Fantastic Friday #1025 - Adore

Adore

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:13-20


The word Adore is listed with the definition of "to regard with the utmost esteem, love, respect and honor". When the shepherds came to view Jesus for the first time in the scripture above, all I can think of is the Christmas carol line, "oh come let us adore him." How special that must have been to see the Savior and the angels guiding the way. Do you adore Jesus like the shepherds did, or do you find yourself at times not honoring Him how you should? We all can take a lesson from those who glorified God for all they had seen, and have faith that even better things are to come for you and your families if you trust Him every day of your life and completely Adore him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1024 - Reflection

Reflection

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:11-13


Do you ever look at your reflection in the mirror, I mean really look? When I was a child there were two mirrors in one of our bathrooms directly across from each other. When I looked at my reflection in one of the mirrors, the opposite mirror created an infinite view of me that seemed to go on forever. One thing that I never did was focus on the true detail, but now thinking back as the reflection was further away, it was harder to make out certain features. Now, think about how you reflect Christ. When you look closely at your own self, are you reflecting what Christ taught? Are you following the commands that God has set forth? Just like the double reflection in the mirror, the further we are away from Christ, it is harder to see His reflection in us. I think self reflection is very important, and there has been a significant amount of that recently. I know that each time I focus on what Christ wants, it is easier to see my own reflection on others and what I am doing. Pay close attention to your reflection and see if you can make out a clear picture of what God wants.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1023 - Forward

Forward

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God. Hebrews 6:1

What do you look forward to in your day? Do you find yourself looking forward to what could happen, or do you look forward to what God provides you? I have been known to look at the worst case scenario at times, and that is not what our Father in Heaven wants. One of the reasons that the teachings of Christ are so elementary is because it shows us the simplest way to follow Him. There is no challenging ladder to climb to follow Christ and that is something to look forward to every day. Now, as we mature in our lives, we can look forward to all the aspects of God's work in our lives, including having faith in His plan for us, and we can look forward to His involvement in every aspect of our lives. Keep looking forward daily, but look forward to what God will provide to His faithful servants. Keep in mind that nothing in God's plan is bad, for it all leads to life everlasting.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1022 - Confidence

Confidence

35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hebrews 10:35-37

We all have something we are going through in our life. The challenges that are laid down before us many times will test our faith and confidence in our Heavenly Father. When we are in the middle of these challenges, He doesn't want us to question why, how or when, but He wants us to lean into His plan for our life. I know I am the one type of personality that is a big questioner and at times goes to the worst possible place. This is not the best thing for me or those around me, because then the hope and confidence we have in our Father is diminished. When this is diminished, the enemy finds an easier route to our mind to try and tell us that God doesn't care about us and our plight. So, we need to lean into the confidence we have in our God, and remember that He is always there and always has a plan for Good. While it may not seem like it at the time, He does want the best for us and He will always be there.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1021 - Doubt

 Doubt

 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:5-8

Do we doubt for any good reason?  Many of us allow doubt to creep into our lives because we are struggling and the answer is not readily available for us. Let’s look more closely at why this doubt creeps into our situation. A lot of times doubt comes because we don’t think God cares about what we are asking for, or maybe it is not coming fast enough. God also allows us to stay in our situation because He is not ready for us to receive an answer or we probably need to work on our faith in God and His provision. Does having doubt produce more faith? Probably not, because our faith comes from seeing what God has done for all His creation and us as well, so having doubt is going to do nothing but cause us heartache and pain as we fail to see that God is there to help us. Take a moment to remember God’s faithfulness and remove the doubt from our mind. 

Have a great weekend. 

Matt 

Fantastic Friday #1020 - Thanks

Thanks

1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2

One of my most favorite times of the year is our American Thanksgiving holiday. We have developed quite a number of traditions with this period with our family, and even now that our family has grown, we still practice those same traditions. The reason I like the holiday of Thanksgiving is because it truly gives us a time to pause and offer thanks for what we have. I also think that it ushers in that Christmas season of thanks for Jesus' birth, and these are all good focal points for us to have. However, what happens during the rest of the year, are we as thankful during those periods as we are during these holiday times? The best way to be thankful all year round is to pause in our daily prayers to offer thanks for who we are, what we have, and how God has always been there. I know we can get in a rush at times, but there is nothing more favorable than thanking God for His provision and gifts. I know I am extra grateful for many things this year, and will continue to work on showing my thankfulness every day. If we can remember to focus on gratefulness, our spirits will be lifted and we won't allow the enemy to hit us with negative thoughts.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1019 - Compare

Compare

4 Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud,to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:4-5

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19


Do you look around and find people comparing themselves to other people, what the others have that the you don't? There is something really dangerous when we start comparing ourselves with other people. If you think about it, God made us specifically for the time and place we are in during our lives. Now, there is freedom to make decisions that may better our lives or the reverse could worsen our lives, but still the same God planted us where we are today according to His plan. When we start comparing, this can invalidate what God wants for us. This could be as simple as the impact on others and how He wants us to see His action in our lives. So, as we look at comparison, how about we look at trying to achieve a righteous life that honors God, be thoughtful of the blessings we have and thank God for them every day. The deeper we start to compare with others is only a road to destruction and pain, and will only drive us further away from our Lord and Savior. Just like God compared the Kingdom of God to something we cannot fathom, there is no comparison to His love and care for us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1018 - Faithful

