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