Fantastic Friday #1047 - Rejoice

Rejoice

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:4-5

This last week our lives took a crazy turn, and it was really hard to find how the situation we were placed in could make a positive impact on others and in our lives. When we have these experiences it can be easy to be swallowed up into the depths of despair, until we stop and look at how we can rejoice in all God has given. There was one person who told us they weren't religious, but that they could see how God put all the pieces in place. This made me realize that even in the most desperate times in our life, we need to rejoice in even the smallest impacts to others with the faith that we show others. This faith extends far past us in many ways, so we need to remember the Lord is always near and just rejoice, even among the most challenging circumstances.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1046 - Comforter

Comforter

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. John 14:15-17

The first thing I think about when I hear the word comforter is the big heavy bed comforter I had back in the day during the winter. It was so warm, and if I wrapped it just right, it would protect me from the monsters that hid under my bed and in my closet. What about our true Comforter that God sent for us? How often do we think of what the Comforter could do for us? I know I don't think about it enough, and certainly had a personal reason to call on the comforter this week. At our weakest moments, that Comforter can provide the necessary support that we all need. I know some think that we could be looked upon as weak if we talk about a Comforter, but truly that is what the Comforter is there for, to make us strong. So the next time you need to hide from monsters, or truly need to be comforted, call on the one God gave us. The true Comforter.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1045 - Ascend

Ascend

8 This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”

9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) Ephesians 4:8-10

I was listening to someone talk about a book about a man that ascended the very dangerous climb up a mountain where most of his party died, and I also recently read a book about a group ascending a mountain for a higher power(fiction of course). There was danger involved in both of these climbs, but there is an ascent that is not as dangerous as a descent. What have you done this week to move from a lower level to a higher level of relationship with our Father in Heaven? The picture we need to think about is how Jesus, who ascended higher than all the heavens, actually came down to the lowest level of earth to serve and fulfill His calling. The world is a beautiful place but it can also be a swamp of disaster for those that allow the worst parts that are influenced by the enemy to encompass their entire life. We tend to get dragged down by the enemy because that is his sole goal to pull us away from ascending to our Father. We have to take steps every day to avoid descending to the level that God doesn't want us at. Keep climbing with the help of our Father, and we can reach heights you never thought you could.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1044 - Blessings

Blessings

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
Ephesians 1:3-6

Do you think much about the blessings you receive, whether it be daily, weekly or every once in a while? Blessings are funny things, they can be the smallest impact in a brief moment, a huge immediate impact or they can be a continual blessing over a longer period of time. I think the smaller ones are the harder to acknowledge and recognize, because they can make less of a long-term impact, but they are truly as important as the long-term blessings. As I get older, I can see each and every day alive as a blessing that God has given me and my family. When you see these blessings regularly, it is easier to recognize the less noticeable ones. God wants us to be blessed, but we do have to remind ourselves that our blessings come from Him and not some unknown force or even our effort. While we might view some people as being blessed by money, cars, homes, and fancy clothes, those things can't take the place of the blessing Christ gives us with His sacrifice. We know we can't take those material things with us, but we can take Christ's love. So sit back and think what is truly a blessing and God will reveal Himself.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1043 - Strength

Strength

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:14-16

Do you find yourself lacking the strength to make it through trials and tribulations? I have been able to observe over the last several months the growth of my grandson, and it is amazing the things that he is doing every single month. I know, by watching him, I can relate to certain areas of growth in my life that God has created for me.While the areas of growth may be over several years, I can certainly recognize His hand on me. The picture of every supporting ligament making the entire body strong is a huge visual to show that God gives us our strength to support and help us grow. I know that whenever I feel weakness, I can always turn to the strength of our supporting Father that provides every bit of power we need to make it through any trial or tribulation. That doesn't mean we only rely on Him, we need to strengthen ourselves daily against the evil that can come upon us unexpectedly, and be prepared to the handle the challenges placed before us. God makes us strong and we can rely on that always, keep in stride with his teachings and guideposts.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1042 - Confusion

Confusion

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! Galatians 1:6-8

Have you ever found yourself confused about God and His path for you? Maybe it was someone in your religious past who relayed a pathway to God that was slightly different than the one spelled out in scripture. Today we see many "religions" or groups that espouse pathways to God, and many of them go against what God's word states. When this happens, we know the enemy is at work, because he doesn't want you to think it is as simple as accepting Christ as outlined in His Word. He wants you to see a pathway that is so challenging, that God would never allow you to reach Him. Funny thing, that's not what God wants. He wants everyone to come to him, and the simple pathway to accepting Him and allowing us to be saved is truly the roadmap we need to follow. God didn't send His Son to the cross in order for us to go through other hoops, he sent Him to the Cross so we could live again. So, remember that when you have confusion about the pathway to God, it is relatively simple and straightforward. Don't let others pervert the path God has set out for us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1041 - Wealth

Wealth

People, despite their wealth, do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish. Psalm 49:12

Do you sometimes sit around and wish you were wealthy monetarily? This week I saw a story about a woman who had been arrested for stealing over $320,000 in Lego. I assume this individual was doing this to increase her wealth by trying to sell the Lego sets. The question is, how do you define wealth? Do you define it as the world defines it as a great quantity of money or valuable possessions? Or do you define it in a way that focuses less on material possessions, but more on something of intrinsic value? I look at my life and I am truly blessed in many ways, but the area I tend to focus less on is the true wealth that my family provides me. I keep hoping that God will guide me in the path to focus on this wealth. This also makes me think of the wealth we have in our Father in Heaven. The wealth we receive from the sacrifice of His son, is worth more than any gold, car, house, bitcoin, or Lego set. We need to shift our focus of where our wealth comes from, and focus on how we can share our wealth with others with building blocks that can secure our future in Heaven.

Have a great weekend.

Matt