1 Corinthians 12:4-12
4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
Today is my 600th blog post! I've been writing these for over two years now. It's been an incredible experience thus far, and I don't think God is done using me here yet. Thank you God for giving me strength. Blog readers, please keep reading!
That brings me to a fairly important topic today. I talked about money earlier this week. It's highly significant that we realize that every penny, nickle, and dime we have is a gift from God. If we don't spend it wisely or we forget that God is our provider, our greed can turn our spiritual life upside down.
God has blessed YOU for a specific reason: to bless others. Whether it's throwing more money into the offering plate, or speaking from the church pulpit, the body of Christ needs you to fulfill its unity and wholeness. When you use your spiritual gifts, you build up others in a life filled with faith.
Maybe you're blessed with time as opposed to money. That's great because God didn't give you the same blessings as our friends and neighbors or else that would be monotonous. Not everyone is the ear or the eye. How can you use your free time to serve others? What talents do you have to offer in a loving manner to the body of Christ?
Finally, I want to mention that if you don't know your spiritual gifts, there are tons of resources that can evaluate you. Just go to google.com and type in "spiritual gifts test"
Find your gifts if you haven't already and use them "Until The Whole World Hears." Today's song is by Casting Crowns.
"God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called." ~Unknown
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Don't Miss Out.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
First of all, a talent is equivalent to more than one thousand dollars! In this parable, Jesus describes a man who plans to be away for a long period of time. Thus, he asks his servants to watch over his money while he is away. The money gets divided among the three servants who were present. The first two went on to invest their money; they were able to double it before the man returned. On the other hand, the third servant was afraid to take a gamble. After all, he might lose the money. He decided to hide the money until the man came home.
When the man returned home, he was pleased at what he saw. He was now richer! He only thought it was wise to put them in control of other things. The third servant was deemed lazy and evil, however, because he wasted his time and missed an opportunity. This man was to never be put in charge of the man's money again.
The key message to take with you today is that God has blessed us and expects us to use our gifts to initiate blessings or even introduce Christ in someone else's life. It's never good to miss out on this!
Think about how God has blessed you and how you can use that to make an impact on others. Is there any part of it that feels like a risk?
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
First of all, a talent is equivalent to more than one thousand dollars! In this parable, Jesus describes a man who plans to be away for a long period of time. Thus, he asks his servants to watch over his money while he is away. The money gets divided among the three servants who were present. The first two went on to invest their money; they were able to double it before the man returned. On the other hand, the third servant was afraid to take a gamble. After all, he might lose the money. He decided to hide the money until the man came home.
When the man returned home, he was pleased at what he saw. He was now richer! He only thought it was wise to put them in control of other things. The third servant was deemed lazy and evil, however, because he wasted his time and missed an opportunity. This man was to never be put in charge of the man's money again.
The key message to take with you today is that God has blessed us and expects us to use our gifts to initiate blessings or even introduce Christ in someone else's life. It's never good to miss out on this!
Think about how God has blessed you and how you can use that to make an impact on others. Is there any part of it that feels like a risk?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Lazarus and the Rich Man.
Luke 16:19-31
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
This passage says it all and I think it's pretty easy to understand. The beggar sat at the rich man's gate each and everyday. However, the rich man didn't do anything to eliminate some of the beggar's suffering. The beggar was left to search for food. The rich man knew the beggar was there. The problem was that he was so focused on his greed and self-satisfaction that he couldn't muster to pour some of his heart to the beggar.
Even in eternal life, the rich man wasn't fond of Lazarus the beggar at all. The rich man essentially enslaved Lazarus to do some of his duties. This portrays the selfish being of the rich man.
I'm not generalizing here saying that people who are well-off financially are always selfish, but I am using this as an example for all of us. This is a parable, anyway. Lazarus, the beggar, was a representation of the common Jewish population hated by the Pharisees who later looked past this situation and became believers and followers of Christ. The point is that we should all be kind and compassionate to others for this is how Jesus would be.
There are so many unfortunate cases out there; many people are probably begging for food while we're thinking about our next meal. What's keeping you from expressing a compassionate heart? God, I pray today that you fill our hearts with compassion. May we look beyond our selfishness and be willing to serve and help others.
19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
This passage says it all and I think it's pretty easy to understand. The beggar sat at the rich man's gate each and everyday. However, the rich man didn't do anything to eliminate some of the beggar's suffering. The beggar was left to search for food. The rich man knew the beggar was there. The problem was that he was so focused on his greed and self-satisfaction that he couldn't muster to pour some of his heart to the beggar.
Even in eternal life, the rich man wasn't fond of Lazarus the beggar at all. The rich man essentially enslaved Lazarus to do some of his duties. This portrays the selfish being of the rich man.
I'm not generalizing here saying that people who are well-off financially are always selfish, but I am using this as an example for all of us. This is a parable, anyway. Lazarus, the beggar, was a representation of the common Jewish population hated by the Pharisees who later looked past this situation and became believers and followers of Christ. The point is that we should all be kind and compassionate to others for this is how Jesus would be.
There are so many unfortunate cases out there; many people are probably begging for food while we're thinking about our next meal. What's keeping you from expressing a compassionate heart? God, I pray today that you fill our hearts with compassion. May we look beyond our selfishness and be willing to serve and help others.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Loving Money.
1 Timothy 6:9-10
9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The idea today is not to say that money is bad. However, the way you use it can be bad. If you love money, pride and greed, in particular, can get in the way tempting you into chaotic situations.
I don't know what it is, but as humans, we always want more. That's certainly no different in the case of money. We love it! When we haves some money, we can get an overwhelming feeling that makes us unable to appreciate everything else we have. We take everything for granted. We miss many opportunities to serve those in need. Many times, when we continue to want more, we may win, but someone else may lose. This does not follow Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself.
The biggest problem with greed is putting your life into money instead of God. A greedy person, like those consumed with anything else in life, will only go to God when they're on their knees. Additionally, don't get too comfortable with your finances. Remember, to remain faithful in God for he's the ultimate provider of everything you have, anyway.
Where are your priorities when it comes to money? Do you need to set a limit on yourself for a while?
9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The idea today is not to say that money is bad. However, the way you use it can be bad. If you love money, pride and greed, in particular, can get in the way tempting you into chaotic situations.
I don't know what it is, but as humans, we always want more. That's certainly no different in the case of money. We love it! When we haves some money, we can get an overwhelming feeling that makes us unable to appreciate everything else we have. We take everything for granted. We miss many opportunities to serve those in need. Many times, when we continue to want more, we may win, but someone else may lose. This does not follow Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself.
The biggest problem with greed is putting your life into money instead of God. A greedy person, like those consumed with anything else in life, will only go to God when they're on their knees. Additionally, don't get too comfortable with your finances. Remember, to remain faithful in God for he's the ultimate provider of everything you have, anyway.
Where are your priorities when it comes to money? Do you need to set a limit on yourself for a while?
Friday, September 24, 2010
No Excuses.
1 John 2:1
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Sure, we don't need to sin, but we often do it anyway. The good news is God is defending us. He knows we get tripped up sometimes in a pool of sin. So, I tell you, receive his open arms and don't defend yourself. The reason why I say that is because you can either depend on God's support of you removing every stain from every sin you commit or depend on your own defense. Imagine defending yourself in such a way when it comes before standing before the Almighty God.
Defending yourself includes a sense of denial, which allows you to try to excuse yourself. Don't be fooled because this will eventually tear you apart because you'll be judging yourself. Let God do the work. The purpose of the blood of Christ is to wash away our sinful stains, not our excuses. If you fall into that trap, it's okay, if we see Jesus as the Righteous One. Strength will flood our veins and we'll renewed by the grace of God. Thus, when a similar situation comes up, we can come out wearing the armor of God.
Leave your sin at the cross and be honest with God. Don't worry about it. Learn from it and grow from it instead so that you can receive the awesome power, presence, and peace of Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Savior.
Let "Fire Fall Down" by Hillsong be a prayer for you today, especially the first couple verses, to receive everything God has to offer despite your flaws. It's probably the longest song I've shared with you, but it's a great one!
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Sure, we don't need to sin, but we often do it anyway. The good news is God is defending us. He knows we get tripped up sometimes in a pool of sin. So, I tell you, receive his open arms and don't defend yourself. The reason why I say that is because you can either depend on God's support of you removing every stain from every sin you commit or depend on your own defense. Imagine defending yourself in such a way when it comes before standing before the Almighty God.
Defending yourself includes a sense of denial, which allows you to try to excuse yourself. Don't be fooled because this will eventually tear you apart because you'll be judging yourself. Let God do the work. The purpose of the blood of Christ is to wash away our sinful stains, not our excuses. If you fall into that trap, it's okay, if we see Jesus as the Righteous One. Strength will flood our veins and we'll renewed by the grace of God. Thus, when a similar situation comes up, we can come out wearing the armor of God.
Leave your sin at the cross and be honest with God. Don't worry about it. Learn from it and grow from it instead so that you can receive the awesome power, presence, and peace of Jesus Christ our risen Lord and Savior.
