12 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
Matthew 18:12-14
Could it be that you are the sheep that has wandered off and could it be that you’re creator and friend and lover is chasing after you in the wilderness, calling your name and calling you home? Today, your Father in heaven loves you more than you could ever imagine, His heart breaks when you turn from Him as all that He desires is your love and attention and He will woo you and search for you and chase after you like a lost sheep until you have returned to His loving care. Please know that you are loved and cared for today and you will never be alone – seek God today with all of your heart and you too will soar on the wings of love, forever!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Personal Angels
10"Watch that you don't treat a single one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize, don't you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with my Father in heaven?
Matthew 18:10
This might be the coolest and most comforting reality that I have been reminded of in quite some time – the idea that every believer has personal angels that watch over us and protect us and help keep our lives calibrated with God’s purpose and direction. There is much more happening around you today that you can see with your eyes so be encouraged and take heart as there is a battle taking place in the 3rd realm on your behalf and Jesus has already won the war!
Matthew 18:10
This might be the coolest and most comforting reality that I have been reminded of in quite some time – the idea that every believer has personal angels that watch over us and protect us and help keep our lives calibrated with God’s purpose and direction. There is much more happening around you today that you can see with your eyes so be encouraged and take heart as there is a battle taking place in the 3rd realm on your behalf and Jesus has already won the war!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Be Careful then How you Live
6 "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”Matthew 18:6-9
Jesus is very clear here and does not mince words when He tells you and me as His children not to mess with the sin of this world. You see, making a compromise to dabble just a bit into the evil things of this world that are apart from the goodness and holiness and new life that we have found in Jesus Christ could no doubt cause you and I or even others to stumble as they look on and watch us live the life. Now, please don’t misunderstand, there is grace that covers you when you sin, however, along with sin comes consequences and the consequences that come are not what your loving creator of this world would want for your life. God wants only the very best for you; He wants you to enjoy this life as you live out your purpose for His glory all the while soaking in the incredible love that He has for you. Sin will undoubtedly deter you, sometimes for years, from living an incredible life in Christ, so please be careful today about how you live. Look to God for His direction and His guidance as you make decisions today for only He knows what’s best and only He can keep you from harm as you live your life for Him!
Jesus is very clear here and does not mince words when He tells you and me as His children not to mess with the sin of this world. You see, making a compromise to dabble just a bit into the evil things of this world that are apart from the goodness and holiness and new life that we have found in Jesus Christ could no doubt cause you and I or even others to stumble as they look on and watch us live the life. Now, please don’t misunderstand, there is grace that covers you when you sin, however, along with sin comes consequences and the consequences that come are not what your loving creator of this world would want for your life. God wants only the very best for you; He wants you to enjoy this life as you live out your purpose for His glory all the while soaking in the incredible love that He has for you. Sin will undoubtedly deter you, sometimes for years, from living an incredible life in Christ, so please be careful today about how you live. Look to God for His direction and His guidance as you make decisions today for only He knows what’s best and only He can keep you from harm as you live your life for Him!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Humble Place
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 He called a little child, whom he placed among them. 3 And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Matthew 18:1-5
The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are those who humble themselves in such a way that their own fleshly and worldly desires become less and less as God’s purposes and direction and love become more and more dominant in their life. You see, living out your faith is nothing more than humbly submitting to the will of God and to the direction of God’s Spirit in your life. As you begin to know the Creator of this world more and more intimately in your life and as your love for Him grows, you will become more and more aware of your own brokenness and as a result you will begin to stop trying to work things out on your own in this life and will truly let your Father in heaven take control of your life, just as a child trusts completely without question or hesitation. Today, if you feel weak and vulnerable and you are feeling like you do not have the strength to carry on, even for one more day, if the future is uncertain and you don’t have all the answers as to how you will move forward – if this is you then you are right where God wants you today! Give it all to Him! Let go and quite possibly for the first time in your life trust the One who created you, the One who can see all things, the One who’s perspective is much greater than yours – put your faith and hope and confidence in Jesus today and start living a life beyond belief!
