BroGreg.com

Thought of the Day !!

2012-02-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-16T07:08:00.000-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-14T09:14:00.001-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-13T07:37:00.000-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-09T06:29:00.001-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-08T08:17:00.001-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-06T08:23:00.001-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-03T08:01:00.001-06:00

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 !!

2012-02-02T04:40:00.000-06:00

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

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-31T03:37:00.000-06:00

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:7 (NIV)

People are so different. How many ways can you think of that we are totally different? There are different skin colors, genders, lifestyles, aptitudes, ways of thinking, ways of talking, ways of walking, interests, skills, personalities, agendas, likes, dislikes, eating habits, sleeping habits, etc.

But no matter how different we are, we are all loved the same by God. And that is why God sent Jesus for all of us. That is why the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Every single one of us has a chance now because of Jesus.

When we accept Christ, Christ accepts us. So as Christ has accepted us, let us accept each other; those who are in his fold now and those who may possibly be in it later. In doing this, we will bring praise to God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-30T08:10:00.001-06:00

Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."
John 1:45 (NLT)

Jesus has issued the call to Philip to become a disciple. What's the first thing that Philip does after this? He runs and tells his friend Nathanael the good news. Can you hear the excitement in Philip's voice as he proclaims that he's found the one they've all been waiting on? He's excited because he's met Jesus.

Imagine yourself in a prison somewhere halfway across the world after being sentenced to death and waiting for it to come at any moment. Now imagine how excited you would be when the Navy Seal team shows up and tells you that they are there to save you. I imagine you'd be pretty excited.

Yet Jesus has done just that. He's saved us from eternal death. How excited are we about that? Maybe you wake up every morning excited about Jesus and what He's done for you. Maybe you once were, but have become complacent. I don't know about you, but daily I seem to see unexcited Christians walking this earth who not only aren't excited about Christ, but also hardly ever even mention His name.

How will the world know the Good News if the ones who supposedly have it aren't even excited about it? Get excited about Jesus today. Show others this excitement. And it just might spread.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-27T08:53:00.000-06:00

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Philippians 3:13b-14 (NLT)

The Christian life is a continuous struggle. We’re caught in tension within ourselves. It’s a struggle between our worldly desires and God’s desires for us.

This is why it’s so important to do as Paul did. He left his past behind. This is not a one-time thing. Instead it’s a daily decision we must make. For Paul, there was hatred and arrogance and self-righteousness in his past. Did he continue to struggle with his past sins…possibly so. Will we struggle with past sins…surely. That is the very reason we have to leave the past behind each and every day.

Paul knew that even though this was difficult, it wasn’t impossible. The devil tries to convince us that past failures, guilt over past sins or pain over past hurts will keep us from being made right with God. The devil also tries to get us to give up maturing in our faith, telling us it’s too hard. But the devil is all about lies and deceit. Don’t listen to him. For doesn’t this idea contradict the very things we proclaim about a loving and forgiving God?

Each day live for the day God has given you and don't let the past get you down. Each new day brings about new possibilities. We choose what we do with these possibilities.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-26T08:09:00.001-06:00

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the LORD, you will live long in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT)

Every day we make choices, some big, some small. We choose what time to get up each morning, what to eat or whether or not to eat breakfast. Throughout the day we’ll choose what to say, where to go, and what to be involved in.

We make priorities…sometimes without even realizing it by our choices. Do we take off work early to be involved in a child’s school play or continue to work? Do we check-up on a parent or clean the gutters? Do we spend money on groceries or new clothes? Do we cook a healthy meal or take the family out for fast food? Do we watch TV or take a walk? Do we sleep in or go to church?

Choices are so ingrained into our life that often times we don’t even realize we’re making them...until it’s time for a big decision.

The Israelites are given a choice between life and death in today's reading…between being blessed or being cursed. Life is found in an obedient relationship with God, while choosing anything else leads to death.

The theme that echoes throughout the Old Testament is the choice of life. And it continues into the New Testament with Jesus. What we will choose this day?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-25T07:40:00.001-06:00

About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!" Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?"
Matthew 14:25-31 (NLT)

If you only take one thing away from this passage today, let it not be that Peter lost his nerve. Let it not be the fact that Jesus scolded him for not having enough faith to continue. Don't take away anything to do with wind or waves or water. Instead, remember the fact that Peter got out of the boat.

Eleven men remained in the safety of the boat. Eleven men chose to stay in their comfort zones instead of taking a chance on moving forward towards Jesus. Eleven men remained complacent. But one didn't. Peter left the comfortable surroundings of the the boat and took a chance on Jesus. He is the one who risked his life for his Lord. He is the one who after failing called out to Jesus for help and received it.

Will our lives be lived more like Peter's was this night? Or will they be lived like the other eleven? Will we choose comfortable and safe, or reckless abandonment to our Lord and Savior?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-24T07:08:00.001-06:00

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Matthew 5:42 (ESV)

A story I found somewhere and once used in a sermon goes like this:

There once was a monk who found a precious jewel. The monk was a traveler, and during one of his travels, he met a man. The man had no food and asked the monk for some. The monk, happy to share with the hungry man, opened his bag to get some provisions.

Upon opening the bag, the man saw the jewel. On impulse the man asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the precious stone to the man.

The traveler departed quickly, overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back searching for the monk. He returned the stone to the monk and made a request: "Please give me something more valuable, more precious than this jewel. Please give me that which enabled you to give it to me."

A person's earthly instincts would be to keep the jewel, yet a person's spiritual insight tells him or her that the jewel is not as important as another human being.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-23T09:01:00.000-06:00

Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do."
Matthew 9:10-12 (NLT)

The Pharisees are offended that Jesus would be giving his time to “those” people. They see themselves as better than them. This leads to them asking why a supposedly reputable teacher would hang out with such “scum”.

Jesus is sharing a meal with the lower class instead of the home of a good upstanding Pharisee. This is important because in this culture sharing a meal implies acceptance and even approval. It’s a relationship thing.

But Jesus teaches that he did not come for those who thought highly of themselves. He came for those who knew that they were in need. Those who think awful highly of themselves don’t have a need for a Savior because they can always work things out for themselves. This was the feeling of the Pharisees. And ironically they were the ones who needed Jesus the most.

The Pharisees are like a lot of Christians today. They do all the right things and at their heart they love being moral people and love the rituals of the church. But the one thing that they’ve missed out on is the most important thing. They don’t really love others as they love themselves. Jesus taught that we are to love all, not just a select few. And loving people can sometimes be messy. Just like the Pharisees, many of us don’t like messy. We don’t want to be unclean. We don’t want to get our hands dirty. We like a cleaned up religion because it’s easier and more comfortable.

Don’t let this be who you become without even realizing it. Don’t judge people as worse than you. Instead see all as no better and no worse. Then love them unconditionally…like Jesus does.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-20T08:53:00.001-06:00

"Watch out! Don't let me find you living in careless ease and drunkeness, and filled with the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man."
Luke 21:34-36 (NLT)

WATCH OUT! Don't let me find you dilly-dallying around when I come back! – (a pretty straight forward warning if you ask me)

Jesus tells us not to live our lives carelessly or in a drunken state. When a person is drunk, he or she doesn't know much about what's going on around them because of impaired judgment. He or she is always right and thinks mostly about himself/herself. The person has very little control and often times can do much harm to themselves or others. And this is pretty careless.

The thing is that we can all live a life of drunkenness without ever touching a drop of alcohol. We live lives of drunkenness and careless ease when:

1. We live for today and what today will bring us, without much thought of Jesus.

2. We live lives where our actions (and especially lack of actions) will cause harm to ourselves or others in some way or another.

3. We live lives that revolve around how much we earn or what position we have in the community or some other selfish ambition.

4. We live out our lives trying to be a bare minimum Christian who comes to church, gives ten percent, but can't really be defined as a Christian in our dealings throughout the rest of the week. Our judgment is impaired because we think we are something that we aren't.

OR - We can live our lives prayerfully and faithfully trying to be who Jesus wants us to be everyday, while showing our great love of God and each other.

Jesus says that the day where we stand before him will come for every one of us. It may be at the end times. And it may be at our own death. But it will assuredly come. His warning is to simply be ready, not living our lives for ourselves and the things of this world.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-19T08:20:00.001-06:00

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:1-4 (NIV)

In my own devotional time this morning I was reminded of a great truth through reading the writings of E. Stanley Jones. I'd like to sum up what he said.

We are all looking for happiness. It must be a God given instinct to want to be happy, and there is nothing wrong with this. The problem comes in how we go about seeking happiness. When we are bent on being happy and continually seek it by our own means, we will fail. It will elude us. There will be brief encounters of it, but lasting happiness simply cannot be found by us. As a matter of fact Jones said that the most miserable and fed up people he knew were people who were most bent on being happy.

So it seems that there is a dilemma, at least until we realize who created everything, including happiness. We stumble upon Jesus, and he tells us to "follow him". We walk with him. The journey takes us to others who are saddened and broken. We want nothing more than to alleviate their pain. And in the process we forget our own happiness. But as we do, our hearts are filled with joy. This is when we're used by God to love others.

That is what Christianity is all about. That is what denying ourselves is all about. It's about putting aside our own desires for happiness to love others and finding complete joy in the process.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-18T08:31:00.001-06:00

"Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
Luke 21:29-33 (NLT)

Verse 32 of this passage of scripture is one of the most difficult verses for me to understand in the whole bible. In it Jesus says that "this generation" will not pass away before he comes back. But wait a minute Jesus. Hasn't there been many generations to come and go since you walked this earth?

After checking out what some scholars have said, I will briefly paraphrase some different opinions.

1. Jesus (and Luke) believed that the end would come quickly –– within their generation. Jesus himself did say that no one knew the day or hour. But Luke writes this about 3 decades after Jesus' death and resurrection. Surely many people have been dying since then and Luke would have to wonder.

