Promise2Pray

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T08:14:00.001-05:00

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)

I admit it, I was born with the worry gene. It seems to be hereditary as my mom has it, some of my siblings have it, and my kids have it. So the question is what can we do about it? The answer my brothers and sisters in Christ ... take our worries to the Lord. He tells us in theses verses from Philippians as well as in Matthew 6:25 and others to not be anxious or worry about the things of the earth, for God knows what we need.

Now, the one caveat is that the Lord wants us to work hard and be responsible. We cannot purchase more than we can afford, but we must be good stewards of what God has given us. In today's world, where such emphasis is put on what you have and that defines who you are, it is difficult. But we must stay in the Word, constantly reminding ourselves that this is not our reward, but eternal life in Heaven is our reward. We must continually take our worries and concerns to Him that has the power to help. We must not forget to thank Him for every blessing, good and bad (yes a blessing from God may not feel so great, but remember that He knows what we need).

As we approach Thanksgiving here in the US, let us thank God for his ultimate gift and blessing ;His Son whom He sent to die for the forgiveness of our sins.

God bless.

What is it that we need?

2011-11-17T07:22:00.001-05:00

He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV)

Have you ever downsized? That could mean a smaller car, a smaller house, going from owning to renting. My family made the decision about 5 and a half years ago to do just that. It was a very humbling experience. While we chose to downsize our home, it was a forced choice. A career decision after 2 years had depleted our savings and we found that we could no longer afford the lifestyle we we living. We met with our pastor and knew what needed to be done.

To give some background, I have been a very hard worker my whole life, I love working, it brings me great pleasure to solve problems and bring solutions to the forefront. I had done well for myself and my family. A wife, four kids, a 4500 square foot, 4 bedroom colonial, finished club room in the basement, in-ground pool in the backyard, beautiful landscaping. We seemingly had it all, but even without the job troubles, there was something missing. There was too much room, we couldn't feel close as a family. We became the things we had and not the people we are.

we moved to an 1800 square foot 3 bedroom rancher. It is beautiful. I grew up (6 kids) in a much smaller 3 bedroom rancher. We had a lot of fun growing up in that house. I knew our move would work, but it didn't make it any easier.

But something has happened. Something very positive. Oh, of course the kids will complain about not having their own bedrooms, we sometimes bump into each other because of the tight quarters. But we have a home, not just a house now. And our focus has shifted from the things of the world that man makes to the things that God made. We still slip up, get caught up in the moment as my career is back on track. Thankfully, we are in the Word, and that level sets our desires and lets us think more in terms of our needs.

God Bless.

Witnessing

2011-11-08T07:54:00.001-05:00

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake (Philippians 1:29 ESV)

How many of us suffer the persecution described in the Bible? My guess is not many. I have been very fortunate in that my witnessing to my faith has been accepted in most situations and in others just ignored. I often think about what I would do if I felt persecuted, what would my reaction be? Would I back away from my convictions?

Recently, I have observed a person very close to me be persecuted for speaking out, pointing out potential false teachings. The interesting part of this story is that the persecution is not coming from an atheist, but a brother or sister in Christ. It is sometimes easier to witness to a non Christian than to another Christian. How do we share God's Word in a loving manner but not sound arrogant when speaking the Truth as proclaimed in the Bible?

This is a question I will be seeking God's answer to in the Bible, where all answers can be found.

Turning away from temptations

2011-11-04T07:56:00.001-04:00

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119:37 ESV)

I have noticed a trend in recent years. We all know that television has gotten more and more liberal in what is acceptable, especially for the family hour, but there is a more subtle change happening. The networks are now luring us in with sitcoms that seem clean at first. They create a following and then one year you watch and its all about the ranch. You think to yourself "Did this just become like this? " Then you look back and realize that slowly, the sex and raunched has been worked in, a little at a time. As Christians we think to ourselves that its just one or two instances, but overall the show is still good, right?

I was fortunate in one respect that for 4 years while I returned to school to finish my degree, I voided myself from television. It was'one distraction, one extracurricular activity that I chose to give up. I say I am fortunate because I came to realize that it is not a necessity (okay, maybe on Sunday afternoons in fall). So I will walk away. But it still bothers me.

In my family, our nightly devotions recently have dealt with temptations. As Christians engaged with the Word we can sometimes be lulled into thinking that we are immune from succumbing to these temptations. But we are not. Read through the Bible and you will see many instances of great falls. For that matter, pick up the newspaper and look at the falls from grace. None of us are exempt from Satan's temptations. We must continue to remind ourselves to turn away.

Faith alome

2011-10-29T08:37:00.001-04:00

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:25-26 ESV)

Nothing we can do will give us everlasting life in the kingdom of God. Only through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior can we have eternal life.

Should we not help our neighbor in trouble if we believe in Jesus as our Savior? If we see someone being wronged do we not come to the rescue? If we help our neighbor and defend those being wronged, do those acts alone save us from God's wrath on judgment day?

We are to do good works, but only out of faith. For works without faith are empty, meant for our own glorification and not God's. Everything we do should have the goal of pleasing God.

Resist

2011-10-24T07:56:00.001-04:00

Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on. (Proverbs 4:14-15 ESV)

Do you have these verses bookmarkee in your Bible? You should. We are all constantly tempted by Satan and these verses are a good reminder to us of God's instructions. Sometimes we think we are better than others, no susceptible to the devil's temptations. But as our pastor told my son's confirmation class "now is when Satan will really go after you ". He already has the nonbelievers in his control, it is the professed Christians that he will work hard to get. Listen to the Word and resist temptation. In today's world you just need to turn on the television it his temptations are right there.

Read and you will find

2011-10-20T07:52:00.001-04:00

"'This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" ( Matthew 15:8-9 ESV)

I find that if I do not read the Word and pray regularly that my mind tends to wander, thinking inappropriate thoughts and making me anxious about life's challenges. When I am in the Word a wandering eye is reminded immediately by a heart filled with Christ to turn away and ask for forgiveness immediately. I also find that in interactions with others I am not as quick to fire back a comment that I may later regret.

Now I am not saying the Word keeps me from sinning but it does allow me to immediately reflect and understand that I have sinned. It also reminds me that I am forgiven. We are human and by nature sinful. That is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us.

Here is the greatest part of being in the Word regularly (daily at least) ; it allows us to see the false preachings. When we know what God is telling us, we are not as likely to be drawn into some of the false, feel good preaching of today. So many are now straying from the Word to make people feel good. I don't think there is anything wrong with people feeling good. But that is not what gives them eternal life in Heaven. That is a gift straight from God. It is very clear if you read and listen to the Word.

God bles you and thanks to God for a quick return of my upgraded tablet allowing me to write again.

If you haven't already, go and see Courageous, a movie with a powerful message.

He is the source of all mercy

2011-10-11T07:05:00.001-04:00

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!"
I believed, even when I spoke,
"I am greatly afflicted"; (Psalm 116:1-4, 10 ESV)

Is it not wonderful when you finally break through from a time of many challenges? You can finally look back at the day and say "wow, it finally got better". It is funny how we see life's challenges, often looking to the sky and asking "why me God? ". But when we step back we know that as a strong Christian, the devil wants our souls even more. He will do anything to get them.

Keep strong in faith and stay in the Word. In the Word, you have all the tools necessary to fight off the devil. And remember that it is not an easy battle. In today's society, everyone looks for the easy route, the quick solution. It is especially true in marriages, where wemhave made it way too easy to just walk away. It needs to be harder, we need couples to understand the challenges in marriage and not to walk away from them, but instead to pray together and face them together as one.

Give thanks.

2011-10-10T07:16:00.001-04:00

When times are rough, we tend to forget to thank God for the blessings He has given freely to us. The biggest being salvation by grace alone...our faith.

Doctor, doctor, give me the news

2011-10-06T07:48:00.001-04:00

But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13 ESV)

I am sick, very sick. In fact I am so sick that I need to visit the doctor multiple times a day. Is it fatal? It could be without these regular visits to the doctor. But with regular visits, I can live forever.

What is this horrible sickness that I have? SIN. I will not be healed from this sickness until my death here on earth.

I take a bunch of pills each day, morning and night. High cholesterol, GERD, allergies, anxiety and stress. If I don't take my Nexium, I will know it by mid-day. The funny thing is, as Jesus states in these verses from Matthew, I also know if I skip my spiritual medication. When I slip from regular devotion, it shows. The days get tougher, longer, more frustrating. Even funnier is that there is no difference in the challenges I face, the things that occur at work, whether I spend time with God or not. As they say, life goes on.

But how I see those challenges and the things that happen is like night and day. God gives me the strength to get through anything. He allows me to see the good in others, the positive blessing in things that happen.

Take time to vist the doctor. Your eternal life depends on it.

What would I do?

2011-10-05T07:54:00.001-04:00

Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead." (Matthew 8:21-22 ESV)

When I read these verses, I always think to myself what I would have done if Jesus posed that question to me. Obviously it was a different time and a different culture, but is my faith strong enough to walk away from earthly loves? It is a question I do not know that I can answer. To date, I really have not been presented with anything close to that situation. I have been presented with situations where I had to make a choice to refrain from an activity, but never to walk away from family.

What are your thoughts?

One from the gene pool?

2011-10-01T08:07:00.001-04:00

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:19-21, 33 ESV)

I am pretty sure that my mom passed on the "worry gene" to me a a couple of my siblings. I know, I don't really believe there is a "worry gene" but it a little comical that some of worry just like our mom. Of course we talk a good talk, always letting our mom know "don't worry about that, there is nothing you can do". But then in my own life I am what some refer to as a worry wart. It has definitely gotten more prominent since having kids.

And the things I worry about the most? Providing financially for my family and the health and safety of my wife and kids.

That is why my devotion today which was based on Matthew 6:16-34 struck a nerve. This is where Jesus tells us not to worry, not to burden ourselves with material things of this world. Instead I see Him telling me, because I like to read God's Word in terms of Him talking directly to me, to let go of my worries, stop chasing the things that are not important and focus on the cross. God tells us throughout the Bible that he will always provide. He will always protect us. He will always give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

That is very hard for me and I struggle daily. I am sure I am not alone. I know others struggle as well. However none of us are alone because God is always with us, never leaving us alone.

