Thought of the Day !!

Thursday's Thought comes on Wednesday evening because I will be leaving town to work a spiritual retreat (Chrysalis Walk) in Grenada, MS tomorrow. There will be no devotional on Friday. I will also be out of town next Thursday and Friday for a leadership conference in Tupelo. After that, things should be back to normal. Please pray for those who will be attending the walk this weekend. I also ask that you pray for me.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

Some people see religion as something they do on Sunday mornings. Others see it as a topic not to be discussed, along with politics. Others see it in terms of denominational beliefs. But James tells us that true religion means caring for those in need and keeping ourselves from getting caught up in our secular activities while forgetting the things of God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

We get mad at people who deceive, harm or simply irritate us. We lash out at men and women trained to kill our own country's men and women in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. We may even hate this evil man that is said to be responsible for planning the 9/11 attacks. What Paul is telling us is that it's not the flesh and blood people that we are struggling with. It's the evil forces that have convinced them of a lie.

The devil is behind all the evil in this world. I've said it before, and I'll say it many more times before I die. The devil is REAL! And he ain't the old cartoon character with a pitchfork! And he ain't what we see in all these modern horror flicks! The devil is with you and me daily struggling to get our attention. He's tempting us with things that God wouldn't use. He's trying to get us a little further away from our Father in Heaven on a daily basis. And he's good at his job.

So just remember that instead of hating people that you see as enemies, it would be better to feel sorry for them. Jesus said to love them. Maybe this is because he knew that the truth was that they were merely pawns in the devil's game.

Whether Osama Bin Laden or the person next door that you have an ongoing feud with, remember that it's the devil working behind all the evil things going on. Then look to see if part of the evil going on is coming from you.

Pray for your enemies, said Jesus. Pray for yourself so as not to fall into temptation (Jesus actually said that too). And know that your struggle is not against people, but against the liar who's convinced them that it's alright to be a part of evil.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
Isaiah 50:4 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time waking up most mornings. The alarm goes off and there's a great temptation to hit the snooze button. Anybody else with me on this?

Whether we bounce out of bed or need that first cup of coffee to wake us up, God has been up waiting for us. He helps unscatter that brain of mine as we together wipe the sleep from my eyes. He's calling to me even before my eyes are open, telling me that this is His day and that He has a purpose for me being awake (even though I may not feel awake yet).

If we would train ourselves to awake with our Father in Heaven in mind, we might just awake in a better mood, more easily get a grasp on the day, and even learn something in the process. One way to do this may be to go to bed with Him on our minds. Reading a single verse of Scripture before nodding off could help. Another possible idea is to place your bible in a place where it would have to be moved for you to get ready. This way you will see it each morning...even those mornings your eyes are barely open.

The next step of waking up with God would be the same as anyone else you see in the morning. Simply tell Him good morning. For some of us, that's all we might be able to get out. For others, talking to Him while getting ready could ensue. And before you know it, you've made it a habit of waking up with God. I think it'd make our Father happy to at least be acknowledged first thing in the morning. Who knows what all He might start doing with us if we'd just make that a habit.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
Romans :612-13 (NLT)

We can go to church. We can read our bibles. We can be "good" people. And yet sin can still control many aspects of our lives if we are not careful. Think about the areas in your life where sin might possibly dominate. It could be where there's unforgiveness, or where anger has controlled your actions, or where selfish desires take over, or where love does not rule.

Maybe there is a different kind of sin that you're battling with. Whatever the sinful areas of our lives are, may we learn how to escape these lives controlled by own evil or selfish desires and live them completely for God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I will be out of town tomorrow and Friday. So there will be no "Thought of the Day !!" devotions for the rest of the week. God bless, and see you next week.
- greg

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Jesus never promised to fix things so that this world would be problem-free. As a matter of fact, he told us to take up our crosses and follow him. Our crosses can get heavy sometimes though, can't they? These crosses that we bear, or burdens, are not for us to carry alone though. Christ is with you always. He is there through the power of God's Holy Spirit. He watches, encourages, reprimands and even sometimes carries you. So when things are getting pretty hard to take and those burdens are getting heavy, go to Him. He will give you rest. And He will see you through anything.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Psalm 95:1-2

