Looking Forward
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as
you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will
bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements
will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with
his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
where righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:11-13
We live our lives at a fast pace and look rarely to the future. Our
focus is probably always on the here and now if we are truly being
honest, however we probably need to take a moment to look at the future
of our Lord's arrival. If we look at how God wants us to live, then our
focus on the future should be one of joy and rejoicing, but many times
we tend to focus on ugliness that this sinful world has going on. While
we don't know when the day of our Lord will come, we do know He is
going to come, so we should live an honorable and holy life. This life
of honor should include things in the present that impact people
eternally. Focus on looking forward, but also zero in on how you can
make an impact eternally.
Have a great weekend.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, December 21, 2012
Fantastic Friday #346- Weary
Weary
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:27-31
This last week I am sure many of us have become weary for many reasons. Whether it be for what is going on in the world with the sadness of the evil that is out there, the hustle and bustle of the world's view of Christmas, or just the pressure of work and school and the toll it can take on you or your family. We can all get weary and think to ourselves why does this stuff happen that drags me down where I don't want to push through. The enemy works hard to make us weary and drive negativity into our lives, but the promise of our Lord is more powerful than anything the enemy can throw at us. Our hope can bring about a strength that only the Lord can give us. Lean into Him and let Him help us soar.
Have a great weekend.
27 Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:27-31
This last week I am sure many of us have become weary for many reasons. Whether it be for what is going on in the world with the sadness of the evil that is out there, the hustle and bustle of the world's view of Christmas, or just the pressure of work and school and the toll it can take on you or your family. We can all get weary and think to ourselves why does this stuff happen that drags me down where I don't want to push through. The enemy works hard to make us weary and drive negativity into our lives, but the promise of our Lord is more powerful than anything the enemy can throw at us. Our hope can bring about a strength that only the Lord can give us. Lean into Him and let Him help us soar.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Fantastic Friday #345- Praise
Praise
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise. Psalm 106:1-5
High praises. The world is full of people giving and receiving praise to other people. Whether it be a Heisman Trophy winner, an academy award winner, a cooking champion, a sporting event champion, or even someone who did a good job raising money for a local charity or church. These praises can be as simple as a congratulatory remark, a trophy, a certificate, or even a large monetary prize. What's the problem with recognizing someone for doing something good? Nothing really, but really the problem is who gets the ultimate praise. Do we put these people on such a high pedestal that we forget who actually got them to the point of being praised? This can be difficult, especially for those like me who have the love language 'words of affirmation'. It can be very simple however if we take a moment to reflect on why we are receiving that praise. We need to remember that we are receiving praise by acting on our God-Given Gifts and Talents, and it is nothing we are doing on our own. I appreciate those who genuinely give God the Glory for their praises, and it makes me stop and think, do I give God the praise when things that are positive come my way. Taking that moment to remind myself that God deserves my best and most honorable praise, gives me the reminder I need to give God the praise for everything in my life, and not just the big times of recognition.
Have a great weekend.
1 Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise. Psalm 106:1-5
High praises. The world is full of people giving and receiving praise to other people. Whether it be a Heisman Trophy winner, an academy award winner, a cooking champion, a sporting event champion, or even someone who did a good job raising money for a local charity or church. These praises can be as simple as a congratulatory remark, a trophy, a certificate, or even a large monetary prize. What's the problem with recognizing someone for doing something good? Nothing really, but really the problem is who gets the ultimate praise. Do we put these people on such a high pedestal that we forget who actually got them to the point of being praised? This can be difficult, especially for those like me who have the love language 'words of affirmation'. It can be very simple however if we take a moment to reflect on why we are receiving that praise. We need to remember that we are receiving praise by acting on our God-Given Gifts and Talents, and it is nothing we are doing on our own. I appreciate those who genuinely give God the Glory for their praises, and it makes me stop and think, do I give God the praise when things that are positive come my way. Taking that moment to remind myself that God deserves my best and most honorable praise, gives me the reminder I need to give God the praise for everything in my life, and not just the big times of recognition.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Fantastic Friday #344- Hope
Hope
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:22-25
What an interesting word Hope is in our society, but think about how it is used in our vocabulary these days. I hope to get a good grade on my test, or I hope to get a good evaluation at work. I hope that I get what I asked for on my Christmas List, or I hope there is a good dessert tonight. If you think about how we Hope these days, a lot of times we Hope for things we already have but we always seem to want more. I think the Hope that we should be looking for is the Hope that we will one day be back in the arms of our Lord. Too often we forget about the sacrifice that was made for us because we spend too much time putting our Hope in the human beings or stuff around us. During these days, we need to put our Hope in the Lord, because He is the only thing we need.
Psalm 39:7 says: “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." Let's put our Hope in Him and see how our life is completely transformed.
Have a great weekend.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:22-25
What an interesting word Hope is in our society, but think about how it is used in our vocabulary these days. I hope to get a good grade on my test, or I hope to get a good evaluation at work. I hope that I get what I asked for on my Christmas List, or I hope there is a good dessert tonight. If you think about how we Hope these days, a lot of times we Hope for things we already have but we always seem to want more. I think the Hope that we should be looking for is the Hope that we will one day be back in the arms of our Lord. Too often we forget about the sacrifice that was made for us because we spend too much time putting our Hope in the human beings or stuff around us. During these days, we need to put our Hope in the Lord, because He is the only thing we need.
Psalm 39:7 says: “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." Let's put our Hope in Him and see how our life is completely transformed.
Have a great weekend.
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