Guaranteed

2011-09-30T07:09:00.001-04:00

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17 ESV)

How many of us set goals throughout our lives? We have goals around our careers, goals around a family, goals of purchasing a house or a car or some new gadget. All of these earthly goals are just that, something we work to attain, but never guaranteed.

But what if your goals were guaranteed if you just had to do one thing? Do one thing, believe that it will happen, and that promotion will come. You have to do nothing, but it is a gift. Sounds very unrealistic unless you are in the family business, and even then you can still do something to remove the guarantee.

God's Word assures us that our eternal life is guaranteed if we believe that Jesus Christ is our savior. Nothing else is needed and as the verse above indicates God will wipe every tear away. Isn't that something we should set a goal for? Wouldn't you believe given this wonderful guarantee? Yet sadly, not everyone does. Share this promise of eternal life with those that either don't believe or who don't know so that more may know of His grace.

A prayer of thanks

2011-09-29T07:49:00.001-04:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
I am not worthy to recieve your grace, yet You sent Your Son to die on the cross so that I may have eternal life in Your Kingdom.
Thank you for the grace bestowed upon me, a sinful human being.
In your precious Son Jesus' name
Amen

Pray for everyone

2011-09-27T07:59:00.001-04:00

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV)

When someone tells you about a problem they are having, an illness they are experiencing, or some other challenge, what do you tell them? I see so many times the response is "my thoughts are with you". But we are instructed to take these things to God through prayer. I dont believe that at any point in my life that my thoughts did anything to help someone else. I do however have many instances where asking God to intercede for others has brought about miraculous results.

One instance in particular was when my youngest brother caught some very rare illness. I remember praying for him, asking others to pray for him. Day and night we prayed. It was a Sunday afternoon, I had run some items over to our new house. When I returned, my wife came outside and told me my dad had called. My brother had taken a turn for the worse. The doctor wanted the family at the hospital to say our goodbyes. It was a horrible experience, walking in and seeing my youngest brother struggling to hang on. I said my goodbyes, but also told him I was continuing to pray for him.

I must admit, it was extremely hard to pray for God's will to be done, for what if His will was to bring my brother home? Amazingly, my brother recovered fully from that illness. The doctors had no logical explanation. I know that it was many people interceding for my brother, asking for more time for him to impact others lives, and God's response that saved my brother.

The power of prayer is incredible. But not just because my brother lived. It is incredible because God tells us to do it. After all, Jesus prayed continually. If the only perfect one to walk this earth felt it necessary to pray, shouldn't we all follow? Surely we need God's helping hand and surely we should be thankful for everything He gives us. Isn't it right to say thanks?

The Word

2011-09-26T07:43:00.001-04:00

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:16-17 ESV)

The Word is how God talks to us, how He answers our prayers. Stay in the Word in order to hear God's voice.

I know that when I am in the Word daily things just seem to fall in place. I am not saying life is easier, but it certainly is easier to rely on God to help me if I hear His voice in the Word. So many times I read a passage, or hear a sermon that I just needed to hear. That is God working through His Word. Without hearing, I would continue to struggle.

Blessings

2011-09-19T10:03:00.001-04:00

In Laura Story's song "Blessings" she gives thought to what blessings from God are. We tend to thank God for the things we see as blessings, positive events. Yet as Christians who read the Word, we know that God knows whatnis best for us, He knows the true meaning of what a blessing is.

We don't always see God's blessings in our everyday life. As we sat yesterday watching the torrential downpours on yet another vacation (I am certain we could solve the droughts around the world if we were able to vacation year round) the first words of the chorus came to mind. "'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops" reminds us that God sends blessings in many forms. If we don't take the time to pray and think about them we fail to see God's wonder.

One more challenge

2011-09-16T09:45:00.001-04:00

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me. (Psalm 138:7 ESV)

As we worked to clean up the mess created by a spilt bottle of laundry detergent, m
oving furniture, moving the washer and dryer, my wife cried out "God why, why?"

As mentioned yesterday, we leave today for vacation and we had a lot of challenges this past week as we prepared. This seem to be the final straw, pushing my wife to question why? An hour and a half later, we chuckled as we looked back at the events of the evening. The intent for our next cleaning project was moving the stove in the kitchen to clean out all that has dropped back there in the last year. Obviously, we were meant to clean behind and under another appliance first...and sooner rather than later.

So what does this have to do with the bible verse I chose today? Well, troubles come in many shapes and sizes and last night's was an example. In that hour and a half that we spent cleaning, we spent some quality time joking and laughing as we cleaned up the mess. What started as frustration and aggravation ended up with us looking back and saying "oh well, we handled another one with God's help.

So as we head down the road in a few hours, I am sure there will be that moment that we turn to each other and realize once again the gifts God has given each of us, that perfect complement. And of course we will laugh about this when we think back at the week before vacation.

God bless!

Seeing us through

2011-09-15T06:40:00.001-04:00

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19 ESV)

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

God is always there, you can always depend on Him. He never promised us an easy life without any afflictions. When Adam and Eve ate the apple, our fate was set. Hard work, difficult times were ahead for us all. Sin was introduced into the world along with disease and all the other afflictions.

But Jesus' message in Matthew assures us that while times may get rough we should stand steadfast in the knowledge that He is always there.

We leave tomorrow for a week of vacation. This past week has been nothing less than hectic, with many hurdles thrown our way including the loss of our van for 4 days for major maintenance and culminating with the notice yesterday that the roads in our neighborhood will be repaved today making those last minute errands difficult at best. But through it all we lean on God's promise that he will always be there to help us get through.

Do the right thing for your brother

2011-09-14T07:49:00.001-04:00

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15 ESV)

Have you ever had a good friend do something you knew was wrong, either against you or someone else? Did you confront them as we are instructed in Matthew 18 or did you stay silent for fear you would lose the friend? Or maybe you thought others would think you weren't "cool" if you pointed out a wrong.

Many a time in my life I have looked the other way, fearful of losing a friend. But in reality, not saying anything causes you to lose more. You lose the opportunity to help with someone else's reconciliation with the Lord.

Wouldn't you be upset if your friend didn't help you?

Humbleness

2011-09-13T06:55:00.001-04:00

He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 ESV)

This verse really touched me as there have been many times in my recent career where I've been told "You are too nice ". I think in a lot of ways, people mistake my humbleness as being passive, too nice. But I have always known that no matter how smart I think I am, there is always one smarter. Who am I to say that I am any better than another. I certainly can sell my talents and skills in the pursuit of a job or activity, but I will not act like I know it all. Only one knows it all.

No fad here

2011-09-12T07:07:00.001-04:00

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise. (Psalm 51:15 ESV)

Does this verse from Psalm 51 tell us to walk around with our Bibles reading aloud all day long? One could interpret it in this way, but my interpretation is that if we in the Word and understand how God wants us to behave, then when we open our mouths, no matter what the topic, others should know we are Christians. But as we are sinful by nature, it does not always happen.

But what if we were to post this single verse on our cube or office wall at work. Each work day, it would be right there reminding us as we progress through the day. Imagine if everyone posted this on their wall. Maybe more would think before lashing out at a colleague or employee. I remember a few years back the WWJD campaign. People, especially the young, carried around the message to remind them to constantly think about "What Would Jesus Do? ". Unfortunately, like many other things, it was a fad that has faded.

But the true Word of God, as written in the Bible, is no fad. It is dependable, never changing, and important for us all to keep close.

Never forget

2011-09-11T07:13:00.001-04:00

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy! (Psalm 130:1-2 ESV)

September 11, 2001

Do you remember where you were when it happened, when each of the twin towers fell? What I remember most was not necessarily the events of that day (of course I will never forget), but what happened immediately after and the days following. People prayed together, people returned to church, there was a sense of all coming together to stand strong against evil.

What has happened in the 10 years that have followed? This is just one man's opinion, but it sure appears that the world's population is going backwards. Instead of using those events to bring more to Christ, Christianity is being attacked, Christians are being persecuted and labeled intolerant.

It is time to stand up and proclaim that our strength comes from the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Only can we attain eternal life through Him. The government sure cannot provide that, yet so many put their faith in humans instead of where it belongs.

For a period, we all saw how vulnerable we are as humans. I pray that on this 10th anniversary of such a great tradgedy that all will realize how strong God's presence was in the minutes, hours, weeks and years since. It is only through Him that we can have true peace in the knowledge of eternal life.

All that is important

2011-09-10T08:13:00.001-04:00

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10 ESV)

This says a lot in terms of how great God's Kingdom is compared to anything else. It is not important how far up the corporate ladder we climb, how many earthly riches we aquire or how many selfish acts of good we do. All that is important is having eternal life with Jesus Christ.

Do not reject the great gift of Grace. Stay in the Word. Your Heavenly Kingdom awaits.

My true deliverer

2011-09-09T08:26:00.001-04:00

He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure. (Psalm 40:2 ESV)

I know that I have written in the past about my "wild" period. It was my early twenties and I was on top of the world. While all my friends were in college, working part-time jobs to get by, I had a job in Information Technology. I thought I was the best thing since sliced bread. I also thought that I didn't need church. Translation: I turned away from God.

All was great...for a while. But battles with alcohol, and a feeling of loneliness settled in. I could not find the happiness I was looking for...anywhere. Then one day, I just stopped. I realized my lifestyle had become destructive. I stopped drinking, cold turkey. I bought a house, things were looking brighter. But I was still missing something in my life. I still thought I could do it all without God.

Then something amazing happened. I met my wife, and she laid down the law. I remember telling her that I had made an appointment for a flying lesson on Sunday morning. She told me that if we were going to have a relationship, I needed to go to church.

Well it's a good thing I listened. And I am thankful that my parents instilled Chritian beliefs in me. The combination of the two allowed the Holy Spirit to work in me. Since that time, I have had many challenges from career issues, going back to school, raising kids, health issues. And through them all, my rock and salvation allowed me to face them head on.

I thank God everyday for everything He has given me and the opportunities He has provided.

God bless you.

Rain, rain go away

2011-09-08T07:50:00.001-04:00

I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (Genesis 9:11 ESV)

Driving into work this morning, I thought to myself "where could I get an ark? "

Then I read the story of the great flood and God's covenant established with Noah. No need for the ark. God sent His only Son to die for our sins. So there is no need to destroy the living creatures until the day of judgement.

