is by the renewing of our mind. We must be in the Word of God and sitting under the teachings of the Word of God for this to happen. The Word through the power of the Holy Spirit is what will change us. Do you desire to read and study the Word of God? Do you sit under the teachings of a Godly, anointed teacher of the Word? Do you attend church with the desire of hearing from God, or do you go already convinced that you have already heard all that and you are just not getting fed, son you do not choose to even go. No wonder we make no progress toward being changed into the man or woman God intends us to become. Becoming the man or woman God wants us to become should be our third goal behind only the two greatest commandments of "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself". If you feel that you are in a stagnate state when it comes to your walk with Jesus, ask yourself the following questions ; Do you belong to yourself, or do you belong to Jesus? Are you actively seeking Jesus to change you through the Word. It will not automatically happen, you have to make effort towards these goal.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Beware of the Thorns

2010-03-23T06:54:00.003-04:00

Scripture Reading - Luke 8:4-15 "And when much people were gathered together , and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed , some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down , and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up , it withered away , because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it , and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up , and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried , He that hath ears to hear , let him hear . And his disciples asked him, saying , What might this parable be ? And he said , Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see , and hearing they might not understand . Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear ; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved . They on the rock are they, which, when they hear , receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe , and in time of temptation fall away . And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard , go forth , and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection . But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

The Word of God is a wonderful thing. Adhering to the Word is what mold us into the man or woman that God wants us to be. This is meant to be an ongoing continual process, a process that should never end. We should always seek and desire not only to know the Word,but also, to be a doer of the Word. As Jesus spoke the parable of the sower in Luke 8:4-15, He warns us of the dangers that would prevent the Word of God taking effect in our lives. He also makes us a promise of fruit being produced in our lives when the seed (the Word of God) falls upon good soil. The dangers are clear, we can hear the Word and never actually listen to it. We never let it even set up in our hearts because it is quickly snatched away. An example of this condition would be us reading the Word out of obligation instead of really seeking to understand and allow the Word to change us. A person in this condition will attend services and never really listen and seek. They will just beat in time appeasing their conscience. Those who hear the Word and receive it with joy initially, but, the Word never develops in their lives because they have bad rocky soil within their hearts. These people don't have the basic fundamentals of following Christ down pat. These people are more concerned about what Christ can do for them as opposed to what they can do for Christ. They wait for the Word to magically appear in their lives without making any effort toward that fact. Do you really think the Word magically appears? You know it doesn't. I think many of us have thorny soil at times in our hearts. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. It is usually the cares of this world. We have thorns when we don't place God upon the pedestal the He needs to be on. We need to "love the Lord thy God with all our hearts, soul and mind". Be careful of the thorns, they can greatly hinder our progress in becoming the man or woman God desires us to become. What are the thorns that appear in your soil? Identify them and weed them out of your life. Finally, it is a beautiful thing when the Word materializes in your life and you see what can happen when our soil is good.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

The Secret to Having Many Friends

2010-03-22T07:27:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 18:24 "A man who has friends must himself be friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. "

Our lives are not meant for us to live alone. One of the greatest dangers we can enter into is the place of isolation. The very culture we live in today lends itself to this very problem. A friend of mine once wrote a paper in college titled, "The Vanishing of the Front Porch in America". People either don't take the time to spend with others or possibly they believe they don't have the time to culture and nourish friendships. This leads us to points in our lives in which we feel isolated and alone, and it is at these times in which we are easy prey for the snares of the devil. Most families are now isolated to friendships within their homes even if they even exist there. In my home, my family is together for probably 4 awake hours each day. Sadly, that time is mostly spent by us in 4 separate rooms. How can friendships and relationships be cultivated when we do not prioritize our time and purpose to develop these relationships. Our greatest friend, who is Jesus Christ Himself, He is the one who will stick closer than any brother desires us to spend as much time with Him as we will. Are you cultivating and developing that relationship with Him? There are times when we need friends who are not part of our family. Are you cultivating and developing these relationships? You see, we need to actively apply today's scripture to our lives and be friendly with others. Do not wait until someone approaches you. Be very active in seeking friendship. We do this by first being friendly ourselves. I am amazed by how little I know about some who attend my church. I have went for years with some of these wonderful people, but I have not taken the time to develop close friendships with them. I will work towards that. I think this is a problem throughout churches in America. We have a choice of leaving things as they are, or we can seek God's help in changing these things. I know God wants us to close and personal with other believers. Take a look at the success of the Internet social networking sites FaceBook and MySpace. The reason they are so successful is that people have a desire for friendship. Friendships that have been dormant for years are being rekindled. What a great thing it would be if the Body of Christ would band together as well. Man was not meant to be alone!!!

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

What Preoccupies Your Mind?

2010-03-20T09:06:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - I Tim. 6:11 "But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness"

If your were to analyze what preoccupies your mind and where do you direct most of your effort, what would be the result of that analysis. It could be true that your job occupies most of your mind and effort. It could be that activities that you or your children are involved in preoccupy the space in your mind and demand most of your effort. Many people are consumed by stress and worry over circumstances in that arise in your family. How many of let our minds be dominated by debt and the stronghold it has upon us. Our minds are full, and what the mind is full of, usually directs where our effort will be. The key to being where God would have us is that our minds and effort be directed towards Him and having His character traits develop in our lives. We have to purpose to and extend effort in having God be in our every thought. It sometimes takes just a millisecond to focus our energy toward Him. If we learn to quickly process the thought of how could God be honored in each and every situation we would much less likely to have our minds and effort controlled by things that further distance us from Jesus and the life He would have us lead. Focus upon Him, He is the Way , the Truth,and the Life.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

The Power of the Cross

2010-03-19T06:12:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

The most powerful example of the love Christ has for you and me was exhibited to us when Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross. That one event forever changed the course of mankind. It brought to us hope and the ability to be saved from not only the penalty of our sin but from our sins. No greater example of love and compassion has ever been shown toward anyone. If we would take time to consider the cross and just what if means to us, it would draw us closer and closer to Christ. I want you to picture in your mind this morning a man who never did any harm to anyone carrying an old rugged cross to his place of execution. I want you to visualize Him being beaten to the point of being unrecognizable. I want you to hear the cursing and mocking that the crowd was directing toward Him. Imagine the pain that was inflicted when the crown of thorns was placed on His head as they were making fun of Him for claiming to be a king. I want you right now to press your thumb into the center of your wrists as this is where the nails pierced His flesh as He was nailed to the cross. I want you to hear the words Jesus said to John as He trusted the care of His mother to him, "Woman, behold thy son, son behold thy mother." I especially want you to hear what Jesus thought of those who crucified Him, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Finally, I want you to take a deep breath and exhale slowly thinking about Jesus as the breath left His body. All this was done for you and I, in order that we may have life and have it more abundantly. I praise Him today for the cross and the great price that was paid for humanity in general and me and you in particular. Never take it for granted.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Less is More

2010-03-18T07:29:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - John 3:30 "He must increase , but I must decrease ."

So far, in my blogging experience, today's scripture verse may be the shortest one that I have used. But, it quite possibly is one of the most important. John the Baptist knew this concept well. He knew that his fame and exposure must decrease in order that Jesus' fame and exposure would increase. We need to direct everything to the Lord. He is the reason for everything good that we do. Thereby, all the glory and prasie should go to Him. We all battle pride in our lives. It is very easy to think that you have became something or somebody. If we have been blessed it is because of God's grace. I am reminded of the scene in Revelation in which the crowns were cast at Jesus' feet. All the praise and glory belongs to Him.

Seek to decrease that the Lord may increase. Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Is Spite Controlling You?

2010-03-17T07:27:00.004-04:00

Scripture Reading - Romans 12:17-21 "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written , Vengeance is mine; I will repay , saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger , feed him; if he thirst , give him drink : for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

The way I react to adverse treatment sometimes reveals to me areas in which I need a lot of growth and change in my walk with Christ in this life. I can't seem to get the eye for an eye mentality out of my actions. It feels as though I am thinking that because I have been wronged, I can retaliate with an equal or lesser wrong. The process of you hurt me, I'll hurt you is as far from Christ as the east is from the west. We do not overcome evil with evil, we overcome evil with good, the goodness of Christ. It is not our job to proclaim sentence upon our enemies, that job belongs to the Lord. Our responsibility is to love where there is no love, to turn the other cheek if necessary. Pure Christ-like love is a beautiful thing, the most beautiful thing upon this earth.

I'm so glad Christ is not spiteful. He is full of grace, unmerited favor. He never shuts Himself off from us. He desires us to turn toward Him. Take a look at yourself this morning. Are you full of spite and is grace toward others absent from your life? If this is the case, practice today's scripture reading in your life. Your enemies will indeed notice and may possibly be turned toward Christ in the process.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Do You Want To or Do You Have To?

