I am going to wade into a controversial subject. The whole idea of God blesses those who give. Some are teaching today that God will make them wealthy in this world if they give financially to a church or ministry of some kind.
There are certainly many scriptures which tell us that God blesses His people and desires to give us blessings. Proverbs 3:9-10 says "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Then He will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with the finest wine." At first glance this would seem to be a simple formula give some to God and He will give you back more.
Some people are using that message to encourage people to give as a way to get rich themselves. But that is a message that is wrong at the very root. When you start with the truths that we are here to bring Glory to God and to fulfill His purposes - there is no place for living a formula that ends with the intention of me becoming wealthy for my purposes.
Instead - God uses our giving to do His will in the earth for His Kingdom. God uses all kinds of people to do His work whether rich, poor or in between the issue is not how much we have but is our heart to give it for Him. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 gives us a fuller picture of giving - both God's purpose and our role. "10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
We do not know who God will make rich in worldly wealth; but if He does it will be so we can be generous to others which leads to God being glorified. So giving to God is not a formula to get rich - it is simply the pathway of a person who desires to do God's will and see God's Kingdom grow. Then we see that God blesses in ways that keeps our heart towards Him - not to satisfy our earthly desires.
Now you can see in Proverbs 3:9-10 that the one who "honors the Lord with his wealth" was not a person looking for God to make them rich. Instead it is a person who understands that true riches come in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ."
May we all be people who have a heart to give and may God bless us with Heavenly blessings in Jesus Christ.
Posted on Tuesday August 10, 2010
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Posted on Thursday August 05, 2010
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This is the first installment of our challnge to grow in our faith and to become more like Jesus. We are using the phrase GROW which represents 4 critical areas that Christians need to grow and be transformed in their lives: Giving, Relationships, Obedience, Words. When God begins changing us in these areas it transforms us!
Today I am sharing with you a great summary I found on the topic of Giving (From Christian Art Publishers)
"Giving appears on the surface to be sharing possessions, wealth, income and the like. More importantly, giving is a sharing of yourself. Giving is a most remarkable concept, originating in the heart of a giving God, a God who pours forth more blessings on His people than we can ever deserve or expect. The gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of salvation, the gift of eternity in heaven - all of these things are priceless.
The possessions we have are generally a tangible result of what we have inviested in time and energy and talent. But who we are - our character - is always a result of what we have invested of ourselves with God and others. And one of the great and unique promises of God is that the more we give the more we receive - not necessarily in material possessions, but in spiritual and eternal rewards."
God designed us to be people who give. Not to do random acts once in a while - but that our heart is to give to God and to others. It is not just what we give but how and with what motive. Johaan Lavater wrote: "The manner of giving shows the character of the giver more than the gift itself." Let us be people who give out of a deep love for God. I pray that our hearts will grow to be more like Christ who said "Even I, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Lord change us - remove our selfishness and our pride and make us generous givers who give our lives for you and for others.
WIth You In Christ
Matt
Today I am sharing with you a great summary I found on the topic of Giving (From Christian Art Publishers)
"Giving appears on the surface to be sharing possessions, wealth, income and the like. More importantly, giving is a sharing of yourself. Giving is a most remarkable concept, originating in the heart of a giving God, a God who pours forth more blessings on His people than we can ever deserve or expect. The gift of life, the gift of love, the gift of salvation, the gift of eternity in heaven - all of these things are priceless.
The possessions we have are generally a tangible result of what we have inviested in time and energy and talent. But who we are - our character - is always a result of what we have invested of ourselves with God and others. And one of the great and unique promises of God is that the more we give the more we receive - not necessarily in material possessions, but in spiritual and eternal rewards."
God designed us to be people who give. Not to do random acts once in a while - but that our heart is to give to God and to others. It is not just what we give but how and with what motive. Johaan Lavater wrote: "The manner of giving shows the character of the giver more than the gift itself." Let us be people who give out of a deep love for God. I pray that our hearts will grow to be more like Christ who said "Even I, the Son of Man, came not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."
Lord change us - remove our selfishness and our pride and make us generous givers who give our lives for you and for others.
WIth You In Christ
Matt
Posted on Monday July 19, 2010
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As Christians we know that our whole life is a journey of learning more and more of what it is to follow Jesus Christ. Our training is never complete. God is working through His Spirit to transform us and that is to be an ongoing process until we leave our earthly bodies.
Of course to be trained you either embrace it willingly and work at it - or you resist training. Alot of times people resist training when they feel they have nothing to gain by it or that the cost is not worth the effort. Unfortunately - even Christians who recognize God is calling us to be like Him can often ignore the need for training. We get complacent and feel like we are good enough and give up on training.
Paul said to train like an athlete: 1 Cor 9: 24-27 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Obviously training is required to live the Christian life. But we have seen that for long time Christians there can also be ReTraining required.
ReTraining invovles looking at what habits you have in your Christian life - that were never as God intended. One big area is how we think about church. For many people in our culture including Christians much retraining is needed about church. The 3 most common ways that many people think about church are: a building or location, a Sunday morning service, a minister or church staff. For too many people Church equates to a combination of those three things. For that reason we must be retrained.
The Bible teaches that the Church is people who are called to join together and live out the mission of Jesus Christ. Certainly organization and facilities and leaders can all play a part in that - but they are all just peices that serve the greater purpose. Christ is the head of the body His church - He is not a landlord of church buildings. Christ calls every Christian to be a part of the body - not just ones with certain skills or training.