For those facing the massive rains and flooding as we are here in Maryland, I pray for your safety as you go about your travels. Slow down, keep your distance, and watch out for fallen trees, branches and especially for pedestrians.

One last thing, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. What a great blessing and example your marriage is.

Seen through Christ

2011-09-07T07:47:00.001-04:00

"You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade." (Son Lyrics - Tenth Avenue North - You Are More)

I heard these lyrics again this morning and I have to say that they really hit home. First because I had some pretty wild and rebellious years where I definitely made my share of mistakes. It is always good to hear, either in song or through the Gospel, that I have been remade. Christ dying on the cross at Calvary assured that.

Second, one of my siblings is going through a very tough time. I run these song lyrics in my head when I talk to her. As humans we tend to not be able to look past past mistakes of others. That is our nature. However, we must always remember that we have been remade by God, through His grace alone. We must continue to share the love Christ shares with us, especially when we see someone trying to get back on their feet.

Short but oh how true

2011-09-06T08:16:00.001-04:00

I hold my life in my hand continually,
but I do not forget your law. (Psalm 119:109 ESV)

The above verse sums up our life on Earth. We have the ability to determine how we live our life. It is only through the knowledge of God's Word that we know how to act, what to say and what differentiates right from wrong.

Labor Day - Give thanks

2011-09-05T08:32:00.001-04:00

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands! (Psalm 90:17 ESV)

It is Labor Day here in the US. A day set aside as a holiday to appreciate the worker and their efforts. But look around, look at all the businesses that are open today. Not only are they open, but they are having sales encouraging more traffic and more work for their employees.

God wants us to rest, he intended work to be easy until the advent of sin. But still, He wants us to rest. For those of us old enough, we remember the blue laws. Nothing was open on Sunday. Now, only car dealers are closed. You see, we have stopped glorifying God and thanking Him for the gifts we use in our jobs. We constantly tout our own accomplishments in getting to where we are in our careers. But we must always remember that it is the gifts from God that provide all those opportunities. He gave some of us greater aptitude to learn, gave some of us great skill to work with our hands. But make no mistake, He is the one responsible for everything we have.

I am a little afraid of what is to come. I see this current generation coming into the workforce with such an attitude of entitlement. That is what God originally intended, but once Adam and Eve sinned, we were destined for hard work. The young generation doesn't want the hard work, they just want the reward. I leave you today with prayers for all those that labor and with one last passage from Genesis. Be thankful for God sending His Son to die for our sins, but also be thankful for His gifts to us and the hard work we are destined to do.

And to Adam he said,
"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
'You shall not eat of it,'
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19 ESV)

Our daily bread

2011-09-04T10:50:00.001-04:00

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11 ESV)

When you wake up, what is the first thing you do? Do you think about the fact that all you have is what God has given you?

All that we have is given by God. Yet how many times do we look to ourselves as the providers of what we have? How often have you heard someone say "I worked hard to get that "? In reality God has provided what you need.

I can only imagine

2011-09-03T09:09:00.001-04:00

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20 ESV)

When you think about judgement day, are you scared or excited? Above is the second to last verse in the Bible and it is clear that we should be excited and welcome the day. On one hand I am excited, I want to see that day. I wonder what my reaction will be. I wonder what Heaven will be like.

When I listen to the words to "I Can Only Imagine " by Mercy Me it gets me really thinking about my questions.

"Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?"

What will it be like? Will I recognize all who I have known? Will I be able to hug my grandparents again? Will my wife and kids still be with me? The answers to these questions, like those posed in the song aren't readily evident in the Bible. It is kind of like when we headed off to Cedar Point earlier this year. We knew there were a lot of roller coasters, but we fantasized about what we would feel as we went over the first hills, or as we accelerated to unimaginable speeds. Like our experience then, only better, we will not be disappointed by what we find when we enter Heaven. It surely will be more glorious than we can even imagine.

I, for one, am looking forward to that day.

God bless you.

Being content

2011-09-02T07:50:00.001-04:00

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! (Psalm 98:4-6 ESV)

As we head into the holiday weekend here in the US, this verse reminds us of the importance of praising our Lord and Savior. This is not just telling us to go to church, but instead to participate in church.

Growing up I was always very self conscious about my singing ability. I played guitar on the alter for folk services and I always remember the group leader encouraging me to sing. I never would. It was not until I met my gift from God, my wife, that I realized it wasn't important what I sounded like. You see, we are all perfect in God's eyes because He sees us through Jesus. He does not see our sin as they have been paid for and wiped away in our faith.

I decided to take this even further, and today's reference passage really sums it up. When I sing praises to God, whether sitting in the front pew at church, driving in my car and singing along with Shine-FM, or at home just singing the words to my favorite Christian songs, He hears perfection, for He created me to be exactly who I am. When I was holding back and not sharing this gift of who I am, I most certainly was not letting others know how special God made me.

This can be said about anything that we may not do because we don't think we are good enough, or if we worry about what others might think.

Remember that God made each of us uniquely special and we bring Him joy when we appreciate that and show others the happiness that is had with contentment.

God bless!

Praying for guidance

2011-09-01T07:51:00.001-04:00

Do you ever have times in your life where you are challenged by another to act with God's loving kindness? No matter what you do, the other person is in a positin of defense and in turn insults you and does everything possible to derail your positive progress. It is frustrating, to say the least.

I pray that I may stay focused on God's promise to me, continuing to act in kindness and love.

Mixed feelings

2011-08-31T07:48:00.001-04:00

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10 ESV)

Today I am very thankful for restored electricity at my house. But at the same time, I am a little sad. It is funny how an event such as an extended power outage can show you so much of what you are missing. Last night, we went back to computers, IPODs and television. Don't get me wrong, you also realize the things that are now necessities like a stove and dishwasher, but the family time we spent playing games and helping each other was priceless.

I pray on this day that those still without power will regain it soon. But I also pray that my family and I won't forget any time soon how much joy we shared together the last 3 days.

God bless!

Love thy neighbor

2011-08-30T07:44:00.001-04:00

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV)

On the east coast, we experience the fury of Irene this weekend. It is Tuesday and the power is still out. But the light is still bright. What a wonderful reminder from God of what is important. Quality time without modern distractions, talking with friends and neighbors. Having purchased a generator last week, my wife and I have also gotten the opportunity to share with our neighbors. There is no greater feeling than sharing with others. Isn't that what life is all about? Isn't that what Jesus told us to do?

In times like this, we all should realize that the leaders of this world can really do nothing to help us. They may claim to be able to solve all of our problems, but we know that God is so much greater than anyone on this earth. No government official can help you at this point. It is all about people helping others, sharing that ultimate love with others. It feels great. Not because we did anything, but that God has provided us the opportunity and the gifts to help our neighbors. Have you shared that love this week?

We have a generator that allows us to keep our well pump pumping and our cold stuff cold. I know there are a large number of people that do not have that. I pray that they will have a neighbor who will share the love of Christ with them, the ultimate gift of hope.

God bless you and especially all those impacted by the storm.

Will you turn your back with a poor attitude?

2011-08-26T07:33:00.001-04:00

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:32 ESV)

Have you ever done a good deed for someone and then told everyone what you did? What about church, do you go every week but think about what you have to do that day or in the coming week? Do you feel like you don't have to pay as close attention because you are already saved?

In the parable of the two sons it appears that Jesus is teaching about the importance of attitude in our daily lives. If we go to church with the wrong attitude, are we really getting what we need?

I must say that on many occasions I have gone to church angry, maybe at my wife, maybe upset with the kids. Those days I inevitably walk out with thoughts of God delivering that sermon directly to me. It is just what I needed to here to change my heart. But I must admit that at times my attitude is all wrong, not even willing to listen. In those cases I turn my back on the gift of love and the forgiveness granted through death on a cross. Thinking about that, it certainly must make God very sad when we turn our backs on His love. After all, He gave up His only son so that we may enjoy eternal life with Him.

The promise

2011-08-25T08:12:00.001-04:00

But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me." And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:46-48 ESV)

On his way to heal Jairus' daughter, Jesus is touched by a woman who has such strong faith in Him that she is instantly healed from an ailment lasting 12 years. She did not have to ask, but only have faith in His healing powers.

We, too must have that same faith. The faith in God's word and His love and forgiveness of our sins. Just like the woman, all we need to do is reach out to Jesus with our ailments. We are not guaranteed an instant healing, but instead an everlasting life with Him in heaven.

Why wouldn't we if Jesus did?

2011-08-23T08:50:00.001-04:00

And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. (Mark 14:35-39 ESV)

When we looked up to heaven and ask God why, we should turn to this passage from the Gospel. For what better comfort to us then to see how God's plan is best for all. Can you imagine where we would be had God removed the cup? No Savior to take our sins away. No eternal life with Him.

With Jesus' words to Simon, He is talking to us all. He tells us of the weakness of our earthly bodies to be able to resist the temptations of this world. He instructs us to pray for our spirits to be continually strengthened so that we may fend off sin.

With the amount of temptations that exist in our world, we should be in constant prayer, with every corner we turn and every challenge we face.

Yiur prayer is a testament to your faith

2011-08-22T07:20:00.001-04:00

Pray then like this:
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
(Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)

Jesus is very clear in His instructions on how to pray. In fact, as evidenced by the verses above from Matthew, He told us exactly what to pray.

God does not need to hear extravagant prayers, ones that sound like they have been professionally written. God knows what is in our hearts and wants us to constantly ask for His help and guidance. He seeks to hear us acknowledge His grace, love and divine knowledge in what is best for us. It is not always what we want to hear but asking God to provide you with what you need, and not what you want is proof of your faith in Him.

Are you sharing?

2011-08-21T08:09:00.001-04:00

She said to her mistress, "Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." (2 Kings 5:3 ESV)

Do you know when you are given an opportunity to share God's love? So many times when presented with other people's challenges, we immediately gravitate to trying to solve or fix their problems with human means. But these are the opportunities God is giving us to share His love, to freely speak of our faith so others will see.

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 ESV)

Read the above passage over and over until it is embedded in your memory, for to remember this gives you the strength and knowledge for every challenge, ailment, and witnessing opportunity. Remember and He will get you through.

