God is Good

Psalm 145:9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

God is good and His compassion is amazing. Why is He good? First of all because the Bible tells me so and by faith I accept what the Bible says as true. Second because He has proven it over and over. In my time of weakness He has given me strength, in times of temptation He has given me a way out (even though I have not always taken it), in good times He has rejoiced with me. God is good and I cannot ever forget that and I can never stop talking about it. When the heat is turned up and the temptations are great I must remember that God is good. Today may I be reminded of just how Good God is and that His compassion is on me.

Father you are good and thank you that you prove that all the time.

Can Others See Christ in Me?

Matthew 5:5-9 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

You know as I read these characteristics that should be evident in my life, I have to ask myself, "are they"? I wonder do people see these in me or more importantly would the Lord say they are evident. The word blessed means happy, content, satisfied and each characteristic leads to being blessed. It's funny cuz the world tells me in order to be happy or blessed I have to be successful, powerful, wealthy, have more and get more. But the Bible makes it clear that being happy or blessed comes from living a life that others can see Christ in me. These attitudes are but a step in the evidence trail in my life if I am following after Christ. My prayer today is that others would see in me these being played out so that they might come to know my awesome Savior.

Father forgive me when I fail to allow your Son to be seen in my life. Today may these characteristics be seen in me so others might see you.

My Arch Enemy

2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

To underestimate Satan will spell out certain defeat. It's like a great basketball team that overlooks one opponent for another and then is handed a defeat because they overlooked them. However to give Satan to much credit is just has defeating if not more so. Take the same team that goes into a game and is afraid because they have heard that the other team is better or tougher and they end up because of fear not playing to the potential that they have. Satan is a real enemy and completely hates God and everything associated with God including me. He would like nothing more than to destroy my life as a lion destroys its prey. However the Bible makes it clear that Satan can only do what God allows him, that he is not all knowing, all powerful and in all places. He is limited, however his weapons are great and he is a expert at using them to get us to fail. But it is in those moments that we must hold onto verses like this one that are full of the promises of God and His truth. Truth will always defeat a lie and Satan is the author of lies. Today as I face temptation and the attacks of Satan may I be reminded the Lord is faithful and that he will protect me in the battle.

Father I need your strength today as I know Satan is waiting and ready to attack at any moment. May I in my weakness find strength in you today.

Ready for His return! Or Am I???

Matthew 25:6-10 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

This part of a passage is taken from a parable that Jesus gave about being ready for His return. The Bible makes it clear that one day Jesus will return and when He does those that are ready will go to meet with Him and live in His presence in Heaven for eternity. Unfortunately like the foolish virgins in this parable they will miss His coming and will be separated from Him. I absolutely believe that I am ready in the sense of my relationship with Christ, that I have come to the place where I have confessed my sin and my need for a Savior and have excepted Jesus Christ death as my payment for sin and have been forgiven. However I believe I am still in the process of Him becoming Lord of my life. The question is does my life reflect that I believe that He is coming back again, and to that my answer is I hope so. That is what I long for, that is what I desire, to live in such a way as to point others to Christ. If I really believe that Jesus is coming then I will do everything I can to prepare my heart and those around me.

Father today help me to live as one believing that your son is returning and maybe soon. I want to be more godly, pursue our relationship more and tell others about you. May I have the opportunities today to see these things unfolded in my life as I seek you today.

Have Patience, Have Patience

James 5:7-9 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

I have to admit this passage is difficult for me because I am not a very patient person. Actually I am down right impatient and often it gets me in trouble. However it's funny I am very patient with some people while others I find myself struggling big time. I find that my impatience comes from frustration that a person does not meet my expectations or desires when I want them met. While I may not grumble about others to people I often find myself grumbling in my mind. For me impatience boils down to trusting God and seeing others through His eyes. Today may I find myself leaning on God for strength and the ability to be patient with others so that I do not judge or complain because it causes anger, frustration and ultimately leads me away from God.

Father today give me the strength to live for you to see others the way you see them and to trust you that your timing and plan is what is best for me.

