Practice
30 “As
for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the
walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and
hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31 My
people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your
words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of
love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed,
to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a
beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words
but do not put them into practice.
33 “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 33:30-33
How
many people do you know that rave on social media and to their friends
in person about how wonderful a sermon was, or a lesson that was taught,
or the worship music experience they just had at their church. Then
how many of you see the same people do something completely against what
Christ teaches when they leave the church doors and enter the gates of
the world. I am not here to judge, because I have been that person many
times in my past. Many times we can go to church meetings, services and
small groups to hear the Word of God preached, taught or worship, but I
wonder how many of those times we are actually listening to what is
being shared from God. I think there are times when the true meaning of
God's Word is overlooked because of where we place our emphasis when we
are in God's church. Maybe we just love that charismatic church leader
who is poetic in the way he speaks every single week, or maybe the
worship pastor really knows how to move me with the songs he chooses and
can really rock the house, or maybe that teacher we listen to in Sunday
School has really got a way with cross-referencing scripture the way no
one else can. I mean no offense to anyone here but there is a point. I
want to bring to light where we might be as followers of Christ. We
shouldn't merely hear the word as presented, but delve deep into what
God wants us to know. We shouldn't focus so much on the way God's Word
is presented but more on how we should hear the Word and then act on it
when we leave the doors of the church. We can't walk away and not put
God's Word into practice, because that just puts us back to where we
were before hearing the Word. We can be someone enamored by presentation
or someone enamored by God.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Friday, July 18, 2014
Fantastic Friday #428 - Anxiety
Anxiety
7Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless. Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
When I think about anxiety and how I struggle with it regularly, I always am reminded to listen to my friends and my God who show me those great scriptures in 1 Peter and Philippians. When I came across this scripture this week, it reminded me of absolutely how useless this anxiety is in my life and how I can battle it with God on my side. God shows up at the most opportune times, and He is always faithful, yet the enemy pushes doubt into our thoughts which can lead to anxiety. In this scripture the command is simple, be happy while you are young and let our heart give us joy. That is what we fail to recognize many times is reveling in the joy. We let our heart be attacked by this doubt and then we fail to recognize how wonderful God is and how we can always count on Him. We cannot continue to fill our hearts with the negativity that the enemy wants, only the light that God wants which will lift that anxiety we can all feel from time to time.
Have a great weekend.
7Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 However many years anyone may live,
let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
for there will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you into judgment.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless. Ecclesiastes 11:7-10
When I think about anxiety and how I struggle with it regularly, I always am reminded to listen to my friends and my God who show me those great scriptures in 1 Peter and Philippians. When I came across this scripture this week, it reminded me of absolutely how useless this anxiety is in my life and how I can battle it with God on my side. God shows up at the most opportune times, and He is always faithful, yet the enemy pushes doubt into our thoughts which can lead to anxiety. In this scripture the command is simple, be happy while you are young and let our heart give us joy. That is what we fail to recognize many times is reveling in the joy. We let our heart be attacked by this doubt and then we fail to recognize how wonderful God is and how we can always count on Him. We cannot continue to fill our hearts with the negativity that the enemy wants, only the light that God wants which will lift that anxiety we can all feel from time to time.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Fantastic Friday #427- Trials
Trials
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
Trials come and when they come it almost seems as they come in waves. Not little, small trials that we can easily overcome ourselves, but trials that are large and expansive and test our true faith in God. When reading this scripture this week it reminded me of how often we try to push through a trial with leaning into God and His great power. I look at these trials and wonder why so many, why all at once, and why do we have to go through these things. This scripture reminded me of why we cannot look to ourselves to overcome these things, and why God does allow trials to take place. "Genuineness of Faith". How many of us say, yeah I have faith but try to fix things by yourself? How many of us genuinely believe God can take care of it all, or think that I am only one person in a very large world. If we think these things, we don't have genuine faith because God is big and He allowed His son to die on the cross for our sins. Our God who allows us to have is trials big enough and cares enough to help us through our trials so that His Glory can be revealed. However don't sit idle, but act on what God wants you to do.
Have a great weekend.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9
Trials come and when they come it almost seems as they come in waves. Not little, small trials that we can easily overcome ourselves, but trials that are large and expansive and test our true faith in God. When reading this scripture this week it reminded me of how often we try to push through a trial with leaning into God and His great power. I look at these trials and wonder why so many, why all at once, and why do we have to go through these things. This scripture reminded me of why we cannot look to ourselves to overcome these things, and why God does allow trials to take place. "Genuineness of Faith". How many of us say, yeah I have faith but try to fix things by yourself? How many of us genuinely believe God can take care of it all, or think that I am only one person in a very large world. If we think these things, we don't have genuine faith because God is big and He allowed His son to die on the cross for our sins. Our God who allows us to have is trials big enough and cares enough to help us through our trials so that His Glory can be revealed. However don't sit idle, but act on what God wants you to do.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Fantastic Friday #426
Devoted
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6: 22-24
Do you ever sit down and take a look at what you are devoted to? Does your devotion rest in worldly passions around you where you are fashioning a life that can lead to boasting? Or, does your devotion rest in Godly passions around you where you are fashioning a life that can lead to humble obedience? Humbleness vs. boasting are at two completely different ends of the spectrum, but many times our society tells us it is OK to boast because we deserve it. You know what, we don't deserve anything in this life, and it is by God's grace that we live the life God has given us. On this Fantastic fourth of July, maybe we should reevaluate who or what we are devoted to. A life of boasting can only lead to pain, but a life of humble obedience certainly has greater rewards in the end.
Have a great weekend.
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6: 22-24
Do you ever sit down and take a look at what you are devoted to? Does your devotion rest in worldly passions around you where you are fashioning a life that can lead to boasting? Or, does your devotion rest in Godly passions around you where you are fashioning a life that can lead to humble obedience? Humbleness vs. boasting are at two completely different ends of the spectrum, but many times our society tells us it is OK to boast because we deserve it. You know what, we don't deserve anything in this life, and it is by God's grace that we live the life God has given us. On this Fantastic fourth of July, maybe we should reevaluate who or what we are devoted to. A life of boasting can only lead to pain, but a life of humble obedience certainly has greater rewards in the end.
Have a great weekend.
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