People constantly turn to things of this world to try to solve their problems, drugs, psychics, doctors. Now I am not trying to say we shouldn't utilize doctors and drugs prescribed, but instead saying to pray for guidance and for God's will to be done. He works Will through these things in some cases, but He also gives us strength to endure all things, good and bad.

Who needs the Law when we have the Gospel? We do.

2011-08-20T11:00:00.001-04:00

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. ...because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought back word to the king. (2 Kings 22:11, 19-20 ESV)

Josiah was one of few kings in the Old Testament who did good in the eyes of the Lord. However, when he heard the Book of the Law contained on the scrolls found while repairing the house of the Lord, he was distraught about his sins and the sins of all the people. But God sent him the message of grace through the prophetess Huldah.

Just as Josiah had to be shown his sins in order to repent, so must we be shown our sins. If we do not see the sin in our deeds, the message of God's grace means nothing. Likewise, without seeing our wrong, we cannot understand the magnitude of God's grace. It is impossible to have Law without Gospel and vice versa. That is the issue with some of today's modern churches. They do not provide the whole message. people are always uncomfortable when their sins are pointed out. Just look at a child that is caught doing something wrong. They squirm and won't look you in the eye. But what will they become if we don't point out their bad behavior? How will they know right from wrong? Look at today's society and you can start to see the picture.

Going to church on Sunday allows us to have our sins exposed, to feel ashamed of what we have done. But it also shows us God's grace and forgiveness and allows us to give those sins to Jesus who accepted to bear them for us on the cross so that we may be holy in the eyes of God.

Do you see how we need Law and Gospel. Without both, we miss the full impact of God's love for us.

Random thought

2011-08-19T07:21:00.001-04:00

thank God it's Friday. How many times do you hear that? But what about the other days of the week? What about Sunday, the day of rest granted to us? Let this be a lesson. We most often thank God for only those things that we feel pleasure in, yet forget to thank Him for everything else that He gives us. This includes the good things and the bad (in our minds) as God always gives us what we need.

Part of God's Plan

2011-08-18T07:39:00.001-04:00

Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." (Genesis 2:18 ESV)

When it comes to marriage, I have really thought about what couples should think about when they may be going through a tough time. Often when going to a wedding, guests are asked to share advice for a successful marriage with the newly married couple.

The key is really to make sure that the person you marry is the one God has chosen for you. But how do you know who that is? In my case, I was looking in all the wrong places. But when God saw that my heart was ready, He brought her into my life. And now there isn't a day that goes by (even those when we may struggle, argue, or just disagree) that I don't thank God for His gift to me.

Recently, I have realized the important of the passage from Genesis above. My wife is my complement, my helper. It is funny how comments are always made about the most important words a husband can learn are "yes dear ". But stop and think. Do not just say the words to pacify, but take the time to listen to your wife. After all, God created her for you as your helper. Open your heart and mind and let her help you. You will be amazed at what you learn and how much more enriched your life together becomes.

Do not judge, ask for Thy will to be done

2011-08-17T07:43:00.001-04:00

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

Do you remember your mom telling you not to judge a book by it's cover? I certainly do, but did it really sink in? I like to think at some level, but I know based on today's passage that it is not the case. Man cannot judge by what is inside because we really can't see what is inside someone else's heart.

But that is what God sees. He looks beyond the physical and into our hearts. And just as He did with David, He will provide what we need to succeed provided it is in His plan. We must always remember that in prayer it is His will we are asking for, not our will. For He knows what is best for us. If we reject that will, we are rejecting His love and grace. It is like a teenager that thinks mom and dad don't know anything. We all go through these periods. The important thing is to learn and grow from these diversions. We must learn that our way is not best, but His is always best.

How do we learn? Stay in the Word and pray early and often. Pray for God to reveal His plan for you in His time.

Will you answer His call?

2011-08-16T07:46:00.001-04:00

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord."... (1 Samuel 1:27-28 ESV)

When you look around your house, at your kids, at your bank statement, what is it that you think? Do you say to yourself "look at what I have done"? Or do you take a moment to thank God for what you have? The interesting thing is that it seems the more we have, the more likely that we will do the former.

When my family went to Mexico a couple of years ago, we stayed in a resort near Cancun. It was beautiful, lots of amenities, plenty of food and drink, all you could want. We had decided before we went that we would rent a van and drive out to some of the ancient ruins. We had talked to some friends that pointed us to a small authentic Mexican town where we could experience the real Mexico, not just the tourist areas. That was really neat, but what we did and saw next was very special.

My wife had read about another area of ruins, a pyramid that had not been restored. It was a little ways off, through some of the poorest areas I have ever seen. When we got to the entrance, it had just closed. But that was okay, for as we made our way back, we drove through those same towns. Only this time we slowed down and noticed how happy the children were as they played with their friends. The moms were out talking, similar (or maybe not depending on your neighborhood) to what you would see here in the states.

You see, these people had not been told that they were poor, and I believe in their minds they saw themselves as rich in blessings. This is a lesson for us all. God gives us everything we have, but the most important thing does not come from a store or cannot be bought with money. It is His love that he asks us to share with others.

Will you do your part, as Hannah did when she "lent " her son to the Lord?

God takes care of us all, just ask

2011-08-15T08:24:00.001-04:00

The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. (Exodus 2:2-3 ESV)

Was this the first case of a woman giving up her child for adoption? It is not adoption as we know it today, but you can think of it the same. Moses' mother loved him, but knew that in order for him to have life she needed to let him go. Many women face this difficult decision today. Some before birth, others later. Some times they give their child up permanently, other times, it is just for a period of time.

Either way, these women should be commended for doing what is right for the children. It is not easy, but often necessary for the health and safety of both mother and child.

One thing is certain, God is always there to listen to you as you fight through these situations. He will never abandon you, although there are times when you may think He has. Be content knowing that your situation is part of God's greater plan. You are not abandoning the child, it is just part of God's greater plan.

God bless you.

Prayer to help your brothers and sisters

2011-08-13T11:23:00.001-04:00

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:15-21 ESV)

In this passage we hear about how we are to share the love of Christ. I have written many times of how our actions and our words should reflect the love of Jesus. But we know that our actions and words are not enough, for it is not us that bring others to faith, but the Holy Spirit through the Word. We can only show the love of Jesus, show others how much we love being saved.

So we should be praying for those we want to share with. Pray that they too will experience the love of Christ. Pray that the Holy Spirit will reach out, grab hold of them, and show them the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. So if you are frustrated because you don't feel that your efforts are helping a friend come to know Jesus, remember that you must pray for the Holy Spirit to touch that person. In so many things we forget that we cannot do it without Him. We must remember that "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 ESV) We must remember this includes bringing our non Christian friends and colleagues to Christ.

May God bless your weekend.

A calling

2011-08-12T06:23:00.001-04:00

"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. (Numbers 3:6 ESV)

It is clear what God wanted Moses to do, bring the Levites to minister to Aaron. It is not always clear what God is calling us to do. Am I to serve Him in my current role, glorifying His name for all to see. Am I being called to a greater role in expanding the Kingdom?

What I do know is that when the time is right, it will be revealed clearly, as it was clear to Moses. My prayer is for those around me, those impacted by God's role for me. It is easy to follow when it is you being called. But to be the support for that person can be very scary. When you are not hearing the call it truly tests your faith. But just as God sent an angel to Joseph, I am sure He will make clear to the supporters so they may better understand.

Will you be like Joseph?

2011-08-11T08:17:00.001-04:00

So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5 ESV)

Can you look past the present and know that God has a plan for you that may not make sense right now? Have you ever looked to the sky and asked "why God? "

Joseph surely was tested by everything that happened to him to do exactly that, yet he never did. He did not hold a grudge against his brothers, but instead had faith that God would take care of him. God did more than that. He blessed Joseph with a leadership role in order to help his family when they were in need.

Have you been placed in a leadership role? Why do you think that is? Maybe God is preparing your heart for something much bigger. Will you be ready? If you have faith, you are.

God's unending love

2011-08-10T08:43:00.001-04:00

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. (Psalm 146:8-9 ESV)

To continue on a theme, God loves us and does everything to protect us. But do not take that to mean you can walk down the most dangerous road in the city. No, God does everything for us to protect our spot in Heaven. If you don't believe me, think about the cross.

As a parent, we do whatever we can to protect our kids. As they mature, we allow them to make more of their own decisions, training them on the consequences, good and bad, of those decisions. We want to ensure their success in their adult lives. God does the same, looking to ensure that we successfully make it to live eternally with Him in Heaven. But unlike our kids, where they can be successful based on their own actions after a certain age, we can never do enough to gain entry into eternal life. We must accept God's gift to us as the only way.

God bless you and please pray that my travels back home today are safe.

Do you see what God wants you to do next?

2011-08-09T07:41:00.001-04:00

But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:21 ESV)

The Lord is always with us. When put into a situation where you feel trapped, look around for the opportunity that God has placed in front of you. What does he want you to do? He is always with you and wants you to share His gift with others. How will you do that?

When put into a hostile situation, does God want you to turn around and run? No, He placed you there for a reason. Open your eyes and your heart and be willing to answer the call.

On a business trip and got to visit with our former Pastor. What a joy it was to catch up and get a tour of his new church and home. We miss him but we know God put him here for His will to be done. He always knows where we need to be.

Some thoughts on blessings

2011-08-08T08:08:00.001-04:00

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (Genesis 37:23-24 ESV)

So growing up I used to get mad because my older brothers would steal candy from my Easter basket. I guess I was lucky that I wasn't thrown into a pit and left to die. Although there was the incident when my brother ran over me with my sister's bike, but he wasn't trying to kill me, just get my dollar.

It is amazing how sin can drive our minds to some really bad actions. I sometimes wonder how God could let sin into the world. But then I stop and remember that God's plan is ever knowing and who are we to ask why? If we ask about why sin, we also have to ask why all the blessings? And in sitting here in the airport, I have to think of all those blessings that we don't necessarily think of. The raw materials that allow for the building of airplanes, the intelligence given us to create fuels and design structures and transportation. It truly is amazing when you think about it.

So don't think about the bad, think about the good. And of course remember the ultimate gift, life eternal with Him.

