Walk With God

If my wife agreed to go on a walk with me and then took off in a different direction, would you say we were walking together?

Amos 3:3 asks a similar question.

To walk together, you have to be in agreement. Our “walk” with Jesus is a metaphor for our way of life, but it’s also ture literally. There are many accounts of people walking with God; Adam & Eve, Noah, and Enoch. Jacob even wrestled God!

How is your walk with God? Are you in agreement? Or have you taken off in a different direction. If so, like the Matt Maher song says, “All you gotta do is turn around.”

God Bless!







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Speak, Lord

Samuel didn’t know what to do when the Lord first called to him. He didn’t even know it was the Lord’s voice.

His mentor Eli recognized what was happening. He told Samuel if the Lord called again to reply: “Your servant is listening.”

That sums up all that is required of us. Listen. Recognize the Lord in your life and listen to Him!

Sometimes God speaks and we don’t even hear it. I pray that His servants are listening and secondly, that they are ready and willing to obey!

May you recognize God’s presence today!







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All Things

I can do some things through Christ which strengthens me. I can do a couple of things through Christ which strengthens me. I can do a few things through Christ which strengthens me.

Nope, that’s not what the Holy Word of God says, is it? Instead it says: I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me. ALL THINGS! Not some, a couple, or a few.

All things.

That means everything. That means anything headed your way, good or bad – you can handle through Christ which gives you strength.

Now, does that mean you could run faster than a speeding bullet and jump over a building in a single bound? No… not unless God willed it and it would bring Him glory. Then, you bet you would. But, this refers more to like daily troubles.

As we face daily trials and tribulations, we know that Christ Jesus will strengthen us. He will be our strength when we have none. He will be our courage when ours has run dry. He will be there for us daily and supply us with ALL that we may require.

May you recognize God’s love with you today!







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Set Your Heart On Things Above #focusonGod #JesusSaves

To listen to a particular radio station you have to zero in on the right frequency. If you don’t, all you get is static.

Col. 3:1 tells us to set our hearts on Christ.

It’s all about focus.

What is your focus? Are you listening to all the radio stations at once and getting only static? Are you listening to voices that pull you below? Or have you set your focus to things above?

May you set your heart on Christ today and experience His wondrous blessings!

God Bless!







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Please and Thank You

How about we make year 2014, the year of Please and Thank You.

Please, God, help me.

Please, Lord, let me get closer to You. Please, Father, give me the Peace that passes all understanding!

Thank you, Lord, for all you’ve done for me.

Thank you, God, for the Cross and all that it stands for.

Thank you, Father, for loving me, for remembering me, and for saving me.

I think if we can make 2014 the year of please and thank you, we will all have a blessed year!

God bless!







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The LORD Sits

For our honeymoon my wife and I were blessed with a trip to Paris. While we were there, we visited the Palace of Versailles. Once the center of political power, Versailles is now France’s foremost tourist attraction. Besides it’s sheer grandeur, one thing stuck with me about that palace: the thrones.

It is there that I learned what a throne represents. I mean, of course I knew that a throne represented power. It is obvious that to have people come to you is a demonstration of power. But, it is absolute power to have people come to you as you remain seated.

Ever thought of that before?

The Throne of God is mentioned several times throughout scripture. I won’t bombard you with all of them. Most famously it is described by Ezekiel (chapter 1). I’d like to mention also that the angel Gabriel refers to the Throne of God in Luke 1:32-33 because… he should know, he’s been there. He’s actually seen it!

God is mentioned as “sitting” multiple times as well.

• “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.” – Psalms 29:10

• “He that sits in the heavens laughs” (at the futile efforts of man’s rebellion) – Psalms 2:4

• “Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high?” – Psalms 113:5

Sitting on His Throne, God is The Absolute Power. He is the Power of the Power. There is none above and all below. Yet, He makes Himself low to guide and love His fragile creation.

In your quiet time with the LORD today, reflect on our God’s astounding ability to speak stars into being and also whisper encouragement to His children all in the same all-powerful breath. He does so with perfect love from His magnificent Throne.

God Bless!

Let Go and Let God

Well, I've done everything I can do. Nothing left for me to do but pray, I guess.

Ever hear that? Ever say that? To be honest, I have. I've thought and/or said that very same thing myself many times.

Psalms 55:22 says "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."

My wife said something the other day that really struck a chord with me, "Let Go and Let God!" How simple. How true.

