Tag: Bible Verse

“You Are Loved by the King!”

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You, my friends, are so very much and incredibly loved by the King of all the universe.  There is so much that we face on a daily basis that tries to speak contrary to the blessedness we have in Him.  But, my God loves you with an undying love.  His heart is tied to His people.  His people need only to rest in the promises of His mercy, grace, power, and authority that makes their hearts soar on the wings of the hope we have in Him.

Today doesn’t have to be ordinary.  Today doesn’t have to control you.  Today doesn’t have the final say about your destiny in life.  When it all boils down to it, you have a reason to rejoice because your heavenly Father’s eye is on you.  He has marked you for greatness in Him.  You are covered and shielded by His love.  Therefore, let your heart be glad in the majesty of your Savior.  Let your soul celebrate because no matter what it looks like, you are a cherished vessel, and you are loved by the King of all!

Many blessings to each of you today, my dear friends.

“WE LOVE HIM, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.” 1 JOHN 4:19

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“Is Saul Among Us?”

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This election has many Americans reeling.  I’m sitting back and taking it all in.  I’m viewing the candidates, the people fighting for their champion to sit in the oval office, the news coverage; just everything.  To say that this is an unusual election is quite the understatement.

People are clamoring to make their electoral candidate the next president and I just shake my head and wonder how many are fighting just as hard to make God a priority in their life.  And, in case you think I’m just picking on this circus of an election you are wrong.  It was just a great place to start.  The fact of the matter is, people everyday are choosing other things and clamoring for other people over God.  They are choosing Saul in a sense and rejecting God.

In 1 Samuel 8, God’s people wanted to more like the nations surrounding them rather than the separate, chosen vessels they were as His.  They demanded a king to reign over them (vs. 5) and God recognized it for what it was: “They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them,” (vs. 7).

What is there that we want more than God?  That’s a tough question that most people will answer “absolutely nothing!”  And, rightfully so.  No one wants to accused of rejecting God.  Yet, in our daily lives do we really prioritize God as our number one?  Do we give Him the status in our lives and daily decisions that we should or do we allow other things and people to have the reign?

Is there a Saul among us?  When we peel back the layers of our lives do we find God at the center of all we do and who we are?  If we can’t answer yes to that question than we need to reevaluate the priority we have placed on God.

God is pulling for the hearts of His people but are His people pulling for Him?

Father God, Help us to be more aware of You everyday and in every way. Amen.

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“Leave a Legacy!”

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Don’t you love going on trips? Especially those trips that take you on unfamiliar roads that allow you to take in scenery you would have otherwise missed?  Recently we went on such a trip and along the way we were able to see mountains, rivers and farms that we don’t get to see on our daily route.  Passing by these farms made me wonder about the people who lived there.  I thought about their children and how they were probably being raised and taught how to run that farm once their parents are no longer here.  The thought was beautiful.

It was beautiful because for one to have a working farm takes . . . well, lots of work. Usually the children are being established at a young age about what their futures will look like.  This kind of care and attention that it takes to first, build the farm, and secondly, instill the work ethic in the children to keep it going is a special part of their heritage these parents are passing on.

The thought of building up to pass it on is a beautiful concept to me. It gives the idea that these young people will have a heads up in life that others do not.  One day my youngest daughter and I were sitting across the coffee table opposite of each other.  Our two laptops were stationed back to back.  She was playing a game and I was working on mine.  I remember as I peered across all I can see was her little eyes darting back and forth following objects on the screen.  She was sick at that time so her eyes are a little droopy; nonetheless, as I look into her eyes I wondered what does her future hold.  Will there be something tangible for her and her siblings to hold on to that her father and I have left behind?

Proverbs 13:22 speaks of leaving such an inheritance behind. It says, ““A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children . . .”  One that even the grandbabies can participate in.  Of course it doesn’t have to be farm work.  Rather, anything real and tangible thing that will help our children build their future; something that those coming after us can positively say, “I get that from my dad or mom,” or something to that effect.  When they can say, “Thanks to the legacy they left behind they set forth this foundation for me to build my life on.”  That deals with the material side of life.

Then, we have the spiritual side of life. 2 Corinthians 12:14 specifically deals with this.  Paul says, “For I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” As their spiritual father, Paul was not worried about their possessions or personal gain in life.  He was more focused on the harvest they would reap after they pass from this world.  He wanted to leave a legacy that would draw his spiritual children nearer to Christ no matter the work and effort he himself had to put into it.  He said, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you . . .” (2 Corinthians 12:15).

As a parent, we do feel spent sometimes for the sake of our children, both materialistically and spiritually. But, since I believe in the Word of God I believe there is going to be good growth that comes out of it.  Nope, everything is not all peachy-keen all the time, but as the one who wants to leave a legacy, I believe God will bless.

