Thought of the Day !!

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
James 2:15-16 (NIV)

I'm sure most, if not all of us, have heard the phrase "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk" before. This is exactly what James is saying we must do...walk the walk. We can talk about how much we care, how loving and compassionate we are. But then when things happen, we must be ready to back up those words.

If we claim to be open-minded, but we argue with everyone who disagrees with us, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to be compassionate, but when a problem occurs we don't do anything to alleviate the problem, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to be a forgiving person, but when someone wrongs us we don't show forgiveness, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to love our neighbor (even those who are not like us), but we pick and choose whom we want to help out, we've only talked the talk.

James tells us that our talk is worthless if not backed up with our deeds. What is it that you need to do to back up your words today?

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 tells us that we are the light of the world. Why would we light a candle in our houses? I can think of two answers for this question. One is for the fragrance of the different smelling candles that are made today. So when we light these, we want a pleasant smelling aroma to be in our homes.

The other reason is to light up an area (often when the electricity has gone off). In this case, we want the light from the candle to show us the way. In the same way, Jesus wants us to show others the way. He didn't say we are the light of the world sometimes though. He didn't command us to go out and form a committee to decide which aroma was the most pleasant. He didn't even tell us lighting the world would be an easy task. But still, he told us that we are the light, and he implied that we were to share ourselves with everyone in the house.

Also, let us remember that God's house is much more than the walls that enclose the place you sleep every night or the place you come to worship once or twice a week. So lets go and light up more than just those two places.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

Sometimes people can see only what's going on in the here and now. We may forgot all the good a person has done in the past because of one mistake he or she has just recently made. It's a good thing God doesn't see us just by our mistakes. He never forgets who we are, what we are, or whose we are.

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 (NIV)

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 !!

Always be joyful.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT)

I shared a story once for my children's sermon about whooping cranes and how they migrate every year. Sometimes they have to light to rest. But when they come down to the ground, they start jumping up and down. For a long time scientists tried to figure out if this was a kind of ritual or something. But the conclusion that they came to was that the birds were simply dancing. They were being joyful.

King David came home with the Ark of the Covenant. And the Bible states that he danced before the Lord. The Psalms teach us to sing out and make a joyful noise. Abraham was so happy at times that he built altars for God. People that Jesus healed were so thrilled that they told everyone they saw about what had happened.

How do you show your joyfulness? Do you feel that you've had much to be joyful about lately? Let me point out that joy and happiness can go hand in hand at times. But happiness and joy are not the same. I've come to love a song called "Sunshine" by a Christian group called Stellar Kart. In it the singer says that the day can sometimes steal his happiness, but he still has joy. This is because real true joy is what comes from God and is placed in our hearts. It's what assures us, comforts us, and at times brings us happiness. It's a glimpse of Heaven right here on earth.

I read from another devotional that happiness depends on happenings, but that joy goes much deeper. Instead of coming from things outside, it comes from within where our dear Savior lives. Allow Him to bring you joy today. Always be joyful. Then share this joy in a variety of ways. As a matter of fact, I urge you to see just how many ways you can show joy today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you."
Genesis 12:1 (NIV)

I remember hearing similar words when I was struggling with the call to ministry. In a nutshell God said to me, "Leave the house you have and the dreams you have of buying a nice home. Leave your friends, especially those you had before you changed that are not receptive to your life change. Leave the area where you can always just pop in at your mom and dad's place. Leave your job. And go. Go where I tell you. Go to seminary. Go to Mt. Pleasant to learn how to preach on a weekly basis. Just go where I tell you...and have faith."

That's kind of what I heard. Michelle...Now that's another story all together. She thought I was delusional. But God did finally convince her that I wasn't being called to just do "more" work in our church (I already seemed to volunteer for everything that came up).

Since Michelle and I've accepted that call to leave and to go, there have been ups and downs. I've learned how unChristian Christians can sometimes be. And I've learned a lot about the love of God from others. We've gone through tough financial times and made it to a point where we actually have money to give others in need at times.