Acts 4:13 says: The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Lord retrain us to understand that each one of us is called by You. When we are people who walk with You each day - You will use us in powerful ways. May others recognize us as people who are with Jesus!! May our lives point people not to a building or a staff - but to our Hope Jesus Christ.
Of course to be trained you either embrace it willingly and work at it - or you resist training. Alot of times people resist training when they feel they have nothing to gain by it or that the cost is not worth the effort. Unfortunately - even Christians who recognize God is calling us to be like Him can often ignore the need for training. We get complacent and feel like we are good enough and give up on training.
Paul said to train like an athlete: 1 Cor 9: 24-27 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Obviously training is required to live the Christian life. But we have seen that for long time Christians there can also be ReTraining required.
ReTraining invovles looking at what habits you have in your Christian life - that were never as God intended. One big area is how we think about church. For many people in our culture including Christians much retraining is needed about church. The 3 most common ways that many people think about church are: a building or location, a Sunday morning service, a minister or church staff. For too many people Church equates to a combination of those three things. For that reason we must be retrained.
The Bible teaches that the Church is people who are called to join together and live out the mission of Jesus Christ. Certainly organization and facilities and leaders can all play a part in that - but they are all just peices that serve the greater purpose. Christ is the head of the body His church - He is not a landlord of church buildings. Christ calls every Christian to be a part of the body - not just ones with certain skills or training.
Acts 4:13 says: The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.
Lord retrain us to understand that each one of us is called by You. When we are people who walk with You each day - You will use us in powerful ways. May others recognize us as people who are with Jesus!! May our lives point people not to a building or a staff - but to our Hope Jesus Christ.
Posted on Friday June 25, 2010
1 comments
Back in the 1980's Huey Lewis wrote a song called "the Heart of Rock and Roll". I can't remember the lyrics and they were never critically acclaimed. The gist of the song was that we think about alot of things when we say rock and roll but there must be a core element that is most important. For Lewis that core element was the "back beat".
When we say "the Heart" of something we are trying to get down to the core element. What is it that is really important in an area - the attempt to differentiate from the fluff and stuff and non essentials that surround it.
As Christians we certainly need to evaluate our faith and whether we are focused on "the heart" or the non essentials. One area to consider is worship. What is the heart of worship. To know that we must look at God's Word.
Ps 96 says: 7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. 8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.
This verse speaks to "the heart" of worship. It is all about our heart bowing down before our God. It is recognizing God in all His glory and submitting our life to Him.
Unfortunately we often fall into habits and attitudes about worship that miss the heart. It is easy for us to make our focus a building and a time slot on Sunday. It is easy to go through the motions of singing a few songs and enduring a sermon and maybe putting something in the basket without worship. We call it a worship service - and if we are not careful we will claim to have worship just because we had a service.
In our church we meet at a school, others meet in a home, others meet in a variety of structures. In some churches they sing from words on a projector, some from song sheets, some from books. Some churches have a 10 minute sermon, some have an hour or two. Some churches the people dress up, some churches the people barely dress.
The reality is that all of these things are side issues. God is calling us to Worship from the heart. To recognize His holiness and bow our hearts before Him. As Christians and as Churches there is little good in all showing up on Sunday morning and going through motions - we might as well stay home if that is our worship. I pray that we all come to "the heart of Worship" It is all about our mighty God - not about our convenience.
In our church - we are looking at options for a new location to gather on Sundays for Worship together. I pray that our heart will be such that the location of gathering means nothing compared to our desire to submit our hearts to the Lord. I pray that the heart of Worship is still beating.
When we say "the Heart" of something we are trying to get down to the core element. What is it that is really important in an area - the attempt to differentiate from the fluff and stuff and non essentials that surround it.
As Christians we certainly need to evaluate our faith and whether we are focused on "the heart" or the non essentials. One area to consider is worship. What is the heart of worship. To know that we must look at God's Word.
Ps 96 says: 7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. 8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.
This verse speaks to "the heart" of worship. It is all about our heart bowing down before our God. It is recognizing God in all His glory and submitting our life to Him.
Unfortunately we often fall into habits and attitudes about worship that miss the heart. It is easy for us to make our focus a building and a time slot on Sunday. It is easy to go through the motions of singing a few songs and enduring a sermon and maybe putting something in the basket without worship. We call it a worship service - and if we are not careful we will claim to have worship just because we had a service.
In our church we meet at a school, others meet in a home, others meet in a variety of structures. In some churches they sing from words on a projector, some from song sheets, some from books. Some churches have a 10 minute sermon, some have an hour or two. Some churches the people dress up, some churches the people barely dress.
The reality is that all of these things are side issues. God is calling us to Worship from the heart. To recognize His holiness and bow our hearts before Him. As Christians and as Churches there is little good in all showing up on Sunday morning and going through motions - we might as well stay home if that is our worship. I pray that we all come to "the heart of Worship" It is all about our mighty God - not about our convenience.
In our church - we are looking at options for a new location to gather on Sundays for Worship together. I pray that our heart will be such that the location of gathering means nothing compared to our desire to submit our hearts to the Lord. I pray that the heart of Worship is still beating.
Posted on Monday June 21, 2010
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As a kid I remember (when my memory is working) some classic books that we read over and over. One of those books was The Little Engine That Could. It was about the little train that it seemed could never make it up the hill like the bigger trains with the impressive features. But the little train had a big heart and made it over the hill.Some days it seems that our little church is facing hills that are too big for us to climb. While the little train had to believe in itself to make it up the hill - as a church our challenge is to trust God with our whole heart and allow His power to take us over the mountains.
