9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. '
Matthew 6:9-13
God, in his infinite wisdom, gives us here a template and methodology for how we should communicate with Him. We should always start by expressing our praise and adoration for what an awesome God He is. After all, He is God, the Creator of all things and the Master Designer, Healer, Lover and Friend of you and I and absolutely everyone else in this world that He designed in his mind before it ever existed. Before you ever took your first breath, God knew your name and He knew the struggles that you would face in your life. He knew choices that you would make – both bad and good; He knew how you would reject his love at first and yet He still created you; He knew that He would have to die a horrible and humiliating death on a cross in order to repair the broken relationship between you and Him as a result of your choices in life and yet He created you anyway with the power to choose because your love for Him and His love for you was much more important than even death as He wanted it to be authentic and real as a result of you being free to choose Him or reject Him. His love for you is more powerful than you could ever imagine. He accepts you right now – right where you are in your journey of knowing and loving Him; He accepts you unconditionally today, no matter what happened yesterday or what choices that you will make tomorrow as His love covers even your future mistakes and bad choices if you have accepted the redeeming gift of His Spirit into your heart and life. He is here today to comfort you in this fallen world and to hold you in his arms of love until that day when the two of you will be together, forever in paradise. Oh how He deserves to be praised and worshiped and adored this morning as God is good and God’s love will never end. Pour out your heart to Him today; tell Him how much you love Him as He is indeed worthy to be praised!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Communicating with God
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:5-8
Okay, so, we have all heard those dreaded words from our spouse, “we need to talk.” When this kind of communication takes place between a husband and a wife, most certainly it doesn’t happen out in public or with anyone else around to witness or hear the discussion. Generally, the topic of discussion that takes place after such a prompting is sensitive and private and not for anyone else to hear. In addition, during this discussion you had better be listening to what your spouse is saying in order that you can give him or her an honest and sincere answer from your heart as that is not the time to be “babbling” or just giving an automated response that has no meaning or depth. In the same way, what your Father in heaven longs for from you, His son or daughter, is to communicate with you in a very intimate way, in the privacy of your mind and in the privacy of your room where you are free from distractions and able to hear the voice of His Spirit speaking to you in the quietness of your mind. Just the same, what He also expects from you are sincere words from your heart expressing your adoration to Him for who He is and for all the good that He has done in your life, as well as for you to express your weaknesses and failures and hurts and dreams and to ask for His loving guidance and transforming power in your life in order that you could be all that He has made you to be in Him. The main reason that Jesus died on the cross was to pave the way for this intimate communion with God that you can have, right now, today, right where you are as you interact with your Creator in prayer and worship. Spend some time today with the one who gave His life to set you free and you will see and experience the intimacy with God for which your heart is longing. He loves you more than you could ever imagine and wants to hear from you today!
Matthew 6:5-8
Okay, so, we have all heard those dreaded words from our spouse, “we need to talk.” When this kind of communication takes place between a husband and a wife, most certainly it doesn’t happen out in public or with anyone else around to witness or hear the discussion. Generally, the topic of discussion that takes place after such a prompting is sensitive and private and not for anyone else to hear. In addition, during this discussion you had better be listening to what your spouse is saying in order that you can give him or her an honest and sincere answer from your heart as that is not the time to be “babbling” or just giving an automated response that has no meaning or depth. In the same way, what your Father in heaven longs for from you, His son or daughter, is to communicate with you in a very intimate way, in the privacy of your mind and in the privacy of your room where you are free from distractions and able to hear the voice of His Spirit speaking to you in the quietness of your mind. Just the same, what He also expects from you are sincere words from your heart expressing your adoration to Him for who He is and for all the good that He has done in your life, as well as for you to express your weaknesses and failures and hurts and dreams and to ask for His loving guidance and transforming power in your life in order that you could be all that He has made you to be in Him. The main reason that Jesus died on the cross was to pave the way for this intimate communion with God that you can have, right now, today, right where you are as you interact with your Creator in prayer and worship. Spend some time today with the one who gave His life to set you free and you will see and experience the intimacy with God for which your heart is longing. He loves you more than you could ever imagine and wants to hear from you today!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Glory to God
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
Isn’t this typical of America, we have a disaster and a celebrity steps up to help or a famous person decides to adopt some orphaned children or a member of the church decides to meet with the pastor and hand him a big check to make up for past tithes instead of just placing it in the Sunday offering. In most of these cases the persons doing the “act of righteousness”, regardless of the acts themselves or the amount of their gifts are in a way promoting themselves as if to say, “look at me and look at what a great person I am.” What Jesus calls us to as His children is to do acts of kindness and try our best to stay discreet in our efforts as the glory belongs to Him not to us. Today, look for ways in which you can help others for no other reason than because of your love for Jesus; stay discreet in your efforts and you will receive rewards from your Father in heaven that far outweigh any worldly gains as His love is ever so sweet and more fulfilling than anything that you could ever imagine. Live your life today for the King!