2. The word generation is imprecise. "The word can refer to a period of approximately thirty years or to a period of an indefinite number of years but characterized by a particular quality such as suffering or waiting or witnessing." (Craddock, Interpretation, 247)

3. This means "the evil generation of humankind", from Adam until the last man and woman who walk the earth.

4. Or, this might refer to the generation of the end. In other words, the end will occur within one generation; the same group that sees the start of the end will see its end" (This is my interpretation.)

It's clear that the interpretation of "this generation" is, at best, tentative. It's also clear that this issue is hardly the central theme of the scripture. So let's not get too bogged down with the issue of what this generation means and understand that the deeper meaning is that Jesus will come again.

Jesus concludes this section with "Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever." --- A reason for hope. No matter how the earth changes…no matter how old it gets…we can be assured that the words of Jesus will still ring true for people. Nothing can stop the Word of God…not earthquakes or famines or floods or wars…and especially not Satan!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-17T08:40:00.000-06:00

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

God wanted the Israelites to learn His law, to make it a part of their lives, and to share it with their children and each other. Is this concept any different today? Are we not called upon to learn all we can about Jesus by studying the Bible? Would we not be better, more complete and happier people if we made Christ a part of our lives? Are we not supposed to share the Good News of Christ with our children and others whom we know or meet?

When Jesus becomes a real part of our lives the answer to these questions are obvious.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-16T07:51:00.001-06:00

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
Matthew 9:9 (NLT)

Jesus is walking along the road in Galilee. He sees Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth where he would collect taxes for the Romans and for himself as well. In 1st Century Palestine tax collectors were hated by the populous for being traitors and cheats. They worked for Rome and typically got rich at the people’s expense.

Jesus chooses this guy to help him spread his message. Not a real good business plan. Everyone knows you wouldn’t go out and hire someone people hate to convince them to buy into something. But of course Jesus isn’t everybody is he?

Jesus calls Matthew to give up a life of comfort for a life of uncertainty. He calls him to give up a home for not knowing where he would sleep night after night. He calls him to give up material possessions so that he could be heir to a fortune. And Matthew drops everything and follows.

This takes absolute commitment. Today we often times look for the easier way or the short cuts. Then we don’t have to commit as much of our time or efforts to anything. And to be quite honest I think way too many of us have tried to take short cuts in following Jesus. We want rewards without the work. We want the relationship without the hassle. So we commit just enough time to “Church” without committing our lives totally to Christ.

Following Christ takes total commitment. Are you willing to go all in to follow Jesus as your Lord?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-13T08:26:00.001-06:00

And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

One purpose of being a Christian is to be a reflection of Christ. After we are born again from the Spirit, or come into the "New Birth", as John Wesley puts it, we take on a life with Christ. This is a life where Christ abides inside of us, glowing for others to see.

The question today for each of us to think about is this. If we were to open ourselves up, what would we find inside? The answer should be Christ and His love if we are truly Christians. But sometimes people forget what they are supposed to be reflecting and allow themselves and their own selfishness to take over where Christ once supposedly abided.

This life is not about you or me. It is about love of God and love of each other. If our lives begin being all about what we can do or what we can earn or what we have accomplished, then our reflections will be of ourselves.

If, on the other hand, people see in us kindness, humility, unselfish behavior and the other aspects of the love of Christ, then we are reflecting Christ. Which will you reflect today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-12T08:38:00.001-06:00

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Romans 15:7 (NRSV)

Paul teaches us to welcome others. We should be willing to welcome friends and neighbors. That's easy enough. We should be able to welcome all people who come into our churches, our conversations even our lives. We are called to welcome our neighbor, whoever that person might be, and to welcome him or her just as Christ welcomed us into His family.

How often is is hard for you to welcome someone into your life because of a past history or presuppositions about the person? Do you think if Jesus looked at your history or judged the kind of person you might be that he would have allowed you to be called one of His own?

Let us welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)

These are the original members of the Church. They started the Church under the guidance of the Apostles and the Holy Spirit. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from them.

First of all they continued to meet together. How many Christians today find other things to do on Sunday mornings or other times of worship?

They broke bread together. They shared meals together. They were sincere. They praised God and enjoyed the favor of others. Even when we do meet there may be those of us who are not sincere in our love for each other. We may half-heartedly praise God, all the while looking at our watches to see how long before the service is over.

Let us learn true worship from the earliest Christians. True worship is about sharing and showing love for each other. It's about coming together for God's glory and gladly giving Him our time and efforts.

May we come to see God as an awesome and powerful, yet gracious and merciful Lord. May we all realize that worship is about Him being glorified. May we all seek Him steadfastly today, much like the believers of old.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-10T07:14:00.001-06:00

Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?
James 2:19-20 (NLT)

What James is trying to tell us is that simply believing that God exists and that He created us is not enough. It's not the kind of belief that Jesus speaks of in John 3:16 when he says that "all who believe shall never perish, but have eternal life". This kind of saving belief (or faith) has good deeds attached.

He is not telling us our good deeds will save us, but that true faith (or belief) in Jesus is life changing. When we accept, we not only accept Jesus as our Savior (the one who saves us), but as our Lord (the one whom we invite to run our lives). And when Jesus is in control, good deeds will naturally follow.

So it's not that good deeds save us, but that they point to a person who is living out his/her salvation. As Jesus said, "We will be known by our fruit."

So what kind of fruit have you produced lately? Are there signs that you are a Christian? Do good deeds pour forth from you? Or do you claim to have faith while having no deeds to show the authenticity of it?

May we all have a fruit-producing day today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-09T08:31:00.000-06:00

Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:3

I once heard a revival speaker compare the physical growth of babies to our growth as Christians. As babies we need to be fed and taken care of. If we don't grow, then we will die. It's the same with being born again. If we try to stay the same old person we were without allowing the Holy Spirit to grow us and grow in us, we are going to wither away and die. Life is all about change. And the good news is that God will change us when we are born again. It may not happen over night, but it will happen if we will allow Him to work in us. Before I was born again I had a lot of desires that are either not as predominant now or I flat out don't have anymore. That's because Christ worked in me to change me and take away those desires. He comes to us where we are and calls us as we are. If we will simply have faith in Him and allow Him to work in us, things will change...things will become more complete.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-06T08:21:00.001-06:00

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
Ephesians 2:14 (NLT)

The Jews were the "chosen" ones of God. They were the ones that God made His covenant with to be their God. But God never meant for His love to be only for one group of people. Through Christ, He brought His love and salvation to all who would accept it.

He came to break down the walls that divided Jews and Gentiles. There should no longer be hostility between us. Of course if this is true for Jews and Gentiles, should it not be true also for us and anyone else? There is so much hostility in this world today by Christians and non-Christians alike. There are walls that we've built up that still need to be broken.

What are these walls that divide us today? They are numerous. Some are huge and made of stone and impossible to push over by our selves. Others are made of clay and can be broken easily if we simply try.

One wall is the wall of hate. It stands stronger than any wall. Sometimes we put it up because we have differences of opinion. This difference of opinion over religious or political views, or the color of the church, or how money should be spent or how it should be made, or who should do what and how they should do it….you get the point don’t you? How many times have you seen a difference of opinion turn to anger? And anger can eventually lead to hate if we aren’t careful. And the wall is up all because we couldn’t agree. Sometimes on a big issue, but more often on something that doesn’t mean a hill of beans when it comes to the Kingdom of God.

Hatred is a wall that is made out of a substance that can only be broken down with love. The only way that these walls today can come down is if we allow the love of Christ to work through us. The question today is, "Are we willing to love ALL people unconditionally so as to break down walls of hatred?"

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-05T07:45:00.001-06:00

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

What is this life lived for? Is it for your job, your family, your spouse? Is it lived for adventure, getting the most out of life?

All these things are important and God-given gifts to humanity. But Paul knew that there was something (or I should say someone) much more important to live for. He saw how special living for Christ was. He lived to make Jesus proud of him. He wanted his Father in Heaven to look down and say, "That's my boy!", for Jesus to say, "Good job".

When we have the attitude that to live is Christ, the emphasis of pleasing the world and ourselves is replaced with pleasing Jesus. We now have someone whom we can please because the world and our selfish selves are never happy for more than a short while. And ultimately it makes us feel better inside to know we are pleasing our Father and our Savior who sits at His right hand in Heaven.

So if living is Christ, what then is dying? Dying is gain for those of us who love Jesus. For death is not the end, but simply the beginning. When our lives are up here on this earth and we've lived for Christ for as long as our bodies would allow, we gain access to a much deeper and richer relationship with God. Yes, dying is gain because it is then what we will see God and be with Jesus and experience His Spirit in ways we can never imagine.

Live for Christ. Your life will be a better one for it. And remember that when the time comes, it will only get better.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2012-01-04T08:24:00.000-06:00

After a little time off for the holiday I'm back online with your "Thought of the Day !!" devotions. My prayer is that God will speak to you this year through this ministry. - greg

God began a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.
Philippians 1:6 (NCV)

Do you ever fill like a failure? Have you ever wondered why it is that you try to plant seeds for Jesus but never see any fruit? Do you think you ever make a difference for God?

God created you. He began a work in you. You might say that this means that we're a work in progress. Sometimes we will see how this work plays out. Other times we won't. But know that if you allow God to do so, He will build and strengthen you, as well as calling you and seeing that you produce for Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-23T07:40:00.001-06:00

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:4-7 (KJV)

There was no room in the inn for the baby Jesus. Will there be room in your Christmas for him?

Merry Christmas,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-22T07:11:00.001-06:00

(The shepherds) ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
Luke 2:16-17

An angel of the Lord had appeared to the shepherds and told them the good news of great joy for the people everywhere. The news was of a child that would change the world. He would be called the Son of the Most High...the Son of God even. This child would be the most powerful being ever to live, yet he would be born in a cold and lowly place. This would be his choice though. You see, Jesus would not be the kind of Savior that distanced himself from those he saved. Instead, he came to us and lived among us so that he could do what we do, see things from out point of view, and feel the same pains and joy that we experience. This is a truly loving Messiah. And this is the Messiah that the shepherds went around telling everyone about.