When our church was still in the idea stage - a vision was born. It was captured in the vision statement we have had from day one: Ordinary People, Extraordinary God. It is a recognition of the amazing truth in Phil 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". God uses us - not because of our great abilities - but when we trust Him and believe in His power and goodness.
There are hills we face today and will be in the future - that we have to trust in the power of Christ in us to get over them. Believeing in God and trusitng in HIs power is not always easy. It can look like too big of a hill. It can feel impossible while you are climbing. Those around you will doubt that you can make it. But it is only when we trust God for the things impossible for us - that we get to see His true power.
If you have been around me lately you have probably heard me quote Ps. 37:3 "Trust the Lord and do good". In the months ahead the Church at Bee Cave will be called to trust the Lord and believe that we can do all things through Christ and His strength. We will have some hills to climb - but if we trust the Lord and do good along the way, He will give us a view from the top.
Posted on Monday June 07, 2010
2 comments
Our family entered into a whole new world this summer. We now have a pool. For the last few years we have suffered through long hot summers with few options to do at home. Our backyard has been no mans land from June to Sept the last few years when the thermometer is stuck between 98 and 102.
So we decided that this year we would not spend money on vacations, and buy a pool of the above ground variety. It was no problem ordering the pool online - it arrived in a week. Now I had to get busy. After much digging, picking and shoveling we had a level (close) spot. Then we built a small deck to go around the pool. Then we set up the pool and filled it up. Everything looked good and we jumped in. It was much work to get it up and ready, but then I found out the rest of the story.
Its not that I had no clue about all the things you have to do to keep the water clean - but basically I had no clue. I had to program the filter, add 200 pounds of salt, add stabilizer, check the copper, check the alkaline, check the PH, test again, run the pump and then do it all again. Somehow I am supposed to be able to look at a little color strip and judge between tan and light tan to figure out if the level is right.
It makes me think about our life. So many times we focus on the big setup of life. Get the job, buy the house, no major illness and all can look in place. Yet many problems can be lurking in our spirit. We need to take a deeper look and see what is in place and what is missing so we don't end up with green slime or burning eyes.
Too often we go along and do not address the issues that are working against us to ruin the purity of our spirit just like acidity ruins the purity of our pool water. God is asking us to examine our lives - not at first glance - but what is the real condition of our spirit? What are the spiritual markers telling in our life? Have you tested your spiritual PH lately?
Lamentations 3:40 says: "let us test and examine our ways.Let us turn back to the Lord."
God calls us to examine our hearts and test ourselves and see the condition of our relationship with Him.
God also tells us that we can be sure that He will test us - God knows what our PH is no matter what it looks like to others. Psalm 139:1 says: "O Lord, you have examined my heartand know everything about me."
So far we have enjoyed the pool but I know that I have to keep a close eye on the water chemistry and the condition of the pool water. Cleaning and testing will be all summer. Its not always what I want to do - but it leaves me with the peace to know it is safe and will not lead to bigger problems down the road. By the way you are invited to come and go for a swim anytime - and you can bring your water testing kit. :)
So we decided that this year we would not spend money on vacations, and buy a pool of the above ground variety. It was no problem ordering the pool online - it arrived in a week. Now I had to get busy. After much digging, picking and shoveling we had a level (close) spot. Then we built a small deck to go around the pool. Then we set up the pool and filled it up. Everything looked good and we jumped in. It was much work to get it up and ready, but then I found out the rest of the story.
Its not that I had no clue about all the things you have to do to keep the water clean - but basically I had no clue. I had to program the filter, add 200 pounds of salt, add stabilizer, check the copper, check the alkaline, check the PH, test again, run the pump and then do it all again. Somehow I am supposed to be able to look at a little color strip and judge between tan and light tan to figure out if the level is right.
It makes me think about our life. So many times we focus on the big setup of life. Get the job, buy the house, no major illness and all can look in place. Yet many problems can be lurking in our spirit. We need to take a deeper look and see what is in place and what is missing so we don't end up with green slime or burning eyes.
Too often we go along and do not address the issues that are working against us to ruin the purity of our spirit just like acidity ruins the purity of our pool water. God is asking us to examine our lives - not at first glance - but what is the real condition of our spirit? What are the spiritual markers telling in our life? Have you tested your spiritual PH lately?
Lamentations 3:40 says: "let us test and examine our ways.Let us turn back to the Lord."
God calls us to examine our hearts and test ourselves and see the condition of our relationship with Him.
God also tells us that we can be sure that He will test us - God knows what our PH is no matter what it looks like to others. Psalm 139:1 says: "O Lord, you have examined my heartand know everything about me."
So far we have enjoyed the pool but I know that I have to keep a close eye on the water chemistry and the condition of the pool water. Cleaning and testing will be all summer. Its not always what I want to do - but it leaves me with the peace to know it is safe and will not lead to bigger problems down the road. By the way you are invited to come and go for a swim anytime - and you can bring your water testing kit. :)
Posted on Wednesday June 02, 2010
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I have been around enough to know that it is always easier to talk about doing stuff than to actually make it happen. Would you agree? That especially applies when I am telling other people what they need to do - instead of myself. :)
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the Fruit of the Spirit. The Bible tells us that God lives inside a Christian as the Spirit and that He guides our life to be more like Jesus. God's Spirit in us, is to result in peace and joy and love and patience and kindness among others.
