Thought of the Day !!

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Matthew 7:3-5

How easy it is to find fault in others. How much harder it is to find fault in ourselves. Almost daily we can find someone somewhere pointing out the flaws in another person. How often is it that this person is you?

Jesus is telling us that we need to realize that no person is perfect. And even though some believe that they're better than others, that pride may be the one thing right there that makes them less perfect than someone else. The key to this scripture, as with many other of Jesus' teachings, is humility. Let us try to work on fixing the imperfections in our own lives before we go pointing out the flaws in other peoples' lives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12

Remember, Jesus didn't say, "Do to others as they have done to you". He wants us to do to others as we wish they would to do to us. This would erase revenge and spiteful acts. And this would increase the act of loving our neighbor, as well as our enemy - two more acts that Jesus commands of us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17

When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, it means that He is the one who rules our lives. He becomes our center instead of ourselves. By God's grace, we change in that respect. All aspects of our lives may not immediately change. There very well could be many things about our past lives that we have a hard time giving up, or simply don't want to stop. This happens when people have accepted God's grace but are still clinging on to their old lives.

We have to choose though. Jesus teaches that we cannot serve two masters. Only one can come first. Does that mean that once we become Christians, God expects us to quit all our sinful behavior cold turkey? I believe that God knows how hard it is for us. And all He expects us to do is try to live for Him instead of ourselves. When we do that, and ask for His help, He will help us work things out. He's not looking for perfection out of us. He made us. He knows how imperfect we are. He is, however, expecting us to try. His grace will be sufficient when we fail.

If your claim is to be a Christian, but your life is the same as before, maybe you should re-evaluate your claim. Remember, Christian means to be Christ-like. Are you really making your best effort to become Christ-like in ALL aspects of your life?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:2-3

We are precious in God's sight. He promises to be with us through the troubling times in our lives and to lead us out of them if we will allow Him to. This is one of the greatest promises that God offers us...to not abandon us. People often times abandon Him. But even in the case of those, He never forgets them and accepts them back if they wish to come.

As His children, we should emulate this kind of behavior. I once knew a lady that didn't care much for the Church. That is, until her father was on his death bed. When she saw how her parent's church members gathered around, supporting and showing love to the family, she was changed. And she began going to that church. In her deepest hours of need, she found something out about God. She found out that He would never abandon her. He is not only there when we need Him, but He's not opposed to presenting Himself in tangible ways either. You might not hear Him speak through a burning bush, but you just might through a friend.

Life is supposed to be about relationships with God and each other. It can be as long as we realize that God will not abandon us...and we commit ourselves to never abandoning Him or each other.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Hebrews 13:2

In today's world of suicide bombers, rapists, killers, muggers, etc. there may be very little desire to entertain strangers for many people. As if the real world stuff wasn't bad enough, we then turn on the TV or watch movies that are more violent than ever. And we believe we have to think of our safety and those with us when a stranger comes up to us looking for a handout.

It used to be ok to pick up someone on the side of the road who needed a ride. But how many are willing to pick up hitchhikers today? And then, of course, there's all those out there that are trying to take advantage of us. There really are people who don't want to work for a living and would rather con me and work the system.

And still the Bible teaches us to entertain strangers. Jesus says that those who give the hungry something to eat and the thirsty something to drink, who welcome the stranger or visit the sick or imprisoned, will be the ones who will have a place with the King.

Sometimes we just have to step out on faith and ask God to protect us. At other times we have to use our common sense. Cell phones can be used to call for help for someone on the side of the road (instead of stopping) if we're not sure. If somebody comes to us each week needing money for gas to get their momma to the same doctor's appointment, we can say "No more". Or even better, we can buy the gas (instead of giving cash) or help them find a job. The truth of the matter is that even if we're being conned, duped, taken (or however you want to put it) nine out of ten times, we may entertain an angel once. Or to put it another way, we may entertain Christ. For He said if we do for the least, we've done for Him.