But, how difficult!

Let Go

and

Let GOD!

Give God the reigns of your life. He is a much better driver anyways. Letting go is hard for us humans, isn't it? We have to be in control of everything. It's almost as if we're admitting defeat if we let someone else take over. If someone is more qualified, then why not? And if anyone is more qualified, it's the LORD. Why is this such a struggle?! It's OK to let God in. It's OK to let Him be the deciding factor.

Allowing God full access to your life doesn't mean you will be without hardship. In fact, we are almost guaranteed it. The more the world senses you are a Child of The King, the more it will hate you. The more it will sniff you out. The more it will try to crush you. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." John 15:18. "You will be hated because of me" Matt. 10:22. So, be ready.

Think of it this way, Jesus was the first to say Let go and let God! He prayed the hardest prayer: "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done." Luke 22:42

Submission to the Father is scary but it's the only thing that leads to ultimate peace and joy. John 16:33 says it all. Look it up. Memorize it. Live it.

Let go and let God! God Bless!

#LetGoAndLetGod #YHWH

You Remain The Same

Sometimes I’m irritable.
Other times I’m patient.
But I’m hardly ever consistent.

Hebrews 1:12 tells us that God “remains the same.” That could be bad if God were capricious or unreasonable. But here’s the thing – He’s not.

He’s constantly and reliably good. He is Love and love always loves. The fact that He’s “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8) should give us great comfort. It means He will always hold us, catch us, save us and forgive us… even when we least deserve it.

May you experience God’s steadfastness today!

God bless!







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Exposed By The Light

Exterior Photography 101:

If the sun’s at your back, your subject will turn out dark. Flip the composition around, and the subject is exposed.

Similarly, if we keep THE SON at our backs, we will be in darkness, but put THE SON in front of you then your pathway will be illuminated.

Eph. 5:13 tells us everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Don’t you want a visible path?

May you bathe in the light of THE SON today!

God Bless!







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Exposed By The Light

Exterior Photography 101:
If the sun’s at your back, your subject will turn out dark. Flip the composition around, and the subject is exposed.

Similarly, if we keep THE SON at our backs, we will be in darkness, but put THE SON in front of you and your pathway will be illuminated. Eph. 5:13 tells us everything exposed by the light becomes visible.

Don’t you want a visible path? May you bathe in the light of THE SON today!

God Bless!

Continuing Debt To Love

Love is a debt. Wait, I owe you love?!

Paul tells us in Romans 13:8 that we have an outstanding “debt” to love one another. I’m not indebted to love you, am I? One loves because one loves, right?

Is Paul being unreasonable?

Like everything else in scripture, look to Christ. Whenever in doubt, the answer is Jesus. Always.

Our Savior lavished us with such a gushing, pouring, drenching, and FLOODING love that it could never possibly be duplicated. It could never possibly be repaid. In fact, the only way to even scratch the surface of His tremendous love is to look out for one another. That’s it.

We are not instructed to do some incredible feat. We are just asked to show simple kindness to people who are in the same boat as ourselves. We are commanded to show our fellow man just an inkling of the likeness of Jesus. Our job as Christians is to point people to Christ. Then the Holy Spirit steps in. That's it.

If Jesus felt it important enough to give his life for others, the least we can do is honor that great sacrifice by showing others that we care for them.

In this, we remind people. We remind them that Jesus lives, that He loves them, and that He loves us. How could He not? After all, He is love.

Thank you, Jesus for showing us what love is and how to love!

So, yes - I owe you love. You owe me love. We owe love to each other. It's a debt neither one of us can repay. We are always in hock.

I love you. Put it on my tab.

God bless!

#Love #LoveOneAnother #DebtToLove

The LORD Will Fight

I get tired.

Far too often the struggle gets the best of me.

I'm so human and humans are weak and flawed. However, there is someone we can turn to who is not weak and who is not flawed. Exodus 14:14 tells us that the "LORD" will fight for us. When you see the Lord written in all caps like that, it means YHWH; the one true Creator God. It's refering to the God through which all things are. (Thanks to Rev. Dr. David Cyphers for that explanation.)

If the Author of the Universe will fight for us, let's let him. God has never, nor never will fail and He won't fail you.

God Bless!

#YHWH #AuthorofSalvation #GodMyRock #GodMyStrength #GodMyShield

Just Add Water

You can live without food for 3 weeks, but take away your water and you can last only 3 days. 65% of our body is made of water. Try growing something without water and see how that goes for you!

