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It is your choice

April 30, 2012 in Devotionals, Featured, Life with 0 Comments

turner falls

Deuteronomy 30:19 – “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessing and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

Everyday God gives us a chance for a great life, but we have to choose it.  We have to awake and choose to love and obey God.  We have to awake and choose to listen and learn from God instead of the world.  We have to awake and choose to be firm in our devotion to God.

Years ago I went to a waterfall with my family.  As we walk down the creek to where the waterfall was located I was amazed.  Before I ever saw it, I could hear it.  Then as we got closer I could see it.  Finally we arrived and people were swimming in the pool that the waterfall poured down into.  As I stood on the shoreline I could feel the midst of the waterfall.  Eventually my family and I joined the others and got into the water and swam up into the waterfall.  It was amazing the power that poured down on us as we swam under the actual waterfall.  Such power, such enjoyment!

In order to enjoy the full power of that waterfall we made a decision to do so.  We made the choice to enter into the water and swim to the place where the waterfall came down.  We could have stayed down creek or even on the bank, but we decided to get into the water and enjoy this great creation.

This is the way of the blessings of God.  They are always flowing for each one of us, but we will not enjoy the full blessings of God today unless we make a decision to do so.  You can hear about them and even feel a bit of them by being around others that are blessed, but until you get into the water and swim you will not experience real life.  The evil one Satan wants to steal and kill and destroy your opportunity for life and blessings.  Yet Jesus promised us in John 10 that he wants to give us life and the blessing of abundance.

Today, you have a chance to be blessed or cursed, to find life or death; it is all in the way you decide.  As Deuteronomy 30:19 states, “Oh, that you would choose life…” Get into the water and swim out to the fullness of what God wants for you today.  The waterfall of God’s blessings is always pouring out for whoever will come and choice to swim in them.  Today is your day for life and blessings so step into the presence of God.

What Attitude?

April 25, 2012 in Devotionals, Featured, Life with 1 Comment

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Are you a person of Joy? Or are you a person who complains? I find it interesting that it is hard to do both.

So many people would rather live their life complaining than receive the great joy of the Lord. In John 6, people complained. Jesus was offering these people a life that was satisfying and fulfilling, yet all they wanted to do was complain. So what did Jesus say? In Verse 43, it states, “Jesus replied, “Stop complaining about what I said.”

Complaining never changes a thing. Instead all complaining does is help you to remain in your mess. When you fill your thoughts and your life with that which is negative, you continue to move toward those negative things. As you continue to read John 6 you find out that Jesus time and time again tries to lead these people to life in Him, but at the end they all leave complaining. Complaining is a sin that keeps us in bondage instead of moving us toward change and life

Today, if you want to be fulfilled and satisfied, stop complaining about your situation, your life, or your position. Instead, take joy in your lot and trust in the Lord. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.” God wants to give you Joy today. You have to delight in Him and not complain about your current situation.

In Psalm 40:8 David reminds us what Scripture says, He states, “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” Today, wait on the Lord, trust in His words, and before long you will be amazed at the Joy in your heart. The Joy of the Lord is your strength.

Spiritual Workout

March 5, 2012 in Devotionals, Featured with 0 Comments

weight

This is a guest blogger named Nathaniel Calloway.  Nate was one of the students in my discipleship class at Real Church last session.  He is a businessman that is serious about the Lord.  Today I am sharing a recent devotional he sent out to encourage some friends and co-workers in their faith.  I love watching God grow young men into being real disciples that follow after Him.  Be encouraged by the following words.

Spiritual Workout

Our spirit is something that needs to be maintained on a daily basis.  We
can’t accomplish the things that God has set out for us to do without the
Holy Spirit guiding us.  Imagine trying to run a marathon training only one
or two days a week.  You would begin to tire fast and eventually end up
quitting.  I believe this is what happens to us spiritually.  We give our
lives to Christ and ask him to direct our paths.  But for one reason or
another we don’t pray or read the Word as often as we should.  Suddenly
being a Christian starts to become tiresome.

This happened to me when I realized I was only praying and reading my Bible
a few times a week.  It began to become more like a chore to spend time
with God than something I hungered for.  We must take and make the time to
spend with God on a daily basis.  We should never be too busy for God,
because He’s never too busy for us.  Now imagine preparing to run a
marathon by training everyday.  Not training by yourself, but having a
personal trainer and nutritionist as well.  By the time race day comes you
will be able to give your best effort.

