Thought of the Day !!

* There will be no more "Thought of the Day !!" devotions this week. They will begin again next Monday after I get back from my spiritual retreat. God bless.

Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message. And it is this Good News that saves you if you firmly believe it.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (NLT)

We all love Good news. It may be the host of a banquet that says "Mr. Hazelrig, you just won the door prize and it's a new car. It may be the daughter and son-in-law who come in and say "Guess what Mom & Dad, we're pregnant. Your gonna be grandparents."
It may be the letter that you open that announces that you made it into the college you have been dreaming about all your life. It may be the doctor who cheerfully tells you that the tests are back and everything looks fine.

Yes, we all love good news. And that's what Paul had been spreading. His was the good news that "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day." And then he appeared to many as proof of this resurrection.

If Jesus had merely died and was buried, the process wouldn't be complete. We wouldn't have a risen Savior who had defeated death for us. But instead we would have had a man...a great man maybe...but still a man.

But the Good News is that our Savior is for real. People may try to disprove Him. Some my claim He was nothing other than a prophet. Others will claim that the miracles, including the resurrection, never actually occurred. But those with true faith will not be bent...will not be persuaded otherwise.

Let us remember Jesus this day as a friend, a king, a brother, our Lord and especially our Savior. And then let us continually give him thanks for this Good News the rest of this day.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.
Romans 8:16 (NLT)

Take some time today to get away from the phones, the television, the family, or whatever it is that preocupies your time. And then speak to God. Begin with praise. Tell Him how much you love Him. Tell Him what's on your mind and in your heart. And then wait. Ask Him to speak to you through His mighty Holy Spirit. He may do so right away. And He may ask you to wait patiently. So be listening throughout the day, the week, for God to speak in some way and confirm that you are one of His children.

In the love of Christ,
greg


NOTE: Tomorrow's Thought of the Day !! devotion will be the last one for the week. I will be going to Memphis for the rest of the week to get some time away to work on sermon series and to spend time with family. I won't be back until Saturday, so the devotions will begin again next week. Thanks.

Thought of the Day !!

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Mark 8:29 (NIV)

Jesus had just finished asking his disciples who people thought he was. Then he directed the question at them, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered correctly. His claim was true that Jesus was (and is) the Christ. But what does that mean? Or more importantly, what does that mean to you? Think about this question that Jesus posed to his disciples many years ago as if he were asking you today. What would your answer be to the question, "Who do you say I am?"

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to live a pure and blameless life. And be at peace with God. And remember, the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved. This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him.
2 Peter 3:14-15 (NLT)

Peter reminds us how to live while we wait on Jesus' return, which is being postponed long enough "so that people have time to be saved." Wouldn't it be great if we all were to remember this message about patience and living pure and blameless lives during the frantic and often frustrating times that come our way on a weekly basis? Even though we may fail from time to time, why don't we all give it a try?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment. Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!
2 Peter 3:10-11 (NLT)

Peter reminds us of what Jesus told him and the other disciples. We all must be prepared because no one knows when Jesus will come back. He will come to this world like a thief comes into a house at night. No one will be expecting him. So we must live our lives as if he were coming back today. We don't prepare for his return by trying to figure out when or how. We prepare by living "holy, godly lives" according to Peter.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.
2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

Our Father in Heaven is much more patient that we are. We see the injustices of the world and want justice served. People of all ages have had times of injustice. There have been times of war. There have been times of discrimination. There have been times of harsh rulers. And the rich always have seemed to get richer at the poor people's expense.

So what does God do about it? He waits. He is waiting patiently, not because He likes watching injustices go on all around us. But instead He waits patiently until all people are given every opportunity to change their ways and repent. So we may have to wait a little while longer for the glory of Heaven, but at the same time, the waiting will provide many more that same glorious end.

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 (NLT)

Pretty straight forward, huh? How do you feel you measure up in light of this passage?

I do believe, though, that our God is a God of Love and Grace and Mercy, which precedes His Judgment. What this means to me is that forgiveness can sometimes be so difficult that it will take time and prayer to forgive. And if we're trying to forgive, but just haven't gotten there yet, I believe God will honor this. I also believe that given time and with the help of the Holy Spirit forgiveness is possible for everyone, even those who believe otherwise. This is because I believe that all things are possible with God.