That is truly what we need and should aspire to - yet we struggle each day to live in God's Spirit. Something happens everyday that makes it difficult. How do I exhibit patience when a child disobeys for the 3rd time? How do I live in joy when my Air Conditioner breaks on a 95 degree day? How do I feel peace when a loved one is gravely ill?
It comes back to trusting God and counting our blessings. When we trust that God is truly bigger than any problem we face - we can face problems with assurance and hope that my God is not surprised by this issue and He will make a way for me to walk through it. That allows us to walk in peace that God is in control, and joy that God will see me through and give me patience to wait on God's guidance and provision
When we count our blessings - we begin to realize all that is well in our life typically outweighs whatever we see as wrong. Because we do not deserve anything - all the good things truly are blessings. When I begin to take stock of the blessings in my life: opportunities to get an education, provision, housing, realtionships, children, friends, opportunities to serve, those who have helped me along the way and so much more - then an issue like a broken AC unit comes into perspective. I can focus on the good, and I should more than I do.
Yes God's Spirit in us allows us to actually practice peace and joy and love and patience and kindness - not just talk about them. Listen to Paul as he shares the reality of a God we can trust in all circumstances and the recognition of God's blessings in His life.
2 Corinthians 6: We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. (in Jesus)
May we all trust God every day and count our blessings along the way!
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the Fruit of the Spirit. The Bible tells us that God lives inside a Christian as the Spirit and that He guides our life to be more like Jesus. God's Spirit in us, is to result in peace and joy and love and patience and kindness among others.
That is truly what we need and should aspire to - yet we struggle each day to live in God's Spirit. Something happens everyday that makes it difficult. How do I exhibit patience when a child disobeys for the 3rd time? How do I live in joy when my Air Conditioner breaks on a 95 degree day? How do I feel peace when a loved one is gravely ill?
It comes back to trusting God and counting our blessings. When we trust that God is truly bigger than any problem we face - we can face problems with assurance and hope that my God is not surprised by this issue and He will make a way for me to walk through it. That allows us to walk in peace that God is in control, and joy that God will see me through and give me patience to wait on God's guidance and provision
When we count our blessings - we begin to realize all that is well in our life typically outweighs whatever we see as wrong. Because we do not deserve anything - all the good things truly are blessings. When I begin to take stock of the blessings in my life: opportunities to get an education, provision, housing, realtionships, children, friends, opportunities to serve, those who have helped me along the way and so much more - then an issue like a broken AC unit comes into perspective. I can focus on the good, and I should more than I do.
Yes God's Spirit in us allows us to actually practice peace and joy and love and patience and kindness - not just talk about them. Listen to Paul as he shares the reality of a God we can trust in all circumstances and the recognition of God's blessings in His life.
2 Corinthians 6: We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. (in Jesus)
May we all trust God every day and count our blessings along the way!
Posted on Tuesday May 18, 2010
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This morning I am sitting in a seminar about being a church where the people reach out into our community. It is very clear that the Bible calls us to interact with those around us in our lives to show them the love and truth of Jesus. We do not have to go any further than looking at the life of Jesus to see what His priority was. Jesus was constantly out meeting people and touching their lives. That is what our priority is to be: Everywhere and Everyday - as we interact in the world we can bring Jesus to people.
Where are you today? Who is around you today? The answer to those questions are the opportunity we have today to bring Jesus and let His power change the world. Our church has heard me say it before - but it continues to be our biggest obstacle which is taking Jesus into every day and every area of our life. Whether we are at work, home, play, school, errands, wherever and whenever bring Jesus.
What does that look like? Are you standing in a line - talk to the person next to you, show interest in them and be positive. Are you serving in the community somewhere - tell a coworker that you thought they might be interested and ask them to join you. Are you making a meal - make some extra and invite someone over. As you have opportunity to share time with people - doors will open for your relationship with Jesus to come into the conversation. You can come up with more ideas - the key is to try it and see what God will do.
Where are you today? Who is around you today? The answer to those questions are the opportunity we have today to bring Jesus and let His power change the world. Our church has heard me say it before - but it continues to be our biggest obstacle which is taking Jesus into every day and every area of our life. Whether we are at work, home, play, school, errands, wherever and whenever bring Jesus.
What does that look like? Are you standing in a line - talk to the person next to you, show interest in them and be positive. Are you serving in the community somewhere - tell a coworker that you thought they might be interested and ask them to join you. Are you making a meal - make some extra and invite someone over. As you have opportunity to share time with people - doors will open for your relationship with Jesus to come into the conversation. You can come up with more ideas - the key is to try it and see what God will do.
Posted on Thursday May 13, 2010
1 comments
There are many times in life that we may wonder if God is there. We face troubles and trials in life that test us and discourage us. We may feel we have come to the end of our strength and we wonder why has God left me.Then there are times when we feel everything is going great. We are cruising along on the highway of life enjoying the wind at our back as things are going our way. In these times we often forget about God while we revel in our own success or good forttune.
The circumstances are opposite in the two scenarios above - the common factor is living life without recognizing that God is right there with us. He knows what is happening and He cares for us beyond the circumstance. Living a life of walking in the Spirit - is a daily life of connecting with God. Knowing He is with me and that He cares for me no matter what. With that assurance in our life we can have peace that God is in control and that He stands ready to walk with me everyday.