Let "Fire Fall Down" by Hillsong be a prayer for you today, especially the first couple verses, to receive everything God has to offer despite your flaws. It's probably the longest song I've shared with you, but it's a great one!
Last but not Least.
Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
Psalm 150. A short book, and the last book in the collection of Psalms, but not the least. It calls for a complete celebration and party for God!
The weekend is quickly approaching and it is often filled with festivities and fun including parties. Can you imagine anyone throwing a party for God? Would you? Doesn't he deserve it? Think about it. God does so much for us; he supplies our needs, comforts us with his love, blesses us with incredible family and friends, and sees us through our troubles. Given all that, God is the one we should put most of our energy toward. Yet, just a few minutes in the Word and in prayer is such a challenge sometimes.
The problem isn't that we lack a praising attitude, but rather, we just use it in a non-efficient fashion. We're willing to support our favorite sports team (go Seminoles!) by watching and going to the games. We're willing to download our favorite artist's songs before the concert so we can then jump and sing. We're willing to support our favorite actor and actress by seeing every single movie that features them. However, we're missing something here...someone: God.
There's not really anything wrong with the highly-spirited activities I mentioned above. However, if our jubilation for God is extremely sparse, then that's the issue. God is worthy of our praise!
Remember to praise God during your prayer time. Don't feel strange stopping during the day exclaiming, "You're awesome because..." Perhaps put this Psalm on the refrigerator for the fall season (which I mentioned Wednesday).
Song of the day: "You're Worthy of My Praise" by Jeremy Camp!
1 Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
Psalm 150. A short book, and the last book in the collection of Psalms, but not the least. It calls for a complete celebration and party for God!
The weekend is quickly approaching and it is often filled with festivities and fun including parties. Can you imagine anyone throwing a party for God? Would you? Doesn't he deserve it? Think about it. God does so much for us; he supplies our needs, comforts us with his love, blesses us with incredible family and friends, and sees us through our troubles. Given all that, God is the one we should put most of our energy toward. Yet, just a few minutes in the Word and in prayer is such a challenge sometimes.
The problem isn't that we lack a praising attitude, but rather, we just use it in a non-efficient fashion. We're willing to support our favorite sports team (go Seminoles!) by watching and going to the games. We're willing to download our favorite artist's songs before the concert so we can then jump and sing. We're willing to support our favorite actor and actress by seeing every single movie that features them. However, we're missing something here...someone: God.
There's not really anything wrong with the highly-spirited activities I mentioned above. However, if our jubilation for God is extremely sparse, then that's the issue. God is worthy of our praise!
Remember to praise God during your prayer time. Don't feel strange stopping during the day exclaiming, "You're awesome because..." Perhaps put this Psalm on the refrigerator for the fall season (which I mentioned Wednesday).
Song of the day: "You're Worthy of My Praise" by Jeremy Camp!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sacrificing Earthly Treasures.
Matthew 13:45-46
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The New Testament is filled with parables. This is certainly one of those parables! In this case, a man sold everything to buy a valuable pearl. The man had enough knowledge to realize that the pearl is unique and will continue to increase in value as time progresses. He was not even hesitant about letting go of his present riches and treasures so that he could invest in something that would be far more beneficial later in life.
The reoccurring theme in the gospels is that the treasures of heaven will be multiplied in value compared to those of earth. Just as the man in this parable gave up something to pursue the treasures of heaven, we are expected to do that as well. The problem is that it may involve giving up some things that we enjoy everyday.
What is something that Jesus would want you to sacrifice? It doesn't have to be materialistic; it can be something as simple as a character trait, like pride. Pride tends to block our compassion: it keeps us from saying, "I'm sorry," from offering forgiveness, and going beyond ourselves to serve others. Jesus might ask us to sacrifice our time on Facebook. I know I have a horrible habit of checking it every time I go on the computer, which is frequently. Facebook time could be replaced with reading scripture. Finally, we may need to sacrifice our little knickknacks and put something aside for someone less fortunate. Try to find a personal sacrifice that you can make.
45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The New Testament is filled with parables. This is certainly one of those parables! In this case, a man sold everything to buy a valuable pearl. The man had enough knowledge to realize that the pearl is unique and will continue to increase in value as time progresses. He was not even hesitant about letting go of his present riches and treasures so that he could invest in something that would be far more beneficial later in life.
The reoccurring theme in the gospels is that the treasures of heaven will be multiplied in value compared to those of earth. Just as the man in this parable gave up something to pursue the treasures of heaven, we are expected to do that as well. The problem is that it may involve giving up some things that we enjoy everyday.
What is something that Jesus would want you to sacrifice? It doesn't have to be materialistic; it can be something as simple as a character trait, like pride. Pride tends to block our compassion: it keeps us from saying, "I'm sorry," from offering forgiveness, and going beyond ourselves to serve others. Jesus might ask us to sacrifice our time on Facebook. I know I have a horrible habit of checking it every time I go on the computer, which is frequently. Facebook time could be replaced with reading scripture. Finally, we may need to sacrifice our little knickknacks and put something aside for someone less fortunate. Try to find a personal sacrifice that you can make.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
A New Season and New Beginning.
John 21:15-17
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Tomorrow just so happens to mark the first day of fall! That means a nice change in the weather is just around the corner from the dog days of summer. I don't know about you, but I'm ready. Sometimes we need a new beginning. The good news is Christ is all about wiping our slate clean.
You've probably heard the story about Peter many times. He messed up! When Jesus was arrested and then taken to be crucified, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times.
What's beautiful is that today's passage from the gospel of John lets us recognize that Jesus allowed Peter to start over, giving him another chance to make a new beginning. Jesus is understandable because he's God in flesh. He knows that we're not perfect.
The requirements for us are to acknowledge that we've done wrong, ask for God's forgiveness and mercy, and be willing to change some of our ways. In turn, Jesus is openly forgiving to us and expects us to reflect this basic yet kind act toward others we encounter. When someone needs forgiveness from us, accept it, just as Jesus did for Peter.
Maybe, you're holding a grudge toward someone. Pray. Pray Pray. God, let our hearts be filled with compassion and forgiveness. Not only is this reminiscent of what Jesus would do, but it's a stress reliever...you'll feel so much better about the particular situation when you give it God.
Finally, as autumn begins, be listening to God. I reminded you several times these last few weeks, but don't be afraid to perk up and listen to him. His work is all around you in sermons, songs, and friends.
Go forth and be ready to tune into God. Think of today as the beginning of a new season of shows on television now. Happy fall!
15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
Tomorrow just so happens to mark the first day of fall! That means a nice change in the weather is just around the corner from the dog days of summer. I don't know about you, but I'm ready. Sometimes we need a new beginning. The good news is Christ is all about wiping our slate clean.
You've probably heard the story about Peter many times. He messed up! When Jesus was arrested and then taken to be crucified, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times.
What's beautiful is that today's passage from the gospel of John lets us recognize that Jesus allowed Peter to start over, giving him another chance to make a new beginning. Jesus is understandable because he's God in flesh. He knows that we're not perfect.
The requirements for us are to acknowledge that we've done wrong, ask for God's forgiveness and mercy, and be willing to change some of our ways. In turn, Jesus is openly forgiving to us and expects us to reflect this basic yet kind act toward others we encounter. When someone needs forgiveness from us, accept it, just as Jesus did for Peter.
Maybe, you're holding a grudge toward someone. Pray. Pray Pray. God, let our hearts be filled with compassion and forgiveness. Not only is this reminiscent of what Jesus would do, but it's a stress reliever...you'll feel so much better about the particular situation when you give it God.
Finally, as autumn begins, be listening to God. I reminded you several times these last few weeks, but don't be afraid to perk up and listen to him. His work is all around you in sermons, songs, and friends.
Go forth and be ready to tune into God. Think of today as the beginning of a new season of shows on television now. Happy fall!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
God's Magnifying Power.
Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This story is a shadow of what appears in all four of the gospels. It's pretty well-known. To put you in context, Jesus was speaking to a vast crowd of thousands doing what he does best - teaching. Supper time quickly approached and it was soon evident that there wasn't enough food to feed everyone. The disciples thought that the only option was to deny some people's request for food and send them home starving. However, Jesus, who knows what's best for his people, had a different idea. He asked how much food there was. Jesus was told a couple of fish and a few pieces of bread (that doesn't sound like much at all, but you'd be amazed)!
Jesus asked everyone to sit down. He sincerely gave thanks for what they already did have from God. Miraculously, he was able to feed everyone in the crowd. No one went away starving. There were even twelve baskets of leftovers!
In the gospel, we know that the fish and bread came from a small boy. He was the one who planned for the day and packed a lunch. The boy couldn't imagine what he would have to do to feed everyone, but he gave up what he had without much thought. The point isn't that you should give up your lunch today, per say. The lesson to be learned here is that we need to give everything we have to Jesus.
