Control
18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue
to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one
cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We
know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by
being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5: 18-20.
Watching sports is very interesting at times and this week I
experienced a very valuable lesson in how I should control my emotions.
I had to volunteer umpire for my son's baseball game this last week
because there were no other volunteers. It was very hard because I was
behind the plate calling balls and strikes, and sure enough Gaven ended
up pitching. It ended up being a close game and I was hearing chatter
behind me about my son being on the other team, and something about
fairness was brought up. I let my emotions get the best of me and
responded to the comments that were made. I said some things I didn't
necessarily regret later, but mainly I was upset with the fact that I
actually responded to useless chatter. What I was most upset with was
how I let the enemy grind at my mind and let him tell me I had to
respond to something which really wasn't necessary. I lose control in
my life from time to time with a number of things and what I need to do
is learn how to control my thoughts and emotions. If I were to stop and
realize where the evil is coming from, maybe it would make a difference
in how I react. This scripture says that God has given us
understanding, which if you think about it understanding really can lead
to control. And control can defeat the enemy's lies and schemes, and
defeating the evil around us can bring us in a closer relationship with
God. It is important not to sit in our lives thinking we can control
everything around us, because we can't. We have to rely on God and His
son Jesus Christ to help control the evil around us. Rest in Jesus'
control, for He has it already figured out for us.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Fantastic Friday #389 - Shut Down
Shut Down
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 3:18-20, 24
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. 1 John 3:18-20, 24
We all have been affected by things
being shut down in our lives. When things are shut down, you can't
access them and most times it can be very frustrating if you need
something badly. Have you ever been shut down yourself because someone
has upset you or been cruel to you? Or, have you ever experienced a
situation where you saw someone being hateful? Words are very powerful,
but actions with words have a significant impact. I can sit here all
day long and use wonderful phrases to tell you about God's glorious
Gospel, but if I don't show action with those words then they really
don't mean anything. I am just like everyone else, and most days I fall
short, but I know that God has placed the Spirit in me to guide my
actions along with my words. While I don't always get it right, I know
there is One that will never shut down, and that is our Lord and
Savior. He is always there and always working in us to glorify Him. So
next time you feel like shutting down or someone tries to shut you
down, remember who you are in Christ and let the Spirit guide your
actions.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Fantastic Friday #388 - Falter
Falter
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength! Proverbs 24:10
Do you have times where you falter and it is the times where trouble seems to surround you? Or, do you just have those days that don't work out the way it should in your mind? As we go through our daily routine, it is easy to see how we might falter because we rely on our own strength so often, and we all know we aren't strong enough on our own. Our strength is only made more powerful by our faith in God, and our ability to overcome a wavering situation only improves when we lean into the Lord. I know that we also need to not only rely on God, but we need to spend our time around other followers of Christ who can make sure that we don't falter in times of trouble. If we are by ourselves and don't think about how we can be helped by others or be helped by God then it will be easier to falter. Don't falter, but lean into others and God's strength.
Have a great weekend.
10 If you falter in a time of trouble,
how small is your strength! Proverbs 24:10
Do you have times where you falter and it is the times where trouble seems to surround you? Or, do you just have those days that don't work out the way it should in your mind? As we go through our daily routine, it is easy to see how we might falter because we rely on our own strength so often, and we all know we aren't strong enough on our own. Our strength is only made more powerful by our faith in God, and our ability to overcome a wavering situation only improves when we lean into the Lord. I know that we also need to not only rely on God, but we need to spend our time around other followers of Christ who can make sure that we don't falter in times of trouble. If we are by ourselves and don't think about how we can be helped by others or be helped by God then it will be easier to falter. Don't falter, but lean into others and God's strength.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Fantastic Friday #387- Together
Together
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17
Do you find it hard to hold things together sometimes? Work that pulls you this way and that way, activities and events that seem they are purposely being scheduled on top of each other, and not to mention the church commitments that you have that seem to sneak up on you. Then you have the whole national government that can't seem to hold things together themselves. Busyness and overloading your lives can sometimes be blamed for the craziness that we sometimes encounter, but how do we actually hold all of our things together. Well, the first step is to sit back and remember who we are, and that is a creation that was created in the image of God. We need to honor our God by reflecting His presence in our lives. We also need to remember that we aren't the ones that have to hold everything together, in fact the scripture clearly states that God is the one who holds all things together. If we could remember this simple thought, then maybe our lives would be more together and less fractured. This scripture also notes that the rulers and authorities in our lives were created through him and for him, so for those of us who have been complaining this week about our leaders not keeping things together (me included), maybe we should pray for these leaders that God has placed in power. Remember, God is there to hold it all together.
