Grow
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
This week I ran another race with my family. I had trained for the race and I thought I had trained enough to feel comfortable finishing the race strong. However, I soon found an obstacle of a large hill in the final part of the race which made my legs week and made me struggle during the final part of the race. I didn't seem to grow stronger but felt very weak, but in the end I was able to finish the race without stopping and without giving up. In the end, I ran faster than I had run any pre-run that I had covered the same distance and I met a goal I set for myself. So, in fact I had grown throughout my training and been strong enough to finish the race that was ahead. Our spiritual life can be the same way, we need to fight through whatever pain and weakness we have to live a righteous life that God wants us to live. We need to know that God helps us grow by bringing us through the challenges and we should not grow weary as the scripture says, but we should endure with the strength that God has given us. Remember that what Jesus suffered on the cross is what gives us our reward.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Fantastic Friday #492 - Given
Given
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:15-21
Do you find that people around you are playing the role of entitlement? Do they always seem to expect everyone to give to them without doing anything for it? Our world is filled with people who think they are entitled to something but truly what are we entitled to? We are not just given anything without hard work on this earth, but what God did give us is the opportunity to live a righteous life. God has also given us the opportunity to live with Him again, and He has provided us a path to follow. Not one of us is entitled to this gift, but God has done great and mighty things to help mark the path to return to him. If people would just realize that we aren't deserving of this gift, then maybe we would be kinder to others and not act so entitled. Focus on giving thanks, living a righteous life, and walk on that path that God so generously gave us so many years ago.
Have a great weekend.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation. Psalm 118:15-21
Do you find that people around you are playing the role of entitlement? Do they always seem to expect everyone to give to them without doing anything for it? Our world is filled with people who think they are entitled to something but truly what are we entitled to? We are not just given anything without hard work on this earth, but what God did give us is the opportunity to live a righteous life. God has also given us the opportunity to live with Him again, and He has provided us a path to follow. Not one of us is entitled to this gift, but God has done great and mighty things to help mark the path to return to him. If people would just realize that we aren't deserving of this gift, then maybe we would be kinder to others and not act so entitled. Focus on giving thanks, living a righteous life, and walk on that path that God so generously gave us so many years ago.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Fantastic Friday #491 - Helper
Helper
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
6 So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6
Do you ever think of who your helpers are in your life? Helpers can come in many shapes and sizes, with many differing personalties, likes and dislikes. Think about your spouse, significant other, or best friend, do they have every single trait that makes you complete? Are they always available for every single thing that you need? Today is so full of technology in our lives, do you find yourself spending more time on the Internet googling or binging for help? There is no one person or thing on this earth in your life that is the true helper, because there is no one person here that is perfect. Only the Lord is our true Helper, and until we realize this we are going to continue to be helpless looking for perfection. Do not be afraid to ask your helper for assistance, because our perfect Lord is always there and willing.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Fantastic Friday #490 - Wake Up
Wake Up
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:11-12
How many of us have a hard time waking up in the morning? Do you struggle or have you struggled getting your kids out of bed for school? Waking up can sometimes be hard to do. It can be especially hard to wake up our spiritual life if we have let it slumber for too long, or if we have allowed the darkness to creep in and let us sleep longer than we should. It is clear that many people spend too much time in darkness, in fact it is easy to slip in the darkness if our spiritual life has been neglected by not studying God's word, praying or even going to church. The hour has come for us to awaken and shine our light like the scripture says, and prepare for the day of Lord's coming.
Have a great weekend.
