Thought of the Day !!

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Romans 8:26 (NIV)

Are there times in your life when you just don't know what to ask God for or how to go about asking? Have you ever wanted to pray for somebody, but you didn't know their specific need? Have you ever been in a funk and didn't understand why and had no clue how to put it into words before God?

I know I have experienced all of these and figure you have too. Jesus tells us to take our burdens to him, but there have been times when I really didn't know how to explain what these burdens were. That can make it hard when trying to share our problems with others. But God already knows. He already knows what we're going through, what others are going through, what pains and hurts we are all feeling, what burdens we bear.

Begin by simply going to God in prayer. You may or may not say what you desire for. But God's Holy Spirit reaches down into the depths of your heart to get what the heart knows but the brain can't put into words. Pray that God would recognize the things you can't explain. The Bible says that He's capable of just that. And I believe it too.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.
Colossians 2:6 (NLT)

Yesterday I talked about what it meant to believe in Jesus. Today I want to look at what it means to say that He is our Lord and Savior. Lets look at Jesus as Lord first. Paul wrote that as we have accepted Christ Jesus as our Lord that we must continue to live in obedience to him. The key here is the word obedience.

The word lord is not used like it once was. Once upon a time you might hear about the lord of the manor or the lord of this or that piece of land. And the lord was the one who was in charge. He was the one whom you had to obey. So when we speak of Jesus as our Lord, we are saying that Jesus is the one who is in charge of our lives. His teachings are the ones that we are willing to obey. If you claim that Jesus is your Lord, but you are not living by his teachings, then you are lying to yourself and to others.

Then there is the word Savior. This is pretty simple. Jesus died on a cross. And when he did, we were given a way to be saved from our sins. I like to say that he did it so that we would know there was a way out of our sinful lives.

So when we believe in Him by putting our trust in Him, we are saved from our old sinful ways. Because He saves us from ourselves, He is our Savior.

So believe in Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you shall be saved from the penalty of your sin, which is death.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him.
Colossians 2:6 (NLT)

When we believe in Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior we are saved, born again, created anew or however else you want to say it. We begin a new life with Christ. So what does it mean to believe in Christ? Does it mean that we believe in an intellectual way with our minds, deducing that there must be a God and therefore must be a Christ? Or does it mean more? What does it mean to say we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Today I want to talk about what it means to believe in Jesus. Tomorrow we will look at the terms Lord and Savior.

John 3:16 is possibly the most well-known verse in the bible. And people throughout the ages have taken this verse to be the means of their salvation. God gave His Son so that if we would believe in him we would not perish but have everlasting life. So if we believe in Jesus we will be saved. A truer statement will never be made. But what does it mean exactly to believe? Well, throughout the Gospel of John when the word believe is used, it is used to mean more than an intellectual belief. It's more of an action verb. And the action is to place our lives, our fates if you will, into Jesus' hands, trusting in Him for their outcome.

I've always believed, and taught, that to believe is more than believing with our heads. It's also believing with our hearts, which will lead to believing through our actions. In other words, when we believe with our heads, we acknowledge the Truth. When we believe with our hearts, we place our love in the Truth. And when we do these two, our actions will follow suit. And the Truth that we believe in is Christ Jesus.

All this means is that if you say that you believe in Christ and are saved because of it, make sure you aren't just talking about agreeing with the fact that Jesus lived or even the things he taught. Come to know Christ in an intimate way, trusting in Him and placing your whole life in His hands.

Tomorrow we will talk about what it means to say that "Jesus is my Lord and Savior."

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Psalms 55:22 (NIV)

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 (NLT)

Maybe we ought to ask ourselves from time to time which way we're leaning. Are we leaning towards a holy life or an impure one? None of us are perfect. But all of us can strive for perfection (or holiness). This is what God desires.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13

I have often times heard the last sentence of this passage (and even quoted it). "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" is used to help others see that with Christ all things are possible.

But how often have we read the verses that precede this statement? Paul is saying that because he has Christ, he can be happy whether he is on top of the world or in a ditch. If we ask and allow Him to, Christ will give us the strength we need to be wealthy and still give much away...to succeed and still be humble...to live with our heads just above water and still not constantly complain about what we don't have...to be laid off or replaced and still be able to love our neighbor...to be displaced by a natural disaster that has demolished everything we had and still love God.

If we ask, we shall receive. Ask for strength from Christ, no matter what your place in life, and He will share it with you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done.
Galatians 6:4 (NCV)

Ouch! Who doesn't need to hear this?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Harry Potter and the Sermon on the Mount

Here's a great article for all Harry Potter fans about how the latest book relates to the Sermon on the Mount.

*** But don't read it until you've finished the book. You've been warned!!!


Hat tip Beth Quick

Thought of the Day !!

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
Psalms 22:11 (NIV)

Trouble is never too far away. But then again, neither is God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Often times we Christians can be too timid. Of course the opposite is true too. We have been know to beat people over the head with our Bibles, go on Crusades (or wage war) in the name of Christ, and to condemn folks for their sins while hiding our own. So we can go too far in either direction.

But in the things that Paul is speaking of here, we can never go too far. God gave us a spirit of power. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us, then we have a power unparalleled by any other. We have the power to serve, to forgive, to love. This kind of power knows no bounds and is greater than any of the negatives that the devil tries to throw at us.