It's easy to see that water is essential for anything to survive. Our spiritual well-being is no different

John 7:38 tells us that rivers of living water will flow from the heart of whoever believes in Jesus. Rivers! How refreshing does that sound?

If you are thirsty, all you have to do is drink.

God Bless!

#livingwater 

The View From The Valley

I am not the wise man on the mountaintop dispensing knowledge. Far from it! I am the exhausted guy caked in dirt trying desperately to climb that very mountain as it repeatedly kicks my sorry butt back down to the valley. I am in the trenches, just like you.

The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley, but it is in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God (Oswald Chambers). When you are on the mountain you can believe anything. But in the valley, you only have Jesus to get you out!

Pray with me Mark 9:22 - "If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us!"

God bless!
#walkthroughthevalley #JesusSaves

Our Real Boss

Work is work, right? Or they would call it play. Everyone has something they would change about their job. In Col. 3:23 Paul tells us that as Christians, we are not working for our bosses, we are working "as for the Lord."

We are to work with good cheer.

Hey, at least you have a job that you don't like. Many Americans would love to have a job... that they would not like.

Bosses, you are not off the hook either. There is plenty of scripture about treating your employees well (Eph. 6:9).

God bless!

Stand Firm On God's Word

While running the other day, I got an image stuck in my head. It was of myself trying to balance on a big heap of flimsy mishapen boxes. The heap was teetering this way and that. Inevitably, it toppled and I fell.

2 Thes. 2:15 tells us to “stand firm” on God’s word.

I can stack all my achievements and knowledge as high as it will go, but it will never hold me. Jesus is the only foundation I can trust. He is unmoving, solid and forever sure.

Why stand on anything less?

God bless!

#standingonthepromises #foundation #run #runningchristian

worrier vs. WARRIOR

We inherited the word “worry” from the Old English, “wyrgan,” (to strangle). It conveys the way wolves attack sheep; grasping by the throat and biting/shaking until dead.

Graphic. but…

That’s the image you should have when you worry except, you’re doing it to yourself.

Matt. 6 says God knows what you need and He will supply it. Worry is the opposite of trust. Phil. 4:6-7 says make your requests known to God and then have peace. He can handle it. He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

God wants us to live with confidence.

He wants fighters not fretters.

Are you a worrier or a WARRIOR?

I will pray for you on this, will you pray for me?
God bless!
#prayerwarrior #ThankYouJesusFor

Gehazi

One of my favorite accounts in the Old Testament pertains to Gehazi. Who in the world is Gehazi?!

Let me set the scene: 2 Kings 6, The Syrians had put a hit out on Elisha. Their army ambushed him and his servant, Gehazi. Understandably Gehazi was freaking out. Elisha prayed for Gehazi’s eyes to be opened. He immediately saw the mountain full of angels on fiery chariots ready to do battle on Elisha’s behalf.

I truly believe that is how it is today. We feel we are alone in a battle against a whole army. When in actuality, we have a heavenly host at our ready. Make no mistake, there is a spiritual battle constantly raging all around us. The only question is: Do you have the spirit of Gehazi or Elisha?

I pray that your eyes are open today!

God bless!
#openyoureyes #angelarmies

Hurled Into The Sea

I was talking with my mother-in-law today about the "Your Red Sea" blog and she brought up an interesting point. The blog positioned that the Red Sea could represent your problems and that by relying on God, your problems could be solved in a way that you couldn't even imagine. She said not only that, but the Red Sea then destroyed the Israelites' enemies. In essence, what was once an obstacle became a tool for deliverance!

Not only did God create a door for the Israelites to escape, but He also used that door to vanquish their foes.

With God, the thing that would destroy a person can be transformed into the thing that destroys the person's problems.

My wife mentioned that most of us today don't have what we would call "foes" or "enemies." We don't have a Dr. Moriarty walking around plotting our demise... unless you count the enemy of us all: that old serpent. But, we do have abstract enemies like fear, hate, and worry.

If a person is up against their Red Sea, then they have two options:

1. Rely on themselves and... risk drowning, or go broke buying boats, or weary themselves by traveling all away around...

Or

2. Rely on God, calmly walk across dry land to the other shore, and then watch as the waters crash down and hurl your foes into the sea.

* I'm thankful to have such strong Christian women in my life!

God Bless!
#AwesomeGod #GodDelivers