Psalm 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Have you ever been traveling and gotten lost? One time I was following someone to a destination and the person I was following could not remember how to get to the destination. It took me a while to discover we were lost. I kept seeing the same store before I realized I was riding in circles. I kept following the individual because he insisted he knew where he was going. I called the individual and we pulled over. I had directions from MapQuest with me. We looked at MapQuest and figured out we made a wrong turn. As I look at my experience I could not help but see how sometimes in life we chase after things and get lost on this journey of life. Often times if we are not careful, we will find ourselves going in circles repeating a vicious cycle.
What are you chasing after that has caused you to get off track with God? Where did it all go wrong for you? It does not matter you are off track with God right now. Do you know you can get back on track with God so you can reach the intended destination he has for you? All you have to do is put the same energy you expend pursuing things into pursuing God. The way to pursue God is through the word of God which is his standard for life.
In our passage, the psalmist helps us understand the way we should live life is not by the world’s standards. The psalmist shares with us that true contentment or satisfaction does not come from what the world can offer us. We have to be careful who we associate with because they can ultimately get us off track with God. Have you ever taken advice from an associate or friend that led you in the wrong way? Whenever a critical decision needs to be made in life you need to turn to God for instructions. That is why we need a regimented diet of the word of God.
God always has something to say to us about every situation we encounter. God shares with us in his word the right way to obtain the things we desire. Just because you do not have what you think you should posses at this moment, remember you are exactly where God desires for you to be. Right now you may be in a barren place, but remember God governs the seasons in our life. We have to learn to trust God where we are and ultimately he will prosper us according to his will.
God bless and keep you is my prayer
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Matters of the Heart
Matthew 5:43-45
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Do you remember the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” I remember that saying growing up, but the older I have become I realize the saying is not true. Words do hurt and they have the power to scar you for life. Has someone ever said something hurtful to you? Every time you think about it the thought of it makes you cringe. You can still hear the words reverberating in your ears as if they were just spoken. How do you deal with the pain of your past in the present? Maybe the pain isn’t from your past, but it is a fresh wound that you so desperately want to go away. What do you do when you are trying to move forward but the pain from the words someone spoke to you is holding you captive?
In the fifth chapter of Matthew Jesus is preaching the sermon on the mount to his disciples. He covers many issues throughout the sermon. I personally think the issue in this section overshadows all of the other issues. He addresses the issue of love. The word love is one of the most misused words in the English vocabulary. One of the things Jesus wanted his disciples to understand is the principle of love. Love is a word of action. The way love is determined is by our actions. In the same breath Jesus mentioned love, He mentioned hate and enemies. The true measure of love is when one is confronted by an individual exhibiting hateful and oppositional behavior. How do you handle it? Ones response to hateful and oppositional behavior determines if an individual possesses love.
We have to always remember we are not responsible for what others do to us, but how we respond to them. Don’t allow the hatred and evilness of another to hold you captive. In the words of Reuben the hurricane Carter who was wrongly incarcerated “Hate locked me up, but Love is going to bust me out.” I challenge you to be patient with others who act in an immature manner. Allow your love to go as far as it has to go to rescue someone from their ignorance and hatred.
God bless you and keep you is my prayer.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Do you remember the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” I remember that saying growing up, but the older I have become I realize the saying is not true. Words do hurt and they have the power to scar you for life. Has someone ever said something hurtful to you? Every time you think about it the thought of it makes you cringe. You can still hear the words reverberating in your ears as if they were just spoken. How do you deal with the pain of your past in the present? Maybe the pain isn’t from your past, but it is a fresh wound that you so desperately want to go away. What do you do when you are trying to move forward but the pain from the words someone spoke to you is holding you captive?