Has anyone hurt you? Do you need to pray about your relationship with someone? Do you need to begin the process of forgiveness today? Speak to God about it. He'll understand your hurt and anger. He'll also know how to help you work through it because He's been there too.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
Romans 8:15-16 (NRSV)

God’s very Spirit bears witness to us that we are His children. His Spirit gives us assurance that we are His. We can all have this assurance. For some Christians though, they believe, but they have some doubts and therefore fears. It’s possible that they’ve not received assurance because they’ve never asked for it. Maybe they’ve never thought about it. Or maybe God's gift has been given, but they just don't recognize it.

Do you have assurance of your salvation? If not, do you want it? Seek it, and you'll find it.

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 (NLT)

Pretty straight forward, huh? How do you feel you measure up in light of this passage?

I do believe, though, that our God is a God of Love and Grace and Mercy, which precedes His Judgment. What this means to me is that forgiveness can sometimes be so difficult that it will take time and prayer to forgive. And if we're trying to forgive, but just haven't got there yet, I believe God will honor this. I also believe that given time and with the help of the Holy Spirit forgiveness is possible for everyone, even those who believe otherwise. This is because I believe that all things are possible with God.

Has anyone hurt you? Do you need to pray about your relationship with someone? Do you need to begin the process of forgiveness today? Speak to God about it. He'll understand your hurt and anger. He'll also know how to help you work through it.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 (NLT)

Jesus came to break down the walls that separated us from God and from one another. But the fact remains that we continue to build walls in our lives that separate us from people we don't wish to be associated with. Classism is separation of people based on money and/or lifestyle. Racism is separation of people based on color. Sexism is separation of people based on gender. And in all these there are people who think that they're better than the others because of what side of the wall they stand on.

Jesus said to love our neighbors. Paul says that there is no longer a difference in Jews and Gentiles in God's eyes. There is no longer slave or free, male or female, black or white, Hispanic or Chinese, American or Iraqi, lower class or higher class...at least not in the eyes of our Lord. So why do we work so hard to distinguish between them?

It's because we're wall builders. But if we expect Jesus to break down the wall (or barrier) that stands between us and God (which is sin) should we not be at least willing to break down the walls that have been built between us and our brothers and sisters?

Let us all learn to become more like Jesus, breaking down the walls of separation, instead of building them up.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
Romans 14:1 (NIV)

Think about people that you might have disputes, disagreements, or differences of opinion with. It is very easy to judge them based on your own perceptions. Is it possible that you are judging people based on any perception that you may have of them?

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
James 4:11-12 (NIV)

In judging others we take on the power of God. We claim that we are right and they can't possible be if they disagree with us. Ask yourself, "Am I really qualified to judge somebody else?"

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"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 7:1-5 (NIV)

How many of us have no planks in our eyes? In other words, how many of us are without sin? We should be working on our own selves and leaving the judging up to God. We can always pray for people and try to persuade them in love to be the people that God wants them to be. We can lovingly point out that there might be some sin in another person's life that is harmful to them. But we should always do so in a manner that shows that we're not perfect either. The key is to care about people and look up to them in humility, not down on them in judgment.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:4-5 (NIV)

Whenever I read this verse I think about how we all have different gifts and how we each have an important function as a different part of the body of Christ. But as I read it this morning I noticed the last part of the verse that reads "and each member belongs to all the others."

We belong to God the Father, who created us. We belong to Jesus the Son, who saves us. We belong to the Holy Spirit, who lives with us. But do you realize what it means to belong to each other? We have a responsibility to each other. This means we must not take other Christians for granted. We must do things that would lift each other up and not tear each other down. For when we speak or do harmful things to other Christians, we harm the body that we are a part of, therefore harming ourselves.

Let us live today as though we belong to each other.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For 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 6:10-12 (TNIV)

If you can remember who it is that you're fighting against, it will be easier to love people. When there is someone who is continually ugly to you and seems to be just trying to make your life miserable…or when you come across someone who cares nothing for you except when you are on her/his side of things...don't hate them. Feel sorry for them, knowing that the devil is working through them in most cases.