Perhaps more importantly, God's work can bleed through man's greatest weaknesses and limitations. I don't even think the boy's lunch could feed one single person, but when the situation was lifted to God, it fed thousands upon thousands. Don't look at your offering to God as a measly portion. With God's awesome power, anything is possible.
I challenge you to be adventurous today. Give what you have to the kingdom of God and see what happens!
P.S. See blog post on July 10, 2010. I talked about the same passage in Ephesians. I took a different angle today.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This story is a shadow of what appears in all four of the gospels. It's pretty well-known. To put you in context, Jesus was speaking to a vast crowd of thousands doing what he does best - teaching. Supper time quickly approached and it was soon evident that there wasn't enough food to feed everyone. The disciples thought that the only option was to deny some people's request for food and send them home starving. However, Jesus, who knows what's best for his people, had a different idea. He asked how much food there was. Jesus was told a couple of fish and a few pieces of bread (that doesn't sound like much at all, but you'd be amazed)!
Jesus asked everyone to sit down. He sincerely gave thanks for what they already did have from God. Miraculously, he was able to feed everyone in the crowd. No one went away starving. There were even twelve baskets of leftovers!
In the gospel, we know that the fish and bread came from a small boy. He was the one who planned for the day and packed a lunch. The boy couldn't imagine what he would have to do to feed everyone, but he gave up what he had without much thought. The point isn't that you should give up your lunch today, per say. The lesson to be learned here is that we need to give everything we have to Jesus.
Perhaps more importantly, God's work can bleed through man's greatest weaknesses and limitations. I don't even think the boy's lunch could feed one single person, but when the situation was lifted to God, it fed thousands upon thousands. Don't look at your offering to God as a measly portion. With God's awesome power, anything is possible.
I challenge you to be adventurous today. Give what you have to the kingdom of God and see what happens!
P.S. See blog post on July 10, 2010. I talked about the same passage in Ephesians. I took a different angle today.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Unseen and God's Will.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Do you rearrange the furniture in a given room countless times in order to make it just right? Perhaps, the room just needs a good cleaning or a fresh paint job. No matter what you can't seem to get the right fit. The furniture doesn't feel cozy in any position. There's always some fault like the bed isn't adjacent to the window, so it' difficult to sleep. There may be dirt on the floor after we just vacuumed. The paint may have looked decent at the in-store display, but once it's on the walls in our house, it looks terrible. With any of these situations, the response is always: "Are you crazy? This will never as work!"
I'll admit, as a Christian, this is how we act sometimes. We overreact in our spiritual life and start to question God's work. I know I am right now. I think, "God what is this? Why am I doing this? This will never work out in a million years."
Guess what! Sometimes, it's just that we fail to look at the big picture, literally. After a month, you got used to the room setup, got over the floor quickly getting dirty again, and after the paint dried and a second coating was applied, you grew accustomed to it. It was just a matter of patience and having faith in what is unseen.
I know I've found it difficult to decipher God's will for me and wait patiently for anything positive to stem out of a situation at the same. I realize that God intends good for us all the time, but what if it wasn't God's plan to begin with? Did I jump the gun to soon?
I guess what I've picked up in my reading today is that God can always re-direct us when we get off track down the road. We're not always going to understand God's plan for us at every moment. We're not always going to understand what God has up his sleeve. I don't need to worry though. The best part of all is that I can see that God cares, loves, and is the best! He'll see me through. He'll see you through. He'll see us through.
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Do you rearrange the furniture in a given room countless times in order to make it just right? Perhaps, the room just needs a good cleaning or a fresh paint job. No matter what you can't seem to get the right fit. The furniture doesn't feel cozy in any position. There's always some fault like the bed isn't adjacent to the window, so it' difficult to sleep. There may be dirt on the floor after we just vacuumed. The paint may have looked decent at the in-store display, but once it's on the walls in our house, it looks terrible. With any of these situations, the response is always: "Are you crazy? This will never as work!"
I'll admit, as a Christian, this is how we act sometimes. We overreact in our spiritual life and start to question God's work. I know I am right now. I think, "God what is this? Why am I doing this? This will never work out in a million years."
Guess what! Sometimes, it's just that we fail to look at the big picture, literally. After a month, you got used to the room setup, got over the floor quickly getting dirty again, and after the paint dried and a second coating was applied, you grew accustomed to it. It was just a matter of patience and having faith in what is unseen.
I know I've found it difficult to decipher God's will for me and wait patiently for anything positive to stem out of a situation at the same. I realize that God intends good for us all the time, but what if it wasn't God's plan to begin with? Did I jump the gun to soon?
I guess what I've picked up in my reading today is that God can always re-direct us when we get off track down the road. We're not always going to understand God's plan for us at every moment. We're not always going to understand what God has up his sleeve. I don't need to worry though. The best part of all is that I can see that God cares, loves, and is the best! He'll see me through. He'll see you through. He'll see us through.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Taking that Final Step Part II.
Proverbs 24:16
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
I'm wrapping up my series on the book "The Great Divide" today by Mike Guzzardo. I hope you've learned a lot through this series; I know I have. Ultimately, it should be your goal to let God completely own your life. I want you to wait until you're ready, if this isn't already a reality for you. The last thing God wants is for you to just do it because it's right. At least pray about it and ask God to align your heart with your mind. It's not about being able to give your life to God, rather, it's about whether or not your willing to commit to him.
Once you make that commitment, I promise that you'll experience God everyday. This means that you have decided to journey to the mountain top in order to experience God at his best. From this point forward, it is our responsibility to listen to God because if we're following him, he's leading us through his Word.
The bottom line is that God speaks to us all the time. It's just that some people hear him differently than others. Experiment for yourself and see how you can successfully hear God. Read the Bible, pray, listen after you pray, sing songs of praise, and listen to sermons. Be ready to listen because God is ready for you. He wants to share his will with you so that you can treasure the abundant life.
Finally, I want to say that so many times people go back to the camp instead of climbing the mountain because they feel that they are a failure. What they don't realize is that everyone fails from time to time. If you keep moving forward, God will let you see the face of victory. Additionally, once you cross the great divide, others will likely cross it as well when they notice how drastically it has changed your life!
"If we take time to listen, we will surely hear his voice." ~Mike Guzzardo
God, will you radically change us all. May we trust in your goodness, mercy, and love, each and every day.
A great way to end this three week long series to listen to "From The Inside Out" by Hillsong United!
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
I'm wrapping up my series on the book "The Great Divide" today by Mike Guzzardo. I hope you've learned a lot through this series; I know I have. Ultimately, it should be your goal to let God completely own your life. I want you to wait until you're ready, if this isn't already a reality for you. The last thing God wants is for you to just do it because it's right. At least pray about it and ask God to align your heart with your mind. It's not about being able to give your life to God, rather, it's about whether or not your willing to commit to him.
Once you make that commitment, I promise that you'll experience God everyday. This means that you have decided to journey to the mountain top in order to experience God at his best. From this point forward, it is our responsibility to listen to God because if we're following him, he's leading us through his Word.
The bottom line is that God speaks to us all the time. It's just that some people hear him differently than others. Experiment for yourself and see how you can successfully hear God. Read the Bible, pray, listen after you pray, sing songs of praise, and listen to sermons. Be ready to listen because God is ready for you. He wants to share his will with you so that you can treasure the abundant life.
Finally, I want to say that so many times people go back to the camp instead of climbing the mountain because they feel that they are a failure. What they don't realize is that everyone fails from time to time. If you keep moving forward, God will let you see the face of victory. Additionally, once you cross the great divide, others will likely cross it as well when they notice how drastically it has changed your life!
"If we take time to listen, we will surely hear his voice." ~Mike Guzzardo
God, will you radically change us all. May we trust in your goodness, mercy, and love, each and every day.
A great way to end this three week long series to listen to "From The Inside Out" by Hillsong United!
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Final Step Part I.
Mark 10:21
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
If you remember about two and a half weeks ago, I talked to you about climbing up a mountain being comparable to your relationship in Christ. Well, God is calling you to the peak of the mountain where you can reach the climatic spot of his abundance. It all comes down to whether you stay camped out or you climb. If you climb, you're choosing Jesus to be the Lord and guidance of everything in your life. You've probably asked him into your heart many years ago, but now it's time to do more: serve, love, and receive his precious treasure.
So many people make Jesus just a house guest. They say, "Jesus, I know you're there, but I'm still the ruler of the house so I'm going to make all the decisions and rules in my life." By doing this, however, you'll never experience God to the fullest extent possible. It is only completely evident when Christ owns your life!
The man in today's scripture approaches the Lord because he realized that something was missing in his life. He asks Jesus what that was, and that's when he was told that Christ should be the one and only Lord of all. This man was willing to surrender everything to God except for his riches. That one thing really kept him from experiencing the abundant life. After much thought, the young man ignored the suggestion and thought the sacrifice was too high of a cost. Later on in this chapter, the Bible says that he walked away filled with discontentment. That would have been the perfect chance to make a commitment to follow Christ! Even if you're still holding onto one thing in your life, I encourage you to give it up to God; it is the distinguishable difference between living in anguish and blessing.