In the fifth chapter of Matthew Jesus is preaching the sermon on the mount to his disciples. He covers many issues throughout the sermon. I personally think the issue in this section overshadows all of the other issues. He addresses the issue of love. The word love is one of the most misused words in the English vocabulary. One of the things Jesus wanted his disciples to understand is the principle of love. Love is a word of action. The way love is determined is by our actions. In the same breath Jesus mentioned love, He mentioned hate and enemies. The true measure of love is when one is confronted by an individual exhibiting hateful and oppositional behavior. How do you handle it? Ones response to hateful and oppositional behavior determines if an individual possesses love.
We have to always remember we are not responsible for what others do to us, but how we respond to them. Don’t allow the hatred and evilness of another to hold you captive. In the words of Reuben the hurricane Carter who was wrongly incarcerated “Hate locked me up, but Love is going to bust me out.” I challenge you to be patient with others who act in an immature manner. Allow your love to go as far as it has to go to rescue someone from their ignorance and hatred.
God bless you and keep you is my prayer.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Stay Focused!
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Earlier this week I had the privilege of participating in team building exercises at work. One of the exercises was called team juggling. The concept of the exercise is for a group to sit in a circle and throw multiple objects around at the same time. At the beginning of the exercise, the team had three objects to throw around. By the end of the exercise, the team was throwing around seventeen different objects around. As I reflect on the exercise I remember the key concept was staying focused so I did not drop the object being thrown to me. I could not focus on all of the other things being thrown around in the circle because it would make me lose my concentration.
The exercise paints a vivid picture of life. Life has a way of throwing different things at us. Our level of concentration or focus is based on our level of maturity. Sometimes life is very chaotic, but we have to remain focused. Often times, life throws a succession of things at us so fast we can’t absorb what is going on. What has life thrown at you lately? Does it have you off balance? Has it made you lose sight of what is important? It is very easy to lose sight of what is important.
The writer of the above scripture writes to help us with distractions. In verse one he sets the scene in an athletic arena. He wants us to understand life is like a track race. Anyone who has ever run track will tell you the key to winning is focus. The author shares with us that we have a good example to follow after in this race of life. When distractions come our way, we should always look to Jesus. Why should we look to Jesus? Jesus epitomized focus. He never allowed anything to distract him from fulfilling the purpose God had for his life. What an example for us. Jesus blocked out the distractions and focused on purpose. The picture is one of a track runner blocking out everything around him/her and staying focused on the finish line. It is so easy to get entangled with the complexities of life. When life is spinning out of control, can you stay focused on the purpose God has for your life?
I challenge you to look to Jesus when you feel like you are on a roller coaster ride. How can we look to Jesus? He has given us great examples throughout scripture. I challenge you on a daily basis to read the word of God so you can find a resolution to your chaotic situation.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Earlier this week I had the privilege of participating in team building exercises at work. One of the exercises was called team juggling. The concept of the exercise is for a group to sit in a circle and throw multiple objects around at the same time. At the beginning of the exercise, the team had three objects to throw around. By the end of the exercise, the team was throwing around seventeen different objects around. As I reflect on the exercise I remember the key concept was staying focused so I did not drop the object being thrown to me. I could not focus on all of the other things being thrown around in the circle because it would make me lose my concentration.
The exercise paints a vivid picture of life. Life has a way of throwing different things at us. Our level of concentration or focus is based on our level of maturity. Sometimes life is very chaotic, but we have to remain focused. Often times, life throws a succession of things at us so fast we can’t absorb what is going on. What has life thrown at you lately? Does it have you off balance? Has it made you lose sight of what is important? It is very easy to lose sight of what is important.
The writer of the above scripture writes to help us with distractions. In verse one he sets the scene in an athletic arena. He wants us to understand life is like a track race. Anyone who has ever run track will tell you the key to winning is focus. The author shares with us that we have a good example to follow after in this race of life. When distractions come our way, we should always look to Jesus. Why should we look to Jesus? Jesus epitomized focus. He never allowed anything to distract him from fulfilling the purpose God had for his life. What an example for us. Jesus blocked out the distractions and focused on purpose. The picture is one of a track runner blocking out everything around him/her and staying focused on the finish line. It is so easy to get entangled with the complexities of life. When life is spinning out of control, can you stay focused on the purpose God has for your life?