The foundation of wanting to “lay up” for our children started with Him. “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise,” (Colossians 3:29).  We are heirs and as heirs we inherit what our Father has willed to us.  How nice would it be if our children can look back and say, “If my dad or mom did that or accomplished this then there’s no telling what I could do.”  This works on both a spiritual level as well as a material one.  I have always been taught that God gives us two gifts: one for this life to sustain us and earn for our living, and a spiritual gift that will store up for our eternal future.  How blessed would it be for our children to see us moving forth in both?  And, how blessed would it be for us to see our children operating in that which we have laid up for them?  Today, I definitely want to work on leaving a legacy.  It’s not too late!  Start today!

“Getting a Closer Look”

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Recently, I was called out of town to do a small speaking engagement. The hotel we were staying in had one of those beauty magnifying mirrors that swing out on an arm.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  They get up close and real personal in your face.  What you thought you looked like in a normal mirror became something totally different in this magnifying truth teller.

I often avoid those mirrors because there’s only so much truth about my face I want to see.  But, looking into these things a whole world of pores and things that seem to come out of nowhere all of sudden can’t be ignored.  The eyebrows need more manicuring than once thought.  Things need to be plucked, covered, or taken care of to present this face to the world before I left out that day.

As I said, I always avoided these mirrors but I must admit when I stepped back to see the final results I was more than pleased and fully intend on having one installed in my bathroom at home.

How often are we afraid to take a closer look at ourselves?  Not our face per se but at things like the inner man, our life, and our relationship with God.  Are we too afraid of what we’ll find when we look too closely?  Do we not want things revealed to us that may have gone by without a closer inspection?

God wants the best for His people but sometimes the best means we have some stuff that needs to be plucked and dealt with first.  We have to seek the beautifying of His Spirit in order to step back and see the glorious final results He has for us up ahead.

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. . .” 2 Corinthians 13:5

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Never Let Go of Faith!

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CENTURION: “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.”

JESUS: “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel . . . Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”

Matthew 8:5-13

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“Convicting Lights”

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ye are the light of the world

Do you ever wonder why Christians have to deal with so much stuff from people?  Why does it seem the rights of everyone else are important all the while our rights are trying to be diminished by opposing forces?  Why does it seem that you are a singled out to be somebody to mess with when the cut ups of this world get by on a free pass.

I’ll tell you why.

Things are set in motion like that to try to discourage us from our walk in Christ; our belief.  The fact of the matter is our lives are convicting to those who fight against God and His plan for humanity.  God, through His Word, tells of a holy requirement He desires to see played out in the lives of each and every individual.  Those who seek after the flesh and revel in carnality and sin don’t want the same desires as He.  Rather, they fight vehemently against it and anything that resembles it (i.e. Christians).

Once Jesus taught, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid,” Matthew 5:14.  You shine for Him.  You magnify His brightness and glory in the midst of degradation and sin.  You are a beacon to show people the way to this wonderful life in Him through the darkness and disparity of this world.  As a Christian, you look like Him (in character), you talk like Him and that bothers those who oppose Him.

In a life that has been transformed by His renewing power it becomes a living testimony to grace, mercy, and the power of salvation working itself out in humanity.  Although these wonderful things are available to all for the asking, few choose to look to Him for those wonderful gifts.  They would much rather pursue the things of the flesh than that of the Spirit causing war and contentions with those who walk and talk differently then them.

Nonetheless, I urge you brother and sister in Christ, keep walking the holy walk.  No matter the fighting.  No matter the contentions.  Keep showing this world, through the life you live, what a mighty God we serve.  Philippians tells us we are, “In the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world,” (2:15).  By the continual light of Christ beaming from your life you are helping others to draw nearer to Him; you are helping others to see the hope that is available if they would but turn.

The life we live may cause us discomfort at times, but the reward of having others see Christ in us is immeasurable.  You and I can positively effect change in the lives of others for eternity.  I think, my friends, that far outweighs the opposition we may face today.

And, as we are living, let us always remember we have nothing to boast or be arrogant about.  We are saved today because somebody else stood up as a light for us showing us the way; somebody else’s lives were convicting, pricking our hearts to want to know Him more.  Our salvation is NEVER anything for us to glory in.  We can only glory in our Savior who gave His life that we might have new life in Him.  We are now vessels filled with His grace that we might positively pour into and shine in the lives of others.

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“Be Anxious for Nothing!”

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How many times have “anxious” thoughts robbed us of the enjoyment of today?  How many worried days have we spent trying to control the uncontrollable?  How many times do we expend all our energies and might to solve all the world issues only feel like a wrung-out washrag at the end of the day?

Worried thoughts have a way of trying to compel us to look to ourselves for the answers that we can’t find.  Believing that in and of ourselves we are the all end authority to all of life’s issues, at least this is what the human intellect would have us to believe.  Rather, God exhorts us over and over to rely on Him.  To come to Him in prayer and relinquish all of our cares, worries, and frustrations on Him because He cares for us.

The Lord knows what a heavy load humanity can carry.  He has felt it in His own being.  As a matter of fact, He carried it all to the cross so that we wouldn’t have to carry these burdens alone.  Yet, when push comes to shove and trials and tribulations knock on our personal doors we feel a need to answer the call and find a remedy to our problems on our own.  As a result, we struggle to find the answer to the question of why we can’t find peace in the midst of it all.