Sure, we're not going to be perfect. What matters is whether or not we surrender to God in every area of our life. Even when you screw up, it's okay, just don't give up because you fail. Are you willing to give your life to Jesus or are you still suffering with control issues?
"Jesus is not looking for an invitation to your heart. He is looking for ownership of your heart." ~Mike Guzzardo
Here's a way to get into the spirit and maybe push some of you over "the great divide." Listen to "The Stand" by Hillsong United!
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
If you remember about two and a half weeks ago, I talked to you about climbing up a mountain being comparable to your relationship in Christ. Well, God is calling you to the peak of the mountain where you can reach the climatic spot of his abundance. It all comes down to whether you stay camped out or you climb. If you climb, you're choosing Jesus to be the Lord and guidance of everything in your life. You've probably asked him into your heart many years ago, but now it's time to do more: serve, love, and receive his precious treasure.
So many people make Jesus just a house guest. They say, "Jesus, I know you're there, but I'm still the ruler of the house so I'm going to make all the decisions and rules in my life." By doing this, however, you'll never experience God to the fullest extent possible. It is only completely evident when Christ owns your life!
The man in today's scripture approaches the Lord because he realized that something was missing in his life. He asks Jesus what that was, and that's when he was told that Christ should be the one and only Lord of all. This man was willing to surrender everything to God except for his riches. That one thing really kept him from experiencing the abundant life. After much thought, the young man ignored the suggestion and thought the sacrifice was too high of a cost. Later on in this chapter, the Bible says that he walked away filled with discontentment. That would have been the perfect chance to make a commitment to follow Christ! Even if you're still holding onto one thing in your life, I encourage you to give it up to God; it is the distinguishable difference between living in anguish and blessing.
Sure, we're not going to be perfect. What matters is whether or not we surrender to God in every area of our life. Even when you screw up, it's okay, just don't give up because you fail. Are you willing to give your life to Jesus or are you still suffering with control issues?
"Jesus is not looking for an invitation to your heart. He is looking for ownership of your heart." ~Mike Guzzardo
Here's a way to get into the spirit and maybe push some of you over "the great divide." Listen to "The Stand" by Hillsong United!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What it Takes to Surrender Part II.
1 Corinthians 2:10
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
God always wants us to live a better life in his name; he wants us to live an abundant life. We may not understand how something could possibly work, but we have to trust that we will be able to see it sooner than later from the same perspective as God. Mike Guzzardo said, "From the top of the mountain, the painful experiences of our lives become glowing testimonies of God's gracious guidance."
I know several months ago there was a long period of time where I was just praying, and not listening to God. It was only a one-way relationship. He was loving me, but I wasn't doing anything in return; I was just asking for this and that in my prayers and thanking God for the occasional blessing. God had been trying to get my attention for days. Then, one day, I opened my Bible and came to the scripture that I'm providing with you today. I slept soundly that night, until I heard "Tyler!" It was clearly the middle of the night and I had been woken up with a shake. I didn't have to check to see if anyone was up in the house. I knew it was God. I couldn't sleep. He started inundating my mind with this Bible verse from 1 Corinthians. After tossing and turning, I finally surrendered to God and obeyed his calling. I prayed for a couple minutes and then just stayed still and let him fill me with his presence listening for anything else he had to tell me. All in all, I realized that I needed to listen to God more.
Everyone experiences God in different ways. The point is that you have to listen to the Holy Spirit and surrender to the Lord. He will help you in every single situation. Your neighbor isn't going to hear the same thing from God that you did because we all need to be strengthened in specific aspects of our own life.
Realize that every time God speaks to you, it's a fork in the road. It's only when you surrender to God that you will clearly experience him in a fresh manner. It's time to follow God up the mountain. It's not always going to seem necessary. It's not always going to seem comfortable. However, it's the only way that you can truly experience all of God's awesome abundance!
10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
God always wants us to live a better life in his name; he wants us to live an abundant life. We may not understand how something could possibly work, but we have to trust that we will be able to see it sooner than later from the same perspective as God. Mike Guzzardo said, "From the top of the mountain, the painful experiences of our lives become glowing testimonies of God's gracious guidance."
I know several months ago there was a long period of time where I was just praying, and not listening to God. It was only a one-way relationship. He was loving me, but I wasn't doing anything in return; I was just asking for this and that in my prayers and thanking God for the occasional blessing. God had been trying to get my attention for days. Then, one day, I opened my Bible and came to the scripture that I'm providing with you today. I slept soundly that night, until I heard "Tyler!" It was clearly the middle of the night and I had been woken up with a shake. I didn't have to check to see if anyone was up in the house. I knew it was God. I couldn't sleep. He started inundating my mind with this Bible verse from 1 Corinthians. After tossing and turning, I finally surrendered to God and obeyed his calling. I prayed for a couple minutes and then just stayed still and let him fill me with his presence listening for anything else he had to tell me. All in all, I realized that I needed to listen to God more.
Everyone experiences God in different ways. The point is that you have to listen to the Holy Spirit and surrender to the Lord. He will help you in every single situation. Your neighbor isn't going to hear the same thing from God that you did because we all need to be strengthened in specific aspects of our own life.
Realize that every time God speaks to you, it's a fork in the road. It's only when you surrender to God that you will clearly experience him in a fresh manner. It's time to follow God up the mountain. It's not always going to seem necessary. It's not always going to seem comfortable. However, it's the only way that you can truly experience all of God's awesome abundance!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
What it Takes to Surrender Part I.
Matthew 16:25
25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Decisions mean everything for us. Some may not appear to be harmful, but when we act they prove otherwise. Every step that we make, we must choose who we're going to follow: Jesus or Satan. We have to trust God and his guidance because in the end, we can fulfill his expectations and be at the receiving end of his promises. If you follow the enemy, be ready for some destruction.
We've all ignored God's orders at times. It only leads to a complete disaster. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of time to see God's work at hand, but he's always faithful and Satan is always a big liar.
We all have a thing or two that distracts us from engaging ourselves more with God and his Word. Usually, it's after we reach a new spiritual high; sometimes we almost become complacent. At first, the distractions seem minor, but the effects are magnified in our life. It may be a favorite computer game that you eventually spend several hours a day playing, and even longer on the weekend, when there seems to be more free time.
Chances are, if it gets too out of hand, God will talk to you about it. You may try to compromise with him and say you'll play this game for two hours a week, for example. However, sometimes it's necessary to remove it from our life all together. Thus, I recommend listening to him. Remember, he knows what's best for you. Once we give up on something, usually we find some other way to consume our time, unfortunately.
The best thing to do is to realize how God speaks to you about these issues and distractions. Maybe you'll notice a lack of peace in your life or a flash of your future. Either way, this will help you know when the Lord is asking something from you. Such distractions will rob you "of the better things God had in store..." as Mike Guzzardo stated. Believe me, God's plans for you are infinitely better than you or the enemy could ever dream.
Happy middle of the week and middle of the month!
25 For whoever wants to save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Decisions mean everything for us. Some may not appear to be harmful, but when we act they prove otherwise. Every step that we make, we must choose who we're going to follow: Jesus or Satan. We have to trust God and his guidance because in the end, we can fulfill his expectations and be at the receiving end of his promises. If you follow the enemy, be ready for some destruction.
We've all ignored God's orders at times. It only leads to a complete disaster. Sometimes it takes quite a bit of time to see God's work at hand, but he's always faithful and Satan is always a big liar.
We all have a thing or two that distracts us from engaging ourselves more with God and his Word. Usually, it's after we reach a new spiritual high; sometimes we almost become complacent. At first, the distractions seem minor, but the effects are magnified in our life. It may be a favorite computer game that you eventually spend several hours a day playing, and even longer on the weekend, when there seems to be more free time.
Chances are, if it gets too out of hand, God will talk to you about it. You may try to compromise with him and say you'll play this game for two hours a week, for example. However, sometimes it's necessary to remove it from our life all together. Thus, I recommend listening to him. Remember, he knows what's best for you. Once we give up on something, usually we find some other way to consume our time, unfortunately.
The best thing to do is to realize how God speaks to you about these issues and distractions. Maybe you'll notice a lack of peace in your life or a flash of your future. Either way, this will help you know when the Lord is asking something from you. Such distractions will rob you "of the better things God had in store..." as Mike Guzzardo stated. Believe me, God's plans for you are infinitely better than you or the enemy could ever dream.
Happy middle of the week and middle of the month!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
God's Character Part II.
1 John 4:18
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
It is essential that we understand that God wants what's best for us. This will allow us to trust and obey him if we don't understand why. Mike Guzzardo provides a wonderful example in his book, "The Great Divide." Suppose that the president of the U.S. is eating at his favorite restaurant. The food is so good and that's the only thing that is on his mind. However, the Secret Service agents are concerned about his safety. They tell him that he has to re-locate now! What does the President have to do with his food? Forget about it and leave because he clearly trusts the intentions and orders of the Secret Service even when he has to be robbed from a perfect moment.
