Fantastic Friday #1063 - Peace

Peace

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

The nastiness that pervades our society is something that we are more aware of because of how we obtain our information and how we communicate. People are braver behind a computer screen or phone than they are face-to-face. Maybe that is because when you look at someone in the face, you see the God-created individual who is a person created in the image of God. I am not saying that evil and nastiness has not always been around, I am just saying it is easier to hide behind a screen when you don't see the end result of your nasty behavior. God was pretty specific in His Word about being at peace with everyone. Not just your friend or family member, but with everyone. It is not up to us to punish or chastise others for their behavior, it is up to us to love everyone and be at peace. Our world can be a dark place with the world telling us it is ok to be mean and nasty, but in the end that will lead to evil, which is just what the enemy wants. Let us focus on overcoming that evil with good and being kind and at peace. Before you say something mean and nasty, think about what kind of impact that will have on the person on the other end of that screen, then picture their face that was created in the image of God.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1062 - Sustain

Sustain

4 Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

5 “With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Isaiah 46:4-5

Do you find it hard sometimes to sustain a positive self attitude, or sustain a path of righteousness? A lot of times this is due to us relying only on our own willpower and not relying on our Lord and Savior. Society tells us that we don't need anyone for anything, that we can do it all on our own. This is where we fail in many of our efforts to sustain good momentum in our life. God describes in this scripture how He will carry and sustain us, and will also rescue us. How easy would it be for us if we only remembered to allow God to sustain us. Let Him who laid down His son's life for us and rescued us from sin, carry us forward into a positive self attitude and path of righteousness. Be sustained through the power of God who already promised this.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1061 - Faith

Faith


6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8


Why is it so hard to live by faith? We have challenges in our life almost every single day, and sometimes there are multiple challenges that can make us anxious and worry. God wants us to work through these challenges with a faith in Him, and that He will provide the path to getting through these challenges, but we are sinful people and think that we need to do it all ourselves. I can't tell you how many times I have told myself, I can do this, I can make it through this, but it always ends in heartache and worry. If I would take that first step to rely on Jesus and faith in Him, the heartache and worry may still be there in some form, but I know that He is getting me through it. I know that when I rely on Him, there is a calmness that overtakes me and lifts me up in times of struggle. When the enemy wants me to take the path to my past, God is right there to remind me of who I am in Christ. We don't want to live a life that is absent from God and certainly don't want an eternity without God. So, whatever you are struggling with in your life, however big or small, lean in and rely on God and His righteousness, have Faith.


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #1060 - Alone

Alone

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18

How many of us at times want to be alone? In solitude with our thoughts and dreams, and make time for only ourselves. We all can go through times when solitude is what we crave due to all the noise of the world, but God did not make us to be alone. When God made the helper for Adam, this was the first step towards creating a world that was not independent. I always joke that the day I got married, July 4, was the end of my independence on Independence Day. Truly it was, because over the years we have relied on each other during the best of times of our life, and through the most challenging situations. Now, for those who don't have that spouse or significant other in their life, God does not want you living in solitude either. Many times in the Bible God talks about being around fellow believers. I know this is something important, because those individuals can support and help direct individuals when they may lack the self discipline to stay focused on growing in the Lord. We all need someone to help redirect us when we are going off track, and if we live in solitude, that is not very easy. So, brief times of solitude are fine, but we can't live in a silo away from people who love and pursue the Lord. Who knows, maybe you have something to offer those people that you didn't know they or you needed.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1059 - Eyes

Eyes

7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:7-8

Where do your eyes look throughout the week? Do you find yourself attracted to the shiny things of this world, or do you keep your head down focusing on the ground and not others around you? I heard a story this week about someone who was in such a bad place that they had to go into a rehabilitation unit for over a three-month period. I remember this person and what they looked like prior to going into this unit, but physical change is not the most interesting part of the story. The most interesting thing is that this person's involvement in their church is what is driving them on a daily basis. Another part of the story involves them asking their boss if they could attend a church retreat during a period of time that people are not allowed to take vacation. They were allowed to take the vacation, and you can truly see what a difference involvement with a church and faith in God makes this person what they are today. Because someone opened their eyes to another person's need, that person is saved and keeps the enemy away. Keep your eyes on the Lord and He will present someone to you who needs it.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1058 - Voice

Voice

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. Psalm 19:1-4

I am the first to admit that I have a terrible singing voice. It is not something I was blessed with on this earth, however that is ok and let me tell you why. When I am singing at church in a group my voice combines with many who are praising our Lord. The nice thing about my voice is that it has a place in this large group, whether it is in tune or not. Now, when I am out in the world away from that group and singing in the car, I am sure that my voice might bring a feeling of nails on a chalkboard to some, but when I am alone praising my savior, He doesn't care what it sounds like. When we proclaim our God in Heaven to others with our words, it is similar that some may not like what they hear, but it is the truth and our Father in Heaven is proud. We need to continue to lift our voice in many ways and let it carry throughout the Earth and share what God has done for us. Lift His Name on High and let those be led to Christ.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1057 - Selfish

Selfish

33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life. Psalm 119:33-40

Can you think of one way that you were selfish this week? I can think of multiple ways where I only focused on myself. Last week we discussed focusing on others, and to be honest it has been really hard this week, and most weeks I can say that it can be difficult. I wondered why it can be so hard to focus on others, and this scripture really outlines it very well. Do I follow the decrees and the law of the Lord with ALL my heart? Do I turn away from worthless things and focus on myself too much? These questions are something that should be on our mind throughout our day, so that we don't fall into a disgraceful situation. Some people say, oh it is ok to be selfish every once and a while, and if you really think about it, no it isn't ok to only focus on ourselves. God built us for relationships with others, and to live a full life. I really believe we need those others in our life. For someone who can be an introvert at times, this can be hard, but God wants us to long to be with Him and if we follow His example, then it will be a better pathway to righteousness for us all. Keep people in your life, focus on the others that make your life better, and give of yourself to those in need.

Have a great weekend.

Matt