I wonder if the people thought that they were crazy. Maybe they believed these guys to have been spending too much time alone with the sheep. But there was surely one person that believed. Mary not only believed, but she pondered all the things said in her heart.

Believable or not, these were the first evangelists of the Good news. They were the first ones used by God to spread the gospel of Jesus. And for that the world should be thankful. For we should use them as an example. We've been given the good news, and now it's time share it with others. Christmas is but a few days away. Will we run to find Jesus in our lives? Will we share the good news of Christ at Christmas? Will we praise God?

Let this Christmas be about something more than presents...more than parties...more than Santa. Lets all put away all bickering and complaining so that we may forgive and love and find the peace and hope of our Savior's birth this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-21T08:02:00.001-06:00

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

There are still those today walking in darkness even though the light came at Christmas over 2000 years ago. For those of us who have the light of Christ shining in us, it is our task this Christmas to be a beacon.

The truth is, some of us need the Christmas Spirit this year more than ever. We need to let those who oppose Christianity and those who are just Bah Humbuggers know that the light of Christ that came down once and walked among us is still alive in us. Who knows, a little bit of Christmas cheer or giving or just plain old love this year may make a difference in someone whose life has been darkened this season. What do you say? Will you join me in creating an attitude of Christmas? An attitude of LOVE!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-20T07:22:00.001-06:00

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Emmanuel" (meaning, God is with us).
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

God is with us. He came to the world in the usual way...that is...if you are an ordinary child, but not the Savior of the world. God is with us. He chose to walk in our shoes, to experience what we experience, to laugh, to cry, to joke, to bleed. He chose to be among us, which makes Him special. It makes our God one who truly knows who we are and what we're going through. This proves His love for us.

Lets prove our love for Him this Christmas by being with Him. Let's worship God by coming together in love and peace this year. Let's worship God by taking Him to others this year. Let's worship God by remembering the baby that was born in a manger this year. Let's worship God by extending mercy and forgiveness to each other this year. Let's worship God by placing more importance on Jesus than on Santa this year. Let's just worship God this Christmas.

Christmas is just around the corner now. How will you worship the Creator of the season this year?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-19T09:46:00.001-06:00

"Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Luke 1:30-31 (NLT)

Surprise Mary!!! You're gonna have a son!

But I'm a virgin! So?

But I'm not married! So?

But that's not how I imagined my life! So?

But I'll be stoned! No you won't.

Joseph won't marry me! Yes he will.

For nothing is impossible with God. Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:37-38 (NLT)

Mary didn't actually say all those things above...except for what is found in the text. Or at least I assume she didn't. But can you just imagine those thoughts going through her mind?

When God calls us today, He rarely uses angels like Gabriel to come in front of us and speak to us. I've not seen any talking burning bushes lately either. For some reason (maybe because our faith isn't as strong these days and needs to be tested) He speaks to us in less obvious ways.

I think God wants to surprise all of us with revelations and callings on a much more consistent basis than we want to admit. One reason might be because these revelations and callings interfere with our lives. They may call for sacrifices to made by us or for us to change something. But I doubt many of us will ever be called to sacrifice and change as much as Mary was.

What has God tried to get you to hear lately? Have you been listening? Have you heard? He shocked Mary with an angelic presence, but if we wait for that to happen to us, we might find out later that we missed the boat. Let's seek God today and ask Him to speak to us. Then we will have to be willing to listen.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18 (NIV)

At Christmas we celebrate the birth of a special baby. This child is Emmanuel, which means "God with us".

We celebrate because Jesus is the gift of love. He came down out of Heaven to free us from our sins. He has the power to do just that being God Himself. But He also came down not as a god, but as a human. He was humbly born in a cold damp place, then driven out of the country within the first couple years of his life. He went through all the hardships and joys of any human being growing up.

Then he became a man. It was then that he really began to suffer temptations and hardships. It was then that he went through every conceivable struggle, such as betrayal, being used, physical abuse, verbal abuse, being ignored, being arrested, etc. And these things he went through so that as He walks with us today He can say, "I understand. I've been there too. And I'll be there with you."

God is with us. Jesus understands us. The Holy Spirit indwells us. Emmanuel.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-15T08:05:00.000-06:00

So [Jesus] replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
Luke 7:22-23 (NIV)

I was reading a devotional this morning that pointed out the fact that we've lost the realism of Jesus. What it was getting at was that we can make Jesus so spiritual that we forget the very real things He did, and still does.

He really can keep our churches going, even when the odds are stacked against them and the attendance is down and the mortgage note is high. He can. But He only will if we fall in line with His will.

He really can heal sickness. Yet how often do we pray without belief for healing because it doesn't always happen the way we think it should?

He really can cure us of addictions. But who has lost patience because it didn't happen in the time frame they asked for?

Jesus is real. He continues to be with us through the Holy Spirit. We must believe that He is who He says He is and does what He says He'll do. Believe in miracles such as blind people seeing, lame people walking, people with leprosy being cleansed, deaf people hearing and even dead people being raised. Believe that if you proclaim the good news of Christ that it will make a difference.

This is the Christmas season, a time for belief in the miraculous. Let us look for miracles and believe that they will come...that they are real.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-14T07:09:00.001-06:00

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:28 (NIV)

You or I will probably never be approached by an angel who tells us that we are favored by the Lord. But then again, maybe we will. Or maybe we have. A wonderful lady named Lucy told me how she knew I was sent to her from God. I, on the other hand, thought that it was just the opposite and that it was her who was sent to me.

Have you ever had a Sunday School teacher tell you how special you are to Jesus? Has a friend ever told you what Mrs. Lucy told me? Maybe God has used a different kind of angel to share with us that we are highly favored.

We may never do what Mary did, but we can still make a difference in our world in the name of Jesus. And with the Lord with us, who can stop us? Surely not the devil...even though he will try.

Know that each and every one of us is of value to the one who created us. Each and every one of us is worthy of redemption in His mind. Each and every one of us is highly favored. And the Lord longs to be with each and every one of us as well.

This Christmas season, as we remember that we are highly favored by God, lets allow that to guide our actions as we care for others who are just as favored.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-13T07:26:00.001-06:00

If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31b (NLT)

Have you ever been down and thought that everything just wasn't going the way it should? Have you ever had someone turn on you or a friend betray you? Have you ever wished you could just stay in bed because you knew that there was something you had to do today that was going to be very unpleasant and most likely would get someone else mad?

Okay, maybe you haven't experienced these things. Maybe I'm the only one. But there are times in all of our lives when we will be persecuted in some way, big or small. Or at least that's what Jesus told us. He even went as far as proclaiming that those who are persecuted in His name would be blessed. The NLT puts it that if we are persecuted for "doing right" we will be blessed (Matthew 5:10).

So do you feel blessed when you're being persecuted, ridiculed, put down, looked down upon or talked about behind your back? Probably not. But the blessing comes in the fact that we're not alone in this. If we are trying to do what is right in God's eyes, we will be blessed with His continual presence. And that means all of us. If God is for us people who've accepted Christ as our Savior (and He is) then who can really stand against us?

Go into a world that is sometimes easy and sometimes hard, and go with the knowledge that God is with you and that no one can conquer you as long as you have God on your side. Just make sure it is God's will you are living in and not your own and you will be fine.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-12T08:06:00.002-06:00

Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth!
Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to
each generation.
Psalm 100 (NLT)

As we prepare for Christmas with all the decorating and shopping and parties and such, let us be reminded to be thankful. When you're in that long line at the store where only two of the fifty check-out lanes are open, be thankful. Instead of stewing, complaining, becoming anxious, or anything of that sort, be thankful that you have someone to buy for. Many people won't this year.

Instead of complaining about having to park back on the "North 40" at the mall, be thankful that you have the ability to walk.

Instead of being upset that your utilities cost so much, be thankful you are able to keep warm this winter. Many live on the streets or have had utilities cut off because they can't afford to pay the bill.

Be thankful this Christmas season as you find something good in all the things that may normally tick you off. Paul tells us that God works for good in all things for those who love God. If you love God, God will work good in your situation, no matter what it is.

So when you're delayed...when you're stuck in line...when your patience is wearing thin...be thankful for the blessings that God has given you. And take these times to pray a prayer of thanksgiving. I've noticed that it's impossible to be upset when I'm giving thanks to God. Maybe you can find it the same when you do. Have a thankful Advent season as you happily prepare your hearts, minds and souls for Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-09T08:12:00.001-06:00

On the way to the office this morning I listened to a Casting Crowns song called "Sweet Jesus Boy". I'd like to share it with you this morning.

Sweet little Jesus boy, born in a manger
Sweet little Holy child, we didn't know who You were

Long time ago it seems You were born
Born in a manger Lord, sweet little Jesus boy

Didn't know You'd come to save us all
To take our sins away
Our eyes were blind we did not see
We didn't know who You were

You have shown us how
And we are trying
Master You have shown us how
Even as You were dying

This world treats You mean Lord
Treats me mean too
But that's how things are done down here
We didn't know it was You

Didn't know You'd come to save us all
To take our sins away
Our eyes were blind we did not see
We didn't know who You were

That verse that goes "This word treats You mean Lord, Treats me mean too. But that's how things are done down here" really caught my attention. We live in a world where people think more of themselves than others. And so often it can be a downright mean place to be because of people's actions or inactions. During this Christmas time let us seek to be kind to others, not mean. Let do all we can to change uncaring attitudes. Let us show others the positive outlook that comes with Jesus instead of all the negativism that runs rampant so often. Let us be the hands and feet and voice of the child born in Bethlehem.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-08T08:54:00.001-06:00

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.
Micah 5:2 (NLT)

The first king of Israel was Saul, who was from the tribe of Benjamin. When Saul heard that he was the focus of the hopes of all Israel, he responded:

"But I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe!" - 1 Samuel 9:21 (NLT)

After Saul's fall from power, David was made king. And as we all know, David was merely a shepherd boy, not even greatest among his own family in stature. Yet God used him to be the most renown king in all Israel's history.