The only way we're ever going to continue to grow in leaps and bounds with God is if we develop a strong relationship with him that contains trust, and ultimately, surrender. When we trust, we obey; when we obey, we experience; and when we experience, we trust God. It's cycle that's continuous, but it all begins with our understanding of God's character.
Perhaps the enemy is still dwelling within you. Are you scared to obey God? Today's scripture tells us that because God's love is perfect, we don't have to fear our obedience toward God. After committed obedience, you'll be amazed because you will leave behind what you have to in order to follow the leadership of God. If you feel like God is making you do things you don't want to do, not only is Satan tricking you, but you don't know God!
As Christians, we have to make many sacrifices, but it's all worth it in the end because we can appreciate the treasure and beauty of God. This process is going to take some time. Some temptations we'll be able to dispose of quickly, while others are deeply embedded within us, so they'll take longer to filter out. You may wrestle with sin all your life, but you will see yourself change over time.
Remember, God is alive through his Word - the Bible. Read it to better understand God.
"Only when you see God as someone whose every instruction is intended to protect you will you consistently be able to walk away from temptation without question." ~Mike Guzzardo
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
It is essential that we understand that God wants what's best for us. This will allow us to trust and obey him if we don't understand why. Mike Guzzardo provides a wonderful example in his book, "The Great Divide." Suppose that the president of the U.S. is eating at his favorite restaurant. The food is so good and that's the only thing that is on his mind. However, the Secret Service agents are concerned about his safety. They tell him that he has to re-locate now! What does the President have to do with his food? Forget about it and leave because he clearly trusts the intentions and orders of the Secret Service even when he has to be robbed from a perfect moment.
The only way we're ever going to continue to grow in leaps and bounds with God is if we develop a strong relationship with him that contains trust, and ultimately, surrender. When we trust, we obey; when we obey, we experience; and when we experience, we trust God. It's cycle that's continuous, but it all begins with our understanding of God's character.
Perhaps the enemy is still dwelling within you. Are you scared to obey God? Today's scripture tells us that because God's love is perfect, we don't have to fear our obedience toward God. After committed obedience, you'll be amazed because you will leave behind what you have to in order to follow the leadership of God. If you feel like God is making you do things you don't want to do, not only is Satan tricking you, but you don't know God!
As Christians, we have to make many sacrifices, but it's all worth it in the end because we can appreciate the treasure and beauty of God. This process is going to take some time. Some temptations we'll be able to dispose of quickly, while others are deeply embedded within us, so they'll take longer to filter out. You may wrestle with sin all your life, but you will see yourself change over time.
Remember, God is alive through his Word - the Bible. Read it to better understand God.
"Only when you see God as someone whose every instruction is intended to protect you will you consistently be able to walk away from temptation without question." ~Mike Guzzardo
Monday, September 13, 2010
God's Character Part I.
John 17:20-23
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
A good way to start off the day is how I usually end my posts...with a quote by Mike Guzzardo. "If you want to change your response to temptation and sin, you must first change your perception of God."
The question I want you to think about over the next couple days is "how do you perceive God?" Forget about being cliche, just be honest! Come up with an answer that you actually believe in, not just one that you assume to be true or heard through the grapevine.
Did you know that God cares about you deeply? You can't even begin to fathom how much he cares about your emotions, thoughts, future, and pain. He's created you perfectly in the image of God despite having a few flaws in our own eyes. Ignore those because its Satan trying to bring you down. God would never do that. That's not his nature. You know how when you don't know what to do next, you start pacing up and down the floors of your home? Well, that's how I think of Satan. He's just waiting to destroy you and turn you away from God.
God, the protector, loves you and doesn't want you to listen to the ignorance of Satan. That's why he gives you weapons: the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the armor of God. When you hurt, he hurts.
Do you know what's awesome? As it states in the passage above, Jesus is not only praying for those who were following him at the time, but all those who would ever believe him. Additionally, God loves you just as much as he loves his son! Let's think about this. Jesus was flawless. How could he love us the same? It's because God loves you out of perfect, unconditional love!
I pray for all those out there who are being deceived by the enemy about this very fact. Start digging into the Word if you are having trouble with this. It is meant to change you for the better. Don't expect it to take place overnight; be patient and give it some time.
Here's the song "Beautiful One" by Tim Hughes!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
A good way to start off the day is how I usually end my posts...with a quote by Mike Guzzardo. "If you want to change your response to temptation and sin, you must first change your perception of God."
The question I want you to think about over the next couple days is "how do you perceive God?" Forget about being cliche, just be honest! Come up with an answer that you actually believe in, not just one that you assume to be true or heard through the grapevine.
Did you know that God cares about you deeply? You can't even begin to fathom how much he cares about your emotions, thoughts, future, and pain. He's created you perfectly in the image of God despite having a few flaws in our own eyes. Ignore those because its Satan trying to bring you down. God would never do that. That's not his nature. You know how when you don't know what to do next, you start pacing up and down the floors of your home? Well, that's how I think of Satan. He's just waiting to destroy you and turn you away from God.
God, the protector, loves you and doesn't want you to listen to the ignorance of Satan. That's why he gives you weapons: the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and the armor of God. When you hurt, he hurts.
Do you know what's awesome? As it states in the passage above, Jesus is not only praying for those who were following him at the time, but all those who would ever believe him. Additionally, God loves you just as much as he loves his son! Let's think about this. Jesus was flawless. How could he love us the same? It's because God loves you out of perfect, unconditional love!
I pray for all those out there who are being deceived by the enemy about this very fact. Start digging into the Word if you are having trouble with this. It is meant to change you for the better. Don't expect it to take place overnight; be patient and give it some time.
Here's the song "Beautiful One" by Tim Hughes!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Successfully Fighting the Devil Part II.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
If you're still having a hard time seeing past Satan's temptations and schemes, try take the situation to the extreme. Oftentimes, if you just focus on what's in front of us, you will be deceived. However, if you walk down situation avenue, and do a play-by-play for a couple different scenarios, then it is much easier to distinguish between right and wrong.
The enemy may be taunting you saying, "C'mon, if you just do it this once, it won't matter. Besides, it'll be fun." It may be easier to commit to this sin if you only see the devil's side, so that's why it's suggested you look at the extreme. Let's take drinking alcohol to the extreme. Is it really going to be fun when you become an addict and it ruins your life? I don't think so. That's what I mean when I say play the scenarios in your head to decide yes or no. The general rule of thumb is that when something is bad in extreme portions, a little bit isn't good either. The devil loves to make you think that you control anything at anytime. In other words, you can stop sinning if you want. Don't believe this, as good as it sounds!
Imagine if everyone looked at the extreme in order to make the right decision. The world would arguably be a better place. Think about love. If that's taken to the extreme, there wouldn't be any more violence, hate, prejudice, or war. Therefore, taking things to the extreme can not only help you see what Satan is up to, but also God's loving truth.
"Sin is like chocolate covered dog poop. Seriously! When you look at it from a distance, it looks like chocolate. You pick it up, and it feels like chocolate. You bring it closer, and it even smells like chocolate. You take a nibble on the outer chocolate covering, and it even tastes like chocolate. But once you dive in, you are in for a big surprise. Satan is always going to package sin to make it look good. But when you dive in, it will never be what you were hoping for." ~Mike Guzzardo
P.S. Take at least a few minutes today and remember those who died on this day nine years ago.
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
If you're still having a hard time seeing past Satan's temptations and schemes, try take the situation to the extreme. Oftentimes, if you just focus on what's in front of us, you will be deceived. However, if you walk down situation avenue, and do a play-by-play for a couple different scenarios, then it is much easier to distinguish between right and wrong.
The enemy may be taunting you saying, "C'mon, if you just do it this once, it won't matter. Besides, it'll be fun." It may be easier to commit to this sin if you only see the devil's side, so that's why it's suggested you look at the extreme. Let's take drinking alcohol to the extreme. Is it really going to be fun when you become an addict and it ruins your life? I don't think so. That's what I mean when I say play the scenarios in your head to decide yes or no. The general rule of thumb is that when something is bad in extreme portions, a little bit isn't good either. The devil loves to make you think that you control anything at anytime. In other words, you can stop sinning if you want. Don't believe this, as good as it sounds!
Imagine if everyone looked at the extreme in order to make the right decision. The world would arguably be a better place. Think about love. If that's taken to the extreme, there wouldn't be any more violence, hate, prejudice, or war. Therefore, taking things to the extreme can not only help you see what Satan is up to, but also God's loving truth.
"Sin is like chocolate covered dog poop. Seriously! When you look at it from a distance, it looks like chocolate. You pick it up, and it feels like chocolate. You bring it closer, and it even smells like chocolate. You take a nibble on the outer chocolate covering, and it even tastes like chocolate. But once you dive in, you are in for a big surprise. Satan is always going to package sin to make it look good. But when you dive in, it will never be what you were hoping for." ~Mike Guzzardo
P.S. Take at least a few minutes today and remember those who died on this day nine years ago.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Successfully Fighting the Devil Part I.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
There's a difference between knowing and believing. You may know in your mind that Jesus loves you, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you truly believe in him. Your actions are what reveal that truth. Until the trustworthiness of God's character becomes a reality in our lives, then the devil will continue to deceive and destroy our lives. When we repeatedly sin, it suggests that we believe sin is better than obeying God's word.