God gave us a spirit of love. This means that we are capable of loving no matter what. Here is one of the places we are too timid at times though. Many feel embarrassed to show love in today's world. It's not the "manly" thing to do. Or even for women, it may not be proper in places. But we have been given the spirit of love of neighbor, and the Bible teaches us to use this gift generously. I've seen this in several ways in the past like after 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. But don't let it come down to a disaster occurring to give you a reason to show love to others.

God also gave us a spirit of self-discipline. Look deep inside yourself. It's there. For some of us though, we just have to look a little harder.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)

There are many times I have been angry about something in my lifetime. Sometimes this anger has been justifiable anger where I had good reason to be angry. Sometimes my feelings got hurt and I just thought I had good reason to be angry. And at other times I had no right to be angry at all.

The biggest problem with anger is that it can fester and develop into multiple sins. Anger can lead to unforgiveness, revenge, harsh words, and many more sinful emotions or actions. This anger, at its extreme can become hate. And this is about as far from God as we can venture because God is love.

So our anger can be the thing that leads us far away from God. But on the other hand, it is allowing God's Son to grow in us that will help us fend off anger and the awful things that it can lead to. When, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have Christ abiding in us, we will grow in the love of Christ and find it harder and harder to become angry.

If you are angry with someone right now, I suggest getting that anger in check. Forgive, or ask for forgiveness. Be more like Christ would have you be, not like the devil is trying to make you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What will the world look like in a hundred years?

Thought of the Day !!

For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever...
Psalm 37:28

God does care about those who are just. He cares about those who put others first. He cares about those who practice love of God and love of neighbor. He cares about those who don't try to get ahead at others' expense. He cares about those who are faithful to live according to His Word. He cares about those who speak to Him on a regular basis. He cares about those who don't fill their prayers with their desires only. He cares about those who listen to the call of others in need. He cares about those who give up their time to help out. He cares about those who care about each other. God Cares and will Protect.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Psalms 103:1-2 (NIV)

Have you praised God today? Did you wake with the Lord on your lips? Have we remembered to thank Jesus for all that He's done for us?

Our God is an awesome God who deserves our praise. Let us not get so caught up in ourselves and our day that we forget to tell Him thanks.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Have you shown love to someone lately who needed it desperately? (a humble yes or a honest no will suffice)

Thought of the Day !!

[God says,] "As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you."
Isaiah 66:13 (NIV)

Often times when a small child hurts itself, it runs to momma for loving care. Every family is not the same of course, and sadly, every mother is not a good mother. But in a perfect world all mothers would bring about comfort to their children.

And in an imperfect world God brings about comfort to all, no matter what the family setting. Our God is not just some deity up there that cares nothing for what He's created. He cared enough about you and about me to come live among us. He cares enough even now to listen to us, share His Holy Spirit with us, mourn with us, laugh with us and bring comfort to us.

When you think you're all alone in this world, keep in mind that there's always someone else there that cares. God walks with us, sometimes carrying us when things get too tough. And our Lord will never leave us.

May we all seek to imitate our Father in Heaven by bringing comfort to those in need that are around us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.

Psalms 63:1-2 (NLT)

Are these your thoughts and feelings today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

I'm Back

I'm back from Kansas City and the School of Congregational Development at the Church of the Resurrection. What a thrill it was! There was actually information overload, and I'm still unpacking what was said. It was great!!!! I was taught about preaching for relevance from Adam Hamilton and learned about Church Turnaround and the need to keep church leaders (including myself) healthy. Did you know that there are approximately 100,000 pastors that are burned out in our churches today? About 1,500 leave the ministry daily. Did you hear that? DAILY!!!

On another note, I saw history being made as Bonds tied the record while sitting in the famous George Brett's restaurant in Kansas City. How appropriate was that?

Thought of the Day !!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

God has great plans for all of us if we will only submit to Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure."
Acts 10:28 (NLT)

Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right."
Acts 10:34-35 (NLT)

A man came into a worship service one Sunday morning and went down towards the front and chose a pew to sit on. As he sat, he heard a snicker from the lady behind him. After a few moments of discussion in the back another man came to the pew where he was sitting. As the stranger sitting in the pew looked up and smiled, the other asked, “Don’t you think you’d be more comfortable worshiping with a church of your own color?” And the stranger quietly got up and left.

At the same time at another church across town a stranger came in and sat down. He chose to turn to the snickering lady behind him and stretch out his hand for a friendly handshake. The lady got up and went to the back. Then a couple of men came from the back and proceeded to tell the stranger where the local mosque was. And the stranger quietly got up and left.

A man came into yet another church in this town and sat down. This one bowed his head in prayer immediately. Three men came down from the back and surrounded the poor man that was wearing torn rags and had a displeasing smell about him. The leader of the group remarked, “We can tell you’re homeless. We’ve taken up some money for you. If you’ll come with us, we’ll get you some information about where you can go. Please hurry, services are about to begin.” And the stranger quietly got up and left.

Jesus came into the presence of His Father who asked Him, “I thought you were going to go down there and worship this morning?” And Jesus' reply was, “They didn’t want me there.”

In the parable of the sheep and the goats found in Matthew 25, Jesus basically tells us, "What you did for the least of these, you did for me. What you didn’t do for the least of these, you did not do for me."

Who would you welcome into your church...your home...your life? Or asked another way, who would not be welcome by you in any of these three?

I love the quote by Peter where he says "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality." If this is true, then why are we Christians so often guilty of doing it? Maybe we all need to ask God who we may show partiality to and ask for forgiveness.

In the love of Christ,
greg