Thought of the Day !!

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
Matthew 3:1-2 (NLT)

This Sunday will be the first Sunday in the season of Advent. Advent is a time when we look forward to the arrival of the baby in the manger at Christmas. It's a time of preparation. We prepare our hearts and our minds for the greatest gift ever given humankind. I'm of course speaking of the gift of Jesus; his birth, his life, his death, his resurrection (the whole package).

As we prepare ourselves this Advent season, let's remember another time when preparation was being taught. John the Baptist was preaching to the people in his day to prepare themselves for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus' rule over their lives.

The key component of preparation for John is the same for us today. It's repentance. To truly prepare ourselves for Jesus we must repent of our sins. To repent means to turn, or to change direction. When we repent, we turn from our sin. But in turning from sin, we must also turn toward God. This is the repentance that John preached about. This is the repentance that will help us this Advent season to prepare for the gift of Christmas.

This year as we prepare the trees, prepare the food, prepare for gifts and family and so on, let us also prepare our hearts and our lives so that they will be holy and acceptable to God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

How might we promote loving each other and doing good deeds today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NLT)

Even though the suffering that Peter was talking about here was the persecution of the new believers in the first century Church, I believe we can receive a comforting message as well as 21st century Christians. He first tells us that the devil is real. And that's something we must come to terms with. Satan is not a red guy with a tail and a pitchfork like you see in the old cartoons. He is a spirit. And he is always lingering and "looking for some victim to devour".

His greatest weapon is temptation. And it is here that we can, oddly enough, find comfort. You see, the devil can tempt us Christians who are robed with the righteousness of Christ. But he can never make us do anything. The temptations may be so strong sometimes that we believe we were made to do something. But in reality, we all have the ability to choose. There will be times when we choose unwisely. But the great thing about Christ is that He's willing to forgive.

Peter reminds us that we are not alone. If you are struggling with sin right now in your life, be it something big or some smaller things you just seem to continue to struggle with, know that you're not the only one. We are in this together. "Your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are", Peter wrote.

What makes this comforting is the fact that there are others out there that we can talk to and that can help. Find someone you trust and hold each other accountable in love. Help each other fight the temptations of the devil. When we do this, he hasn't got a chance.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought / Question of the day !!

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

Is the Spirit of the Lord being reflected in your life? Or do others see something else when they look at you?

Be honest. I hear so often "Well, I hope...." Don't look at what you hope is true or what you would like to be true. Take a good hard look at yourself today and ask yourself what others would say that they see in you if they were completely honest with you. How many would say that they see a selfish person or a hypocrite? How many would say that they see someone who is prideful...or how about undependable...or how about quick to become angry...or how about neglectful of others' feelings? I'm sure I couldn't count the number of times that these have been what others have seen in me over my life.

How many would say that when they look at you they see a little piece of Christ? My desire is that when people look at me they see a small reflection of the one who lives in me. My goal needs to be to be more reflective of Him and less of me. How about you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.
Isaiah 33:2 (NIV)

Our days may be planned out, but we never know when something will come in and mess up our plans. Surprises can happen at any time that will derail us. But when we rely on God's strength each day, He will see us through the days that go according to planned, as well as those that don't.

This verse from Isaiah sounds like a good prayer to begin the day with. "O Lord, my God, please be gracious to me today for I long to be with you constantly. Be my strength this morning and save me from all the distress that will come my way this day."

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But [God] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Allow God to use your weakness today to show His power as you humble yourself before Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

P.S. I will be leaving Sunday to go home for Thanksgiving week so there will be no devotions next week. Please pray for Michelle and I as we travel separately. She has to work the first part of next week and will have to come home on Wednesday. Also, I ask for your prayers as I go Monday to say good-bye to a lady that has meant so much to me...a saint in my first church....who has treated me as and called me her grandson, even though she's never had any children. She has had multiple strokes and is in a nursing home and I don't know how long she has left. So I will most likely see her alive for the last time. If there is anyone like that in your life (relative or not) take time to share with them how much they mean to you before it's too late. God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving! I give thanks for each of you this week.

Thought of the Day !!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Not in some things...not in most things...not in the good things that happen in our lives...but in "ALL" things God works for the good of those who love him.