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:1-4
Isn’t this typical of America, we have a disaster and a celebrity steps up to help or a famous person decides to adopt some orphaned children or a member of the church decides to meet with the pastor and hand him a big check to make up for past tithes instead of just placing it in the Sunday offering. In most of these cases the persons doing the “act of righteousness”, regardless of the acts themselves or the amount of their gifts are in a way promoting themselves as if to say, “look at me and look at what a great person I am.” What Jesus calls us to as His children is to do acts of kindness and try our best to stay discreet in our efforts as the glory belongs to Him not to us. Today, look for ways in which you can help others for no other reason than because of your love for Jesus; stay discreet in your efforts and you will receive rewards from your Father in heaven that far outweigh any worldly gains as His love is ever so sweet and more fulfilling than anything that you could ever imagine. Live your life today for the King!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Peace - Love - Prayer
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as you’re heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-47
“Love your enemies” – much easier said than done. I mean, who within their own strength can do that? Who can love other people who intentionally hurt you or who can love other people who talk behind your back in order that they may be liked by others or get ahead of you in business or maybe just because they are bitter and mad at the world? Who can love terrorists or rapists or men who physically abuse their wives? The truth is that none of us can do this within our own power. Ahh,,, that is the key isn’t it? Every one of us who claims to be a Christ follower has the power within to promote peace and to love and pray for even the worst of our enemies. The trick is to cling to Christ with everything that you have, to love Him first by obeying His commands and spending time with our Father in prayer and worship – the key is to have such an intimate relationship with your Creator that His words become your words; His actions become your actions; and His love becomes your love that is reflected ever so sweetly to the world around you and even to those who have hurt you the most. So, today, live your life in relationship to Jesus in such a way that His power is revealed in and through your life in order that others would see and believe!
Matthew 5:43-47
“Love your enemies” – much easier said than done. I mean, who within their own strength can do that? Who can love other people who intentionally hurt you or who can love other people who talk behind your back in order that they may be liked by others or get ahead of you in business or maybe just because they are bitter and mad at the world? Who can love terrorists or rapists or men who physically abuse their wives? The truth is that none of us can do this within our own power. Ahh,,, that is the key isn’t it? Every one of us who claims to be a Christ follower has the power within to promote peace and to love and pray for even the worst of our enemies. The trick is to cling to Christ with everything that you have, to love Him first by obeying His commands and spending time with our Father in prayer and worship – the key is to have such an intimate relationship with your Creator that His words become your words; His actions become your actions; and His love becomes your love that is reflected ever so sweetly to the world around you and even to those who have hurt you the most. So, today, live your life in relationship to Jesus in such a way that His power is revealed in and through your life in order that others would see and believe!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Radical Obedience
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Matthew 5:38-42
If you call yourself a Christ follower and have genuinely committed the direction and control of your life to His Spirit who lives inside then when the world looks at the way that you live your life, they should see a radical change from the rest of the world. I have had the privilege of attending a customer meeting in Cancun the past few days. The activity was a golf tournament for the men and cooking classes for the ladies. Of course, I signed Paula up for the cooking class and participated in the golf, even though golf is not particularly my sport of choice. After losing my 12th ball or so from a wicked hook off the tee, one of the guys in my foursome made a comment that made the humiliation all worthwhile. He said, “you have got to be the most polite person that I have ever met, if I had a hook like that, instead of saying ‘shucks’, all of my ****ing clubs would be in that lake over there! You see, this time I got it right as the reflection of Christ to me was much more important than my golf skills. It was very cool later on in the evening when I heard the same quote and story repeated to me from a business associate who was not even a part of our foursome. The world around you is watching for something different about your life, they, from the innermost parts of their soul are longing to see and experience the love of Christ. Will they see Him today? Will you radically obey his call to put His purpose for you life above your own? Jesus will give you the strength to radically reflect his love today as you live your life for the King.
