Victory In Jesus!

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 15:57

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Today is the Super Bowl; it is almost a holiday and the biggest sporting event in the United States. So today people are going to gather, they are going to bring snacks, greet one another and enjoy a game. People for days will talk about how each team played, about the amazing commercials and even rank their favorite ones. Sports analysis will break down every play for us and the fellowship among people will be played out in so many houses across this country and overseas. I always love when they show soldiers in the middle of the night in Afghanistan watching the game live. 

Today the two teams will face each other and play their hearts out. They have been training most of their lives for this moment. Their parents have watched them put on helmets as little kids and play peewee football. Now these same parents are watching the children they raised on the largest national stage they will ever been on. Praying they do well, that they don’t get hurt and of course praying they win. And what is amazing is that both teams can walk away victorious. 

Those two teams and everybody watching can be victorious in Jesus. Everybody can be victorious and has a choice as they enjoy each other’s company, as they cheer for their team and follow Jesus. As my friend Janet said, remember that Jesus is the winner against the Devil in the spiritual Super Bowl and instead of a ring which we think is precious, it pales in comparison to Jesus’ gift of eternal life, why not cheer for Christ today and be His fans” 

My prayer today is:

Lord thank you for my Church and that I get to go to it early and focus on the right thing first. I thank you for the fellowship I will have today and I pray I don’t loose focus on You and Your amazing gift of salvation. Today Lord I ask if You can inspire those playing to make it a great game where no one gets hurt and everybody plays with a good attitude. Lord I pray that You help me be a light for you this and every day. In Jesus name, Amen.

Be the Donkey!

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

We have all heard the expression “stubborn as a mule” and I am sure as we read that someone we know that is stubborn comes to mind.

Well that being said, let me just come right out and say this… I AM STUBBORN! This might come as a shock to some people, but for those who know me well, you are probably laughing and shaking your head in agreement thinking “duh!”

The thing is I will always be stubborn, it is who I am. Yes, you heard me right God made me a strong-willed person. I have it in me to fight for what I believe is right and be determined in things and that will never change.

Well since I have established that I will always be stubborn and that is just how God made me, then the problem isn't that I am stubborn; it is that I am stubborn in the wrong things. I often get so set on how I want to do things that I fight anyone who tries to change me, including God at times. I am blinded by my stubbornness to see that my way may not always be the best.  I am strong-willed and that can tend to create problems especially when my will is different from God’s will.

I need to take that strong-willed spirit the Lord gave me and use it for Him. I need to be stubborn FOR God, not against Him. After all, I know He is right, I know He is true, I know He is absolute. If there is anything in the world I should be stubborn about it is in the one thing I know without a doubt is perfect and that is God.

I want to be stubborn about God’s word. I want to be unwavering about God’s love and showing it to others. I want to be fixed on living a life for Him. I want to be righteously obstinate about what I know to be right. I want to be strong-willed for God’s will. I want to be unyielding in the way I live my life for Christ.

Faith is unbending, unstoppable and unrelenting. Faith is stubborn! If I combine my stubborn will with my faith in God, together they are a perfect mixture to stand strong in Christ. I encourage all who struggle with being stubborn to turn that stubbornness over for God. Refuse to bend on the truths of our Lord and Savior. Be the donkey for God! 

Dear God, please help me to use my stubbornness for you. Give me the courage to stand up and speak out in your name and not for my own selfish plans. My life belongs to you and it is not my will I need to be stubborn about but yours. Let my eyes remained focused on serving you Lord and let nothing shake me from my faith. I ask this in Jesus' precious name, Amen. 

Come to me!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

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The invitation issued here is captured by three words: "Come To Me." I am amazed at the several invitations throughout the bible. And this invitation is for the weary and burdened, hmmmm who does that apply to…. Everybody! 

Then after inviting, God gives a promise; I will give you rest. Will is a very powerful word, it is not might, or should it is a definite promise. 

The next sentence doesn’t promise it right away, but stresses you must learn first, then goes on to say that God is humble and gentle. I think of this sometimes when I pray and God puts me at ease as if He says, don’t you worry about a thing, I’ve got this.

The last part reassures us about taking up the yoke and telling us that the yoke is easy and burden light. The awesome part about this is being a Christian which is not a religion of works but belief, true belief. If you believe that Jesus is the savior, and that he died for our sins, and that we all are sinners and fall short of the glory then we are saved. That’s it. The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest and fill that God shaped hole in your heart that you have been missing.