In the midst of our personal trials, we may not think anything good can happen. But if we will look close enough, we will see that God even uses these times. It may be to build our character or strength. I remember one of the Star Trek movies where someone "playing" God told Captain Kirk, the captain of the starship Enterprise, that he could take away the things from his past that caused him pain. Kirk replied that he didn't want his past pains taken away. These were the things that brought him character and made him who he was.

We would not be who we are today if it were not for the good and bad things that happened in our lives. We are strengthened by trials and tribulations that we've overcome. And this is just a sample of how God "can" work for good in all things.

Other times that seemingly have no upside to them are times of disaster. We all remember 9/11. This was a terrible event in the history of our nation. But afterwards our nation banded together and you didn't hear about political parties and other kinds of disputes. We were all on the same team, even if only for a short while. How did God work good in this? Church attendance rose in the weeks following this event. I know that many of those who started coming after 9/11 have long since quit coming again, but you and I will never know how many came back and stayed and how many found a deeper relationship with God because of it. And God works for good.

Lets not forget tragic natural disasters like the earthquake I read about this morning in Chile or the devastating hurricanes that hit our Gulf Coast within the last several years. Where was God through events such as Katrina? I saw Him in the aftermath where people learned that they could make a difference. He was there when neighbor helped neighbor (even if that neighbor was someone they'd never met). People learned how to care for others and feed others and pray with others. Many learned how to be a Christian, maybe for the first time. And so the love of Christ has been shared throughout our lands. And God works for good.

We can see God working good in ALL things if we will only look close enough. He didn't make 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina happen. He didn't start the fires that swept through California earlier this year. He wasn't trying to test us, punish us, or see how we would react. But in these events He does see us through and works good for all of us who love Him and are called to live according to His purpose.

Today you may be going through trials of pain in your life. This pain could be physical or mental or emotional. But whatever kind it might be, know that God is with you and that He can even bring good out of whatever you're going through. May God bless you in whatever circumstances you live. And may there be more good ones that bad ones. And may you see the good that God does in your life through both.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:1-3 (NRSV)

There was a little girl who attended church and Sunday school each week. She loved her church and wanted to be there all the time. One day at school an older boy who was picking on her told her that there was no such thing as God. He kept telling her that she was just a little girl and that she didn’t know anything. Finally he asked her, “Why do you believe?” She responded very simply with “I just do”.

Later in life when she was older and in the workplace and confronted with the same question, she made a very similar response, but she would always add that her faith gave her hope. Without it, life just wouldn’t be worth living.

Jesus didn't want us to become childish. He wanted us to become childlike. There is something about a child, or more specifically for today's thought, a child's faith that is incredible. They simply believe. So often we become calloused by the world in which we live in and lose some (or all) of our childlike faith.

Sometimes we can’t know all the answers. We have to rely on a childlike faith and the hope that it brings us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question about Veteran's Day Sunday

Actually, I have two questions.

First, how many of you had a special Veterans Day service today (Sunday)? Second, how many of you would be upset if you attended a service that didn't pay special attention to the Veterans on this day?

I didn't realize that this was Veterans' Day and therefore did not mention anything about our veterans. Afterwards, I was berated by a parishioner. I apologized, but to no avail. Actually, if I'd realized it, I would have had a special pastoral prayer or mentioned them during announcements. But I don't believe in having special holiday services (other than Christian services like Palm Sunday or Ash Wednesday, etc.). I don't want to slight our veterans. My grandfather was a veteran, and I have nothing but respect for those fighting in our military. But worship is to be about God first and foremost. Tell me...am I wrong? I don't mind discussing the issue. I just don't like someone jumping down my throat at the end of the service in front of a crowd (including visitors).

I would like to say "Thank You" to all those who might read this and are veterans. You have my respect, and so I hope I've done nothing to offend you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness.
1 Peter 2:2-3 (NLT)

What does it mean to grow into the fullness of our salvation? I see this as maturing as Christians. When we are born again, we are changed in a miraculous way. But at the same time, our behavior and thinking may not be totally changed.