Matthew 5:38-42
If you call yourself a Christ follower and have genuinely committed the direction and control of your life to His Spirit who lives inside then when the world looks at the way that you live your life, they should see a radical change from the rest of the world. I have had the privilege of attending a customer meeting in Cancun the past few days. The activity was a golf tournament for the men and cooking classes for the ladies. Of course, I signed Paula up for the cooking class and participated in the golf, even though golf is not particularly my sport of choice. After losing my 12th ball or so from a wicked hook off the tee, one of the guys in my foursome made a comment that made the humiliation all worthwhile. He said, “you have got to be the most polite person that I have ever met, if I had a hook like that, instead of saying ‘shucks’, all of my ****ing clubs would be in that lake over there! You see, this time I got it right as the reflection of Christ to me was much more important than my golf skills. It was very cool later on in the evening when I heard the same quote and story repeated to me from a business associate who was not even a part of our foursome. The world around you is watching for something different about your life, they, from the innermost parts of their soul are longing to see and experience the love of Christ. Will they see Him today? Will you radically obey his call to put His purpose for you life above your own? Jesus will give you the strength to radically reflect his love today as you live your life for the King.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Authenticity
33 "And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. 34 You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, 'God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. 35 36 37 Just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.
Matthew 5:33-37 (The Message)
At a community group leaders meeting last evening, we discussed 5 habits of a healthy small group with authenticity being one of the five that rose to the top in our breakout session where we discussed the importance of each. In a small group as well as in any relationship, either personal or business related, it is important to be “real” with each other and to take relational risks by being yourself and by being honest. God created you the way that you are and you were created that way for a reason. To try to be something that you are not would be a huge mistake as God has a perfect plan to use your personality traits and attributes, just the way that they are as He meets you today, right where you are in order that His power and love may shine through your life onto others. Be authentic today and take risks with others by being honest and you will see a miracle happen in your life as God intervenes and reflects His awesome love as a result of your Faithfulness to living your life for Him.
Matthew 5:33-37 (The Message)
At a community group leaders meeting last evening, we discussed 5 habits of a healthy small group with authenticity being one of the five that rose to the top in our breakout session where we discussed the importance of each. In a small group as well as in any relationship, either personal or business related, it is important to be “real” with each other and to take relational risks by being yourself and by being honest. God created you the way that you are and you were created that way for a reason. To try to be something that you are not would be a huge mistake as God has a perfect plan to use your personality traits and attributes, just the way that they are as He meets you today, right where you are in order that His power and love may shine through your life onto others. Be authentic today and take risks with others by being honest and you will see a miracle happen in your life as God intervenes and reflects His awesome love as a result of your Faithfulness to living your life for Him.
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Narrow Way
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 5:31-32
There is not a whole lot that can be added or interpreted concerning Jesus’ statement here on divorce. There is no gray area and Jesus does not pull any punches when He states how divorce is wrong, with the one exception of sexual immorality. I suppose that anyone can justify any act in this fallen world if they put their mind to it, however, I just wonder what our world would be like if we all would just submit to the narrow way that our Lord and Savior has laid out for us in order that we could experience God’s best for our lives and in order that we could all live out the life of purpose and meaning and love that we were created for from the very beginning. The narrow way is not always easy and many times it takes sacrifice and commitment and just plain hard work in order to rise above our fleshly desires to give in and give up, however; I can speak from experience when I tell you that there is strength that lies within you as a result of God’s Spirit, if indeed you call Him Lord, that will carry you through any circumstance that you may find yourself in with your spouse and that same strength and love will turn what may seem to be a burden today into a miracle and blessing of a lifetime! Take the narrow way today, cling to Christ and persevere as His love is enough to carry you through.
