1 Kings 19:7-8
And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Sometimes I can't do it. I just can't. The obstacle is too big, or too far, or too high for me to overcome on my own. And yet, God has placed it in front of me like a looming mountain in the path to accomplishment. What do you do when you face something like that? Elijah, a mighty prophet from the Old Testament, had given up and went out to the middle of nowhere to die. He didn't know what to do and had no more motivation to keep going. The task ahead of him was too much for him to even consider. But, it was what God asked him to do. So, in the middle of his despair God sent Elijah exactly what he needed. God gave him the resources. God gave him the strength. God equipped him for the task ahead.
Sometimes I can't do it. Sometimes God DOES give me more than I can bear alone. He does it so that He can show His mighty power through me and in my life. He does it so that I can learn what He is capable of. He does it so I can learn to trust Him more and more. When the mountain looms ahead don't beat your head on it... wait for God to tell you to go up it, around it, or remove it. Don't give up. Rely on His strength and you cannot fail.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
29Jun16
Ephesians 4: 14
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Peter Marshall said, "When you don't stand for something you will fall for everything." Understanding who we are, what our purpose is, and what we are willing to stand for is imperative in anyone's life. It is elements of this that provide hope in the middle of troubled times and comfort in loss. But, there are many people today that are tossed to and fro by the waves of influence and emotion. Just take a look at our media and the way people respond. When you know what is important to you then you don't get caught up in the trivial "atrocities" that the media hypes up for us. It's really easy to see someone who is living standing rather than someone who is just floating... just check out their facebook feed. What have they shared? Is it the same stuff that the rest of the world is talking about at that moment or is it something they are truly passionate about? Don't get caught up in all of that. Don't allow other people to cunningly deceive you into what you spend your life thinking about and worrying about. Stand for something today.
so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Peter Marshall said, "When you don't stand for something you will fall for everything." Understanding who we are, what our purpose is, and what we are willing to stand for is imperative in anyone's life. It is elements of this that provide hope in the middle of troubled times and comfort in loss. But, there are many people today that are tossed to and fro by the waves of influence and emotion. Just take a look at our media and the way people respond. When you know what is important to you then you don't get caught up in the trivial "atrocities" that the media hypes up for us. It's really easy to see someone who is living standing rather than someone who is just floating... just check out their facebook feed. What have they shared? Is it the same stuff that the rest of the world is talking about at that moment or is it something they are truly passionate about? Don't get caught up in all of that. Don't allow other people to cunningly deceive you into what you spend your life thinking about and worrying about. Stand for something today.
Monday, June 27, 2016
28Jun16
Proverbs 14:23
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
I'm tempted just to leave this verse here as a commentary on what I see in so many areas of my life, and this world, right now. Yep. Think about it. You want something... you're going to have to work for it. You want to be happy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be wealthy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be closer to God? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be successful? You're going to have to work at it. You want to leave a legacy? Work. Get out there and get it done today.
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
I'm tempted just to leave this verse here as a commentary on what I see in so many areas of my life, and this world, right now. Yep. Think about it. You want something... you're going to have to work for it. You want to be happy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be wealthy? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be closer to God? You're going to have to work at it. You want to be successful? You're going to have to work at it. You want to leave a legacy? Work. Get out there and get it done today.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
27Jun16
Acts 28:3, 5
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
This week I got a chance to preach again at the Stanley chapel. It's good to be back there and we have a new worship leader there that does a great job! I wanted to share something from that sermon with you all this morning. Sometimes we get bit by the snake. Sometimes it would just be so easy, after a shipwreck, on your way to a Roman trial, wanting to be murdered by your guards, judged by the natives, and then bit by a freaking snake, to just give up. To sit down and let the snake do its thing to you. But, Paul knew that he still had work to do. Still had an impact to make. So, even with so much going on in his life, he shook it off (Insert Taylor Swift song here). God cured the poison inside his body but, he still had to shake off the snake from his hand.
Paul spent only a few days in Malta and today it is the most Christian nation in Europe. It was the earliest Christian Roman colony. Because he was able to shake it off and not give up there are people thousands of years later that are still impacted by his life and work in that place! Today you may have a snake that has latched on to you and are thinking that life is too hard. You may have given up on dreams because it is all just too much. But, God wants you to know that He is healing the inside. It's time for you to shake that thing into the fire and then go change the world!
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. 5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
This week I got a chance to preach again at the Stanley chapel. It's good to be back there and we have a new worship leader there that does a great job! I wanted to share something from that sermon with you all this morning. Sometimes we get bit by the snake. Sometimes it would just be so easy, after a shipwreck, on your way to a Roman trial, wanting to be murdered by your guards, judged by the natives, and then bit by a freaking snake, to just give up. To sit down and let the snake do its thing to you. But, Paul knew that he still had work to do. Still had an impact to make. So, even with so much going on in his life, he shook it off (Insert Taylor Swift song here). God cured the poison inside his body but, he still had to shake off the snake from his hand.