Faithful

9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 57:9-11


Why do we doubt the faithfulness of our God? Over and over we pray for God to intervene, to protect, to heal and to be the center of our lives, but in the middle of the trial and hardship we doubt. God loves us, and this scripture shows how great His love is for us and we need to realize this. God is a healer that comes in great times of need and provides protection and healing when hope is limited and the enemy creates negativity. Two things we need to remember, God is our Father who loves us and we should not doubt. God is Faithful.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1017 - Revere

Revere

23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
24 Therefore, people revere him,
for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart? Job 37:23-24

When you think of God, do you revere Him? Are you in awe of His creation, do you honor His plan for all of us, do you adore Him each and every time you think of Him? Revering God, giving reverence to Him and His position is not something that is probably on the top of our to do list. That's why i think we need to be reminded of how we should approach God with our prayer, including forgiveness and requests. God doesn't have to forgive us or provide us what we pray for, but he does provide what He feels is right for us at the time. If we flippantly approach our Lord and Savior with requests, I am sure we can all see that this is probably the incorrect way to approach based on verse 23. He is so far beyond our reach, but He is there for us and we have to revere Him for who He is and what He can do for us. So the next time you approach God with requests, revere Him. Give Him the reverence He deserves, for He can provide relief, calmness, and guidance in our lives if we approach with that reverence.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1016 - Goodness

Goodness

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9-10

I found out some frustrating news this week in my work, which really made me disappointed, mainly due to the last 11 months spent on this project. I also found that through this process there were some individuals sharing things about this project that were untrue which made other individuals downplay the importance, need and viability of the project. It made me begin to reflect over my years of service in my job on how many good things I have done. It made me think on how I have treated individuals with respect to their humanity and even common courtesy. I have reflected on how I have managed, supervised and interacted with people every day. I am not to judge my own ways of doing good, for there is only one judge, but I can say that I have never undermined anyone to get something I wanted, which you would think after 20 years someone wouldn't do the reverse to me. But individuals are not perfect, they make mistakes and they are sometimes guided by the enemy for their own personal gains. It just put a rubber stamp on how I should be treating people around me, and that is with full respect and goodness. Why goodness? Because goodness comes from our God, and He has commanded us to do Good to all people. We can lose sight of this at times, but I know that there is forgiveness, there is a path forward, and we just need to make sure we are on the right one.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1015 - Willful

Willful

12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:12-14

How many of us think about our willful sins? Probably not often, and when you pray for forgiveness do you lump all those sins into one basket? I never really thought about "willful sins" until I was reading this scripture, and it definitely had an impact on me. We know that the Holy Spirit is with us, but there are many times we don't listen to the prompting and willfully commit sins. I almost think asking for forgiveness of sins needs to be separated from our errors we make and our willful walking away from our Father in Heaven. When we willfully sin, that is exactly what we are doing, walking or attempting to walk away from the path He has given us. One way we can work on stopping our willful sinning is by identifying those sins through our request for forgiveness. When we put a name to a sin, it is much easier to identify how we fall short and need our Father in Heaven. Keep in mind, there is nothing wrong with praying to God to forgive us our shortcomings, but it makes our relationship stronger when we can identify what we need to avoid to make our path closer to God and His teachings. Meditating on Him and His Word is a good place to start.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1014 - Advice

Advice

20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:20-21

How do you feel when you have someone giving you advice? Do you think that you don't need the advice, or what do they know about me? How is what they are going to say going to help me move forward? We tend to rely upon ourselves a lot I assume, and tend to think that no one knows what I am dealing with or going through. There are times when I am sure that we run from advice whether it is solicited or unsolicited. The thing about today's society is that there is not a lot of listening that takes place, but there sure is a lot of talking. Just because someone gives advice, doesn't mean we have to take it and apply it to our situation. However, God's Word is unfailing, and the advice given in His book is something we should definitely pay attention to regularly. While there is always someone who thinks they know better, there is always a God that knows your heart and where you stand. If you look for advice from our Savior, He will give it, even if it is something you may have not wanted to hear. Just like this scripture, the Lord's purpose in our life will prevail, so the advice He provides is best taken to heart. Keep in mind that listening for advice from others and our God are very different, but we need to open our minds to the information being offered.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1013 - Snare

Snare

4 Keep me safe, Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.

5 The arrogant have hidden a snare for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net
and have set traps for me along my path.

6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy. Psalm 140:4-6



The enemy is very tricky and lays traps and snares for us all the time. These snares may be something that does not seem like a big deal, but every time someone falls for a snare, then it becomes that much easier for individuals to fall further away from the Lord. A snare could be something as simple as a tv show, movie or book that may not be appropriate, or it could be a temptation to gossip or attack someone online. These traps and snares are the way that the enemy pulls us slowly away from the teachings of Jesus. I heard a news story that estimates that in the world there are 5% of the people who are rude, violent and causing issues, and they are the loudest percentage of the population that gets reported on the news or some other media outlet. What happens when the other 95% live their lives and do not engage in what the other 5% is doing. If we are quiet and keep goodness to ourselves, it gives the enemy a better chance to try and entrap those 95%. Instead, we should be open with our goodness to others, be a leader in our community and fight the good fight that Jesus has set us out to do. Remember who our Father In Heaven is, and let Him intervene on your behalf. Stay close to him and he will help you avoid the snares laid out before you.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1012 - Reaching