Promises, Promises

2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

God's promises are amazing and true. They are the very words of God that hold me together each and every day. But as James MacDonald has said, "God's promises aren't great until we need them. They're not precious until their proven.
Until we put all of our weight on them and they hold us up, we don't get it. But test them and they'll always prove true. God's promises become true when we activate them by faith. Faith is what moves God's promises from your head to your heart. It's not enough to know something, you've got to put it into real life." All week this has been my theme, "put your faith into action". If I want to experience God's promises, If I want to see them come to life I must put them into action. But I can't know what they are if I don't spend time finding out what they are from God's Word. And I can't possibly understand them until I see them in action in my life. That is why it is so vital to spend time with God, that is why it's so crucial to stop and take time to deepen my relationship with God. Because when the temptations come, when the tough times come if I have not pursued God then I will fall prey to every lie of Satan and I will not experience the promises of God. Today I long to know God more and to see His promises unfold in my life so that I might serve Him more faithfully.

Father you are great, your promises are awesome and true. May I lean on those promises today as I face whatever may come my way.

Everything I Need

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Wow what amazing promises we have from God. The key to receiving these promises and holding onto them is the phrase "through our knowledge of him". This knowledge is not just a head experience where I acknowledge Him or believe that He exists, no it is a daily heart experience. The Bible makes it clear that even the demons know that there is a God and they shudder. They have a head knowledge of God but I know that they are not experiencing God's promises. I must allow my head knowledge of God to be translated into a heart experience that can only come as I pursue my relationship with Jesus Christ. My knowledge of God transforms my heart and then is lived out in my life. I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, I have been given everything I need for life and godliness not simply because of what I know, but because what I know has translated into what I believe and that impacts the way I live. Today I want to live out these promises as I rely on God to guide me, to protect me, to give me everything I need to live and everything I need to be godly as I go about my day.

Father you are great and greatly to be praised thank you for the many promises of your word and for the relationship that we share. Today may I live my life as a reflection of that relationship and may others see you in me.

Hollow Passion

Romans 10:1-4 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

I am the kind of person who gets very passionate about doing things. If my heart is in it then I go all out for whatever. The problem for much of my walk with Christ is that my heart was in it but my head was not. I am a bit of a visionary and often able to see things that others cannot or are not willing to see. However often I get the cart ahead of the horse and what I thought does not become a reality because I rushed into something without the knowledge. Much like the church in this passage they had heart and passion for God but that passion was hollow not founded in the knowledge of God and what He really wanted for them. Earlier I said that this described my early years of walking with God. Recently I have been learning that I must first stop and spend time praying and seeking God as He gives me passion and vision for something. I have found that when I do this instead of jumping into something that more often than not my vision becomes a reality. However not on my time table but on God's. To be honest its ok because I now know that God is directing instead of me. Today may I follow hard after God and seek first His kingdom and righteousness so all these things may be added unto me so that I might serve Him for effectively.

Father guide me today and may I seek after you as you show me each step I am to take.

A Fight Worth Fighting

1 Timothy 6:11-14 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Man at times I really feel beat up spiritually. Knocked around like I have been in a fist fight. My faith, my spiritual walk is a fight, a struggle, a conflict and at times it is overwhelming. Satan is the enemy and wants nothing more than to knock me off my feet and declare himself the victor. But He that is in me is greater than he that is in this world. In the verses before this passage Paul describes many things that will beat down a godly man and then exhorts me to run from these things and pursue the character qualities listed above. But the key is not just running after these things but focusing on the one who gives me the strength to run. Jesus knows all to well what it means to be in a spiritual fight with the enemy. Jesus knows all to well what it means to be beat spiritually and yet Jesus fought through and is and always will be the champ. Yes there will be times when we get knocked down, but that is when we must get up and the only way is through Christ strength and the only way to understand that strength is to first read, memorizing and studying about it from His Word, second we must then ask for it through prayer, and third we must live it out. Jesus did all these things and I can to through His strength.

