It seems as though I have experienced quite a bit of distractions lately. Today at work, I generated a few numbers and needed to write them down and it was at the same time someone was asking me a question. Fortunately for me, I wrote down the numbers, and then I answered the question. But its not always like that. A good percentage of the time, I remember something that need to be completed and I’ll hop right on it forgetting about what I was doing at the present time.
Isn’t that the case when we need to sit down for a bit and open up God’s Word? Yea, I’m there too. I could be sitting at the table in the morning reading in His Word when all of a sudden, out of the blue, I think, “I gotta go get my shoes.” Then put out the trash, and check my email, and do this and that and before I know it, its time to walk out the door and go to work. But before I leave the house, I look back to see if I turned off all the lights and there, there is my Bible still sitting on the table and opened to the passage I was reading. “Oh, crap!” And if you’re not remembering what happened today, the same thing may happen again tomorrow and maybe the next day. Before you know it, God’s Word becomes a dust collector! Check out this devotional (Blackaby);
“It is easy to become distracted in the Christian life! The moment you understand what God wants you to do, it will seem as though everyone around you requires your time and attention! When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross, He “set His face” toward Jerusalem, so that nothing would prevent Him from accomplishing His Father’s will. So obvious was His resolve to go to Jerusalem that the Samaritans, who hated the Jews, rejected Him because they recognized that He was a Jew traveling through their village to the hated city of Jerusalem. Jesus determined not to digress from His mission, but He took time to minister to many people along His way. He sent out seventy disciples into the surrounding towns (Luke 10:1). He healed lepers (Luke 17:11-19). He cured a man of dropsy (Luke 14:1-4). He brought salvation to the home of Zaccheaus (Luke 19:1-10). He continued to reach His disciples (Luke 15:1-32). Jesus did not refuse to minister to others as He went to Calvary, but ultimately He refuse to be deterred from His Father’s will. If you know what God wants you to do, set you sights resolutely toward that goal with full determination to accomplish it (Prov. 4:25). Beware of becoming so sidetracked by the opportunities around you that you lose sight of God’s ultimate goal for you. Do not succumb to the temptation to delay your obedience or to discard it altogether. Once you have received a clear assignment from God, your response should be unwavering obedience.”
Going to get my shoes triggered off a bunch of other ‘things I had to do’ before I left for work. The Lord Jesus made time for me without being distracted. And I believe if we make time for His Word, it would really change our lives! So have breakfast with the Holy Spirit with no distractions and be blessed!
Determined Not Distracted
What’s Ahead
I read an article by Charles Stanley about waiting confidently on the Lord. At the end, there were three questions: 1. Where is my focus? 2. Where is my strength? 3. Where is my hope? These are questions I should ask myself every day. I’m always losing my focus, later on remembering that I don’t have to go through things alone anymore—the Lord has been with me the whole time. I read a great devotional today check this out;
The month of January is named after Janus, the roman god of beginnings. He was symbolized as a man with two faces, one looking back and the other looking ahead. Some people have trouble looking ahead with hope because they keep looking back and moping over the mistakes of the past. Their outlook on the future is dimmed, and their enthusiasm is dampened. But there is no use “crying over spilled milk.” History is likely to repeat itself if they keep brooding over failures of the whole year, or continually complaining about the injustices they suffered over the last twelve months. Nothing is gained by continually grieving over the past. On this day early in the new year, begin by confessing your sins to the Lord and accepting the gracious forgiveness He offers (1 John 1:9-10). Make right what needs correcting, and then, “forgetting those things which are behind,” press onward with confidence and trust in your heaven Father (Phil. 3:13-14). That was Paul’s secret, and it worked. Let’s stop looking back and brooding over past failures. Rather, with a forward look, let’s move ahead with hope and joy.
This s a great encouragement to me. Because the Lord has done great things in my life, I can look ahead and continue to expect great thing to happen. Let’s ask our heavenly Father to help us not to live in “yesterday’s shadow,” but to “walk in the light of today and the hope of tomorrow.”
Protected Custody
As I was walking to work this morning, I was thanking God for His many blessings. Then a thought came to me: Have you ever watched these police shows where a person is given a new identity, complete with social security number, name, address, etc.? That person actually has to start their life over again—it’s the only way they can survive being in a witness protection program to stay alive. And now that person moves across the country to a nice, quiet neighborhood to start their life all over again. When I became a Christian, I was given a new home with a new name—in Heaven. Our identity will not be recognized by his world because the world does not recognize God (Rev. 2:17). We are in God’s protective custody—forever, identified as a follower of Lord Christ, saved from being destroyed eternally. In fact, the new home that we will be given will be in a truly peaceful environment (Rev. 21:5). I can’t even wrap my mind around the fact that there will be no violence, or dying, or crying, or anything bad there (Rev. 21:4,). Wow! Its to die for (really)! This is just a taste of what God has in store for us (1 Cor. 2:9). And this is what keeps me going—His greatness (1 Pet. 1:9). I admit, there are those times when the ‘famous’ idea of giving up and throwing in the towel comes to mind but I quickly remind myself, “God is much more greater than this.” I am encouraged to hold on to tomorrow whether it be here on earth or with my heavenly Father, there is a tomorrow.