All in all, it's been a journey of faith that has led me to my current appointment in Vicksburg. And I wouldn't change a thing. Well...maybe that's an overstatement. :)

What is God calling you to? Your call may not be as life-changing as the one He placed on my life. And then again...maybe it is. The question is, how are you responding? Will you say "Yes" when the LORD says to you to go? Or will you chalk His calling up to indigestion or something?

It takes faith to say yes. But it will be worth it. Take it from me. I know.

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.
Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Can you cast your cares (or your burdens) on the Lord? There are some things that God doesn't necessarily take away. Paul said that he had a "thorn in his flesh" that he prayed would go away three times. But he understood that God had a purpose for whatever this "thorn" was.

We may have thorns that God will use to strengthen us. But we were never meant to carry around things like doubt and sin. He wants us to cast these things upon Him so that He can dispose of them. Obviously, sin has affected each of us. But doubt is something that I struggle with from time to time as well. How about you? Do you doubt that God could love you? Do you ever doubt that God would call you? Do you doubt your capabilities or your strength or your witness? Do you doubt your righteousness before God?

When we, as Christ followers, doubt these things, we doubt God who is behind them. For He has faithfully made us and is behind us all the way.

Cast your doubts on the Lord and he will sustain you. He has made us righteous by the blood of His Son. And He, who has the power to raise Jesus from the dead, has the power to keep you and me up, not allowing us to completely succumb to doubt, fear or sin.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."
Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Have you ever, or are you now in a place of confusion about the direction of your life? I know that there have been times in my life where I just wanted to scream out "Which Way God?!"

God is watching and caring for us no matter where we are. He's also guiding us. It's just that sometimes He lets us find our own way to where He wants us to be. The cool thing is, though, when we're getting too far off course, we'll hear His voice or feel His touch bringing us back on track.

I know that there have been times in many of our lives where we were just unsure. My advice is to keep struggling. And most importantly, keep seeking the Lord's guidance. If we do, He'll speak to us saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

May today be a day of searching. May we all search for God's guidance in our lives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

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

Have you ever considered how you might "spur" another person towards love and doing good? We can do this partly by showing love to each other and being an example of one who does good deeds for others. Another way we can do this is by holding each other accountable. Let us spur each other on towards love by gently (and maybe not so gently at times depending on what the situation warrants) pointing out where love and forgiveness should be had.

But remember, if we're going to spur others, we must also be prepared to be spurred ourselves. Too often we can forget to do good or allow bitterness or anger to spur us on without even realizing it. It is in these times that we have to welcome those who may be gently (or not so gently) trying to point this out to us.

This is part of what Christ was saying when he commanded us to love one another as he loves us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV)

Paul is telling the people of Thessalonica that they speak for God and that God is whose approval that they seek. Often times we will seek the approval of people around us. This can be very detrimental if we're not careful.

Ask yourselves today, "Am I doing the things I do today to look good before others? Or am I doing everything, seeking to make my Lord proud of me?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again -- my Savior and my God!
Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

We all have things that get us down from time to time. And it is our Heavenly Father that understands far more than anyone else. Put your hope in Him. Go to Him in prayer and ask Him to bring you out of the muck. And then trust Him to do it.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same. You are amazing God."
(From the song Indescribable by Christ Tomlinson)

What an amazing God to love me in spite of who I am, who I was, and even who I can still be at times. Our Lord's love for us is truly indescribable and it was given to us before we were even born.

You truly are amazing, God.

I'm not sure I tell him this enough. But I plan on praising Him more and more often. I don't deserve all He's done for me. How about you?

Speak to Him today. Sing to Him. Yell out to Him. Cry out to Him. However you do it, communicate to your Lord that you know He's amazing and loving and that you love Him too. He's patiently waiting to hear from some of us, just like a parent waits to hear from a child.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?
James 2:1(NLT)

Sometimes we can tend to forget this. We place good-looking famous actors and actresses on a pedestal. We give honor and glory to the athlete in the Reebock or Nike commercial. We look up to the rich and powerful people like Donald Trump and Bill Gates because of their billions.

But these are the ones we most likely will never meet. Others around us may be given certain honor or favor because of who their family is...how popular or attractive they are...how much money they have...how they're able to influence our future in one way or another. And sometimes we need the reminder of James not to give favor to these over those who have less.