Father thank you that my faith is not some easy street that I completely take for granted but thank you that it is a fight that I must want to win through Christ. Give me the strength to fight as you fought and to live as you lived.

Not My Will

Matthew 22:41-42 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

Jesus prayed one of the most difficult if not thee most difficult prayers ever, "Not my will, but your be done." Especially in light of what was going to be coming and yet He prayed it. Was it selfish? No it was honest, it was Christ simply asking the Father to reveal a different way if there was one. I think to often I pray "Not your will but mine be done", expecting God to do whatever I ask. To often I come to Him with either 911 prayers or grocery lists seeking what I want. But Jesus with one short phrase gives us an attitude adjustment in seeing that prayer is not about what I want but about what God the Father wants and will do. Do I ever wish that God would answer my prayers the way I want, for sure, but I am thankful that at times He has not. If I truly believe that God is the beginning and the end, that He is all knowing, that He is all powerful, that He has my best in mind and will always take care of me, then do I have any right to pray selfishly. Am I not saying by my actions that those things are not true? Not my will, but yours be done needs to be a central theme of my prayer life as I seek to grow closer to God and to serve Him faithfully.

Father today may I lay down my will in order to see yours completed in me, may I lay down my will so that I might experience the blessing of following yours.

Life's Experiences

Romans 15:14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

Some of the greatest lessons I have learned in life have come from others speaking truth into my life. I thank God daily for the people He has brought across my path that have spoken truth into my life. I thank God that they were willing to share the things that have happened to them and how they handled it or have shared what God has done in their life. I am thankful for the bits of wisdom wrought in God's Word that have come at some very strange times and yet have so impacted me that I cannot simply forget what they said and find myself now saying it. When God reveals things to us or allows something to happen that teaches us they are not meant to be hidden but shared. Experience is a great teacher and sharing one's experiences with others is an amazing living example. Today may I find myself able to share something that I have been taught in order to help draw others closer to God.

Father bring across my path today someone that I can share a life lesson with that will encourage them to grow deeper in their love for you and be drawn closer to you today.

Learning Through Suffering

Hebrew 5:7-9 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

No one can begin to say that they have suffered nearly as much as Jesus Christ. If one reads through the Gospels you are confronted with the suffering of Christ. However I would imagine many could say that they have gone through times of suffering and struggle. I know that in my life it has been those times where I learned more about myself and more importantly God. The most difficult year of my life was my junior year in college. Yet I can also say that this same year was the most spiritually growing year of my life and one of the most rewarding. That year my brother died from cancer, my dad had a massive heart attack which would four years later lead to his death and then one of the most amazing things happened as well I was got married to the most amazing woman I have ever met. It was that same year that God called me into the ministry and gave me many opportunities to serve Him and thus began my adventure of serving Christ full time in ministry. Like Christ I can say that through suffering I learned obedience. However unlike Christ even though I learned obedience I often "unlearn" it as I decide to follow my own direction and make excuses for my lack of spiritual growth. Erwin Lutzer has said that when we make excuses for ourselves, we accuse ourselves. So often I find myself in this trap. I want to serve Him and live my life for Him but I must keep my eyes fixed on what I learned during those times of struggle and that is as Paul said, for to me to live is Christ to die is gain.

Father give me the strength to serve you faithfully today and to not allow excuses to keep me from drawing closer to you.

Spiritual Folgers "The Best Part of Waking Up"

Psalm 5:1-3 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

I used to think that spending time in the morning with God was not all that important. I would tell students and others as long as you spend some time with God throughout the day then that is really what is important. However all through scripture, especially with David and Jesus, we find people turning to the Lord in the morning. I have found that spending time in the morning is absolutely vital to my walk and relationship with God. I have found that when I wake and I first pursue God in my thoughts and soul that I am more likely to focus on Him throughout the day. Otherwise if I don't basically I am saying to God, "I can handle it" and then try to go throughout the day without the presence, grace, wisdom and strength of Christ. That kind of self centered pride always leads me to a miserable day, filled with defeat, struggle and a sense of failure. However as I spend time in the morning I find myself thinking about the scripture that I read, praying more throughout the day and just having a sense that God's presence is with me. This doesn't mean that I don't have bad days, but instead of facing them on my own, I now face them with a focused mind and a determined spirit to live for God and hold to the promises of His Word. What I have found is that spending some time with God in the morning leads to spending time with God all throughout the day as I seek to serve Him.