Matthew 5:31-32
There is not a whole lot that can be added or interpreted concerning Jesus’ statement here on divorce. There is no gray area and Jesus does not pull any punches when He states how divorce is wrong, with the one exception of sexual immorality. I suppose that anyone can justify any act in this fallen world if they put their mind to it, however, I just wonder what our world would be like if we all would just submit to the narrow way that our Lord and Savior has laid out for us in order that we could experience God’s best for our lives and in order that we could all live out the life of purpose and meaning and love that we were created for from the very beginning. The narrow way is not always easy and many times it takes sacrifice and commitment and just plain hard work in order to rise above our fleshly desires to give in and give up, however; I can speak from experience when I tell you that there is strength that lies within you as a result of God’s Spirit, if indeed you call Him Lord, that will carry you through any circumstance that you may find yourself in with your spouse and that same strength and love will turn what may seem to be a burden today into a miracle and blessing of a lifetime! Take the narrow way today, cling to Christ and persevere as His love is enough to carry you through.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sexual Boundaries
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30
This is a topic that the church doesn’t discuss much, however, I would argue that it is these types of attacks by the enemy that cause at least 70% of Christian men to lose focus and as a result be sidetracked in their own journey of knowing God and being used by Him in miraculous ways for the Kingdom. Christian men that have made a huge impact on this world for the cause of Christ have identified how detrimental the sin of lust can be and have implemented boundaries for their own personal journey in order to protect their hearts from these types of temptations from the enemy. The battle seems to become more and more difficult as we see our society embracing and even exploiting sexual images in order to sell a product or improve ratings or even attract tourism. The best way to guard your heart in this area is to first and foremost stay connected to the power source of God’s Spirit who lives inside by spending time with Him in prayer and in worship, each and every day. In addition, it is imperative to encourage each other as brother’s and sisters in Christ by holding each other accountable in this area and not being afraid to confess and to discuss times of weakness that may happen when no one else is watching and you are all alone. God wants to do so much with your life; it is up to you however to let Him by submitting to His will in this area and surrendering to the guidance and direction of his Spirit as you strive to reflect His holiness to the dark world that is all around you and in desperate need of a Savior!
Matthew 5:27-30
This is a topic that the church doesn’t discuss much, however, I would argue that it is these types of attacks by the enemy that cause at least 70% of Christian men to lose focus and as a result be sidetracked in their own journey of knowing God and being used by Him in miraculous ways for the Kingdom. Christian men that have made a huge impact on this world for the cause of Christ have identified how detrimental the sin of lust can be and have implemented boundaries for their own personal journey in order to protect their hearts from these types of temptations from the enemy. The battle seems to become more and more difficult as we see our society embracing and even exploiting sexual images in order to sell a product or improve ratings or even attract tourism. The best way to guard your heart in this area is to first and foremost stay connected to the power source of God’s Spirit who lives inside by spending time with Him in prayer and in worship, each and every day. In addition, it is imperative to encourage each other as brother’s and sisters in Christ by holding each other accountable in this area and not being afraid to confess and to discuss times of weakness that may happen when no one else is watching and you are all alone. God wants to do so much with your life; it is up to you however to let Him by submitting to His will in this area and surrendering to the guidance and direction of his Spirit as you strive to reflect His holiness to the dark world that is all around you and in desperate need of a Savior!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
God's Court
25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.
Matthew 5:25-26
I have some very good friends who are going through a nasty divorce and I have to be honest in that the whole situation just breaks my heart. This couple has two of the most beautiful little girls and I can only imagine how confused and hurt they must be in seeing their mom and dad throwing stones at each other in an effort to “win.” I am not sure what either of them is trying to win as nobody wins in such a horrible fight. This is not the picture that God had intended for their family and this is not the oneness that He had intended when they accepted their wedding vows and agreed to spend the rest of their lives together in good times and in bad. Something went wrong along the way, both of them made choices that were outside of God’s plan for their marriage and today’s horrible situation in the pending divorce is the consequence of their choices to live their own life and to do their own thing outside of God’s providence and direction. The good news is that it is not too late to settle matters quickly in order that no more hurt or damage is done. Or maybe, just maybe their marriage could be saved with some divine intervention and with some humility and submission to the only One who knows how to truly heal their scars and make them whole. God cares about your relationship with others, even when you have made bad choices and are suffering the consequences of a court battle as a result. His plan and advice to you today is to settle matters quickly in a way that would honor Him and reflect His love to the person that you have hurt. Come back into the fold today of God’s amazing love as you obey His commands and let His Spirit give you the power to overcome as you rest in His unconditional love and live your life for Him.
Matthew 5:25-26
I have some very good friends who are going through a nasty divorce and I have to be honest in that the whole situation just breaks my heart. This couple has two of the most beautiful little girls and I can only imagine how confused and hurt they must be in seeing their mom and dad throwing stones at each other in an effort to “win.” I am not sure what either of them is trying to win as nobody wins in such a horrible fight. This is not the picture that God had intended for their family and this is not the oneness that He had intended when they accepted their wedding vows and agreed to spend the rest of their lives together in good times and in bad. Something went wrong along the way, both of them made choices that were outside of God’s plan for their marriage and today’s horrible situation in the pending divorce is the consequence of their choices to live their own life and to do their own thing outside of God’s providence and direction. The good news is that it is not too late to settle matters quickly in order that no more hurt or damage is done. Or maybe, just maybe their marriage could be saved with some divine intervention and with some humility and submission to the only One who knows how to truly heal their scars and make them whole. God cares about your relationship with others, even when you have made bad choices and are suffering the consequences of a court battle as a result. His plan and advice to you today is to settle matters quickly in a way that would honor Him and reflect His love to the person that you have hurt. Come back into the fold today of God’s amazing love as you obey His commands and let His Spirit give you the power to overcome as you rest in His unconditional love and live your life for Him.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Reconciliation
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24
What a great week it has been in the Livigni household for reconciliation. Paula has reached out and spoken to a family member that she has not spoken to in several years; you can’t imagine how proud I am of her. In addition, last evening I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with an old friend who is a brother in Christ that I used to be very close to but have drifted apart from in the past years for whatever reason. It is very encouraging for me this morning to read about how much Jesus is concerned about our relationships with each other. God wants nothing to do with your offerings to him until you are reconciled with that person in your life by whom you have been hurt or the one you have hurt, that person with whom you have some sort of disagreement no matter how small. In the realm of Christianity, God’s amazing love and power is acted out in the relationships that you have with other people and that is why they are so important and why God holds them in such high esteem. See, you are the medium through which God has chosen to reflect His love onto this fallen world and it is through God’s Spirit working in and through your life that other people will see and know that He is God as you relate to them in a way that is much different from the world around you. You might not be able to change how the world views Jesus and Christianity; however, you can change how your neighbor or friend or family member or colleague views Christ as you reflect His unconditional love to them today. Draw near to Jesus today as you reconcile with others and live your life for the King!
http://www.journeybread.org
Matthew 5:23-24
What a great week it has been in the Livigni household for reconciliation. Paula has reached out and spoken to a family member that she has not spoken to in several years; you can’t imagine how proud I am of her. In addition, last evening I had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours with an old friend who is a brother in Christ that I used to be very close to but have drifted apart from in the past years for whatever reason. It is very encouraging for me this morning to read about how much Jesus is concerned about our relationships with each other. God wants nothing to do with your offerings to him until you are reconciled with that person in your life by whom you have been hurt or the one you have hurt, that person with whom you have some sort of disagreement no matter how small. In the realm of Christianity, God’s amazing love and power is acted out in the relationships that you have with other people and that is why they are so important and why God holds them in such high esteem. See, you are the medium through which God has chosen to reflect His love onto this fallen world and it is through God’s Spirit working in and through your life that other people will see and know that He is God as you relate to them in a way that is much different from the world around you. You might not be able to change how the world views Jesus and Christianity; however, you can change how your neighbor or friend or family member or colleague views Christ as you reflect His unconditional love to them today. Draw near to Jesus today as you reconcile with others and live your life for the King!