Have a great weekend.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17
Do you find it hard to hold things together sometimes? Work that pulls you this way and that way, activities and events that seem they are purposely being scheduled on top of each other, and not to mention the church commitments that you have that seem to sneak up on you. Then you have the whole national government that can't seem to hold things together themselves. Busyness and overloading your lives can sometimes be blamed for the craziness that we sometimes encounter, but how do we actually hold all of our things together. Well, the first step is to sit back and remember who we are, and that is a creation that was created in the image of God. We need to honor our God by reflecting His presence in our lives. We also need to remember that we aren't the ones that have to hold everything together, in fact the scripture clearly states that God is the one who holds all things together. If we could remember this simple thought, then maybe our lives would be more together and less fractured. This scripture also notes that the rulers and authorities in our lives were created through him and for him, so for those of us who have been complaining this week about our leaders not keeping things together (me included), maybe we should pray for these leaders that God has placed in power. Remember, God is there to hold it all together.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Fantastic Friday #386- Cause
Cause
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Romans 16:17-18
Do you ever sit around and think about what you cause with your actions? Or do you ever think about what your actions might cause other people to do? There are many people out there in this world that whether they intentionally do it or not, cause divisions between people or groups. It is that division caused by these people that creates confusion, skepticism and sometimes a feeling of inadequacy in the minds of believers. We all have been taught that we should respect others, but what happens when these people's obstacles get in our way and produce these feelings of inadequacy. We might shut down, practice avoidance, or just tell ourselves that we aren't good enough to be who we are in Christ. The funny thing is, these same people who try to make us feel inadequate are the same people that are self-serving and don't respect others. I challenge you to take up a cause against the people who attempt to make you feel this way. Even though you should stay away from them, you can show the Love of Christ and set an example of how to treat others. Don't let obstacles block your path to being closer to our Lord.
Have a great weekend.
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Romans 16:17-18
Do you ever sit around and think about what you cause with your actions? Or do you ever think about what your actions might cause other people to do? There are many people out there in this world that whether they intentionally do it or not, cause divisions between people or groups. It is that division caused by these people that creates confusion, skepticism and sometimes a feeling of inadequacy in the minds of believers. We all have been taught that we should respect others, but what happens when these people's obstacles get in our way and produce these feelings of inadequacy. We might shut down, practice avoidance, or just tell ourselves that we aren't good enough to be who we are in Christ. The funny thing is, these same people who try to make us feel inadequate are the same people that are self-serving and don't respect others. I challenge you to take up a cause against the people who attempt to make you feel this way. Even though you should stay away from them, you can show the Love of Christ and set an example of how to treat others. Don't let obstacles block your path to being closer to our Lord.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Fantastic Friday #385- Understand
Understand
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one. Psalm 53:1-3
What do you find yourself trying to understand? How the wind blows, how the rain falls, how streams raise and lower, how mountains shake, and why seasons change. Or, maybe you find yourself trying to understand God's creation and how He did it. Do you tend to think of how something happens or why something happens? Trying to figure these things out can sometimes be a blessing or a burden. If we spend too much time trying to understand how and why, we might not be spending enough time just enjoying and being in awe of them. If we spend time seeking God, He will give us the time to enjoy our lives and be in awe of His creation, and He will also provide us that time to learn about His creation. The thing we don't need to do is turn away from God and his creation and take this world and our life for granted. Let us take our lives and treat them as a gift that God has given us, along with this earth so that some day we can find the answers to all of our questions we are trying to understand.
Have a great weekend.
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one. Psalm 53:1-3
What do you find yourself trying to understand? How the wind blows, how the rain falls, how streams raise and lower, how mountains shake, and why seasons change. Or, maybe you find yourself trying to understand God's creation and how He did it. Do you tend to think of how something happens or why something happens? Trying to figure these things out can sometimes be a blessing or a burden. If we spend too much time trying to understand how and why, we might not be spending enough time just enjoying and being in awe of them. If we spend time seeking God, He will give us the time to enjoy our lives and be in awe of His creation, and He will also provide us that time to learn about His creation. The thing we don't need to do is turn away from God and his creation and take this world and our life for granted. Let us take our lives and treat them as a gift that God has given us, along with this earth so that some day we can find the answers to all of our questions we are trying to understand.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Fantastic Friday #384 - Reaching
Reaching
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. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:14-16
Do you find yourself reaching for answers, reaching for belief or reaching for faith and yet some of those things just seem to you to be slightly out of your reach? Maybe we are looking at these kinds of things from the wrong perspective. We are always told that when we need God the most, we need to reach out to Him through prayer and thanksgiving and through submission to Him. This is all very true and we should be doing this daily and when we are in need, but are we truly receiving what God has to give us? Are we allowing God to "reach" out to us by submitting to His authority, or are we too stuck in what we have to "do" to achieve His Grace. The funny thing is we don't have to do anything to achieve the Grace He freely offers, we just have to accept Him. So after we "reach" out to Him with our requests, how about sitting back and letting Him "reach" us with His will, which will give us answers and strengthen our belief and faith in Him.
Have a great weekend.
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. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:14-16
Do you find yourself reaching for answers, reaching for belief or reaching for faith and yet some of those things just seem to you to be slightly out of your reach? Maybe we are looking at these kinds of things from the wrong perspective. We are always told that when we need God the most, we need to reach out to Him through prayer and thanksgiving and through submission to Him. This is all very true and we should be doing this daily and when we are in need, but are we truly receiving what God has to give us? Are we allowing God to "reach" out to us by submitting to His authority, or are we too stuck in what we have to "do" to achieve His Grace. The funny thing is we don't have to do anything to achieve the Grace He freely offers, we just have to accept Him. So after we "reach" out to Him with our requests, how about sitting back and letting Him "reach" us with His will, which will give us answers and strengthen our belief and faith in Him.
Have a great weekend.
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