Father thank you for our time this morning, remind me throughout the day of your presence and may I hold to the truth of your Word as I am confronted by lies this world and Satan will throw at me today.

The Glory of Jesus

John 12:37-41 Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:
40"He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them." 41Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

Isaiah saw the glory of Jesus and he spoke about Him. What is that glory? John like Isaiah testified, spoke of this glory of Jesus. The glory that they refer to is that of the glory of the cross through Jesus death and resurrection they experienced the glory of Jesus. What is it, it is the one thing that the people of God, failed to see and would not see, it is the one thing that we must see. The glory of Jesus is the life changing power of His death and resurrection, it is the freedom that we have from sin, it is the healing spiritually that takes place in our lives as we put our faith and trust in Him. The glory of Jesus is that we can have life and have it more abundantly. The glory of Jesus is that our lives our changed for eternity and that we have a friend who is closer than a brother. The glory of Jesus is that we have been created to do good works and to glorify His name. The glory of Jesus is that we have the responsibility to tell others about the Gospel message and to help others see this same glory. Both Isaiah and John saw that glory and it forever changed their lives, but they could not just sit on it, they spoke of it through their words and through their actions. I wonder today does my life reflect the glory of the Jesus? Do others see in me His glory and wonder? Today may I live in such a way that others see the life changing power of Jesus Christ because I have been forever changed.

Father give me the strength today to live for you and may your favor rest on me that I might live so that others might come to know your son and experience the glory of Jesus for themselves.

"I Can Do It God"

Psalm 19:12-13 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

At times I find myself thinking, "I can do it God, thanks but I can take it from here." Maybe not so much telling God that verbally but through my actions or lack of action on my part to depend on Him. Willful sin is when I am confident that I can do whatever God has called me to do and that I have what it takes to do it. When I act on my own and ride on self-confidence I will fail and do everytime. It's when I am called my God to do something and I realize man there is no way I am fit to do this and I run to Him through prayer and dependence and say, "God I need you", that I find strength and the ability to do what He calls me to do. How often do I run into something without praying first, without seeking God's wisdom and without leaning on His strength. It is obvious from scripture that I cannot do one good thing that is eternal apart from God. Then this verse says I will be blameless (without fault) and free from sin.

Father I need your strength today may you guide and direct my paths today and may I be found follow hard after you. May I run from self-confidence and instead run to you today.

Christ In Me

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

So often I get discouraged because of my own struggle with self worth and honestly just the fear of failure. I realize that both are self centered struggles and directly interfere with my relationship with Jesus Christ. At times they so much get in the way that I lose sight of what verse 24 says clearly. That God is able to do it. When I am struggling with these things I always come back to the fact that really I can't, but God can. That in my nature I have no self worth and am a failure but my worth lies in Christ and in my weakness there is strength. Christ in me the hope of glory can and will do whatever He calls me to do because He is faithful and able by His spirit. I must rely on Him and not on myself. Self worth must be removed and replaced with Christ worth and then I am able to find my focus and watch as my relationship with Christ grows deeper and my hunger for Him grows deeper.

Father thank you for the times when I struggle with self and am brought to the reality that I need you and must find my strength and worth in you. Today guide me and direct my paths.

Getting What I Don't Deserve

2 Samuel 9:6-7,13 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, "Mephibosheth!""Your servant," he replied. 7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's table, and he was crippled in both feet.

Wow what an amazing picture of mercy and grace. I can't imagine what was going through Mephibosheth's mind as he is brought to the king. Especially in light of the common practice of that day when a person became king they would kill off the entire family of the previous king to ensure that no one would rise up against them. Obviously this practice was not a design or call of God but rather of men. David a man after God's own heart would have nothing to do with this tradition and instead shows amazing grace and mercy. This same grace and mercy has been shown toward us and like Mephibosheth was crippled physically we are crippled spiritually due to sin. But God instead of giving us what we deserve, sent His son in order for us to experience freedom from sin and heal us spiritually. Through God's grace and mercy we have life and can have life eternal as we except Jesus sacrifice for our sin. Praise God for His mercy and grace which is new each morning and is sufficient for us to each day as we stumble.

Father thank you for the gift of your son and the incredible grace and mercy you have shown and continue to show toward me each day. May I live never forgetting this and may my life reflect the impact you have made on my life.

Wandering

Psalm 107:4-9
Some wandered in desert wastelands,finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5 They were hungry and thirsty,and their lives ebbed away. 6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Being in the desert is no fun at all. The feeling like God is not there and that you are hopelessly walking through this life with no end in sight. But it is interesting that being in the desert makes one hungry and thirsty and then able to come to the end of oneself and see the need to turn to the Lord. It's at that point that you realize that God never moved but that you did. I can walk 10,000 steps away from God and it only takes one to get back to Him. It's at that point after returning that God fills the hunger and satisfies the thirst. Sin like a desert will cause us to lose sight of God and keep us wandering around thinking that God does not care or that somehow He has forsaken us, but the truth is that He has not moved nor forsaken us. Coming to the end of myself is one of the best things that can happen because it is then that I realize that I cannot go on without God filling me up.

Father come and fill me up today so that I might live for you and so that I will not give sin a foothold in my life.

Persecuted

John 15:18-20 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

"I have never been persecuted for my faith." That is a statement that I am both ashamed of and thankful for all at the same time. Ashamed because throughout the new testament it seems obvious that it is a privilege to be persecuted for the name of Jesus. However I am thankful for not enduring the many things I have read and heard about as far as Christians in other countries and the horrors that they face because of their relationship with Christ. What seems odd to me though is that in those countries Christianity is flourishing and many are coming to Christ daily. I don't pretend to think that one day things are going to change in this country and really I can see the writing on the wall that they are changing. But all of this leads me to wonder does my life reflect Christ so much that others could not mistake that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I wonder if I was arrested for my faith would there be enough evidence to keep me in jail. Jesus said it plainly in the passage above if you are of the world the world will love you. I do not want to be loved by the world, I want to honor my, Savior Jesus Christ, even if that means persecution.

Father my prayer is that my life would so reflect your sons that people would know that I am a friend of you. Help me to live in such a way that others see Christ in me.

Hard Times

Romans 8:26-28 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
More Than Conquerors 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

I have found that hard times come and go, but God never leaves and never forsakes. I don't deserve His grace but He freely gives it to me. I have found that in the tough times His grace is sufficient and that through the trial God is bending and shaping me into who He wants me to be. I don't ever wish for tough times to come but I know that in them God is working toward His good. Its in those times I must keep my focus on the Lord and not on myself for if I do I lose site of His goodness and begin to dwell on the problem. Tough times will come and go but one thing I can always trust in is the promises of God's Word and the faithfulness of my heavenly Father.

Father today may I continue to keep my focus on you. Draw nearer to me as I draw nearer to you. Give me spiritual eyes to see all that you are doing and may I give you praise in everything.

I Just Want to Be Accepted

Romans 15:5-7
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Everyone wants to be accepted, everyone needs to be loved. We are hardwired to want to belong to something greater than ourselves. The problem is that all to often getting it means compromising what you believe and instead of bringing God glory we in fact grieve Him. I see this often in working with students because popularity, fitting in and going with the flow are conditions for being accepted and "loved". The pressure is immense and often leads students to do things that may never have dreamed of doing all in the name of being accepted. But sometimes we lie, make up stories and make ourselves look better than we are in order to be liked, because if they found out who I really was then they would not like me. We end up believing a lie that says we have to be a certain way, do certain things in order to be accepted. When the truth is we are accepted by our creator and God has not nor ever will make a mistake. God did not mess up when He created me. He loves us no matter what, but His call on our lives is to love others and to accept others just as He has and does. That's tough because it's easier for me not to do that, but this is where I must rely fully on Him to give me the strength to follow after Him.