Having this mentality for or walk with Christ also applies.  Pray and read
the Word everyday.  Find people in your life who will help you do your best
and will be there to hold you accountable.  So when that time comes when
God calls on us, we can give Him our very best.  I challenge you to find
the materials, people and time you need to begin your spiritual workout.

Acts 20:24- However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is
to finish the race and complete the race and complete the task the Lord
Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Luke 9:23- Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Love is what???

February 29, 2012 in Devotionals, Featured, Life with 0 Comments

patience 2

Jesus said the greatest thing you could do with your life is to Love God and Love others (Mark 12:31-32).  I think the biggest challenge in loving others is learning to be patient and kind.

For the most part, each of us wants what we want when we want it.  And if we do not get what we want, we get upset, we get frustrated, and we get rude.  When there is no patience, there is no kindness!  And when you don’t show patience and kindness; there is no real love.

Because 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love is patient and kind!”

So who does God want you to be patient with today?  Oops, I mean love today?

More than a feeling…

January 19, 2012 in Devotionals, Featured with 1 Comment

DoSomething_black-on-white

James 2:15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well” – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?   17 So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless. 

Right now, at this very moment, there are so many people who are hurting in this world.  I could show you places in the world that have no clean water and in your heart, you would feel compassion.  I could show you places where children are eating out of the dump and you would be broken inside.  I could introduce you to homeless men who are strung out on addictions and your emotions would be tugged at.  I could take you into a single mothers home without furniture to sit on and you would feel shocked.  And I could even introduce you to teenagers who are hungry everyday when they go to school and you would be angered at their parents.

All of these opportunities, all of these chances for men and women who pursue faith to make a difference.  Listen, feeling compassion, brokenness, or anger will not change the world.  At some point, your pursuit of real faith in Jesus Christ must minister to the needs of those God brings into your life.  It is not enough to see the hungry, the homelessness, the poor and do nothing.  As James says in this passage, “what good does that do?”

We must become men and women not only of faith, but of action.  We have to dream big dreams that will change the lives of other, but then we must take action.  We must give love, give money, and give our time to help those in need.

Jesus said it this way when he was speaking of our responsibility to help others in Matthew 25…

37 “…‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “…‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Real Faith is more than a feeling!

God given treasure

July 6, 2011 in Devotionals, Family, Featured with 0 Comments

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Proverbs 18:22 – “The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord.”  The Bible refers to our wives as treasure.

Today, I want to talk to men.  In Scripture, a wife is referred to as a treasure or a good thing.  So when a man finds a woman, the Bible says, that is a blessed moment by God.  Matter a fact; this verse reads, “God favors the man.”  So if you have a wife or if you one day find a wife, men you have found a God given treasure.

So here is the big question of the day; men how are you handling the treasure God has placed in your possession?  Are you valuing her, respecting her, and cherishing her?  I know for me I often need a reminder from God as to how I am to treat my wife.  Peter, a tough fisherman, gives us clear teaching on how we are to value the treasure God has given us known as a wife.

1 Peter 3:7 (NLT) “…You husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.”

What do you do to value the treasure know as your wife?

  • Honor your wife.
  • Treat your wife with understanding.
  • Make your wife an equal partner.

Men, God has shown you favor if you have a wife.  Go home and love her as Christ loved the church.

Can we be friends?

March 22, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 0 Comments

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Years ago, a friend of mine when speaking to teenagers said, “Show me your friends and I will show you your future.” Wow, what a statement.

Much of your success in life is determined largely by the friendships you make & keep. You need friends who will go through the ups and downs of life with you. You need a cast of people that you can connect with and find community with in this life.  Friendship is not a human invention; it is God’s intention. God intended for you and I to build healthy loving friendships, which change our own life and the world around us.

Only in context of friendship is there the possibility of exchanging real care, service, empathy, and love. Genuine friendships change our hearts as individuals, but God also uses them to transform the world around us.  In John 13:34 Jesus spoke these words, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Maybe today God would lead you to seek out a new friend?  Or He would lead you to affirm an old friend?  I do not know what God which God would have for you right now, but I do know this, God wants you to love your friends the way He has love you.  So write a note, make a call, or drop by and visit someone, you’ll be eternally grateful for the wonderful friends you make in this life.

