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 !!

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
                                                                Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

These nine things are often times called "Fruits of the Spirit".  These are like the attitudes and actions that define our Christian lives and set us apart from others.  They become who we are when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us.  Put another way, this is who we are when Jesus truly abides in us as Lord and Savior.

Look at this list of fruits very closely today and meditate on them.  Ask yourself, "Which of these are obvious in my life?" and "Which ones do I not seem to produce?" 

The key to having more of this kind of fruit in our lives is simply to give up more control to the Holy Spirit in them.  I know I would like to bear more of this fruit, not failing as often as I do now.  How about you? 
 
In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
                                                    John 6:14-15 (TNIV)

This comes immediately after Jesus miraculously feeds thousands of people with nothing but 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish.  The people have now seen him heal people and satisfy their physical need of hunger.  And they want Jesus as their king. 

Jesus, though, did not come to satisfy the desires of the people.  He didn't come so that everyone could lead a comfortable life here on earth.  These are the things that people then (and still today) want.  But Jesus is about the will of the Father in Heaven, not the will of those he came to save.  Because of his great love for us, he desires to do what His Father knows is best.  He desires for us to have eternal fill instead of a temporary one. 

How often might we have our own agendas where we want Jesus to fall in line with our needs; our desires, instead of us falling in line with his will for our lives?  Remember, if Jesus is really King of your life, then you follow Him, not vice versa.  You are to be about fulfilling His purposes, not the other way around. 

Let us follow our King and receive eternal joy.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
                                                                      Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

Whatever you say to someone today could be forgotten right away.  On the other hand, it could be remembered for a very long time. 

If your words are hurtful, mean or antagonistic, people will remember.  If they are arrogant or rude, people will remember.  And they will remember how you made them feel. 

Wouldn't it be better if people remembered that today when they spoke to you that you made them smile?  Somebody might need to hear a kind word, and you'll never know just how much it meant to them.  Somebody might need a little less talking down to and a little more building up today.  So how about it?  Are you up for the challenge? 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
                                                            Genesis 9:16 (NIV)

Just as the rainbow represents a covenant between God and all His creatures, our baptism represents the covenant between Him and us as well.  And Holy Communion represents the new covenant given to us by Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. 

When we were baptized, it was a outward sign of what we did or what was done for us by our parents or guardians (depending on whether or not you believe in infant baptism). 

But baptism is not just about something we do.  It's preceded by an inward grace.  This is the grace of God that saves us.  Every day we should remember our baptism and be thankful.  And in doing so, we should remember the grace and the covenant that God gave us then and continues to give us each day.

Holy Communion is an outward meal that we eat and drink of to remember that Jesus died on a cross as a sacrifice for our sins.  It represents forgiveness.  Each time we partake of Communion, also known as the Lord's Supper or the Eucharist, let us also remember that grace that saves us from eternal damnation. 

God loves us so much that He made covenants (or promises) to be our God and to give us a way out of sin.  Think about what these two covenants mean to you today as you go about your day.  And then give thanks for the promises that He has made.
 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Each person should judge his own actions and not compare himself with others. Then he can be proud for what he himself has done.
                                                       Galatians 6:4 (NCV)

It's easy to judge others.  It's much harder judging ourselves.  So how do we do this.  Should we look to a friend, a neighbor, a mentor, a pastor?  Do we gauge how well we're doing by others?  If so, I say gauge yourself by someone like Mother Teresa and see how you stack up instead of the old friend from high school that's been in and out of jail and marriage.  I bet you'll get different results.  Ha ha!

Seriously though, others can be good role models for us.  My dear departed friend, Wayne McCord, had a heart for people and tolerated so much that I do wish I could be more like he was.  And I thank my God for placing Wayne in my midst to influence me.  But should I compare myself to Wayne?  No.  I can learn from Wayne and his witness, but when I judge myself it should be by what I hold true in the Scriptures. 