To enjoy our relationship with God - is to value walking with Him on the trail of life above all else. In good times and hard times we keep our relationship with Him as the primary focus.
In Psalm 139 the Psalmist comes to this realization:
7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
The Psalmist is not disappointed that he cannot hide from God. Instead he is realizing that God never leaves him. That God, the one who created life, is always with him and cares for him. Why do we spend our time worrying about circumstances beyond our control when we can spend that time with the God of the universe? Why do we focus on temporary pleasures of this world that blow away like dust in the wind when we can walk with the eternal King of Glory.
Let us live each day in great expectation of walking with God. Let us live in His Spirit and expereince His touch and His love and grace and come to know Him evermore. He loves us and cares for us: Psalm 139:17 says: "How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" Wow the God of all love and grace and truth and power has wonderful thoughts toward me today - I want to walk with Him and know Him.
No matter where we are in life, no matter what we are facing or enjoying, no matter how certain or uncertain the future, no matter how we feel, nothing surpasses the opportunity of each day to walk with the God of the universe. He knows us intimately and cares for us perfectly.
Posted on Wednesday May 05, 2010
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The Christian life is one that is part mystery. We know much of the facts to being a Christian. We know that it centers on believing in Jesus Christ and following His commands. But it is not just a religion of facts and rules - it goes beyond our understanding to the supernatural.
To know Jesus Christ and to follow Him is not something we can do with our intellect or our own determination. It requires a supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit. That is tough for us to get our hands around. Who is the Holy Spirit? How does He work in us?
It can all seem strange and it is - it is out of this world, out of our understanding, and out of our comfort zone many times. But if we try to be a Christian on our own - we will simply be frustrated and disappointed (not to mention missing out on God)
In the Bible God tells us: 26"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28"You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:26-28
In this passage we see that God puts HIs Spirit within us to change our hearts and our lives. The Spirit of God in us does a supernatural work to transform us into His people. Unfortunately we often try to live as a Christian in the natural. We do not acknowledge the supernatural power and wisdom and grace of the Spirit in us. We view life through the limits of natural lenses instead of supernatural possibilities.
When we understand the Spirit is real and the Christian life is lived in the supernatural - we will change our focus to Him. The Spirit lives in us to live through us. Let us begin living in daily abiding and dependence of the Spirit and we will see Him do the supernatural work He is here for.
Gal 5:25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
To know Jesus Christ and to follow Him is not something we can do with our intellect or our own determination. It requires a supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit. That is tough for us to get our hands around. Who is the Holy Spirit? How does He work in us?
It can all seem strange and it is - it is out of this world, out of our understanding, and out of our comfort zone many times. But if we try to be a Christian on our own - we will simply be frustrated and disappointed (not to mention missing out on God)
In the Bible God tells us: 26"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. 28"You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:26-28
In this passage we see that God puts HIs Spirit within us to change our hearts and our lives. The Spirit of God in us does a supernatural work to transform us into His people. Unfortunately we often try to live as a Christian in the natural. We do not acknowledge the supernatural power and wisdom and grace of the Spirit in us. We view life through the limits of natural lenses instead of supernatural possibilities.
When we understand the Spirit is real and the Christian life is lived in the supernatural - we will change our focus to Him. The Spirit lives in us to live through us. Let us begin living in daily abiding and dependence of the Spirit and we will see Him do the supernatural work He is here for.
Gal 5:25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Posted on Thursday April 29, 2010
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To believe that God can act in our life in mighty ways is not easy. There are many factors that keep us in doubt and from being able to live fully as if God is really in control. Factors like the economy, health issues, jobs, family situations, self doubt, past failures, cynical people, discouragement and others will make it hard to Believe God.
Gideon was a man that had doubts. In Judges Ch 6 Gideon is talking with the Lord
12The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." 13Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." 14The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" 15He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house."
16But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."
Gideon wanted to believe that the battle could be won - but the circumstances looked unfavorable and he was doubtful because of fears that he was not able. That is the same way we often approach life - we are fearful because of the circumstances around us - and we base decisions on our abilities instead of trusting in God's.
God tells Gideon "have I not sent you". God is saying when we are acting in God's will we can believe in His power and His faithfulness to act. If it all depended on Gideon he was right to fear - but when we are following God it is His strength that overcomes all obstacles. Let us seek the will of God and then Believe Him to do great things.
Gideon was a man that had doubts. In Judges Ch 6 Gideon is talking with the Lord
12The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." 13Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." 14The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" 15He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house."
16But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."
Gideon wanted to believe that the battle could be won - but the circumstances looked unfavorable and he was doubtful because of fears that he was not able. That is the same way we often approach life - we are fearful because of the circumstances around us - and we base decisions on our abilities instead of trusting in God's.
God tells Gideon "have I not sent you". God is saying when we are acting in God's will we can believe in His power and His faithfulness to act. If it all depended on Gideon he was right to fear - but when we are following God it is His strength that overcomes all obstacles. Let us seek the will of God and then Believe Him to do great things.
Posted on Thursday April 22, 2010
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This Sunday we will be looking at what it means to believe God in the tough times of life.
One of the things that God has been trying to teach me in life is that He will use the tough times for good in our life if we will keep our trust in Him. It is easy to talk about that - but when I am facing a storm in life I usually just want God to take it away.
