Block
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 2 Corinthians 6:3-4
This week during a tournament baseball game, the shortstop on the
other team would stand completely in front of the base and obstruct the
base runner from getting back to the base. In one case he blocked the
base so well the runner couldn't get back to the base and was tagged
out. The umpire didn't call obstruction, instead when our coach
politely inquired about the kid blocking the base, he said it was
alright for our players to push him out of the way, which in reality is
not the correct way to handle the play if you think about it. When you
are traveling through your daily walk with Christ, what is out there
that obstructs you from walking with Christ and instead pushes you to
walk with the world. I am sure you can think of a number of things that
block your path, but there is one thing that we need to remember. We
have a special gift that travels with us that allows us to break through
that obstruction and that is the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit
guide you through whatever tries to block you.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Fantastic Friday #318 - Point
Point
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:1-8
When you are trying to make a point to someone about the life they are leading, do you turn to Bible or to your own experience? Or do you just point out people's issues with no corrective action. Pointing a finger is probably not the best way to handle a person, because it can be construed as I am better than you and you just need to fly straight. Maybe we should gently point out what we feel is an issue, and this scripture has the perfect model of how you should handle these situations. By pointing out the Godly way we should be training ourselves, for the next life, it can paint a clearer picture of what we are actually striving for in our physical bodies. While the physical training gets us to a certain point here on earth, how is it going to help us if we are not mentally training ourselves for the next life? Make a point to focus on how we should train ourselves and how you can gently point out to others a righteous path; and focus less on pointing out the flaws of people in a negative way.
Have a great weekend.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:1-8
When you are trying to make a point to someone about the life they are leading, do you turn to Bible or to your own experience? Or do you just point out people's issues with no corrective action. Pointing a finger is probably not the best way to handle a person, because it can be construed as I am better than you and you just need to fly straight. Maybe we should gently point out what we feel is an issue, and this scripture has the perfect model of how you should handle these situations. By pointing out the Godly way we should be training ourselves, for the next life, it can paint a clearer picture of what we are actually striving for in our physical bodies. While the physical training gets us to a certain point here on earth, how is it going to help us if we are not mentally training ourselves for the next life? Make a point to focus on how we should train ourselves and how you can gently point out to others a righteous path; and focus less on pointing out the flaws of people in a negative way.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Fantastic Friday #317 - Alive
Alive
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
When you think of being alive, do you think of eating, breathing, working, and sleeping? Or do you think of being alive in a very different way? Oftentimes the most simple thoughts enter our mind when we hear the word alive, but what does alive really mean? If you look deeply into God's word, being alive includes much more than the things listed above, especially if you have Christ residing in you. If you are alive, you also have more responsibilities to live a life that is reflective of Christ. As you are alive, you need to think of His work He completed for us when He was alive here on earth and when He died for us. How can you be more alive? Does it involve just being in Christ or is it going beyond what you think you need to do? As we walk with Christ, we should feel more alive because we are no longer dead. We are alive with Him in us and His influence in our daily walk. Let yourself be alive and don't let those who are asleep around you sit with no hope. Give them the hope of being alive by showing them how Christ lives in you.
Have a great weekend.
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
When you think of being alive, do you think of eating, breathing, working, and sleeping? Or do you think of being alive in a very different way? Oftentimes the most simple thoughts enter our mind when we hear the word alive, but what does alive really mean? If you look deeply into God's word, being alive includes much more than the things listed above, especially if you have Christ residing in you. If you are alive, you also have more responsibilities to live a life that is reflective of Christ. As you are alive, you need to think of His work He completed for us when He was alive here on earth and when He died for us. How can you be more alive? Does it involve just being in Christ or is it going beyond what you think you need to do? As we walk with Christ, we should feel more alive because we are no longer dead. We are alive with Him in us and His influence in our daily walk. Let yourself be alive and don't let those who are asleep around you sit with no hope. Give them the hope of being alive by showing them how Christ lives in you.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Fantastic Friday #316 - Time
Time
2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:2-5
Does time haunt you? Do you find yourself occasionally short on time? Why do we put ourselves through all the hoops to get things done that we think need to be done? I think it is because sometimes people think they have to keep up with everyone else, and meet a certain standard. If we don't meet that standard then we feel like we are being overly judged by others or we judge ourselves. A lot of times we are our own worst critic. If you look at this scripture, why should we worry about being judged by others when there is only one Judge. If we are going through life in the time God has given us, it is His time and not ours we should be focusing on daily. In His time we will be judged, and our heart will be an open book. Don't let the worries about getting as much as you can done in a certain amount of time drag you down, but focus on what you can do in the time God has given to you.
Have a great weekend.