God bless as you start your week.

Are you struggling to understand?

2011-08-07T07:58:00.001-04:00

Then he said, "Let me go, for the day has broken." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32:26 ESV)

The verse I chose today is from the account of Jacob wrestling with God. I read through this several times looking for the message of how to apply to our lives. We struggle with the concept of being saved by grace alone. As humans, we feel that we must control our own destiny. We must do good to gain God's favor, just like Jacob wrestled with God, proving what he could do.

But we could never possibly do enough to gain God's approval. For that it took a Savior to die a brutal death on the cross. God created us, sent His Son to die for us so that we may share his unconditional love with others. So that we will do good works in His name, not in our name. Nothing we can do will get us to heaven, that gift has already been provided. That does not mean we should go on in our sinful ways, but instead work to share that same gift with others.

Are you wrestling with God? Are you trying to figure out what you can do to win his favor? Are you trying to make deals with Him? If you are, stop and accept His forgiveness, accept that this life will be a constant struggle and move to share the good news. Christ died for us all to allow us to enter His Father's kingdom.

God bless this day of rest.

Steadfast Love

2011-08-06T07:36:00.001-04:00

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1 ESV)

The first verse of Psalm 118 says it all. Nothing on this earth can defeat us. The Lord will always keep us safe if we have faith and ask in His Son's name.

His love is never ending, we must never forget that. No matter what trials we face, He knows what is good for us.

Watch for the hand of God

2011-08-05T07:20:00.001-04:00

Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. (Genesis 21:16-17 ESV)

When you hear some one cry, what is your first thought? What about the word shelter when used to in terms of someone that has no where to live? We tend to think of both of these in negative terms. Crying can be a sign of sadness, there are tears of joy. But most often crying is a call of need, like a baby cries when it is hungry, tired or needs a diaper. We cry out to God in times of dispair.

When you se someone crying, what a great opportunity to show the love of Christ through your next action.

God promises daily bread and shelter and clothing, everything we need. However, he doesn't say it will be gourmet meals, designer clothing or a big house with a pool. No, he promises to provide what we need. For some reason, going to a shelter, say for battered women, is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. In reality, it is a sign of strength, faith in God's Word and promise.

We want to think that we can fix things on our own, that we are responsible so we need to get out of it with our own methods. I am not saying we aren't responsible for our actions, but God loves and forgives us and is always willing to provide what we need. We just need to be humble, admit our need and ask. Just like Hagar in our Bible passage above. She cried out for help, unable to even look at her son as he was certain to die. What if when she opened her eyes, she would have refused to accept God's gift of the well? What if she said, no Lord, I can do it on my own? Seems silly, right? To reject the help when offered. When faced with a difficult situation, look for God's outreached hand, grab it, and let Him pull you to safety.

God bless you.

Thy will be done

2011-08-04T07:45:00.001-04:00

saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." (Luke 22:42 ESV)

I find that I must constantly remind myself of this passage from Luke. Jesus, facing death on the cross, prays to His Father to spare Him, but then says the words above.

How many times do we face situations where we can see where God is leading us yet we feel that it is not the right path. We plead and ask for a different outcome. But we must always remember thet only He knows what is best for us. Just like a parent knows what is best for their child, we are God's children and must obey His commands.

The next time your child doesn't obey, reflect on the example you are setting. Are you obeying your Father?

God bless you on this Thursday.

The Covenant

2011-08-03T07:20:00.001-04:00

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." (Genesis 9:12-16 ESV)

In my morning devotion I read through this passage and was amazed at what I read. I had never gotten it before in all the times I have either read or heard it. The rainbow is a sign of God's covenant between Him and all the people of the earth. A covenant that He will never flood the earth again, a promise to His creation.

But take a look at what I have emphasized in the passage. Notice the word I in both lines. Not only is this a reminder to us, but God says it will remind Him of His promise to us. As a parent I understand. I know on many occasions either my wife or I will say "it's a good thing you are so cute ". I am sure you have been there. So many times you get upset with your children, but when you look at them you see God's love and you can forgive.

That all makes more sense now. As sinful as we are, God still loves us and created signs that He would recognize to ensure He keeps His covenant with us. similarly we wear wedding bands to remind us of our covenant to our spouse. We will all be better off when we go back and remember what got us here. God breathed life into us, our mothers gave birth to us, our parents raised us, we fell in love with our spouses, we decided to have children.

Think about these things when things get rough, when we are down on our luck. Always remember God's promise.

I am having technical difficulties

2011-08-02T06:19:00.000-04:00

I apologize but I am having technical difficulties with my blogging app. I have now lost 2 days of postings upon publishing.

Why am I here Lord

2011-07-31T08:16:00.001-04:00

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands." (Psalm 138:8 ESV)

Do you ever find yourself asking God why you are here? What's your purpose? I know on many occasions I have looked up tomthe heavens and asked these questions. But we all have a plan laid out for us, we just need to be patient while God reveals this plan in His time. We must remember that God's time is different than our time.

This reminds me of my all time favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life. I can surely relate to George Bailey and when I start to think that I don't matter I pray and God always inserts the thought of George Bailey into my mind. I know He wants me to think about the people I've touched in my life. At the time I thought the encounters were inconsequential. But what would have happened had I not had that encounter?

My Dad turns 77 today. I am one of six children and my dad sacrificed so much for us all and still does. I pray that God continues to bless him because the lives he touches are a little better because of those encounters. Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Showing the love of Christ

2011-07-30T08:17:00.001-04:00

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:12-14 ESV)

In reading this passage this morning during my devotion it made me stop and think. What does it mean that my members are instruments for righteousness? I may be off here but I believe that God is referring to my actions when He uses the term members, things I do with my hands and feet, the way I walk, talk, and treat others. Do you see this the same?

Think about this. Do you have faith that Jesus Christ is your Savior? What led you to that faith? It was the Holy Spirit workng through others and the Word. Now think about the people you care about, a sibling, a parent, a friend or colleague. Don't you want them to know that they too are under God's grace? Will they see the love of Christ if you constantly succumb to the temptations of the devil? Will not they better se the love by your actions?

I think the answer is clear. I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say "they say they are Christian but look at what they do ". What good is talking about Christ's love if we are not going to strive to act like Christ? Our actions are stronger than our words. What we do tells others more about Christ than what we say.

The family went white water rafting Tuesday with the church youth group and I am sure that the guides saw Christ in our group, not because we took our Bibles and read to them. Not because they knew we were from St. Paul's Lutheran Church. But instead because of how we acted, how we treated them and others. That is how we can help to grow God's Kingdom while here on earth.

I pray that all of us this day will think before we act today. Will what I do show the love of Christ? We are human and sinful by nature so the answer will not always be yes. But let us all strive to have more yes answers than no.

May God bless you.

Being thankful

2011-07-29T06:30:00.001-04:00

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 4:2 ESV)

For thosenthat have kids, especially tweens and teens, how often do you think or say "you kids aren't thankful for anything that you have". Sometimes this is said in anger, or out of frustration. In this time of instant gratification it seems to become more of a common theme.

But are you being a good example for your kids? When do you pray? Do you pray once a day, twice a day? Do you oray as a family? Do you only ask God for things or do you take the time to thank Him?

God promises to provide our daily bread. Take time to thank Him for that. Take time to pray as a family, as a couple, showing thankfulness for being provided the necessities. But also show thankfulness for what God has given you in a spouse, in your family.

Lead your family by example, show them that prayer, along with worship and reading the Word, is how we stay close in our relationship with God.

Enjoying God's creation

2011-07-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

Well, it took an extra day to recover from the white water rafting, but oh what a blast we had as we enjoyed everything God has given us. I was in awe as I enjoyed the trip down the river, looking around at the intricate detail of the rock formations. In May we went to Cedar Point and enjoyed man-made roller coasters. Yesterday we enjoyed a natural roller coaster provided by God.

The other enjoyable part of the day was around just letting go and having faith in God to get us safely down the river. Not only that, but I personally let go of some of my fears around letting the kids be independent. The 4 kids with 2 of their friends were in one boat and my wife and I were in another. What test of my faith that was to let go of that fear, handing to God as He instructs. We got to lunch and there were the kids. We got to the end of the day, and the kids were there. God fulfills His promises.

The day ended with a reminder of that promise and all of God's promises ; a beautiful rainbow right in front of us on the drive home!

By the way and for the record, the kids stayed in the boat while I was tossed out.

Gone white water rafting

2011-07-26T05:39:00.001-04:00

Will be back tomorrow.

When God answers "Not now"

2011-07-25T06:41:00.001-04:00

"And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1 ESV)

In todays society it is all about instant gratification. No one wants to wait for anything. We used to take film out to be developed, then their became 1 hour photo processing and now you can see your picture immediately right there on the camera. And so it is with prayer. We want an answer right now. After all, if I have a question I can go to the internet and find the answer immediately.

I look at comments for PrayerSteward and read as people want to track prayers that God answers, as if we are going to hold that againt Him on judgement day. In Luke 18, Jesus reminds us that we should not give up, we should be patient and remember that that prayers are always answered if asked through Jesus. We just don't always like the answer. It could be yes, no, or not now. We have problems with the latter two.

What do we teach our kids when we answer yes all the time, to all requests? Certainly not the message Jesus shares above. We continue to play into the ways of this world. When will we wake up and realize that instant gratification here on earth does nothing for us in our eternal life?

God bless you as you start your week.

Rejecting the unreliable

2011-07-23T06:30:00.001-04:00

"He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God." (Psalm 62:6-7 ESV)

My family and I were flipping through the Netflix instant queue on the Wii last night and the kids started expressing their thoughts on what they wanted to watch. Picking movies is always challenging in my house and sometimes leads to arguments. So I listened to God (finally my wife might add) and said I would make the decision on what to watch.

As I flipped through one title caught my eye. "What If? "

The description was of a man that gets a chance to look back at what could have been after making a bad decision to follow the temptations of this world. I made my decision. Wow, what a good decision it was. We all enjoyed the movie. Good, family entertainment with a message of God's grace. It doesn't get better than that, not today. The bonus was we got to see John Ratzenberg as an angel. He's been one of my favorite people since the days of Cliff Claven on Cheers and it was good to see him in a movie like this.