How do we truly Believe Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. "
Does God really work in all situations - even the tough and painful times of life? Soemtimes we see it after we have gotten through a situation. We look back and it makes sense. But God offers something better - finding Him in the midst of the storm. That will be the message this week I hope you can join us.
I also saw this story below that speaks to the point.
With You In Christ
Matt
I'm sitting in yet another hospital waiting room.
Ever since my husband, Barry, first underwent open heart and quadruple bypass surgery 15 months ago, I've been in this waiting room—or one just like it—more times than I can count on one hand, waiting for him to come out of the operating room.
In little more than a year's time, my vocabulary has increased to include words and phrases such as aneurysm, atrial fib, and EP study with ablation. They all mean I have to put on a cheery face, kiss Barry good-bye, and promise I won't worry about him or forget to eat lunch and lock the garage door at night while he's in the hospital again.
With all Barry's surgeries and procedures, we've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—one of the worst in our 32 years together. Yet, ironically, it's also turned out to be the best.
I learned just how deeply Barry loves me. As he was all prepped and waiting to go into surgery to repair his aortic aneurysm, Barry looked at my friend Tara, who was waiting with us, and said, "Make sure Nancy takes care of herself. Promise me, or else I'll worry."
He wasn't worried about being sliced open again—he was worried about me.
I came to faith in Christ three years after Barry and I married, and for almost 30 years I prayed about my husband's relationship with the Lord. Then the day of Barry's open-heart surgery, he told me if he died, I'd see him again, because he knew Jesus was his Savior. He prayed with me, he prayed with a friend, and he prayed with his surgeon. Barry hasn't stopped praying—he prays with me every day.
What I'd asked God for all these years—to heal the spiritual rift in my marriage, to bring my husband and me close—God had given. He'd performed heart surgery on us both, ripping us apart and knitting us back together.
Barry and I talk often about this past year, how it's been awful—and awfully good. We wouldn't wish this kind of year on anyone and wouldn't want to go through it again, but we're glad it happened.
We thank God for the good days and the bad, because in all our days God's held us both securely in his grip. We've known God's incredible kindness to us. Our hearts are in his hands.
We've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—and I praise God for it.
Condensed from an article on "Walk with Me," a Today's Christian Woman blog © 2007 Christianity Today International. For more articles like this, visit Walk with Me
Nancy Kennedy, "The (Not So) Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
One of the things that God has been trying to teach me in life is that He will use the tough times for good in our life if we will keep our trust in Him. It is easy to talk about that - but when I am facing a storm in life I usually just want God to take it away.
How do we truly Believe Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. "
Does God really work in all situations - even the tough and painful times of life? Soemtimes we see it after we have gotten through a situation. We look back and it makes sense. But God offers something better - finding Him in the midst of the storm. That will be the message this week I hope you can join us.
I also saw this story below that speaks to the point.
With You In Christ
Matt
I'm sitting in yet another hospital waiting room.
Ever since my husband, Barry, first underwent open heart and quadruple bypass surgery 15 months ago, I've been in this waiting room—or one just like it—more times than I can count on one hand, waiting for him to come out of the operating room.
In little more than a year's time, my vocabulary has increased to include words and phrases such as aneurysm, atrial fib, and EP study with ablation. They all mean I have to put on a cheery face, kiss Barry good-bye, and promise I won't worry about him or forget to eat lunch and lock the garage door at night while he's in the hospital again.
With all Barry's surgeries and procedures, we've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—one of the worst in our 32 years together. Yet, ironically, it's also turned out to be the best.
I learned just how deeply Barry loves me. As he was all prepped and waiting to go into surgery to repair his aortic aneurysm, Barry looked at my friend Tara, who was waiting with us, and said, "Make sure Nancy takes care of herself. Promise me, or else I'll worry."
He wasn't worried about being sliced open again—he was worried about me.
I came to faith in Christ three years after Barry and I married, and for almost 30 years I prayed about my husband's relationship with the Lord. Then the day of Barry's open-heart surgery, he told me if he died, I'd see him again, because he knew Jesus was his Savior. He prayed with me, he prayed with a friend, and he prayed with his surgeon. Barry hasn't stopped praying—he prays with me every day.
What I'd asked God for all these years—to heal the spiritual rift in my marriage, to bring my husband and me close—God had given. He'd performed heart surgery on us both, ripping us apart and knitting us back together.
Barry and I talk often about this past year, how it's been awful—and awfully good. We wouldn't wish this kind of year on anyone and wouldn't want to go through it again, but we're glad it happened.
We thank God for the good days and the bad, because in all our days God's held us both securely in his grip. We've known God's incredible kindness to us. Our hearts are in his hands.
We've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—and I praise God for it.
Condensed from an article on "Walk with Me," a Today's Christian Woman blog © 2007 Christianity Today International. For more articles like this, visit Walk with Me
Nancy Kennedy, "The (Not So) Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
Posted on Wednesday April 14, 2010
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The Christian life is to be one that lives in God's power and direction every day. That seems to be a difficult challenge for most Christians. The world we live in pushes and pulls us to live at a frantic pace. Every day is filled with activity, running from here to there trying to keep up with all the world tells us we should want to do.
We often come to a point where we long to slow down and get out of the race -but it seems that we have been busy for so long - we don't know how to live any other way.
I believe the life we are longing for but do not know how to get there can be seen in Enoch. We are introduced to Enoch in Genesis 5:21-24
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Enoch's life demonstrates a picture of a daily life with God: Enoch simply "walked with God".