And then we get to the prophet Micah, who foretold that another ruler would come from Bethlehem, "a small villiage". We know that ruler to be Jesus.

When we're thinking that we're insignificant or small in the whole scheme of things, we are simply fooling ourselves. Each person, big and small in stature, in wealth, in strength...in all things, is important to God. And God often times uses us insignificant, small people to do great things.

Your great contribution to this world may never be recorded in the history books. And you may never get the recognition of a young shepherd boy from Judah. But that doesn't mean that you cannot do something great in your life. Listen, and accept your calling from God. And whatever you do will be important.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-07T08:15:00.001-06:00

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
1 John 4:9 (NIV)

This is how God showed His love for us. How have you shown your love for God lately?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question

2011-12-06T10:40:00.002-06:00

I'm reading a book on Heaven by Randy Alcorn that's been very interesting. So, what do you think things will be like in Heaven?

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-06T07:33:00.001-06:00

Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
Matthew 13:24-26 (NLT)

The point here is that there will always be evil in our midst. As bad as we want our world to be perfect, there will always be weeds growing in it; bad people who care nothing for others and are living out their lives being controlled by their own sense of gratification and being lured more and more by the devil’s evil schemes.

Jesus says that there will come a time of harvest and the angels will take the weeds and throw them into the fiery furnace (verse 42). It’s obvious to us that this is a metaphor for hell. What will be removed from His Kingdom is “everything that causes sin and all who do evil. (verse 41)” The Greek literally means those who cause others to sin and those who care not what Jesus wants them to do.

Remember that there is always going to be evil around us…quite possibly right here in our churches. Our main objective should be to make sure that we don’t allow ourselves to become a part of this evil by being prideful, thinking that that we’re untouchable by the temptations of the devil or by being holier-than-thou like the Pharisees, thus thinking of ourselves better than others. If we do, we’ll be inviting the devil to use us as weeds instead of good nutritious wheat.

We must practice good disciplines, stay in touch with our Lord and commune together to gain strength from each other. These things will help us fend off the enemy when he comes our way.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-05T07:36:00.000-06:00

And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"
Romans 10:15 (NLT)

How seriously do we take the Great Commission where Jesus told his followers to go into the world making disciples? Was this a message for them only? Or is it only the duty of pastors and Sunday School teachers to share the Good News of Jesus with others? Or maybe you believe that you have to have a degree in Salvationology to be able to say the right words to lead others to Christ.

All of the above is simply untrue. It was not only a message for Jesus' day. It is not only the duty of pastors and other church leaders. It is not something you have to go to school to do. Bringing the good news is simply telling others the good news that you have about Jesus. Do you have good news? Do you know Jesus? How did you get to know Him? How has He influenced your life? How has He made you a better person? What is your belief about how his sacrifice leads to you going to Heaven? Why do you want to go to Heaven? Answer these and you have good news. If you don't know the answer, figure it out. And then speak of it to others.

You may not be called to stand on street corners or pack for some small country halfway around the world that you've never heard of. But think about the people you know. Think about beloved family members. How many of them might not know Jesus. How many are living a life that is leading to destruction? Is there someone close to you that you need to tell that you don't want to be in Heaven without him/her? Is there someone you need to ask if he/she knows where they would go if they died today?

Many are put off by Jesus followers coming right out and asking these kinds of questions. It takes forming a relationship of trust to do it best. But the thing we must remember is that we don't know what tomorrow will bring. If we hold off too long, it could become too late.

Share the love of Christ. Share the Good News of Christ. Do it with your actions. Do it with your words.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-02T08:02:00.000-06:00

What sorrow awaits you teachers of the religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.
Matthew 23:25-26 (NLT)

What can we learn from this? The same thing that the Pharisees and religious teachers were taught. It doesn't matter how nice and polished we look on the outside. Our clothes don't matter. What we drive doesn't matter. What we've done to make ourselves look professional, cool or presentable doesn't matter.

What matters is what's on the inside. We must focus on cleaning up our hearts. Let us work on loving kindness, patience with one another, a deeper relationship with Christ, etc. Then the rest will all fall into place.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-12-01T06:27:00.001-06:00

But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

2 Corinthians 8:7-9 (TNIV)

We’ve all seen small children playing before. Sometimes they’ll get along, and sometimes they won’t. I’ve seen a child hoard all the toys, even the ones that he wasn’t playing with before, because he didn’t want the other one to touch his stuff.

I’ve also noticed a little girl who spent a great deal of time creating some craft, only to hand it to me when she was done.

The difference is not between little boys and little girls. For either can hoard their toys, and either can share generously. The difference is that one is showing love for self and the other is showing love for another.

We are the little boy with all the toys as well as the little girl with the newly made creation. But it’s up to us to choose which we will act like.

Are we insecure and afraid to give? Or are we satisfied knowing that what we have is not really our own, but something that is on loan from God?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-30T08:13:00.001-06:00

Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Messiah," and saying, "The time has come!" But don't believe them.
Luke 21:8 (NLT)

Jesus prophesied that their would be false teachers. They often come in the form of charismatic speakers who form their own cults or just pull people away from the Truth of Christ Jesus. Some will go as far as claiming to be the Messiah. David Koresh called himself the Son of God and Lamb of God. Jim Jones believed himself to be the reincarnation of Jesus. There is a guy in Florida now growing a group of disciples and one in the Philippines who already has thousands fooled, both of which claim to be Jesus.

There will also be those who make the claim that they know when the end of time is coming. Joseph Smith of the Mormon faith, Ellan White (7th Day Adventist) and the Jehovah's Witnesses all predicted the end of time, none of which came about. Most recently Harold Camping, a self-proclaimed Bible teacher, predicted the end would come on May 11 of this year. There were billboards bought and a lot of news coverage about it. When it didn't happen, he claimed "Oops, I miscalculated. It's actually October 11." Since October I haven't heard anything about him.

The point I make is that Jesus said that there would be false teachers that would come to the vulnerable, those who've lost hope or forgotten it because of difficult times. These false teachers would be used by Satan to lead people astray and give false hope. We must be careful not to be fooled by them. We also must make sure that we don't read into the Bible what we want it to say and then teach others our opinions, stating them as fact. Otherwise we become the false teachers ourselves.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-29T07:09:00.001-06:00

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

I wonder how many half-heartedly seek God and how many truly seek with all their heart. What about you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-28T07:29:00.001-06:00

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16 (TNIV)

What faith children have! They simply believe God is God and Jesus is who we say he is. No need for us to prove it…just say it. And they believe.

Children believe in miracles. Children believe that God will take care of them.

It's not until sin becomes evident to them and the world teaches them about pain and misery that they begin to doubt.

Jesus says that we must have the audacity to believe again. And when we do, we will join the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom begins here on earth with true believers. But it continues on into an eternity with Jesus in Heaven.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-18T08:59:00.001-06:00

I awoke this morning to the song "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" sung by D.C. Talk.

Life was filled with guns and war
And all of us got trampled on the floor
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head he's gone
I wish we'd all been ready
Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one's left standing still
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

Children died the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

The Father spoke the demons died
How could you have been so blind

There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you've been left behind

I hope we'll all be ready you've been left behind
I hope we'll all be ready you've been left behind
I hope we'll all be ready you've been left behind

Is there anyone you care about that you need to ask if they're ready or not?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-17T08:31:00.001-06:00

Never stop praying.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

Let me ask you something. Do you wish your prayer life would be more fruitful? Do you wish you were more consistent or that you enjoyed praying more?

If asked, I think many Christians would say that they feel like they don’t pray enough or struggle with a prayer life for one reason or another. To be quite honest, it's something we must choose to work at. As with anything worth doing it doesn’t just happen by itself. There has to be effort put forth. But when that effort is put forth, it becomes not only something we can be good at, but also something we will enjoy.

Today I offer some practical tips for perseverance in prayer.

1. Find a prayer partner. Seek someone who will hold you accountable as well as pray with you.

2. Find a proper balance between routine and variety. By this I mean to make your prayer life a part of your routine. This might mean a certain time of the day or a certain kind of prayer. Then prayer becomes habit. But then also add a variety of other times or types of prayer. This will keep your prayer life from becoming just routine, which can be as bad as not praying at all.

3. Keep yourself motivated. You can do this in a variety of ways. First of all, remember why you're praying. Keep in mind how much you want to get closer to God. You can also keep motivated by learning more about prayer. This can be done by reading through the many passages in the bible about prayer, reading books on prayer and doing studies about prayer. Another way to stay motivated is by making your prayer life more meaningful or enjoying through aids such as music, prayer journals, prayer walks, or other such things.

4.Don't allow feelings or interruptions to dictate your prayer life. If you decide to only pray when you feel like it, the devil will soon have you convinced to put it off over and over again. And if you allow interruptions to divert you from your commitment, you'll soon find out that you aren't praying anymore.

5. Celebrate answers to prayer. People will praise God and thank you for your prayers when a healing or some other miracle has occurred. But celebrate the little things as well. Pray each morning for God to guide you and keep you safe and celebrate the answers to these and other such prayers daily. Thank God for listening.

These are but a few helpful hints. The key is to keep seeking God through prayer. When we do this, the bible says that we will find Him. Have a happy prayer life.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-15T09:51:00.001-06:00

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Romans 15:1 (NIV)

Today I share with you one of the least enjoyed topics of faith. This is patience. How many of us want to have patience, but not have that patience tested? I've even heard that you should never pray for patience because then God will teach it to you through giving you something to be patient about. Patience is a gift, along with being one of the great fruits of the Spirit. Whether we like having to be patient or not, we must strive for patience if we are to truly be what Christ calls us to be.