If your mind contains the evil contents of the devil, then you're going to follow the behavior and customs of the world. The world says that we should act now! However, if we let God transform the way we operate, then we will be made into a new person who makes wiser decisions.
In middle school, I realized that I was a very gullible person. I believed just about anything. In fact, someone came up to me and said, "Did you know that gullible isn't in the dictionary?" I said, "Oh, really, is it because of the suffix?" I literally tried to reason with it and even told some of my other friends. They had to confirm that this wasn't true. In order to change this sequence of events, I had to clear up the deception that was causing this and look in the dictionary for myself.
Meanwhile, when you're faced with temptation and you know that you really want to obey God but can't, think about who it's coming from. Whenever you are tempted, two voices sit on your shoulders - that of Satan and God. If you learn the character of whose talking to you, then it's much less confusing when you have to make a decision.
God tells us throughout the Bible that his intentions are to provide us with an abundant life filled with love. He sent his son to die for us so that we could experience this. On the other hand, Satan is the complete opposite; he is anything but trustworthy and loving. Everything he says is a lie no matter how good it may sound, while everything that comes from God, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, will lead us to abundant life.
"Real love is proven by actions, not by words, or even emotions." ~Mike Guzzardo
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
There's a difference between knowing and believing. You may know in your mind that Jesus loves you, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you truly believe in him. Your actions are what reveal that truth. Until the trustworthiness of God's character becomes a reality in our lives, then the devil will continue to deceive and destroy our lives. When we repeatedly sin, it suggests that we believe sin is better than obeying God's word.
If your mind contains the evil contents of the devil, then you're going to follow the behavior and customs of the world. The world says that we should act now! However, if we let God transform the way we operate, then we will be made into a new person who makes wiser decisions.
In middle school, I realized that I was a very gullible person. I believed just about anything. In fact, someone came up to me and said, "Did you know that gullible isn't in the dictionary?" I said, "Oh, really, is it because of the suffix?" I literally tried to reason with it and even told some of my other friends. They had to confirm that this wasn't true. In order to change this sequence of events, I had to clear up the deception that was causing this and look in the dictionary for myself.
Meanwhile, when you're faced with temptation and you know that you really want to obey God but can't, think about who it's coming from. Whenever you are tempted, two voices sit on your shoulders - that of Satan and God. If you learn the character of whose talking to you, then it's much less confusing when you have to make a decision.
God tells us throughout the Bible that his intentions are to provide us with an abundant life filled with love. He sent his son to die for us so that we could experience this. On the other hand, Satan is the complete opposite; he is anything but trustworthy and loving. Everything he says is a lie no matter how good it may sound, while everything that comes from God, no matter how unreasonable it may seem, will lead us to abundant life.
"Real love is proven by actions, not by words, or even emotions." ~Mike Guzzardo
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Nip Sin in the Bud Part II.
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
When we place our trust in the Lord, our faith life works out so much better. The title of my blog is "Living A Life Filled With Faith." That's exactly what you have to do to renew your faith: keep trusting the Lord. Sin may look really good, but you just have to understand and faithfully trust that God knows everything under the sun and why we should or should not do something. Without a faithful foundation, we try to reason with our own logic and sight. This is never a good idea because it will be devastating.
I mean look back at Eve in the Garden of Eden. If she was standing firm with God, her trust wouldn't be shaken when the devil tried to convince her that God wouldn't have any limits if he loved you. At this point, any guidance from God slipped out of her mind and she tried to rely on her own well-being to think of what to do. So, you can see how the evil one uses deception to lessen our trust of God's beneficial intentions for us.
It is imperative that we learn how to apply God's love for us to our life; if we trust that his path is always the way to go, then it'll be no problem to forbid Satan from forcing you to make a decision.
The other reason why we should trust the Lord's decisions and understanding is because we never see the consequences at the time of sin. While one isolated incident of sin like cheating on a test, may go unnoticed now, it can turn into something major. What we don't realize at the time of our sin and temptations is that every decision we make, right and wrong, gradually shapes who we are and what we do with our lives. It's as if we're sewing a habit into our life when we choose to think sin is okay just this once.
Now is the time to identify your weaknesses. Nip it in the bud before it's too late. I mentioned faith earlier in this post. If that exists in your life, Satan's deception won't even phase you. Whatever you do, don't become discouraged. Equip yourself with the level of trust you need toward God to help you resolve your sinful battle. If you figure out how Satan is tricking you now, you'll be more open to receive the great gifts and blessings from God.
"Every decision we make builds momentum, either for good or for evil." ~Mike Guzzardo
I think this is one of the greatest songs of all time (and that's tough because I'm not good at choosing favorites). It's relatively new, too. Anyway, have a listen. It's quite a fitting for today's post:
"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the Moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
When we place our trust in the Lord, our faith life works out so much better. The title of my blog is "Living A Life Filled With Faith." That's exactly what you have to do to renew your faith: keep trusting the Lord. Sin may look really good, but you just have to understand and faithfully trust that God knows everything under the sun and why we should or should not do something. Without a faithful foundation, we try to reason with our own logic and sight. This is never a good idea because it will be devastating.
I mean look back at Eve in the Garden of Eden. If she was standing firm with God, her trust wouldn't be shaken when the devil tried to convince her that God wouldn't have any limits if he loved you. At this point, any guidance from God slipped out of her mind and she tried to rely on her own well-being to think of what to do. So, you can see how the evil one uses deception to lessen our trust of God's beneficial intentions for us.
It is imperative that we learn how to apply God's love for us to our life; if we trust that his path is always the way to go, then it'll be no problem to forbid Satan from forcing you to make a decision.
The other reason why we should trust the Lord's decisions and understanding is because we never see the consequences at the time of sin. While one isolated incident of sin like cheating on a test, may go unnoticed now, it can turn into something major. What we don't realize at the time of our sin and temptations is that every decision we make, right and wrong, gradually shapes who we are and what we do with our lives. It's as if we're sewing a habit into our life when we choose to think sin is okay just this once.
Now is the time to identify your weaknesses. Nip it in the bud before it's too late. I mentioned faith earlier in this post. If that exists in your life, Satan's deception won't even phase you. Whatever you do, don't become discouraged. Equip yourself with the level of trust you need toward God to help you resolve your sinful battle. If you figure out how Satan is tricking you now, you'll be more open to receive the great gifts and blessings from God.
"Every decision we make builds momentum, either for good or for evil." ~Mike Guzzardo
I think this is one of the greatest songs of all time (and that's tough because I'm not good at choosing favorites). It's relatively new, too. Anyway, have a listen. It's quite a fitting for today's post:
"I'm giving my life to the only one who makes the Moon reflect the sun.
Every Starry Night, that was His design.
I'm giving my life to the only son, who was and is and yet to come
Let the praises ring, 'cause he is everything
'Cause he is everything"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause. P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Nip Sin in the Bud Part I.
Genesis 3:1
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This, I think, is the core of making that move to surrender to God allowing you to fully experience God and his love abundantly. The deception back in the Garden of Eden was the very first trick that the devil used on a human being - Eve. It caused her to sin and he's not original because he uses the same trick today. So, let's try to weed ourselves out of the devil's twisty tricks.
You see, God created a lovely world within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything in there they could possibly imagine. There were specific directions, however. God said not to eat from a particular tree in the middle of the garden. God, being who he is, knows that horrible suffering will result by ignoring these directions, and out of love, he tries to prevent that from happening.
Satan entered the picture then and tried to degrade God asking Eve why God would ever prohibit them from eating at any tree if he's so loving. Of course, this wasn't entirely true; it was just one tree that they had to avoid. The devil mixes up stories usually making them maybe only half true.
That is why God has given us his Word - the Bible. Our life is not meant to be dull and boring. Instead, he wants to protect you from the worst of sin's wrath. Even if the evil one says that you're missing out on something, don't give in...that's part of his scheme! He wants you to lose your trust and faith in God so that you can't fully surrender to him and can't possibly defeat sin. You have to trust someone to fully surrender to them. Try seeing God as one who is protecting us with a security blanket and maybe the surrendering process will be easier even if we have all the resources. This is why this such a significant step!
"Satan's goal is to paint God as an overly restrictive jerk whose instructions keep us from experiencing good and pleasurable things." ~Mike Guzzardo
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This, I think, is the core of making that move to surrender to God allowing you to fully experience God and his love abundantly. The deception back in the Garden of Eden was the very first trick that the devil used on a human being - Eve. It caused her to sin and he's not original because he uses the same trick today. So, let's try to weed ourselves out of the devil's twisty tricks.
You see, God created a lovely world within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything in there they could possibly imagine. There were specific directions, however. God said not to eat from a particular tree in the middle of the garden. God, being who he is, knows that horrible suffering will result by ignoring these directions, and out of love, he tries to prevent that from happening.