http://www.journeybread.org
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
City on a Hill
14 "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. 15 If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. 16 Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)
For the past week or so, I have been at our national meeting at the Lake Las Vegas Resort. The beautiful mountain terrain that can be clearly seen on the other side of the lake is nothing less than a truly majestic site. As a Christ follower, your life will be exposed for many others to see similar to the mountains here on the other side of Lake Mead that stand at attention for all to admire and most likely be inspired. What will/do people see when they see your life? Do they see a true reflection of the love of your Savior who lives inside? Draw near to God today as you give your life away to others, for they are watching and yearning for just a glimpse of something truly majestic that can be found in God’s love as you reflect His image to the world around you. Let your light shine today as you live your life for the King.
Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message)
For the past week or so, I have been at our national meeting at the Lake Las Vegas Resort. The beautiful mountain terrain that can be clearly seen on the other side of the lake is nothing less than a truly majestic site. As a Christ follower, your life will be exposed for many others to see similar to the mountains here on the other side of Lake Mead that stand at attention for all to admire and most likely be inspired. What will/do people see when they see your life? Do they see a true reflection of the love of your Savior who lives inside? Draw near to God today as you give your life away to others, for they are watching and yearning for just a glimpse of something truly majestic that can be found in God’s love as you reflect His image to the world around you. Let your light shine today as you live your life for the King.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Stay in the Game
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth as a result of the Spirit of Jesus Christ living inside of you and directing your path here on this earth. In order for your life to remain appealing to the lost world around you, you need to stay connected to the power source. Nothing in you is good apart from Christ, the only good that comes from your life is a direct result of the power and love of God reflecting His love through you as you align your decision making and thought life and priorities and actions under the navigator of this ship that you are on called life. In order to stay in the game, where your life can be used to make a positive impact on the world around you, you must surrender control and submit to the one who lives inside of your heart of hearts. This battle that we fight cannot be won on our own, there is a strategy and a battle plan in place and there is definitely a role for you to play as you live your life for the King of Kings. Stay in the game today as you keep your eyes on the one who gave His life to set you free!
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth as a result of the Spirit of Jesus Christ living inside of you and directing your path here on this earth. In order for your life to remain appealing to the lost world around you, you need to stay connected to the power source. Nothing in you is good apart from Christ, the only good that comes from your life is a direct result of the power and love of God reflecting His love through you as you align your decision making and thought life and priorities and actions under the navigator of this ship that you are on called life. In order to stay in the game, where your life can be used to make a positive impact on the world around you, you must surrender control and submit to the one who lives inside of your heart of hearts. This battle that we fight cannot be won on our own, there is a strategy and a battle plan in place and there is definitely a role for you to play as you live your life for the King of Kings. Stay in the game today as you keep your eyes on the one who gave His life to set you free!
Monday, January 5, 2009
It's All about Him
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11
The coolest thing about being a Christ follower is the fact that everything that you now do under the direct control of God’s Spirit who lives inside has absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with the one who gave His life in order that He could live in and through your life. All of your successes and experiences in this life; the unconditional love that you are beginning to be able to reflect to others; the gifts with which God has blessed you in order that the world could see and know that Jesus is real and living inside of your heart; the low blows from the enemy; the experiences, both bad and good that you endure from non-Christians in this fallen world – all of these things can be attributed to God’s incredible love and unfathomable grace He has for you and for me in that He would actually let us as his children be the vehicle that He would use to reflect His love onto others in order that they could have the opportunity to see and know that Jesus is real and hopefully accept this awesome gift of love into their lives as well. Knowing this today, don’t get too hung up on insults or persecution but on the contrary, be excited when you see these things happening to you as you can then know for sure that God’s Spirit is at work in and through your life and that He is using your faith and obedience to make a difference in this fallen world for Him. Be joyful today in all circumstances knowing that God is in control and that His love will sustain you and never let you go!