The fact is…this world honors the rich, famous and powerful people because much of the rest of the world wishes to be like them. But God places honor in another place all together. He honors those who will give up the limelight to minister to the poor.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Pray continually.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

Why not fill our days with speaking to the one who loves us more than any other?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over."
Matthew 18:15 (NIV)

Many people will hold everything in. And so when a brother or sister sins against them, they pack it in until finally the stress leads to something unhealthy...either inwardly or outwardly.

Other people will let out their aggressions when they've been sinned against by complaining to anyone who will listen. They continue to let it out so that they don't explode, but to the wrong people. And so they wind up not feeling any better either because they've not actually been healed.

Jesus said that if someone sins against us, that we should confront the person. This is the only true way of healing ourselves. The person may not have known they sinned against you. A bond could be formed. And if not, at least you can start a healthy healing process knowing that you've done what Christ would want you to do.

This is not always easy. And the other person may not always listen. But nobody ever said that doing what is right is easy. May God bless you as you do His will.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When God's children are in need, be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.
Romans 12:13 (NLT)

This may seem like a foreign idea to many of us. Many of us eat on the run so much that we don't think about inviting guests home for dinner. We surely don't often think about people we know needing lodging and are hesitant of making our place of residence a homeless shelter.

But I believe the concept here is hospitality. How might you show hospitality to people today? Look for ways, not forgetting that being hospitable can often times be inconvenient. Are you willing to give up a little to give a little? God was!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)

It seems as though there were people in the first century like many people of today. They quit coming together to worship. They might have been afraid of persecution. They might have gotten lazy. They might have fallen away from the faith.

Today people have their own reasons. Something more important has come up; a fishing trip, a ball game, a weekend away enjoying life’s pleasures, something. Or maybe they don’t feel the need because, as we know, the bible doesn’t teach that we must go to church to be saved. Or maybe they’ve gotten mad at someone in the church or not agreed with a decision and have decided simply not to be a part of it. Or maybe church seems boring to them and not relevant for their life.

I could go on and on with excuses why people won’t come to church. There are, however, a few facts to consider.

1) When you join a church, you make a commitment before God to actually attend.

2) The Church was formed so that people could show love of God in worship and care for each other’s needs. When we neglect to meet, we tell God that we don’t need the very thing He gave us.

3) Worshiping together is not only defined by making it to this church on Sunday mornings. We are called to meet together. Meeting together for worship can be done in a church, in a home, or wherever two or three are gathered to pray and praise and learn about God.

4) Worshiping together is by God’s design a way of learning about Him and experiencing Him.

5) God created us for relationships. We were not meant to be alone. This is made clear in the Bible where Eve is created to be Adam’s helper and in Ecclesiastes where the author calls being alone “meaningless”.

So let's not neglect meeting together as some have done.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Have you ever felt troubled and spoke to a friend or loved one about it? It can help to get things out in the open sometimes. And it is definitely better than keeping them bottled up where you can simply explode and your blood pressure goes through the roof.

Talking with people can help us deal with our problems. And it's the same with God. He wants you to bring your problems to Him just like Jesus explains when he tells those who are heavy laden to bring their burdens to him. He will listen and will offer you relief if you too will listen.

What might be worrying you today. Take your cares to God...to Christ...through the power of the Holy Spirit by way of prayer. He will listen. He will care. He will lighten your load. He will do this because He cares about you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go on ahead to pray." He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me." He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
Matthew 26:36-39

Jesus knows what is about to happen. If you've seen the movie "The Passion", you know that this is where the movie begins. This is also where the true suffering of Jesus begins. His "soul is crushed (at this point) with grief to the point of death." And soon his body will experience the same death.

Jesus could have given in at this point. He could have said it's just too difficult. And it would be hard to blame him knowing what is to come. But the fact that he didn't shows how much he truly loved his Father and us.

When things get "too" difficult for you what do you do? Jesus prayed. And notice that he didn't pray to be saved. He prayed for God's will to be done. May you go to the same Father that Jesus did in your deepest darkest moments. And may He give you the strength or courage or comfort that you need.

In the love of Christ,
greg