I started work at a second (part time) place of employment and I had an opportunity to witness to three co-workers at the same time—an awesome chance to let them know that God loves them the same way He loves me, it was great! It was a blessing to me just to witness to them. Yes, this life may be dealing us a bad hand right now. But don’t let your hand slip from Him who leads you heavenward. Let His greatness be on your mind and in your heart (1 Pet. 1:6-7). Whatever your going through, be encouraged (John 16:33)!
“Just look around, loves pouring down, trust in God.”
Embracing Reality
I was always the kind of person that would avoid controversy. I don’t like arguing and I always tried to keep the peace especially at home. I avoided all trouble at any cost. And now that I’m looking back on that, I’m sure it had some kind of negative impact on our marriage. Not realizing it at that time, I was not only reality, but avoiding honesty as well. This only proves that there is truth to the phrase, “I’m never too old to learn.” Today (Sunday), Pastor began a four part series on marriage. Honestly, I was having a hard time preparing myself to hear this message because of what it might personally reveal to me. I knew that this message might shed some light on things I may be ‘avoiding.’ After the service, I realize that its exactly what I needed to hear—I look forward to rest of this series and pray for improvement. By the way, I will be praying that the Lord will help me not to point fingers with a plank hanging out of my eye. I need to embrace reality—not avoid it.
Last Saturday, I was on my way to the hardware store. On the opposite side of the road, I saw a hitch hiker wanting a ride back down the hill. I thought to my self, “I’m not picking him up, I’ll just find another way home so I won’t have to pass him.” Not realizing that I forgot all about him, I continued on to the store and headed for home on the same road. Oh, crap! He was still there, I forgot all about my plans to detour. At that moment, I heard, “pick him up!” I pulled over just ahead of where he was standing. He hopped in and we introduced ourselves. He noticed the radio station and started opening up to me so I took advantage of the opportunity to talk to him about the Lord Jesus. He didn’t want to hear anything about God because, “He let my cat die, my cat was all I had, he was my best friend. He was a good cat. How could He do that to me?” well, my first thought was, “you’re not going to punish God by going to Hell.” But my response to him was, “I believe there will be animals in Heaven, how will you know if your cat is in Heaven if you’re not there?” He had a blank look on his face so I respected him by not prolonging the silence that filled the cab of my truck, I continued on talking to him about Jesus and the Bible. When we got to his stop, he accepted a Bible from me. Before he got out, he shook my hand and said, “you got me thinking.” Later on that evening, I remembered asking God to “use me today for your glory.” And so I go out and make my own plans—but God knew better and I’m so glad He did! So what have I got from all of this? I’m no better than you are, you are no worse than I am. It all boils down to all of us needing the Lord Christ in our lives. Theres got to be breakin’ before theres makin’ and for me, I’m learning not to point fingers and judging others by their appearance or where they’re at, like standing on the roadside, hitch hiking. There is no way around the reality, embrace it and lets allow the Lord to guide us through it.
Weep No More
When all hope seems lost and it seems as though there is nothing else to do but flop down right where you’re at and ball your eyes out;
Mary Magdalene could vividly remember the day Jesus delivered her from her demonic bondage. She became His devoted follower that day (Luke 8:2). She watched Him heal the sick and teach people about God’s love. Her life was transformed as she experienced the joy of being with Jesus. Then her world seem to fall apart! Her Lord was arrested and brutally murdered. The crowds that “Hosanna!” at the beginning of the week cried “Crucify him!” by the week’s end. A final blow came when she went to anoint Jesus’ body at the tomb. She saw that His tomb was empty. Someone had apparently stolen His body. As she sobbed in despair, angels asked the poignant question, “Why are you weeping?” She was standing before an empty tomb! Jesus had risen just as He had promised! Knowing that Jesus was alive put everything back into perspective, and Mary joyfully raced to share the good news with others. The Christian life is not always easy. There are joyful moments of walking with Jesus, but there are also times when nothing makes sense and your world seems to be crumbling. The world will mock your Lord, and you may grow discouraged. At those times, you need to peer into the empty tomb. It is the abandoned tomb that gives you hope, for it symbolizes the life that is yours from the risen Lord. The empty tomb promises that nothing, not even death itself, can defeat the purposes of your Lord. Are you weeping beside an empty tomb?