2010-03-16T07:13:00.003-04:00

Scripture Reading - Psalms 42:1,2 "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"

Have you ever done something for someone because you were prodded by someone or something? You know what I'm talking about, you went ahead and done it but, your heart was just not in it. Do you remember how your heart felt. Now lets put the shoe on the other foot. Have you ever had someone do something for you half-heartily? The whole time you know that they are just going through the motions. We sometimes forget that God is omniscient, that means He knows all. He knows the very intent of our heart. There is no fooling Him. He takes no pleasure in anything that is done in a half-hearted way towards Him. As I read today's scripture, I ask myself and I ask you, could I or you for that matter have written that passage? Do we seek and desire God as a deer desires and seeks water? Does our soul thirst for God? Only God and ourselves know the answer to that questions. If our motives and desire toward God are pure and ever present, then praise the Lord. We are practicing the great truth of drawing near to God and having Him draw near to us if that is the case. But, if we are not really living that way, how do we change it? I believe the Lord will constantly reveal areas of our lives that need fixing if we seek Him as we should. What is important is when these things are revealed to us, that we actually seek the Lord for a plan to fix them and that we then execute the plan. Tell God you aren't seeking Him like the psalmist in Psalms 42:1,2. Be honest with Him, He knows all anyway. Ask Him to cause you to desire Him more than you desire your next breath. Your time could not be better spent.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Building Godly Character

2010-03-15T07:06:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - James 1:2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

I keep telling myself that I need to start working out. I know I need to, and I actually have experienced the benefits of an exercise program many times in my life. I know what will be the result of pushing my body to new limits. I will lose weight, my health will better, and I will feel better. Everything result associated with a workout routine is good. There is no bad. It is all good. Then why don't I do it? I guess it is a combination of not wanting to go through the initial pain associated with working out, and the unwillingness to put aside the comfort foods that I would do without in dieting. I can visualize the soreness that comes with the first few weeks, but you know what, that only lasts a little while. I can remember starting a daily running program. The first day I was only able to run 2 laps (1/2 mile). I was so sore the next day, it was difficult to move. But, I stuck with the program and within 6 weeks, I was running 6-8 miles a day.

Our walk with Christ is a lot like a workout routine. In order to develop Christ- like character in us, we sometimes have to go through some difficult things. The Bible teaches us to enter into these situations with joy. We need to look at the end results instead of focusing upon the process. It is difficult to be steadfast, but we can take comfort in knowing the Christ is with us and when His work has been done in us, we will be delivered from the things that are pressing upon us.. Our main focus should be on becoming the man or woman that He wants us to be. We can look on difficult circumstances with joy because it is Christ working in us to make us what He wants us to be.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

It is the Lord's Day

2010-03-14T08:12:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reading - Isa. 58:13-14 ""If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

One thing to always remember is that the Sabbath is the Lord's Day, not ours. It is a day in which we rest in the Lord. We rejuvenate ourselves by focusing upon Him. What an opportunity we have today to worship the Lord, to have an audience with Him in prayer. When we get to the point in which God is at the center of all our actions, when we seek to honor Him in all that we do we will find true inner peace and we will have purpose in our lives. We will be in full joy. May you be greatly blessed and enjoy your day with the Lord. It is His day.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Grasping at Straws

2010-03-13T05:36:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"

I am amazed at the times that I have heard people say, "the Lord told me", about various things and over the course of time the words that they said came from the Lord never materialized. Why is that? I have also spoken these words myself, "the Lord is leading me to do ______" and the thought quickly vanishes and never materializes. Why does that happen? I 100% believe that God wants an intimate close relationship with us, one in which there is constant two-way communication between God and us. I know He speaks things to us. I also know we sometimes justify things that we want and desire to by saying that these things have come from God when in fact they are just desires and wants that come from within us. Do you know the voice of God? How is the two-way communication with God in your Life? One of the greatest tactics an enemy can do in warfare is to disrupt lines of communication. It is one of the first things they will try to take out in a battle. The devil has been very successful at this. Satan has disrupted our communication with God. We start grasping at straws when God does not answer quickly enough for our liking. We need to learn what God's voice sounds like. We need to wait upon His voice.

Hearing from God takes effort. You have to set aside time for Him to speak to you. We are reminded in Jer. 29:13 that we will find God when we seek for Him with all our heart. Do you long to talk with Him, to hear His voice or is this concept foreign to you. Are you diligently seeking him? Get desperate for God, He's desperate for you. One thing is for sure, if God has spoken something to you, it will come to pass. He is a man of His word. Stop grasping for straws in your Christian walk and really seek the words of the Lord.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

A Light in a Very Dark Place

2010-03-12T07:07:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Isa. 58:6-12 ""Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke ? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house ; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh ? Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth ; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer ; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones ; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins ; You will raise up the age-old foundations ; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell."

In Isa. chapter 58 we see of the type of fast that God wants and desires from His people. It is not a type of fast in which one humbles himself before God and just puts aways from himself things in order to draw near to God. It is not a matter of the sacrifices we make or even the things we do to obey God. One must desire and allow God to develop Christ-like character in us. We must always seek for God to mold us into the man or woman He wants us to be. In today's scripture reading we see an image of what the person God wants us to become looks like. He is a person who has had the bonds of wickedness removed from their life, one who is free and not under bondage. We will become people who do not point our fingers at others and no wickedness will come out of our mouths. We will be quick to feed the hungry and will with no hesitation take the homeless in. If we learn to seek and serve others, meet their need, it will bring not only help for them it will give life to us. We will become a shining light in some places that are extremely dark. We will indeed repair the breeches in our own lives as well as in the life of others. There is great truth in today's passage. Read and meditate upon this scripture. It is deep and offers a great life altering message.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Let Us Bring Our Offering of Praise

2010-03-11T06:16:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Hebrews 13:15,16 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is , the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased ."

Some days it is very difficult to know what to write in this blog. I have to admit that possibly today has been the most blank that my mind has been since I started doing this. I have learned that in these times of a lack of inspiration I can always take a step back and reflect on the One who is our very reason for living, that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I praise His Name today. He is my God, my Savior, my Friend, my Teacher, my Protector, my Corrector. He is the Word, the Truth, the Way, the Life. He is my Healer, my Peace, my Comfort. What else do I need? Jesus completes me. I am overwhelmed by His love toward me. I could write all day of the great blessings He bestows on me. I kind of feel like the psalmist who wrote, "my cup runneth over."

I encourage you today to meditate upon the Lord and offer up to Him praise for the great things He has done and is going to do in your life. Speak these words to Him. Tell Him how much you love Him. Ask Him to create a love in you for Him that is greater than any love you have for anything. Focus all your energy upon Him, give Him the place He deserves and should have in your life, Make Him number one. It's all good when we do these things.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Perfect Trust Brings Perfect Peace

2010-03-10T07:01:00.005-05:00

Scripture Reading - Phil. 4:4-9 "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say , Rejoice . Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned , and received , and heard , and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with you. "

As I was reading Francis Chan's book Crazy Love, I read about an instance when a college professor of his asked this question, "What are you doing now that requires faith?". I asked myself that questions and I can't think of one thing that I am doing now that requires me to trust in the Lord. I have been pondering over that question for days now. God has led me to the passage of scripture when the disciples were sent out and commanded to take nothing with them. Jesus had to teach them to be reliant on Him. Then I think of how self-sufficient I am in my walk with Christ and how crazy it is to live that way when the greatest power this world has ever known wants to guide and direct my paths. God actually wants me to have perfect trust and reliance on Him, and I try to do most things by myself. No wonder I worry and stress about many situations. No wonder I lack peace in so many areas of my life. Perfect peace, the peace that passes understanding comes from perfect trust in the Lord, not from trusting in myself. I don't think of myself as being able to handle and direct my way, but my lack of trust in the Lord leads me to do the best that I can do. How do I increase my faith and trust in the Lord which will thereby lead to perfect peace and the destruction of stress and worry?

I think one way to accomplish this would be to put God to the test. I am going to step out in faith in some areas and I am going to attack these situations without any influence from me. I am going to approach these situations without a fear of failure. I am going to look toward the hills from whence cometh my help. I am going to thank Him for the victory as I make my requests unto Him, and I am going to patiently wait until He shows His mighty hand. This morning as I write this I already know what the result of trusting in Him will be. I know it because it is spelled out in His word. The Holy Spirit bears witness with me that this is the right path. I am not going to worry. I have perfect peace in Him.

If you are going through situations that are affecting you in a similar fashion, I encourage you to put God to the test, show your faith in the situation by totally getting out of the way, and stand back and watch the glory of the Lord, then speak His praises before all men. When God does act in your situation, please get in touch with me, I would love to hear of how God has worked in you life. I will definitely share the God given victories in my life with everyone when the victory comes in the situations that need perfect trust and peace in my life.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Things That Shift Our Focus

2010-03-09T05:24:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Matt. 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

I have been greatly blessed by the Lord with some really great teachings in the past 3 to 4 months. It really has been a fresh season of learning for me. The Lord has been teaching me to put my relationship with Him above everything else. I have been learning how to be more intimate with Him. My personal relationship with the Lord had really grown and I love Him more that I ever have at any point in my life. I have actually fallen in love with Jesus. Now, I want you to realize this has been a growing process and that while I have came a great distance from where I was, I still have a long way to go. I fully expect the relationship between the Lord and myself to continue to grow. There are days when I am very focused on the Lord and there are days when I lack focus and intensity in serving Him. Today, I would like to share with you some of the things that have shifted my focus from the Lord.