2 He called a little child, whom he placed among them. 3 And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
Matthew 18:1-5
The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are those who humble themselves in such a way that their own fleshly and worldly desires become less and less as God’s purposes and direction and love become more and more dominant in their life. You see, living out your faith is nothing more than humbly submitting to the will of God and to the direction of God’s Spirit in your life. As you begin to know the Creator of this world more and more intimately in your life and as your love for Him grows, you will become more and more aware of your own brokenness and as a result you will begin to stop trying to work things out on your own in this life and will truly let your Father in heaven take control of your life, just as a child trusts completely without question or hesitation. Today, if you feel weak and vulnerable and you are feeling like you do not have the strength to carry on, even for one more day, if the future is uncertain and you don’t have all the answers as to how you will move forward – if this is you then you are right where God wants you today! Give it all to Him! Let go and quite possibly for the first time in your life trust the One who created you, the One who can see all things, the One who’s perspective is much greater than yours – put your faith and hope and confidence in Jesus today and start living a life beyond belief!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Grief Precedes Great Joy
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. 23 He will be killed, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.
Matthew 17:22-23
Jesus had to suffer a horrible death and separation from His Father in heaven prior to experiencing the joy of being reunited in Spirit with the sons and daughters He loves so very much. The disciples, as the apostle Matthew points out here, were filled with grief when hearing how their Lord and King would be taken from them and killed in such a horrific way prior to experiencing His resurrected Spirit who would someday become a part of them and fill them with an indescribable joy and power as a result of the price that He paid for them on the cross. You and I, sometimes in this life, need to experience heartache and grief in order that we could truly understand and know the intimacy and love of our creator and friend who holds us in His arms as we encounter difficult circumstances in this life, and fills us with His peace, hope and love. It is sometimes in grief that we become connected to our Father in Heaven by identifying with the death of Jesus while at the same time being comforted by a loving God who we know is in control and wants only the very best for us. Rejoice in your grief today as there is great joy and peace when God Himself holds you in His loving arms that will never let you go!
Matthew 17:22-23
Jesus had to suffer a horrible death and separation from His Father in heaven prior to experiencing the joy of being reunited in Spirit with the sons and daughters He loves so very much. The disciples, as the apostle Matthew points out here, were filled with grief when hearing how their Lord and King would be taken from them and killed in such a horrific way prior to experiencing His resurrected Spirit who would someday become a part of them and fill them with an indescribable joy and power as a result of the price that He paid for them on the cross. You and I, sometimes in this life, need to experience heartache and grief in order that we could truly understand and know the intimacy and love of our creator and friend who holds us in His arms as we encounter difficult circumstances in this life, and fills us with His peace, hope and love. It is sometimes in grief that we become connected to our Father in Heaven by identifying with the death of Jesus while at the same time being comforted by a loving God who we know is in control and wants only the very best for us. Rejoice in your grief today as there is great joy and peace when God Himself holds you in His loving arms that will never let you go!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Nothing is Impossible
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
17 "You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20 -21 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:14-21
As many times as I have read this most popular verse concerning the mustard seed from the book of Matthew, I am still trying to grasp the depth and meaning of what Jesus was saying to His disciples. It seems so easy to just have faith and to believe and as a result all of our dreams and desires that are in line with the Holy Spirit’s call and direction would come to fruition and we all would realize the utopian life for which we all strive and dream, but why is it so hard to just believe? Why is it so hard to remember the God that we serve? Why is it so hard to see and know that we are connected by our very nature to the creator of this world who is still in control of everything and who wants only the very best for you and me as His children? Maybe it would help today to look at the past and consider all that He has done. Our God is indeed faithful and everything is possible for His children who would just believe. Believe God today for whatever it is that He has placed on your heart and just see what He can do!