Reaching

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 4:13-15

Do you feel grace reaching out to you? When I think about the grace that God has given us, I also see the faith that it takes me to really understand His grace. I can honestly say at times in my life, my faith has faltered and I felt like His grace wasn't enough to move me where I needed to be. As I have grown older, had kids and raised them, I can see where God has been faithful in so many ways and His grace has become even more clear. I also am proud of my children and the steps they are taking as adults to walk in the grace our father has provided. I see them reaching out in life to their families and others, and growing their faith in what is to come. Remember to be thankful to our God by reaching and giving thanks for the wonderful gifts He has provided. Not all our answers will be given now, our faith may be tested, but we all know that His grace is enough for all of us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1011 - Neighbor

Neighbor

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Mark 12:32-33

Do you often think of who your neighbor is, and how it relates to God's commandment? Neighbors typically refer to someone who lives nearby, but I believe this can be expanded to someone who you regularly come into contact with in your daily existence. In the scriptures, neighbor can apply to a friend, companion, fellow or another person and in old testament times it related to fellow countrymen. You can see that it almost encompasses everyone you would come in contact with on a daily basis. How easy is it to love your neighbor in today's society? I would assume your answer would be the same as mine, as not being very easy. Let's put it a different way, how many of your neighbors do you think that God loves? If He wants us to love Him first with all our heart, then He wants us to love others as He loves them. He places this above all other things, including the sacrifices and offerings people made back in the day. If God found this to be so important, maybe we need to stop and make it more important in our own lives and give others what He already gives them.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1010 - Rejoice

Rejoice

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Have you experienced times where you find it really hard to rejoice? I know that there are times in hardship that we focus so much on the negative, that we can't get ourselves to stop and rejoice and give thanks. When circumstances change and we feel like God has left us on an island, put up a huge roadblock, or said 'no' very clearly, we can put our life into a self-deprecating corner and not remember who we really are to God. We need to remember that we are God's children, and every aspect of our life is about God's plan and He wants success and happiness for us. The easiest way to remember who we are is by always rejoicing. Thanking God in prayer for all He has done for you in your life, and giving Him the accolades He deserves for our world and life. God's plan will endure, and even in the worst circumstances, God's plan for us is bigger than anyone can recognize. Rejoice and give thanks, in that order.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1009 - Guard

Guard


13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1:13-14


Have you ever looked at a security guard and wondered what they are guarding? What is so valuable that a place of business has to have something guarded. Sometimes guards are used to deter people from committing a crime, and in today's world we see a lot of things that people find as valuable to be protected. What do you do to guard and protect yourself from the enemy and his tactics to pull you away from our father. If you look at this scripture, it is quite simple. Listening to proper teaching and keeping the love in Christ are the easiest way to guard your heart. I like the picture that God has placed a deposit in us when we accept Christ in our life, and what a beautiful picture of the Holy Spirit guarding that gift we have received. It is easy to stray from realizing how important God's deposit is to our existence, so we need to just remember how valuable the deposit is to us and others. Guard your heart against the enemy and your reward will be great.


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #1008 - Do

Do

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29

Do you ever get asked from people, what do I have to do to get to Heaven? There are many that believe that you have to have a ton of good works and constantly be working for the Lord to get to Heaven. Some people take it to the extreme and say that if you have no good works, then you won't achieve anything. That's when looking at God's Word carefully is so important. Jesus answered the question above with a simple answer, "believe in the one he has sent." Seems pretty straightforward and direct, but something does change in us when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. I believe that the change that takes place in our heart will help us realize that yes, we don't need works to save us, but we should find it in our hearts to work for others to achieve the same gift that we have been given. It may be as simple as being kind to others, talking to them about our savior or even sharing our story. I believe that believing in God changes us to passionately provide works of service out of our heart and can result in bringing more to Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1007 - Song

Song

8 By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8

When you hear music, do you think of a song as being something that God created? With so many talented musicians around the world, sometimes people forget who song actually came from, and where the influence of praise started. There is something about music that can live deep in our soul, and it can tend to bring about a great boost of energy when times seem low. My kids always make fun of me because of an artist that I listen to that is calming and helps me reflect. There are no magical words this artist sings, and it is not Christian music, but a music that helps me think of who I am and who I need to be. David sang so much to our Father In Heaven, so it is no wonder that song is such an important part of our lives. We are all in search of a love that our Father gives and song is just one aspect. We also can use prayer to be close to Him, and a combination of song and prayer help remind us of who we are to Him. Keeping a song in your heart is something that we should not forget, and reflect on regularly. So, today I will listen to my calming soothing artist and remember who I am to God, and in turn I will thank God for His song.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1006 - Teach

Teach

24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;
show me where I have been wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what do your arguments prove? Job 6:24-25

This week many schools started around the area, and as teachers began to fill students with knowledge and encouragement. It reminded me of what I was originally trained to do, but did not follow through on a career as a school teacher. My sister has been a teacher for over 30 years, and I imagine she had what it took to have that special skill of reaching kids. The thing about teaching is it doesn't stop at kids, teenagers or young adults. Many of us work many years and are taught things throughout our life, but do we actually learn what we are supposed to in order to help us grow? I can honestly say that at my current age and job that I make mistakes, but I do learn from them most of the time. However, how many of us listen to the true teacher, the one that holds all the answers. I know that we can easily struggle to be quiet and listen to our Father in Heaven and what He has to share. I encourage you this week to stop and listen to His voice and teachings, and learn from the One who created everything.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1005 - Given

