For the good of many

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

– 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

People who care about God’s will do not live for their own agendas. 

On the contrary, as a Christ follower, our freedom is given so that we can serve others. 

Going beyond our preferences into God’s purposes is not easy, but the return is worth far more than the cost. 

Opportunities abound for those who are looking out for the good of many.

look around you - is there someone that you can lead to God? 

Have a blessed day! 

suffering

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Do you sometimes feel like you are going through a a whole lot of bad things?  

Sometimes these terrible things have even been caused by our own carelessness and sometimes they were not. 

We need this powerful reminder that even though our sin is great, the power of Christ’s death and resurrection is even greater. 

No matter what we are going through, no matter what caused it, we belong to Him.

We may be able to see this about ourselves, but can we see this in others? 

You become an agent of God’s mercy when you remind brothers and sisters that our new life in Christ is greater than our mistakes.

Have a blessed day! 

waiting (not so) patiently

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

—Romans 8:25

I may have mentioned this before, but I'm not good at waiting. The past week waiting for my youngest son to call me was torture! 

I must remember that my hope in the Lord will give me patience that is beyond my human tendency. 

As much as the Lord has blessed me, I'm fully confident that I can't even imagine the good things He has in store for me. 

So while I wait, I try to stay busy; busy loving my Father in heaven and sharing His grace with others.

Have a blessed day! 

Winning!

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

– 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

The Olympics have been finished for 5 days now.

As we watched the events unfold, one is struck with how much focus it takes to even credibly compete in the Games.

We should look at our spiritual walk in the same way.

Walking with Christ demands thoughtfulness and discipline.

Getting the crown that lasts forever requires that we examine our time, our talent and our treasures the same way that an athlete examines their abilities to compete.

We need training.

We need to allow boundaries that keep us from beating the air.

Preaching the gospel is not enough to complete the course.

We must let the gospel challenge us personally and keep us qualified for the race ahead.

Have a blessed day!

My wealth

You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

—Deuteronomy 8:17-18

It’s payday! (well for many of us it is, some people get paid weekly, some monthly, some every other week . . .  but for the sake of today’s verse, let’s just say it’s is your payday!)

We work hard for our money and we deserve to do with it what we wish.  

But wait - what do we have that wasn't given to us, either by God's generous grace, unexpected blessing, disciplining hardship, providential opportunity, or our good health?

And when we stand before the throne of judgment, what will our claim to grace be?

Our claim on grace is based only on God's generous and loving gifts that have made us pure, holy, and whole!

Nothing we possess, accomplish, or buy can give us such a claim.

Only God's generosity, grace, and love can bring heaven's greatest gifts to us.

So maybe every day is payday?

Have a blessed day!

Rotten

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

– Proverbs 14:30

I am an empty nester now. (wow, that is hard to say)

But I still want a bigger house.  (I have not cleaned his room yet)

My friend recently received a huge diamond for an anniversary gift, it is beautiful.

Many of my friends have been on tropical vacations, I want one too!

Envy may be one of the great sins of our generation.

Television and the Internet expose us to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and, deep in our heart, we want to be like them.

How can we tell that we are envious?

Look at the deep sense of dissatisfaction that permeates our society.

People are not happy because people want more than they have.

Our envy has made life rotten to the bones, and the need for repentance is as great as ever.

Be happy with what you have, instead of feeling like you always need more.

Have a blessed day! 

Trust in Him

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

—Proverbs 3:5-6

I am better today.  Thank you to all my friends that sent me words of encouragement as I struggled yesterday.  I cried a little when our son sent me a text this morning to tell me that he loves me and that he is shutting off his phone.

You know how I always say that God sends us what we need when we need it?  It happened today.  On the way to work a song (yes, a song reference) played on the radio to remind me that it is not me, it is not the US Army, it is not anyone but God who is in control.

Letting go of every single dream

I lay each one down at Your feet

Every moment of my wandering

Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war I confess

My hands are weary I need Your rest

Mighty Warrior, King of the fight

No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings

There’s not a day ahead You have not seen

So, in all things be my life and breath

I want what You want Lord and nothing less

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move

When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through

When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You

I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

You are my strength and comfort

You are my steady hand

You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher

Your plans are always good

There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood

No matter how insightful, wise, experienced, or knowledgeable we may be, only God can guide our steps properly. God asks us to trust Him and His wisdom even when we can't immediately see the rationale behind it. He wants us to recognize His presence, guidance, and grace in all we do. As we trust and as we acknowledge His presence, we suddenly realize that our paths are a lot straighter and our destinations are a lot a closer.