The new birth is just the beginning, not the end of our salvation story. It is then that God justifies us...that He forgives us and makes us worthy of His redemption. Then we are to begin a new life where we look at things differently. We'll continue to have pitfalls, failures and successes. We can learn from each one and grow in our relationship with God from each one. These are the things that will build us. And we should be able to look back daily and say to ourselves, "I'm not where I should be yet, but I'm much better off than I was."

After we're born again, the goal is for us to continue to mature, or as Wesley put it, to go on towards perfection. So what we must realize is that the new birth and/or baptism is not the end of our salvation story. These are just the beginning. Let us all crave the pure spiritual milk that God has to offer us and grow into the fullness of our salvation.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !! / Question of the Day ??

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.
Acts 2:42 (NLT)

These members who made up the beginnings of the Church were devoted people. Devotion means to have a profound dedication for something. It means making sacrifices or giving up things for whatever you’re devoted to. For instance, I was devoted to band for a few years in Jr. High and High School. I gave up much of my time and social life for practice and performances. A man and a woman who are devoted to each other and marry give up their single life and much of what goes with it because they see that what they’re gaining is much better. A person who is devoted to losing weight will give up certain foods that they love to achieve their goal.

God wants us to become devoted to Him. What are you willing to sacrifice, or give up, to become a devoted believer?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !! / Question of the Day ??

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Matthew 14:25-29 (TNIV)

If you know this story from Matthew you'll remember that something happens with the 30th verse. Peter loses faith and begins to sink. But today's "Thought" won't focus on Peter's loss of faith. Instead we focus on the faith he had to begin with.

When we come to Christ, our faith is strong. It's supposed to grow as we grow in Christian maturity, which helps us to step out on this faith from time to time. So the question I would like for each of us to think about today is simple. When was the last time we stepped out on faith and attempted to walk on water?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Blog Readability

I saw this test of the blog readability on some other sites and thought I'd click on it to see what mine was. In finding out the results I was horrified. I mean, I've been to college. I've got a Masters in Divinity. But after seeing the readability of other peoples' blogs being graduate level, I decided to hang my head in shame. I mean even John the Methodist had at least a Junior High Zombie type rating. And Mark Winter, who doesn't even understand the concept of BBQ, received a Junior High rating as well.

Oh the shame I felt. Would I quit blogging? Should I move to another country? Wait! This humility goes all over the world. What would be my course of action?

I decided to check out a few more of my favorite blogs. Time and again College or Graduate. My best friend Andy Stoddard had no sympathy either. He had the audacity to rate a high school rating. I may never be able to walk in his presence again. And so the questions of what I should do continued.

And then it happened. Actually, it was quite by mistake. As I was going over my list of favored (and evidently smarter) bloggers, I came to one person I felt might have compassion. Questing Parson and I hold the honors of having the same readability. Right then, I knew that I could walk out the door again. I knew that life was worth living. Because if a smart guy like QP had an elementary level readability, then so could I.

And I hold my head up today, thanking Questing Parson for not allowing me to be the only person that writes in a way that even a 3rd grader could understand.

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Hold the presses! We must be starting a trend here. I just realized that I left my buddy DannyG out, along with Doodlebugmom. We'll be all the rave of the third grade. :)

Thought of the Day !!

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house."
Haggai 1:9 (NIV)

I came across this verse in another devotion this morning, and the question was asked "Do you spend as much time on God's interests as you do on your own?" The author was trying to say that if God isn't a part of what we're doing, then it will all be blown away.

This reminded me of another passage from the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus speaks of building houses on rock instead of sand. The same question could be asked after reading this verse. Do we spend as much time on God's interests as we do on our own?

The verse from Haggai refers to God's people spending their time doing for themselves while the Temple (God's house) remained in ruin. If we update this to today, it might speak to us saying that we spend so much time thinking about ourselves that we forget that the Church (not referring to a building, but the people of God) is in decline in many ways.

So the question must be asked yet again. Do we spend as much time on God's interests as we do on our own?

In the love of Christ,
greg

A Personal Reflection of Yesterday

I had a rough day yesterday…a good day though. It all began Saturday evening when I just couldn’t seem to sleep for some reason. I guess it was just one of those nights that come from time to time. Even with the extra hour, I didn’t get much sleep. I arrived at the church about 7:15am and did my Sunday routine. I left the church about 3:30pm after a 100th birthday party for one of our members.