Given

25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:25-26

Do you sometimes think about what you have been given by having the gift of life on this beautiful Earth? Some individuals around the world do not experience the blessings that we do in the U.S. and I wonder if we realize how truly blessed we are as followers of Christ. I also think about the blessings of advanced science and the growth of the church in today's world. There are Christians in the world being killed for their faith and this has me reflecting on how truly blessed I am. Now, how am I treating that blessing throughout the week, and that is where I think we lose focus. I don't think we reflect enough on our freedoms and blessings we have received, and obviously other places in this world are out of sight and out of mind, so we need to be intentional about how to reflect on our blessings and pray for those that may be less fortunate with us. Be intentional with your prayer this week, thanking God for the blessings, remember what Christ did for us, and focus on those who are less fortunate. Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1004 - Taunting

Taunting

41 May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws. Psalm 119:41-43

Do you feel taunted by the enemy at times? Taunting is a very interesting act that usually takes place in sport after someone makes a play and shows the opponent significant disrespect. There are rules against taunting in sport, and it really is considered bad sportsmanship. So, why do you think the enemy is allowed to taunt us? Maybe it is because the enemy is in a place where he wants us to not feel the victory that God has provided us through His son Jesus Christ. And God knows that the path is there for us to follow Him for His love is stronger than any taunt that the enemy can provide. If we remain in God's word, His promise and His love for us, we can easily throw a flag on the enemy and his actions. Taunting is for cowards, and we know that cowards never win.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1003 - Steadfast

Steadfast

6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. Psalm 112:6-8

Fear is a funny thing, it can sneak up on you when you least expect it. I have had quite a few dreams this week, some of which I still remember, but in a few of them I was full of fear. Fear of what was following me and hunting me. I know that dreams are these subconscious thoughts that can really come sometimes from true thoughts and feelings, but in some cases it can be the enemy sneaking in trying to get to you while you are resting or resetting for the next day. I like this scripture in how it talks about the righteous having hearts that are steadfast and trusting in the Lord. Isn't that all it takes to drive away the fear in our life, is a steadfast pursuant heart of our Father in Heaven. I know a lot of times we can forget how simple it can be to drive away the enemy and the fear that can creep in on us. Take a moment to know that we can Trust in our Father to know what is best for us and can rescue us from fear. Be steadfast and follow Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1002 - Creation

Creation




Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples in his faithfulness. Psalm 96:13




This week I’ve been able to focus a lot on God’s creation and the beauty that he put on this earth for us to enjoy. I’ve seen where people have taken care of creation to improve it, and also see people that are destroying creation through different means. When you mention the word creation, what do you think about? The easiest thing to think about is the Earth and that everything around us including the mountains, the ocean, the plains and everywhere in between. Do you ever think about you as God’s creation? We spend a lot of time ignoring ourselves, and where we need to be in our relationship with our father in heaven. This may involve spending time with him in silence, in prayer, or just being grateful and sharing his gospel to those who need it. As the scripture says, God will judge everyone according to their righteousness. I also believe that God will look at how we treat others and how we treat his creation.




Have a great weekend.




Matt

Fantastic Friday #1001 - Worth

Worth

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

Do you ever wonder how much our lives are worth? I often see the value of human life greatly diminished in our society today, and I reflect on why God would allow something like us, that is worth everything to His plan, to just disintegrate into the world. Then I remembered this scripture about our faith being worth greater than any possession. Can you imagine if more people thought of the unborn babies, or the value of someone else's life as greater than any material possession and what that could lead to? I firmly believe that when we find worth in human life, we also find our faith in our Father who created those individuals. Keep remembering that God created you for a worthy purpose that is worth more than material possessions.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #1000 - Cost

Cost

1“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3

One thousand Friday's ago I began a journey that I never thought would have lasted a year, much less 19+ years of providing God's Word along with a few words of encouragement. It all started when a good friend and mentor of mine, Kevin Walker, guided me on finding my spiritual gifts. The key gift I had found after taking a test and counseling with him was a gift of encouragement. While Kevin is no longer with us, his spirit of kindness and words of encouragement have guided me for years on the path God has for me. Kevin told me that having the written word of encouragement can impact anyone, and I should let God's Word guide me. Over the years I have written my words based on numerous promptings of the Holy Spirit. They may have been situations involving my personal battle, friend's challenges, my family's growth, grief with my (parent's, in-laws and friend's) deaths, celebrations of marriage, my children's successes, my wonderful wife or what God had put on my heart. I don't know how many people I have impacted with these weekly devotionals, but I do know I have impacted myself. I have grown and learned so much from putting a few words down that I felt were important for me and others to hear. So, this week when God presented the word 'cost' to me as I was driving to work, I knew exactly what I needed to write about. Every poor decision we make has a cost, and can break us off our path of righteousness. The wonderful thing about life is that someone already paid the ultimate price for us, and it does not cost us a thing. The scripture in Isaiah paints a picture of the freedom of accepting our Savior, by listening to His invitation. Accepting Christ in your life is an incredible cost-free gift that keeps on giving. We just need to remember that it doesn't cost us a thing. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that the cost which was paid in the past gives us a future to be with our Father in Heaven. I would say that is an amazing gift and one that gives us all hope.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #999 - Whisper

Whisper

12 “A word was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper of it.
13 Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people, Job 4:12-13