Let's not forget to give thanks to God today. If things are well with your life and your soul, sing for joy. If things are not so good with your life, find something good to give thanks for. And for all who believe in Jesus, give thanks for salvation. For no matter how good or bad things may be in this world, the best is yet to come.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (TNIV)

Temptation is all about enhancement. We’re tempted to enhance ourselves through power. Or we’re tempted with alcohol or drugs or sexual misconduct to enhance our enjoyment level. Or we’re tempted with delicious sugar-laden or good ole Southern Fried foods to enhance our taste buds.

The tempter in Eden didn’t ask if Adam and Eve wanted to be like the devil. He asked if they wanted to be like God…the ultimate enhancement.

And of course the devil never shows us what the temptations will bring. He didn’t say, “By the way Adam, in being like God, you will be cast out of Eden and life as you know it will change forever.”

He doesn’t tell us that the power we’re tempted with will lead to lonely nights, possible divorce or even incarceration. He forgot to mention the fact that these temptations of alcohol and drugs and misused sexual desire would lead to hangovers and possible ruined lives. He doesn’t share the fine print that points out that the foods, while delicious now, when constantly eaten in a gluttonous fashion will lead to the possibility of heart attacks, obesity and problems with diabetes…………He doesn’t share the effects of temptation with us.

Temptation is the thing that ruins lives, and if we aren’t prepared for it, we will be in big trouble. But when we place our faith in Christ to get us through and seek the answers to our problems in God's Word, we will never go up against the devil defenseless. We can fight temptation because Him who is on our side is stronger than him who opposes us. Hallelujah!!

May God bless you this weekend with the strength and wisdom needed to fight any temptation that comes your way.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
John 21:15-17 (TNIV)

If we didn't know the previous events and simply saw Peter being questioned in this manner, we might be led to think that Jesus didn't know whether or not to believe Peter. I know that if I saw someone doing this today, it might seem like they were giving someone the third degree. But in this case, things are much different. Let's rewind and remember what has already taken place here.

Peter had promised Jesus that he would never leave Jesus' side. He told him that he'd fight to the death for Jesus. And Jesus told Peter that even though this might be what he thought, the reality was that he would deny Jesus three times before the night was over. And this is exactly what happened. Peter got scared and denied he knew this Jesus fellow three times. This wound up being the night that Jesus was taken away, which began the events that led to his death.

Have you ever felt like you failed Jesus (God). Maybe you had good intentions, but when it came down to it, things didn't go the way you planned. Or maybe you told God you were going to give up this terrible habit (sin) and turn over a new leaf, only to fall back into temptation the very next day.

We've all failed to live up to the people we want to be. Peter was no different. He had denied Jesus three times. And three times Jesus gave him a chance to redeem himself by telling Jesus of his love for him.

Jesus may not be with you in a physical form when you need someone to forgive your sins. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, He can be even closer. He can be in you. And the number of times you fail Him, will be the number of times that He'll ask you if you really love Him. If you can honestly say yes, He'll give you another chance to go and feed His sheep. Sometimes the first one that will need to be fed will be you.

Know that Jesus not only loves and forgives. He gives each of us another chance who desire one.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

Enough said!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

Jesus told us that we would be the light of the world. We are Christ's presence in a world darkened by Satan. With this in mind we need to decide what to do. Are we going to get excited about this Lord of ours that saved us from sin and death? Are we going to claim the joy that only Christ can offer us? Are we going to be a city on a hill that will be the envy of all nations so that they will want to be like us? Or will we put our lamps under bowls for no one to see the light of Christ through us. Remember, Christ has offered you a gift. He has given you the gift of His light. It can be like a bonfire that will blaze all night long, or it can be like a candle that loses all its oxygen and goes out, because you placed a hard metal bowl over it. The choice is yours.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Genesis 28:20-22 (NIV)

Jacob had a dream where he saw a stairway to heaven with angels going to and fro and God standing above. God spoke to Jacob and told him that He would be with Jacob. He told Jacob that His promise to Abraham would live on through him. And then these verses come out of gratitude to what God has said.

