Hello all,
Just a little admin stuff at the front. I apologize for not getting out the Word of the Day to you recently. I have been TDY and then out In the field. I will be heading out again for a bit very soon. So this may turn into a "Word of the Week" for a while. Hopefully God has found other ways to bless your heart in my absence. My prayers haven't stopped for you. Now, onto the Word.
Luke 12:47 ESV
And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating.
In the Army we are normally given a "packing list" prior to a field exercise. It is supposed to be the basic minimum of what we will need to survive and achieve success in the field. When I was a SPC I had done all the work and packed up all the gear according to the packing list I was given and brought it into the office for inspection. I had a "high speed" NCO tell me that I could drop half that gear and be just fine. So, I did. I tossed out what I thought wouldn't be important. When the time came for us to go live I looked around and realized that I didn't have my gator neck (a small piece of cloth that wraps around your neck and face) and so when everyone else got to go up in the Blackhawk and fire the 240H I was left on the ground. Luckily I wasn't punished to harshly. But, I think God puts out preparations and guidelines for us pretty clearly, and when we decided to completely ignore those there are consequences. We miss out on opportunities. We wonder, "why isn't this working out for me?" But, we are living in rebellion to the will of God for us. So, check your packing list before we go to the field and check your guidelines from God to make sure you're not missing anything today.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Friday, March 17, 2017
17Mar17
1 Corinthians 11:1
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me," - The Breastplate of ST Patrick
Today is Saint Patrick's Day! Take a second and get into the true meaning on this day by watching this fun little video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg5ejLGEnZk&t=3s. As we stop and remember this man (hopefully not just consumed by the overwhelming consumption of alcohol) on this day, I think it would be important to point out one of the major characteristics of Saint Patrick. He was a man of the people. He didn't elevate himself or stay in England where he would have been established and comfortable in the church. Instead, he chose to go and bring his faith to people of a land in which he had been a slave! He did this by bringing massive theological concepts to their level and in a way they could relate to them. This was much like the way Jesus taught. Saint Patrick knew his purpose, embraced his calling, and followed his faith in a way that said, "It's ok to follow me, I'm on the right path." What path do you find yourself on this Saint Patrick's day? Can people follow you to get to God?
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me," - The Breastplate of ST Patrick
Today is Saint Patrick's Day! Take a second and get into the true meaning on this day by watching this fun little video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg5ejLGEnZk&t=3s. As we stop and remember this man (hopefully not just consumed by the overwhelming consumption of alcohol) on this day, I think it would be important to point out one of the major characteristics of Saint Patrick. He was a man of the people. He didn't elevate himself or stay in England where he would have been established and comfortable in the church. Instead, he chose to go and bring his faith to people of a land in which he had been a slave! He did this by bringing massive theological concepts to their level and in a way they could relate to them. This was much like the way Jesus taught. Saint Patrick knew his purpose, embraced his calling, and followed his faith in a way that said, "It's ok to follow me, I'm on the right path." What path do you find yourself on this Saint Patrick's day? Can people follow you to get to God?
Monday, March 13, 2017
13Mar17
Ephesians 5:16 ESV
"Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
Yesterday I lost something. It was super precious to me. I had so many plans for it and even may have taken it a little bit for granted because I just assumed it would be there the next day. When I woke up and realized it was gone I definitely felt it. I missed it. I may have even shed a small tear on its behalf. I lost an hour! Why we maintain this archaic practice of messing with my head every single year I don't know. When I gain an hour every year I celebrate a bit inside and then use it to catch up on sleep most years. But, when I lose the hour it reminds me of how precious an hour can be to me. God challenges us to use every hour to the best of our abilities. That challenge is not an easy thing to live up to. Sometimes I just want to sit and look at my phone or play video games or watch a movie. While there's nothing inherently wrong with those things in moderation, they are time wasters in the grand scheme of things. So, now that we have lost an hour of our lives what would you have done with it? Would it really have been worth it? How are you going to make up for it?
"Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."
Yesterday I lost something. It was super precious to me. I had so many plans for it and even may have taken it a little bit for granted because I just assumed it would be there the next day. When I woke up and realized it was gone I definitely felt it. I missed it. I may have even shed a small tear on its behalf. I lost an hour! Why we maintain this archaic practice of messing with my head every single year I don't know. When I gain an hour every year I celebrate a bit inside and then use it to catch up on sleep most years. But, when I lose the hour it reminds me of how precious an hour can be to me. God challenges us to use every hour to the best of our abilities. That challenge is not an easy thing to live up to. Sometimes I just want to sit and look at my phone or play video games or watch a movie. While there's nothing inherently wrong with those things in moderation, they are time wasters in the grand scheme of things. So, now that we have lost an hour of our lives what would you have done with it? Would it really have been worth it? How are you going to make up for it?