Do you find yourself not sleeping well at night, or having a problem going to sleep to get your needed rest? Many times the enemy will sneak in and put doubts and worries in your mind at your weakest and most tired moments. This can make our mind wander and we can lose sight of God's path for us. During times of weakness and heavy bombardment by the enemy we can be distraught and make ourselves sick if we don't get the rest we need. God made a way for us to get through these times by listening to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, and allowing us to receive these revelations to help us through our difficult time. Sometimes the world is so loud, that we need to get away and rest and recharge with the Holy Spirit guiding us and our thoughts. The Holy Spirit will always be with us and is very powerful. Keep listening for the whisper.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #998 - Slow

Slow

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Sometimes we need to just slow down and see where our life is headed. We take every day like a sprint, and not a long drawn out hike or run. When we can slow down, we can observe things in this world that we wouldn't necessarily see if we are moving too fast to notice. We think we have to hurry to get to the next thing and get through our day with some sort of accomplishment. Then, we expect God to answer our prayers quickly for what we feel like we need. As the scripture states, a day is like a thousand years with the Lord. I can't imagine how this time works, but I do know that God wants us to make the most of our time on this earth, but that doesn't mean sprinting through every day. I know that there are things that I have prayed for each and every day for months and even years, and those answers have still not come, but this scripture helped remind me that God still does keep His promise and is patient with me. I know that when He is ready to answer those prayers, He will answer them fully because He wants us. He wants us to be with Him, He wants us to follow Him, and He wants the best for us. So, slow down, don't give up on your prayer for release from whatever challenges you face today. It may not be today, and probably not tomorrow, but God will keep His promise to all who come to Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #997 - Skies

Skies

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2

I have seen some beautiful skies this week, and I have also seen some threatening looking skies with our weather patterns. Not only did God create the world we live in, but He created and controls the skies as well. Thinking about this aspect of creation can put your life into a little more perspective. The beauty that we see in His creation is the beauty that He sees in us. We have to remember that His creation includes us, and if He wants to show off His creation, He will take time to do it with us as He does with the skies. While he loves His creation, I think at times He reminds us of His power through His creation. The thunder and lightning that is heard and seen with these storms is a reminder of that very power. I heard about a man that passed away after being struck by lightning when he was playing golf in the midst of an arriving storm recently. We cannot be sure why this man was taken from this world, and I am not sure God was directly pursuing Him, but God's power is evident. We need to remember to listen for God and His knowledge that He will reveal through many avenues. His knowledge that is provided is only meant to help guide us back to Him. Each day I give thanks for His beauty and most days it is about the sky He has painted for my drive to work. We all need to remember to thank God for His creation and creating us in His image. Do not fear the storm, but let our God guide us through them.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #996 - Important

Important

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31

What is most important in your life? Is it your family, your work, or something else that drives you on a daily basis? When you look at how you follow Christ, what is the most important thing you can do daily to follow the path that God set out for us. God created commandments that set us up for success and place us on a path back to Him and the rewards that await us in Heaven. Loving the Lord, while the first commandment, is often ignored or placed on the side for other things, but if you notice we have to do it with all our mind and our strength. When we put effort into Loving God, everything else really can fall into place. We cannot forget loving our neighbor, either, which can be very hard to do at times. But if you love the Lord first, the second should be easy. We need to reflect on the most important things in our life daily, because it is very easy to fall into the trap of finding things other than God as important when they really are not. I hope that my focus on the important things will bring me closer to God daily.


Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #995 - Director

Director

24 A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.
How then can anyone understand their own way? Proverbs 20:24

I heard someone talk about God this week and called Him the Director. I never have really heard this phase used before in such a conversational manner, where my Father In Heaven is a Director. I guess this has not crossed my mind, because I always thought of Him as my Guide as I walk the path of life and my freedom to choose. I freely have walked through my life and felt like I was directing my own life with the choices I have made, but if you look deeper, one can see that not all my choices were completely mine. As the scripture discusses, The Lord directs our steps, and we may not recognize it at the time, but He is always there to direct us when we want to be directed. I know that there are times when I think I am in control, but I know without God I would never be able to make it or find my own way. Just like in a movie, a Director tells the actors what they want, God will tell us what He wants from us in his Word. We then have a choice to try and do our things our own way, or allow Him to direct us in our path. My thoughts are that we probably we need to choose to be directed more by the One in control.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #994 - Enjoyment

Enjoyment

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2: 24-26

I was having a conversation this week with an individual about finding enjoyment, which got me thinking about how much we find enjoyment in our lives compared to finding issues with people or things. It is so easy to find things wrong in this world, because we are bombarded with the enemy trying to make us feel like we aren't enough, or don't know what we are doing with our life. Finding the smallest thing in God's creation to catch enjoyment might be a good start to get ourselves on the path of finding full gratification. Why I start with the smallest thing to find enjoyment in is because if God had the thoughtfulness to create something so small and relatively insignificant to most for us to enjoy. I often think of everything He has done to provide us happiness. God loves us and wants us to find enjoyment in his creation, and He also wants us to communicate our needs to him. I challenge each of you to find ways to enjoy God and His creation, and if you are having trouble, ask Him to encourage and guide you to that enjoyment.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #993 - Communicate

