Thought of the Day !!

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
                                                                         Galatians 2:20 (NLT)

How many of us can say with Paul that we've been crucified with Christ?  Are we living as new people with Christ living in us?  Or are we still slaves to our old ways?  Do we live each day striving to be what Jesus wants us to be?  Or do we conveniently forget His ways when we want to do something that goes against them? 

When we refuse to give up things in our lives that are unGodly, we are not trusting completely in the Son of God, who gave up His life for us to be saved.  What is it in your life that you've been thinking you might ought to give up, but haven't had the will to do so?  Ask God and He'll help you rid yourself of whatever it might be.  It might be immediately, or it might be over time.  But God is faithful to listen to those striving to be like Jesus and striving to make the Father proud. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

NOTICE: Today may be the last Thought of the Day !! this week. I am in Olive Branch and can't seem to find my power cord.  I don't figure the battery in my computer will last much longer.  I will be back as soon as possible.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building
                                     1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NIV)

A lot of Christians are at work today doing great ministry in the world.  Numerous homeless shelters, food pantries, evangelistic efforts etc. are being run to help tons of people.  The question we might ought to ponder today is why we are doing these ministries.  Are we doing them for our own glory, or the glory of God?  And is our work more important than who has called us to do it?

We can get so caught up in doing good things that we forget why we started, and the work becomes what we worship instead of God.  I remember hearing a quote from Oswald Chambers one time that described this.  He said, "We slander God's name when we work for Him without first knowing Him." 

Are we slandering God's name by doing a plethora of ministries simply because we're "supposed" to or for our own good feelings?  The key to successful life-giving ministry is to get to know the God that calls us to it and stay in constant touch with Him.  We can do that by spending time worshiping Him and studying our bibles and simply speaking to Him (and listening). 

Today, make sure you get to know your God, your Savior, your Spiritual Guider, before you go to work for Him.  And find joy in the ministry that He leads you to.

In the love of Christ,
greg

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 a couple 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 !!

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

                                           Acts 18:24-28 (ESV)

I love this story about Apollos because is shows a man who has training and eloquence and success.  Yet with all this he still had humility.  When this couple pulled him aside and told him that there was still more to know, and that his teaching needed changing somewhat he did not bow up.  Instead, he listened to them and to the Holy Spirit.  Then he tweaked his message to make it true.

Often times our belief about some doctrine or stance on some issue is not the same one that Jesus would be taking.  Yet we can be so caught up with having to be right that we forget that humbly seeking God's will is what really matters. 

I know from experience the feeling of having to be right.  I also know from experience the humiliation, if only inside, that comes from finally seeing where I was wrong only after staunchly standing up for my side. 

Let us not be afraid to admit we are wrong.  Seek the Spirit's guidance on the decisions you make, the stances you take, the beliefs you hold on to.  And remember that even Apollos, who was called by God, had to rethink some things and make some changes. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Today's Thought comes from Phil Ware at Heartlight.org. After reading it I felt that I had to share as I was reminded what worship is really for.  I hope you get as much out of it as I did. 
In the love of Christ,
greg

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

—Acts 13:2 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When people genuinely worship, when they fast seeking his will, God calls them to service and mission. Christian worship is not an end in itself, but a launching pad to Christian mission. Don't get so caught up in the worship experience that you leave it at the door when you walk away. Instead, understand that it is to inspire you to public worship and service in the world during your everyday life (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). As you worship with your brothers and sisters, also listen to the words of the songs, the message of the Scripture, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit on your heart. God may be calling you to a special mission in your world!

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.  There's 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 !!

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.  Doubt is something that I used to struggle with a lot.  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 !!

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
                                                                              1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

Did you realize that you are chosen by God to declare Him to others.  You were blessed when you were saved, but not so that you would keep that blessing to yourself.  I read this morning that we are blessed to be a blessing.

How often do others see genuine praise and gladness from us who have been given a second chance through Jesus Christ?  How often do people have to take notice because we are just so excited about Jesus?  How many people will know Jesus is real by seeing Him in you and me?

Declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness of your sin that was leading you to death, and into his wonderful light that leads to eternal life.

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 !!

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