Friday, March 10, 2017
10Mar17
1 Corinthians 9:24 ESV
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Last night I signed up for a Spartan Race at the end of May. I'm terrified. I've never done anything of the sort and am not physically ready for something like that. But, a couple of friends of mine and my loving wife convinced me that it would be a great idea. I know that I'm going to have to run that race. There is no backing out or turning around. The choice for me, today, is whether or not I will work my tail off prior to that day so I can run it and succeed or keep doing what I'm doing and expect to get a prize without training. We are all in a race. We signed up the moment we were born again in faith. There is no getting off the track. But, I look around and see so many people living their lives as if there's not a Spartan race about to happen. We look at the blessed moments of our lives and sit back and relax. We choose to be comfortable and, in doing so, disqualify ourselves from the race. We think that just because we serve a loving God that everything is going to be handed to us on a silver platter. On the contrary! This faith walk is not a walk at all... it's a race. It comes with a prize at the end. But, without consistent focus, training, and effort you may find that when the day comes for your Spartan Race you're not ready and you can't compete or complete. Are you ready for the race? Are you running in it right now? Are you ready?
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Last night I signed up for a Spartan Race at the end of May. I'm terrified. I've never done anything of the sort and am not physically ready for something like that. But, a couple of friends of mine and my loving wife convinced me that it would be a great idea. I know that I'm going to have to run that race. There is no backing out or turning around. The choice for me, today, is whether or not I will work my tail off prior to that day so I can run it and succeed or keep doing what I'm doing and expect to get a prize without training. We are all in a race. We signed up the moment we were born again in faith. There is no getting off the track. But, I look around and see so many people living their lives as if there's not a Spartan race about to happen. We look at the blessed moments of our lives and sit back and relax. We choose to be comfortable and, in doing so, disqualify ourselves from the race. We think that just because we serve a loving God that everything is going to be handed to us on a silver platter. On the contrary! This faith walk is not a walk at all... it's a race. It comes with a prize at the end. But, without consistent focus, training, and effort you may find that when the day comes for your Spartan Race you're not ready and you can't compete or complete. Are you ready for the race? Are you running in it right now? Are you ready?
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
08Mar17
1 Samuel 16:7
"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
How to keep your heart healthy: 1. Avoid smoking and using tobacco products. 2. Be physically active every day. 3. Eat a heart-healthy diet. 4. Maintain a healthy weight. 5. Manage your blood pressure. 6. Control your total cholesterol. 7. Keep your blood sugar healthy. (According to the American Heart Association). I read this in a devotional the other day and wanted to share it with you.
Your heart weighs less than a pound and yet it beats 100,000 times a day and over 2.5 billion times in the average lifetime. Without your heart you would cease to exist pretty darn quickly. Yet we take it for granted every single day. We make choices that damage it and break it. We consistently ignore its warnings. Our heart is integral. It's no wonder that it has become the human understanding for the soul and our connection to the Divine. Without our soul, our faith, our relationship with God, we would perish rather quickly. Yet, we take it for granted, we make choices that damage and break it, and we constantly ignore its warnings. Just as we take care of our physical heart to keep on living a functional life we need to also maintain a lifestyle that keeps our spiritual heart healthy as well. I had a teacher in seminary who taught us that the physical heart and the spiritual heart go hand in hand. One keeps us moving in a direction, the other keeps us moving. Without the first you are pointless. Without the second you are worthless. Take care of your hearts! How's your heart this morning?
"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
How to keep your heart healthy: 1. Avoid smoking and using tobacco products. 2. Be physically active every day. 3. Eat a heart-healthy diet. 4. Maintain a healthy weight. 5. Manage your blood pressure. 6. Control your total cholesterol. 7. Keep your blood sugar healthy. (According to the American Heart Association). I read this in a devotional the other day and wanted to share it with you.