Have a blessed day!

Seeking comfort

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

We are comforted because we need a blessing, because we are heartbroken, because God loves us, we are comforted to comfort others.

The God of the Bible is one of compassion, He comforts us when we go through trials.

But it doesn’t stop there. God doesn't bless us with His presence and comfort of His Spirit because we are somehow better than everyone else.

No, He comforts us to equip, empower, and encourage others.

Our troubles give us a vocabulary to help others who are going through the same thing!

We may think that our circumstances make us unable to minister, but the Scripture tells us that the very weight around our neck can become the launching pad for ministry to others.

There is something about comfort that cannot be fully realized until it is shared with someone else.

It is that final step in the healing process of grief, disappointment, hurt, and loss.

Until we share the comfort we have received, until we pass it on to another, our comfort is weak and shallow and limited.

Where others see failure and struggle, God sees the qualifications to be used mightily.

Have a blessed day!

It is well with my soul

Man it has been a rough week for me personally.

As many of you know, my mother has Alzheimer’s disease and this week has been a record setting week for phone calls from the nursing home. 

Think of it as getting calls from the principal’s office about your child misbehaving.

This is a terrible disease.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to go through every minute of every day confused.  It is hard on the family too because in many cases the patient becomes verbally or physically abusive, non-compliant and just difficult to be around.  Everyone tells me that it is not her, it is the disease, but that does not make it any easier for my heart.

As all of you know, my youngest son will be leaving for the Army on Monday morning. Oh goodness. . .  proud mommy, scared mommy, sad mommy. 

I warned him last week that I would probably be crying at least once a day this week. 

I have followed through on that promise.

Most of you also know that I work with a non-profit organization that fosters cats and kittens. We take them in, socialize them and love them, get them “snipped & chipped”, then find homes for them.  I have had 67 foster kittens through my home since I joined the group in September 2014. Yes, it is hard to let them go to their new families after loving on them for weeks, especially the ones that are born at my house or the ones that I bottle fed, but it is a good feeling knowing that I made a difference in their lives. What is harder is when you get one that is sickly and you try everything in your power to save them, but they die anyway.

I held one of my little foster kittens last night for like 5 hours, keeping her warm, trying to get liquids in her, pouring all my love and strength into her.

She crossed the rainbow bridge this morning.  She will get a place of honor among the others I have lost in the back yard. Please don’t tell me it was “just a cat”, because these are my little fur babies.  Each one has a unique personality and I become very attached to them.

FaceBook has this cool thing where you can look back and see what you posted “On This Day” if you posted anything in previous years. . .  it’s kind of cool sometimes.  In 2012, August 19^th was a Sunday, and those were the days when I posted “what I learned in church today” every week.  I posted the lyrics to the song “It Is Well With My Soul”. 

Holy catfish. I needed that today.  Bear with me, I am just going to paste the whole thing here because it is a lesson worth revisiting.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Horatio G. Spafford was a successful lawyer in the late 1800’s in Chicago. His only son died at the age of four from scarlet fever in 1871, then he lost everything and was ruined financially in the great Chicago fire. In 1873 he decided to take his wife and daughters to Europe, but he was delayed by business and sent his family ahead. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship collided with another and sank in 12 minutes, all four of Spafford's daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, "Saved alone . . .". Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
What power do we find, what can we learn from these words? 
*We have all been there. 
Psalm 40:1-3 - I patiently waited, Lord, for you to hear my prayer. You listened and pulled me
from a lonely pit full of mud and mire. You let me stand on a rock with my feet firm,
and you gave me a new song, a song of praise to you. Many will see this, and they will honor and trust you, the Lord God.
We have ALL faced times of difficulty, trial and despair. Financial trials, depression, death, divorce – we are not immune. We are not promised a rose garden every day of our earthly life. What we do know is this: 
*Christ has been there
Jesus has walked this walk. There is neither a place that we have been nor a place that we will go that He was not there, paving the way for us. Jesus cried out on the cross “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, that is straight out of scripture – Psalms 22:1. 
*He will be there with us
Jesus walks every step of the way with us. 
Psalms 62:8 - Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety.
Psalms 46:1-3 - God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea. Let the ocean roar and foam, and its raging waves shake the mountains.
Philippians 4:7 - Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
How could we ask for more? So, sit back, give it to God and make sure that all is well with your soul.