Paul teaches us who are more mature in our faith to bear with the failings of those who are less so. In other words, we are to be patient when others annoy us or seem to come up with "weird" ideas based on a misinterpretation of scripture. We must allow for the fact that they might not act as Christ-like towards us as we would like because they haven't been taught how yet. We must must remember to do to them as we would have them do to us, patiently trying to teach the love of Christ.

Bear with one another so as to build others up instead of trying to please yourselves.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-14T08:24:00.001-06:00

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
1 Corinthians 13:3-7 (The Message)

Love never gives up

A lady sits anxiously waiting for a call or letter. Her husband has gone overseas to some country she has never heard of, in a war that she never wanted to happen. He is listed Missing in action. But she will not give up. There is a bond between herself and her husband that won't break until the day he arrives at her door and she finds herself in his arms.
A crowd cheers on a handicapped boy who is so close to the finish line. Even though the race has long been over, the other runners come back to encourage him. When he sees that no one else has given up on him, he finishes the race and is celebrated just as if he were the victor.
True love never gives up. Just look at the father of the prodigal son. Do you remember in the story how the son takes everything and leaves? But when he comes back, the father sees him from far off and is filled with compassion. I have to believe that the father was always looking over the horizon. He never gave up.
Look at Jesus. He had every right to give up on the motley crew that he had surrounded himself with. They never understood, they were always saying dumb things. Yet it was because of his love for them that he never gave up.
Is there anyone that you've given up on? Is there anyone who you need to give a second chance? Remember that God doesn't give up on us. So we should learn from the Master of Love.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-11T08:04:00.001-06:00

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

When we do something in God's/Jesus' name, it means that others know what we're doing is because we belong to Him. Many good deeds are done everyday by people of all faiths and backgrounds. How will people know that your words and deeds are done in the name of the the Lord Jesus?

One way is to make it known that you are a Christian. We are not to boast. But when we're not afraid to bring Jesus into conversations with others, they will begin to get a clue. When we're given praise, we may give a humble reminder that we would be able to do nothing without our Lord and Savior.

What I get from this scripture is that we should be speaking and doing deeds that are Christlike, but that we should also be letting others know why we do them.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-10T14:05:00.001-06:00

I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
Romans 1:11-12 (NLT)

Paul is writing to the church in Rome when he shares his great desire to be with them. This desire is not to receive something, but to give something. He longs to be with them so that he can share "some spiritual gift that will help (them) grow strong in the the Lord." That is Paul's great desire...to help others grow strong in the Lord. And his encouragement comes from seeing others' true faith.

If you were to write a letter to your church...or a church you used to be a part of, what would it sound like? What is your great desire for others in the community of faith? Are you encouraged by others' faith?

I guess the most important question for us today, though, is if we have the same desire that Paul had. Do we truly desire today to bring others spiritual (or any other kind of) gifts that would help them grow strong in the Lord?

Today has been one of the many days that the Lord has made for us to rejoice in. Let us not only rejoice though. Let us make it even better by sharing any spiritual gift we may have in our possession...especially the gift of love.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-09T11:01:00.000-06:00

A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you want to, you can make me well again," he said. Moved with pity, Jesus touched him. "I want to," he said. "Be healed!" Instantly the leprosy disappeared--the man was healed.
Mark 1:40-42 (NLT)

The gospel says nothing about this man except that he was a leper. But we know that lepers in that day and culture were outcasts. They were at the lowest class level. They were unclean, and if you touched one, you would be unclean as well. If this were not bad enough, they had to walk around wearing certain clothes that distinguished them as being different and yell out "unclean, unclean" so that all would know what they were.

Most believed that these people were sinners and had gotten themselves into this situation by the way they lived their lives. Most people thought them unworthy. Most people thought them to be different and repugnant people that were no good ---- and often up to no good.

But not Jesus. Can you see these poor people in your mind. Picture them. Take a good hard look at them. Do you have pity for them? Do you feel sorry for them? Jesus did.

Now think about those in our culture today that fit that same mold. Those whom you may think are outcasts, or different, or unworthy, or no good, or up to no good. Who are those people today? Can you find yourself feeling sorry for them?

Jesus does. Those are the ones that Jesus most wants to heal. He said that He came to heal the sick, not those who were well. And He wants us to help Him help them.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-07T07:41:00.001-06:00

Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
James 1:2-4 (NLT)

Trials and trouble that come our way can be thought of as building blocks. They make up who we are. Or maybe I should say how we handle them defines us. When there's a difficult time in your life, you are surely not going to laugh and jump for joy because there's something wrong. But you can look back at these occurrences and see how you can grow from them. Remember that God is always at work teaching us if we will just listen. And it's during our own failures and the times we seem to hit bottom that we not only need God the most, but that we can learn the most.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
1 John 1:9 (NLT)

There is nothing that you have done, can do, or will do that God cannot forgive you of. He knows these things already and is ready and willing to forget all about them. All you have to do is talk to Him. He's listening.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-03T07:17:00.000-05:00

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 (NLT)

I read an online devotion this morning about this verse that ended saying it was all about perspective. Think about Paul's perspective. He was in a Roman jail. And before that he was on board a ship that shipwrecked. Before that he was in prison for years in Caesarea. Before that they mobbed him in Jerusalem.

Paul had not had a lot of good luck for some time now. But his words to the people were not words of anger, revenge or even depression. They were words of encouragement to the Philippians. He said "be full of joy in the Lord...rejoice!"

Wow, what a perspective! We can complain when our hair isn't cut the way we wanted or the person driving the car in front of us isn't going as fast as we want or we don't get the service we desire out of the young man we hired to cut our yard. Compared to what Paul was going through, what do we have to complain about? Yet we do.

Let us take on Paul's advice to rejoice instead of being down or upset about the things in this life that don't go our way, but will soon enough pass away.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-02T09:55:00.001-05:00

Jesus replied to Simon, "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!" And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 5:10b-11 (NLT)

Jesus gives Peter the invitation to follow him. He calls the disciples to grow deeper and cast their proverbial nets out to catch people now instead of fish. And he calls us to do the same.

What does Peter and his partners do? They drop everything and follow Jesus. And the voyage is just beginning for them. For great things will come their way.

We’re called to go into deeper waters as well. This means leaving our comfort zone. For some it might mean leaving the country on a mission trip or a pilgrimage like Michelle and I took to the Holy Land.

For others it might mean going outside the walls of our church. It’s easy to come to church and worship and talk about God in the comfortable confines of a church building. But doesn’t God call us to go outside the walls and fish for people, just as Jesus called the disciples?

Without the faith and obedience and willingness to take a chance and leave our comfort zones, we’ll never get anywhere. But as Christians, that's exactly what we're called to do. May we all go out today into the deeper waters of faith and service and be fishers of men, women and children.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-11-01T07:18:00.000-05:00

When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, "Oh, Lord, please leave me—I'm too much of a sinner to be around you." For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.
Luke 5:8-10a (NLT)

This comes after Jesus told Peter to take the boat out into the deep waters even after they had caught nothing all night long. When they did, they let down their nets and caught so much that it almost sunk two boats.

Peter had had some faith in Jesus…enough to go out into the deeper waters and waste his time trying to catch fish again. But when the miracle happened, it dawned on him just how powerful Jesus was. At this point Peter falls on his knees before Jesus understanding for the first time his own sinfulness and low standing before Jesus.

One of the first things we must do before going deeper in our faith journey with Christ is realize our place. I love singing the songs about Jesus as our friend like "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". I absolutely love the fact that I am able to speak to Him as a friend or a big brother. But Peter illustrates the fact that Jesus is much more. He is God incarnate. He is to be worshiped. He is all powerful. And when we stand before Him, we must realize the need for our change. We must realize how great our sin is and how He is the only one powerful enough to take that sin away. He has the unique quality of being a friend and at the same time a Lord.

We must not look flippantly on our sinful nature, making excuses like “we’re only human” or “at least we’re not as bad as so-in-so". We’re not to make excuses before Jesus, but instead to apologize and ask for help.

When we do this, God hears, Jesus walks with us, the Holy Spirit strengthens us and our voyage to deeper waters of faith starts to become a reality.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-31T06:55:00.001-05:00

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish."
"Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again." And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.
Luke 5:4-7 (NLT)

Peter’s obedience in the face of his doubt that there was anything to be caught opens the door for a miracle. There’s no reason that they should’ve caught such an abundance. But Jesus uses this blessing to open the door for Peter and the others to go even deeper in their commitment with God.

Obedience in the face of doubt can open the door for miracles for us as well. Our faith can be shaky at times (we all know that), but it’s then that we must strive even harder to obey Jesus and His will for our lives. When we do, we open the door for God to perform great things.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-28T08:18:00.001-05:00

In two of my Bible studies the issue of Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit has come up. At both it was claimed that denial of Christ is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but I simply couldn't accept that easy of an explanation. This would mean that a person who denies Christ at age 20 cannot be saved later in life and should be given up on. Also, we all deny Christ with our lifestyles at times. So I've done some meditating on this subject and would like to share my thoughts. Feel free to do the same with me if you so choose. We'll use this passage from Matthew 12:22-32(NRSV) to discern what it means.

Then they brought to him a demoniac who was blind and mute; and he cured him, so that the one who had been mute could speak and see. All the crowds were amazed and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, that this fellow casts out the demons.”

The Pharisees were indicating that Jesus was using the power of Satan to cast out demons. Jesus goes on to explain how this is a foolish notion.

He knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your own exorcists cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property, without first tying up the strong man? Then indeed the house can be plundered.

Jesus now shows that it is by the Spirit of God that he casts out demons. He is not working with the devil, but with God. It is His Holy Spirit that is at work.

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

"People will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy". (Obviously this is if they repent and turn to Jesus.) It is one thing only that will not be forgiven. This is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. But before we finish that thought, lets go to the next sentence. Jesus also says if we speak against the Son of Man that we will be forgiven. So if we speak out, or in my mind even say something like "I deny you Jesus", this can be forgiven. (Again, if it is repented of.) "But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."