Paul spent only a few days in Malta and today it is the most Christian nation in Europe. It was the earliest Christian Roman colony. Because he was able to shake it off and not give up there are people thousands of years later that are still impacted by his life and work in that place! Today you may have a snake that has latched on to you and are thinking that life is too hard. You may have given up on dreams because it is all just too much. But, God wants you to know that He is healing the inside. It's time for you to shake that thing into the fire and then go change the world!
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
23Jun16
Psalm 23:4 ESV
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
There are things that happen in life that have caused me to cry out, "Why?! Where were you for this one God?!" There are times where I have felt so very far from God in the middle of something truly horrible. There are places I've been that make me wonder if God even exists there. But, in the middle of it all He is there. He has not left me. He has not left you. He is aware and actively engaging in ways we may never see this side of heaven. But, His rod (the tool to strike predators and keep the sheep safe) and His staff (the tool used to guide the sheep along the right path when they have wondered) both should be a comfort to us. Sometimes He uses one to pull us back against what we think we want; and the other He uses to keep the enemy from our doorstep. He comforts us for He is with us... always. He is good and His goodness will last through it all. Have you come to Him to be comforted today?
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
There are things that happen in life that have caused me to cry out, "Why?! Where were you for this one God?!" There are times where I have felt so very far from God in the middle of something truly horrible. There are places I've been that make me wonder if God even exists there. But, in the middle of it all He is there. He has not left me. He has not left you. He is aware and actively engaging in ways we may never see this side of heaven. But, His rod (the tool to strike predators and keep the sheep safe) and His staff (the tool used to guide the sheep along the right path when they have wondered) both should be a comfort to us. Sometimes He uses one to pull us back against what we think we want; and the other He uses to keep the enemy from our doorstep. He comforts us for He is with us... always. He is good and His goodness will last through it all. Have you come to Him to be comforted today?
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
22jun16
Mark 3:27
"No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."
Wouldn't it be nice if you walked up to a battle ground where you had anticipated a hard fight, heavy casualties, and impossible odds just to find the enemy bound and gagged lying on the ground defenseless? This is the picture that Jesus paints for us in this passage. He is trying to explain to a group of religious know-it-alls that He has the power to bind the devil and take from him everything he has laid claim to. When we face certain darknesses in our lives we can buy into the lie that the devil is stronger than us, that the fight is going to be hard and long, and that we may not win. But, Jesus laid out an entirely different scenario! He says that He has bound the strong man. He says that He has defeated your enemy. He says that to win all you have to do is ask and He will allow you to plunder the enemy and take back what he has stolen from you. The battle is won. The strong man has been bound. The enemy is defeated. What do you need to go and get back today?
"No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."
Wouldn't it be nice if you walked up to a battle ground where you had anticipated a hard fight, heavy casualties, and impossible odds just to find the enemy bound and gagged lying on the ground defenseless? This is the picture that Jesus paints for us in this passage. He is trying to explain to a group of religious know-it-alls that He has the power to bind the devil and take from him everything he has laid claim to. When we face certain darknesses in our lives we can buy into the lie that the devil is stronger than us, that the fight is going to be hard and long, and that we may not win. But, Jesus laid out an entirely different scenario! He says that He has bound the strong man. He says that He has defeated your enemy. He says that to win all you have to do is ask and He will allow you to plunder the enemy and take back what he has stolen from you. The battle is won. The strong man has been bound. The enemy is defeated. What do you need to go and get back today?
Monday, June 20, 2016
21Jun16
Galatians 5:1 NKJV
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
When I first became a Christian I prayed a prayer and asked God to forgive me of my sins. I did this once... twice... three times... ad noseum. Every time the pastor would call for people to come to the alter to "get saved" I would shoot forward like fat kid after doughnuts. I just wasn't convinced that God forgave everything the first time. There was just too much stuff there to work on. Or I would remember the one time I did that one thing and feel like I wasn't saved all over again. Conviction and repentance is good. But, we need to learn to stand firm in our freedom. Part of that is believing what God says about the salvation for all of our sin. Grabbing onto that faith that we have and trusting it. Because when we are not convinced that we are truly saved then we end up becoming entangled in our previous crap. We don't look forward to what God has for us... we just look back at everything we were guilty of. The problem with that backwards view is that when we look back we tend to fall into pits in front of us. It's a bad cycle. So lift your head today and look forward to what God has for you in freedom.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
When I first became a Christian I prayed a prayer and asked God to forgive me of my sins. I did this once... twice... three times... ad noseum. Every time the pastor would call for people to come to the alter to "get saved" I would shoot forward like fat kid after doughnuts. I just wasn't convinced that God forgave everything the first time. There was just too much stuff there to work on. Or I would remember the one time I did that one thing and feel like I wasn't saved all over again. Conviction and repentance is good. But, we need to learn to stand firm in our freedom. Part of that is believing what God says about the salvation for all of our sin. Grabbing onto that faith that we have and trusting it. Because when we are not convinced that we are truly saved then we end up becoming entangled in our previous crap. We don't look forward to what God has for us... we just look back at everything we were guilty of. The problem with that backwards view is that when we look back we tend to fall into pits in front of us. It's a bad cycle. So lift your head today and look forward to what God has for you in freedom.
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