Satan entered the picture then and tried to degrade God asking Eve why God would ever prohibit them from eating at any tree if he's so loving. Of course, this wasn't entirely true; it was just one tree that they had to avoid. The devil mixes up stories usually making them maybe only half true.
That is why God has given us his Word - the Bible. Our life is not meant to be dull and boring. Instead, he wants to protect you from the worst of sin's wrath. Even if the evil one says that you're missing out on something, don't give in...that's part of his scheme! He wants you to lose your trust and faith in God so that you can't fully surrender to him and can't possibly defeat sin. You have to trust someone to fully surrender to them. Try seeing God as one who is protecting us with a security blanket and maybe the surrendering process will be easier even if we have all the resources. This is why this such a significant step!
"Satan's goal is to paint God as an overly restrictive jerk whose instructions keep us from experiencing good and pleasurable things." ~Mike Guzzardo
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
God's Treasure Map Part II.
Psalm 84:11
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Now that's a treasure! God's intentions are not to limit us from any of his goodness. When we follow his treasure map, that leads to learning and altogether goodness. How often do you think that you know what's good for you? The reality is that we don't. Whether it's that summer trip to Europe or the quick stop at the ice cream parlor every night, many times if we make decisions on our own, they just don't turn out beneficial. Instead, turn to God and understand that he will provide us with every good thing.
While the ice cream may be delectable, it may hurt you when you see the extra pounds you gain as a result. Nonetheless, if we are willing to follow God's treasure map and listen to his instructions, then he will bless us with all the good things that help us avoid the treacherous places.
I mentioned it yesterday, in a sense, but you can't have the treasure without following the map. So, you can't possibly see God's beautiful work in your life if you're not allowing him into all areas of your life. It's like unrealistically saying that you're going to get a drink without even removing the cap from the water bottle.
Oh, and those priceless gifts and blessings that Jesus offers us, including salvation, should be expected without demand. We have to follow God's instructions first before anything and thus we shouldn't blame him if we're not seeing what he has to offer.
Have you ever ignored God's direction and guidance and found yourself sinking deeply into a mound of trouble?
"Like every other area of life, our experience of God requires certain things of us." ~Mike Guzzardo
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
Now that's a treasure! God's intentions are not to limit us from any of his goodness. When we follow his treasure map, that leads to learning and altogether goodness. How often do you think that you know what's good for you? The reality is that we don't. Whether it's that summer trip to Europe or the quick stop at the ice cream parlor every night, many times if we make decisions on our own, they just don't turn out beneficial. Instead, turn to God and understand that he will provide us with every good thing.
While the ice cream may be delectable, it may hurt you when you see the extra pounds you gain as a result. Nonetheless, if we are willing to follow God's treasure map and listen to his instructions, then he will bless us with all the good things that help us avoid the treacherous places.
I mentioned it yesterday, in a sense, but you can't have the treasure without following the map. So, you can't possibly see God's beautiful work in your life if you're not allowing him into all areas of your life. It's like unrealistically saying that you're going to get a drink without even removing the cap from the water bottle.
Oh, and those priceless gifts and blessings that Jesus offers us, including salvation, should be expected without demand. We have to follow God's instructions first before anything and thus we shouldn't blame him if we're not seeing what he has to offer.
Have you ever ignored God's direction and guidance and found yourself sinking deeply into a mound of trouble?
"Like every other area of life, our experience of God requires certain things of us." ~Mike Guzzardo
Monday, September 6, 2010
God's Treasure Map Part I.
Psalm 37:4
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We've all seen the cheesy treasure or scavenger hunts where we have to follow specific directions and go to specific locations. It's a step-by-step process that allows you to get small, itty bitty clues about the final result. In the end, usually there is something waiting for you whether it's a person or a gift.
In Mike Guzzardo's book "The Great Divide," he compares our walk with Christ to a treasure hunt. When we're about our everyday business God somehow still manages to direct us to particular scriptures and waits for us anxiously at the end to share with us the treasures that we gain from being in a relationship with him. We have a huge reward waiting for us!
The problem that we have as Christians is that when we're given a map, we take shortcuts. We want to get to our final destination sooner rather than later. At every step, there is a clue, however, about the riches we will receive in the end. When we follow the Word of God, it's guidance directs us toward a whole new and better perspective of life.
If you feel like you're not at the receiving end of God's treasures, chances are you're not following his treasure map closely enough or even at all. Sure God makes promises and they're true, but they aren't a reality if we ignore the responsibility that we have on our end.
How do we reach the pot of gold (AKA the desires of our heart)? Delight ourselves in the Lord. Think of all the money accumulated around the world trying to achieve the biggest dreams only to fall short. Well, I'm telling you, if you delight in the Lord, you will not fall short of his glory and your dreams. You can't just see the treasure on the map and get it. You have to see it and seek it until the end.
When you delight in the Lord, that means that you treasure God's every move and appreciate his guidance in your life. The best thing of all when you get conditioned in delighting yourself with the Lord is that all of your false desires will be swept away because our God is a true God. Therefore, our desires become one and he is more than happy to grant us with our greatest dreams.
"God loves us so much that he gives us clues in his Word so we can discover the great things he has in store for us." ~Mike Guzzardo
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
We've all seen the cheesy treasure or scavenger hunts where we have to follow specific directions and go to specific locations. It's a step-by-step process that allows you to get small, itty bitty clues about the final result. In the end, usually there is something waiting for you whether it's a person or a gift.
In Mike Guzzardo's book "The Great Divide," he compares our walk with Christ to a treasure hunt. When we're about our everyday business God somehow still manages to direct us to particular scriptures and waits for us anxiously at the end to share with us the treasures that we gain from being in a relationship with him. We have a huge reward waiting for us!
The problem that we have as Christians is that when we're given a map, we take shortcuts. We want to get to our final destination sooner rather than later. At every step, there is a clue, however, about the riches we will receive in the end. When we follow the Word of God, it's guidance directs us toward a whole new and better perspective of life.
If you feel like you're not at the receiving end of God's treasures, chances are you're not following his treasure map closely enough or even at all. Sure God makes promises and they're true, but they aren't a reality if we ignore the responsibility that we have on our end.
How do we reach the pot of gold (AKA the desires of our heart)? Delight ourselves in the Lord. Think of all the money accumulated around the world trying to achieve the biggest dreams only to fall short. Well, I'm telling you, if you delight in the Lord, you will not fall short of his glory and your dreams. You can't just see the treasure on the map and get it. You have to see it and seek it until the end.
When you delight in the Lord, that means that you treasure God's every move and appreciate his guidance in your life. The best thing of all when you get conditioned in delighting yourself with the Lord is that all of your false desires will be swept away because our God is a true God. Therefore, our desires become one and he is more than happy to grant us with our greatest dreams.
"God loves us so much that he gives us clues in his Word so we can discover the great things he has in store for us." ~Mike Guzzardo
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Mike Guzzado's Story Part II.
Romans 10:13
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Halfway through Mike's senior year of high school, God called out to him one night. This is after he was getting high on two different drug substances and he was befriending the wrong crowd. God spoke to him and said something like, "What are you doing with your life?" One time, while he was at the movies high, he started feeling abnormal: his heart was beating irregularly, his left side was feeling numb, and his future flashed before his eyes. God said, "Mike, what will it take for you to completely surrender your life to me?" Mike was honest with God. Part of him wanted to follow God, while the other part of him didn't want to eliminate sin from his life because it was fun. He still wanted to make his own decisions. However, one day he said do what it takes God..."there are no limits."
When you surrender to God, it makes all the difference in how you experience God. No, there won't be glorious fireworks shooting up into the sky when it happens, but you will notice a remarkable change. God will take the sin that you struggle with the most and replace it with something that will bless others in the Kingdom. God will do this one sin at a time as you surrender all areas of your life to him. Sure, it's going to mean change, but doesn't any good thing come with change? You can't be more Godly without taking some of the nonsense out of your life.
Now look at Mike Guzzardo, nearly a couple decades later, he's drug free and living for the Lord; he's teaching others, particularly teenagers, the good news. While everyone's calling is different, everyone can experience a transformation in their relationship with God and their life decisions can thus be turned over to him for direction and approval.
Mike Guzzardo said, "God is a God of hope and possibility who can't wait for his children to trust in his leadership."
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Halfway through Mike's senior year of high school, God called out to him one night. This is after he was getting high on two different drug substances and he was befriending the wrong crowd. God spoke to him and said something like, "What are you doing with your life?" One time, while he was at the movies high, he started feeling abnormal: his heart was beating irregularly, his left side was feeling numb, and his future flashed before his eyes. God said, "Mike, what will it take for you to completely surrender your life to me?" Mike was honest with God. Part of him wanted to follow God, while the other part of him didn't want to eliminate sin from his life because it was fun. He still wanted to make his own decisions. However, one day he said do what it takes God..."there are no limits."
