Thought of the Day !!

There will be no devotions Thursday or Friday. I will be going with our youth to Eureka Springs to the Passion Play and will be out of town.  But they will begin again next week. 

And after the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
                                                                          1 Kings 19:12-13 -- (NIV)

What are the distractions of your life?  Is the telephone ringing?  Are you pulled to the computer to check your email?  Is the TV blaring or the kids yelling?  Is work always on your mind?  

We can become so distracted with life that we miss the gentle whisper of God.  Be careful not only to make time for simply being quiet, but also to listen through the busyness of the day.  God may not come to you in a burning bush.  He may chose to come when you least expect it, whispering your name.  So be ready...and listen.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

"Meaningless!  Meaningless!" says the Teacher.  "Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless."
                                                               Ecclesiastes 1:2 (NIV)
I wonder how many in our culture today would say the same thing.  Could it be that so many in our own communities are dealing with depression because they feel like their lives are meaningless?

Solomon is the man who has been credited with writing the book of Ecclesiastes.  Let's remember that he was a man who had it all…a king of kings…known as the wisest man to live…having all the worldly pleasures.  But still he saw life as meaningless.

In the Life Application Study Bible there is an illustration about a chocolate Easter bunny.  Maybe you've taken a bite into one at Easter only to find that it was hollow.   On the outside everything looks great.  The chocolate tastes good.  It's inviting.  But soon you notice that it’s empty on the inside.

Many people feel that way today.  Even Solomon felt that way as he searched for meaning in the things of this world that he could gain or accomplish.  If people try to fill this emptiness with worldly pleasures or hard work or anything else other than God, then they will fail at finding meaning.  For it's only through our relationship with God and serving Him that we can find true meaning.  This is what we were created for.  And this is the conclusion that Solomon came to at the end of Ecclesiastes when he wrote

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV)

This is where Solomon found his meaning.  And it's where we can as well.

In the love of Christ,
greg

June 22 Sermon - Living Water

Thought of the Day !!

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."
                                                                     Acts 8:26-29 (NLT)

Before Jesus ascended he told the disciples that they would witnesses to the ends of the earth.  Here we see Philip being used to witness to an Ethiopian.  This is important because Ethiopia was considered to be at the end of the earth at that time by the Greeks and the Romans.  It was the land that was south of Egypt and at the end of the known world.

This particular Ethiopian was a Eunuch, who also held a high position in service to the queen of Ethiopia.  Being a Eunuch means that he had been castrated, which was not that unusual for someone who would serve under a queen or over a king’s harem.  This would ensure he didn’t try anything. 

So why is this an important tidbit for Luke to mention?  Because this meant that he was not only a Gentile but also unclean since the law considered him permanently blemished. 

So Philip is being led by an Angel of the Lord to bring the Good News to an unclean Gentile, someone the Jews would NEVER approach.  Might there be someone whom you will meet today that you may consider “unclean”?  Is it possible that God would have you approach these people and share the love of Christ with them?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

I can never escape from your Spirit!
     I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
     if I go down to the grave, you are there.
If I ride the wings of the morning,
     if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
     and your strength will support me.
                               Psalm 139:7-10 (NLT)

We could look to any of a number of Psalms that praise God.  But this portion of Psalm 139 shows partly why we praise Him.  He is always there for us.  Our God is not just a God of big stuff.  He's ever with us in the little things as well.  Let's rejoice that no matter where we go, God will be with us, celebrating, consoling, pushing and sometimes even straightening us out. 

Take time out today to thank God for simply being in your presence and loving you enough to allow you to remain in His.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

                                              Colossians 2:14 (NLT)

 

 Have you sin in your life that you're are having trouble letting go of and making you feel like a failure?  God desires a repentant heart, one that longs to be more like that of Jesus.  But no where in all of scripture have I found that He desires us to feel like failures.  He wants us to accept His Son, trust Him, love Him.  If we do that we are truly successful.  The deeper we go into God's love and the closer we become with Jesus, the less difficult the struggles with sin will become.  That's because He will be the one we trust to defeat the sin in our lives instead of us trying to do it on our own.

 

Have you done something in the past that you still feel guilt and shame for?  If so, then you need to know that how you feel is not how God sees you.  Paul writes that Jesus canceled the record of you past.  It no longer exists.  There may be worldly consequences such as someone's feelings about you, but you are judged not by others but by a loving and merciful Savior.  Others will be judged by the same Savior for their possible lack of forgiveness.  As for you, know that the failures of the past can help us learn in the future, but they do not define who we are.  