The day was a great one. I feel like I didn’t bomb in my preaching. I felt that the Holy Spirit was leading both our services. We had visitors. The birthday party was catered and very well attended. It was all great.

The rough part for me was that I was worn out. I was so sleepy, and I hope nobody noticed. Then as I was lying on my couch last night I got a call from a member saying that the lady whose birthday we celebrated was in the ER because of a fall. I was told not to worry about coming and that they would let me know if the hospital kept her. Then after this, another phone call came saying that another member had come to the same ER with numbness on her left side.

So I was on my way to the ER to see both. I got back about 9 or 9:30 and went to bed. But as I look back over yesterday, I see it with a small sense of joy. I don’t have joy that people were in the hospital. My joy comes from the fact that I was so sleepy yesterday in the intervals between worship and party and ER visit, but still God used me to be the pastor that people needed me to be. Or at least I hope so. It is so wonderful to have a sense that God uses us…in spite of our weaknesses.

Thought of the Day !!

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NLT)

The race that Paul speaks of finishing was not a sprint. It was a marathon, which is very important. In a marathon, it's not how well you start (many of us may start slow). It's how you finish.

Just about anyone can finish a hundred yard dash. It may take a while for a lot of us. But we can finish the race at least. But a marathon is different. You have to train hard for a marathon or you'll never even make it to the end.

Our lives are like marathons with three legs to the great race. Consider which leg you may be in, and ask yourself how well you are staying trained spiritually for the marathon life of a Christian.

1st Leg – to come into a deeply personal relationship with God through Christ – to learn of His love and to share in that love with Him by giving it back to Him

2nd leg – to listen to Him and His calling on our lives and then train for these callings through prayer and worship and Bible Study

3rd leg – to live out this loving relationship and this calling with all His other children (our brothers and sisters)

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Nate hasn’t been to church since he had a falling out with some of the people in the church about ten years ago. It was over something simple. Nate had wanted to change something in the church. There was a disagreement, and the discussions got heated, and instead of thinking about what was best for the church, the issue got to be a personal one of me verses you…. So he left.

One day, the brand new pastor that had just been appointed to Nate’s church, comes by to see him. The first thing out of old Nate’s mouth is, “I don’t mind you coming around pastor, but don’t try to get me to come back to that church.”

But as the visit goes on, the pastor can see that it’s evident that Nate is missing his church and wants the matter to be healed. Of course, pride is getting in the way. Finally, Nate says that if they want him to come back, somebody’s going to have to give a formal apology in front of the whole congregation.

Well, what happens is this. As the pastor is leaving, he writes something down on a piece of paper…folds it…and gives it to Nate as he walks out the door.
The note read, “God wants to heal you. All you have to do to be healed is come to church Sunday with an attitude of forgiveness. It’s that simple.”

Nate thought about this for the rest of the week and finally came to a decision. He’d try it. So he showed up at church on Sunday morning…walked into the sanctuary…and sit down on the back pew. The ones around him looked at him and told him that they had missed him and was glad to see him. Then the service began. After it was over, Nate had gotten a better feeling about coming back. He was feeling forgiveness in his heart, and at that very moment, the one who had opposed him the most…the one whom he had almost come to blows with ten years ago…stood before him. Neither said a word for a moment. They just looked at each other. And then, much to Nate’s surprise, the other reached out and hugged him.

Nate was healed that Sunday morning, but only because he was convinced to come on God’s terms, and not on his own.

I came upon this story that I wrote for a sermon a long time ago and decided to share it today for our devotion. As I thought about what scripture verse to use, it occurred to me that this is what the Bible as a whole is trying to teach us. If we will love each other and forgive each other, coming to God on His terms instead of ours, then our lives will be much richer.

There are Nates in the world who've left the church and never come back. There are also Nates in churches today who won't let go, holding on to their deep grudges.

Have you ever had a Nate in your church? Could it be that you've been (or are) a Nate right now? God's message to each of us this morning is that His ways are much better than our pettiness. It's about time we all give in to Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg