Fellow Believers,
I noticed a few months ago that as I got excited about Christ and learning more about him that I was trying to read as much Christian literature that I could get my hands on, but I found myself getting my knowledge of God's word from many other books instead of the Bible. I did not think much about it until I ran across this passage:
Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 (Message)
But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.
Then I really had to take a look at what I was doing in my own studies and realize that I needed to get back to the basics of simply reading and studying God's word for all it was worth.
I challenge you even in today's information age to read less and focus on what is important and will what have value for you not in this lifetime but the next as well. When you do this you will realize that things get clearer for you just as they did for me.
Keep up the good fight in the Faith as we fight an ever present and very dangerous enemy!
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Jesus and Eternity
A few days ago as I was preparing to leave my family on a 12 month deployment was I finally able to understand the difficulty that Jesus faced as he talked to his disciples about his final days on Earth, and that he was going somewhere that they could not go.
John 13:36-37 (New American Standard Bible)
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." 37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."
As I tried to tell my almost 3 year old daughter that her father was going somewhere she could not follow it was very clear that she did not understand what I was saying. Like Simon Peter, she said Daddy I can come with you to Afghanistan, and I loving told her again where I was going that she could not come.
Leaving those you love behind is never easy, but because of Jesus' sacrifice for those who chose to believe in him we can spend eternity with our families.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? He is coming again. Are you and your family ready?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
John 13:36-37 (New American Standard Bible)
36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." 37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."
As I tried to tell my almost 3 year old daughter that her father was going somewhere she could not follow it was very clear that she did not understand what I was saying. Like Simon Peter, she said Daddy I can come with you to Afghanistan, and I loving told her again where I was going that she could not come.
Leaving those you love behind is never easy, but because of Jesus' sacrifice for those who chose to believe in him we can spend eternity with our families.
Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? He is coming again. Are you and your family ready?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Yes Man for God
Fellow Believers,
I recently watched Jim Carey's movie Yes Man about a man named Carl that lived his life by saying no to everything. This led him to have a life that lacked meaning and hurt his relationships with those in his life. His whole view on life changed when he went to a seminar where he learned the power to unlocking all life had to offer was by saying yes to everything he was asked. This simple change in Carl's life provided more opportunities that he had passed on before that allowed him to live a fuller life.
This lead me to ponder this question: How many of us have been sitting in church and listening to Gods word preached and still say no to his path for our lives?
Lets explore what Jesus has to say about "yes" when he is talking about the importance of keeping our vows in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:37 (New Living Translation)
I recently watched Jim Carey's movie Yes Man about a man named Carl that lived his life by saying no to everything. This led him to have a life that lacked meaning and hurt his relationships with those in his life. His whole view on life changed when he went to a seminar where he learned the power to unlocking all life had to offer was by saying yes to everything he was asked. This simple change in Carl's life provided more opportunities that he had passed on before that allowed him to live a fuller life.
This lead me to ponder this question: How many of us have been sitting in church and listening to Gods word preached and still say no to his path for our lives?
Lets explore what Jesus has to say about "yes" when he is talking about the importance of keeping our vows in the Sermon on the Mount:Matthew 5:37 (New Living Translation)
37 Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.
Jesus wants our yeses to have meaning not only to others but with him as well. I have decided to devote my life completely to God, and have started saying yes to whatever he wants me to do in my life. God's will for my life and my family is far greater than anything that I could ever put together on my own. He knows that my plans always fall short and are lacking in substance.
We serve an amazing an powerful God! Are you ready to become a Yes Man for God and allow him to move in your life?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Understanding the Cost
Fellow Believers,
When I was younger, I heard the following story told about the incredible sacrifice the Jesus made for me. This story is told in modern language and hits just as hard as the Biblical story of Jesus on the Cross.
When I was younger, I heard the following story told about the incredible sacrifice the Jesus made for me. This story is told in modern language and hits just as hard as the Biblical story of Jesus on the Cross.
It was a cool day in early fall when Brian, a longtime employee of the local train company, whose job was to manually turn the bridge to allow trains to pass with safety high above the water brought is son, Chad, to work. Chad was excited to see all that his Dad did at work, to Chad his Dad was his Hero. They went down to see the gears that turned the massive bridge. Then it was time for Brian to start cranking the bridge in place for the train that arrives at the top of the hour. Chad fell and got caught in the gears that needed to turn to close the bridge and provide safe passage for the train that was on its way. Brian knew that the train would be there in 10 minutes and it would take him nearly that amount of time to get the bridge in place. He paused for a moment and knew he had to make a decision: save his son or let his son die allowing all of the passengers on the train to live. Brian knew what he had to do as tears started to form in his eyes he began cranking the bridge closed. Chad yelled and screamed "Dad your hurting me! Please Dad stop! I love you!" Now with tears streaming down his face Brian finished closing the bridge and stood silent as the passengers on the train waived to him. They did not realize the sacrifice that he made so that they might live.
I am thankful that God willing gave his Son to die for my sins. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to hear his Son crying out for him on the cross yet not do anything. It is hard for me as a dad not to want to run to my children when they are crying and pick them up and let them know that everything will be okay.
Let us never forget the sacrifice that Christ made for us. We serve a powerful and mighty God!
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Only One!
Fellow Believers,
This evening I am going to conclude our series on numbers in the Bible. I am going to focus on the number one in this post and its significance to our lives as believers. First, let's take a look at what Paul has to say to his disciple Timothy in the following passage.
Paul lays it out very clearly. There is only one God. Mohammad, Buddha, Joseph A. Smith, and many other gods are not the way to eternal life. My words are direct and to the point as my message today is of utmost importance. There is only one way to eternal life in God's Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ. He lay down his life and shed his blood to cover our sins without this we would never enter Heaven.
I am thankful for Christ and his amazing grace offered on the Cross. I urge you if do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior today to ask him into your life. This is the most important decision you will ever make.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
This evening I am going to conclude our series on numbers in the Bible. I am going to focus on the number one in this post and its significance to our lives as believers. First, let's take a look at what Paul has to say to his disciple Timothy in the following passage.
1 Timothy 2:4-5 (Contemporary English Version)
4God wants everyone to be saved and to know the whole truth, which is,
5There is only one God,
and Christ Jesus
is the only one
who can bring us
to God.
Jesus was truly human,
and he gave himself
to rescue all of us.
It does not matter how hard we work in our lives or how good we are we will not make it to Heaven. I know that is not what some people want to hear, because there are so many great and wonderful people out there that are not Followers of Christ. We can not work our way to heaven with our good deeds. Nothing that we do apart from God will get us to heaven where we will spend eternal life with God.
Paul lays it out very clearly. There is only one God. Mohammad, Buddha, Joseph A. Smith, and many other gods are not the way to eternal life. My words are direct and to the point as my message today is of utmost importance. There is only one way to eternal life in God's Kingdom and that is through Jesus Christ. He lay down his life and shed his blood to cover our sins without this we would never enter Heaven.
I am thankful for Christ and his amazing grace offered on the Cross. I urge you if do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior today to ask him into your life. This is the most important decision you will ever make.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Celebrating Your Limitations
Fellow Believers,
We all have limitations that hold us back or make us feel like we cannot get things done. No one is perfect and no matter how hard we try to eliminate some of our limitations they will never go away. We look at a limitation as a road block in our path to success, but God says that we should cherish and celebrate our limitations.
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 (The Message)
7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
It is always amazing to me what Satan tries to use to hold us down God chooses to lift us up and bring us closer to him. God uses our limitations as a reminder that we cannot do it on our own and calls us to rely on Him.
We cannot on our own comply with God's will for our life. When we try to do it on our own we fail miserably. It is only when we submit to God and allow him into our lives and to work through us that we live for Him.
Rejoice in your shortcomings as they bring you closer to God and his grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
We all have limitations that hold us back or make us feel like we cannot get things done. No one is perfect and no matter how hard we try to eliminate some of our limitations they will never go away. We look at a limitation as a road block in our path to success, but God says that we should cherish and celebrate our limitations.
2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 (The Message)
7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
It is always amazing to me what Satan tries to use to hold us down God chooses to lift us up and bring us closer to him. God uses our limitations as a reminder that we cannot do it on our own and calls us to rely on Him.
We cannot on our own comply with God's will for our life. When we try to do it on our own we fail miserably. It is only when we submit to God and allow him into our lives and to work through us that we live for Him.
Rejoice in your shortcomings as they bring you closer to God and his grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Why Worry! Rely on God!
Fellow Believers,
Lets take a look about what they Bible says about worry!
Matthew 6:27-34 (The Message)
27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
The world we live in today is one that is full of worry about everything under the sun. Some worry about bills and if there is enough money in the bank to pay them, others worry about getting the grade in school, others worry about their safety, and still many others worry about things that they simply cannot control. People who worry can suffer from headaches, over or under eating, sleepless nights, and even death. Many authors have wrote books and doctors give you medicine to help control your stress to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying.
The Bible states it as plainly as it can that worrying is foolish and is being disobedient to God. These may be hard words to swallow for some but need to be talked about in today's world. God's plan for reduction of your stress and worry is simple. Rely on Him in all things. Today, we are often to busy and forget all that God has given us and get caught up in the stress of the world around us. Remember that God is the one who created the Earth by speaking into a void of darkness, if he can do this your problems are easy for him to overcome.
God is the answer! Follow him and realize that God can calm our worries and tame our fears if we give it all to him.
You have the choice today to risk your life because of the worries of this world or you can gain your life by dying to Christ and let him control it.
I hope you choose life.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Lets take a look about what they Bible says about worry!
Matthew 6:27-34 (The Message)
27-29"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
The world we live in today is one that is full of worry about everything under the sun. Some worry about bills and if there is enough money in the bank to pay them, others worry about getting the grade in school, others worry about their safety, and still many others worry about things that they simply cannot control. People who worry can suffer from headaches, over or under eating, sleepless nights, and even death. Many authors have wrote books and doctors give you medicine to help control your stress to reduce the amount of time you spend worrying.
The Bible states it as plainly as it can that worrying is foolish and is being disobedient to God. These may be hard words to swallow for some but need to be talked about in today's world. God's plan for reduction of your stress and worry is simple. Rely on Him in all things. Today, we are often to busy and forget all that God has given us and get caught up in the stress of the world around us. Remember that God is the one who created the Earth by speaking into a void of darkness, if he can do this your problems are easy for him to overcome.
God is the answer! Follow him and realize that God can calm our worries and tame our fears if we give it all to him.
You have the choice today to risk your life because of the worries of this world or you can gain your life by dying to Christ and let him control it.
I hope you choose life.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Monday, June 29, 2009
Reflection on Freedom
This weekend our nation celebrates its Independence from tyranny with cookouts and fireworks. As believers we have each day to celebrate our freedom because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us on the Cross at Calvary. This 4th of July enjoy spending time with your family and friends, and never forget how much Jesus loves you and wants to have a relationship with you.
Isaiah 40:10 (New International Readers Version)
10 The Lord and King is coming with power. His powerful arm will rule for him. He has set his people free. He is bringing them back as his reward. He has won the battle over their enemies.
God Bless America!
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
40 Something With God
Believers,
In the second part of our series on numbers we are going to look at the meaning of 40 found in the Bible.
We see that God brought a flood across all of the Earth after 40 days and 40 nights of rain in Genesis 7. In Exodus 19 we see Moses called to the top of Mount Sinai to talk with God for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses came down the mountain after the 40 days with God with the 10 commandments found in Exodus 20. Also in Exodus we see that because the Israelites chose to disobey God that they wandered in the deserter for 40 years until they were allowed to enter the promise land. We also see in the New Testament where Jesus went into the desert to fast for 40 days and nights after which he was tempted by the Devil.
I have had numerous opportunity to spend time in the desert due to my job as a Soldier. My time in the desert gave me time to reflect on my life and decisions that I have made. You see this in the Bible as well. God does not send us away without a purpose in mind. He is always working in our lives. What does God want to teach you in the desert of life? I also notice that it was important for Jesus to go away and be alone. We also need to make time for him in our life.
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (New International Version)
1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
Are we willing to humble ourselves and keep his Spirit in our hearts to show others that Jesus is the only way?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Friday, June 26, 2009
John the Baptist's Challenge for Believers
Fellow Believers,
I was reading through John 3 today when I came across the following verse that really had an impact on me.
John 3:30 (New International Reader's Version)
30 He must become more important. I must become less important.
We live in a society today that places a tremendous amount of value on our personal importance. According to Webster's Dictionary importance is marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship. How often do we devalue the worth of our relationship with Jesus Christ and place other things in our lives before our relationship with our Savior? We are all guilty of not placing Jesus in a position of importance from time to time.
My daughter is two years old and learning to do things on her own, and when I offer to give her assistance when she is struggling she gets loud and says, "I can do it". I thought today how often do I tell God "I can do it" and then rely only on myself to get the task accomplished. God wants us to lift him up and offer everything over to him.
I will leave you with this thought. Doing things our way is just a recipe for disaster and if we want to succeed we need to do them God's way. It is not easy to be humble and admit that we need help, but God already knows our heart and our plans.
Today, are we going to continue to put our self first or is it time to allow God to direct our paths?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
I was reading through John 3 today when I came across the following verse that really had an impact on me.
John 3:30 (New International Reader's Version)
30 He must become more important. I must become less important.
We live in a society today that places a tremendous amount of value on our personal importance. According to Webster's Dictionary importance is marked by or indicative of significant worth or consequence : valuable in content or relationship. How often do we devalue the worth of our relationship with Jesus Christ and place other things in our lives before our relationship with our Savior? We are all guilty of not placing Jesus in a position of importance from time to time.
My daughter is two years old and learning to do things on her own, and when I offer to give her assistance when she is struggling she gets loud and says, "I can do it". I thought today how often do I tell God "I can do it" and then rely only on myself to get the task accomplished. God wants us to lift him up and offer everything over to him.
I will leave you with this thought. Doing things our way is just a recipe for disaster and if we want to succeed we need to do them God's way. It is not easy to be humble and admit that we need help, but God already knows our heart and our plans.
Today, are we going to continue to put our self first or is it time to allow God to direct our paths?
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Daily Renewal
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am always fascinated by the breath taking beauty of morning sunrises. The beauty of the mornings cause me to think about what an amazing God I serve. You can not help and see his touch every where around you. I also take this quiet time in the morning and renew and recommit myself to Christ and to serve as he would have me in his Kingdom.
It is not enough for us to remember the cost the Jesus Christ paid for us on the cross only during communion or while we are are in church. We need to be daily resurrected with an unquenchable passion for serving and taking the message of Jesus to world.
Let us take time each morning to pause and to thank God for everything. Paul challenges us in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 with this question, are we going live today seeking our own selfish desires or are we going to follow God's will for our lives?
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (New Century Version)
14 The love of Christ controls us, because we know that One died for all, so all have died.15 Christ died for all so that those who live would not continue to live for themselves. He died for them and was raised from the dead so that they would live for him.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Power of Two
Fellow Believers,
There is a tremendous message found throughout the Bible as God uses the number two. Take a look at the scriptures below:
Genesis 2:18 (New Living Translation)
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
Matthew 5:41 (Contemporary English Version)
41If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.
Matthew 6:24 (The Message)
24"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
Matthew 18:19-20 (New Century Version)
19 "Also, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 This is true because if two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them."
Mark 6:7 (New Century Version)
7 He called his twelve followers together and got ready to send them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
Luke 10:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)
1 Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in.
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by the task that were before you not knowing if you could get them accomplished. I know that I have and thought to myself that I will never be able to do all of this work all by myself.
God realized in the Garden of Eden that it was not good for man to be alone. There is too much along the way that will try to trip us up and cause us trouble if we go it alone. In Matthew 18: 20 we see that if we are with two other believers God is there with us, and with God with us we can not fail.
Jesus chose to pair up his disciples as he was sending them out to minister to others around the World so that He would be there with them and that they would not lose the faith. It is good to have a person on Earth that can hold you accountable in your faith so that you might do good works for our Heavenly Father.
So take heart today and realize that you do not have to do it all on your own. Let us humble ourselves today and join His team that is reaching out to people in need and spreading the Good News, and if we are asked to carry our Cross for Christ and extra mile let us do it with a smile on our face. Let us chose to serve God and not man.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
There is a tremendous message found throughout the Bible as God uses the number two. Take a look at the scriptures below:
Genesis 2:18 (New Living Translation)
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”
Matthew 5:41 (Contemporary English Version)
41If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.
Matthew 6:24 (The Message)
24"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
Matthew 18:19-20 (New Century Version)
19 "Also, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about something and pray for it, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 This is true because if two or three people come together in my name, I am there with them."
Mark 6:7 (New Century Version)
7 He called his twelve followers together and got ready to send them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
Luke 10:1-2 (Contemporary English Version)
1 Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in.
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed by the task that were before you not knowing if you could get them accomplished. I know that I have and thought to myself that I will never be able to do all of this work all by myself.
God realized in the Garden of Eden that it was not good for man to be alone. There is too much along the way that will try to trip us up and cause us trouble if we go it alone. In Matthew 18: 20 we see that if we are with two other believers God is there with us, and with God with us we can not fail.
Jesus chose to pair up his disciples as he was sending them out to minister to others around the World so that He would be there with them and that they would not lose the faith. It is good to have a person on Earth that can hold you accountable in your faith so that you might do good works for our Heavenly Father.
So take heart today and realize that you do not have to do it all on your own. Let us humble ourselves today and join His team that is reaching out to people in need and spreading the Good News, and if we are asked to carry our Cross for Christ and extra mile let us do it with a smile on our face. Let us chose to serve God and not man.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Stories Found in the Numbers of the Bible
Believers,
I am excited about where this study will take us.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Living Counter Culture for Christ
Fellow believers,
Have you ever considered yourself a rebel or an outlaw?
As I read through the Bible I see believers of Jesus Christ that are completely and passionately in love with him. They sought to live out their lives daily as God commanded them knowing that they were going against the popular culture of their day.
Think about these words and phrases:
1. If anyone would come after me, they must deny yourself and follow me (Matthew 16:24).
Society says live for yourself and forget everyone else.
2. It is better to be last than to be first (Matthew 20:16); Make yourself a servant (Mark 10:43).
Society says being first is the only way to live and you have made it when others serve you.
3. Love your enemies; Do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27).
Society says hate your enemies and seek revenge against those that hate you.
There are many more examples in the Bible of how we are to live our lives in direct opposition to world we live in so that others may see Jesus Christ in us.
Let us take the world by fire and do something totally amazing for Jesus Christ and live as rebels not conforming to this world or its view, but live as a committed servant who is passionately in love with Him.
I was in church one day listening to the message being preached and realized that for so long I had been just a warm body in church and not putting into action the Word of God. That day I made a commitment to God and myself that I was going to act on his Word and stop doing it my way.
What a truly amazing way to live your life in complete submission to the will of God. Let us not wait and make today one action for our Heavenly Father.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Have you ever considered yourself a rebel or an outlaw?
As I read through the Bible I see believers of Jesus Christ that are completely and passionately in love with him. They sought to live out their lives daily as God commanded them knowing that they were going against the popular culture of their day.
Think about these words and phrases:
1. If anyone would come after me, they must deny yourself and follow me (Matthew 16:24).
Society says live for yourself and forget everyone else.