 

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work.  They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance.
                                                        1 Thessalonians 5:12 (NLT)

While it might be true that not all are called to be pastors, missionaries, or to have specific roles of leadership in the church (teacher, deacon, lay leader, etc.).  It is also true that all of us are spiritual leaders.  We will all lead someone.  It might be a child that looks up to you.  It could be a new Christian that sees you as someone who's attended church all your life.  It might even be someone outside the church that is trying to determine if Christianity if for them or not.  Whether we like it or not we will lead by our words, our actions…our lives.

The question is, will we lead in the ways of Christ or the ways of the world.  Paul writes to the Corinthian church, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ”.  As we follow the example of Christ, we will lead people in the right direction.  If we follow the example of the world, we will lead in the wrong direction.

In which direction will you lead people today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

                                              John 11:16 (NLT)

Jesus has just told his disciples that he was going back to Judea (Bethany to be exact) to awaken Lazarus, who had fallen asleep (died).  They were concerned for his well-being because the last time they were in the area the Jewish leaders had tried to stone him. 

The disciples were afraid.  Yet one, a man named Thomas, stood up and valiantly said, "Let's go, too - and die with Jesus."  He was willing to stand by Jesus' side no matter what. 

The fact is, we remember Thomas more for his "doubting moment" than his courage.  This is the same Thomas that would later doubt the validity of Jesus' resurrection until he saw for himself the holes in his hands and feet. 

So Thomas, it seems, had his good days and his bad days.  Wouldn't you agree?  And wouldn't you agree that you and I are the same way?  I know there are times when I put a smile on God's face, making Him proud of me.  I also know there are those times when I failed Him miserably.  Yet in the end, I, like Thomas, experience His forgiveness and love. 

Don't allow your thoughts about yourself be guided by your failures, but by who you become in Jesus as you learn from them and go on to great successes as well. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

                                  John 9:1-3 (NIV)

The Jews believed whenever a person had an infirmity like blindness or leprosy or other physical deformities that it was caused be sin.  So the disciples were curious about what had caused this man they came across to be blind.  Was it his sin?  Or did it go deeper?  Believing that Jesus would know, they inquired of him.

We should listen very carefully to his answer.  Though all bad and imperfect things ultimately are a result of being in a sinful world, not all things that happen to us are a direct result of something bad we did.  God does not punish us with suffering that comes as a result of a mistake we made.  He does not cause us to suffer because we failed Him.  The Bible teaches us that Jesus died as a punishment for all sin.  Living in this sinful world though does still have consequences.  And the consequences mean that bad things happen to people.

For this man born blind a positive thing could still come from his blindness.  Being healed meant that he would come to see (literally) the work of God in his life.  His life would be totally changed forever.

I'm a firm believer that God doesn't place hardships on us, but instead uses them to help us see.  If not for the times in my life when I felt lowest, I would not truly know the miraculous healing of God.  This is why the bible teaches in various places to rejoice in our suffering.  I believe that if we never suffered it would be that much harder to see and feel God's love.

So when you're going through difficult times (maybe right now), reach out to God for healing.  He may be trying to get you to "see" right now. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. 

                                   John 8:30 (NIV)

For the whole story you can read verses 12-30.  But to sum up, the Pharisees are arguing with Jesus over his validity.  They don't know who he really is.  They are blinded by their own sinfulness.

The awesome part of this story is that even though those well-educated scholarly types could not understand, those who would become like a child and accept Jesus for who he was believed.  It just goes to show, it's not how much you know, it's who you know.

I like to read and keep up with blogs and Twitter feeds.  I read stuff written by people much smarter than myself.  Some of these brilliant minds have humbled themselves enough to know that even their knowledge comes from God and that they can help others by sharing what He gives them.  Then there are those who share things that seem way out there.  These people are called by many names; atheists, agnostics, professors, physics, and wait for it....wait for it...Christians.

I believe that God wants us to learn more and more about Him because when we do we can come closer and closer to Him.  But we can get so caught up with what we believe to be right in our theological thinking (any thoughts about God and His ways), that our own knowledge becomes an idol.  One of the Pharisees idols was their own knowledge.  They believed that they were always right.  So when Jesus came on the scene and disagreed with them, they got defensive and fought back.

We must be careful not to rely so much on what we think we know that we are not above correction at times.  I'm not always right.  But what I will do is seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and go to Scripture when someone tells me that I am wrong.  It may be humbling to acknowledge we are wrong at times, but isn't that what Jesus teaches?  Did He not humble Himself when He came from Heaven and lived and died in a human body?

