Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
There are no greater pasture’s than God’s own backyard…
From the Heart
God looks at us as one of his precious lambs. He knows all there is to know about our nature and who we are. Like a sheep that easily wanders astray, when you cry it brings him to your side in a moment. When you are hurting, he does not push you further away, but you feel his soothing love and tender touch, healing all your wounds. When you cannot walk by yourself he will carry you gently until you have safely reached green pastures again. Be grateful that you have a compassionate father. Without him our lives would be so much harder.
There is always a lot of opportunity’s for you to wander astray from the path that God has ask you to be on. Be aware of what it is that is a temptation for you and protect yourself from it. Use your Christian friends, family, and prayer to stay focused. Always remember that if you do stumble and sin that God will always be there to forgive you and love you. So many times we allow the guilt of our sins and our own pride to keep us away from the truth.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
SIMPLICITY
Mathew 8:18-20
The Cost of Following Jesus
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
20Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
FROM THE HEART
So many times are wants far exceeds our needs. Things of this world will never be able to fill the gap that is in our soul. There is only one person who can fill those depths and that is God. We are all craving for a simple life with God.
How many times have you stopped and looked at your life and wanted it to just be simple. We organizing our lives, adjust our schedule, and purchase items to make our lives as simple as possible, but at the same time we create all kinds of turmoil in our lives by sliding things in the place of God. We just don’t understand how to have a simple life. A life like Jesus lived.
How do we just enjoy the things that God has blessed us with, but still know that there is only one thing we all need and that is God. We must treasure our relationship with him and understand the importance of it. We have to let it influence every other relationship with have here on this earth, and every decision or commitment that we make. True simplicity is allowing God to have full control of your life.
Let’s look at Jesus….
He had no home to call his own, no place to lay his head, no savings account, and no closet full of clothes. If the son of God could live such a simple life, then why can’t we? He has shown us that the simple things are the best.
Simplicity is not a fad-i-tude, but an attitude of heart.
The Cost of Following Jesus
18When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
20Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
FROM THE HEART
So many times are wants far exceeds our needs. Things of this world will never be able to fill the gap that is in our soul. There is only one person who can fill those depths and that is God. We are all craving for a simple life with God.
How many times have you stopped and looked at your life and wanted it to just be simple. We organizing our lives, adjust our schedule, and purchase items to make our lives as simple as possible, but at the same time we create all kinds of turmoil in our lives by sliding things in the place of God. We just don’t understand how to have a simple life. A life like Jesus lived.
How do we just enjoy the things that God has blessed us with, but still know that there is only one thing we all need and that is God. We must treasure our relationship with him and understand the importance of it. We have to let it influence every other relationship with have here on this earth, and every decision or commitment that we make. True simplicity is allowing God to have full control of your life.
Let’s look at Jesus….
He had no home to call his own, no place to lay his head, no savings account, and no closet full of clothes. If the son of God could live such a simple life, then why can’t we? He has shown us that the simple things are the best.
Simplicity is not a fad-i-tude, but an attitude of heart.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Bent Pipe
Isaiah 42:3 - "He will not break a bent twig. He will not put out a dimly burning flame. He will be faithful and make everything right."
Have you at some time tried to straighten out a bent pipe? Or have you tried to glue a broken piece of porcelain back on to a coffee cup?
In these cases we usually don’t make the effort to fix them. Usually we just throw them away because they are unusable and the effort to fix them is not worth the time.
It is different with God. He does not simply throw away the worthless, because it has some sort of defect. He keeps it in fact alive. And this is a great promise for you. In spite of your doubts, your inabilities, your faults and your many small failings – God stands by you.
Others gave up (threw you away) on you long ago. For them you carry the stamp of a loser, oddball, disbeliever, etc.
Even if you often feel useless and incompetent, God stands by you. He simply doesn’t throw you away, but holds you in his hand. Even when you consider yourself to be worthless, and you would rather throw your life away, God considers you valuable.
Church know that our God Don’t make no junk!
Have you at some time tried to straighten out a bent pipe? Or have you tried to glue a broken piece of porcelain back on to a coffee cup?
In these cases we usually don’t make the effort to fix them. Usually we just throw them away because they are unusable and the effort to fix them is not worth the time.
It is different with God. He does not simply throw away the worthless, because it has some sort of defect. He keeps it in fact alive. And this is a great promise for you. In spite of your doubts, your inabilities, your faults and your many small failings – God stands by you.
Others gave up (threw you away) on you long ago. For them you carry the stamp of a loser, oddball, disbeliever, etc.
Even if you often feel useless and incompetent, God stands by you. He simply doesn’t throw you away, but holds you in his hand. Even when you consider yourself to be worthless, and you would rather throw your life away, God considers you valuable.
Church know that our God Don’t make no junk!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
What have you done to be saved?
From an AOL survey 9 out of 10 people say what about the key to getting into heaven?