Communicate

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

How do you communicate your feelings to others, or in general. Society has changed so much with methods of communication and how we interact with people, but one thing has not changed, and that is God's message to all. I know this week when having a conversation with someone, I became irritated with what they were saying and I kind of snapped back at them. Honestly, there was no reason why I can say this took place, because nothing that was said gave me the rationale to communicate in this manner. I ended up apologizing to this person, when I was reminded of a scripture that God shares in Proverbs 15 about how a gentle answer turns away wrath. I wonder why we don't allow ourselves to focus more on how we communicate, but much of it I believe is due to the lack of interpersonal interaction we have today. As we think about communication, think about doing good and sharing with others your faith that you have and how it impacts your life. Those who know Christ probably need to hear this message, and then others that don't need to see how you live with Christ in your life. Communicate well and don't let wrath take you over.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #992 - Truth

Truth

​3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.​ 3 John 3:3-4

When God shows himself, it sometimes is in the most simple way. For years, I have never really openly shared my faith at my work. Working in a university setting, this is not something a lot of people do every day. Maybe I am not brave enough, or always felt like the threat of my position would be impacted. I was meeting with an employee and they were struggling, and it just came out of my mouth out of nowhere, I thought at first. I said, I don't know where your faith is, but you probably need to surround yourself with people that can support you and help guide you. This employee is a single mother of two and was struggling with the challenges of a new job and trying to meet the needs of her family. Looking back, I know exactly where this came from, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to say something about my faith and the truth that I live by in order to reach this person. We all need to be reminded of the truth daily, because the enemy continues to lurk around every corner to pull us away from our faith. So, God showed Himself in a simple but powerful way this last week, and it is important that when we have those promptings, that we follow through with His lead and what He wants us to say.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #991 - Care

Care

3 Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell. Psalm 43:3

This week I asked God to reveal Himself to me because just like all of you, I struggle from time to time. The struggles may not be visible to others, but they are hidden deep from other people. Why are they hidden, because I find myself on a roller coaster of emotions, that I personally feel I need to deal with myself because some of them deal directly with God Himself. I tend to forget that God has given me the Holy Spirit to deal with these emotions and struggles I may have, and also has given me the communication channel of prayer directly to Him. Everyone needs to have someone to care for them in their life, it may be a spouse, a parent or a friend, but we all need that physical and emotional attachment to help us get through our life. When I struggle, the first thing I tend to forget about, before the Holy Spirit, is God's unending faithfulness. This faithfulness comes with a promise that we lose sight of and I always wonder why my sight is dimmed. It is because the things we hold in are full of the enemy telling us to hold them in and deal with them ourselves and not rely on anyone else. Maybe the first step to self-care is ignoring the enemy and then remembering who our God is in our life. Get around people you love, get around those who care, and let those pull you out of your self-pity and negative emotions. Remember, God is always there and He wants us cared for and loved. He wants us to return to Him, so make that effort to care for yourself, others and God's faithful plan for our lives.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #990 - Joyful

Joyful

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful. Psalm 68:3

Do you ever sit and think about what it means to be joyful or full of joy? There were a couple of times where I was full of joy this week. One was when we had 2/3rds of our kids here for Easter, and the other child we had a great facetime conversation with everyone present. Another time was when I was able to sit and reflect on our Lord and Savior, while sitting on my back porch in beautiful weather and think about all He has done for me. I also felt joy when I got a note from my daughter this week which made me feel like I had done my job right as a father. And then today I felt a joy that God would bless me enough to play golf on a beautiful course with friends. Simple feelings of Joy can lead to a fullness of joy that God wants us to feel at all times. I know at times it can be hard to be joyful, but even in the hard times God wants us to remember that because of what He has done for us, we can live in Joy and have faith and hope in our future. I believe God created certain things in our world to bring us Joy, they may be simple or grand, but He has done it for us. Think about how you can be joyful and see what kind of change it makes in your life.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #989 - Wise

Wise

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-19

As we enter this season remembering what Christ did on the cross for us, I often sit and think about people who don't see the death of Christ and resurrection as the pathway for us to be saved. The arguments people make against Christ's free gift to us can sometimes be astounding, and others who deny that what happened on the cross means something is completely unfathomable. I think it comes down to people thinking they have the knowledge and understanding of God to get by, and those are the same people that say I am a good person. We all have to remember that none of us are good, and the only way to achieve the reward that God offers is by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and realize His sacrifice for us. As you enter this weekend, I urge all to be reminded how our Lord Jesus Christ impacted our ability to see our Father in Heaven again.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #988 - Calling

Calling

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. Hebrews 3:1

Do you ever think about the calling God has for your life? I don't believe there is any one particular calling that God has for us, in fact, I think there are many callings that God has for us at different stages of our lives. I know that one of my callings was to be a father to my children, and at one time I had a calling to teach children at church about our Lord and Savior. But my callings have changed in my short time on this Earth, and now as a man who has raised three wonderful children, I wonder what my next calling or callings will be. Certainly I look at writing these weekly devotionals as a calling, but how long will this last. I will tell you that our callings last as long as our Father in Heaven wants them to last. We have to be very cognizant of His voice in our lives, and listen intently when He speaks. As I sit and listen to these birds in my backyard, I think of how many times I don't stop and listen to everything God places before me. Some things are beautiful and other things have purpose, and we need to take those purposeful callings and make a difference in our world. I attended a funeral this week of an old friend, and I was reminded of our importance in answering callings. Take a moment to respond to the callings coming your way, as they are a preparation of a higher calling we will have eventually.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #987 - Freedom

