Fantastic Friday #783 - See

See

23 “Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,
or engraved in rock forever!
25 I know that my redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:23-27

Do you ever wonder what it will be like to see God? I will sometimes sit and try to imagine what my reaction will be, or if I will be able to look upon Him. There are a lot of people who don't believe in Him or don't think He will be back. How awful would your life be if you had no hope there was a next life after this one. Hope is what we rely on to see Him again. When I see Job having everything ripped aways from his life, he still focused on the fact that his Redeemer lives. I know that my Redeemer lives and he lived so I can see Him again. Maybe our focus should be more on the hope of seeing Him again, than any of our current circumstances. These daily troubles are just a breath of wind that is here for a fleeting moment, but God is eternal and we can have hope that we can be eternally seeing and living with Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #782 - Made Known

Made Known

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20


How do you make yourself known to others? Do you come into a room on fire to make sure everyone knows who you are, or do you slink in slowly to a corner and hope that people might notice you. Everyone has their own way of making themselves known, and it really is a result of their personality. How does God make Himself known to you? Is it through the people He places in your life, is it through the still small voice, or is it through His Word? If you really paid attention, it is probably all of this and much more in how He makes Himself Known to you. Why does God want to be made Known to us is a question that some have asked, but it is very simple, God wants us. God loves all His children and so He will utilize many ways to make Himself known. By making Himself known, this allows those individuals to have a personal and close relationship with Him and live a life of righteousness. So, as you make yourself known, don't try to block God from making Himself known to you, because the more you open your heart, the more God will be shown to others.


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #781 - Harmony

Harmony

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:15-16

How many of you experience harmony in your life? The easiest way to identify harmony is by looking at "tones" and when they are played simultaneously, what it sounds like. If they are meant to be a sound that is harmonious, they will bring a joyful noise to your ear, or they just sound right. If they don't match up, it can be like fingers on a chalkboard, or metal scraping metal. The same harmony that you want in your life means that you have to search out those who you should be around. You know that when you share a relationship with someone that has the same values and beliefs as you, there will be harmony in your friendship. There can also be harmony with those who don't share your same beliefs, as long as you set the example of how Christ wants us to act. We need to leave our pride behind and not feel as if we are better because of our relationship with Christ. We have to stay vigilant to help create the harmony in this world, and if you depart from your personal beliefs, it can result in a train wreck of relationships instead of harmony. Be true to who you are while following Christ's example, for He set the perfect tones.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #780 - Instinct

Instinct

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 17-23


Do you at times follow your instincts, or are you thoughtful and take your time with a decision that needs to be made? Following your gut doesn't always take you down a negative path, but it certainly can bring about a habit of always going with an instinct rather than stopping and thinking about your decision and its impact. When you have a decision to make, do you follow the desire that God has for your life, or do you trail off towards a path of least resistance? Resistance is good, as it can teach you and instruct how to follow your instincts through a thoughtful prayerful walk through the circumstance. So, when you see people who are only making quick instinctual decisions or ones that are not thoughtful, don't judge them, just let them see how you make decisions and show them mercy. Love others by intentionally making the decision to do so.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #779 - Great Love

Great Love

6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
you who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings Psalm 17:6-8

We all probably have experienced love in some form or fashion over the years, but have you experienced Great Love? If you compare love to let's say to a piece of chocolate, how many more pieces of chocolate would it take you to have a Great feeling? In terms of this comparison, there are probably not enough pieces of chocolate to experience the same Great Love as we experience with our Heavenly Father, but when we need help, He is right there waiting to shed His Great Love on us. When we get into a situation where we need help, how many people do we need to call on to get out of the situation? Sometimes even the ones we call on are not enough, but God is enough because His love is vast and enormous. If his love is this Great, then we should be able to easily turn to Him in our times of trouble. Take refuge in God's Great Love.

Have a great weekend.

Matt