Sometimes we get spiritually stuck in a ditch or a rut and it seems as though we can’t get out. Our Lord paved the way for us. He has preceded us—He’s been there, and He’s done that! And now He wants to lead us through. He is with us “to the end (Matt. 28:20).” Jesus will never leave you to deal with what the enemy has to offer (Heb. 13:5). And when you begin to realize He is right by your side, you’ll sense that inexpressible joy deep down inside that can only come from the Holy Spirit. You’ll begin to sense that Comfort that can lead you through or deliver you from anything this world throws at you. Why are you weeping? Look in the tomb, He has not only risen from the dead, He is with you!
The Choices We Make
I read something that really hit me hard this morning, check this out;
Your life is the sum of the responses you have made toward Go. Once God makes Himself known to you, what you do next is your decision. Your reaction reflects what you believe about Him. The rich, young ruler lived a moral life. He was well versed in Scripture and the laws of God. But his response to Jesus’ invitation clearly showed that, although he possessed a head knowledge of the teachings of God, he did not know God in an experiential way that could be demonstrated by a response of faith (Matt. 19:16-22). Whenever the Lord speaks to you, it will require an adjustment in your life. This truth can dramatically affect your prayer life. Every time you pray, you must be aware that if God answers your prayer and reveals His will to you, it will immediately require you to reorient your life. Each time you read your Bible, you must be prepared to obey what God tells you. Why did God use Peter and James and John so significantly to turn their world upside down? And why were others, like the rich, young ruler, never heard from again? Choices! The disciples chose to believe and their belief was proven by their obedience. The rich, young ruler could not bring himself to obey, and Scripture tells us that he “went away sorrowful.” You are faced with the same question as the rich, young ruler. What adjustments are you willing to make in order to respond positively to Christ? Well I try not to wake up too fast in the morning but after reading this, I was wide, awake. Know this; when I disobey God, I’m snuffing out the candle and I can’t have it both ways (Rev. 3:15-16). What good are the tangibles if they don’t provide security and protection from the evil one? The invisible will provide all of that and more–life eternity with our Heavenly Father. Jesus made the decision for the entire world, lets take steps of obedience and faith. What choices will we make to please our Heavenly Father, or will we walk away in disobedience? The choices we make.
“A Lesson in Pruning”
I read something today that caught my attention and I’d like to share. Check this out; “Years ago I lived in fruitland, North Carolina. It was apple country, and several of my parishioners were growers. When I stopped by to visit one of them, his wife told me he was in the orchard. So walked out back to find him mercilessly cutting branches from one of the trees. Without thinking, I said, “You’re going to kill that tree!” He turned around and said, “You stick to preaching and leave the pruning to me.” This gentleman and I became friends and it was from him that I learned about the pruning process. In order to produce an abundant crop of the best fruit, he had to cut as he did. It might look as if the tree was going to die, but new growth would spring from the wounds. Our conversations helped me to understand why the Lord acts as a pruning force in people’s lives. To get a plentiful crop of spiritual fruit, our heavenly Father must remove anything that distracts or deters us from serving Him. The process is often painful. I know I’ve cried out, “More, Lord?” when He has taken the knife to me. But the result is always satisfying-I am a better, more accurate reflection of Jesus Christ after God cuts away a fleshly habit or a worldly attitude. Being loved by God does not mean we will be coddled–our comfort is not His primary interest. A grower must prune an apple tree to get a bountiful harvest. In the same way, God must sometimes let us feel pain so He can bring forth greater growth and more spiritual fruit (Charles Stanley).”
Sometimes we may ask, “Why do I have to go through this?, Why do Christians have to suffer if they’re under God’s protection? Well, this is why. So if you’re feeling like you’ve been stretched out on a cutting board, its only because God is carving out the bad parts of your life(and mine) to make us more Christ-like. A true lesson of pruning away the stuff out of our lives so our heavenly Father can use us to produce much fruit! And because of our Lord and Savor, Christ Jesus, the harvest will be great!