The days that I have lacked focus all seem to begin the same way. On these days, I am rushed in the mornings and I don't spend the quality time with Him that I need to. This is caused many times by me sleeping in. On other days my lack of focus is caused by me being busy with other things. I have to prioritize my time with the Lord. I really believe it is the most important part of my day. Another thing that has gotten in the way of my focus is stressing about problems that come up. Some of these issues are ones that resurface and some are brand new. When these things come up, I seem to focus my energy and mind toward them when I would be much better served to increase my focus and intensity on the Lord when they arise. We are told in Phil. 4:6 to be careful or anxious for nothing. Stress and worry are not supposed to consume me. Perfect trust in my Lord and Savior conquers these two. Pray that I would not allow anything to keep me from seeking the Lord first above anything else. It is my prayer for you that you would do the same. You will not find a better friend than Jesus. You will not ever have anyone who wants to be more intimate with you than Jesus. You will never have anyone love you more than Jesus. And you will never be more fullfilled by loving anyone than you will by loving Jesus. He is the Life ,the Truth, the Way.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

What a Wonderful World That Would Be

2010-03-08T06:26:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - 2 Cor. 8:13-15 "For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written , He that had gathered much had nothing over ; and he that had gathered little had no lack ."

When I think of how God intended for us to live and how we actually do live, I cannot believe how far the two are apart. We seem to hear very little about these scriptures that would be uncomfortable to people, especially those who have been greatly blessed materially and financially. In our American culture the norm seems to be gain and put back as much as you can, it is a dog eat dog jungle out there and it seems that the church is not immune from it. As I read today's scripture reading of the practice of equality that God commands us , I know of very few families that actually live that way, and the attitude of equality is even less prevalent in the church, and the the thought of living in equality with our neighbors is non existent. Why are Christians like this? Do we only adhere to the commands in the Word that we want to do. Do we allow ourselves to block out scriptures and not talk about the verses that are threatening to our "stuff", you know the things we have worked so hard for, that we have earned? The key is to come to the realization that nothing is ours, it all comes from Christ and it all belongs to Christ.

Can you imagine a world in which we all live equal. When you have an abundance, you share with those who have areas of lack. When they have an abundance, they share with others (which may include you) who have areas of lack in their lives. The practice of freely you have received, freely give is one charterer trait that is greatly missing in the lives of most people. I can remember several years back when myself and a group of my friends practiced this principle. My best friend Drew had a job that tied up most of his evenings. The times that usually opened up to minister to others and to get together to pray conflicted with the time he had to work. So, many times we would go and help him do his job in order that he could join us in the different areas of ministry that God would open up for us. He was limited in time by his job, so we helped him gain some time. Meanwhile, I have a job in which I work most of the daylight hours. The time for me to get a lot of my yard work, mowing and trimming, is very limited. I have to usually put it off until the weekend. There was a problem with that because every other week we would go to a juvenile detention center to minister. But, I would come from work many times to find my friend Drew, who had his early afternoons free, mowing my grass or trimming weeds. We helped each other which is what God wants us to do.

If you are experiencing a time of abundance in your life, share with those who are in need. If you are in need, accept assistance from others, for in refusing you sometimes resist the very help that God sends you. Do not be too proud. Meditate on the scripture reading for today and ask yourself, am I living the way God wants me to live according to this passage. Greed and selfishness have no place in the kingdom of God.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Brotherly Kindness with Love

2010-03-07T07:16:00.004-05:00

Scripture Reading - 2 Pet. 1:5-8 "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Salvation brings to us great new abilities and these abilities come in the power of the Holy Spirit who takes up residence in everyone who has been born again. The ability through His power to live virtuous lives full of the knowledge in the Lord Jesus with the ability to have self-control and persevere through any circumstances with godly attributes which show brotherly kindness toward others with a great new Christ -like love. Now, in this short summary of 2 Peter 1:5-8 I hope to show you that these things do not automatically happen. We have to give all diligence, or for a lack of a better word, effort to these things. We have to purpose and pursue these qualities in our lives. Today I would like to concentrate on adding the qualities of brotherly kindness and Christ-like love to our lives as we walk with Christ. The ability to do so has been granted to us by the Holy Spirit. What we have to do is have faith in the fact that these abilities are indeed there and make every effort (all diligence) to having them surface in our walk with Christ.

Today, many of us will attend a worship service. When you pray ask God to help you show brotherly kindness and Christ-like love to all who you will meet today. One of the ways we can make this effort is to plan to arrive at your church early enough to go around and greet some people. Ask them how are the situations with certain requests they have given you to pray about are. If you don't know someone that well, go up and introduce yourself, place your hand on their shoulder, hug them, be friendly. Now if we are running late and get to church just as the service starts or even worse after it starts, we are not going to be able to do these things. That would show our lack of effort. I was told one time by a person that they were treated with more love and respect when they were into the bar scene than when they were in church. They said that even now that they were following Christ, they would be more likely receive brotherly kindness from the lost than from Christians. Now these things should never happen, and they happen because of our lack of effort in allowing the Holy Spirit to produce these qualities in our lives.

We are guaranteed only one opportunity to love and be kind to people and that opportunity is now. The power that we have been given by God in the Holy Spirit is the greatest power on this earth. He (the Holy Spirit) is not natural, He is supernatural. Let Him touch someone through you with such a kindness and love today that they will remember it for the rest of their lives. Give all diligence to these things and we will never be unfruitful and will always show the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Giving Your Very Best

2010-03-06T07:26:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Mal. 1:8-10 "And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice , is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick , is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."

I am amazed by the potential I see in people. But, the word potential usually isn't a good thing to hear. The most common way that I hear it, is when someone tells a person, "You have so much potential." When you hear those words, it usually means that, while you could do better, you are now not living up to what you could do. The sad things is, many people never reach the level they could have attained by just putting forth their full effort. There are several things that cause this lack of effort. One is a fear of failure. Many people would rather not try, than to try and fail. Another reason for lack of effort is just down right laziness. If it doesn't come easy, I am not willing to work at it, is the thought process for others. If I have learned anything about people in my years, it is that if given a chance they will for the most part take the easy way out. The few people that go the extra mile and always give full effort are easy to spot. They are usually the most effective and successful at anything they do.

In today's scripture reading we see that the priest's in Malachi's day were offering less their best to God. They were offering the blind, lame, and sick animals to God, while they kept the best for themselves. It is a practice that God called evil. These priest's were satisfying their conscience by offering the animals, but they were holding back on God. I wonder if we take a look at our service to the Lord, are we not doing the same thing? We get the attitude that God understands, He knows I am weak. He is a forgiving God. We will go to church on Sunday. We will put in a little money in the offering plate. Heck, we might even read a few Bible verses this week, if we have time. I'll ask you and myself the question, "Is this the best we can do?" You and I know the answer to that question. We know if we are giving full effort in our service to God. What is a greater fact though is the fact that God knows also. There is no fooling Him. He is worthy of our very best in everything. I am a sports fanatic. One thing I always appreciate is when a team or player, win or lose, plays with full effort. To me it is the greatest thing to watch in sports, a person who gives all the effort they can give. Why don't we expend that same effort and desire toward God is beyond me. He is the Life, the Truth, and the Way. Your time and effort could not be spent in a more important and rewarding way.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Do You Really Believe?

2010-03-05T06:30:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Rom. 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. "

One thing that I greatly enjoy doing at times is cooking. I don't like to do it all the time, but sometimes I just get into the mood and go at it. I was thinking about how, if you tasted each individual ingredient for a dish, sometimes they would not taste very good by themselves, but, when you put them together, you end up with a really good tasting item. I was in a group bible study yesterday when the a question was raised by a brother-in-Christ. He asked, "Do you really believe that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose?" As I pondered over the question, my thought processes went something like this, first of all, I am very familiar with the scripture he was referring to. For years I carried a little card that had Rom. 8:28 written on it. It was a gift from a friend of mine, one of the three best men I have ever known on the face of the earth. I knew the answer from the Word of God and that answer was definitely, yes, God works all things together for my good. Secondly, I also considered if my life reflected the fact that I believed Rom. 8:28. If I indeed believed today's scripture reading, certain things would be evident. I would have peace in any circumstance. I would know that God was in control not me. My life would be absent from worry and I would not be stressed. My confidence would be in God and in His Word. After careful consideration, I answered my friend. I answered, Yes, I do believe all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

My great-uncle Bill Talbert, who since has went on to be with the Lord, was a man of great wisdom in the Lord and he told me one time, "There will be nothing that will come up in your life that first does not pass by the mind of God." It brings me great comfort knowing that if what I think is a bad, terrible thing, God has thought and allowed this thing in my life. He believes that I am strong enough in Him to handle it. He intends things to bring glory and honor to Him in order that all men might be saved. If you are facing a true giant in your life follow the Words of Christ found in John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer ; I have overcome the world."
Jesus tell us we will have tribulation in this world, but take heart, he has overcome this world. Place your trust in Him, realize that with Christ, all things will work out for good, use the giant you are facing to draw closer to Him, and finally let the peace of God, which passes all understanding flood into your heart.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Don't Isolate Yourself

2010-03-04T07:37:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Ecc. 4:9-12 "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall , the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth ; for he hath not another to help him up . Again, if two lie together , then they have heat : but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

As I look back to the times in my life when I have seemed to struggle the most in my Christian walk, there has been one common thread. I felt as though I was going through these things by myself. I felt very alone in these times. When people are suffering from depression, one of the first things they will do is isolate themselves from their friends, family, and church. Isolation is a very difficult problem to deal with. Our very avenues to help are cut off. I explained to a friend of mine just what I thought the importance of church attendance was. I told him this is the way I look at it, church is a place where I can find help in times of trouble and greater still it is a place where I can help others when they need it. Church fellowship destroys isolation. It keeps us in the loop, so to say. We need that weekly contact with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to develop relationships, don't wait for someone to approach you, go up to someone introduce yourself, invite them to your home, get to know them, be available for them, they in turn will be available for you.

