Give In
36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:36-38
You have all heard about throwing in the towel. It was a way to stop a fight from getting out of hand when a fighter really was quite injured. How many of us search the world for answers to our needs and find that it is time to throw in the towel because we have had enough? What happens when you throw in the towel? You give in to the fight and fall into submission to what the world has for you and a little bit of you is drawn away from the Lord. How about not looking to the world and the life you think you should have, but look to the Lord who can enter the ring for you and help you fight the battle for the life He wants you to have. Focus less on throwing in the towel, and more on wiping our brow with that towel after a difficult fight. You will be much better off and I would rather gain what my Father has in store for me than lose my soul.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Fantastic Friday #246- Words
Words
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:6-11
Do you ever struggle for Words to speak? Did you have a week where you questioned what to say to someone? Did you feel like if you said the wrong thing that you would step on someone's toes? Maybe it is time that the worry about what to say should be put behind you and you should focus more on what God is saying to you. A lot of times we think we need to say something to make something better, what we could say could make a difference with someone, or we need to say something to mend a broken relationship. There we go relying on our own words again. Maybe we should turn to God and allow Him to speak through us because the wisdom we have comes from His Word and not our own. Don't get yourself into that helpless situation where you feel like you can't speak, but let God lift you and speak for you. Maybe then we will realize that it is His Word that is more powerful and beautiful than our own words.
Have a great weekend.
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 8:6-11
Do you ever struggle for Words to speak? Did you have a week where you questioned what to say to someone? Did you feel like if you said the wrong thing that you would step on someone's toes? Maybe it is time that the worry about what to say should be put behind you and you should focus more on what God is saying to you. A lot of times we think we need to say something to make something better, what we could say could make a difference with someone, or we need to say something to mend a broken relationship. There we go relying on our own words again. Maybe we should turn to God and allow Him to speak through us because the wisdom we have comes from His Word and not our own. Don't get yourself into that helpless situation where you feel like you can't speak, but let God lift you and speak for you. Maybe then we will realize that it is His Word that is more powerful and beautiful than our own words.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Fantastic Friday #245- Independence
Independence
10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 1 Corinthians 11:10-12
I always joked that I lost my Independence on Independence Day back in 1998. Each year I relive that loss of Independence and also look back to what life was like before I joined a life of dependence with my bride. I always find it to be pretty boring and I really wasn't that Independent and depended on many things. I depended on my job to be there, I depended on my car to start in the morning, I depended on food to be there when I needed it, I depended on a good book every now and then, and I depended on some kind of change to come smoothly without any challenge. Reading this scripture reminds me of our daily walk when we can sometimes think we are so independent. Maybe our focus should be how the dependence on the Lord can make a difference on those close to us and extend to those further away from us. This dependence on the Lord can lay the job, our car, the food, and our changes in His hands to create a life of dependence on Him and not on the things we have no control over.
Have a great weekend.
10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 1 Corinthians 11:10-12
I always joked that I lost my Independence on Independence Day back in 1998. Each year I relive that loss of Independence and also look back to what life was like before I joined a life of dependence with my bride. I always find it to be pretty boring and I really wasn't that Independent and depended on many things. I depended on my job to be there, I depended on my car to start in the morning, I depended on food to be there when I needed it, I depended on a good book every now and then, and I depended on some kind of change to come smoothly without any challenge. Reading this scripture reminds me of our daily walk when we can sometimes think we are so independent. Maybe our focus should be how the dependence on the Lord can make a difference on those close to us and extend to those further away from us. This dependence on the Lord can lay the job, our car, the food, and our changes in His hands to create a life of dependence on Him and not on the things we have no control over.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Fantastic Friday #244- Cursing
Cursing
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3:9-12
How many of us said a bad word this week? How many of us thought a bad word this week? Were you nice to every single person you came in contact with, or did you struggle being around some people? Did you actually speak negatively about someone because you let those bad feelings get to your mouth? Yes, these are very harsh questions for those of you reading this, because the truth can be painful. The truth can also be eye opening, and make us realize some things about our own humanity. Remember, we are not perfect like God, but we are created in His likeness, so therefore we have it in each one of us to Love one another and not speak words of negativity. Why not use our same mouths to praise others like we Praise our Lord and Father. It will probably make a difference.
Have a great weekend.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3:9-12
How many of us said a bad word this week? How many of us thought a bad word this week? Were you nice to every single person you came in contact with, or did you struggle being around some people? Did you actually speak negatively about someone because you let those bad feelings get to your mouth? Yes, these are very harsh questions for those of you reading this, because the truth can be painful. The truth can also be eye opening, and make us realize some things about our own humanity. Remember, we are not perfect like God, but we are created in His likeness, so therefore we have it in each one of us to Love one another and not speak words of negativity. Why not use our same mouths to praise others like we Praise our Lord and Father. It will probably make a difference.
Have a great weekend.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Fantastic Friday #243-Snow
Snow
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat vanish from their channels.
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;
show me where I have been wrong. Job 6:15-17,24
What do you find dependable in your life? Do you have that person that you can count on, no matter what? A lot of our time is spent in this life trying to depend on ourselves to accomplish what we need to get done. This time of year is full of joy and happiness at the beginning of a new year and we always look to find ways to better our life. Maybe we should begin looking for that fellow Christian we can lean on during the good times and bad, and maybe we should look at developing those closer relationships with others that you can begin to count on. How about letting a bit of that snow build up and not melt away, by looking to our Lord who is firm snow that does not melt and always holds His shape, for He does not change.
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat vanish from their channels.
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;
show me where I have been wrong. Job 6:15-17,24
What do you find dependable in your life? Do you have that person that you can count on, no matter what? A lot of our time is spent in this life trying to depend on ourselves to accomplish what we need to get done. This time of year is full of joy and happiness at the beginning of a new year and we always look to find ways to better our life. Maybe we should begin looking for that fellow Christian we can lean on during the good times and bad, and maybe we should look at developing those closer relationships with others that you can begin to count on. How about letting a bit of that snow build up and not melt away, by looking to our Lord who is firm snow that does not melt and always holds His shape, for He does not change.
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