Fantastic Friday #590 - Presence

Presence

12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 13 May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

Do you think very much about what it will be like to be in the presence of our Father in Heaven? I found out this week that an old friend passed away after her battle with cancer, and it struck a chord. There are a lot of songs, books and writings out there that ask this question what it will be like. In fact one of my most favorite songs "I Can Only Imagine" is one that explores the unknown of what it will be like to be in the presence of Him and what we will do when we see Him. This song leaves a lot of questions unanswered because we don't know exactly what it will be like. In a way we can know what it will be like because God paints perfect pictures in His Word, we just have to look deeper. If you look around and see the beauty God has created here on earth, it makes you see that being in His presence is much more wonderful and amazing in Heaven. You can be in His presence here on earth, it just is not the same. Don't lose sight that presence here is not the same as presence in Heaven, and if here is pretty amazing, then you can only imagine how much better it will be there.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #589 - Repeat

Repeat

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. Hebrews 10:1-3

Do you get bogged down in those routines and repeat things continually? Are those routines bringing you closer to God or further away from Him. Many times we get tired and worn down and know that we might be far from God, but we tell ourselves we will stop that negative behavior and make a change tomorrow. While we cannot repeat something over and over again to receive more grace from our Father in Heaven, we can repeat sin over and over again and distance ourselves from Him. We need to focus on those routines that are going to bring us closer to Him and not distance ourselves. Prayer, scripture study and a regular relationship will bring those things forward.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #588 - Clear

Clear

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Philippians 3:15-16

Have you ever spent time looking through a window to see what is going on in the world, or are you too busy to see things. Windows can be very interesting. Some of them have blinds or shades that block the light, and others have curtains that depending on how thick they are can let in some light. But when you have an unblocked window, is it hazy with that morning dew or is it clear so that you make out everything that you see. God is very clear with His recommended path, but do we block Him with blinds, curtains or dew? God can be seen in everything around us, but there are too many times that we block Him and don't allow His light to shine through. God is very clear with many things, so if we spend time blocking Him we aren't going to see Him clearly. 

Have a great weekend.

Fantastic Friday #587 - Suitable

Suitable

9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. Hebrews 2:9-11

Do you sometimes find that there are things not suitable for you? Maybe it is a movie, song or TV show, or maybe even a some sort of drink or food. Maybe it is an individual who is not suitable to hang around because of how negative they always are with life. A lot of times these things that are not suitable for us can make us feel bad or negative as well. Look at Jesus who is entirely suitable for us and see how He became like us and suffered so we could be made whole again. We need to find things that are more fitting for our life, and not the things that the world tells us that we need. All we really need is that relationship with God and what He provides, and that relationship will spread to others around us which will make a suitable environment for us all.

Have a great weekend.

Matt