Enoch's life is not marked by great works for God; he simply lived in God's presence. Day by day – He trusted God, He depended on God, He listened to God, He served God, He followed God – in a daily walk of faith.
So how do we do that? How do we take some small steps in that direction. Let em give 3 steps to a life of walking with God instead of racing a race we never win.
Slow down – if your life is set up like a race you will leave God out. God meets us when we slow down enough to look for Him and talk to Him
Eliminate activity that causes you to race without God: You have to take a look at the activities in your life that keep you racing and be willing to eliminate things that take you away from God. Caution the easiest thing to cut is not always the best choice.
Tune out so you can tune in: The daily noise of life keeps us distracted from walking with God. We have DVD, DVR, CD, DVD,TEVO, 3G, 4G, Text, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, XM, FM, MP3, Ipod, Ipad, I phone and I give up. The world we live in is relentless in trying to keep us in sensory overload - is it any wonder we miss hearing God. To walk with God is to turn off all the stuff and tune our ears and eyes and hearts to Him.
That is walking with God in our daily life – when we expect to have Him show up throughout the day in many ways, and we set our life to be ready to meet Him throughout the day.
Enoch had it figured out - may we be more like Enoch and leave the race to nowhere.
We often come to a point where we long to slow down and get out of the race -but it seems that we have been busy for so long - we don't know how to live any other way.
I believe the life we are longing for but do not know how to get there can be seen in Enoch. We are introduced to Enoch in Genesis 5:21-24
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. 22Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Enoch's life demonstrates a picture of a daily life with God: Enoch simply "walked with God".
Enoch's life is not marked by great works for God; he simply lived in God's presence. Day by day – He trusted God, He depended on God, He listened to God, He served God, He followed God – in a daily walk of faith.
So how do we do that? How do we take some small steps in that direction. Let em give 3 steps to a life of walking with God instead of racing a race we never win.
Slow down – if your life is set up like a race you will leave God out. God meets us when we slow down enough to look for Him and talk to Him
Eliminate activity that causes you to race without God: You have to take a look at the activities in your life that keep you racing and be willing to eliminate things that take you away from God. Caution the easiest thing to cut is not always the best choice.
Tune out so you can tune in: The daily noise of life keeps us distracted from walking with God. We have DVD, DVR, CD, DVD,TEVO, 3G, 4G, Text, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, XM, FM, MP3, Ipod, Ipad, I phone and I give up. The world we live in is relentless in trying to keep us in sensory overload - is it any wonder we miss hearing God. To walk with God is to turn off all the stuff and tune our ears and eyes and hearts to Him.
That is walking with God in our daily life – when we expect to have Him show up throughout the day in many ways, and we set our life to be ready to meet Him throughout the day.
Enoch had it figured out - may we be more like Enoch and leave the race to nowhere.
Posted on Tuesday April 06, 2010
This month our church is spending extra time considering what it is to Believe God. You might say - well of course a church should believe about God - but tthat is not our challenge. For many to believe in a God is fairly easy. Thinking that there is a force out in the universe is almost universal among cultures -and Chistianity has the greatest population of all the worl's religions.
But it can be an entirley different thng to Believe God in all the areas of our life. Trusting Him to lead in all areas - large or small. For some you may struggle to hand the big thngs over to God - trusting Him to lead you to a new job, or a marriage or a major decison in life. For others it may be tougher to believe Him in the little things. Do I really need to seek out God for those things I feel comfortable making my own decisons?
I would say where we get in big trouble is by keepig the little things to ourselves and not taking them to God. You see we live most of our life in the little things. Those things that are routine, those things we are comfortable doing because we do them all the time, those things that seem to be in our control. Why take them to God? Because we can easily shut God out of most of our life - and be in the habit of only going to Him for the calamities of life.
In Joshua Ch 9 the Israelites had been trusting God and expereincing God's victories. But then they are deceived by the Gibeonites who dress up like distant travelers to strike a peace treaty. In fact they were immedeate neighbors pulling a fast one on Israel.
Joshua 9:14-16 says:14So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. 15Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. 16It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land.
Israel made the mistake of looking at the situation and thinking we don't need to bother God with this, we can do this on our own. It seemed like an easy and obvious decision. But they were deceived and ended up making a covenant with people God had commanded them not to.
As we focus on Believing God we need to start with the little things, the day to day things. What happens when God's people begin to believe God wants to and is able to work in the little things of life? I believe God is saying trust me each day - give me your routines and daily activities and see what I can do?
But it can be an entirley different thng to Believe God in all the areas of our life. Trusting Him to lead in all areas - large or small. For some you may struggle to hand the big thngs over to God - trusting Him to lead you to a new job, or a marriage or a major decison in life. For others it may be tougher to believe Him in the little things. Do I really need to seek out God for those things I feel comfortable making my own decisons?
I would say where we get in big trouble is by keepig the little things to ourselves and not taking them to God. You see we live most of our life in the little things. Those things that are routine, those things we are comfortable doing because we do them all the time, those things that seem to be in our control. Why take them to God? Because we can easily shut God out of most of our life - and be in the habit of only going to Him for the calamities of life.
In Joshua Ch 9 the Israelites had been trusting God and expereincing God's victories. But then they are deceived by the Gibeonites who dress up like distant travelers to strike a peace treaty. In fact they were immedeate neighbors pulling a fast one on Israel.
Joshua 9:14-16 says:14So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. 15Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. 16It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land.