I challenge you to look to Jesus when you feel like you are on a roller coaster ride. How can we look to Jesus? He has given us great examples throughout scripture. I challenge you on a daily basis to read the word of God so you can find a resolution to your chaotic situation.
God bless and keep you is my prayer.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
A New Beginning!
Joshua 3:17 And the priest that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all of the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
I am a big football fan and every football season there seems to be a story that stands out more than any other story. Last year, Michael Vick’s story was a story I watched very closely. I remember his initial interview when he was released from prison. He indicated there were some things he would have to change in order to be a successful person on and off of the football field. Many people doubted him, ridiculed him, and questioned his character. It is interesting to me that often times in life we have to experience setbacks in order to recognize a change needs to take place. Michael Vick’s story suggests to us we can start over again and we can have “a new beginning”.
It does not matter where you are in life, how bad you have messed up, how much you have underachieved, or what others think of you. You can still have “a new beginning”. It does not matter where you are from or what your life experiences have been. You can still have “a new beginning”.
In the text mentioned above, the nation of Israel is in transition. They are about to enter into Canaan, but they had one last barrier to overcome. What barriers do you have in your life that prevents you from progressing with God? The Israelites practiced a very simple principle I want to share with you. First of all they got up at the break of day with a single focus. The focus was to overcome that which prevented them from moving forward. How often do you wake up in the morning with the intent to overcome barriers that prevent you from progressing with God?
The priests bare the Ark of the Covenant which was in the front of the whole nation. The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments or the law. There are some laws we have to implement into our lives to move forward. There are also some laws we have implemented into our lives that hold us back. We need to break self-imposed laws. The priests were willing to do something they never did before. They were also willing to get their feet wet. What are you willing to do different today? Are you willing to charter in a new arena? How far are you willing to go with God? Your success or failure is determined by what you are willing to do. God bless and keep you is my prayer.
If you are willing to enter into "a new beginning" please pray this simple prayer with me. “Father, I recognize I am not where I should be with you. I desire to be all that I can be for you. I ask that you would help me recognize all of the barriers in my life. I surrender them to you in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”
I am a big football fan and every football season there seems to be a story that stands out more than any other story. Last year, Michael Vick’s story was a story I watched very closely. I remember his initial interview when he was released from prison. He indicated there were some things he would have to change in order to be a successful person on and off of the football field. Many people doubted him, ridiculed him, and questioned his character. It is interesting to me that often times in life we have to experience setbacks in order to recognize a change needs to take place. Michael Vick’s story suggests to us we can start over again and we can have “a new beginning”.
It does not matter where you are in life, how bad you have messed up, how much you have underachieved, or what others think of you. You can still have “a new beginning”. It does not matter where you are from or what your life experiences have been. You can still have “a new beginning”.
In the text mentioned above, the nation of Israel is in transition. They are about to enter into Canaan, but they had one last barrier to overcome. What barriers do you have in your life that prevents you from progressing with God? The Israelites practiced a very simple principle I want to share with you. First of all they got up at the break of day with a single focus. The focus was to overcome that which prevented them from moving forward. How often do you wake up in the morning with the intent to overcome barriers that prevent you from progressing with God?
The priests bare the Ark of the Covenant which was in the front of the whole nation. The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments or the law. There are some laws we have to implement into our lives to move forward. There are also some laws we have implemented into our lives that hold us back. We need to break self-imposed laws. The priests were willing to do something they never did before. They were also willing to get their feet wet. What are you willing to do different today? Are you willing to charter in a new arena? How far are you willing to go with God? Your success or failure is determined by what you are willing to do. God bless and keep you is my prayer.
If you are willing to enter into "a new beginning" please pray this simple prayer with me. “Father, I recognize I am not where I should be with you. I desire to be all that I can be for you. I ask that you would help me recognize all of the barriers in my life. I surrender them to you in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.”
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