So my prayer is:

Lord thank you so much for the invitation and for the peace of mind that everything we worry about we can give to you. Thank you for your yoke being easy and let me learn to follow you according to your plan. Help me spread your word to those who might not know you so that they can take the leap of faith and follow you and find peace and rest in You. In Jesus name, Amen.

Say what?

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Proverbs 15:1

Ever avoid talking to someone because you know that they are not going to react well to the information. Your mind plays out this scenario of how the whole conversation will go down and you can do this because you know how this has played out in the past. 

What if you could help minimize that awful situation you played out in your mind by taking a leadership role in the whole thing. During my 23 years in the navy I realized that no matter what rank I was, I was a leader of someone. As a leader I realized that I set the mood, the tone and the pace. The tone and pace are for another day’s discussion but the mood was very important to getting the job done or even conveying a message. I had the power in my hands to escalate the problem or calm it. I realized when I was young, that sometimes you have to put your own feelings aside and be calm and deliver your message with a gentle spirit. 

The bible is full of that wisdom and there are several bible passages about this very answer,  like in the book of Matthew chapter 5 verse 9 where it says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” This is so important when people you deal with and are going to have to work with them, or live with them to take this verse in Proverbs and apply it to your life.

Side Note: 

The bible is full of answers, full of wisdom and full of examples do by real life people in the past, of what to do and what not to. Proverbs is one of those books that even non-believers enjoy because of the wisdom contained within those pages. Proverbs was written by Solomon who asked God for wisdom and God granted Solomon to the point of being the wisest man at the time. People who don’t read the bible might know Solomon through the story of the two women who claimed the same baby and Solomon declared that since he could not figure out who the baby belonged to Solomon said he would divide the baby equally between the two women. One woman said she would rather give up the child than see it killed. Solomon then declared the woman who showed compassion to be the true mother, and gave the baby to her. The book that Solomon wrote, Proverbs, is laid out very well addresses wisdom to three groups of people. Chapters 1 to 9 address wisdom for young people; Chapters 10 through 24 is wisdom for the masses or all people. And the last part of the book, chapters 25 to 31 is wisdom for leaders.  If you have never read the bible I would encourage you to read the book of proverbs but realize that wisdom is a gift from God and you should read the Gospels (or good news) to understand who Jesus is, and why he came to earth.

My Prayer

Lord I pray that you help me when I talk to others that I do not provoke those I deal with. I pray that you give me the strength to put my own hurt and feelings aside to convey the message I need to with a gentle spirit. I pray that I listen and understand first then to send the message tailored to them. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                                     

BTW the song below mentions Proverbs 16:24 which states, "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

Make Praise an Integral Part of Your Life!

"I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." Psalm 146:2

Think about your last prayer… did you spend as much time praising God as you did making requests?

I know that I don’t praise God as often as I should. More often than not I go into prayer with my mind focused on requests and pleas rather than lifting my hands in praise, thanksgiving and adoration. Now, I am not saying don’t come to God with requests at all, but before opening up your mouth to cry out with your problems or requests, take time to praise Him for all He has done first.

God has given us more than we will ever deserve; all that we have here and more importantly our salvation. He is worthy of our never-ending praise. In fact, we are commanded to praise Him. It was the reason we were created; we are called to praise Him and we should desire to.

Prayer is not the only way to praise God either. It can be done through songs, words, prayers, etc…  Praise to God is expressed outwardly through our everyday actions, as well as inwardly in our thoughts. Whatever we are going through, praise is the key. Whether it is in a church service, on our knees at home, while exercising, anywhere, we can praise Jesus and bring glory to His name. Praise shifts our focus from ourselves and our problems to God, and His limitless power and love. It opens the door to divine intervention, and it shuts the door on the plans of Satan. Search out opportunities to bring praise Him. Make a conscious effort each day to notice something to praise God for.

Just think about the Lord’s blessings and His work in your life. What can you praise Him for?

Praise Him for the wonderful gift of life and the gift of “today”. Praise Him for the things we have such as our health, family, possessions, food, shelter, money, etc.. Praise Him for the world around us, the amazing and beautiful creations that are there to remind us of His power and awesomeness. Praise Him for our freedom and salvation. Praise Him for His infinite love for us. Praise Him for His grace and goodness; His holiness, mercy and justice. Praise Him in everything! All power belong to God, therefore all praise belongs to Him.