• Living a good life. 65.5%
• Having connections to someone at the top. 26.7%
• Helping old ladies cross the street. 2.7%
• Slipping St. Peter $20.00. 1.9%
• Having a strong letter of reference. 0.5%
• Making a deal with the devil. 1.2%
• Telling a really good lie. 0.5%
With the question: Are you going to heaven?
• Yes. 89.8%
• No. 10.2%
Total votes 143,309
(Source: www.aol.com)
Apparently, nearly 9 out of 10 people believe they are going to heaven, but many of them don't know and/or don't care why. That’s a scary thought.
Our job as Christian is to go out and explain to the lost how they can trully be saved, but we are up against what seems to be the impossible. People that do not want to know the true way to Christ.
With this mind set Satan’s job becomes fairly easy. He does not have to go out and convert people to his ways. All he simple has to do is stretch the truth a little. Make people believe that they are saved when in fact their not. If 65.5% of people feel like living a good life is all they have to do in order to be saved then Satan has won the victory in the battle of their soul.
As you go out this week realize that the field is ripe for finding the lost. Yes, you may be turned down by those that simply do not care why or how to go to heaven. Don’t let Satan us the fear of rejection to silence you.
Love,
Joe
• Living a good life. 65.5%
• Having connections to someone at the top. 26.7%
• Helping old ladies cross the street. 2.7%
• Slipping St. Peter $20.00. 1.9%
• Having a strong letter of reference. 0.5%
• Making a deal with the devil. 1.2%
• Telling a really good lie. 0.5%
With the question: Are you going to heaven?
• Yes. 89.8%
• No. 10.2%
Total votes 143,309
(Source: www.aol.com)
Apparently, nearly 9 out of 10 people believe they are going to heaven, but many of them don't know and/or don't care why. That’s a scary thought.
Our job as Christian is to go out and explain to the lost how they can trully be saved, but we are up against what seems to be the impossible. People that do not want to know the true way to Christ.
With this mind set Satan’s job becomes fairly easy. He does not have to go out and convert people to his ways. All he simple has to do is stretch the truth a little. Make people believe that they are saved when in fact their not. If 65.5% of people feel like living a good life is all they have to do in order to be saved then Satan has won the victory in the battle of their soul.
As you go out this week realize that the field is ripe for finding the lost. Yes, you may be turned down by those that simply do not care why or how to go to heaven. Don’t let Satan us the fear of rejection to silence you.
Love,
Joe
Friday, April 9, 2010
Have I Grown Today?
Have you ever looked at a mature Christian and said I wish I could be like him or her? Wouldn’t it be great if I knew my bible as well as they did, or if I could just pray as well is they do, or be a leader as much as they are, or just be as good at expression joy and love?
Most of us want to have instant growth. We want to wake up one morning and have it all, but what we forget is that we all have a person inside of us that is going through struggles and trials every day.
The only way we are going to become a mature Christian is through practicing spiritual disciplines like
• Reading our bible
• Praying often
• Fellowshipping with one another
• Giving back to God
• Serving God
Garden Question
Have you ever had a garden before or have you ever planted something before that you started from a seed. When you went out to plant the seed what were your intentions? Are you committed to the seed? Do you want to see it grow? Of course you do. You don’t plant a seed to not see it grow. There been a few times you were probably doubtful that it would grow.
God is committed to see us Grow
1 cor. 3:6-7 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
Right there it tells us that he is the one that planted the seed. We are the seed.
Isaiah 60:21: “They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.” When we grow we show His splendor.
What responsibility do we have for our growth?
• 2 Peter 3:18 – Talks about us growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus
• 1 peter 2:2 – Tells us to grow up in our salvation
• 2 Cor. 10:15 – Paul talks about when our faith grows the activity of the church will grow to
It’s just not all up to God and it’s not all up to us. God has designed it so that we work in a partnership with him.
Philippians 2:12-13 - Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling [that’s our part] for it is God who works in you [that’s God’s part] to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Most of us want to have instant growth. We want to wake up one morning and have it all, but what we forget is that we all have a person inside of us that is going through struggles and trials every day.
The only way we are going to become a mature Christian is through practicing spiritual disciplines like
• Reading our bible
• Praying often
• Fellowshipping with one another
• Giving back to God
• Serving God
Garden Question
Have you ever had a garden before or have you ever planted something before that you started from a seed. When you went out to plant the seed what were your intentions? Are you committed to the seed? Do you want to see it grow? Of course you do. You don’t plant a seed to not see it grow. There been a few times you were probably doubtful that it would grow.
God is committed to see us Grow
1 cor. 3:6-7 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
Right there it tells us that he is the one that planted the seed. We are the seed.
Isaiah 60:21: “They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.” When we grow we show His splendor.
What responsibility do we have for our growth?
• 2 Peter 3:18 – Talks about us growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus
• 1 peter 2:2 – Tells us to grow up in our salvation
• 2 Cor. 10:15 – Paul talks about when our faith grows the activity of the church will grow to
It’s just not all up to God and it’s not all up to us. God has designed it so that we work in a partnership with him.