Put your faith in Jesus and not yourself.  Learn humility over defensiveness.  Then you will make God smile.  :)

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, steams of living water will flow from within him."

                                              John 7:37-38 (NIV)

Are you thirsty?  Has this life left you parched?  Do you thirst for something that will sustain you instead of just making you more thirsty?  Jesus wants you to know that if you are then you can come to Him and He will give you something that will satisfy your thirst.  He will give you Himself by way of the Holy Spirit.

Many are thirsty, yet they are afraid of change.  Many are thirsty, yet they are afraid of being considered a religious fanatic.  And then there are those who simply don't understand, or who have a misguided perception of the Holy Spirit.  But the Holy Spirit is God...is Jesus.  Having the Holy Spirit within us means that we are filled with life and that life flows from us because we cannot keep God cooped up within us.

If you have been drained because the world has let you down with promises of fulfillment not come true, then seek Jesus to fill you up.  Accept His ways over yours or the world's ways.  Find peace and comfort in His presence.  Find joy in serving Him by serving others.  Find love within the community of believers.  Enjoy the living water that will never allow you to be thirsty again.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

The Lord gave me a message. He said, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."

"O Sovereign Lord," I said, "I can't speak for you! I'm too young!"
                                                   Jeremiah 1:4-6 (NLT)

When I was a kid, we used to ride our bikes all around the neighborhood in Covington, TN where my grandparents lived.  At times we'd ride to other people's houses looking for others to come out and play baseball or football.   As we got a little older though, we found that it was quicker calling people when we wanted to get up a game.  Of course that was before the invention of Call Waiting.  And there were often times that we would get a busy signal.

Think about God's calling to you in this same way.  He calls each of us.  Sometimes He finds us at home, but at other times He gets a busy signal…or maybe the answering machine.  How frustrating that must be for God!  Can you imagine how He feels when we're too busy for Him?  Or how about when we make up excuses for not accepting?

Jeremiah claims that he's too young.  Who in their right mind would listen to a boy?  Speaking for God requires a certain maturity that comes in part with age…or at least this is what Jeremiah must have been thinking.  Our excuses may be that we're too young, too old, too busy, not equipped, etc.

It doesn't matter how young or old we are.  It doesn't matter how well we speak or how eloquent we are.  God's calling isn't governed by whether or not we're capable. What matters is that if God calls us to something, He'll give us what we need to accomplish His task.  

Jeremiah didn't think of himself as being worthy.  But if God only called those who were worthy, who would He ever call?

Remember, you don't have to be worthy.  You just have to be willing.  Are you ready for God to call you?  Are you waiting and willing to pick up the phone when He does?  Or are you screening your calls from God much like one might do a telemarketer or some other person they don't want to talk to?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Those who are stealing must stop stealing and start working. They should earn an honest living for themselves. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor.
                                                                        Ephesians 4:28 (NCV)

I remember when I was younger and at my mamaw and papaw's house.  I was playing out in the yard.  I walked next door because something caught my eye.  There in the dirt lay some matchbox/hot wheels sized cars.  One in particular caught my eye.  And I figured since it was out there in the dirt that nobody wanted it.  So I looked around and asked if anybody cared if I took it.  Seeing as how nobody was around, no answer to the negative came.  So I picked it up, and even though nobody said I couldn't have it, I ran as fast as I could. ---- Yes, put the handcuffs on me.  I was a ten-year old thief.  I just wonder if the statute of limitations has run out yet?

Anyway, we get things by many different ways.  We may be given them, earn them or maybe even come by them in a dishonest way.  But the fact remains that we will have accumulated a lot of stuff over our lifetimes.  Who thinks that they have now, or have had before more than what they needed?  Yeah, me too.  How many people think that they have shared enough with the poor?  Yeah, me either.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
                                           Luke 4:1-2 (NRSV)

We've all been there.  Since Adam and Eve ate from that dreadful tree in the Garden, we've all been tempted.  Even Jesus was tempted.  He'd gone to the river and was baptized by John the Baptist, having the Holy Spirit come upon him then.  After that the bible states that the same Spirit led him into the wilderness (desert – NIV) to go through temptation.  
So when we are being tempted, we can know that Jesus even went through that and knows how we feel.

The temptation of Jesus by the devil was threefold.  One was the temptation to turn a stone in to bread so that he could feed himself.  One was the temptation to control the kingdoms of the world by worshiping the devil.  And the last was to prove he was truly the Son of God by putting God to the test.  (see Luke 4:3-13 for the rest of the story)

But all three of these can be seen as one major temptation for Jesus…one in which the devil would try continuously throughout his ministry to use against him.  It was the temptation to take the easy way out over God's way.