I don't know what I would do without my inner circle of close friends. I have learned to value and cultivate our relationships. I have come to the conclusion that the times in my life that I felt I was alone were caused by me and my reluctance to make good use of the wonderful people God had surrounded me with. Above all, don't discount that God wants to be our close intimate friend also and we have to cultivate our relationship with Him above all else. Draw near to Him and He will draw near unto us. This life is not meant to be lived alone. Try to contact your friends at least two to three times a week. There are wonderful networking opportunities available to us, Facebook, Myspace, our local church, a walk in the neighborhood. Take the time to get to know one another. I don't know where I heard this statement, but it rings so true, "He who has many friends, must be found to be friendly."

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

God's Perfect Timing

2010-03-03T06:44:00.001-05:00

Scripture Reading - Gal. 4:4-7 "But when the fullness of the time was come , God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying , Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

Today's scripture reading is one of my personal favorites. I turn to it often, it gives me great comfort in various situations that arise in my life. The impact of the the very first phrase; "But when the fullness of time was come," is enormous. God's timing is always perfect. The things He does are done at the right time. His timing is never wrong. Jesus Christ was sent at the perfect time. The time that was chosen by God himself. The birth of Jesus had been long foretold by prophesies. God's people had anxiously awaited the coming of the Messiah for many, many years, and when the fullness of time was come, He was born. We can hold to God's Word. His promises are true. What we need to develop is a perfect trust in Him to do what He says he will do. We have to have faith in His Word. Faith will bring about peace in our lives. I feel as though we only have a weak hope in Him at times. If He answers, great, if He doesn't, then we deal with things as best as we know how. I have gotten in God's way and complicated things many times because God was not moving quick enough for me. In other words, I didn't trust Him enough to wait for the fullness of time to come. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He knows the circumstances in your life that will arise. The future is known to him. Trust in His ability to care and look out for you. He wants and desires to take care of us. Never forget that fact.

I do a little exercise with the 23rd Psalm sometimes. It really reinforces God's care for me. Try placing your name in the blanks below :

The LORD is _______ shepherd ; _________ shall not want . He maketh _________to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth ____________ beside the still waters. He restoreth ____________ soul: he leadeth _____________in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though ____________ walks through the valley of the shadow of death, ________ will fear no evil: for thou art with ___________; thy rod and thy staff they comfort _________ Thou preparest a table before _____________ in the presence of __________ enemies : thou anointest _________________ head with oil; _____________cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow _____________ all the days of ___________ life: and _____________will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

All we are doing in this exercise is replacing the personal pronouns with our name. We do this because God sent His Son Jesus when the fullness of time had came. He done this to redeem us and bring us into a relationship with Him in which we can cry out, "Abba Father". This mean He becomes a personal, intimate Father to each and every one who will decide to follow Him. Our relationship with the creator of this world is meant to be a close, personal relationship in which we can count on Him to lead and direct our paths. Put your total trust in Him and wait for the fullness of time to arrive in your circumstances.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Who is in Contol?

2010-03-02T05:41:00.003-05:00

Scripture Reading - Rom. 13:1 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of God."

1 Tim. 6:1 - "Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed"

I can easily recall some moments in my walk with Christ where He has spoken directly to my heart with a clear, precise message. I remember one particular incident. The words He spoke to me are still as clear as they were the moment they first entered into my mind, and this event happened almost 18 years ago. I'll try to explain the situation I was going through at that time. Our union contract at UPS allows us to bid for particular routes once a year, and when you are awarded a route, it is yours for the duration of that year. If that route is in, then the bid driver is the one who should be working it. These routes are bid in seniority order and I had been fortunate enough to get the route that I had bid for. But, for reasons unknown to me, I was consistently sent on another route. This went on for day after day. I felt my rights as an union employee were being violated, I felt I was being done wrong. Finally, I had had enough. I went into my business manager's office and I confronted him with my concerns. Needless to say, my frame of mind during this meeting was not very Christ-like. I had been wronged, I felt I had the right to act this way. I no sooner had gotten 1 mile from our building, when the Lord spoke to my heart. I can still hear His words, "Don't you pray every day for me to ordain your day? Don't you think I am able to do it? If you are going on this particular route instead of your bid route, it is because I want you here instead of there. Now, go back and apologize." I had heard from the Lord. I had been humbled by the Lord. I had been humiliated by my prideful and vain actions. I had been making the great mistake of having the mindset of everything being all about me. It is not about me, it is all about HIM. I drove back to our operating center and went back into my manager's office. I then explained to him that I prayed every day for God to guide and direct my day. It is the Lord who sends me. I then asked for him to forgive me for the way I had acted towards him. It was a life changing lesson for me. Several weeks later, my manager took me aside and explained why I was being sent on a different route and it was for a very valid reason and I told him I would do whatever he needed me to do to help.

In our work environment we are confronted with various situations that greatly need the guidance and direction from the Lord. Pray and ask the Lord to ordain and direct every day. Realize that He is God and He is able to do that very thing. God is in control. The powers that be are ordained by Him. He promises to direct our paths if we acknowledge Him in all our ways. We had a duty to respond to every situation that pops up in a Christ-like way. We do not ever have an excuse to react in a fleshly, worldly way. It is not about you, it is all about the Lord. God is able to back up His Word by His actions. He always keeps His part of the bargain.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Leave Yourself an Out

2010-03-01T06:15:00.004-05:00

Scripture Reading - 1 Cor. 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. "

During my 25 years as a driver for UPS, I have been given numerous safe driving tips. In fact, for the last 10 - 12 years or so, we have a safety tip given by a driver daily. It seemed like overkill for a little while, until one day several years ago we had an actual fatality in our building. That one event took safety to a new level. I can't get enough safety tips now. I feel as though anything that will heighten my awareness is a very good thing for me. It greatly increases my chances of getting home to my family safely. We have an acronym for our safe driving habits. It is the first letter of each word in this sentence, All Good Kids Like Milk. The A stands for "Aim High in Steering", the G for "Get the Big Picture, the K for "Keep your eyes moving, the L for "Leave yourself an out, and the M for "Make sure they see you". It is the L "Leave yourself an out" that I want to share with you this morning. It not only works for safe driving skills, it also is a very important tip for our daily Christian walk.

We are taught to do certain things that will enable us to "leave yourself an out". We are taught to take the path of least resistance and have a planned escape route. Many times over the course of a day we will be tempted to compromise the standards that Jesus Christ has established for us to follow. We must remember that when we are tempted we are not being tempted by God, instead we are drawn away by our own lust for things. When these situations occur, we must put into practice today's scripture reading. We must seek for a Godly was out of the situation. We are promised in 1 Cor. 10:13 that God will provide us with a way of escape. The key is, to choose God's path of escape instead of giving in to the temptation. We are even instructed in the Lord's Prayer in Matt. 6:9-13 to ask God to not even lead us to temptation, lest we may fail. Keep in mind, you will always have the opportunity of a way out to any temptation we might face. Seek for a planned way of escape, then take it. Another thing we are taught as an UPS driver in the safe driving principle of "leave yourself an out", is to have space on all 4 sides of the vehicle. If you are consistently being tempted, it more than likely becauset you are too close to danger. You may need to create some space between you and the causes to your temptation. It may involve avoiding some of your friends who are not a good influence on you. It may involve not going to certain places that you are pretty sure temptations will arise. Be smart. Trust God to create space for you in these situations.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Never Underestimate the Benefits of Rest

2010-02-28T07:21:00.003-05:00

Scripture Reading - Mark 2:27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: "

We fail to realize sometimes just exactly who came up with the commandments we receive from God. It is the "I Am that I Am" who gives them to us. He is the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the One who was, and is, and is to come. The commander is the one who created us. God's commands for us are just that, they are "for us", for our best benefit. If we follow them then our bodies will best function the way they were intended to function. Who among you has ever felt they are too busy. Do you feel overwhelmed at the fullness of your day? Is God somehow pushed aside as we fill our time up with other things? Now, the things we do that push us to or above our physical limits a lot of times are not necessarily bad in themselves. They are just not actually as necessary as we are led to believe they are. I have many weekends where I've had to go back to work to rest. I have had Sunday's that I have went to Sunday School, then to a church dinner after church, then to a prayer meeting before evening church, then to evening church, and then stopped by the hospital to visit someone after church. Then I wonder why I'm so tired and everything I do seems to be ineffective and why although I had spent my entire Sunday involved in churchy things, I had actually accomplished not very much and spent so little time alone with God? Is it just me, am I crazy? Or, do any of you have similar things happen to you? We have to remember the importance of following the commands and examples that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provides us with.

