I deserve this

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.

- Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NLT)

 

We live in a very entitled world today - and I am not just talking about the younger generation - it seems like everyone is only in it for themselves.

I see a lot of “what are you going to do for me” attitude going on, people forget that we should do things for others.

How often do we do things “half-heartedly”? 
We can usually tell when someone doesn’t really mean what they say or doesn’t want to do something but feels obligated to do it anyway.

Even if we can’t tell, God always can.

As we go through life we are going to come across a lot of circumstances that may harden our hearts and we simply cannot allow that to happen because once our hearts turn deceitful against our friends, family, God and even our own selves, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn back to God.

And if God is rewarding man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve, there are going to be a lot of people disappointed in what they receive.

Where is your heart?

Do a regular heart check on yourself, make sure your heart really is in the right place.

Because where your heart is, for real, shows the world who you are.

We might be able to fool others, but we can’t fool God, He sees our real heart.

 

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sheep and goats

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

- Matthew 25:32 (NKJV)

 

I have a bunch of friends that have goats. 
Personally, I feel like they are terrifying creatures. 
I think it is their eyes, but they just freak me out. 
Sheep are cute, but they have a bad reputation for being kind of dumb, when in reality they are very intelligent. 
I have heard that a sheep will do some dumb things, like getting stuck in a fence and they push forward until they kill themselves rather than take a single step backwards and no longer be caught.  
I often wondered then, if sheep are dumb, why are followers of Jesus referred to as sheep? 
Why is the Lord referred to as a Shepherd? 
Sheep are compassionate, they have a strong flocking instinct, so they stick together and protect one another. 
Goats on the other hand are hard-hearted and stubborn, they see something they want and will go after it, no matter the cost. 
This verse tells us that on the day of judgement that we will be separated, the ones who find salvation and the ones that will be sent to damnation. 
I’m reminded of Henry Ossawa Tanner’s painting “The Good Shepherd”,  the imagery of a shepherd that would lay down his life for his sheep. 
Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did? 

Which group will you be in?

 

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love me tender

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

- John 15:9 (NKJV)

 

For you Elvis fans, I apologize, today’s verse is not about Elvis (although I agree, he had an amazing voice). 
The dictionary definition of the verb abide is to accept or act in accordance with or be able to tolerate.

With that definition in mind, let’s reword that verse: 
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; accept  My love. 
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; act in accordance with My love.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you;tolerate My love.

How can we look any further for the perfect love that we can find in Jesus?

God loves us. 
Jesus loves us. 
We can live in this love every single day. 
I don’t know about you, but there is no place I’d rather be. 

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clouds

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

- Revelation 1:7 (NKJV)

 

I have always loved the clouds. 
If you look at my camera roll on my phone you will see many pictures of clouds in different forms. 
According to the World Meteorological Organization, more than 100 types of clouds exist, but the many variations can be grouped into one of ten basic types. 
I aways called the scary ones storm clouds, dark clouds, or eerie clouds, and the happy clouds are flat, fluffy, or wavy – shows how much I know. 
As children and even now as adults we look at clouds to see what shapes we can find.  
Did you ever think that someday you might see Jesus in those clouds? 
There are eight verses in the Bible about clouds and Jesus, most indicate that He will come back “with the clouds”. 
It is a very real possibility that someday you’ll be looking for the cat shaped clouds in the sky and see Jesus making His triumphant return.  
 

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We don’t need a thing

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

- 1 Corinthians 1:9 (NKJV)

 

I did not understand this verse when I first read it. 
It seems simple enough, God is faithful, God calls us to fellowship by way of His Son. 
But there is something missing. 
Check out The Message : Just think—you don’t need a thing, you’ve got it all! All God’s gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

Never forget that; and we don’t need a thing; and God’s gifts are there. 
And most importantly. you are never alone, God is beside us every step of the way. 
It makes a lot more sense now – we need God. 
And God is there for us. 
How lucky are we? 

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Independence Day

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

 

Today America celebrates its 247th birthday!

After the thirteen colonies claimed their independence from England, the founding fathers signed this declaration on July 4, 1776.

Fun facts:

The stars and stripes on the American flag represent the 50 states and original 13 colonies, respectively.

The story of the red, white and blue is that the colors represent purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue).

July 4th is a great celebration of freedom in the United States, a celebration of the freedom from British rule, tyranny and taxes, a freedom that was given to us in order to live responsibly.

I would be remiss if I did not point out here that freedom is not free – thank you to all Veterans for fighting for our great country.

Thank you to Jesus, for setting us free from sin.

We have been set free to serve God and share in His grace eternally, and we need to make certain that we do not use our “freedom” as an excuse to do anything that we want – that is not what it is about!

The freedom that Christ gives is best expressed when we serve each other humbly in love.

So celebrate with fireworks and picnics, but also celebrate by finding ways to serve others well, which is true freedom being expressed.

One more thing - a song. 

In 1984 Lee Greenwood released "God Bless The U.S.A., it still brings tears to my eyes.

If tomorrow all the things were gone

I worked for all my life

And I had to start again

With just my children and my wife

I thank my lucky stars

To be living here today

'Cause the flag still stands for freedom

And they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up next to you

And defend Her still today

'Cause there ain't no doubt

I love this land

God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota

To the hills of Tennessee

Across the plains of Texas

From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston

And New York to L.A.

Where's pride in every American heart

And it's time we stand and say

That I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free

And I won't forget the men who died

Who gave that right to me

And I'd gladly stand up next to you

And defend Her still today

'Cause there ain't no doubt

I love this land

God Bless the U.S.A.

Happy 4th of July!

 

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banish anxiety

So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless.

- Ecclesiastes 11:10 (NIV)

 

OK, the first thing I thought of when I read this version of this verse was here we go again, do not fear. 
No matter how many times I hear it, I still have fear and anxiety and what is this about youth being meaningless? 
so, doing the thing I do, I looked up other versions of this verse. 
The New King James Version: Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity.
Sorrow. 
The New American Standard Bible 1995: So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Anger. 
I have difficulty with all three of these things honestly. 

Solomon tells us that it is God’s will that we enjoy our lives during the time of our youth, but we must still be accountable for our choices and our behavior.

We don’t stay young forever, but we need to remember while we are out having fun that we still need to answer to God. 
We tend to get so involved in hustle and bustle of our busy lives that our busy-ness is distracting us from focusing on what is most important. 
Solomon reminds us with this verse that living in the moment is fine so long as we realize the spiritual ramifications our decisions have over time.

Let us live without regrets so long as we understand that peace and freedom are found when we die to self and embrace God's Word as our fountain of life.

 

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