“on Joy”
“Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joys it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” -Thomas Aquinas
“Joys are always on the way to us. They are always traveling to us through the darkness of the night. There is never a night when they are not coming.” –Amy Carmichael
“Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian.” –G. K. Chesterton
“Joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It is the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens of an agreeable sort. Joy has its springs deep down inside. And that spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. He had joy, singing its music within, even under the shadow of the cross. It is an unknown word and thing except as He has sway within.” –Samuel Dickey Gordon
“If there is joy in the world, surely the man of pure heart possesses it.” –Thomas à Kempis
“Joy is never in our power and pleasure often is.” –C. S. Lewis
“If you have no joy, there is a leak in your Christianity somewhere.” –W. A. “Billy” Sunday
“There is more joy in Jesus in 24 hours than there is in the world in 365 days. I have tried them both.” –R. A. Torrey
Try,Try Again
Things that I experience ‘on my own’ are not as joyous and satisfying as the God moments. Its an honor and blessing when God does something through you, check this out;
It was Saturday afternoon and I fell into this deep feeling of despair. I allowed the things of this world flare up and bring me down and I literately come to a full stop, allowing my hand to slip out of God’s hand. Not only despair but doubt and question begin to set in as well. I knew I was to be at church around 4pm. Not going was weighing heavy on my mind. I didn’t want anyone to see me this way. I was all set to stay home and waddle in my pity when I heard, “go! Go and see who else is having issues and struggles.” I immediately responded, “ok, ok, I’m going.” I arrived to church around 4pm. When I got there I walked into the sanctuary God began to show me. “Look around,” he said. I looked around at the few folks that were there. My eyes picked out one person, he has a son with physical disabilities, my eyes pointed out a lady, she must be under the pressure about her husband heading off to Iraq. I left the sanctuary and back to the lobby, a gentleman is at the table, he is in a wheelchair, no legs and almost every surgery you can name, he has had it, from amputations to quadruple bypass and in between. He is always there, happy and smiling. And God only knows about all of the other problems and struggles that are behind some of the happiest people that were there. Well I thought God was done with me concerning this matter but I had no idea that it was far from over. You see, when God gets his point across to you, you can’t say, “I don’t understand.” That’s like asking for a two by four to the back of your head, ok, back to my God moment. As the evening progressed, I had a chance to stop and chat with a young man whom I’ve greeted many times in the past. And somehow we ended up on the subject of his past. As he shared his past with me, I’m (trying to hold onto leftover testosterone) fighting back tears. Two failed marriages, drugs, jail time, etc, etc, all of this before the age of 30. We shared quite a bit with each other. The guy is a strong brother in Christ. Being almost 20 years his senior I was taught quite a bit that night. Fellowship came to an end that evening and I remembered the feeling of my chin bouncing off my inner-ankles and tapping the pavement as I walked toward my truck. This is another one of those God moments I want to always remember. Here is what I am reminded and what I learned from this;
1. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all going through something in our lives that’s causing a struggle of some sort, some more severe and obvious than others. For those who do not have any, either your time has not arrived yet, or you’re wearing side blinders that are blocking your view.
2. You may go through the same thing many times until you have passed the test. Don’t give up because you failed two or three times. Chances are, you will fail, and God (who loves you with an unconditional love) is all about chances. Let the Holy Spirit guide you through (what ever it is) again. He has a life time of patience for you—have some for Him.
I was truly blessed by obeying the Holy Spirit and going to church Saturday. Be encouraged, the same way you share your hopes and dreams, share your problems and struggles also, you may never know when God might have a word for you. God bless you.
Be Well Rested (Part 2)
In my last email titled “Well Rested”, I made an error in matching up Scripture with the right gospel. Matthew 14:1-2 should have been John 14:1-2. I’m sorry for the error. If it caused you to do some research, good, at least you picked up your Bible.
I looked up the word ‘rest’ and there a few ways to define this word but included was also this:
Rest – “freedom from mental and emotional anxiety.” It can also be used as something called a transitive verb, “To allow someone to regain energy by means of relaxation. To be in a state of tranquility.”
My heart is always glad when I’m reminded of what God’s Word promises us. Even as I write this my mind goes to Revelation 21; “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” Question; Did you ever hand something over to someone and asked them, “can you throw this away for me?” You can do the same thing with all of your worries and struggles and problems and stress. Hand them over to God and ask, “hey Father, can You throw these away for me?” Don’t hang onto those things that are holding you back from the rest and the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus. I must share some footnotes with you; God rested on the seventh day, not because he was tired, but to indicate the completion of creation. The world was perfect, and God was well satisfied with it. This rest is a foretaste of our eternal joy when creation will be renewed and restored, every mark of sin will be removed, and the world will be made perfect again. Our Sabbath-rest in Christ will begin when we trust him to complete his good and perfect work in us. God wants us to enter his rest. For Christians, rest is peace with God now and eternal life on a new earth later. We do not need to wait for the next life to enjoy God’s rest and peace, we may have it daily now! Our daily rest in the Lord will not end in death but will become an eternal rest in the place that Christ is preparing for us.
“And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new! (Rev. 21:5)” This is very encouraging to me even as I write this. God’s purpose for sacrificing his one and only Son is so that we can rest in peace and comfort under his wing. “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Ps. 91:1).” Everything that’s holding you back from receiving rest in Christ, give it to him, and ask him to throw it away for you, even if it keeps coming back, don’t stop giving it to him. Just think; one day, there will be rest forever! Be encouraged!