Freedom

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

If you live in a Democratic country, do you ever stop to think about the freedoms you have daily? I see news reports of the lack of certain freedoms in many countries around the world, and places where even basic freedoms do not exist. We are very lucky in the U.S. to have freedom, including religious freedom. This type of freedom helps us worship God openly and freely without retribution. However, we are starting to see how people's proclamations of their faith are attacked, and this is something that even in Paul's day was a common occurrence. We need to remember that nothing can take away our freedom that Christ has given us. The battle has already been won, and for those who burden themselves with fear and anxiety, remember the freedom that Christ has given you. Our freedom lies in our God that created us for a good work, and don't let the world tell you any different. Practice your freedom and proclaim your faith proudly.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #986 - Hardship

Hardship

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Life can be full of hardships and struggles. I think I want to focus on working through those hard periods and struggles. Many times we can give up on overcoming the challenges in our lives, but I think God wants us to focus on another avenue. When you look back on your own life, you don't want your children to go through all the same struggles you had, but you know they will go through some. Our job as parents, grandparents and friends is to provide sound counseling, and I can't think of a better scripture to model how we overcome those things. If we look at overcoming our struggle by working for the Lord, then it puts things into a new perspective. God wouldn't want us to have hardships, but when we do we can rely on Him and work for Him. While this was an encouragement to the young church, you can say that it can apply to anything we do, whether it is our work, our school or our relationships. We need to work with our heart and when we do, the struggles will be overcome, and when we can't do it on our own, let God help but remember He won't do it for us, we have to be an active part in this.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #985 - Served

Served

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:7-10

After hearing a message on prayer this week, I honestly thought that sometimes because of the way I pray my prayers hit the ceiling and stop there. I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous, but it was just the way I felt. I then came across this scripture talking about being alert and having a sober mind, and I wondered with all the noise we have these days if maybe it wasn't that my prayers were hitting the ceiling but how I was praying. God knows our heart, and wants us to continually rely on Him, but also we need to remember to use our gifts with others to place us in the right frame of mind. If we spend all our days focusing on our own needs and not the needs of our family, friends and strangers, then our focus will be off and our prayers may not have the same sober request. Take a few moments to focus less on what you need, for God already knows that, and pray for those who need our support and love. I think verse 8 should be printed on a T-shirt or at least embedded in our minds, because Love conquers all.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #984 - Direction

Direction

34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain. Psalm 119:34-36

Do you ever wonder what direction you should be heading? Our paths of travel in life can be very challenging at times to choose, and sometimes our paths can cross places we don't want or need to be. I think at times of my past decisions of travel and what different choices I could have made. It is not good to always look back, because you cannot dwell on poor choices too much. What we should focus on is gaining that understanding from our Father in Heaven in order allow Him to guide us on the right path. He will always provide good direction and will never guide us down a path of sin. That path is our choice and we probably should think about allowing our heart to lead us down the path that brings us closer to Him. Choose your direction wisely.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #983 - Living

Living

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 2 Peter 2:11-12

What kind of life do you find yourself living? Is it a life that focuses on your own needs and your own life more than others? Focusing only on yourself can bring about a selfish path to giving in to your own desires and not what God wants for you. When we surround ourselves with people that focus on sinful desires, this opens us up for these desires and allows the enemy to take hold. So, what do you do when people around you are trying to pull you away from living the life God intended? God talks about helping those in need and less fortunate, and while some may not be able to financially assist someone in need, there are other ways that you can care for those around you. When you care for those who need some kind of connection in their life, your good deeds can empower you to come closer to all that God has intended. And those people who tried to pull you away will see that your intention of focusing on God and what He has for your life will certainly have an impact on them. Focus intentionally on living a life God wants for you and not one that you think you want for yourself.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #982 - Choices

Choices

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; Philippians 1:21-23

We all have choices we make daily, some are good and some not so much. The freedom to make choices is a true blessing from God, and you probably wonder how I can say this when some of our choices are not the best. Well, if you think about all your choices you make daily, the good ones have a positive impact and the bad ones, while maybe have a negative impact, in the long run there may be something positive that comes of it. Negative or bad choices are typically influenced by the enemy, and usually when we make these choices we are further away from God and His teachings. When we see the negative impact of our choice, I can think that most times we can see how this drives us down a path we don't want to be on, especially if we want to follow Christ and His teachings. So when we see that we are on the wrong path, we have to choose to get back on the right path, a negative choice becomes a positive one as long as we choose to work on ourselves and come closer to God. I am not saying negative choices are good, but I am saying because of the goodness of our Lord and Savior, we can turn those into positive choices by His forgiveness. Take a moment to think about your choices today and what kind of impact they will have on others and yourself. The power to choose is very powerful and we need to remember who chose us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #981 - Refreshes

Refreshes

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. Psalm 23:2-4

This scripture is part of a longer one that is most often read at a funeral, but if you look carefully there is some other contextual information that we can use daily. How often I want to be refreshed, and especially this week when I have been sick, I have searched for refreshment and hoped for the illness to leave me. Just like many times that David cried out, I did the same but I didn't think about him refreshing my soul at the same time of taking away the illness. We can get narrowed in on the wrong things many times and lose focus on what we should, when our hope should be in our Lord and Savior and not what we want. If we spend more time looking for the refreshment that our Lord and Savior provides, we will come closer to Him and what He has for us.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #980 - Relationships