Israel made the mistake of looking at the situation and thinking we don't need to bother God with this, we can do this on our own. It seemed like an easy and obvious decision. But they were deceived and ended up making a covenant with people God had commanded them not to.
As we focus on Believing God we need to start with the little things, the day to day things. What happens when God's people begin to believe God wants to and is able to work in the little things of life? I believe God is saying trust me each day - give me your routines and daily activities and see what I can do?
Posted on Thursday April 01, 2010
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One of our members found this devotional today and I'd like to share it with everyone.
Comfort Food
Read Luke 22:7-20
We, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. -1 Corinthians 10:17 (NIV)
Dad and I worked in our backyard to get the chicken ready while Mom worked in the kitchen with flour and a rolling pin to make the noodles. Before long, the aroma of simmering chicken filled our little house. To this day, homemade egg noodles with lots of chicken heaped over mashed potatoes is my favorite comfort food.
Jesus often used images of banquets and food to teach about God. One of these is the Passover meal we remember during Holy Week. When Jesus broke and shared the bread, it became the Bread of Life. (See John 6:48-51.)
In Communion, we find a connection to our roots: to the times we have communed before and to the people with whom we have communed; to the tears we have shed, to the pledges we have made, and to the burdens we have laid aside as we communed. These experiences connect us to God and shape our identity as people of faith.
In sharing the Lord's Supper, we receive food for the spirit. For the weary and burdened, it is rest for the soul and strength for another day. For the lonely, it is a community of faith. For the angry or the hurt, it is a vision of at least part of the world made right. For the sick and grieving, it is an eternal healing. For the one who comes in faith, it is the very presence of Christ -- a "comfort food" that is very good for the soul!
F. Richard Garland (Rhode Island, USA)
Prayer: Loving God, help us remember that you are always beside us as we try to walk the path of Jesus. Amen.
Courtesy The Upper Room
Comfort Food
Read Luke 22:7-20
We, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. -1 Corinthians 10:17 (NIV)
Dad and I worked in our backyard to get the chicken ready while Mom worked in the kitchen with flour and a rolling pin to make the noodles. Before long, the aroma of simmering chicken filled our little house. To this day, homemade egg noodles with lots of chicken heaped over mashed potatoes is my favorite comfort food.
Jesus often used images of banquets and food to teach about God. One of these is the Passover meal we remember during Holy Week. When Jesus broke and shared the bread, it became the Bread of Life. (See John 6:48-51.)
In Communion, we find a connection to our roots: to the times we have communed before and to the people with whom we have communed; to the tears we have shed, to the pledges we have made, and to the burdens we have laid aside as we communed. These experiences connect us to God and shape our identity as people of faith.
In sharing the Lord's Supper, we receive food for the spirit. For the weary and burdened, it is rest for the soul and strength for another day. For the lonely, it is a community of faith. For the angry or the hurt, it is a vision of at least part of the world made right. For the sick and grieving, it is an eternal healing. For the one who comes in faith, it is the very presence of Christ -- a "comfort food" that is very good for the soul!
F. Richard Garland (Rhode Island, USA)
Prayer: Loving God, help us remember that you are always beside us as we try to walk the path of Jesus. Amen.
Courtesy The Upper Room
Posted on Tuesday March 30, 2010
Everyday we face choices of good and bad, right and wrong. Sometimes it is obvious, other times the lines may seem grey. But often we find ourselves on the wrong side and end up feeling guilty, week or even a failure. We may feel like God is ready to punish us and that He does not understand the temptations we face – but that is not true.
Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us: So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
The High Priest for the Jews of the Bible was the one who represented the people before God and made the sacrifices for their sins to receive mercy and forgiveness. The Bible is telling us here that we now have the Great one and only High Priest Jesus Christ as our advocate. He represents us that we receive grace and mercy.
Not only does He cover us – He also understands us. Jesus walked the earth as a man and knows the temptations we face. He knows why we fall and he understands that we are weak. Because He faced them and passed the test – He can offer us grace when we fall – the strength to get back up, and the power to overcome and walk in victory over sin.
So let us come to God this morning and confess our weakness and our failures and ask for His grace and power to walk with Him today. Because He does not condemn us but gives us a new day to be right – we should be even more grateful and desire to please Him ever more. When you face the temptations of this world today – go boldly to Jesus knowing He understands and ask His help to go the right way, God’s way.
Thank you dear Jesus for loving us with understanding and helping us with your power. May our lives honor you.
Walking with you in grace.
Matt
Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us: So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
The High Priest for the Jews of the Bible was the one who represented the people before God and made the sacrifices for their sins to receive mercy and forgiveness. The Bible is telling us here that we now have the Great one and only High Priest Jesus Christ as our advocate. He represents us that we receive grace and mercy.
Not only does He cover us – He also understands us. Jesus walked the earth as a man and knows the temptations we face. He knows why we fall and he understands that we are weak. Because He faced them and passed the test – He can offer us grace when we fall – the strength to get back up, and the power to overcome and walk in victory over sin.
So let us come to God this morning and confess our weakness and our failures and ask for His grace and power to walk with Him today. Because He does not condemn us but gives us a new day to be right – we should be even more grateful and desire to please Him ever more. When you face the temptations of this world today – go boldly to Jesus knowing He understands and ask His help to go the right way, God’s way.
Thank you dear Jesus for loving us with understanding and helping us with your power. May our lives honor you.
Walking with you in grace.
Matt
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