Fantastic Friday #1039 - Flogged

Flogged

17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19

Do you ever wonder what it feels like to be whipped? I am not talking about being spanked when you were a child, but actually flogged like Jesus was before he died on the cross. Listening to a sweet young lady talking this week about the scene where Jesus is flogged in The Passion of the Christ and how hard it is for her father to watch, it made me think more deeply about that scene that was produced in a movie and how accurate visually it might have been to the true beating that Christ took. When someone was flogged back in the day, they probably used something called a Flagrum which is described as a short whip with multiple braided leather thongs, embedded with sharp pieces of bone or iron balls to tear skin, muscle, and sometimes expose internal organs. Imagine the pain associated with this, and this is just one piece of suffering that Christ experienced for us. When we enter this season of Easter and think of the fact that Jesus died for us, it is really easy to forget the suffering leading up to that final breath on the cross. We need to remember that Christ did this for us, because God loves us that he gave His only son so that we may live again. So, give thanks today for the suffering that Christ experienced, so that you have a chance for eternal life.

Have a great Easter weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1038 - Risk

Risk

29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. Philippians 2:29-30

Do you take risks? Some people view risk as doing something out of your comfort zone, while others view risk as something life threatening. Either way, taking risks is something each of us have the opportunity to deal with every day. It may be as simple as taking a risk to get on the highway, or taking a risk to talk to someone you don't know. Do you find living or sharing the Gospel as a risky proposition? In the far past, it was truly a risky behavior, and now some can consider sharing your faith as being risky due to how people react. The risk is not in sharing however, the risk is in the doubt that God is not with you guiding you on your daily path to share the Gospel. If we live with the confidence our Lord and Savior provide us, then sharing the Gospel and our faith is not risky at all. It is just a part of our normal walk. The best way to overcome risky behavior is to remind ourselves that God already took the risks for us in order for us to live with His gift. The riskiest part of your day is ignoring what God has provided, and not showing or sharing it with others.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1037 - Shelter

Shelter

7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[a]
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”

9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
for I see violence and strife in the city. Psalm 55:7-9


How many of us run for cover when bad weather is approaching? The shelter that we would run to is typically strong and secure, and not standing under a tree that is open to the elements. When we go through a storm in our life, what shelter do we look for to hide us from the coming storm? Is it a person who we love, is it a friend that we can trust, or is it something that we think can shelter us from being hurt. Many times we forget at first about the shelter that our Heavenly Father provides with His love and care. Why is it that we turn to people and things of this world when a storm approaches? Is it because we think they or that thing can make a difference, or is it a way to hide ourselves from the coming storm instead of facing it head on. God allows trials in our path for many reasons, and most of the time it is to see how we handle the trial and who we turn to. I know the times that I get through my trials, it is usually manageable because God is right there providing shelter. We need to remember who our real shelter is, and know that He is always there. He is a lot stronger than a tree, an umbrella, remember Him for who He is in our life, the true shelter.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1036 - Evil

Evil

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4

I see evil in the world take center stage every day thanks to the world of social media and technology. In the past, we would sometimes hear about something that happened on the other side of the world several days or even weeks after it happened. Now with technology, you can see almost instantaneously things that are happening on the other side of the world or even within our own area. It is hard to see these things take center stage at times, and even harder to deal with the constant onslaught of the enemy taking over people's lives. So, how do I deal with the constant attack of the enemy and what is seen in the world? Well, first I don't need to do it on my own, and second as the scripture says God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. Whether it be stopping everything to say a quick prayer, taking a moment to read a scripture, or stopping to listen to some music, all these things can move us away from the evil that is out there. It may still be out there, but the calming spirit of our Father-in-Heaven can make an immediate and long-lasting difference. So, when we are bombarded daily with the evil of this world, prepare for the day by having a plan before you walk out the door of what you will do to keep the enemy out of our mind and day. By doing this, you will smash evil from the moment you walk out the door as long as you rely on our Father and His guide.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1035 - Abundant

Abundant

16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. Romans 5:16-18

What do you have an abundance of in your life? I was watching a show about life in the 1800's and boy they didn't have much as far as personal belongings, and the pioneers trekking across the country had very little either, but they did have each other. When you think of what you have with God, do you have an abundance of what He has to offer, or do you feel like it is just barely enough. If I have ever learned anything in my life, I can never have too much of God in my life. I need the abundance He has to offer, especially when the enemy wants to keep me from Him. When I have doubt in my mind that God will provide the necessary protection, healing, or presence, I need to remember that He has given me the abundance of grace, which is all I need to help me grow and learn. The abundance of His love that provides protection, healing and presence is always there, we need to take a moment to see it, respond to it and reflect upon it. So when you don't think you have enough, remember you have an abundance.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1034 - Connection

Connection

16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Colossians 2:16-19

I found myself this week in a large family reunion. It wasn't with my immediate family, but with my extended work-related family. This group of people, some close, some acquaintances and some new to my life, are individuals that truly mean a lot to me. It is through connection with these individuals that I have been able to make it through the past 30+ years in my position in the working world. It is connections with these individuals that have stuck us together through the good times and the challenging times, and although we only may get to see each other maybe once or twice a year, we always seem to pick up where we left off like it was yesterday. When we think of connections to our father in heaven, I wonder how many of us take the time to reconnect with Him daily. I also wonder if the connection with Him is as strong as it should be. I do know one thing, that God desires the connection with us, because His influence does help us grow and learn the way we should be living our life to get back to Him. Just like we desire connection with our friends, we need to desire the connection with our Father in Heaven. You never know, maybe your connection with Him will help you reach others to have a connection with Him as well. Connect well and remember that positive connections are good and can help us grow.

Have a great weekend.



Matt--

Fantastic Friday #1033 - Sliver

Sliver

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12

I looked up into the sky tonight after sunset and saw two slivers. One sliver was the moon, something a lot of us take for granted regularly I am sure, and the other was a sliver of a cloud. The cloud was just sitting there, and then gone after a brief moment. You are probably wondering what this sliver of the moon and cloud have to do with this scripture, well God loves us fully and not with just a sliver of love, but a fullness that He has given us life to enjoy and learn how to love others more. Loving others can be hard, but all it takes is a sliver of kindness, or even a sliver of love to begin down the path of loving others fully. While we have not seen God, the slivers that He shows us daily give us a good picture of how much He loves us. If He didn't love us so much, the sliver of Him we experience wouldn't bring us the fullness of Him that we all need in our lives.

Have a great weekend.

Matt