Oh Lord, I lift my hands to You in worship and adoration for You are an Awesome God. You alone are worthy and deserving of my praises. It is all about You Jesus. I come to you not asking for anything but to teach me how to praise and worship You in ways You desire and deserve. Help me to constantly look around me, and find things to give You praise for every day and night. When I begin to worry, complain, or feel sorry for myself, remind me to shift my focus to You and Your blessings. I stand in awe of you Lord and thank you that in everything I can praise and honor You. I pray today and always, that with all that I do, all that I say and all that I am, I will bring glory and praise to Your name.

Hundreds of songs can be put here... I just chose one. 

Oh What a Beautiful Morning, Oh What a Beautiful Day!

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8

Last week I talked about prayer and how important it is and then a few days ago I mentioned sleep and how we should go to God before bed to help us sleep and to thank Him for the day we had and the blessings He gave us. Now, I am going to talk about mornings.

I don’t know about you but when I wake up in the morning, many times I am not the happiest. My bed is warm and comfy and I have no desire to really get up and start my day, whatever I have planned.

It is those times especially that it is important to turn to God first thing in the morning. It can refresh and recharge our souls and help prepare us to take on the day filled with the Holy Spirit. Most days are packed with errands, work, kids, chores, etc… that keep us busy but it is easy to get worn out and lose both momentum as well as spirit. By communicating with Him right away will set the tone for the entire day and give us the confidence and joy to overcome and do all that we have to get done with the right attitude.

Thank Him each morning; even if we don’t feel particularly happy about the day to come, it is still a gift from God. We should come to Him with two truths in mind. We belong to God, but the day itself also belongs to God. Today is a new day, blessed by God, it belongs to Him, so let us go into it remembering that. And as we walk in this day, know that wherever He leads us that we also belong to God, so let us bring glory to Him and follow His path willingly, obediently and joyfully.

Dear Lord, Thank you for bringing me safely into this new day. Thank you for the today itself for it is such a wonderful gift and a beautiful day. I pray that you would help me to see that beauty in it. Please guide me through any difficult tasks and protect me with your power and love that I will not fall into sin or be overcome by them. In all I do today, I pray you will direct me for your purpose Lord. I am your servant in this day of yours, help me to serve you with a humble heart and with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. Help me be a light for you and shine for others to see as well as a soldier in your army and fight for you also. I am not sure what today holds, but make me ready for whatever it may be Lord. If I am supposed to stand up, help me stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me sit quietly. If I should lay low, help me do it patiently. In everything I do, help me be reverent and obedient before you, love those around me and act according to your will. I pray all this in your precious name. Amen

Also, to tie in with the evening prayer I shared a few days ago, this is the morning counterpart. Again the words are great and such a wonderful morning prayer to God. 

We will all be old some day.

"Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord." Leviticus 19:32

Today I saw a video, which I am going to post below, showing a father and son on a park bench. The father ask a whole bunch of questions that frustrates the son. I am not going to give it away but it is very heart warming and the video reminds us what our actions should be.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as we should love ourselves. How about a parent, how about the one who raised us, how about the one who was so patient with us as we learned.

As we age we become slower, we are set in our ways and life gets a little bit tougher. What would make it worse? I think that having a child who is frustrated with me would be take a difficult situation and make it much worse.

So what can we do about a parent that might be driving us a bit crazy because they keep telling you the same story, or needing more help than you have time for, or are set in their ways, or just slower than we would like to be.  The answer is simple to say, but hard to do...... LOVE. 

Remember on an earlier post when I mentioned that Matt told me how to define love and it was in 1 Corinthians. Love is Patient, Love is kind. Now remember you can't do it on your own, you will need God's help and you will need to remember how you frustrate God and yet he still loves you. Pray and ask for help. This is usually what I pray each morning to get me on the right track with God throughout the day.

Lord, I am yours. I ask you to use me to help others and further Your Kingdom. Lord I beg of you to help me and guide me. Lord guide me feet, walk away from sin, and walk toward serving you. Lord guide my heart. Let it love and show compassion. Lord guide my hands. I know idol hands are the devils workshop and I wish to use my hands for good. Lord guide my eyes. Let me look toward that which is pleasing and not for my sinful flesh. Lord guide my mouth, let not sarcasm  and hate exit my mouth, but may I say things that lift others up. In Jesus name, Amen.