Let's remember that the Pharisees here were speaking against the miraculous casting out of demons that Jesus was doing and attributing these things to Satan. Attributing the workings of the Holy Spirit to Satan would surely seem to me to be blasphemy. This leads me to believe that by reading this passage in the context that it was written, that Jesus is saying that if you know the power of God's Spirit and claim that He is in cahoots with Satan, working along side Satan, then you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This would be knowing the truth and goodness of God's Spirit and still choosing to attribute it to the devil.

Some have told me that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rejecting God's work in their lives until the very end when they have no more chances. Though this is true and unforgivable seeing as how when we die we don't get any more chances to choose Christ, blasphemy by definition is speaking ill of something. It is not rejecting something.

So I say it would be a bad idea to do either, speak ill of God's Holy Spirit, attributing His work to the devil, and reject Christ's work in your life until it's too late. For either would lead to an eternity away from Christ and with Satan.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-27T07:49:00.003-05:00

When (Jesus) had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.""Master," Simon replied, "we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again."
Luke 5:4-5 (NLT)

Jesus has been teaching the crowds from a small fishing boat that was rowed a little ways into the cove. He finishes his teaching, looks to Peter and says, “Go to the deep water and catch some fish”.

What must this have sounded like to Peter? I can only imagine. I can see Peter wanting to say, “Uhh, Jesus, hey man, you know…you may know a thing or two about preaching or carpentry. But I’m the fishing expert here. I won’t tell you how to preach and you don’t tell me how to fish. Deal?”

But he didn’t. He had every reason not to want to go back out in the boat. He’d been out all night fishing. He had to be tired, wanting to get home and get some food and some sleep. And on top of all that, the nets were now clean and would have to be cleaned again.

The excuses are always there for us to not do what we need to do or what God calls us to do. It’s too hard…I don’t have the time…I’m busy that day…I’ve got to work…I don’t know what I’m doing…etc. But Peter does something amazing. In the midst of all the excuses that he could’ve made, he chose to obey. We can all learn a lesson from Peter here.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-27T07:49:00.001-05:00

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-25T07:12:00.001-05:00

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.
Luke 5:1-3 (NLT)

Jesus’ popularity was growing. He began his preaching in the synogogues, but then expanded this teaching to the masses. A similar thing happened to John Wesley, the father of Methodism. He was heard to say that he much preferred the comfortable surroundings of a church with a pulpit, but it was in the fields where he preached where souls were saved.

Jesus began field preaching so as to save souls as well. His pulpit was a boat. This would’ve been a good solution to the crowds pressing in on him. Preaching from the boat here on the Sea of Galilee with the backdrop of a rising shoreline and a nice easy sloping hill would make a natural amphitheater with very good acoustics.

The key here for both Jesus and John Wesley was that they understood that often times you have to leave the comfortable surroundings of the church (synagogue) if you want to reach people and make a difference in the world. Will we take a lesson from them? Will we be willing to leave the walls of the church and bring the gospel to people outside? Or will our faith be practiced on Sunday mornings and maybe Wednesday nights when we gather together in the comfortable surroundings of our sanctuaries?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-21T08:25:00.002-05:00

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
1 John 2:6 (NLT)

I read this verse in another devotion yesterday and was reminded that we are all called to look at the Jesus of the Bible to see how we should live today. Later, I listened to a Casting Crowns song off their new CD. The song is called "Jesus, Friend of Sinners", and it has this line in it; "The world is on its way to find you but it keeps tripping over me."

I wonder how often the world has a hard time finding Jesus because its tripping over me because I'm not living my life as Jesus did? How often do i allow Satan to speak softly in my ear and convince me to do or say something that Jesus never in an eternity would? I call myself a Christian, but how many see something else at times?

Could we all ask these questions? Or is it just me?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-20T03:51:00.000-05:00

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

I've got this verse of scripture tacked to my bulletin board in my office. Sometimes I need to look at it when I feel like I'm failing at something or nothing seems to be working out like I had planned. I look at it to remind me that I can accomplish anything that is within God's will for my life with the help of Jesus.

Is there ever anything in your life that you feel would be God's will for you, but you just can't do? With God anything is possible. With Christ by our side we can do all things. We can forgive. We can find peace in a troubled life. We can bring joy to others...and ourselves. We can accept the calling that God has placed upon our lives. We can take that step of faith. We can survive on less income. We can trust again. We can...we can...we can...do all things with Christ who strengthens us.

If you're living your life for yourself and trying to build it up alone, it will all fall down, and you will fail. If you're living your life with Christ by your side and allowing Him to guide you, you can do anything.

So the question is, will you allow Christ to be your guide through this life? If so, you will accomplish much. And one day you will realize this...even if that day is not today.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. And Amen for that.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-19T07:55:00.001-05:00

This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."
Zechariah 7:9-10 (NIV)

Zechariah is reminding the people that they were created to care for each other, to love one another, to not only act out of this love, but also think about each other out of this love. We can get caught up in how we're supposed to act, but as Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount, it's not only our actions, but also our attitudes that are important. We are to keep ourselves from doing evil towards one another. But we're also to keep evil out of our hearts as well.

I read this morning that we can't be right with God and wrong with people. If you think about it that sums up not only this verse, but also the teachings of Jesus.

In the love love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-17T07:22:00.000-05:00

Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.
2 Chronicles 26:5 (NLT)

We can learn three things from King Uzziah here. Number one is that he sought God. We can seek what's pleasing to us in this life and surround ourselves with things that will pass away. Or we can seek the Lord and be blessed in much greater ways.

The second thing that we learn from King Uzziah is that he learned from Zechariah, a godly man. Uzziah was sixteen at the time that he took the throne. He was enough of a man to think he knew it all and could do no wrong. But he chose to take wise council of a man who spoke for God. How easy it is to always go our own way and do it our way. But Uzziah understood that he didn't know it all, and that God could use others to guide his paths.

Lastly we learn that because Uzziah sought guidance from the Lord, he was successful. When we seek (and listen to) guidance from our Lord and Savior Jesus, we will be successful. Notice that I did not say that we would necessarily be wealthy, influential or successful as measured by worldly standards. But we will be successful nonetheless. We will find the comfort and joy of God here on this earth and store up for ourselves treasures in Heaven where moths and rust won't get to them and no one can take them away. This is true success.

Seek the Lord's council through godly men and women. Learn to live in accordance with God's desires. And be truly successful for all eternity.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

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)

Why do we compare ourselves to others? Why do we think that if "everyone else" is doing things that it must be OK?

As Christians we are called to be different from the world...to change it...not to conform to it. How can we be world changers for Christ if we look so much like everyone else?

So don't look to others to gauge how good your actions are. Look to God's Word. Only when our actions coincide with God's plan for us, will we be able to be proud of ourselves.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48 (NIV)

Isn't this an outlandish command by Jesus. I mean how can we be perfect? We're the ones born into original sin. We're the ones who keep messing up this world of ours. We're the ones that still need a Savior. How in the world can we be perfect, Jesus?

As we look at this seemingly impossible statement, lets put it into context. It comes immediately after Jesus teaches to love our enemies (another seemingly impossible statement). When he tells us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, he's not saying that we can be like God in a perfectly sinless way. He's telling us to love like He does.

John Wesley spoke of Christian perfection, and this is exactly what he meant by it. We all need to strive daily and pray for the gift of perfect love. When we see things from His point of view instead of our own, we will be able to love like Him. In this way, perfection can be achieved.

It's up to you. You can become perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, loving God and neighbor more than self. Or you can be less than perfect, loving yourself and a select few more than others. With perfection, comes God's sense of happiness and joy that anyone can have, no matter what their economic or social level is here on this earth. So it's time to choose. I choose to strive for perfection. How about you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Psalms 94:19 (NLT)

Is there any turmoil in your life today? If there is, take a few moments and ask God to bring you His promised comfort and hope.

I there isn't, pray for someone else who may need these gifts today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

We live in a world of my, my, my and take, take, take. Our society teaches us to strive to be the best we can be. In our country we're taught that we can do anything we want to do. We're raised going to school and college to better ourselves.

All these things have one thing in common. The emphasis is on ME. It's not bad to do things for ourselves, but we must remember that this life is NOT all about us. When it all boils down to it, we aren't even our own. We are God's creation; we are His people.

Let us live as His people, enjoying life, but putting Him first and serving others. It's then that we'll find true joy.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-04T07:12:00.001-05:00

...in the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

Here we see Jesus teaching us to let our good deeds "shine out for all to see". Yet a mere chapter later in this Gospel he will teach us, "Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." Is he saying one thing and then changing his mind?

We are not to do good to others so that we can be seen doing good and receive the glory for ourselves. As people who are in love with Christ Jesus, we won't be able to not do his will, which so often is doing good deeds for others. And when we do them out of our love for Him and the people we do them for, giving God the glory, we will make our Father in Heaven proud of us. When we do them so that the glory comes our own way, He will look down disapproving on us.

Do good deeds so that others will know the goodness of God and not the goodness of you.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-10-03T08:03:00.000-05:00

Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?
Matthew 6:26 (NLT)

How cool is it that God knows everything about you and loves you just the same?

How cool would this world be if we, who in comparison know very little about others, would try to do the same?

This may seem like an impossibility. But it's only an impossibility if we never make the attempt.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-29T07:43:00.000-05:00

Jesus replied: "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 2:16 (ESV)

If you love me, obey my commandments. - John 14:15 (NLT)

God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. - 1 John 4:16 (NCV)

We love because God first loved us. If people say, "I love God," but hate their brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have never seen. And God gave us this command: Those who love God must also love their brothers and sisters. - 1 John 4:19-21 (NCV)

Recognize a common thread here? Yes, love...from God, for God, for each other. That's what everything is really all about. You want salvation? Love Jesus, therefore loving one another. You want to be happy in life? Love God, who already loves you. You want to know what you were created for? To love.