11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Romans 13:11-12
How many of us have a hard time waking up in the morning? Do you struggle or have you struggled getting your kids out of bed for school? Waking up can sometimes be hard to do. It can be especially hard to wake up our spiritual life if we have let it slumber for too long, or if we have allowed the darkness to creep in and let us sleep longer than we should. It is clear that many people spend too much time in darkness, in fact it is easy to slip in the darkness if our spiritual life has been neglected by not studying God's word, praying or even going to church. The hour has come for us to awaken and shine our light like the scripture says, and prepare for the day of Lord's coming.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Fantastic Friday #489 - Suffer
Suffer
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws. Psalm 119:106-108
How many of you think that you had an awful day or can remember when you thought you had a bad one? When we have these moments where we think we had an awful day, we need to step back and and look at all of the positives that we have in our life. My guess is we dwell in our pain and suffering which really defeats what God has already done for us. Whether we go through a physical, mental or spiritual battle, we should step back and realize the place we could be in could be much worse. I am not good at this all the time and need to lean into our Lord and accept His guidance, for He sent His son to suffer for us already so we can live a life full of honor and glory to Him. Let the Lord teach you through your challenges.
Have a great weekend.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws. Psalm 119:106-108
How many of you think that you had an awful day or can remember when you thought you had a bad one? When we have these moments where we think we had an awful day, we need to step back and and look at all of the positives that we have in our life. My guess is we dwell in our pain and suffering which really defeats what God has already done for us. Whether we go through a physical, mental or spiritual battle, we should step back and realize the place we could be in could be much worse. I am not good at this all the time and need to lean into our Lord and accept His guidance, for He sent His son to suffer for us already so we can live a life full of honor and glory to Him. Let the Lord teach you through your challenges.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Fantastic Friday #488 - Corrupt
Corrupt
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 20-23
There are many people that are corrupt in this world. Most of the corrupt people were influenced by evil and have become morally influenced by the bad that pervades our society. One definition of corrupt is "to taint, or spoil." Think about potato salad that has been left out of the refrigeration too long and left to spoil. When you eat that potato salad something happens to your body where it rejects what is placed in your body, but there is great suffering that is dealt with in the removal of this tainted food. The same can be said for the people that are in your circle that can taint or spoil what is happening in your life. We can fight against this spoilage by being prayerful and removing these corrupt people from our lives and it might not always feel good. But, we must also be merciful to these corrupt individuals and show them that their influence is not going to impact us. We must hate the spoiled flesh and relish in God's love for us.
Have a great weekend.
20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Jude 20-23
There are many people that are corrupt in this world. Most of the corrupt people were influenced by evil and have become morally influenced by the bad that pervades our society. One definition of corrupt is "to taint, or spoil." Think about potato salad that has been left out of the refrigeration too long and left to spoil. When you eat that potato salad something happens to your body where it rejects what is placed in your body, but there is great suffering that is dealt with in the removal of this tainted food. The same can be said for the people that are in your circle that can taint or spoil what is happening in your life. We can fight against this spoilage by being prayerful and removing these corrupt people from our lives and it might not always feel good. But, we must also be merciful to these corrupt individuals and show them that their influence is not going to impact us. We must hate the spoiled flesh and relish in God's love for us.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 4, 2015
Fantastic Friday #487 - Encouragement
Encouragement
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
It is amazing how one small encouragement can make a difference in someone's life. What we don't often realize is how much listening can really have a huge impact on people as well. I have friends that love to talk and I have friends that love to listen. This is what is great about those people God places in our lives. He places the talkers in our life to give us inspiration, and He also places the listeners in our lives to give us encouragement. The good thing about these two kinds of people are those times when they know how to listen and speak at the right time. Sometimes listening can offer more encouragement than talking and sometimes it is the reverse. It is important in these turbulent times that we spend time encouraging those around us and reminding each other of our salvation through Christ.
Have a great weekend.
9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
It is amazing how one small encouragement can make a difference in someone's life. What we don't often realize is how much listening can really have a huge impact on people as well. I have friends that love to talk and I have friends that love to listen. This is what is great about those people God places in our lives. He places the talkers in our life to give us inspiration, and He also places the listeners in our lives to give us encouragement. The good thing about these two kinds of people are those times when they know how to listen and speak at the right time. Sometimes listening can offer more encouragement than talking and sometimes it is the reverse. It is important in these turbulent times that we spend time encouraging those around us and reminding each other of our salvation through Christ.
Have a great weekend.
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