Often times people see tithing or offering as a duty...something that they have to do. But here we see the perfect example of what an offering to God should be like. Jacob's offering was not demanded by God. It was given out of gratitude for what God was doing and what He would continue to do in Jacob's life.

Each and every one of us ought to be grateful to God for what He's done, is doing and will do in our lives. And it should be out of this gratitude that we give back. The way to give back to God is to give to His people. Jesus made it clear that when we do unto the least of these who are with us, we've done unto him.

This can be done in different ways, and different people will have different theological stances on this issue. As a United Methodist pastor, I know that our members promise to support the church in which they join with their gifts (spiritual and monetary) as well as other areas. So I believe that if you belong to a church, you should fulfill your promise and do just that. This doesn't mean that you cannot support other causes that will please God, just that you have made a promise to support your church. And we are called to be people of integrity.

Others might argue my stance. And I would try to honor their position. The key to this giving thing is that we do it both cheerfully and with gratitude. God doesn't need our money. He wants our desire to serve Him. Giving a tenth of our money is biblical. I personally believe that we should strive to give a tenth (or a tithe) of our money, our efforts, our time, our energy. I believe that when we've achieved this, anything we can give beyond this is an even truer offering to God that makes our Father in Heaven proud of us for looking out for our brothers and sisters.

Next time you think about placing some money in an offering plate or handing a person some cash or writing a check to a charitable institution, do it with gratitude and a cheerful heart. Instead of thinking about what you are giving up, think about how lucky you are to have enough that you can give even a little bit away. And then expect God to smile. For every time we give. We give Him a reason to be happy.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
Psalm 19:1 (KJV)

The heavens declare the glory of God, but do we notice?

God's glory is evidenced all around us. Look to the skies today and notice how there seems to be no two clouds alike or how the blues simply cannot be replicated by any other. Try to count the different shades of green in the trees and bushes. Notice the sounds of nature if you can get away from noise of the world. Notice how a baby affects those around it.

As you go through your day, look for God in your world. Look for His handiwork. See His power and creativity and attention to detail. All of these things declare God's glory and show His handiwork.

Now imagine His greatest work and how it can declare His glory. His finest creation is the one thing that He used His own image as a model for. And that work is you.

Today has a two-fold purpose for each of us. Let us first notice God's handiwork. And then let us continuously give glory and praise to the Creator with our words and our actions so that His handiwork shall be shown through us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.
1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)

There has always been anger and hatred in our world. It began with a jealous Cain and has grown from one murder to mass genocides.

Anger and hate can even find its way into the Church. I've seen people in our churches who've forgotten the purpose that God gave them. Many of us have seen those who are more interested in control or running the church their way instead of God's way. I've also seen preachers who've decided that they know better than God and feel like their church is their own private territory. And in both of these scenarios, I've seen bickering, backbiting, gossip, anger and eventually hate.

As Christians we are called to be different from the world. You'd expect to see this going on in a large corporation where all are competing to get ahead. But our churches should be a place of peace that are set apart from the world.

Of course the truth of the matter is that we Christians are still sinful human beings. We cannot claim to be perfectly sinless. But we can strive for it. That might be where our problem lies. Maybe we're not striving to live the perfect lives that Jesus would like us to do.

We need to strive to be different...to be set apart from this world instead of conformed to it...to go on towards perfection. And when I say go on towards perfection, I mean it as Wesley did. I mean that even though we will never be perfectly sinless people, we can strive for (and obtain) perfection in Christian love.

When John wrote "since God loved us that much", he was talking about verse 9 that reads "God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him." So God loves us so much that He gave of Himself for us. He was born into a cold world and died an even colder death. And since He loved us this much, the least we can do is love each other. It is only then that God will preside in us. If we have hate for people who are different; people of different color, people that think differently, people in our churches, people who come from our own household, people in general, then we do not have God in us. This is simply because God is love...and where hate presides, God does not.