The devil tries his best to convince us all to do this very same thing.  We fall into this temptation when we allow ourselves to conform to the world instead of being transformed by God's will for us.  It may come as a temptation to do what's popular instead of what's right, or it may come as a temptation to settle or a temptation to become complacent in our faith.  

All these things are much easier than doing what God wills us to do and being what God wills us to be.  But God has our own best interests in mind.  We may ought to remember that when we fall into the temptations of the devil that he has HIS own interests in mind...not ours.  

Following God may not always be the easy way.  But it sure is the best way.  

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."

                                                        John 6:26 (NIV)

This comes after Jesus has fed the 5,000.  Now they have come looking for him again.  He knows their hearts though.  He knows that it's not to follow him, but to receive what he can give them.  It's all about them, not about him.  They are seeking to satisfy their own desires.

Why do you seek Jesus?

I wonder how many today are like those there by the Sea of Galilee that day who were seeking things for themselves?  It's kind of like that old Janet Jackson song, "What have you done for me lately?" (I might have just dated myself -- haha)  Anyway, could it be that we go to Jesus asking for things but have nothing we desire to give in return?

Don't get me wrong.  Jesus wants us to bring our needs and even desires before him.  I'm sure our God loves giving good gifts to His children.  But what God/Jesus wants most of all from us is our hearts.  Do we come out of love with a desire to make Him proud of us?  Or do we come to Him wondering what we can get Him to do for us now? 

One way to figure that out could be to ask ourselves how we react when we haven't heard from Him in a while or when we don't seem to be receiving.  Do we quit talking to Him?  Do we get upset?  Or do we simply want to reach out and touch Him and have Him put His arms around us?  Would this satisfy us even if we never received another gift from Him?

Again, I ask, why do you seek Jesus?

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

                                                                        John 5:6 (NIV)

Jesus comes across a man lying near what many thought was a magical healing pool.  He'd been an invalid for 38 years and was sitting by the pool.  When asked by Jesus if he wanted to get well, his response was that he had no one to help him in the pool.

We may see this question by Jesus as strange.  Obviously the man wanted to be healed, right?  So why would he ask the invalid if his desire was to get well?

Maybe the man didn't really want to be healed.  Maybe he would say he did and even think he did, but deep inside he knew that if he were healed things would change for him.  For at least 38 years he'd been taken care of.  Maybe he wasn't ready to take care of himself.  Maybe it was just plain easier to stay the way he was.

If you think that I'm way off base here, think about people today.  Think about yourself even.  Is there something in your life, physical or spiritual or emotional that needs healing, but for that to happen you would simply have to make a difficult change?  Allow me to use myself as an example.  I realized today in reading this passage that as a diabetic I could help in my own healing process.  I could exercise more and eat better.  But to do this would mean I would have to change my routine.  It would mean that I would have to not give in to the cravings for certain foods that come much too often.  It would mean that I would have to cook more and eat out less.  Let me be very honest with you.  I don't want to do this.  I enjoy foods that are bad for me and don't want to give them up.

I had to take a deep look at myself and decide that if I were to be healed, I must ask for a healing from Jesus.  But if I'm not willing to get well myself, or change to do the proper things, He's not going to heal me.  So this is what I will be working on.  What about you?  Is there something you need to be healed of but just don't really want to let go of?  Are you using foods, unforgiveness, or sarcasm as a crutch?  Do you claim it's just too hard to give up (fill in the blanks).  Is there anything that you find it easier to live with even though you know that your life would be better without it?

The real question is, "Do you want to get well?"  When you come up with the answer, give it to Jesus.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

God, who calls you, is faithful; he will do this.
                                 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

God calls each and every one of us.  He first calls us into a loving, self-giving relationship with Him through His Son Jesus.  And then He calls us to what I call secondary callings.  Some are called to preach.  Others are called to be missionaries.  Still others are called to care for others in various ways like being doctors, dependable workers, good stewards of other people's resources. 

Some of our callings may be vocational like those called to be nurses or social workers.  Other callings are short term like the calling placed upon one's heart to visit or pray for someone or stop and pick someone up on the side of the road. 

No matter what we're called to do though, God will be faithful to us to help us live out these callings.  He starts something special in our lives and helps us to complete whatever it is.  What has God called you to do lately?

In the love of Christ,
greg