When you surrender to God, it makes all the difference in how you experience God. No, there won't be glorious fireworks shooting up into the sky when it happens, but you will notice a remarkable change. God will take the sin that you struggle with the most and replace it with something that will bless others in the Kingdom. God will do this one sin at a time as you surrender all areas of your life to him. Sure, it's going to mean change, but doesn't any good thing come with change? You can't be more Godly without taking some of the nonsense out of your life.
Now look at Mike Guzzardo, nearly a couple decades later, he's drug free and living for the Lord; he's teaching others, particularly teenagers, the good news. While everyone's calling is different, everyone can experience a transformation in their relationship with God and their life decisions can thus be turned over to him for direction and approval.
Mike Guzzardo said, "God is a God of hope and possibility who can't wait for his children to trust in his leadership."
Friday, September 3, 2010
Mike Guzzardo's Story Part I
Romans 10:11
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Mike Guzzardo started to talk about his story in the fourth chapter of his book "The Great Divide." He had a rough childhood to say the least. His parents got divorced when he was very young. His mom remarried and his step dad helped establish the family on a stronger Christian foundation. However, difficulty soon arose amongst the family. Money was hard to come by were. He lost his house and so he and his family had to move in with his grandparents. Sadly, he and his siblings had to sleep on a foam pad in the dining room. He had very little material things; in fact, his possessions only took up two small cubbies in the laundry room. You can imagine how much he got picked on at school, and he did, especially from fourth to sixth grade because he didn't own what everyone else was fortunate enough to have. Of course at that age, no one really understands. Then, things were looking up financially for his family and they moved out of his grandparents' house. This meant going to a new school, which he was excited about! Sooner than later, he became the popular kid and he was accepted by all. He was even the class clown by eighth grade. He got in trouble a lot and even had after school detention several times a week.
The problem here was that when Mike moved he was more concerned about his popularity level than his relationship with God. That mattered more to him. He still had God in his life and occasionally told others about God, but primarily he was just proud of his acceptance. That hurt him because he was taking over God's ruling and almighty throne. He couldn't experience God in the numerous ways that he could have if he was a full-time Christian, so to speak. There were many additional times of heartache that Mike had to face without God in the mixture. Nothing is more important than letting God direct you in your life even if you feel the need to gain acceptance from the world. However, always remember that you have God!
Mike Guzzardo said, "When we don't follow Christ, by default, we are following the enemy, and that will always lead to destruction in our lives."
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Mike Guzzardo started to talk about his story in the fourth chapter of his book "The Great Divide." He had a rough childhood to say the least. His parents got divorced when he was very young. His mom remarried and his step dad helped establish the family on a stronger Christian foundation. However, difficulty soon arose amongst the family. Money was hard to come by were. He lost his house and so he and his family had to move in with his grandparents. Sadly, he and his siblings had to sleep on a foam pad in the dining room. He had very little material things; in fact, his possessions only took up two small cubbies in the laundry room. You can imagine how much he got picked on at school, and he did, especially from fourth to sixth grade because he didn't own what everyone else was fortunate enough to have. Of course at that age, no one really understands. Then, things were looking up financially for his family and they moved out of his grandparents' house. This meant going to a new school, which he was excited about! Sooner than later, he became the popular kid and he was accepted by all. He was even the class clown by eighth grade. He got in trouble a lot and even had after school detention several times a week.
The problem here was that when Mike moved he was more concerned about his popularity level than his relationship with God. That mattered more to him. He still had God in his life and occasionally told others about God, but primarily he was just proud of his acceptance. That hurt him because he was taking over God's ruling and almighty throne. He couldn't experience God in the numerous ways that he could have if he was a full-time Christian, so to speak. There were many additional times of heartache that Mike had to face without God in the mixture. Nothing is more important than letting God direct you in your life even if you feel the need to gain acceptance from the world. However, always remember that you have God!
Mike Guzzardo said, "When we don't follow Christ, by default, we are following the enemy, and that will always lead to destruction in our lives."
Thursday, September 2, 2010
God Can Solve Your Biggest Puzzle.
Proverbs 20:24
24 A man's steps are directed by the LORD.
How then can anyone understand his own way?
Have you ever picked up a Rubik's cube and wondered how the heck to solve it? I know I can look at one for an hour and make no progress; I may just turn it and turn it trying to get the colors aligned only to no avail. How about a puzzle? I never really liked puzzles for this reason. It was too time consuming. I would always spend too much time trying to find one piece. Half the time, there's a couple pieces in the end anyway.
In much of the same way, if we try to solve the pieces of our lives, it's a million times harder without God. Think about it; there are just way too many decisions to make to get through on your own. If you have God in your life, he can tell you when to turn and when not to turn. The important thing to remember is that you have to surrender your life to God. There's no going halfway. It's either all or nothing. Better yet, it's either God has your life or Satan has your life, which you don't want. He will try to convince you more than anything that God doesn't exist.
In order to receive the abundant life that God so desperately wants for you, you have to trust in his directions and guidance throughout life and promise to answer his call of surrender. God even provides examples in the New Testament of how this works to show you its validity. He will bless your socks off in the same way as his disciples if you do what they did. Of course you'll mistakes, you're human, but it's your attitude that matters. Mike Guzzardo said, "Surrender is an attitude of the heart, where we continually allow God to lead, instruct, and mold our lives as he desires." God is looking for you to give up every part of your life to follow him out of your own good nature.
24 A man's steps are directed by the LORD.
How then can anyone understand his own way?
Have you ever picked up a Rubik's cube and wondered how the heck to solve it? I know I can look at one for an hour and make no progress; I may just turn it and turn it trying to get the colors aligned only to no avail. How about a puzzle? I never really liked puzzles for this reason. It was too time consuming. I would always spend too much time trying to find one piece. Half the time, there's a couple pieces in the end anyway.
In much of the same way, if we try to solve the pieces of our lives, it's a million times harder without God. Think about it; there are just way too many decisions to make to get through on your own. If you have God in your life, he can tell you when to turn and when not to turn. The important thing to remember is that you have to surrender your life to God. There's no going halfway. It's either all or nothing. Better yet, it's either God has your life or Satan has your life, which you don't want. He will try to convince you more than anything that God doesn't exist.
In order to receive the abundant life that God so desperately wants for you, you have to trust in his directions and guidance throughout life and promise to answer his call of surrender. God even provides examples in the New Testament of how this works to show you its validity. He will bless your socks off in the same way as his disciples if you do what they did. Of course you'll mistakes, you're human, but it's your attitude that matters. Mike Guzzardo said, "Surrender is an attitude of the heart, where we continually allow God to lead, instruct, and mold our lives as he desires." God is looking for you to give up every part of your life to follow him out of your own good nature.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Just Another...God.
Matthew 16:25
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Mike Guzzardo was praying before he was about to head to Africa on a mission trip. He asked God to tell him what he should inform the teenagers of during the summer. God kept telling him that the issue is that too many people see a relationship with him as just another thing to add to their "to do" list. In fact, God specifically told Mike that, "A relationship with me was never meant to be an addition; it's an exchange."
If you think about it, it's true! Between work, school, and a social life, it is difficult to make God the main priority. Instead, what we end up doing is making him one of our priorities. God, and ultimately Christ, should be the center of our life, and everything should follow behind.
In order for this to happen, we have to surrender our entire life to God so that we can treasure his abundance that he offers. So, we can't just divvy up a portion of our life and give it to God while we control the remainder. It has to be a full size dinner portion of our life that we give to him. It's like a favorite children's book that we still can't get rid of today. We want to keep it and we want to hold onto it; we're not ready to give it up and move onto to the next part of our journey (with Christ). It's time to move out of the secure and familiar zone now!
I've said it before, but we need to let Go and let God. God wouldn't expect you to do something that would hurt you. He cares about you. And he wants to guide you from point A to point B through your surrender to him so that you can be at the receiving end of the abundant life he offers.
Happy September!
25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Mike Guzzardo was praying before he was about to head to Africa on a mission trip. He asked God to tell him what he should inform the teenagers of during the summer. God kept telling him that the issue is that too many people see a relationship with him as just another thing to add to their "to do" list. In fact, God specifically told Mike that, "A relationship with me was never meant to be an addition; it's an exchange."
If you think about it, it's true! Between work, school, and a social life, it is difficult to make God the main priority. Instead, what we end up doing is making him one of our priorities. God, and ultimately Christ, should be the center of our life, and everything should follow behind.
In order for this to happen, we have to surrender our entire life to God so that we can treasure his abundance that he offers. So, we can't just divvy up a portion of our life and give it to God while we control the remainder. It has to be a full size dinner portion of our life that we give to him. It's like a favorite children's book that we still can't get rid of today. We want to keep it and we want to hold onto it; we're not ready to give it up and move onto to the next part of our journey (with Christ). It's time to move out of the secure and familiar zone now!
I've said it before, but we need to let Go and let God. God wouldn't expect you to do something that would hurt you. He cares about you. And he wants to guide you from point A to point B through your surrender to him so that you can be at the receiving end of the abundant life he offers.
Happy September!
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