I, for one, would rather be duped 9 out of 10 times and do the work of Christ once than let my Savior down.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"... I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
John 17:23

Unity. Now there's a word I have some trouble with. And this is because we, even as Christians, are so divided. There's Catholics and Protestants. There's numerous denominations. Don't forget conservative thinkers, moderate thinkers and liberal thinkers. Then think of all the things that have been done in the name of God that divide us. Some split over issues like abortion, divorce or homosexuality. Others on how church should be done. While still others part company in their church every time they hear something they don't like from the preacher because they know very well there's another church down the road.

Yes, we are divided in many ways. But Jesus was truly unified with the Father and prayed for the unity of his disciples. Which by the way, I believe he would want this unity to flow down to everyone who has put their faith in him since then as well. As unified people we can let the world know that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son for us. Maybe the reason there are so many who don't believe is that we are so divided. Maybe if we were truly unified, ours would be the fastest growing religion in America instead of Islam (a fact I learned a few years ago and can only assume is still true).

But what others may not see is that we do hold something in common. If you call yourself a Christian...and mean what that says (believing in Christ and being Christ-like). Then you share something in common with me and I with you. We love God and Jesus. And we know of God's love for us shown in how He did send His Son for us. If only our unity in that fact could be seen as clearly and shouted as loudly as the things that divide us, we'd do a better job of fulfilling the Great Commission (Go and make disciples).

Let us come to seek more unity in love than division in anger.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
Proverbs 16:20

Have you ever met a know-it-all? You know, someone who thinks that they know everything there is to know about something and nobody can argue with them or convince them otherwise. I'm sure I've been one at times in my life. Maybe you can even recount a time or situation where you were one too.

But the truth is that only the Lord knows it all. Yet still many people go around thinking that their beliefs about God or their denomination's stance or their style of worship, etc. is the only correct way. What we all have to do is remember that we can be wrong from time to time, or that even though we have it right, someone else may also. And so, we should always be willing to learn. Always be willing to open your mind, for you never know when you might actually be wrong.

Of course, we need to be smart too. We shouldn't just believe anything that anybody tells us either. Test the validity of what others say by Scripture, your reason, your experience on the subject and the tradition of the Church.

C.S. Lewis, along with others, claimed that if a belief had not passed the test of time in the Church that it could not be valid. Yet there are many new ways of thinking popping up everyday. So I want to emphasize that I'm not saying that we should merely accept everything, but that we should be open to listening to others and then trusting in God to help us through.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Coming Soon...(maybe)

I just added a mailing list to my site and I haven't quite yet got it figured out all the way....so please be patient. For those of you who already know me, you know I send out a thought of the day email Monday through Friday. I have been posting these to my new blog here. Right now I send them via my address book. The list has grown to 127 and I wanted to find a better way to do this ministry. I am always afraid that my address book will crash.

Anyway, if all goes as planned, I will be sending them via this mailing list. This may take a little work, but I believe it will be worth it if it works.

By the way, if any would like to join this list, you can subscribe through the mailing list on the right. I can add you to the email group whether I'm using this mailing list or not.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

On one hand, words are very strong. The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is simply not true. Words can be devastating. And once said, can never be taken out of the memory of the one said to even if all is forgiven.

On the other hand, however, words are weak when used to show love. That is, unless they're backed with actions. The letter of James tells us that faith without works is dead. I say the same goes with love. If one says these words to a spouse that he/she abuses in any way, then there is no love. If a friend says I love you sister/brother, but isn't willing to stand by the other in a time of need, there is no love. And the same is true in any case where love is spoken while not shown.

Francis of Assisi, who lived around the 12th century and began the Franciscan order of monks, would teach his order to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words. Francis knew that his monks could speak the Good News all they wanted, but if they didn't show it by the way they lived, they would never be effective. In the same way, you can tell others that you love them, but it won't mean a thing if you don't show them.

Let us continually show our love to each other and to God with our words, but also with our actions.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the day !!

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

There are a lot of people in this world who believe that they can pick and choose a theology that's right for them. They go to church and decide which sermon is good based on if they liked the content or not. Many try out different religions to see which one is most appealing. Some are searching for the easiest, some for the most enjoyable that will allow them to keep doing the things that they want to do.