2. It is better to be last than to be first (Matthew 20:16); Make yourself a servant (Mark 10:43).
Society says being first is the only way to live and you have made it when others serve you.
3. Love your enemies; Do good to those who hate you (Luke 6:27).
Society says hate your enemies and seek revenge against those that hate you.
There are many more examples in the Bible of how we are to live our lives in direct opposition to world we live in so that others may see Jesus Christ in us.
Let us take the world by fire and do something totally amazing for Jesus Christ and live as rebels not conforming to this world or its view, but live as a committed servant who is passionately in love with Him.
I was in church one day listening to the message being preached and realized that for so long I had been just a warm body in church and not putting into action the Word of God. That day I made a commitment to God and myself that I was going to act on his Word and stop doing it my way.
What a truly amazing way to live your life in complete submission to the will of God. Let us not wait and make today one action for our Heavenly Father.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Make Everyday One of Meaning
Our troubles, our frustrations, our pains, our anxiety, and every aspect of our life are easier with God's help, as there is nothing that he cannot do. Today and for the remainder of my life I am actively going to lace up my running shoes and run towards God and seek out his will. The path will not be an easy one and I will stumble along the way, but God's grace has covered my sins.
What a mighty God we serve. Let us take time to reflect on the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 and use them as a pattern to govern our lives for him.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
What a mighty God we serve. Let us take time to reflect on the words of Paul in Romans 12:1-2 and use them as a pattern to govern our lives for him.
Romans 12:1-2 (The Message)
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Image of God
Yesterday morning as I was driving to work I thought about how big and amazing is our God. He created everything in this world and did so in six days. AMAZING! He made everything with a tremendous amount of detail to show just how much he cares. Look at the millions of blades of grass that make up the breathtaking field, the hundreds of leaves that make up the trees in the forest, and how he made each snow flake different. AMAZING! God did this for a purpose so that we would understand just how much he cares for all of these things that do not have the ability to love him. Then God created man and woman. AMAZING! What is truly amazing about this is that God created them in his image. WOW. We are created in the image of God. We are not screwed up or mistakes we are created by God and for God.
It hit me that there are millions and millions of people on the earth and each created in his image. AMAZING! Pause and think today when you interact with someone you are seeing a piece of God. We are the only Jesus that some will ever see. Again, I had to pause and think, when people see me do they see Jesus in me.
I thought about how Moses turned his face when he was face to face with God in his presence. We get to see daily glimpses of God each day. The question we all need to ask is what are we going to do with those glimpses of God? Are we going to push them away or are we going to walk with God and talk to him?
This passage in Psalms 8 best fits with my thoughts this morning, and it is AMAZING that David had the same thoughts that I did many years ago.
Psalm 8 (The Message)
A David Psalm 1 God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. 2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. 3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 5-8 Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps. 9 God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
It hit me that there are millions and millions of people on the earth and each created in his image. AMAZING! Pause and think today when you interact with someone you are seeing a piece of God. We are the only Jesus that some will ever see. Again, I had to pause and think, when people see me do they see Jesus in me.
I thought about how Moses turned his face when he was face to face with God in his presence. We get to see daily glimpses of God each day. The question we all need to ask is what are we going to do with those glimpses of God? Are we going to push them away or are we going to walk with God and talk to him?
This passage in Psalms 8 best fits with my thoughts this morning, and it is AMAZING that David had the same thoughts that I did many years ago.
Psalm 8 (The Message)
A David Psalm 1 God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. 2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. 3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? 5-8 Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps. 9 God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Welcome
I am a follower of Christ and committed to being molded more into his image daily. There are times that I stumble and fall, but God's grace and his forgiveness allow me to get back up and continue to follow Christ. I will be sharing my thoughts and beliefs about certain passages I read throughtout the week. May we all be strengthed by the reading and the sharing of His Word with other believers. I am excited about the journey that we will share together.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
Your brother in Christ,
Mike
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