If a person is a continually mean-spirited person, then the devil has convinced them to be that way. If a person always thinks about themselves and never about you or others, then the devil has used pride and selfishness to tempt him/her just like he did Adam and Eve.

We all have to make choices. And those out there that you may wish to get mad at because of the way that they treat you or someone else are the ones who've made a bad choice. Don't hate them. Hate their sin. Or more precisely, hate the evil that is at work in their lives tempting them to sin.

Then remember that this evil is at work in your own life as well. The devil did not leave you alone when you became a Christian. Every time you begin to get closer to God, the devil tries harder to come between you and God through the temptation for you to sin in some form or fashion.

Paul writes to put on the full armor of God to protect yourself against what the devil throws at you. Know that you are struggling with the devil every day. And so is everyone around you. So remember that you have choices to make daily. You can put on Christ and fight against the evil forces at work against you. Or you can give in.

Sometimes you will choose wisely and at other times you won't. Pray for those times that you don't. Pray that God will forgive and that they won't lead you away from God, and that they won't lead others away either.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12 (NIV)

Paul writes to be faithful in prayer. A good prayer life will help us to see things as God sees them because we stay in constant contact with Him. Make sure you take time out today and every day to speak to God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)

Paul writes that love must be sincere. People can fake a lot of things; intelligence, happiness, being in control of one's life, etc. But true Christlike love can not be faked. We can say that we love people, but the true love of Christ that Paul is speaking of will always be backed up by our actions.

Just as he teaches us to obey the Great Commandment of love, Paul tells us to hate one thing. "Hate what is evil."

Remember, we are not to hate people. We are to hate the evil that is in this world that corrupts people. This is what we will battle in our own lives. The same temptations that others have fallen to are right there in front of us if we do not live our lives in love. So hate the things that are corrupting your brothers and sisters (and tries to corrupt you) instead of the people who are hurt by evil.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Pray continually.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

Sometimes you don't have to say a lot to mean a lot. Two words spoken here should help us through our day. "Pray continually."

Talking to God doesn't always have to be done kneeling at an altar or in some formal way. God wants to stay connected with us by us staying connected with Him. The way to do that is to speak to Him and listen to him throughout the day. Praise Him. Ask for His help. Ask for forgiveness. Tell Him about your day; your concerns and your joys. Speak aloud. Speak to yourself. It doesn't matter how. Just pray.

Some people may find it difficult finding time to pray. And I've also heard people say that they don't know what to say. Finding time is simply making God a priority. Not knowing what to say is easy. Say whatever is on your heart. A simply "I Love You, Lord" will go a long way. Say anything. God just wants to hear from you.

As you look back at the end of this day, see how many times you spoke to God and also how many opportunities you missed to stay in touch.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Gibson UMC Website

If you've not visited our church website, I invite you to check it out at www.gibsonumc.org.

Thought of the Day !!

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)

Sometimes we muddle our lives all up without even realizing it. We can start a day in prayer or reading a devotional. But before that day ends, we quite possibly have made ourselves out to be anything but imitators of God. Maybe we placed ourselves before others or judged somebody that was different from us in our lifestyle or thought an ugly thought about somebody we are supposed to love.

Of course there are a whole host of other things that can be found in people's daily lives that are out of place for us Christians. Often times it's not until we look back on them that we realize that what we did or said or the way we acted was not in accordance with God's will. If you were to look back on the last 24 hours of your life, what would you see?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.
When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord," he said, "I want to see!"
And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too.
Luke 18:35, 40-43 (NLT)

If Jesus were to ask you what you want, would you ask for sight? Maybe not, seeing as how you may not be physically blind. But think about just how important sight is. We need a vision for our lives, a vision for our churches, a vision for service, a vision for ministry.

Lots of people are walking around today and are spiritually blind. They don't know Christ, or if they do, they don't know what His desire for them is. We must seek God's counsel through the Holy Spirit as we pray for sight.


In the love of Christ,
greg