The truth is, that broad is the road that leads to destruction and all these quick fix, prosperity gospel, self-serving idealogies and theologies lie on that path. I may not know all the answers, but one thing I can say is this. The narrow road that few find is only narrow because people are searching to satisfy themselves instead of their loving God who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with us and then bring us joy.

Search and you will find that true happiness is not found in self-seeking religions or bars or pill bottles or needles. These things only bring about short-lived satisfaction and leave you wanting more. Real everlasting joy comes by putting God first and using Jesus as our example. Once you experience the love of Christ, you will find the happiness that you've been longing for.

In the love of Christ,
greg

General Welcome

Hello to whomever has gotten lost and wound up on this blog of mine. My name is Greg Hazelrig and I am the pastor of Avon United Methodist Church and Glen Allan United Methodist Church. In our denomination, if you're really good they give you two churches.

Well, actually, that's not quite true. We have so many smaller churches in Mississippi that most of the churches are on a charge. My charge is called the Avon/Glen Allan charge and they've been stuck with me for two years now. The combined average attendance is about 110-115 weekly. And these are some good folks too. I live in the delta of Mississippi and the land is flat as a pancake. I have to drive to the levee by the Mississippi River to see an actual hill. Most of my parishoners are farmers. So I figured I'd get all sorts of produce and stuff. But when harvesting time comes around, not too many people offer me any of the harvested crops. I guess they think I don't need any cotton or soybeans. That's ok. I wouldn't know how to cook them anyway.

Well, enough rambling. My plans are to have a Thought of the Day !! post each Monday through Friday. These are the same that I send by email. So if any would like to join the email list, just send me a request at brogreg30@bellsouth.net. These will consist of a scripture verse and most the time some of my own comments.

I also plan to add other items of interest as time allows. Some may be sermon topics or news issues. Please feel free to comment on them, but please...keep it clean and non-judgmental. Differing opinions are welcome, but remember, we're all God's children.

And finally, my passion outside of faith and family is baseball (especially Atlanta Braves). So if anyone would like to discuss this issue, just email and I will see what we can do. Play Ball!!

Well that's it for now. I'm gonna go get ready for the most important thing on TV nowadays. Atlanta vs. San Francisco.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
Proverbs 20:22

Revenge is not as sweet as people want to think. When you get it, you don't feel better. You can actually begin feeling worse. This is because God may use your conscience to show you where you were wrong.

Forgiveness is the real answer, not revenge. When you forgive someone, God forgives you, and you leave all the built up hate and frustration with the other person. And if they choose not to forgive, then it's them who will suffer, not you. So don't allow the desire for the revenge you may or may not ever actually accomplish ruin your days. Instead free yourself from the anger and hatred that control you. You will be much happier then. I promise.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15

Forgiveness is very important to God. And who would blame Him for this? After all, look at what He went through to show us forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I've never gone to such lengths to forgive someone. I have had to swallow my pride before. I have had to step out on a limb and trust again. But I have yet to die for anyone's forgiveness. What about you?

These words come immediately after Jesus teaches us how to pray the Lord's Prayer. I think something we should take notice of is the fact that when he finishes the prayer, there's only one point that he reiterates. He doesn't mention anything about our daily bread or being led into temptation. He simply restates the fact that we have to forgive. Do you think Jesus is trying to tell us something? Could it be the fact that in this list of very important things that he's teaching here, that forgiveness is a special attribute that we need to understand? Or maybe it's Jesus' pet peeve, seeing that he knew where it would lead him.

Or maybe he just understood the fact that this would be the hardest part of the prayer for most people to digest. But the fact simply remains. If we want that great gift from our Father in Heaven, we must be willing to do the same for others here on earth.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:7-10


Seek the Lord Jesus in every aspect of your life, for He will not forsake you, just as His Father never forsake Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."
John 17:4

This is of course Jesus speaking here. But who out there believes that Jesus was the only one called to bring the Father glory?

Many people in this world live in a fashion that brings no glory to God. Many in this world seek the attention and credit that should be bestowed upon his/her Father in Heaven. And then there are those humble people who never try to receive the glory for the great things they do, for they do them to honor Jesus and the one who sent Him.

Which one would you be? Which one would others say you are? Do you believe God is happy with the glory that is brought to Him because of you?

In the love of Christ,
greg