In today's scripture reading, we are told by Jesus that man was not made for the sabbath, but, instead the sabbath was made for the man. It is meant to be a day of rest to the Lord. For the Lord worked for six days then he rested on the seventh day. We must allow our physical bodies the opportunity to recuperate. Limit you activities on the sabbath. Actually get some rest, do not run yourself ragged. Physical rest must be prioritized. Jesus actually did so. We read of times when He left the disciples and went to a desert place. A place where He could physically get some rest and more importantly, a place where He could be alone with God. How many times have you actually scheduled some quality alone time with God on the sabbath? Time that was absent from family members, absent from church members, absent from sporting events, absent from friends, time that was dedicated to God and to God alone? This concept is definitely lacking in my life. But, I know I would benefit greatly from starting to practice such an idea. Start with taking 30 minutes today and spend it totally with God. Do this outside of your regular church schedule. Remember the sabbath, keep it holy. The word holy means "set apart". Use the sabbath as it was meant for you to use it, a time of physical rest, with the emphasis on the Lord. If we use the sabbath wisely, everything we do in our Christian walk will become better.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

Pass it On

2010-02-27T06:41:00.004-05:00

Scripture Reading - 2 Cor. 1:3-7 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted , it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer : or whether we be comforted , it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing , that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation."

Several years back, my wife and I along with my oldest daughter would spend nearly every summer vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC at the Lakewood Camping Resort. It was, and I assume still is, a wonderful place to spend a vacation. One of the greatest thing about Lakewood is that it is a Christ centered place. Every weekday they had what was called a Children's Fun Hour. It was set up much like a Bible School would be at our churches. My oldest daughter, Kalee actually accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at one of these meetings. I read a daily devotional, http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/ , I'll man-up and confess that it is a women's devotional, but I am not ashamed that I read it. I actually gain great insight from it, and apply a lot of the God inspired principles, although I apply them from a man's prospective. Yesterday's article spoke of the significance that a particular coffee table had in the writer's life. It was the place she had come to know Jesus. So, Lakewood Camping Resort will always hold a great place in my life, for it was the place that my first born child came to know Jesus. They also held an adult bible study each day while the Children's Fun Hour was going on. It was a great privilege to sit under the teachings of Pastor Ted Ragsdale.

One day, today's reading was the topic of discussion. Pastor Ragsdale shared with us the story of a young couple who were members of his church. The couple had experienced a great tragedy in their lives as their two-year old child had wandered outside their home and fell into their swimming pool and drowned. They were devastated. Although I thankfully have not had to go through the experience of losing a child, I think that would be one of the hardest things that a parent could ever face. The couple reacted much like anyone would, they went through guilt, blaming themselves, blaming God, etc. It was crushing time for them. God, over a period of time provided them with comfort and the strength to carry on. A few years after that tragic event another couple in the area experienced nearly the same thing as their child drowned in a similar incident at their home. Although they did not attend church together, the couple in Pastor Ragsdale's church sought out the couple who had experienced the same tragedy and shared with them the comfort they had received from the Lord. As a person seeks answers for the reasons some things happen, they realize that sometimes an answer will never come. We just need to seek out and comfort those with the same comfort we have received from God. Have you ever received a card from someone that said just what you needed to hear? If you have, send a card to someone in a time of need. Have you ever received a hug from someone when you thought no one cared? If you have, hug someone you sense may be lonely. I think of the many wakes that I have attended and the sincere appreciation that those who are mourning have for that visit. If you have been comforted in this way, search the obituaries and see if there is anyone you could encourage. Practice God's principle of comforting others with the comfort you have received from the Lord. It's His Word. It will work.

Be Blessed and Live in the Now

Practice the B.E.D. Philosophy

2010-02-26T07:59:00.001-05:00

Scripture Reading - Psalms 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. "

My career as a Little League coach came to a halt this past summer. My son, who is 13 now, has moved on up to Junior League this year. I hope that I have influenced the kids that I have been blessed with to coach in at least some ways. It really makes me feel good when one of them comes up and speaks to me. I love each and every one of those kids. One thing I constantly tried to teach them was to perpetually move forward. We used the B.E.D. acronym. It stands for Better Every Day. That is what we tried to accomplish in our practices, to be better today than we were yesterday. This concept carries over into all areas of life and especially in our Christian walk.

In today's scripture reading the writer employs this concept. He asks God to search him, to know his heart, to see if the is any area of his life that is wicked or needs to be fixed, and then he asks God to lead him on the path to fixing these faults. We need to practice this same attitude. Every day as we come before God and meet with Him in prayer, we need to ask God to do the same for us; to search us, know our hearts, reveal areas of weakness, and lead us in fixing these areas. It will help us to be more conformed into the image of Christ. This will lead us into a state of consistently moving toward Christ. It places Jesus in the position of Lord that He has to be in our lives. And greater still, our intimate relationship with Him and the influence we have on others will just grow, and grow, and grow. Now, lets bring it in and chant, (lol) B.E.D., better every day.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Be Quick to Listen and Be Slow to Speak

2010-02-25T05:19:00.004-05:00

Scripture Reading - James 1:19-20 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear , slow to speak , slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

I can remember very clearly one of the sayings of my second grade teacher, Mrs King. She would say, "If you listen, you have the opportunity of learning something new, if you talk, you are sharing something you already knew." Mrs. King knew the value of listening, it opens the door to knowledge. This has been a life long lesson that was introduced to me 37 years ago. Today's scripture reading reinforces her saying with the greatest possible force, the Word of God.

Let's take a moment to look at the teachings in today's reading. "Let every man be swift to hear." tells us we should actively seek to hear from others. Sometimes the very best thing we can do for someone is to just be quiet and let them talk. I was in need of that very thing yesterday. I was having a very hectic day. My focus on the Lord wasn't very good, the worst it had been in weeks. I was focusing on some personal issues that had arisen instead of concentrating on intimacy with the Lord. I was stressing to say the least. It seemed that every delivery (I work as a UPS driver) I made was like pulling teeth. I was so anxious to take my break for lunch. I took my break at the library where I usually meet up with my best friend, Drew. As usual, he was there going over some lesson plans we have been working up to teach in the Wednesday Bible Study at our church. Drew just listened to me as I shared with him my lack of focus and my frustrations. He was quick to hear, and that was exactly what I needed. God blessed me through Drew's willingness to listen. We must always be willing and ready to listen.

The practice of being slow to speak is a great quality to develop as well. We need to think before we speak, prayerfully choosing our words. By doing so, we are able to discern the situation, and then allow God to speak through us. When we are in a confrontational situation, being slow to speak allows our anger to subside to the point where our words help the situation as opposed to making it worse. One of the worst things we can do is just start spouting off words without thinking. I think of when the Pharisees brought the woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery before Jesus to see what He would do. As they accused her before the Lord, Jesus was very slow to speak, choosing instead to doodle in the sand. What an impact His words, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." had. We need to practice being slow to speak.

Hopefully I will consider these words and apply them in my daily walk with Christ. Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Let Christ Be Your Role Model

2010-02-24T07:27:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Phil. 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation , and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

In the sports world, there are many so called role models. Some set great examples, and some set examples that leave a little something to be desired. I can remember as a young teenager wearing the jerseys of a favorite player. I would pretend to be that particular player in sandlot games. I stood like they did in the batter's box, learned their favorite move on the basketball court. I would boast to my friends of how much better my favorite player was than theirs. Actually they had a great influence on my life. I paid attention to what they said. I see my son doing the same things with the players of his generation. But , the greatest example of a role model we have is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today's scripture reading encourages us to let the mind of Christ infiltrate our lives. We need to make Him our role model and follow His example of humbling himself and taking on the form of a servant. I have had the privilege of taking part in one foot washing service since I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was one of the best services that I have ever attended. It symbolized our willingness to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ. My home church does not practice this ritual, but, I am forever grateful that I was blessed to take part in this service. If there ever was an area we need to pay close attention to, it is the area of servitude. Jesus taught the disciples how to be the very best they can be. The message of this lesson was to learn how to serve. Follow Jesus' example in today's scripture; keep your reputation pure, take on the form of a servant, obediently put to death your fleshly desires and sit back and watch as you enjoy the great benefits that come from having Jesus as your role model.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Be Proactive not Reactive

2010-02-23T07:13:00.003-05:00

Scripture Reading - Matt. 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it , Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