Relationships

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:5

When you think about the relationships that you have, do you go into all of them with the same mindset as Christ Jesus? Relationships are hard, and it is something that I struggle with regularly. I have certain individuals that I can call close personal friends, my family is my number one relationship that I tend to try and work on daily, and sometimes I wonder how successful I am. The thing about relationships and strengthening them is that they require attention. The attention to detail, the focus on communication, the clearness of our intentions, and the true love of God behind us and our role in these relationships. There is no self-help book that can grow a relationship, while there are tools to assist, the true way to grow a relationship is having God with us and allowing Him to work through us. If we ignore the example that Jesus gave in his relationships, we are not going to get very far. So, in your relationships you have, whether they are spouses, kids, friends, extended family or the annoying co-worker, look to God to guide you in your relationship building and know that He has set the perfect example.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #979 - Darkness

Darkness

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. Genesis 1:14-15

Do you ever think about why we have darkness at night and what its main purpose is for us? I think often when I am driving at night, or walking in the early morning of the darkness about when God created the light and the dark, was there more than one purpose. The answer you would think would be pretty clear, but in today's world where society operates 24 hours a day, it is hard to think that it was just a way to make the earth work. Look at this scripture and how it talks about a way to mark sacred times. I believe his reminder of the days passing to reach those sacred times gives us something to acknowledge and hope for, and he didn't make our bodies to operate 24 hours per day. He created a period where we could rest and recover after long days and it is modeled after what He did on the seventh day of creation. The darkness closes a day of light and wonder, and each morning when the light comes back, a new day has been created for us to thrive and hope for the future we have with Him. Get rest and focus on looking forward to those sacred times.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #978 - Tongue

Tongue

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. James 3: 9-12

Do you ever think about your tongue and how it is used? I was held accountable this last week by a sermon I heard on these verses. My tongue can encourage, and praise God and then it also can at times bring about negativity or have something not so nice to say. How can I live like this praising God and speaking badly of others? I cannot, and it is clear in God's Word. I love the pictures in this scripture that God gives, It is a good reminder to think that if we are truly followers of Christ, we cannot be someone who curses others or speaks badly. I think we all need this reminder from time to time, especially in today's society when all people do is spend time attacking each other. Spend some time giving others grace, and know that we are made in God's likeness so we should act more like Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #977 - Relief

Relief

1 Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness
like those long dead. Psalm 143:1-3

Where do you look for relief? Relief from pain, from suffering, from the world pounding down upon you from every direction. Some people turn to exercise, movies, reading and some people turn to more extreme ways to escape. How many of us turn to prayer and ask our Lord to help us through all the noise? I know that there are several things that I turn to and not all of them are completely good for my soul. Each time I spend time with the Lord, my perspective seems to change and bring about a calm disposition where I can focus on the things that give me relief in a positive way. I hope that you can find your relief and know that God wants us to call on him to escape the darkness.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #976 - Needy

Needy

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. Psalm 72:12-13

I see people on my daily travels who look needy, maybe they need food, clothing or some other form of human need to stay alive. I question what these people did to get themselves in these situations, and I can only surmise that they fell into a desperate hole of self-doubt and loss which has now led to them being physically and emotionally stained. Granted, there are people who put themselves in those spaces due to drug use or alcohol abuse, and they have never recovered from that horrible fall. It may be hard for some of us to believe, but God does love those people just like He loves us. If these people were to cry out and commit themselves to the Lord and His teachings, I don't doubt that He would miraculously pull these people out of their pain and suffering. The same can apply to us, while our need may be different at times, and not as life-changing, we can still ask for our Lord's help and He will provide. God wants us to want Him and all that He can do for us, all we have to do is ask.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #975 - Victory

Victory

12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies. Psalm 60:12

Don't take this the wrong way but God does not care if my sports team wins or not. I am sure that God does not care whether an athlete gives Him the accolades for their victory. Several times over the last few weeks, I have seen several sports athletes give God the glory for their good performance or victory, but to be honest I don't think God cares. I do think it is great that these young men and women proclaim their faith on national television for all to see, but I am not so sure they realize what is really important to God. When I was growing up, I would pray for our teams that I played on to win, or to do well but we didn't always win or do well. God is concerned with bigger victories and the one He has already completed with the victory over the enemy. We also probably need to reevaluate what victory we should be celebrating and asking God for His presence, maybe it should be the victory of bringing more individuals to Christ and His teachings. God does care about us daily for many things, and when we ask for help He does give it, but honestly I am not so sure he cares whether my sports team wins or not. Pray for victories that are important and result in the greatest reward.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #974 - Prepare

 Prepare

“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Exodus 23:20

Like God prepared a place for the Israelites, and he is preparing a place for us in heaven, I believe he prepares places for us here on earth.We just spent the last week setting up our daughter and her husband in a House in Savannah, for the next step in their journey. God allow us to travel safely for so many hours in a U-Haul and towing car in thunderstorms and rainy days.  But when we arrived, we could see His hand on every aspect of our journey, including finding a washer and dryer within minutes of walking in our first store, finding a much needed food pantry for the house for a cost half of what everything else was going for and the ability to get almost everything unpacked so they could start their journey together without worry.  We know they God is present and we know that He loves us, we need to acknowledge when He shows his presence in the smaller things.  

Have a great weekend.

Matt