The coolest thing about being a Christ follower is the fact that everything that you now do under the direct control of God’s Spirit who lives inside has absolutely nothing to do with you and everything to do with the one who gave His life in order that He could live in and through your life. All of your successes and experiences in this life; the unconditional love that you are beginning to be able to reflect to others; the gifts with which God has blessed you in order that the world could see and know that Jesus is real and living inside of your heart; the low blows from the enemy; the experiences, both bad and good that you endure from non-Christians in this fallen world – all of these things can be attributed to God’s incredible love and unfathomable grace He has for you and for me in that He would actually let us as his children be the vehicle that He would use to reflect His love onto others in order that they could have the opportunity to see and know that Jesus is real and hopefully accept this awesome gift of love into their lives as well. Knowing this today, don’t get too hung up on insults or persecution but on the contrary, be excited when you see these things happening to you as you can then know for sure that God’s Spirit is at work in and through your life and that He is using your faith and obedience to make a difference in this fallen world for Him. Be joyful today in all circumstances knowing that God is in control and that His love will sustain you and never let you go!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Persecution
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
Jesus never said that as a result of your faith in Him, you would be the most popular and the most well liked person among your peers. No, He said just the opposite, to expect persecution since the life that He wants to live through you is in direct conflict to the ways of this fallen world that would encourage you to live your life in such a way that pleases your flesh as opposed to pleasing and loving your Father in Heaven. Paula and I went to a local club on New Years Eve to celebrate the coming year with some new friends of ours who are in our community group. The state of our world today was made very clear to us as we observed the self-fulfilling, sex crazed crowd that did not hold anything back during their time of celebrating the beginning of a new year. I was embarrassed that we had chosen this place in which to celebrate and even more so disappointed that we couldn’t truly celebrate with joy and love as a result of the environment. The reality though is that those people whom we observed on New Years Eve are the very reason that we are here and are the very reason that we do what we do as Christ followers. See, we must not isolate ourselves from the lost people of this fallen world as they need so desperately to see the love of God in and through our lives. So, as a result of the call to be “in the world but not of the world”, we will undoubtedly face much persecution as a result of the moral standards that we attempt to uphold through the power of Jesus who’s Spirit lives inside of all who have put their faith in Him. Knowing this, live your life today against the grain of the world around you and expect persecution, because the prize that awaits you in the end and the love that upholds you during your time here in this difficult world is far better than any short term acceptance or satisfaction that can be gained by giving in to the lies of the enemy. Live a righteous life today as a result of your faith and know that God will always be here to give you the power that you need to persevere until the end when you will see His face and will run into His arms of love, forever.
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
Jesus never said that as a result of your faith in Him, you would be the most popular and the most well liked person among your peers. No, He said just the opposite, to expect persecution since the life that He wants to live through you is in direct conflict to the ways of this fallen world that would encourage you to live your life in such a way that pleases your flesh as opposed to pleasing and loving your Father in Heaven. Paula and I went to a local club on New Years Eve to celebrate the coming year with some new friends of ours who are in our community group. The state of our world today was made very clear to us as we observed the self-fulfilling, sex crazed crowd that did not hold anything back during their time of celebrating the beginning of a new year. I was embarrassed that we had chosen this place in which to celebrate and even more so disappointed that we couldn’t truly celebrate with joy and love as a result of the environment. The reality though is that those people whom we observed on New Years Eve are the very reason that we are here and are the very reason that we do what we do as Christ followers. See, we must not isolate ourselves from the lost people of this fallen world as they need so desperately to see the love of God in and through our lives. So, as a result of the call to be “in the world but not of the world”, we will undoubtedly face much persecution as a result of the moral standards that we attempt to uphold through the power of Jesus who’s Spirit lives inside of all who have put their faith in Him. Knowing this, live your life today against the grain of the world around you and expect persecution, because the prize that awaits you in the end and the love that upholds you during your time here in this difficult world is far better than any short term acceptance or satisfaction that can be gained by giving in to the lies of the enemy. Live a righteous life today as a result of your faith and know that God will always be here to give you the power that you need to persevere until the end when you will see His face and will run into His arms of love, forever.
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