As you read today's scripture reading notice the emphasis on the intensity level that Jesus teaches we should have when we love. What do the words, "with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" mean? They mean with all out effort, with every once of our being. This love needs to be directed toward the Lord first and then toward our neighbor or fellow man. We are to love others as intensely as we love ourselves. It is the very proof that we have come to know Jesus. It is very easy for us to be selective to whom we show love. We show love to whom we want to, not to who we are commanded by Jesus to. We show those tolerance or acceptance, or have the attitude that because we do not hate them, we are loving them. That attitude is far from what Jesus wants. He wants us to be proactive in our love for others not reactive. Do not wait to be asked when showing love toward others. If you see a need, be responsive to that need. If you sense someone is lonely, provide them company. If you run across someone that is hurting, lovingly approach them, touch them, offer any assistance. Seek to love. One of the most beautiful statements I have heard lately is this one, "I love love." Do you? Most people love receiving love and when put into practice, most all people love giving love. It is what your Savior wants you to do.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Remember Your Role

2010-02-22T06:27:00.003-05:00

Scripture Verse - Gal. 6:1 "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted . "

I am a big fan of WVU basketball. I watch almost every game. I even make the 3 and 1/2 hour trip to Morgantown, WV whenever my schedule will permit to watch them play in person. On Monday's I usually listen to coach Bob Huggins' radio show. One particular reoccurring comment he makes about this years team is that when they play within their capabilities and operate in their roles, this team is pretty good. It is the times that they play outside their roles that concerns him and leads to the lapses they have shown on a consistent basis this year. I see the same concerns of operating within my role as a Christian. The Word of God clearly spells out our role in various situations. The one situation I would like to deal with today is what our role is when we see a fallen brother or sister in Christ.

Our concern for the one overtaken in a fault could a lot of times be better called a glorified gossip session. "Pray for "______", I can't believe they were "_________". Why people tend to glory when others fall is amazing to me. Or, we are very quick to point out the faults we find in others. This tends to happen with those who are very close to us, a lot of times this issue pops up when we deal with our immediate family. Have you ever confronted one who you love about an issue that you know is wrong in their lives, and the confrontation just led to the situation getting worse. Our concern for them is probably genuine, and we may be 100% correct in our assessment of the situation, but we come across as being judgemental, domineering, and we make the person feel worse than they already did. Why? It is because we are operating outside of the role that God spells out for us in His Word.

Today's scripture verse clearly explains what our role is to be in dealing with the faults of others. We are to be a "restorer" not an "accuser". The role of the conviction and the revelation of a person's sin belongs to the Holy Spirit, not to us. I had been guilty of this myself in a very personal situation. I didn't even realize how my comments were being taken. They were meant to help, but they were driving my loved one further and further away. I was trying to do the Holy Spirit's job. God revealed this truth to me clear as day through a Sunday School lesson. I was being an accuser. My job is to compassionately pray for the person, pray for yourself, that God would show you how to restore the person in the spirit of meekness. Above all our job is to love the person unconditionally, with the same supernatural love Christ has for us. The fruit of the Spirit is ; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

What Else Do I Need?

2010-02-21T07:25:00.007-05:00

Scripture Verse - 1 Tim. 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. "

Scripture Reading - Phil. 4:9-13 "Those things, which ye have both learned , and received , and heard , and seen in me, do : and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again ; wherein ye were also careful , but ye lacked opportunity . Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned , in whatsoever state I am , therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased , and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry , both to abound and to suffer need . I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Contentment is a good thing, no, it is a great thing. When we realize that if we have a close intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, we then already have everything we would ever need in Him. That particular thought brings me great peace. I want to share with you this morning some of the blessings Jesus has not only provided me with, but He also offers these blessings to whosoever decides to follow Him. What a blessing it is that the Creator of this world, the One who spoke everything into existence desires to have a personal relationship with us. It brings me great peace to be able to cry out "Abba Father" to Him. Gal. 4:6 He allows us the opportunity, as many times as we will, to "boldly approach His throne of grace". Heb. 4:16 I always have great peace in His presence. I am being given the opportunity this morning to join with my brothers and sisters in Christ to glorify and worship His great name. It brings me great peace to go into the sanctuary and worship Him. I have the blessing of God's Word. I hunger for it. I am going to hear it spoken this morning, I am reading it this morning. It brings me great peace knowing the Word is the Truth. It can and does change my life. It is "marrow to my bones." Prov. 3:8 I have the blessing of the Jesus' promise to never leave me nor forsake me. It brings me great peace knowing He will never break His promises. I have the blessing of a great wife and Jesus' command to love her as He loves the church. It brings me great peace knowing that He gives me an example of how to love her. God has blessed me with wonderful children. It brings me great peace knowing as much as I love them, and I love them with every once of my being, Jesus loves them more. I could go on and on, and on. Is there anything else I need? No, Jesus completes me. I just need to follow Matt. 22:37 and "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." I am going to share with you this morning a poem I ran across about 10-12 years ago by A.B. Simpson it kind of sums up where I think God wants us to be in this walk with Him. Here it is :

HIMSELF by A. B. Simpson
Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the vail.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Is Jesus Worth It?

2010-02-20T07:54:00.004-05:00

Scripture Verse - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish , but have everlasting life. "

Sometimes I think we can really take things that we hear over and over for granted and really not consider their true worth. As you consider today's scripture verse, think of the times that you have either heard it in church, or saw someone holding up a John 3:16 sign at a sporting event on television. I don't know the ages of the people who read this blog, but if I had to guess, I would think that they ranged from about 30 to 70. I would have to say that John 3:16 was one of the first verses that you ever learned. Maybe your first recollection of the verse was in a bible school you attended or possibly the verse brings back to your mind a Sunday school teacher you had while you were young or the verse may bring the memory of your mother teaching this wonderful verse from the Word of the God to you. I personally think it is the most quoted scripture there is. Today I want you to stop and think about the verse and the wonderful truth it contains.

As we look at the phrase "For God so loved the world", I want you to consider how personal this is to you. God loved the world in general and you in particular. We can never lose sight of this truth. There is a wonderful video out called Just Stop and Think. Here is the link to it http://crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html . This video is about 15 minutes long and I want you to take time to watch it. Click on the link and watch it now if at all possible. If you have already seen it, watch it again. I watch it often. The video allows me to take time and consider what great love God has for me. It causes me to fall deeper in love with Jesus and burns the truth of "For God so loved the world" into my heart. You can be sure of the fact that God loves you.

The concept of "that He gave His only begotten Son" is mind boggling to me. Truly a great price was paid for us. That God would willingly give up His Son to be crucified for my sins, and not only my sins but the sins of everyone in this whole world blows me away. It is true unconditional love. He wants a relationship with us that much. He loves us, that is why He did what He did. Then we have the great promise the last part of the verse brings; "that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The opportunity to live with He who loves us for an eternity. I want to pose the question contained in the title of today's devotion "Is Jesus Worth It". The "it" in the questions is;" Is He worth you committing your life to and purposing to follow Him?" Do you trust Him enough to follow His commandments. Do you want the life He offers or are you content with the one you have. Are you willing to follow Him. I trust Him. I know He loves me and I believe the things He teaches in the scripture are the best way, the only was to truly live. It is life and life more abundant.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Weeding Out the Thorns

2010-02-19T06:54:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Luke 8:4-15 "And when much people were gathered together , and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed , some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down , and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up , it withered away , because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it , and choked it.
And other fell on good ground, and sprang up , and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried , He that hath ears to hear , let him hear . And his disciples asked him, saying , What might this parable be ? And he said , Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see , and hearing they might not understand . Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear ; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved . They on the rock are they, which, when they hear , receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe , and in time of temptation fall away . And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard , go forth , and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection . But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

I want you to think of the word "thorns" in the above passage as being anything that distracts us from God. When we want other things equal to or more than we want God then we definitely have thorns in the soil of our heart. These thorns are usually thought of as being bad things, sins that we have in our lives that keep our minds from focusing on God. But, there are things that are very good things that can distract us away from God just as effectively as those bad sinful things. Consider the following areas that potentially can distract us from God; the pursuit of money, favorite sports teams, your children's sports teams, golf, commitments to family and church, your job. Each one of these areas of our lives are not bad in themselves, and can be a vital part of our lives, if they are not allowed to distract our focus from God. Take a moment to examine what distracts you from God. List these things on a piece of paper, then pray over them, asking God to help you to not allow these areas of your life to distract you from Him. I have talked to countless people and everyone seems to wish they had more time to pray, read their Bible, do things for God, etc. We have 24 hours in a day, that is all. We do what we choose to do with the time we have. Therein lies the problem. We sometimes (or should I say, most of the time) desire other things more than God. We let the thorns grow in our soil and before long they choke out the truth (Word of God) that God wishes to apply in our lives. Do not let that happen. Seek Him first, pursue after Him. Let your total focus be on Him, and watch and see how much more satisfying our lives become. Matt. 6:33 says,"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Do you believe the Word of God, do you trust it? Is it true? Is this meant for us to practice or did Jesus just suggest these thoughts to us, giving us the option of practicing these principles. Is the Word of God optional?