In actuality, the reason peace seems so evasive to many of us is because of our personal insistence on trying to do it on our own.  We pick up the problems that we are going through with every intention on carrying them to the altar and leaving them with Jesus.  Walking away from the altar of prayer, we pick those same problems back up feeling a need to control the outcome on our own.  As if God can’t handle our specific needs. Our humanness gets in the way of His divineness.  The limits we see on humanity are then applied to God and it gets in the way of His wonder-working power in our lives.

The way to obtain peace during these anxious moments is to give whatever is bothering us; whatever is burdening us over to the Lord and trust Him to give us His best in the situation.  After all, when it came to the matter of saving us He already gave us His best, didn’t He?  How much more difficult would it be then for Him to work out our everyday worries for us?  I believe you would agree that the two can’t compare.  So, if He was willing to do that for you and me, should we not then trust Him to do right by our anxious thoughts?

Would you rather place all of your problems in your own hands or in the hands of God?  Let me ask you this, how have you been handling things on your own?  How have your own efforts been working out for you so far?  Maybe it’s time to try something new.  Maybe it’s time for you to give God a shot at wrangling in the worrisome so that you can experience true peace.  Let’s get rid of the anxious for something better.

Be blessed 🙂

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

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Daily routines and associations with those closest to us can cause us to downplay their strengths and pick apart little things about them that tend to irk us or get under our skin.  It seems to be the easier thing to do.   A surface of criticizing is easier than delving into what’s below the surface to focus on the greater good dwelling in an individual.

One prime example of this sort of relationship is within marriage.  Spouses who have been married for any considerable amount of time with the ins and outs of daily life can start to hone in on what bothers them the most about the other as opposed to purposefully looking to view them in all the positives they have to bring to the table.

Why is it so easy to see the worst in people?  Why is it harder to focus on their good attributes?  What is it about human nature that loses or dumbs down respect and honor for the ones closest to them?

Jesus knew exactly how it felt to be dishonored in such a way.  Once He is quoted as saying, “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house,” Mark 6:4.

Common sense would tell us to support and uphold those closest to us; to have their back and cheer them on when seeing them trying to get ahead or excel at life.  We have no problem when it comes to doing this on a national level, say for the Olympics.  One of our country gains our support and we stand in front of the screens rooting them on to win so that nationally we gain a medal at the end.

But, for those closest to us, when we see them talk of their dreams and make plans to forge ahead into the future unknown; when we see them start ministries, set goals, and go after where they feel God is leading them why do we tear them down?  Our opinion of them, because we knew them way back when, seeks to diminish the character of their current work demoralizing their future goals.

In Luke 4, Jesus, quoting the same verse as above, also gave two examples from their history of people who received blessings although they were not of the Jewish people.  One was the widow of Zarephath in the region of Sidon and the other was Naaman the Syrian (vss. 26-27).  Both were Gentiles and not of the familiar countrymen of which Jesus spoke.

The widow received provision during the time of famine and Naaman received healing from a normally incurable disease.  They weren’t blinded by the familiar, rather they opened their hearts to the link that God had placed right in front of their faces to receive the blessing He had in store for them.

Don’t let the familiar cause you to miss out on the blessings found in the people that God has already placed in your life.  To you they may seem like, “Oh, that just so and so.  No need to worry about them.”  But, they may be your connection to that blessing that God wants to pour into your life.  Don’t count your blessings out (like those whom Jesus was talking to) just because you know the source from which it flows.

And, what if you are the one being rejected like Jesus was; because people know you and don’t want to receive or accept the gift of God in you?  You press on anyhow.  You don’t dwell on people but you dwell on the God who gave you the gift and has entrusted you to work His works in your life.

Even if man doesn’t support you – God does.  He does not neglect the gifts that He has placed in you, and don’t you do it either (see 1 Timothy 4:14).  Don’t cower at their rejection, rather you stir up that gift and let the flames be fanned (see 2 Timothy 1:6).

Jesus was rejected and He also warned in another verse, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you,” (John 15:18).  In other words, no matter who you are, and no matter what gift you have in you not everybody is going to be on board with you or supportive of the work of God in you.

What do you do?  How do you deal with that contemptuous familiarity?  You do what Jesus did: “He passing through the midst of them went his way,” (Luke 4:30).  You keep on keeping on.  Jesus didn’t stand around and try to convince them to receive Him.  Life is too short for that; His time on earth would declare as some of us say today, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”  We have limited time here on earth and God needs our gifts and ministries up and running and being effective for His kingdom.

What do you do?  You follow the path of God for your life.  You continue to go forth working the works of God He placed in you, sowing seeds of ministry wherever He leads you.

Familiarity breeds contempt can work two ways: it causes us to miss out on the best of people that God has already placed in our lives, and it causes rejection of what you personally can bring to the table.  For either end that one may find themselves on, we have Jesus as our prime example on how to deal with it.  Follow Him and you will never be led wrong.