Your heart weighs less than a pound and yet it beats 100,000 times a day and over 2.5 billion times in the average lifetime. Without your heart you would cease to exist pretty darn quickly. Yet we take it for granted every single day. We make choices that damage it and break it. We consistently ignore its warnings. Our heart is integral. It's no wonder that it has become the human understanding for the soul and our connection to the Divine. Without our soul, our faith, our relationship with God, we would perish rather quickly. Yet, we take it for granted, we make choices that damage and break it, and we constantly ignore its warnings. Just as we take care of our physical heart to keep on living a functional life we need to also maintain a lifestyle that keeps our spiritual heart healthy as well. I had a teacher in seminary who taught us that the physical heart and the spiritual heart go hand in hand. One keeps us moving in a direction, the other keeps us moving. Without the first you are pointless. Without the second you are worthless. Take care of your hearts! How's your heart this morning?
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
07Mar17
Psalm 119:139 ESV
"My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words."
Around the time that Jesus was walking the earth there was a group of men in the Germanic regions who would become so consumed by their rages and their passions in battle that they would wage war without armor and yet were seemingly impervious to harm. This group of men were known as berserkers. They would work themselves into a frenzy and become so entranced by their cause or the protection of their homeland, that they would take on animalistic characteristics and would fight to the death without thought. Having zeal is not completely like that... I don't plan on donning a bear skin anytime soon for God. But, I do wonder what it is that consumes you and motivates you to do the unexplainable, the crazy, the counter-cultural warfare that needs to happen? God desires for us to have a deep rooted passion and zeal for Him, for His cause on earth, that would push us to do the incredible. It is what drives us to fight injustices and destroy evil when we find it. It is what calls us to care for those weaker than ourselves and to provide for those in our charge. It is what should fill our hearts with courage to complete our task every single day. But, do you feel the zeal for the LORD or are you just floating through? Remember that God is not an inactive spirit but, a living God who can and will hold vengeance, justice, and salvation in His hands. What would you be willing to do with that zeal?
"My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words."
Around the time that Jesus was walking the earth there was a group of men in the Germanic regions who would become so consumed by their rages and their passions in battle that they would wage war without armor and yet were seemingly impervious to harm. This group of men were known as berserkers. They would work themselves into a frenzy and become so entranced by their cause or the protection of their homeland, that they would take on animalistic characteristics and would fight to the death without thought. Having zeal is not completely like that... I don't plan on donning a bear skin anytime soon for God. But, I do wonder what it is that consumes you and motivates you to do the unexplainable, the crazy, the counter-cultural warfare that needs to happen? God desires for us to have a deep rooted passion and zeal for Him, for His cause on earth, that would push us to do the incredible. It is what drives us to fight injustices and destroy evil when we find it. It is what calls us to care for those weaker than ourselves and to provide for those in our charge. It is what should fill our hearts with courage to complete our task every single day. But, do you feel the zeal for the LORD or are you just floating through? Remember that God is not an inactive spirit but, a living God who can and will hold vengeance, justice, and salvation in His hands. What would you be willing to do with that zeal?
Monday, March 6, 2017
06MAR17
Proverbs 18:2 ESV
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone that you knew wasn't listening to you? You could spend all day trying to make a point or be talking about the size of the snozewangler on your dooblerhoofer it wouldn't make a difference to them. They are just waiting for their turn to speek. I find this a LOT in marriage counseling. Spouses sit across from each other trying desperately to communicate with so much wasted breath. I like to say that an argument starts when someone thinks they can "win" a conversation. When they are more concerned about rebutting and what they are going to say than what is being said by their spouse. Funny thing is... we do this to God too. We don't try to understand what God is trying to do in our lives through our circumstances, half the time we don't even ask. Instead we want to tell Him what we think about it and how we think it should go! If we cannot seek after God's counsel and try to understand His will then what hope do we have in trying to understand our spouses? It may be time we do less talking and do more listening... in a lot of areas. Are you seeking understanding today or are you just ready to express your opinion?
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.
Have you ever had a conversation with someone that you knew wasn't listening to you? You could spend all day trying to make a point or be talking about the size of the snozewangler on your dooblerhoofer it wouldn't make a difference to them. They are just waiting for their turn to speek. I find this a LOT in marriage counseling. Spouses sit across from each other trying desperately to communicate with so much wasted breath. I like to say that an argument starts when someone thinks they can "win" a conversation. When they are more concerned about rebutting and what they are going to say than what is being said by their spouse. Funny thing is... we do this to God too. We don't try to understand what God is trying to do in our lives through our circumstances, half the time we don't even ask. Instead we want to tell Him what we think about it and how we think it should go! If we cannot seek after God's counsel and try to understand His will then what hope do we have in trying to understand our spouses? It may be time we do less talking and do more listening... in a lot of areas. Are you seeking understanding today or are you just ready to express your opinion?
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