Even though my heart is full of pain and sorrow today, it is well with my soul.

Thank you God.

Have a blessed weekend. 

Letting Go

Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 7:9

This is the last weekend that I will have my youngest son at home until Christmas. (see the tears?)

Letting go of adult children is a struggle for all parents.

Biblically, we know that God takes the role of the parent very seriously.

Parents are to raise children in the “training and instruction of the Lord,” not frustrating or exasperating them (Ephesians 6:4). We are to “train a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), giving him good gifts (Matthew 7:11), loving and disciplining him for his sake (Proverbs 13:24), and providing for his needs (1 Timothy 5:8).

At the heart of the difficulty of letting go of our children is a certain amount of fear - the world is a scary place, and the numerous stories of terrible things happening increase our fears.

Perhaps nothing on earth is more testing of our faith than the time when our children begin to sever the bonds that have held them close to us.

Letting go of children doesn’t mean simply turning them loose in the world to fend for themselves.

It means turning them over to our heavenly Father who loves them more than we ever could, and who guides and guards them according to His perfect will.

The reality is that they are His children; they belong to Him, not to us - He has loaned them to us for a while and given us instruction on how to care for them, but eventually, we have to give them back to Him and trust that He will love them and nurture their spirits in the same way we have nurtured them physically.

So what is the parents’ role as children become adults?

Certainly we never ‘let go’ of them in the sense of abandoning them.

We are still their parents and always will be.

Just because we no longer nurture and guard them physically, we are still concerned for their welfare.

Most importantly, we pray for them.

We encourage them in their walk with God, offering advice when asked, offer help if it is needed and accept their decision to receive it or reject it.

When parents finally do let go of adult children, they often find a stronger, deeper, and more fulfilling relationship than they ever could have imagined.
Now if I could just convince myself that all the above is really true, maybe I could let go with fewer tears.

Have a blessed day!

Got a light?

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

—John 8:12

Song reference!!!

Light of the World, You stepped down into darkness
Open my eyes, Let me see
Beauty that made This heart adore You
Hope of a life Spent with You

Here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely, Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

We can stumbling around in the dark or we can be overjoyed to find a flashlight to guide us from meeting  any unexpected "critters" in the world.

Our joy, however, is far greater at finding Jesus, who illuminates our hearts on our darkest nights, illuminates our future with His coming glory, illuminates our path with His words of truth, and illuminates our hope with the dawning of each new day.

Find His light in your world – you will be pleased how it overcomes the darkness.

Have a blessed day!

Passing judgment

When they kept on questioning him, He straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her [the woman caught in adultery]."

—John 8:7

These days we sure find it easy to identify the sin of others.

We are quick to judge others and share our opinions with the world, regardless of if we are right or wrong.

Stop it!

God wants to remind us of how important it is to take a rigorously honest inventory of our own faithfulness.

He wants us to deal with our own sin before we evaluate anyone else.

Kind of a “clean up your own backyard” type thing . .  .

Have a blessed day! 

Cherish each moment

For this world in its present form is passing away.

—1 Corinthians 7:31

“To everything there is a season.”

“You reap what you sow.”

“You can’t take it with you.”

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

There are so many verse and sayings that revolve around stuff and time . . .

Notice that this theme is often repeated in the New Testament and from the lips of Jesus.

Shouldn’t that be a reminder that we shouldn't spend our lives working for what is temporary?

Cherish every single moment.

Have a blessed day!

What have you scattered?

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

—Acts 8:4

School is back in session for some – for others it will be starting in the next few days.

So many emotions!  The parents who are happy that they don’t have to hear “I’m bored!”, the kids grumbling that they have to go to bed early, do homework and all those terrible things, the parents who are sending their kids off to college or the military.

We all know what we teach our kids at home, but what happens when we are not with them?

Over the summer, many of us had campfires and cookouts.

Have you ever watched the flames when a gentle breeze hits? 

The sparks fly upward and ride upon the wind, spreading the flame far and wide.

When we raise our children knowing God, when they are out of our site, we hope that they become the spark.

These sparks are used by God to spread the message wherever they go.

Each believer is a spark driven on the Divine Wind of God's empowering Spirit.

Have a blessed day!