The movie reminded me that no matter what is in my past, God loves and forgives me. No one, no government, no earthly pleasure will ever supersede that fact. Their is also a terrific point in the movie where the importance of marriage and the commitment that is made between husband and wife is emphasized. That was important as today my niece, Stephanie, gets married to Andrew. Please pray with me that Stephanie and Andrew will always remeber God's promises and the covenant they are making with God today. Pray for strength and faith to handle all the challenges and opportunities in front of them as they start their lives together.

Also, please pray for the people of Norway in this time of great sorrow.

God bless you on this Saturday.

The comfort of knowing

2011-07-22T06:09:00.001-04:00

'This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life." ( Psalm 119:50 ESV)

Can you imagine how Mary Magdalene felt when Jesus appeared to her at the tomb? The initial fear and confusion turns to an incredible sense of peace as she realizes who stands before her.

Have you ever walked out of church thinking to yourself "Wow, that is exactly what I needed to hear "? I believe that is exactly what Mary Magdalene felt when she heard Jesus say her name. She was distraught over not knowing where they had taken His body. We get distraught over the events and the culture of this world. It is not merely enough to struggle on our own. We need the Truth, the Word, to help us have that same feeling of peace that Mary felt. How do we know God's love for us unless we hear his voice?

I mentioned coming out of church and that's an important statement. God instructs us to worship with other believers. I know I have many times read a passage in the Bible and not thought twice about it's meaning. But to have that same passage put into real life meaning makes a difference. We need to hear the Word on a regular basis and understand how a passage is related to the rest of the Word. And yes, many times we just need to hear the Word from the pulpit where we aren't distracted and it can sink in.

When God speaks to us at that moment, we feel that no one else exists, that it's just me and God, and He is calling my name and letting me know His promise is the truth.

The way He works in our lives

2011-07-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

First, it's good to be back writing this blog again. It is amazing how God puts experiences in our lives in order to advance His kingdom. And believe me when I say that God has allowed some incredible challenges to unfold in my life over the past few months. From parenting challenges to work challenges and even a short stint in the hospital, they have pushed me to continually lean on the strength of my faith.

In my morning devotion, it included the story of Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 50:15-21). After reading this, and being reminded of what Joseph endured yet was still able to forgive, I thought back to my recent challenges and also looked at how much I relied on God to get me through. He has not let go. It does remind me constantly about living by the simple statement His will be done, not my will be done.

Oh, and a side note, the fun things my brothers did to me growing up, like stealing from my Easter basket, are nothing compared to what Joseph's brothers did to him.

Taking time off

2010-11-04T05:51:00.000-04:00

All, with deep regret I will be taking time off from my blog postings.

My responsibilities as a husband, father, church elder need to take precedence right now and that is where my focus must lie. With the newjob, demands on my time are greater, but the benefits from that work will help my family and I as we look to take on some mission work in the future.

I hope my followers will understand and I ask for your prayers.

God Bless!

God gave you the right to vote

2010-11-02T06:10:00.000-04:00

Election Day in the US. Maybe one of the most important days in history. I pray that you consider seriously the consequences of today's vote. For too long now, our government has widdled away at our God given rights. For too long our government has continued to pit us against each other. That is not the Christian way. We help each other. We love each other.

Please pray for guidance as you go to the polls. Pray for God to continue to bless this great country. Pray that we will elect people who care about these rights GOd gave us and are not career politicians.

God Bless America.

2010-10-29T05:12:00.000-04:00

The Truth Project. I've mentioned it here before. A video series from Focus on the Family done incredibly well. Looking into the face of God. An amazing journey that has changed how I look at so many of my relationships and life in general.

We are not here on earth for our own glorification, but instead for God's. Unfortunately our sinful nature takes us down the path of the former when we should be on the path of the latter. Last night we watched Lesson 8 which showed us how many times the Bible references being "one". God says we are all equal, it is undeniable. Yet, why is it that there is so much disproportion here on earth? Because our "one" is in relation to God, not what we have here on earth. I may have all the power in the world, but when I enter into eternity, I will be one of the many heirs to the Kingdom of God.

God Bless.

Are you wearing your baptism?

2010-10-27T05:44:00.000-04:00

You get a great gift, say a nice new shirt. It is the nicest shirt you have ever seen. You want to wear it all the time. Every time it goes through the wash and then is placed in your closet you pick it to wear. Maybe the gift is a new electronic gadget. You use it all the time, maybe it even makes your life easier.

With these gifts, eventually the shirt will wear out, or you will outgrow it.With electronic gadgets, they are usually obsolete in a short period of time. How many of us have a phone or PDA that is older than 3 years old. And how long do they stay relevant?

What about God's gift of grace? We receive it at baptism. Do you rush to put it on every morning? Do you want to show your friends? Do you want to share it with your friends? It is truly a gift that never wears out, never gets obsolete (as a matter of fact as we get older it becomes more and more relevant yet we tend to push it aside). Pray that God will continue to send His Holy Spirit down to you and keep you wearing your baptism so that all may see the light of God through you.

As the weather gets brisk this time of year, and you grab for your jacket, ask yourself "do I have my baptism on?"

I have a routine as I go off to work each morning. I feel around before walking out the door, "do I have my badge, my keys, my wallet, my phone?" But what about assuring that I am wearing the most precious gift ever given to me, God's love and grace, salvation, eternal life?

I pray that you too will remember to check to see if you are wearing your baptism before you walk out the door each day. Shine the light of Jesus as you go about your daily activities. Share the wonderful gift. It never runs out.

God Bless and be safe!

2010-10-25T06:19:00.000-04:00

"But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him."
Genesis 4:15

From the beginning God makes it clear that revenge should not be part of our repertoire. or He speaks and says that for those that inflict revenge, they shall suffer. While not outright saying it, God is telling all people that we are all sinners, and all need forgiveness.

God Bless your week.

Tough Love

2010-10-21T06:04:00.000-04:00

"Yet I am always with you;

you hold me by my right hand."
Psalm 73:23

In everything we do, we should remember that God is right there with us, guiding us every step of the way...if we let Him.

There are tough things we must do in life. Discipline a child, let an employee go, let a loved one pass on to meet Jesus. But God assures us that if we pray constantly for His guiding hand, He will be right there with us. What a comfort that is to know that when we call on Him for support, He will be there.

There are surely tough actions I need to take. But I pray that God's will be done. In that, I have assurance that those tough actions are what is best for me, for the other person, and for others. We must always remember to pray for His will to be done, not our will to be done.

God Bless!

Don't stray

2010-10-20T05:30:00.001-04:00

Those of you that are close to me know that I made the decision to go back into the corporate world at the end of the summer. I felt God calling me to share my faith with others, maybe Christian, maybe not. I believe in God's plan for me. The time I spent earlier this year strengthening my releationship with the Lord was all part of God's plan. Things fell into place. One thing that I committed myself to when making the decision to go back into the corporate world was to keep up with my study of the Bible and my prayer commitments.

It is funny how the devil sees the opportunities in those that strengthen their faith. I guess he figures he already has a hold on those that do not. I remember or pastor telling our son's confirmation class how the devil was poised and waiting for them to confirm their faith so he could go after them.

Well I must admit, the devil tried to grab hold of me over the last few weeks. He put thoughts in my head about how much more important it is to get to work early vs. writing my blog or even keeping up with my daily devotions. At first it was missing a day here and there. Then I missed almost an entire week. Now granted I did some traveling that week, but that is no excuse.

So, what is my message today? Remember to stay strong in your commitment to Christ. How do we accomplish this? Well, most importantly, we have to continue to pray and talk to God. Tell Him how much we appreciate the gifts He has given to us. Ask Him for help in fighting off the devil. Ask him to continue to send the Holy Spirit down upon you to ensure you remain strong in faith.

Happy Wednesday. God Bless You!

Could I be like Job?

2010-10-19T06:06:00.000-04:00

"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."
Job 1:20-22

This passage is impressive when taken in context with the beginning of the chapter. Job had everything, God blessed him and Job feared and loved God.

But God let Satan take it all away to prove that Job was a good man and that he would not turn away from God even if all his possessions were taken away. Satan took everything away. All his animals, possessions and his family. Yet Job still praised God and did not ask why this had happened to him.

How many of us would do the same? We ask God now why a single instance of grief occurs. Can you even imagine the faith this man had? I sometimes look at the third world countries and the famine and death that they experience and see a glimpse of Job. They continue to pray, continue to praise God and continue to live.

I pray that we all can have the faith of Job.

God Bless!

What are we glorifying?

2010-10-18T06:22:00.000-04:00

Jack#%& 3D tops the box office. We have multiple flavors of Law & Order and CSI. Every night you can find TV shows that seem to glorify crime and crime fighting. Then there are the medical shows, all seeming to imply that if your spouse is in that field, they are going to systematically have affairs with every member of their staff.

What are we teaching our younger generations? It is all okay. It is all normal.

I have a problem with this. We spend one day a week at most honoring and glorifying God, and the other six glorifying the devil.

Pray that this trend reverses.

We should always ask

2010-10-11T06:09:00.000-04:00

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 1:5

I am inspired by this verse in the Book of James. One sentence provides a tremendous amount of information about who God is and what He provides.

If we lack wisdom (and who can say they know everything), God tells us to ask Him.

He gives generously to us. To many times we feel that we must do everything in order to receive our reward. God has already given us the reward of eternal life with Him. And He gives it to us even though we are undeserving. How many times have you given something to someone after they were disrespectful, hurtful or just plain bad? Yet, we sin each and every day and God continues to give generously to us. I can surely say that if I would have had to be good to be blessed with such a wonderful wife and four great kids, I'd still be single with no children.

God sees us through His Son, and therefore sees us as holy, without fault.

Say a prayer of thanksgiving today. Tell God how much you appreciate the wonderful blessings He has provided and continues to provide.

God Bless.

2010-10-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

My favorite Bible verse. It says it all.

Prayers not answered? Think again.

2010-10-06T06:34:00.000-04:00

We are instructed to pray continually, pray in Jesus' name, pray for our enemies. We do this yet still feel at times that our prayers go unheard. We know that God is listening. He tells us throughout His Word that this is the case. Yet why is He not answering my prayer?