All this love talk is not sappy romantic movie talk. It's powerful, sacrificial, take a stand, be brave kind of stuff. It means putting your life in Jesus' hands. It means standing up for those who are bullied, taken advantage of, or simply down on their luck. This kind of love is the kind that makes men real men and women strong.

Think about it today. Do you have the real kind of love that makes a difference in other people's lives? Is it making a difference in your life? If not, begin with loving Jesus. Everything else will flow from that. For if you really love Him like you say you do, you will obey his command to love others.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-28T07:59:00.001-05:00

From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’
Numbers 21:4-5 (NRSV)

As I read this passage, I couldn't help but smile as I thought of how my response to the Israelites' complaints would be if I were Moses. They complain that there's no food. Then they follow that complaint up by saying that they "detest this miserable food." Hey, wait a minute. I thought you said there was no food. Which is it? No food...or miserable food? It can't be both.

I guess what really made me smile was thinking back on how I've gone through my kitchen before and opened all the cabinets and the refrigerator only to shut the doors and complain, "There's no food in this house!" Was there actually no food for me to eat? Oh there may be a can of chicken noodle soup. There may be some peanut butter and some saltines. There may have been something I would have to take the time to cook. But the truth of the matter is that I didn't want what I had in my kitchen. And so I've complained before that there's no food, when in reality it was right in front of me.

The Israelites were getting spoiled. They evidently had access to food. They just didn't want it. And so they complained.

The problem was that the Israelites forgot. You see, they forgot just how miserable they were in Egypt. They forgot how they prayed for God to save them. They forgot how God sent Moses to them. They forgot how God brought them out of Egypt and how God saved them again at the Red Sea and how God had produced food and water for them and protected them. They evidently forgot all that God had done for them because they complained. And if they had thought about how good God had been, they would realize that there was nothing to complain about.

I think we can get just like the Israelites from time to time. We forget all the blessings we have. We forget how good we actually have it when we see someone who has it better than us. We forget that life itself is a blessing, and that there is much good to find in it. We simply forget. And we do the same as the Israelites. We complain. Why did I get.... Or why didn't I get.... Why did so and so do better.... Why oh why. And the whys become whining. And negativism or envy or jealousy or whatever turns us into complainers.

I wonder what would happen if every time we started to complain about something, we found something to be thankful for first. Maybe this world would become a more positive place. And maybe God would be happier with us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-27T07:35:00.001-05:00

Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Once we give our lives over to Christ, our bodies, along with the rest of who we are, belong to Him. That's kinda what happens when you give something to someone. It becomes their property. In the case of Jesus, we give them to Him who cares about them even more than we do.

I wish I cared as much about my body as God does. Before I go to Heaven I will try to take care of my body. But at the same time I will give up when certain foods come around or when it comes to exercising regularly. I desire to do right in these areas, but I guess I desire other things more at times.

Are you like me? You want to take care of your body but you just have such a hard time doing so? Well, don't give up. Remember that if you're a Christian you've given everything over to God, including your body. So honor it to the best of your abilities. That will include taking care of it with right foods and exercise. That will also include not putting harmful substances like drugs or excessive amounts of alcohol in it.

We're not perfect. But we can strive to be. This includes taking care of the bodies that God has created for us to live in and that we've dedicated back to Him when we accepted Christ into our lives.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-26T08:24:00.001-05:00

For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

Have you ever had a situation in your life that seemed nearly hopeless? Christ can give you the hope you need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Have you ever had something go really, really wrong in your life? Christ can give you the strength you need to recover.

Have you ever had an problem you didn't know how to handle? Christ can give you the discernment you need.

Have you ever needed a little direction in your life? Christ can give you the wisdom you need.

Christ is our help in times of distress and trouble. He's our help in times of joy and satisfaction. He gives us the strength we need everyday to do what's right and good. He gives us the strength to make it to a place where we can be happy and have peace. He can do all these things if we will only let him.

Have you ever...Christ can help you do everything.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-23T08:02:00.001-05:00

The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are." But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.
Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

Here we see a conflict of wills. God's will was for Jonah to go Northeast to Nineveh and preach to the people there. But Jonah didn't want to go. He probably hated these people, who were wicked Assyrians. So his will was to go anywhere but Nineveh. This led him to go down to Joppa and head west...the opposite direction of God's will.

How often is it that we're like Jonah? How often does God have a will for us to live, behave, give or receive differently than what our own will is? I'd say that this could be often for many of us. The question is, what will we do about it? Jonah decided he could do whatever he wanted, no matter what God's wishes were for him. If you already know the story of Jonah, you know that he created a mess for himself (If you don't, check it out in the Old Testament for a good short story). When we are so stubborn as to continually do things our way instead of God's better way for us, we create a mess for ourselves just like Jonah did.

God's will is for us to have a more abundant life. Even when we don't understand how this works out with what He's calling us to do or who He's calling us to be, we can be sure that His way will lead to a better life for us.

So will you be like Jonah and run from God's will for your life? Or will you be like Jesus as he prayed at Gethsemane "Father not my will, but yours"?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-22T07:37:00.000-05:00

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6 (NRSV)

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a deep desire to be right with God and to have a right relationship with God. That's basically what righteousness is. So Jesus teaches us that if we truly want to be filled with God through the Holy Spirit, then we will. But how many of us truly desire that?

Something to think about today - Do you really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, especially if it might mean going places you now don't want to or acting in different ways or giving up some things you'd rather hold on to?

If you truly hunger and thirst for God, you will receive God. But I think that many people claiming to be Christians don't really have a hunger or thirst for righteousness. Imagine what this world would be like if we all did.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-21T08:35:00.003-05:00

[God says,] "Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry."
Amos 5:23 (NLT)

Does God want us to worship Him in song? Of course. Does He want us to praise Him? Yes. So of course He desires to hear hymns of praise from us. But when these hymns of praise come from people who are not being obedient, who are something totally different within the walls of the church than they are outside them, then He'd just assume not listen to their false praise.

As Christians, God wants us first and foremost not to become hypocrites, thinking we're better in any way than others. Neither does He want to see us becoming the kind of people that put ourselves and our selfish desires before Him. So let us submit ourselves to a life's purpose of putting God first, through the life and teachings of His Son Christ Jesus. And let us strive to live that life out to the best of our ability. Then justice and righteous living will flow from us naturally. And our worship will be pure and received by the Father with joy.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-20T07:27:00.000-05:00

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:1-5 (ESV)

Matthew Henry, in his commentary wrote that the devil (the serpent) did three things in the Garden of Eden when he tempted Eve to disobey God. He questioned whether this was actually a sin or not.

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

He denied that there would be any punishment.

“You will not surely die."

And he pointed out the benefits.

"When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Today as Satan tempts us he does the same thing. He tries to convince us that the sinful things we do are not really all that bad, that their will be no problem with it, and that there will be benefits if we will only do, say or think whatever it is he's trying to get us to do.

Be very aware that the devil is always there stalking you, waiting for his opportunity to tempt you to sin so that he can come between you and God. He hates God so much that he'll go to any extreme to try to hurt Him. And you are his only way of getting back at God who kicked him out of Heaven.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29 (NAS)

Today I could complain about having to pull over on the side of the interstate because a mud flap had torn and was beating against the side of my truck. Or I could thank God that I have a reliable truck that now has matching sides where neither flap is attached anymore. I could complain about the cloudy day. Or I could enjoy the coolness of the air as I road to work with my window down. I could complain about how the internet connection this morning at the office is very slow for some reason. Or I could simply think about what all I hope to accomplish this day as I sit waiting for something to load.

Actually, we all need to be able to share unhealthy feelings with someone at times. We have to get some things out in the open so that they don't fester. And there are times when constructive criticism is needed. But so often people can simply allow negativity to rule their day, week or even lives. And when this happens, nothing helpful will come out because no one will want to listen.

A cheerful attitude can help others find joy in their day, whereas an ugly attitude with "unwholesome talk" can ruin people's days. Which do you think God prefers? Which is best for you and for those around you?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-15T08:25:00.001-05:00

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 19:14 (ESV)

In my church on Sunday mornings I have a special time set aside for Children's Sermon. We do not have many kids at our church, but at times the little ones can number upwards to ten or twelve. Whether it's two or twelve though, I love to see them come forward. Though I'm not Jesus (by a long shot), I get a sense of how he felt when they would come and sit with him. There is such life in these little ones. Some will crawl around and not understand a word I say. Others will be inquisitive. Others will interrupt me every five seconds with their wisdom that they want to share. And I love every minute of it.

There is such an innocence and unwavering faith with children. They might not understand a lot of theological concepts. But they belief that Jesus loves them. They may not be able to read the Bible. But they've been told that God takes care of them. And the great thing is that when we tell them this, they believe it.

Jesus does not want us to be childish, especially in our behavior. But he does want us to be childlike in our faith and love for Him, "for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven".

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-14T08:18:00.002-05:00

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.
Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)

God sees when no one else does. This means that when we lie or are deceitful in any way, even though we may think we get away with it, we don't. You can fool some of the people all the time. But you can never pull a fast one over on God. He knows what you do, what you say, and what's in your heart.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-13T06:37:00.001-05:00

O LORD, I am your servant;
yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
you have freed me from my chains.
Psalm 116:16 (NLT)

Chains bind us. Mere human strength cannot break them. But God can. Metal chains can physically bind us. But there are also those invisible things in our lives that hold us down and keep us from living a life of freedom.

We can struggle with things like addiction, low self-esteem and depression, among other chains that the devil uses. But we cannot defeat these things on our own. The Psalmist understands that it is God who frees us.