The Great Decision

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Proverbs 16:25

You cannot stop the truth, and the enemy will always have a plan that is similar to the plan that God has for you, he just needs you to choose his path over the path of the Lord. Your goodness can not save you, but your badness can condemn you. 
How do you get to Heaven? 
First, let me advise you that God does not send people to hell, people choose freely to go there.  
So that makes it really easy, right? 
Wrong. 
You can spend your whole life staying busy doing good things, or what you perceive as being good, but you have to stay focused on Him, on His righteousness, and His kingdom. 
Not everyone who says they are a Christian is. I have seen lots of people that claim to be doing His work, and in reality they are only serving themselves.
Your goodness cannot save you, but your badness can condemn you.  
Don't go through life doing the least that you can to get the most, that is not going to get you into Heaven.  God says that we must be born again. Give your life to God, He will guide you. 
Just because everyone else is doing things does not mean you have to do the same - don't be a lemming! 
You weren't made to fit in, you were made to stand out! 
You get to make the decision, choose life! 

Believe

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 

Isaiah 55:8

Have you ever wondered if you really believe in God?

Sometimes in our relationship with God, He just seems distant, and sometimes there’s a sudden doubt that hits like a hammer and you start to wonder if you’re losing your faith.

What can we do?

It is a lot like technology.  I work in a technology field. I depend on technology every day to get my job done, but I have no patience for technology and often don’t understand much about how it works. I turn on my computer or my phone and I expect to be able to do what I need to do with minimal difficulty. Yet my inability to comprehend the intricacies of the way things actually function doesn’t get in the way of my benefiting from technology.

Even though we don’t understand everything about God, that doesn’t prevent us from trusting Him. He has proven His love for us. 

We may not fully comprehend His plan, and we can call it blind trust if we want, but we need to believe in Him, trust in Him, and know that He will take care of us.

Remember the poem Footprints in the sand?  (there are actually three versions published by three authors, I am using the Carolyn Carty version, published in 1963)

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life. This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me. The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I Love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

God would not be worthy of our worship if He could be understood by our wisdom. Have a blessed day.

Who are you representing?

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the One already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

– 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

We must be careful in how we represent Christ to others.

We all have personal agendas and bias that we bring into our Christian work.

One of the great tests of what we are doing for God lies in other’s ability to take our work forward.

Are you building in such a way that empowers the people around you?

Or do you have to be in the middle of everything that you do?

Be careful whose kingdom you are representing.

Have a blessed day!

Wait for Him

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

– Psalm 130:6

Have you ever felt that you had messed up so badly that darkness flooded your soul?

Instead of looking for answers, look for the Lord.

Those who take time to wait and watch with God’s promises will experience something better than answers—they will be filled with the light of God’s presence.

Take heart, for though it may seem dark now, dawn is coming

Have a blessed day!

How long?

How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

– Psalm 13:1-2

Have you ever felt that you were barely hanging on and constantly being overcome by life’s circumstances?

I recently saw a comment from someone I know “if God only gives me what I can handle, He must think that I am really strong.”

The thing is, God gives you what He will help you handle.

Asking God “How long?” is a healthy statement, because God is not there in just the good times, but also the bad.

We can face the state of our soul while we keep our faith toward the God who has answered in the past and will answer again in the future, though we may not feel that way right now.

Hang in there.

Have a blessed day! 

Go and Tell

Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

– Exodus 4:12

Who would have thought that I would be preaching God’s word on a daily basis?

What started out as an email between a couple of friends has grown to nearly 100 people on an email and dozens reading my blog.

We often think that God can’t use us until we are fully prepared.

But who are we to decide if we are ready?

When Moses felt unqualified, God told him that he would become the great emancipator of the Jewish people from Egypt.

God’s pattern is on the job training; so don’t wait until you feel ready to do something for God, do something and God will meet you along the way.

Have a blessed day!

Can't we all just get along?

Sorry for not sending these last week, I was out of the loop, but I am back now!

But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them.

– Titus 3:9-10

People drive me crazy – all the political posts and arguments over the candidates. I am really not a fan of politics at all. 

People get so caught up in minor theological differences that they miss the big picture of God’s purposes.

In this verse we are encouraged to determine the important issues from the non-important issues and then move on.

Move ON.

With the major challenges we are facing around the world, let’s not waste time trying to make a big deal of small controversies.

The issues of our generation demand our ability to rise above pettiness.

Have a blessed day!