We are also told that God does answer all of our prayers if we ask through Jesus. So what is the deal when it seems that our prayer is not answered?

The question you should ask is whether you are ready for the answer? Are you ready for God's will to be done? Sometimes, often it seems, God's answer is not now, or wait. It is hard for us to comprehend because we only know what is now. God knows His plan for each of us. We need to keep this in mind and pray for His will to be done.

God Bless You.

Post flood

2010-10-04T06:25:00.000-04:00

So we live in an area that was in a swath that received a little over 10 inches of rain Wednesday night through Friday morning. Except for some water in the basement (thanks to God for the water taking a path around our valuables) we escaped unscathed. Then I heard about Wilmington, NC getting over 22 inches of rain from the same storm and thought to myself how lucky we were. I am pretty sure 22 inches in the same time-frame would have had a different outcome in my basement.

As I thought about those poor people down there and the feeling of helplessness I felt, I then read the comment to my Thursday post from Mark. How horrible it must have been for Noah to leave so many other souls helpless, left behind to perish in the great flood. I then thought about Sully and his heroics on the Hudson, staying behind and making sure everyone else was out of the plane before himself getting out. While we are sinful by nature, there is definitely something inherent in most of us that makes us want to help others. What is that something? It is the love of God. It is the gift from God as our creator. It is what gives me hope every day. Show God's mercy as you have been instructed to do.

Will you reach out and help someone today? I pray that you will.

God Bless.

The flood and the promise

2010-09-30T06:19:00.000-04:00

"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.""
Genesis 8:21

Getting up this morning in the mid-Atlantic you can only hear the heavy rains. I thought that I would visit God's promise to Noah and to all of us that he would never flood the earth and destroy all living creatures. We can be assured of this.

It is funny how I was thinking about how difficult a drive to work it would be. Then I read the story again and was reminded that while it rained for 40 days and nights, the land did not dry up for 150 days. That is one long commute. And I only have myself in the car. I cannot imagine being with 2 of each of the animals of the earth. What patience Noah had.

If I could just practice one hundredth of the patience that Noah must have had on that ark I will be happy.

God Bless you as you enter the end of the week.

Give thanks each and every day

2010-09-29T05:30:00.000-04:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

This has got to me my all time favorite verse in the Bible. It says it all. It means something so special to me, having two sons and two daughters, and knowing how much I love them. I would step in front of a moving locomotive to keep them safe. I can not imagine watching them suffer as God watched His Son, Jesus, suffer on the cross.

Is not that reason enough to wake up every morning and go to bed every night with a prayer of thanksgiving to God. He has given us new life, eternal life, through the gift of His "one and only Son". If that was a gift, how can anyone fathom that everything else in this world is a gift from God. From the mountains, to the rivers and oceans, it is all given to us. Now, we must use it with God in mind. That is where the problem lies. We are a society that slowly (lately quickening that pace) is turning away from God and allowing the devil to tempt us more and more with thoughts that we control our own destiny, we are in charge, we do not need God's divine help.

How can we turn our back on the One who gave us such a precious gift. If your kids get you a heart felt gift for your birthday or Father's or Mother's day, would you turn around immediately, right in front of them, and throw it in the trash? No, of course not. You would take it to the office, show it off to friends, maybe post a picture of it on your facebook page. But how many of us are willing to put this wonderful gift God has given us on display at the office, or on their facebook page?

This is a question we should all ask ourselves. Why aren't we sharing this incredible gift with others?

I wanted to share one more time that I am honoring a friend who passed away and others that have won the battle against breast cancer. I will be running in the annual Susan G Komen Race for the Cure this Sunday in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Would you like to honor a loved one, a survivor, or just help me in my effort to help this great cause? If so, please click HERE to go to my page and make a donation. Every little bit helps.

God Bless your Wednesday.

2010-09-28T06:22:00.000-04:00

"...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:20

A powerful statement made by Jesus to the twelve disciples in the Great Commission. This was after He told them to go and make disciples of all the nations. He instructed them to spread the word of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and He promised that He would be there with them until the end of time.

But Jesus was talking to all of us through the disciples. He is and always will be there for us, interceding for us to His Father. He wants us to spread the good news of His death and resurrection. He wants us to live in His Father's image.

How can we, poor miserable sinners, accomplish this? By showing our faith in Him through our words and actions of kindness. Volunteer, go out of your way to help someone, love one another as God loves us, unconditionally, and most important forgive as we have been forgiven.

God Bless you.

I am running in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure on Sunday in Maryland. If you feel moved to do so, please visit my page and help raise money for research for a cure for breast cancer.

No one moved your cheese

2010-09-24T05:01:00.001-04:00

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"
Hebrews 13:8

Have you read the short book "Who Moved My Cheese?" It is an interesting read and is meant to prepare people, specifically in the business world, on how to hand the inevitable change that occurs as markets and the economy changes. We are assured that on this earth things will change. We can't stop it but we can be prepared for it and accept it.

But I am going to say that while the book makes great points, the way to best handle change here on earth is to keep focused on the One that never changes. Keeping our focus on Jesus Christ allows us to lift up our worries and concerns to Him as we are instructed to do. Unlike the story, where one day the cheese was gone, we are assured in Hebrews that each day when we wake up Jesus will be there. As a matter of fact, He will be there whenever we need Him. He is there even when we think we do not need Him.

Take comfort in this as you can be assured that no matter when, no matter how, when you Pray through Jesus Christ, God hears you and will answer you.

God Bless your Friday and weekend.

2010-09-23T05:30:00.001-04:00

"So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
John 11:41-42

Is it not amazing that Jesus had to thank His Father, God in front of the Jews at Lazarus' grave so that they would believe He was sent by God? How then, if these men witnessed Jesus bringing Lazarus back from the dead, can we be amazed when non-believers do not believe?

The Holy Spirit must touch our hearts and souls and grant us the gift of faith. But the Holy Spirit can only work through the Word of God. So we must whenever possible share the Word of God with those unbelievers. Share first in your acts of kindness out of the love of God. Then share what you know. Share your favorite verse. Make your favorite verse one that speaks the true love and promise of God.

Pray that others that have not been touched by the Holy Spirit will be. Pray that your actions and words will help to convey the love of our God.

God Bless you.

2010-09-22T06:43:00.000-04:00

Lord help me to persevere in times of trouble.
Lord give me strength to reject the ways of the world.
Lord let the light of Your Son always shine through me in everything I do.
Lord send the Holy Spirit to help those around me.
Lord give me strength to support those in need even when it seems like a lot of work.
Lord give me this day my daily bread.

2010-09-21T05:30:00.002-04:00

"Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Matthew 18:22

The explanation for seventy-seven times in my NIV Bible said this could be seventy times seven times. But in reality, 77 vs. 70 X 7, does it really matter. What Jesus was preaching here is that God instructs us to always forgive our neighbors, not in begrudgingly but in love. He does not mean we should keep a tally of every time we forgive someone and then on number 78 suddenly say we don't have to forgive them any more. No, God wants us to forgive as Jesus asked Him to forgive those that crucified Him.

I think the key phrase in Jesus' statement on the cross is "for they know not what they are doing". Cannot we say that about the sins we commit from time to time. Especially in today's world of open promiscuity, encouragement to do what is best for us or what feels good. Sometimes I think we become numb to the fact that we are sinning. Society tells us that if it feels good, it must be good. Our younger generations can hardly discern right from wrong any more.

Pray that we will wake up, reject the works of Satan and know what we are doing and when it is wrong.

God Bless your Tuesday.

Unlike a job, with God we aren't performance based

2010-09-20T07:06:00.000-04:00

In reading my morning devotion that was based on Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments, I started to think about how even though God gave us these 10 clear instructions on how to live, what is right and what is wrong, we are still not judged by how well we keep them. Unlike our jobs where we may have goals for bonuses, goals just to get to the next level, or just goals that we want to do in order to get ahead personally, the Ten Commandments are not like that. It is only through faith in Jesus Christ that we can attain our eternal life. Nothing we do can get us there.

Does this mean we should not strive to keep the Ten Commandments? Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, we should be working harder to keep them, then we work at attaining our earthly goals. Just imaging if we all took as much time and effort to keeping them as we do in go after those goals that are set for us at work. Wouldn't this world be a much better place?

God Bless your work week.

Let yourself be carried

2010-09-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

"For I am the Lord, your God,
     who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
     I will help you."
                 Isaiah 41:13

No one ever promised us an easy life. As a matter of fact, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, that sealed the deal. Death, sin, suffering were all introduced by that act.

But throughout the Bible, God gives us reason to work through our discouragements. In this particular passage from Isaiah, it is clear that God is speaking through Isaiah, telling us that we should not fear those things that discourage us. If we call upon Him, He is right there with us, hand in hand.

This makes me think of the famous poem by Mary Stevenson, Footprints in the Sand. The poem is so beautiful as it shows God's great love for us, His children. Take a moment, click on the link above, and just meditate on the wonderful thought of how God will carry us all through our times of trouble. Do not be discouraged in these times, but instead pray that God will lift you up and carry you across the sand.

God Bless your Wednesday.

Follow the right guide

2010-09-14T05:30:00.000-04:00

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you."
John 16:13-14

On this election day here in the United States, hold on to the words as written in the Gospel of John above. Do not be drawn into false promises by politicians, but instead go to the polls with our one and only guide, Jesus Christ, on your mind. He will guide you, as He always does, if you open yourself up to His wisdom and ask in prayer for His guidance.

He is the only one that can lead us to eternal life in heaven. Do not be fooled by false promises. There is only one promise you should hold onto.

God Bless you on election day 2010.

We all know John 3:16

2010-09-13T05:31:00.000-04:00

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
John 3:17

We have all seen the rainbow hair in the end zone attached to the head of the guy holding the sign that reads John 3:16. And it is a terrific passage from John's gospel. But it is always good to read the passages around a famous verse so that we can pick up on context. John 3:17 is interesting in that it shows God's true love for all of us. He did not send Jesus into the world to condemn us, but instead to save us. And what do we need to do in order to be saved? Nothing, we are already saved by God's Grace. The only thing we can do is reject that wonderful gift, denying Jesus Christ as our savior.