So what chains might have you tied up in bondage? Are you struggling with something that just seems to be hopeless, that you feel helpless against? If so, know that the God that freed the Israelites, who freed David, who freed us from our sins through Christ, can also free you from your chains here on earth.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-08T06:38:00.001-05:00

But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)

Satan knows our buttons to push, our most temptable sins and our weakest moments. On our own we would be doomed. "But (as Paul says) the Lord is faithful." He comes to our rescue, often when we don't even realize it. He sends His angels to fight on our behalf in a spiritual realm that we don't see or even know is going on. That's exactly what Paul is speaking of when he says that our fight is against the "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12).

Our part in this battle is prayer. Pray today that God would send His angels to fight on your behalf. Pray for protection against the evil one, the tempter, the one who wants so much to destroy you. Pray for forgiveness for where you have failed Him and help in your struggles for the day. Pray today, and ask the Lord to be faithful as His Word promises, and then give thanks for the faithfulness and protection that He will provide.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-06T07:23:00.001-05:00

God's way seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it is foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it's all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. This "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

To an unbeliever in Paul's day, the message of God coming to earth in the form of a man to suffer and die for the sins of the world must have sounded foolish. I suppose nothing has changed though. Many today have a hard time believing in a loving God when there's so many bad things going on in our world. Many have a hard time grasping how a person can be 100 percent human and at the same time 100 percent God. Others can't understand how any being has simply always existed without having a beginning. And so the message of the cross is foolish to them who are perishing, for they simply cannot believe.

The problem is that much too often we try to package things up into something we can understand so that we can believe. But faith is not logically thinking things through until they make sense. Faith is believing even when we don't understand or comprehend.

We'll never completely understand the totality of God's wisdom. And that's alright. We don't have to. We simply have to have faith.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-02T08:15:00.001-05:00

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)

Today's "Thought" is simply a reminder of something I hope you already know. And that is that God loves you. He loves you so much that He created you. He gives you breath. He gave you His only Son to die for you. He gives you, who believe in that Son, a new life without defect or fault or hate or sadness after this one is gone. He loves you.

As you go through this weekend be reminded by everything you see just how much God loves you. And when you see the things in your life that don't look like evidence of His love, remember that it's not Him that brought sin into this world and made it imperfect. It is humanity that messed up His perfect creation. But I thank the God who loves me that He's giving me a second chance and one day a new life that will be perfect again.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-09-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.
James 4:13-16 (NIV)

We want to control things don't we? I think it's in our nature. I'd love to be able to control the weather today. I want the sun to come out and the temperature to stay in the upper seventies to lower eighties.

It is God who is in control. Now this doesn't mean that He moves us around like pieces on a chess board. He gives us the ability to choose our own actions; what we will say, do, accept, etc. But He is in control of what happens in this world. Only He can decide if it will rain or not. Only He can miraculously cure someone's body. Only He can stop time. Only He can add another star to the night sky. Only Him. This is because He created all these things.

The two most important prayers in the bible to me come from our Lord Jesus. One is when he teaches us to pray the Lord's prayer and the other is when he is at Gethsemene. In both he prays that God's will be done. And isn't it of comfort to know that the one who created and controls everything knows how all things should work out? We may want this or that, but God knows so much more than our limited minds can handle. He knows how the things that we ask for will affect us. He knows the outcomes of all things and we can only know the here and now.

He also answers "No" to us at times because we need to go through the fire and be refined like silver. Sometimes the impurities of our lives must be burned out to make us better. Sometimes we have to go through hell to see heaven on earth. And only God knows when those times are.

So let us submit to God's will in our lives through our actions and through our prayers. Let us all pray today that God's will be done. And if that is the same as what we want, then great. If not, then let's learn to accept that God knows better and He is still listening and still in control.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

There is a story in the Gospel of John where a woman is caught in the act of adultery and brought to Jesus by the religious teachers and Pharisees in an attempt to trap him into saying something they could hold against him. This is a wonderful story. But today I want to point out the ending. Jesus has just told the accusers that whichever one of them is without sin can be the first one to cast a stone at her (for stoning was the punishment according to the Law of Moses). This is what happens after they all leave.

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." John 8:10-11 (NLT)

It’s easy to stand in judgment of others. We can act much like the religious teachers and Pharisees and point fingers at others. But when we realize that if we put ourselves in this story, we stand right there with the woman before Jesus. Our list of sins may be different. But we’re right there in the same boat she was in. We’re guilty.

The only one there who had the right to throw stones was Jesus. He was the only one (and still is the only one) without sin. But He doesn’t. He shows compassion. He gives her (and us) another chance at redemption.

Notice, he doesn’t condone the sin. He says to go and sin no more. He knows that if he just lets her off the hook, she will go back into the same old routine of sin that got her in trouble in the first place.

He wants us to get out of the lives that are taking us away from God and ruining us. He doesn’t condone the kind of living that hurts us. But at the same time he also doesn’t strike us down because we’ve messed up. He is the ultimate example of compassion.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-26T08:13:00.000-05:00

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:15-16 (TNIV)

Attitude. What will yours be today?

We can have an attitude filled with negativity where we complain about things in our lives. And we don't normally have to go far to find something to complain about. But what kind of day will that make? Have you ever seen someone who was complaining about their spouse or their church or another person or their job, etc. smiling?

On the other hand, if we look just past those things we can complain about, we can find something to be thankful for. Even those of us with great difficulties in life can be thankful for something. When we look to God and give Him thanks and live out our day in this thankful spirit, we find that we have more smiles than when we complain. And it's much more fun to smile than to cringe.

What is it you can be thankful for today? Give thanks to God today for your many blessings and remember these blessings whenever you're about to complain about something today.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-25T08:26:00.001-05:00

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Acts 20:35 (NLT)

Many live by the mantra that it’s much more blessed to get than to give. But the fact is that we are created in the image of our Creator. And the Creator is a giver. God gave us breath. He gave us His Son. He gave us a way out of our sin. He gives, gives, gives. Yet many believe that more joy comes out of getting for some reason. If we were created in the image of the world…of sin…then this would be true. But we’re created to be like Christ who is the ultimate giver. If you think it’s better to receive, then you don’t know the heart of Jesus or the true joy of giving that comes out of that heart.

And sometimes the irony is that if we work so hard just so we can gain, we wind up losing in the end. Just as the great classic song "Cat’s in the Cradle" suggests. This song is about a man who has no time for his child because he's always working. But when he's retired and just wants to see his son, it's too late because he has taught that son to be just like him in striving for other things. So in trying to get as much as he can, he loses what's really important...his son. (You can see the lyrics to this song below.)

Just remember that it's more blessed to give than to receive because that's how we were created to be. And in striving to get all we can, we might just miss out on what's most important.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Cat’s in the Cradle

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

(Chorus)

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

(Chorus)

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-24T08:04:00.001-05:00

Make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
2 Peter 1:5b-7 (NLT)

Peter precedes this passage by telling us that God has given us everything we need to be able to live godly lives. He also stated that God has given us "great and precious promises". And then comes these words that share how we ought to desire to respond.

First, Peter tells us to "make every effort to respond to God's promises". God has given us so much and promised to give us so much more. And our God is one who keeps His promises. But so often we make very little effort to respond. Our response should come out of our gratitude for all God has done. So if we make very little effort to respond to God, wouldn't that mean that we aren't really that grateful?

Next Peter teaches us a proper response, one that would make our Father in Heaven proud. He says to supplement our faith. Faith is so important. But faith should not ever be in word only. It should be backed up by our works. In this case, Peter teaches that God would love to see our faith backed by moral excellence (living godly lives), knowledge (of God's Word and through it His will), self-control, patient endurance, godliness, affection for other Christians and love for everyone.

I leave you with a question for today. It's not how do you live up to all these because none of us is perfectly sinless. It is, however, how much is your desire and effort to live in these ways?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-23T09:48:00.001-05:00

[God says,] "Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry."
Amos 5:23 (NLT)

God isn't telling us not to sing. Actually, we find in the New Testament that we should sings songs of praise. What God does not want is to hear us singing to Him while living lives that are unjust. We are called to get our lives right with God and allow our praise to be genuine for the one who has made us righteous. When we're living a life of justice and peace for others, our hymns of praise will be sweet music to God's ears...even when we sing off key.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-22T10:16:00.001-05:00

"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)

Yesterday I used this as one of my texts in a sermon called "I Love the Un-American Dream". The title raised a few eyebrows and got some people's attention. Good. That was the purpose. But the the sermon wasn't about being Un-American. It was about how the American Dream can become a nightmare if we're not careful and how it can lead to things that go against the wishes of Jesus.

In the American Dream (as defined by a combination of different dictionaries and websites) we find a hope for prosperity and happiness in getting the things out of life that we aspire for. The problem is not in wanting things in this life. The problem occurs when these things become more important to us than Jesus and His will for our lives. The question becomes, "Could I give it all up if Jesus wanted me to?"

In the scripture above that concludes the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us that there are two foundations to build our houses (our lives) on. We can build them on sand, representing the things that are important to us like our jobs or our place in society or riches etc. Or we can build our lives on the foundation of Christ Jesus and every word that comes from Him. The first won't last. The latter will last for eternity.

The way we know that our foundation is Christ Jesus is if we were asked to give everything else up the answer would be "yes". If we can't, then the foundation of our lives is on something less reliable than Jesus.

What is the foundation for your life?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

2011-08-16T07:28:00.001-05:00

Don't long for "the good old days," for you don't know whether they were any better than today.
Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NLT)

We can long for a past when things seemed much simpler...much easier...much better. We can also live our lives in the past trying to relive what happened, only to be disappointed by the fact that we can never truly go back.

We can try to hold on to the past so that we are unchangeable in the future. Or we can treasure the memories of the past, while preparing for the future by making today worth living as well.

Life is ever changing, and when we fail to realize this, we get left behind in despair. Allow God to share His future with you and then go and share that future with others. In doing this we won't complain about today and wish things were like they were way back then. Instead, we will make a future worth living as well.

In the love of Christ,
greg