Thought of the Day !!

Today is Ash Wednesday. It's the beginning of the Lenten season, which is the forty days before Easter (not including Sundays) where we prepare ourselves for Easter. This is done through honest and somber reflection of who we are and our own mortality. I invite you to be in a time of prayer and fasting this Lent so that you can discern what your next step is in your spiritual maturing process. Then, as we've taken a good long forty day look at ourselves, we will remember on Good Friday how Jesus died for all our sins. Rising three days later on Easter will take on a whole new meaning once we've paid attention to where we've come from.

Also, there won't be any more devotions until about March 5. I will be out of the country beginning my Lenten season in Nicaragua as I teach pastors there. Please keep me in your prayers.

For more information on Ash Wednesday and Lent you can go to http://www.crivoice.org/cylent.html

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV)

Some people say that when we all get to heave we'll know everything. I don't know if that is true or not. We may know everything. We may forget all we never needed to know that was affected by sin. Or it may just not matter. I don't know. And honestly I don't care. There are some things that are secret and belong to the LORD. If He wants us to know, we will.

I have this same way of thinking about the Bible. There are those who may say (or at least act like) they have an answer for any question about the Bible that can be asked. Personally, I know I have an answer to every question asked of me. And this answer to several of the questions is simply "I don't know".

It's OK not to understand all of the Bible. God will bless you with more and more wisdom the more you prayerfully read and study it. Don't worry about the things you don't understand. Just try to follow the things you do understand. And allow God to work in your life through those.

And who knows? Maybe the next time you read one of those confusing passages, you'll be shone the answers you need for them too.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)

I can try to solve all my own problems, attempting to tend to everything that has to be done and that is being asked of me, to be everything for everybody. Or I can seek God's face and find my strength in Him. So often I burn out when strength could've been found in simply taking some sabbath rest and talking to God. There are also times when I'm stressed because I take on too many problems instead of coming to Jesus and trusting Him to take my burdens from me. And then there are those times that I just feel lost and struggle to figure out what to do next instead of calming myself and listening for the Holy Spirit to guide me.

We can face this world on our own, or we can seek God, who will give us strength.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
Proverbs 12:24 (NLT)

Some people are born to lead. Others have leadership thrust upon them. Or so it is said.

I believe that God gives the gift of leadership to some in His Church, while others are asked to follow. Some are gifted to be Sunday School teachers, Pastors, Small Group leaders, Chairs of Committees and so on. So the question could be asked if we can be leaders if not called by God to some sort of position or vocation.

The answer is yes. There are also spiritual leaders who lead others, sometimes unknowingly, by their witness and a life lived out in humble service to Christ. This is evangelism in its most basic form...and often times its most effective.

Think about how you can be a better leader today by leading by example. Maybe you will plant a seed or harvest what has been planted by someone before you. God bless us all in our endeavors.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.
Proverbs 20:22 (NIV)

Revenge is not as sweet as people want to think. When you get it, you don't feel better. You can actually begin feeling worse. This is because God may use your conscience to show you where you were wrong.

Forgiveness is the real answer, not revenge. When you forgive someone, God forgives you, and you leave all the built up hate and frustration with the other person. And if they choose not to forgive, then it's them who will suffer, not you. So don't allow the desire for the revenge you may or may not ever actually accomplish ruin your days. Instead free yourself from the anger and hatred that control you. You will be much happier then.

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)

Forgiveness is very important to God. And who would blame Him for this? After all, look at what He went through to show us forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I've never gone to such lengths to forgive someone. I have had to swallow my pride before. I have had to step out on a limb and trust again. But I have yet to die for anyone's forgiveness. What about you?

These words come immediately after Jesus teaches us how to pray the Lord's Prayer. I think something we should take notice of is the fact that when he finishes the prayer, there's only one point that he reiterates. He doesn't mention anything about our daily bread or being led into temptation. He simply restates the fact that we have to forgive.

Do you think Jesus is trying to tell us something? Could it be the fact that in this list of very important things that he's teaching here, that forgiveness is a special attribute that we need to understand?

Or maybe he just understood the fact that this would be the hardest part of the prayer for most people to digest. But the fact simply remains. If we want that great gift from our Father in Heaven, we must be willing to do the same for others here on earth.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-46 (NRSV)

We must all make the decision at some point in our lives what we will treasure most. Will it be the treasure in the field...the pearl of greatest value? Or will it be ourselves?

We can choose to live for more money, power or prestige. We can choose to live for family, kids or work. Or we can choose something much better. We can choose Christ. But choosing Christ comes with a price. It means denying oneself, taking up one's cross, and following Him. It will mean that our decisions will not be based on whether they will make more people like us or bring about more money. They will be based on what Christ says is best for us and for those around us, including family and friends.

Choosing Christ means bowing to Him as our Master, our Savior, our King. And it can be perfectly illustrated by something I read this morning. E. Stanley Jones wrote that he went to Copenhagen where there was a statue of Christ with his head pointing down. It was told him that the only way to see the face of Christ was to come to the statue and kneel before it.

This is the way to see the face of our Lord and Savior, to kneel before Him. So often we bow to the pressures of what's going on around us and forget that we once claimed that our King was Jesus. Let's get back to kneeling before Him instead of popular demand or selfish ideals.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

You are precious to God. He formed you and had great intentions for you. As a perfect parent he looked down on his child thinking of all the possibilities for you. He didn't say, "I'm gonna create [name] to be an alcoholic or drug addict" or "I think I'll create [name] to be a lonely bitter person." He created us with the best intentions. He set us apart to be something great.

Some understood this from an early age and came to love Him. For others, the circumstances of this world clouded their minds and they didn't live up to their potential. But just like the story of the Prodigal Son in the Bible, it's never to late to turn to God and be accepted for whatever you are set apart for. You're never too old to be born again. You're never beyond being able to be used by God. Not until you die will it be too late to follow Jesus instead of this world.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 (NIV)

I don't know about you, but as I read this, I hear someone who's excited about living for Christ. I wish we'd all make this our own motto. But the truth is, I find that many people get more excited over worldly things than they do living for Christ. A winning season may seem more exciting than a big crowd at church. An upcoming vacation may seem more exciting than an opportunity for ministry. Talking about a new car may seem more exciting than sharing words of encouragement to a shut-in. Playing on the computer may seem more exciting than reading the Bible. Going home and eating lunch may seem more exciting than going down to the altar to pray at the end of the church service.

I know how it feels to get excited when my team wins. I also know how much time I spend thinking about, planning and talking about vacations. There's nothing wrong with these things. But there's nothing that compares with the greatness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and knowing you're doing His work here on earth. When you know you've made a difference in someone's life and feel the awesome power of the Holy Spirit, you just can't help but get excited.

Let's all try to get a little more excited about Jesus in our lives. I feel like if we do, then He'll be more excited about us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Let us humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face and turn from all our wicked ways today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of Heaven's Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the LORD.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will shout joyfully to the living God.
Psalm 84:1-2 (NLT)

“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of Heaven's Armies!” For the Israelites traveling in the wilderness the dwelling place would have been the Ark of the Covenant where the stone tablets with the Law of Moses presided. Later, the Temple became the dwelling place. What the Psalmist is speaking of here is the home of God. And it’s at this place that we come to worship, whether we call it a synogogoue or a church or something else. It's wherever two or three are gathered for the purposes of praising God and coming closer to Him.

Read this portion of the Psalm again. Do you hear the passion in it? Is this how you feel about worship when you enter in on Sunday mornings or whatever day and time you meet with others in God's name? Are we as eager to encounter God as the Psalmist seems to be here?

In the love of Christ,
greg