This is a very important point. Our good works come from having faith in Jesus Chris as our savior, they are not done to gain entrance into the heavenly kingdom with God. Our faith in Jesus leads us to want to be like Him and that is where our good works come from. Do not be lured into thinking that anything you do will get you closer to heaven. There is only one way and God has already given that to us in His Son.

God Bless the start of your week.

2010-09-10T05:30:00.000-04:00

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
Romans 3:20

An interesting passage from Romans for today's devotion. God wants us to be conscious of our sins, but even if we kept every law God declared, we would not be righteous in His eyes. We are justified by grace alone, a gift from God, given as His Son on the cross at Calvary.

Another sitting of "The Truth Project" from Focus on the Family last night. Lesson 4 was "Who is God?"

What an incredible lesson this was on how God reveals Himself through the Bible. Dr. Tackett is quite passionate in his instruction and it puts Christians in the right mindset, to learn as much as possible through the Bible. I can't wait to dive into more, to truly know God as He reveals Himself. He instructs us to do this throughout the Bible. I pray that I will fight off the distractions of our society to take a deeper look into gazing at the face of God.

God Bless your Friday.

Hold your tongue

2010-09-09T05:33:00.000-04:00

"The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."
James 3:6

We have all heard the expressions hold your tongue or bite your tongue. This is usually when we have said something that is offensive or nasty. Our tongues can get us into so much trouble, mainly I believe because there does not seem to be a direct connection to our brains at times. We say things that we immediately would want to take back. But words can be so hurtful that they damage beyond repair.

It is funny. I like to think that I demonstrate my faith through my actions. I've always been more comfortable doing that. I have had several dozen instances where my tongue has gotten me into trouble. With my parents, with my spouse, even with my children. I thank God everyday in my prayers that He sent His Son to take the burden of my sin away. But that does not mean that I do not also pray for Him to help me in my daily life to not use my tongue for hurtful messages. That just defeats any good actions I may do as a result of my faith.

We must remember that our words are part of our actions. Our words are what others use to see if we are Christians. If I help an elderly person across the street, but then turn around and use my tongue to speak wrong at a driver that blows their horn at us, my actions cannot possibly be speaking louder than my words at that point in time.

God Bless your Thursday.

Our slate wiped clean

2010-09-08T06:35:00.000-04:00

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'"
Matthew 27:46

What a powerful passage we read in today's devotion from the Gospel of Matthew. The significance of those words spoken by Jesus on the cross is the root of our salvation. It is how we are justified before God. At that moment, God transferred the sins of the entire world onto the shoulders of Jesus and then punished him for those sins.

He wiped our slate clean from all of our sin, past, present and future.

Is it not a small ask from God for us to follow his laws? After all, His Son was perfect, followed every law and yet was punished so that we may be forgiven of our sins. I think it is a small price that we pay because Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.

God Bless you!

It got me thinking

2010-09-07T07:23:00.000-04:00

With the US celebration (if you want to call it that) of Labor Day yesterday, it got me thinking about some random thoughts on labor and this country's trends in regard to the subject. While the original holiday was rushed through Congress in a mere 6 days in 1894 to attempt to reconcile with labor unions after the Pullman Strike.

So while so many consider it the end of the summer or the celebration of the American work ethic, it is in reality just another holiday created to appease a specific group. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good cookout or the last chance to swim at the club, but the thought of this being a great holiday of significance is wrong.

I started to think about what is going so wrong in this country of ours. Certainly the destruction of the traditional family is high on my list. I by no means am attempting to alienate any group of people, particularly those families that find it necessary to have both parents working. But we must think about what this does to our families as time goes on. We collectively let others raise our own children. And the worst part is that our government not only condones it, but supports it with our lousy tax structure.

Yes, there are tax breaks for day care of our children, but none for those parents that sacrifice (yes a strong but accurate term) in order to raise their own children. If our political system was what our fore fathers had truly envisioned, I think I would have to throw my hat in one of the rings. Everyday, we struggle with air pollution from too many vehicles on the road, high unemployment numbers and the like. But what if we had someone that was gutsy enough to lay out a plan to reward families where one spouse stayed home (yes, I'm not even advocating which spouse) so that a tighter family unit could exist. What would this mean?

Maybe I am living in a bubble, but I think this would mean less traffic nightmares at rush hour (after all wouldn't we eliminate a good portion of the number of vehicles on the road), and unemployment would be much lower if not nonexistent because the number of workers vying for jobs would be less.

Again, just some random thoughts as we celebrated another Labor Day here in the states.

May God bless you and the United States of America.

An experience and a lesson

2010-09-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

My family had an experience this week which ties a little bit into this verse from my daily devotion today. My youngest son who is 7 years old broke his elbow very badly on Tuesday afternoon. Yesterday he had surgery to place pins through the elbow at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Children that age get to choose a parent to walk back with them to the operating room as the anesthesiologist puts them to sleep for the surgery.

What an incredibly hard thing to go through. You stand there, not being able to help you own flesh as they slowly dose off. You are then told to go out to the waiting room and they will let you know when the surgery is done. My son was incredibly brave yesterday, never complaining and only saying he was a little nervous. Little did he know just how nervous and frightened his dad was. But God gave me strength which I had prayed for to be strong for him. The surgery went well and after about an hour of pain and confusion he was getting back to himself. What a blessing.

This, and the devotion today, got me thinking about how hard it was for God to watch as his sinless Son, Jesus, was crucified. Not only the crucifixion, but the torture He endured up to his death. My son's elbow was broken and had to be fixed. God's son was perfect, not broken. It was us that were and still are broken. Yet He sacrificed His Son to fix our broken lives as sinful beings. And He was not sent away to be told later when the procedure was over. He was watching as His Son was tortured to death.

The love I have for my children is indescribable. The love God has for us, His children is so much that it is hard to even comprehend. Let us all pray that we, too, can show that same love to our siblings here on earth.

God Bless your Friday.

A sermon that hits home

2010-09-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

It is amusing how a sermon can ring so true either as we hear it or later as we experience one of life's curve balls and reflect back upon the words of a sermon. There are times when we walk into church with a burden or challenged in our effort to love one another by some event that has caused strife in our lives. We sit there and something in the sermon, or the Word for the day touches our hearts and it is as if God is talking directly to us (and I think in these times He is).

The sermon this past Sunday was on how we can expect challenges and hard times throughout our lives here on earth. Just when we think we are over a hurdle, another one pops up. But we can have peace in knowing that God gives us the tools to handle all of life's challenges. We just need to ask for, and be willing to accept, His help.

This week has been a roller coaster. Friday, my wife and I visited a new surgeon for a second opinion on her recovery from major back surgery in April. What a joy it was for us to hear this man's words of comfort, to hear him answer our questions, questions that the previous surgeon either ignored or shrugged his shoulders. Then, yesterday I received a very good offer for new employment. It is the perfect position for me allowing me to lead a diverse team and witness to many. But back to the challenges, my 7 year old son broke his elbow in two places. It is a severe break and he needs to see a specialist. Yes, life here on earth will continue to be full of challenges. But in prayer I have peace in God's grace and love for me and my family. I know that he will get us through yet another challenge.

God Bless your Wednesday.

Where is your treasure?

2010-08-31T07:53:00.000-04:00

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21

In this age of constantly trying to keep up with the Jones, we need to stop and reflect on this passage from the Gospel of Matthew. My dad has always had a saying, "You can't take it with you". It is funny because he always used this phrase when we were taking a vacation to Disney. I know he worked so hard just to provide for us, and he did one heck of a job. But he also made sure that we spent time as a family on a nice vacation every other year.

Looking back, it is those special times that I remember best. Waking up in hotel rooms with my siblings, running in and out of the water with my family, just enjoying. If we try to stock up on the riches of the earth and miss the point of sharing God's love with others; our family, friends, neighbors; then we totally miss the point of why God has put us on this earth.

Sharing God's love will make you feel richer than any amount of money, any new car, any big house can possibly make you feel. You will feel rich in knowing that your treasure is waiting for you in Heaven.

God Bless your Tuesday.

The lost sheep

2010-08-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Luke 15:7

The parable of the Lost Sheep is one of my favorites. What else must Jesus tell us about our ability to live for eternity in Heaven. How exciting to know that even though we, like a sheep, will wander off, losing our way, only to be swept up upon the shoulders of Jesus as He carries us to Heaven. He seeks and rescues us from the perils of this earth just as a shepherd seeks out and rescues the lost sheep.

What a comforting feeling to know that God, having so many sheep to watch over, will still seek us out and try to find us and bring us back to the flock. And what do we have to do to enjoy eternity with Him? Absolutely nothing. It is a gift given to us from God in the form of His Son who died on the cross for each and every one of us.

Pray that you will heed His call and return to the flock when He seeks you out. Pray also for your fellow sheep in the flock. Who are these other sheep? Look around where you are, where you were, and where you will be next. For we are all God's sheep, each and every one of us. Pray that so many more will hear the call and return.

God Bless your Monday.

Patience allows us to enjoy God's plan

2010-08-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Colossians 1:10-12

It has been an interesting and exciting year so far for me and my family. An opportunity to be at home with the family for a few months turned into eight months of good times as well as challenging times. But finally I have seen God's plan for me. I have never been one with a great deal of patience. I have worked hard all my life to get ahead, to conquer those things I thought needed conquering.

But a funny thing happened over the last eight months. God taught me to be patient, to depend on Him and His word. God taught me that things that are best for us must come in His time, not mine.

Throughout the last few months I have struggled with the question of what God wanted me to do. I thought that it was writing software for Christians so they could use technology in their spiritual life. Yes, God wanted me to do that...but that was just a step in his plan for me. He knew the passion that would stir in me, the desire to read the Word more regularly and the desire to come closer to Him.

But what I did not know, was how God was going to allow me time to look back and see all the lives that I have touched throughout my career. But now I am stronger through the Word and am ready to be a true servant leader. I have prayed many, many times over the last few months, asking God to reveal His plan for me. He answered every time, only for a while I was not ready and the answer was "not yet". It was very difficult, but with the incredible support of family and friends, I have learned patience and God is rewarding me by revealing the next step of the plan.

I am so excited to be taking the next step. I cannot wait, check that, I will have great patience as I await the next step from God in His great plan for me.

God Bless you.