Please Pray for Patience

March 11, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 0 Comments

patience

I often here believers say, “oh do not pray for patience because your world will fall apart.” To which I think; “Really, what world are you living in?”  The world is falling apart, and you are going to need to be patient if you are going to make it in this life.

This is why I think Paul writes in Romans 12:12b “be patient in affliction.” To be Patient means “to persevere.” It means to endure.  It means to wait. I like that!  Wait.  What do you wait on in a trail or affliction? You wait on the Lord.  Why?

Because God has promised us in Isaiah 40:31 “Those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”

Waiting on the Lord has great benefits.

When we learn to be patient in affliction, God gives us strength, God gives us the ability to go through the pain and hurt, God gives us hope to keep walking, knowing He has a plan, and things are going to work out. You need a patient attitude if you are going to wait on God to take care of you.

If you do not have patience, you might get tempted to try and work things out. You might get tempted to try and depend on someone instead of the God of the universe.  The thing we need to understand as believers, we will be afflicted while we are on this earth. We will face trials.  But know this…GOD is at work in every trial and in every affliction.

James 1:2 reads “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

You want to grow, you want to be strong in the Lord; ask God for an attitude of patience. Learn to let God work in the midst of affliction.  We have to have confidence in Christ when we are in the middle of a trail.

Understand, God is doing his best work when you are in the middle of hard times. Philippians 1:6 has promised, “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”

God is going to work on you if you are His child. It is better to embrace what is happening in your life than to try and run from it. When we are patient in affliction; we are allowing God to do His work in us. That is growth; that is maturity!  That is the best thing you can show a world that doesn’t know Christ.

So how is your attitude; are you patient?  Please pray for patience.

Passion

February 23, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 0 Comments

What are you passionate about?

For most of my life, I have been a person who gets passionate about really crazy stuff.  For instance, in my early twenties, I went through a phase where I became very passionate about the Oklahoma City 89ers.  For those who do not remember this baseball team; they are now called the Oklahoma Redhawks.  They are our minor league baseball team here in OKC.

The OKC 89ers were on a major loosing streak and because I was so passionate about them doing well, my friends and I would often dress up in crazy clothes, paint our faces with blue and red and go out and act like fools at the games.  Our goal every game was to not only entertain people, but to get on the news.

I remember one night when we were dressed crazy; there was a double header.  For some reason between the two games the entertainment had canceled and the 89ers needed a show.  I do not remember how it happened, but it happened.  Because of our passionate support of the team, some people form the 89ers office asked my friend and I if we would go out and entertain the crowd between the games.

They said, “they would place some music and all we had to do was dance and act crazy.”  We could not believe we were being asked to get the crowd fired up.

So being young and dumb, I mean passionate, we said yes.  It had to be the worse entertainment acts ever.  We went out on the field, ran around the bases, danced really badly, and before we knew it the fans were laughing and cheering for us.  After we got done dancing and performing, little kids were coming up and asking for our autographs on baseballs.  Because of our passion, we became celebrities for a night.  It was so awesome!

Passion is a game changer.  Passion causes people to spend money they normally would not spend.  Passion leads people to learn things they normally would not learn. Passion drives people to endure things when they would typically give up.  Passion creates energy, helps people accomplish what seems impossible, and drives people to even embarrass themselves on a baseball field in front of a few thousand people.  Passion is so important when it comes to living.

I guess this is why God is so serious about passion in our lives.  In Romans 12:11, the Bible reads, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Zeal, passion, intensity; they all matter to God.  Over and over the Bible makes it clear that we are to have passion.

When we seek God, we shouldn’t just do it halfway; no we are to “seek God with all our heart, and then we will find him.”  When we trust God, we don’t do it with a halfhearted effort; instead the scripture challenges us to “trust in the Lord with all our heart.”  When we love God, it is not a feeling kind of love; it is an all in love.  We are to “Love God with all our heart, soul and mind.”

Passion, it really matters in your walk with God.  So, what are you passionate about?

I Hope it is about serving the Lord.

Accept

February 18, 2011 in Devotionals, Featured with 3 Comments

Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

Everybody needs acceptance. Why?  Because none of us are perfect!

We all have struggles and issues.  We all have preferences and opinions.  We all have shortcomings and failures.  Yet when we overlook things and really accept one another, we bring praise to God.

Why?  Acceptance is part of loving.  God is love.

Do you accept people or judge people?

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