Fantastic Friday #925 - Past Words

Past Words

2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 2 Peter 3:2-3

Do you reflect much on past words that were spoken to you by others? Sometimes words are spoken by people who were close to us and we remember those words or sayings later in life. What kind of difference do you see from those words or sayings in the past? Do you find yourself reflecting on them differently than you were when told? Many times someone will share something and it doesn't impact you until much later, because of where you are in your life. Similar things can be said about God's Word. Each time I read His Word, something different pops out to me that I didn't quite see the time I read it before. Past words are good to reflect on, and God's Word is the best at providing guidance, especially if you weren't impacted by it in prior times. Take a moment to reflect on past words and sayings, and see how they impact you differently today.

Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #924 - Presence

Presence

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:9-11

Do we actually take the time to feel God's presence in our lives? We obviously pay attention to many things around us and sometimes spend hours on things of this world, many of which are not bad but also fill our days. When you drive your car, do you feel His presence? When you are walking somewhere, do you feel His presence? Some individuals say that they just can't understand how to feel His presence, but maybe those individuals aren't taking the moment it takes to focus. Can you tell when the enemy is sneaking up on you, or do you feel when the enemy is trying to persuade you to make a decision that is unholy or something that can drive you further away from your Father. The easiest way to feel God's presence is to stop and ask Him for it. Not only in times of trouble, but in times of joy and surrender as well. The closer we are to God, the further we are from the enemy and the challenges that interrupt our life. Take a moment regularly throughout the day to ask God for His presence, it may not be for anything you need at that moment but it is a reminder that God is always there for us and we can feel Joy with His presence and can help us call on Him more often for His presence.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #923 - Distance

Distance

53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Mark 14:53-55

One thing that I find interesting is how people who followed Jesus so closely and then when trouble came they followed Him at a distance and didn't want to associate with Him.  Now look at us, how do we follow Jesus?  Does the world get us caught up and then we follow Jesus at a distance, and only when we are having difficulty in our lives do we follow Him closely?  Jesus wants us near Him both in the good and the challenging times, so how can we do that?  The first step is to remember that Jesus is always for us.  He brings joy into our life and guides us when we need it the most.  Take a look at how you are following this week, is it at a distance or is it in his robes.  Be close to Jesus, it is a lot better than watching from afar.  


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #922 - Forgiveness

Forgiveness

5 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. 2 Corinthians 2:5

As followers of Christ, we often talk about the forgiveness of sins, but rarely talk about the forgiveness of others. We all at one time have been offended by someone in our life, intentionally or unintentionally which may have caused grief to us or more individuals. The question becomes, can we forgive this offender like Christ has forgiven us? When you compare the two levels of forgiveness, it seems ludicrous to think that we can even compare our forgiveness of someone with Christ's forgiveness of our sins. But think about this, God gave the perfect example of forgiveness to show us that our forgiveness is much easier and less taxing than what Christ did on the cross. Forgiveness is all the same and releases those on both sides of the relationship. Know that God wants us to forgive others and He wants us to live in peace. Take a moment to reflect on how you might forgive.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #921 - Refreshes

Refreshes


7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. Psalm 19:6-8



Certain times of the year can be draining, both physically and spiritually when we sit around and think we have to please everyone or do everything to make sure everyone else is pleased. I know many times we can get caught up in what other people are doing and how they are seemingly in a position that we wish we were in spiritually, but let me remind you that not everything is as it seems. Each person is at different stages in their life, and there are roller coasters even for the most outwardly spiritual. We have to remember that it is not us who make ourselves more spiritual, but it is our perfect Lord in Heaven above who makes us this way. Living with joy in our heart is the most simple way to start and one way that makes our spirituality flow, because God is refreshing and provides that which we need. So when you are not feeling refreshed, lean into God and have Him guide you spiritually, instead of chasing the perfect holiday season that tends to lose our focus on the Lord.


Have a great weekend.


Matt

Fantastic Friday #920 - Darkness

Darkness

2 The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

Do you find some days are darker than others? We all have moments during the holidays where maybe something tries to remove our focus from the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. God can work in miraculous ways, just like the story in 1914 where British and German soldiers stopped fighting on Christmas Day and crossed trenches to talk, exchange food and gifts and sign carols together. If God can make miracles happen like these with man and many others, then God can bring light to the darkness you might be suffering from time to time. Take a moment to remember how many times God rescued the Jewish people, and know that sending His Son to rescue us is the ultimate love for us from Him. He cares deeply for us and His light shines brighter than any darkness can cover.

Have a great weekend.

Matt

Fantastic Friday #919 - Stars

Stars

3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
his understanding has no limit. Psalm 147:3-5

Why do we put limits on what God can do for us? Every day there are people who groan and complain that they don't have what they need, but it probably turns into that they don't have what they want. A simple thought one might share with these people is they have everything they need, if they only placed their faith in God and His plan for their life. Even those of us with faith in God can be truly shortsighted in our hearts and requests to God. I am sure we often forget that our God is mighty and He has no limit, so why try to limit Him in our own mind. As we enter this Christmas season, is there something that you need, that you truly need? I can only assume that if you reflect long enough, you will want more of God and find out that you only truly need Him.

Have a great weekend.

Matt