Jesus is ultimately the one that we should model. Will we live up to his example?  Probably not.  But as long as we're trying, God is happy.  So if I'm going to compare my life, my lifestyle, my actions, my thoughts, etc. to anyone, it should be to Jesus.  And then I can remember that Jesus grades me on a curve, so that I don't have to be perfect.  I must simply strive to be.  Then I can be proud of what I've done. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
                                                               Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)

Too many people today are living under the assumption that all is good with this life of theirs, as well as the life to come.  Jesus makes it clear that there will come a day when there are those who will stand before Him thinking that they are about to enter Heaven.  At this point in time, they will be astonished to find out that their whole lives were lies and that the devil convinced them that their ways were the best ways.

Who are these people Jesus is speaking of?  These are the ones that do not do the will of the Father, but instead live by their own wills, wills of "lawlessness". 

One of the two or three scariest verses in the Bible, this is one that better not be neglected by any one of us.  The simple truth is that making a profession and being baptized is not the end all of salvation.  Salvation is something lived out.  It is about loving Jesus.  Loving Jesus is about obedience to His will, and His will and the Father's will are the same.  Once we truly accept Jesus we are changed and led to repentance.  We don't become perfect, and we don't have our lives all worked out.  But we begin a journey of life change. 

What leads the way in this change is a change from self-seeking to God-seeking.  When our thoughts and actions are about what we want most for ourselves, our family, our church, our ministries, etc. then we are not truly repenting of our sin.  When our actions show that we desire God's will in our family, church, ministries and all other things, then repentance is being lived out. 

Check your life today.  Ordinary daily activities happen that are not planned by God or do not amount to a whole lot.  But the attitude behind everything we do is so important.  Are we seeking to obey God and make Jesus proud of us?  Or will we seek what serves our own best interests? 

Often times the two will be the same.  But be careful when they don't that you don't begin thinking your will is always God's will...that is, unless you've obtained Christian perfection. 

None of us on that most important day want to hear these words, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
                                                      Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

I wonder how many places my thoughts will lead me to today?  As I look out my window my thoughts are fixated on God's beauty found in the red birds playing in the tree outside.  In an hour or two my thoughts will be fixated on how my stomach is telling me that it needs to be filled.  And during the day the various things of my work will be on my mind. 

But so many other things will go through our minds in the span of a day's time.  If we're not careful, many of these can become negative.  We can think about someone who hurt us or how we're going to get back at them.  We can focus on the ways we were mistreated while out and about.  We can complain about the weather because it's too cold or too hot or too dry or too wet.  If we're careful our day and our lives can become one negative thought after another.

But this is what Paul teaches.  "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent (as opposed to not up to par) and worthy of praise (as opposed to being complained about)." 

As the day progresses continue to say to yourself these words; true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.  And then try to focus on these types of things as opposed to the alternatives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Today is my first day back from vacation.  It was a wonderful trip to the beach and a much needed getaway.  During this time I felt relaxed and enjoyed God's creation as I sat in the water and played in the waves.  As I look back, it was exactly what my wife and I needed.  We are both better off for going and had an awesome experience.

There is a reason I tell you all this.  I realized this past week that my vacation experience is much like our Christian journey.  There are awesome experiences with God.  His Spirit will wash over us like the waves of the ocean, sometimes even knocking us down and bringing joy in the process.  Much like the sun changed the color of my skin, His Son changes us too.  But this is a change on the inside.  And finally, just like the rest that I received, His rest is given to those with heavy burdens.

Now was this past week perfect?  Absolutely not.  Both Michelle and I got blistered.  We wound up going to a place to eat and hang out that we assumed was family friendly that turned out to be nothing more than a smoky bar.  We wasted money on things that will never be used again like sandals that hurt my feet or sunglasses that may at this moment still be floating around in the ocean.  Lastly, those pounds added will be forever getting back off and my doctor will surely not be pleased with my blood sugar next visit.

Just like the ups and downs on our vacation, there will be hills and valleys on our Christian walk.  But all of it will work for good as Christ draws us closer to Him.  And all of it will make us the kind of people God wants us to be if we will allow it.  For as I look back at my vacation, and my Christian walk, the most important thing is that today I'm a better person for taking them both. 

In the love of Christ,
greg