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!!

What Does God Want With Me?

2010-02-18T07:42:00.003-05:00

Scripture Reading - Jeremiah 29:13-15"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

What is the main thing that you think God wants for you? Is it some sort of service for Him that lies somewhere in the future? Is it your time? Is it Bible reading? Is it church attendance? Is it not cussing, sinning? Is it more time spent in prayer? No, what God wants is for you to desire Him more than anything on this earth. We truly will find God when we search for Him with all our heart. God wants an intimate personal relationship with you. He bought you with a price and very few of us place Him upon the pedestal He deserves to be on. I listened to a message once that discussed the topic of the American church's view of sanctification. We think of sanctification as a place we may get to in our Christian walk when we decide to totally commit to Jesus. A missionary made this statement about the people he was dealing with in Iraq. "What the American church calls sanctification, they (the new converts in Iraq) call prerequisite. In other words, these people totally commit their lives to Jesus the moment they decide to be born again. Does this sound familiar? Read the Gospels. Somehow we have watered down salvation to just being a Heaven and hell thing. How about counting the cost as Jesus preached? Where is the emphasis on commitment? I challenge you today to start presenting the Gospel with an emphasis on commitment to Jesus. Encourage those you share the Gospel with to follow Jesus not just avoid hell. Our lives will drastically change when we make Him number one in our lives. I cannot find one example in the Bible where Jesus demands anything else but a full commitment to Him.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Practice Loving Unconditionally

2010-02-17T07:27:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Luke 12:12-14 "Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again , and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

In today's scripture reading, Jesus was at the house of a Pharisee eating bread on the sabbath day when He spoke a parable unto them teaching the importance of loving unconditionally. In the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan there is a chapter called "The Profile of the Lukewarm". It is a great chapter which really causes one to examine their own lives and has compelled me to go about prayerfully fixing the areas of my life that need work. One particular statement made me really consider the motives for love. Here is the statement: "Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkard or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached." As I considered the statement, I realized that I need to work on this truth. I need to love as Christ loves, with no strings attached. This is the very principle Jesus is discussing in Luke 12:12-14. In addition to those who will readily return our love, we need to seek out and love those who will never be able to return it. It will help bring all the love we show to being unconditional.

I personally witnessed a great example of this through my mentor in the Lord, Cecil Lyall. Cecil was a great man of God. He had a better understanding of Christ like love and knew how to give it more so than any person I have ever came in contact with. We were ministering at a juvenile detention center. A young girl about the age of 12 would sit in a chair, curled up in almost a fetal position. Totally unresponsive. Some of the others would taunt her trying to get a response. We even saw one of the counselors bounce a basketball really hard and fast in front of her trying to get her to look up. After we continued on with our activity time after the scripture lesson, Cecil, who was in his late 70's and very stricken with Parkinson's Disease took a brush and very slowly and lovingly brushed this young girls matted hair out. After he had finished, he gave her some peppermint candy. They little girl looked up and thanked him. Cecil proceeded to hug her. I hope I have conveyed this episode well to you because it is the greatest exhibition of love that I have ever seen. I can still see Cecil's shaking hand gently brushing that young girl's hair. 2 weeks later when we returned to minister, the lead counselor came to me. This lady was a wonderful person. She genuinely cared for these children. She asked me what did we do with Anna (the young girl whose hair Cecil had brushed out)? Anna had been totally co-operative, had participated in every activity since we were last there. The little girl had totally been changed. All because my friend Cecil had allowed God to love this child through him. Amen. Amen. and Amen.

Seek out someone to show Christ's love who will probably not be able to return it. Love them as intensely as you can. It will teach you the value of unconditional love. Be Blessed and Live in the NOW.

Application of the Word

2010-02-16T06:15:00.002-05:00

Scripture Verse - James 1:22 "but be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves."

The Word of the Lord has great power. It can change our lives greatly. It comes to us in a several ways. We get inspiration from our Bible reading, from the teachings we receive in our churches, from books and other writings, through the testimonies of people. I have even been greatly inspired by several Christian movies; Facing the Giants, Fireproof, The Passion of Christ. Tyler Perry's films usually carry a strong spiritual message in them. His latest film; I Can do Bad All By Myself has a scene in which a pastor preachs a powerful sermon. I was greatly moved by it. But, it is not enough to be inspired. The Word has to be applied to our lives for it to do us any good. The Word is profitable for correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness. For the Word to take hold in our lives we need to prayerfully practice these 3 things. First, we need to prayerfully ask God to reveal problem areas in our lives. Second, we need to ask God to help us come up with a plan to fix these problems. And third, we need to execute the plan.

In Matt. 21:28-31 Jesus was speaking to the the chief priests and elders in the temple when He gave the following illustration; There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? They answered, "the first." It is not enough to intend to do things. We must do them. Take the inspiration God gives you and let Him help you apply these things to you life.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

The Power of Praying with One Another

2010-02-15T07:40:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - James 5:16-17 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months."

What great truths can be gained from today's scripture reading. First there is the power of praying with one another. We are told to confess our faults one to another. I want you to consider faults as areas of lack that we have in our lives. Another way to look at it would be areas in which we have need. We need to share the things we need to pray to the Lord for with others who we trust. The more specific I can be in my prayers, the more effectively I can pray for someone. A lot of times we don't want others to know just how much we need God to intervene. We paint a picture that we have everything together and all is well, when a lot of times this just isn't the case. Within your inner prayer circle be very specific and detailed with your requests. In will increase the intensity of others prayer for you.

The second great truth found in today's scripture is that we are told the same power and effectiveness that we see in the Bible is available to us. Elias (Elijah) was a man just like us, he faced the same temptations and opposition as we do. But he was able to connect with God in such a way that it did not even rain for the space of 3 years and 6 months. How many of us would even dare to pray for such a thing. Is God any less powerful, has He changed any? Why did He leave this particular scripture for us? Does God intend for us to believe we will get what we pray for? We need to stop making excuses for our lack of faith and really start putting the principles that God lays out for us in His word. I know for sure, if we do things will radically change. You will begin to see evidences of the great things God can do. Remember what God's Word says, "Ye have not, because you ask not."

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Overcoming Depression

2010-02-14T08:01:00.003-05:00

Scripture Reading - 1 John 1:4 "and these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."

The Webster's definition of joy is as follows; "the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, or by the prospect of possessing what one desires." I see people all the time who are just overcome by depression. I myself have been through bouts of this terrible problem. The symptoms are almost always the same, isolation (no desire to go anywhere or do any thing), crying for no reason, inability to bring simple tasks to completion, sitting in dark places, trouble with memory. It is a great problem in our society today. The answer to this problem, along with any other problem we face can be found in God's word.

The word of God was written that our joy may be full. True joy is found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But to experience this joy, we have to have a conscienceness of actually being in the presence of God. In Heb. 4:16 we are told, "let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." God allows and desires us to enter into His presence. To go there we must focus upon Him, and seek Him above all things. Have you ever heard the words, "But seek ye first the kingdom of heaven" or have you heard these words before, "draw near unto God and He will draw near unto you" I am confident that if you have been raised in a church going environment then you have probably heard these words. If we place our focus upon God and He becomes our reason for everything we do, depression disappears and we are able to experience joy and the abundant life He desires for us. Always remember, it is not about us, it is all about Him.

I don't know what triggers depression with people or even what triggers it within myself. It could be the death of a loved one, a situation that pops up in your life that you don't know how to handle, an illness that suddenly comes upon you, financial distresses, etc. Many things can bring this on. When these things happen and you start not feeling like your normal self (when my bouts with depression have came, I always know when it is coming on) start focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in His Word that He desires to have you in His presence as many times as you will come, confide in people you trust and ask them to join with you in praying about your situation. God will guide you through this. It is impossible to be depressed in His presence.

Be Blessed and Live in the Now

Honoring God in All Things

2010-02-13T09:45:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reading - Col. 3:23 "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."

Everyone remembers the bracelet that came out 15 years ago or so. You know the W.W. J.D. acronym. It really was a wonderful thing that had people thinking those words before they done an act, any act. I lately have been learning to process another thought throughout each and every day; this has been my thinking, how can the Lord be honored by my actions. When I first get up in the morning, how can I honor God? When I first greet my wife and children how can I honor God? As I meet the many people the Lord puts in my path, how can I honor God? When I am at my church, how can I honor God? When I am at a ballgame, how can I honor God? When I'm tired and don't feel like doing anything and someone calls or stops by, how can I honor God? When I am angry at my boss, how can I honor God? I hope you see the point. Many, many, many times during the day we need to process the "how can I honor God" thought.