Let us strive to be like Christ and and obtain perfect Christian love. Break down those barriers that separate you and whomever. Forgive a friend. Shake the hand of a stranger who may look or act different from you. Speak to someone you normally wouldn't. Smile at anyone today. Let us allow the love of Christ to show through us so that others will know that we are different...that we are set apart...that we are with God and He is with us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

Crossroads are places where we have to make a decision. There's an old tale about a legendary blues guitarist named Robert Johnson. One night at midnight he went out to a particular crossroads in the Mississippi Delta. It was there that he met the devil and made the decision to give up his soul in order to play the guitar better than anyone else.

Johnson's legend is about a man who came to a crossroads and made a decision. This decision was based on a deep desire that came from within to be able to play the guitar and have others want to see him perform. At his crossroads, it was all about him. But in the end, his shortsightedness lost him his eternal soul.

When we come to a crossroads in our own lives, what will guide our decision. We can be tempted to make poor decisions that will affect our lives in tragic ways if we're not careful. We can also seek the guidance of the one who already knows what's best for us.

Never make hasty decisions that you might regret later. Pray for guidance. Expect God to help you find your way. You can count on Him to be there. He may not always lead you to the easiest decision or the one that you like the best, but He'll bring you to the one that's best for you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Today's Thought of the Day !! comes from Bibleleague.org. As I was reading it this morning I decided that I would like to pass it on to you. Be blessed today as you go about your day.

James 1:2-4 -- Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. (NLT)

You can use troubles in your life to bring glory to God with an attitude of joy. Joy is not an emotion. It is a decision to look beyond painful circumstances and see that God is present in every situation. How have your troubles affected your character?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:10-11 (NIV)

How many of us could say these same words with Paul?

Many could share the sentiments that they want to know Christ and that they want to know the power of the resurrection. How many could say that they want to share in his sufferings?

How well do we really know Christ? For example, do we know how he treated those who were considered outcasts? Do we know how lenient he was with and how he gave second chances to those who disagreed with him or didn't understand him? Do we completely understand the fact that he got along better with those who didn't have their act straight or didn't know how sinful they were than he did with those who seemed to have it all right and was proud of this fact?

Do we really want to know Christ? Because if we do really get to know him AND we claim Him as Lord, then we might just be convicted to become more like him?

Read this passage again. And if you really do want to know him and become more like him, open up one of the Gospels today. Read through it and take note of every time you see Jesus acting or teaching something that is unlike how you live your life. When you've finished the Gospel (in a day, a week or whatever) see if you know more about Christ and how you can be more like Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

In the days when Hebrews was written, the Word of God might have meant what the Apostle's had taught and what was written in the Hebrew Scriptures. Today we look to our bibles as the Word of God. So every time we open the Bible there is power in the words that come alive on the pages. We may not always recognize the power, but it's there. It's powerful enough to convict us on one hand and show us great love on the other.

What is something that you've learned about yourself by reading the Bible?

Make it your goal to open up your bible at least once a day and find something in it that brings life to you. Read through the Bible in a year or start with trying to read a whole book. Take the "Thought of the Day !!" verses and read the whole chapter instead of just a verse. Bible study comes different for different people. The key is to make sure we're studying so that we can find the power of God in the pages.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

God created the world. And He said that it was "Good".

In the Garden of Eden everything was perfect. There was no Cancer. There was no Alzheimer's. There was no AID's. There was no diabetes, no problems with high cholesterol or blood pressure. There was no need for money, which meant that there were no poor. There was no hint of global warming.

Then came original sin, disobedience, selfish pride, which in turn led to punishment, banishment, hardship.

But this verse isn't talking about how things were, but how things will be. It shares a glimpse of how things will be when the old order has passed away and a new one has come for us. I can't completely imagine what this new order will be like. But I believe it will have at least one thing in common with the Garden. Things will be like they were before sin arrived.

When you think about Heaven, what do you think about?

In the love of Christ,
greg