Fantastic Friday #260

Calling

¹ May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
² May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
⁴ May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the LORD grant all your requests.

⁶ Now this I know:
The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸ They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
⁹ LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call! Psalm 20

I am a mess. I can say that because I am a human being who falls short in many ways. I put so much pressure on myself for many things, and you would think that I could remember to relax and be who God made me to be. Five years ago I wasn't letting God take the desires of my heart and fulfill them because I thought I was in control of my life. It took a friend to remind me that I cannot trust in myself to claim victory, that I have to trust the Lord Almighty to fulfill His will for my life. Each week for five years God has provided the words and the Word for me to fulfill the calling He has for me. What is your calling? What are you searching for? What are you requesting from God in prayer? If a messed up guy like me can find his calling, you can find yours.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #259- Straight

Straight

²¹ Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,
but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.

²² Plans fail for lack of counsel,
but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:21-22

I played in a golf tournament this week, where I played on a team with 5 other individuals. We all had the same goal as a team, do our best and have fun doing it. The thing with golf is many times hoping to hit a long straight drive, or putt a long putt that you hope doesn't curve around the cup and out. The thing that was great about this golf tournament was that we all contributed to our team, and when a couple of people had the "Grief Shank" going(yes they named a shot after me), the other members picked them up. The same thing can be said about the Christian life and walk. Many of us can find ourselves veering off course, and shanking our shots off the narrow fairway. But the great thing about surrounding yourselves with other followers of Christ is that there is plenty of counsel and support you can receive to keep you straight. Don't hit those golf balls of the Gospel for Christ alone, but work as a team to pick each other up and celebrate what He has done for you.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #258- Time

Time

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:24-28

Do you sometimes wonder what in the world you are doing with the time God has given? Do spend your time worrying about what your neighbor said about you, what the people at church think of you, or what that supposed friend is thinking even though they are not saying it? Is your time spent thinking more about how people can make a difference in your life than what difference you can make in other lives by supporting them? Or, do you think of how you are going to pay for the latest model of the latest "it" thing that is out there? When I read this scripture about God, one thing really stands out to me, and that is He "gives everyone life and breath and everything else." So nothing is ours and it reminds me how He so freely gives. So instead of worrying about those things that are not ours and we have no control over, why not focus more on seeking our Father and his plan for us. As the scripture says, He marks out our time in history, so He really has us where we are supposed be as long as we listen. This week let us think more about Glorifying God than Glorifying ourselves.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #257-Diligent

Diligent

⁹ Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. ¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. ¹² We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:9-12

What do you do with persevering attention in your life? This is what diligence means. Do you help others without complaining, do share the Gospel with a diligent heart? Or do find it easier to be lazy and just get by without a patient heart. When you think that God is silent or maybe isn't giving you the direction you think you need to head, God has you rest for the things that are more important later. As friends of ours begin on a journey of trusting God for their future, I know that their faith is strong and their friends can diligently help them in many ways. Don't be lazy but call on the diligent strength God has for you to support Him and those around you in His cause for this world.

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #256- Compete

Compete

³ Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. ⁵ Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:3-5

This week I have observed and experienced the ultimate in competition. I umpired a baseball game between 9 and 10 year old boys, I watched my boys play baseball in a competitive setting for each of their age groups. I also observed the results of a science fair and art competition, and saw how each one of the kids was respectful to each other and humble in winning their awards. I saw a track meet between Christian schools, and the support my kid's school gave each other and other schools was fantastic. What did I learn from all this competition and what can you learn? In our lives we are in competition with the dark forces of this world that tries to get us to sidestep the rules and win at all costs. If we take a moment to be humble with what God has given us and remember that God is the one in control, we can have a fantastic influence on those don't know God. Endure your hardship and compete for God's Kingdom that was already won for you, but remember to follow the rules.

Have a great weekend.