It seems a little overwhelming when you first think about it. But, it can be done if we apply the scripture verse of the day, Col. 3:23. People for the most part, tend to "half-butt" it as I like to say. We take the easy way out when we have the opportunity. We only do our very best when we think we have to. Today's scripture completely goes against that thought. In "whatsoever ye do" we are instructed to do it heartily, and that means with zeal and vigor, and excellence. We are to perform the big things that come up in our lives that way. But, at the same time, we are to perform the boring, mundane things we face with the same zeal, vigor, and excellence. Because we are (or should be) living for the Lord. We have been bought by Him with a great price. Everything we do is not only a reflection on us, it is also a reflection on him. It just happens that I am writing this on a Saturday and I will use the day I have before me as an example. Today as I talk with the Lord, I am to do it heartily as unto the Lord. Today as I am showing homes to my clients, I am to do it heartily as unto the Lord. When I take a new listing on a home today, I am to do it heartily as unto the Lord. As I go with my wife shopping for Valentine gifts for my children, I am to do it heartily as unto God. And finally as I enjoy the evening with my wife, son and daughter who are still at home, and my oldest daughter, her husband, and my beautiful little grandson Nathan who are visiting us from Cloumbus, I am to do it heartily as unto the Lord. Practicing this truth in your lives will allow you to live in great joy. It is not about us, it is all about Him (Jesus).

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Know Who You Are

2010-02-12T06:21:00.000-05:00

Scripture Verse - I Cor. 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Do you ever wonder why so many people struggle with their Christian walk? How that they are consistently reverting back to previous addictions that they have been tormented with in the past. I can think of no greater example than the power that prescription drug abuse has over people. It is everywhere. It stretches from Hollywood with the rich and famous to the hills of Appalachia. I think it is public enemy number one in America. Sadly, it is in the church also. What can we do? I tell you today there is hope, there is a remedy, and it lies in Christ Jesus. The most powerful thing that can ever come out of your mouth is the Word of God. We must read it, believe it, and even more importantly apply it to our lives. Heb. 10:23 tells us to "hold fast our profession of faith, without wavering , for he is faithful that promised." We must trust what God's Word says. We must speak the Word. We must let the Word become part of our lives.

A great friend of mine who passed away almost 2 years ago had a love for old cars. He had among many others a 36 Plymouth coupe that was beautiful. I have never been involved in the restoration of antique vehicles but, I love to look at them. As beautiful as my friend Tom's car was, it was still a 72 year old car. It has only been restored. We, when we trust Christ as our Lord and Savior and are born again, we have not been restored, we are created as a breand new creature. Let us take a look at the key verse for today I Cor. 5:17. This verse tells us we are a brand new being, one that has never existed before. The old things are passed away, all things are become new. This is the Word of God. It is true. You can count on it. We must speak it, hold to it. Let the Word become part of our lives. If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior then you can look into the mirror in the morning and tell yourself, I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. My old life has passed away. All things have become new for me. I tell myself this often, many times on some days. When you are tempted to revert back to old addictions and sins, speak the words; I am a new creature in Christ Jesus, old things are passed away, all things are become new. This is a faith thing. The Word must become an active part of our life. I promise the Word of God is true. But, you have to believe it is true. Speak the Word of the Lord, it is the most powerful thing that will ever come out of your mouth.

I encourage everyone that reads this post today to take the names of those you know who are having battles with addictions (prescription drugs, alcohol, etc.), call their names out to God in prayer. Pray hedges of protection around them. Pray that the truth of the Word will become parts of their lives. Above all, love them with the pure, unconditional love of God. If you as the reader face these battles, commit your lives to Christ, speak His Word, trust His Word, apply His Word. Know who are in Christ Jesus.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW!!

Avoiding Personal Conflict

2010-02-11T06:56:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reading - 1 Kings 17:1-51

Key Verse - I Kings 17:30 "and he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner...."

There will be many times today when an opportunity for conflict will confront you. Sometimes the confrontation will come out of the clear blue sky, sometimes you will be able to see it from miles away, and sometimes you will actually invite it. Many lessons can be learned from the great story of David and Goliath. For many, it is one of the favorite passages in the Bible. There are four words found in I Kings 17:30 that I would like you to concentrate on. They are "he turned from him." David the youngest of 8 children born to his father Jesse, had been told by his father to take food to his three elder brothers who were on the battle front for Israel as they were fighting against the Philistine army. He was also asked to see how they fared. As David arrived to carry out his father's request, the Philistine giant, Goliath, was challenging the Israelites as he had done morning and evening for forty days. The Israelite army reacted in fear as they had done for the previous 40 days, everyone except David. The reaction that David had in I Kings 17:26 speaks of the bold faith David had in God "..who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" It was at that time Eliab, David's eldest brother confronted David with great anger. Why have you come, I know your pride? etc. With great wisdom David turned from Eliab toward another. He didn't become involved in the conflict. Had he became involved in an argument with his brother, possibly Goliath would not have been killed that day.

We can learn great things from this lesson. Personal conflicts can and do shift our focus from the Lord. Many times things are said that we wish we could take back and problems are seldom ever solved. They are for the most of times, compounded. When a confrontation comes before you today, take a step back and turn away from it, pray for a solution from God, and react to the potential conflict with Christ-like love. Your focus will be kept on Jesus if you practice this.

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Take a Love Test

2010-02-10T06:20:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reading - I Cor. 13:4-13

Key Verse - II Cor. 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates."

One of my friends ,who is the daughter of my mentor in the Lord, recently suggested that I read a book by Francis Chan called Crazy Love. I will be forever grateful for her suggestion as the prayerful reading, study, and application of the thoughts brought forth in this book have caused radical changes in my walk with Christ. The book will cause you to take a close look at yourself. In a lot of areas I didn't like what I saw. But, I am very thankful because God is changing different aspects of my life. One of the things in the book was an exercise which was very convicting to me. Read the passage below, then read the passage again substituting your name for the words that are in bold type.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.... faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love." I Cor. 13:4-8,13

We need to remember that love is a fruit of the Spirit. If you find out as I did that you are falling short in exhibiting love toward God, your family, your church, your neighbor, the stranger on the street, ask God to help you in these areas. Always consider the perfect, unconditional love He has for us. Keep the cross fresh in your mind and follow the greatest commandment found in Matt. 22:37-39 "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Be Blessed and Live in the NOW

Have You Been Listening to Yourself?

2010-02-09T05:58:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reading - James 3:1-10

Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue : and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

It would do us good sometimes if all our spoken words during a day were recorded. I wonder what we would think when we replayed the recording? Our words create the world we live in. They can be positive with a very optimistic outlook, or they can be negative and really reveal our perspective. In James 3:2 we are told that if a man is able to control his words, (speak life giving words from the Word of God), then he will have control of his body. By the same token, if a man's words are vile, destructive, and full of worldly thoughts, he will not have control of his body. It is very important that as a Christian our talk and our walk match. The tongue is very hard to control. It is very powerful. The tongue is a great indicator and a lot of times a precursor to what lies ahead in our walk with God. It will be the first thing that goes astray. Take a moment, consider what is coming out of your mouth. Catch yourself before a possible fall. May God Bless You Today and Live in the NOW.

Be Purpose Driven Today

2010-02-08T07:46:00.000-05:00

Eph. 2:10 "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Many time we get caught up in seeking God's will for our lives. It is always something that we are waiting for God to show us. What is our purpose? What has Jesus called me to do? I challenge you today to change your thinking a little bit. Allow your thinking today to be, what is God's plan for me this minute. Ask Him to open opportunities for you to help others today, to actually send those who need assistance from Him to you today. Your life will be full of open doors. He will see to it. We are indeed His workmanship. God has definite purposes for each and everyone. It may be with your family, co-workers, a stranger on the street. It may be to spend some time with Him. No day is ordinary, each is a gift from God, loaded with opportunities. Take advantage of them. May God Bless You and Live in the NOW.

Focus Always Increases Intensity

2010-02-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

Isa. 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by precepts of men:"

Have you ever been caught in the trap of doing things out of obligation and not desire? Many times I have walked through the doors of our church out of routine. It is what I am supposed to do. Take time this day to focus in on your reasons for attending your house of worship. This day in no way is meant to be routine. It is the day that the Lord has made. It is the only time that we are guarenteed to have to give Him praise, honor and worship. Let God be your complete focus as you attend your service today. He is Lord, He is the King, He is the Alpha, He is the Omega, He Was, He IS, and He Is to Come. Above all things God loves you and desires to have an intimate relationship with you. Focus on these thoughts, attend church this day specifically for Him and let everything else feed off that thought. May God Bless You and Live in the NOW!!

Don't Let a Great Opportunity Pass By

2010-02-06T09:46:00.000-05:00

I sometimes get into a state of mind in which I seem to be going to do a lot of things. I can get some very good inspiration from God and know that the thoughts I have received from Him are 100 % the right things to do and I purpose to put these thoughts into action. But, for some reason a lot of these thoughts are never materialized into my everyday life. Think for a moment, has the thought of stopping by to see someone been heavy on your mind, and you think it is a good idea but, you never get around to actually visiting that person. Put into action the inspiration that you receive. Don't let it pass by. Tomorrow may never come. All we are sure of having is the time that we now have. It helps me to make a checklist of the things God lays on my mind. Let this to-do-list become actually actions you take in your everyday life. may God Bless You and Live in the NOW