17 "You unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20 -21 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:14-21
As many times as I have read this most popular verse concerning the mustard seed from the book of Matthew, I am still trying to grasp the depth and meaning of what Jesus was saying to His disciples. It seems so easy to just have faith and to believe and as a result all of our dreams and desires that are in line with the Holy Spirit’s call and direction would come to fruition and we all would realize the utopian life for which we all strive and dream, but why is it so hard to just believe? Why is it so hard to remember the God that we serve? Why is it so hard to see and know that we are connected by our very nature to the creator of this world who is still in control of everything and who wants only the very best for you and me as His children? Maybe it would help today to look at the past and consider all that He has done. Our God is indeed faithful and everything is possible for His children who would just believe. Believe God today for whatever it is that He has placed on your heart and just see what He can do!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Spiritual Battle
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
10 The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:6-13
John the Baptist came as a prophet, just as foretold by the writers of the early scriptures, we however did not accept him; he was beheaded for preaching the Word of God. Jesus came to heal the sick and to restore us all back to our original oneness with the creator of this world, just as it had been foretold by the early scriptures and yet we spit on Him and beat Him and eventually nailed Him to a cross to die the most horrific death imaginable. Little did we know at the time that His death was planned in order that we all could be redeemed and restored and free to live out an unbelievable life of joy and love as a result of His grace and power living through us. There is much more to this life than can be seen with our eyes and if we are not careful we will fall into the trap of the enemy who is lurking behind the scenes, just as he was in the day of Jesus, scheming and enticing and tempting you and me to live for ourselves in order that our new found love and power in Christ would be distorted by our brokenness as a result of our flesh. This morning I am more conscious than ever before of the spiritual battle that is happening all around us and I for one will submit today to the only one who has already won the battle and can set me free. I pray that you would do the same today as you reflect the love of our Savior onto the dark world and the lost people who are all around you and crying out for the love of Christ.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."
10 The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.
Matthew 17:6-13
John the Baptist came as a prophet, just as foretold by the writers of the early scriptures, we however did not accept him; he was beheaded for preaching the Word of God. Jesus came to heal the sick and to restore us all back to our original oneness with the creator of this world, just as it had been foretold by the early scriptures and yet we spit on Him and beat Him and eventually nailed Him to a cross to die the most horrific death imaginable. Little did we know at the time that His death was planned in order that we all could be redeemed and restored and free to live out an unbelievable life of joy and love as a result of His grace and power living through us. There is much more to this life than can be seen with our eyes and if we are not careful we will fall into the trap of the enemy who is lurking behind the scenes, just as he was in the day of Jesus, scheming and enticing and tempting you and me to live for ourselves in order that our new found love and power in Christ would be distorted by our brokenness as a result of our flesh. This morning I am more conscious than ever before of the spiritual battle that is happening all around us and I for one will submit today to the only one who has already won the battle and can set me free. I pray that you would do the same today as you reflect the love of our Savior onto the dark world and the lost people who are all around you and crying out for the love of Christ.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Voice of God
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"
Matthew 17:5
In the midst of this series where we are looking at the actual words of Jesus as reported by the 4 apostles, we find here the actual voice of God confirming His relationship to Jesus of Nazareth. The glory and the power of what Peter, James and John had just witnessed and heard with their own ears was so magnificent and so pure and so holy that they could hardly bear it as they fell to their knees trembling with fear. We don’t hear the direct voice of God much in the New Testament instead it comes from Jesus as the conduit of His guidance and direction. However, in this passage we do hear Him and it is very interesting to contemplate the words that God has spoken. Do you know Jesus? Are you listening to Him? Do you even take the time to listen and to communicate with the Son of God who loves you more than you could ever imagine and who wants only the very best for your life? Take some time to listen to what Jesus is saying to you this morning as there is nothing more important today than to hear His call on your life and to obey.
Matthew 17:5
In the midst of this series where we are looking at the actual words of Jesus as reported by the 4 apostles, we find here the actual voice of God confirming His relationship to Jesus of Nazareth. The glory and the power of what Peter, James and John had just witnessed and heard with their own ears was so magnificent and so pure and so holy that they could hardly bear it as they fell to their knees trembling with fear. We don’t hear the direct voice of God much in the New Testament instead it comes from Jesus as the conduit of His guidance and direction. However, in this passage we do hear Him and it is very interesting to contemplate the words that God has spoken. Do you know Jesus? Are you listening to Him? Do you even take the time to listen and to communicate with the Son of God who loves you more than you could ever imagine and who wants only the very best for your life? Take some time to listen to what Jesus is saying to you this morning as there is nothing more important today than to hear His call on your life and to obey.
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