2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:2-5
Does time haunt you? Do you find yourself occasionally short on time? Why do we put ourselves through all the hoops to get things done that we think need to be done? I think it is because sometimes people think they have to keep up with everyone else, and meet a certain standard. If we don't meet that standard then we feel like we are being overly judged by others or we judge ourselves. A lot of times we are our own worst critic. If you look at this scripture, why should we worry about being judged by others when there is only one Judge. If we are going through life in the time God has given us, it is His time and not ours we should be focusing on daily. In His time we will be judged, and our heart will be an open book. Don't let the worries about getting as much as you can done in a certain amount of time drag you down, but focus on what you can do in the time God has given to you.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Fantastic Friday #315- Dwell
Dwell
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:16-21
Are you one of those people that tells other people not to dwell on the past but to look at the future? Or, are you one of those that dwells on the past and keeps looking back at mistake after mistake? For those of you who tell people not to dwell, is there something in you that dwells just a little bit on the past because you just can't let go? This scripture is a beautiful description of God looking forward and reminding His people not to dwell on the past. He is doing a New Thing which is the reason why it is such a great scripture. Now, is He doing a New Thing in you or are you allowing Him to be able to do a New Thing in you. If you are dwelling on the past, then most likely you are suppressing what God wants for you and spending your time dwelling too much. Focus on God's New plan for you, which really isn't new because He has already had a plan for you and is now just implementing this New Thing in you. God is faithful in what He has created, and will continue to be faithful to you. Don't dwell.
Have a great weekend.
16 This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:16-21
Are you one of those people that tells other people not to dwell on the past but to look at the future? Or, are you one of those that dwells on the past and keeps looking back at mistake after mistake? For those of you who tell people not to dwell, is there something in you that dwells just a little bit on the past because you just can't let go? This scripture is a beautiful description of God looking forward and reminding His people not to dwell on the past. He is doing a New Thing which is the reason why it is such a great scripture. Now, is He doing a New Thing in you or are you allowing Him to be able to do a New Thing in you. If you are dwelling on the past, then most likely you are suppressing what God wants for you and spending your time dwelling too much. Focus on God's New plan for you, which really isn't new because He has already had a plan for you and is now just implementing this New Thing in you. God is faithful in what He has created, and will continue to be faithful to you. Don't dwell.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Fantastic Friday #314- Plans
Plans
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:7-11
Do you start out your week with a plan? I typically have my week mapped out pretty clearly on what has to happen and what I have to get done. Then Monday hits, and the plan gets blown to pieces, mainly because life happens. Now, I am not saying we shouldn't plan, but maybe we should look at our life through a different lens. When our plans get thwarted for some unknown reason, we should be less likely to question why if we pay attention to God's Word. Look at who God is and how He has planned things with His creation of the heavens and the earth. There were clearly many well-thought-out plans, including us being here on this earth. God has a plan for each and every one of us, and we just need to remember that it is His plan and not ours. Earlier in this Psalm verses 4 and 5 state this:
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
It is very clear that God is Faithful and the Psalm bookends this statement by making sure it is clear to us that His plans stand firm forever. Just remember that when you are planning out your day, week or month and things don't exactly work out how you thought they should, that God planned them already.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jar;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jar;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:7-11
Do you start out your week with a plan? I typically have my week mapped out pretty clearly on what has to happen and what I have to get done. Then Monday hits, and the plan gets blown to pieces, mainly because life happens. Now, I am not saying we shouldn't plan, but maybe we should look at our life through a different lens. When our plans get thwarted for some unknown reason, we should be less likely to question why if we pay attention to God's Word. Look at who God is and how He has planned things with His creation of the heavens and the earth. There were clearly many well-thought-out plans, including us being here on this earth. God has a plan for each and every one of us, and we just need to remember that it is His plan and not ours. Earlier in this Psalm verses 4 and 5 state this:
4 For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
5 The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
It is very clear that God is Faithful and the Psalm bookends this statement by making sure it is clear to us that His plans stand firm forever. Just remember that when you are planning out your day, week or month and things don't exactly work out how you thought they should, that God planned them already.
Have a great weekend.
Matt
Friday, May 4, 2012
Fantastic Friday #313 - Argument
Argument
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
I participated in two discussions this week where the individuals on the other side of the discussion wanted to argue. How could you tell do you ask? Well both groups of people had a look on their face, you know the look. They both had a body posture that was confrontational. And they both had steam coming out of their ears, well maybe that last part wasn't right, but they looked like they could have had steam coming out of their ears. I took the stance of listening and diffusing the individuals hope of arguing by remembering who I am and who was with me. I didn't let the world take hold of me, which was very important in both of these situations. How often do we let the world take hold of us, instead of being obedient to Christ and diffusing these situations. Take a stand of not waging war with people, but by diffusing arguments through the love of Christ.
Have a great weekend.
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
I participated in two discussions this week where the individuals on the other side of the discussion wanted to argue. How could you tell do you ask? Well both groups of people had a look on their face, you know the look. They both had a body posture that was confrontational. And they both had steam coming out of their ears, well maybe that last part wasn't right, but they looked like they could have had steam coming out of their ears. I took the stance of listening and diffusing the individuals hope of arguing by remembering who I am and who was with me. I didn't let the world take hold of me, which was very important in both of these situations. How often do we let the world take hold of us, instead of being obedient to Christ and diffusing these situations. Take a stand of not waging war with people, but by diffusing arguments through the love of Christ.
Have a great weekend.
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