Philippians 2:12-13 - Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling [that’s our part] for it is God who works in you [that’s God’s part] to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Vapor in Time
A guy rented out a whole movie theater for a new movie coming up that he was the Star in. He sent out invitations to several people and on the invitation he explained that the new movie was about him and he wanted all his friends and family to come and watch him in action.
As the movie was more than half way over people felt that all though it was great show their friend was nowhere to be seen in the movie, and there was no way he was the star of the show.
You see he was an extra 1 of a thousand or more that were sitting in the background in one of the scenes. He might have been on the screen for less than half a second.
You can imagine the weird looks this guy was getting as people left the theater and he asked them about his acting skills.
What was this guy thinking?
So many of us do exactly what this guy did with our own lives. No, we don’t rent out a theater and invite people to a movie that we say we were the star in, but we act like our life is the center of the universe. That the reason the earth turns is because we are breathing.
We look at the things we are doing and put them at the top of the list of importance, and then try to press that importance on the people that are around us.
We are a Vapor in time
James 4:14 (New International Version) - 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
In the grand scheme of history, human life is short. This verse reminds us that all of our plans and schemes amount to little more than mist or vapor when held up against the backdrop of eternity.
As the movie was more than half way over people felt that all though it was great show their friend was nowhere to be seen in the movie, and there was no way he was the star of the show.
You see he was an extra 1 of a thousand or more that were sitting in the background in one of the scenes. He might have been on the screen for less than half a second.
You can imagine the weird looks this guy was getting as people left the theater and he asked them about his acting skills.
What was this guy thinking?
So many of us do exactly what this guy did with our own lives. No, we don’t rent out a theater and invite people to a movie that we say we were the star in, but we act like our life is the center of the universe. That the reason the earth turns is because we are breathing.
We look at the things we are doing and put them at the top of the list of importance, and then try to press that importance on the people that are around us.
We are a Vapor in time
James 4:14 (New International Version) - 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
In the grand scheme of history, human life is short. This verse reminds us that all of our plans and schemes amount to little more than mist or vapor when held up against the backdrop of eternity.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Servant of God
Satan is the entity in our lives that is good at yanking our chains and messing with our daily walk with God. Sometimes we get his action confused with God’s action and place blame on God when in fact it is Satan that is causing us all the dilemmas in our lives.
Let me give you an example: A person strives daily to do good deeds by helping others, he prays for wisdom, strength, and support in hopes that all will be fine in his life. Then out of no-where in the middle of doing all these good deeds an obstacle is presented in his life that causes him to ask the question. Is this God challenging my faith? Why is that God did this to me?
Questions like this have probably come to all of us at one point or another. They cause us to re-evaluate who we are and who God is, and how he is working in our lives. When you do question God’s plan for you get back to the bible. As you read you will began to reassure yourself of his true plan for all his followers.
God loves you and wants you to become matures always looking to Him for peace and guidance. We know that in the bible Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble”. It’s not you may have trouble, but you will have trouble. The trouble can seem very confusing when your actions and prayers are based on sincere faith. If you feel like someone is causing pain and grief in your life consider that it could be the enemy using condemnation. Condemnation comes in the form of an accusation it’s never kind and often is a sound bite from our past. Maybe something like "You can't do anything right." You could respond to that thought with frustration or instead remember and say "That is not true!" Also the enemy uses opposition. Opposition is when you are doing what God wants you to do and Satan wants you to give up! Don't stop and you will see why. Remember when God corrects us, it is called conviction. Conviction can be very uncomfortable but is always kind and the yank is in our very best interest, like a loving parent. Conviction leads us to the true heart of God. My hope is that you can be built up and strengthened in Christ this week.
In Him,
Joe
Let me give you an example: A person strives daily to do good deeds by helping others, he prays for wisdom, strength, and support in hopes that all will be fine in his life. Then out of no-where in the middle of doing all these good deeds an obstacle is presented in his life that causes him to ask the question. Is this God challenging my faith? Why is that God did this to me?
Questions like this have probably come to all of us at one point or another. They cause us to re-evaluate who we are and who God is, and how he is working in our lives. When you do question God’s plan for you get back to the bible. As you read you will began to reassure yourself of his true plan for all his followers.
God loves you and wants you to become matures always looking to Him for peace and guidance. We know that in the bible Jesus said “in this world you will have trouble”. It’s not you may have trouble, but you will have trouble. The trouble can seem very confusing when your actions and prayers are based on sincere faith. If you feel like someone is causing pain and grief in your life consider that it could be the enemy using condemnation. Condemnation comes in the form of an accusation it’s never kind and often is a sound bite from our past. Maybe something like "You can't do anything right." You could respond to that thought with frustration or instead remember and say "That is not true!" Also the enemy uses opposition. Opposition is when you are doing what God wants you to do and Satan wants you to give up! Don't stop and you will see why. Remember when God corrects us, it is called conviction. Conviction can be very uncomfortable but is always kind and the yank is in our very best interest, like a loving parent. Conviction leads us to the true heart of God. My hope is that you can be built up and strengthened in Christ this week.
In Him,
Joe
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