Father thank you that you have accepted me and love me and that I am part of something much bigger than myself, your body. Help me to love other and accept others in order to bring you glory.

You Can't Outgive God

Malachi 3:8-10
"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Giving I admit has always been a sore spot for me. Not because I do not believe in it, but simply because I often think giving becomes something very legalistic. I watched as my parents gave to the Lord and I watched them faithfully give all of my life at home and I absolutely believe in the power of giving and the command to give back to the Lord what is already His. I have never been satisfied in my heart though that giving means only 10%. I realize that this is a good place to start in getting into the habit of worship to our great God. However I also think it is a trap that many fall into thinking that this is all they are required to give. That thinking is absolutely un-biblical and I believe dishonors God. Giving as taught in the new testament is to be out of a cheerful heart and a matter of conviction on the part of God. Another words if God tells you to give more you should be willing to give all that He asks. Example the widow who gave everything she had in worship to God. Even though her amount was much less than the others it was her action that was recognized as true worship. I think today many have fallen prey to the 10% trap and are unwilling to give as the Lord leads them to give. Worship requires my all even in the area of money because the reality is that it is not mine but the Lord's as taught in this passage and by giving I am laying down my life in worship to Him.

Father help me to be faithful in giving as you lead me to give and may I not hold back from you as you have promised to not hold back your blessing if I am faithful to follow after you.

Ahhhhh Forgiveness!!!!

Psalm 32:1-2
1 Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Happy, complete, full am I when my sins are forgiven. The beautiful things about sin is that it has already been forgiven, at the cross. When Jesus died He became sin for us and forgave me of my sin. But it wasn't till I accepted His substitution and the gift of forgiveness that I became blessed and set free. That is true for every one we must come to Jesus and confess our need of Him as our sacrifice realizing it was I who should have died on the cross but because of His great love He died in my place. Now I simply have to except that gift and live in Him. Yes there will be times that I fall short and need to confess (agree) with God that what I did was wrong but again I have been forgiven. Crawford Loritts says, "We all long for forgiveness -to experience God's cleansing, His embrace- to know that we are with Him and He accepts us. The truth is, God always loves us, but when we sin we break fellowship with Him. Thankfully, God doesn't hold grudges. When we repent we experience His forgiveness." Today I must rejoice that I have been forgiven and if necessary I need to extend forgiveness in order to allow that AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of forgiveness to be felt in my soul.

Father thank you for giving your son, thank you Jesus that you willingly laid down your life for me, I will never be able to fully understand it but I believe and know that you love me and have forgiven me. Help me to walk a blessed man because of your sweet forgiveness.

Liar, Liar

Matthew 4:7-10
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.

Satan the Bible says is like a roaring lion seeking to devour me. He does not just want a little nibble or a part of me, he wants everything. He is also called the deceiver and "angel of light". Everything he says or does is a lie. Now I can choose to act like he does not exist and probably get caught all up in his schemes or I can choose to understand that there is a way to defeat him and the temptations he throws my way. Jesus by His example used scripture because that is one thing Satan can't mess with and has no power over. Often Satan will tempt me with a lie about myself, my situation, whatever and I either will choose to believe the lie and thus get caught in a mess or choose to believe the truth of the Bible. However if I do not know the truth of the Bible then how can I use it as a weapon against Satan? Studying the Bible and memorizing scripture is huge for me to be able to hold onto the truth when faced with a lie. Like Christ I can quote His Word and fill my mind with truth and not be tripped up by a lie. That is if I memorize it. I would safely say that scripture memory and prayer are two of the most potent weapons I have against Satan and yet are the most under used. That I pray is changing.

Father I want to fill my mind with truth so that as Satan comes at me with lies I will first recognize the lie and replace it with truth. Give me a hunger for your Word and the grace to memorize it in order to battle our great enemy.