Fantastic Friday #925 - Past Words

Past Words

2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 2 Peter 3:2-3

Do you reflect much on past words that were spoken to you by others? Sometimes words are spoken by people who were close to us and we remember those words or sayings later in life. What kind of difference do you see from those words or sayings in the past? Do you find yourself reflecting on them differently than you were when told? Many times someone will share something and it doesn't impact you until much later, because of where you are in your life. Similar things can be said about God's Word. Each time I read His Word, something different pops out to me that I didn't quite see the time I read it before. Past words are good to reflect on, and God's Word is the best at providing guidance, especially if you weren't impacted by it in prior times. Take a moment to reflect on past words and sayings, and see how they impact you differently today.

Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #924 - Presence

Presence

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:9-11

Do we actually take the time to feel God's presence in our lives? We obviously pay attention to many things around us and sometimes spend hours on things of this world, many of which are not bad but also fill our days. When you drive your car, do you feel His presence? When you are walking somewhere, do you feel His presence? Some individuals say that they just can't understand how to feel His presence, but maybe those individuals aren't taking the moment it takes to focus. Can you tell when the enemy is sneaking up on you, or do you feel when the enemy is trying to persuade you to make a decision that is unholy or something that can drive you further away from your Father. The easiest way to feel God's presence is to stop and ask Him for it. Not only in times of trouble, but in times of joy and surrender as well. The closer we are to God, the further we are from the enemy and the challenges that interrupt our life. Take a moment regularly throughout the day to ask God for His presence, it may not be for anything you need at that moment but it is a reminder that God is always there for us and we can feel Joy with His presence and can help us call on Him more often for His presence.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #923 - Distance

Distance

53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Mark 14:53-55

One thing that I find interesting is how people who followed Jesus so closely and then when trouble came they followed Him at a distance and didn't want to associate with Him.  Now look at us, how do we follow Jesus?  Does the world get us caught up and then we follow Jesus at a distance, and only when we are having difficulty in our lives do we follow Him closely?  Jesus wants us near Him both in the good and the challenging times, so how can we do that?  The first step is to remember that Jesus is always for us.  He brings joy into our life and guides us when we need it the most.  Take a look at how you are following this week, is it at a distance or is it in his robes.  Be close to Jesus, it is a lot better than watching from afar.  


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #922 - Forgiveness

Forgiveness

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 2 Corinthians 2:5

As followers of Christ, we often talk about the forgiveness of sins, but rarely talk about the forgiveness of others. We all at one time have been offended by someone in our life, intentionally or unintentionally which may have caused grief to us or more individuals. The question becomes, can we forgive this offender like Christ has forgiven us? When you compare the two levels of forgiveness, it seems ludicrous to think that we can even compare our forgiveness of someone with Christ's forgiveness of our sins. But think about this, God gave the perfect example of forgiveness to show us that our forgiveness is much easier and less taxing than what Christ did on the cross. Forgiveness is all the same and releases those on both sides of the relationship. Know that God wants us to forgive others and He wants us to live in peace. Take a moment to reflect on how you might forgive.

Have a great weekend.

Matt