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What will be said?

February 21, 2012 in Featured, Life with 0 Comments

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I know you probably do not want to think about this, but someday you and I will die.  When we die, someone is going to stand up at our funeral and tell all about our life.  I wonder often: what will be said?  When you die what do you want people to remember?  What do you want people to say about how you lived your life?

Maybe someone will tell about how funny you were during your life?  They will tell about all the crazy things you did and people will laugh.  While people are laughing at your funeral about how funny you were; what will be said about you in eternity?

Maybe someone will stand up at your funeral and talk about how good you were at your job.  They will tell how you solved problems, made money, and how professional you were.  People will leave your funeral filled with respect for you.  Maybe they will even buckle down and work harder.  You will be viewed successful here, but in eternity, what will be said about you?

Maybe someone will stand up at your funeral and talk about what a great mom or dad you were.  They will tell how you took care of them and provided for them.  They will shed some tears and people at your funeral will vow to be better parents.  Yet you will be in eternity; what will be said about you there?

Maybe someone will stand up and talk about how much money and time you gave to people and causes.  And at your funeral, you will be respected for the contribution you made to many.  But, you will be in eternity, what will be said of you there?

I could go on and on about things that might be said at your funeral, but the question is; will they really matter?

You see, each of us can do many great things here on earth and be admired by people, but we can still miss the mark in heaven.  In heaven, things will be judge differently.  They will not be judge by the surface or the look of things, instead in heaven; we will be judge by our motive.  The reason we did what we did.

Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 and hopefully all my words will make sense.

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Today, all that matters is how you love.  Go out and love God and love others.

Forget it…

February 8, 2012 in Featured, Life with 0 Comments

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Forget about your circumstances for a moment.  Most of the time you have very little control over what is happening around you.
Forget about your self imagine and weight for a moment.  We all struggle on this, but neither will give you what you really desire.
Forget about your finances for a moment.  Money is nice, but it will not buy you a fulfilled heart.
Forget about all the petty pursuits that make you feel good on the outside.  Hobbies only bring momentary happiness.
Forget your sin issues.  This is too big for you; only Jesus can help you here.

Forget it all…

Today allow God to change you on the inside.

When God changes your heart, he changes your life.
God always does an inside work before He cleans up the outside.

Forget your agenda, Remember Him, and you just might GET everything you desire today.

Matthew 16:25 “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

The Time is Now

July 7, 2011 in Featured, Life with 2 Comments

Time is now shirt

Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Our days are numbered!  Everyday is like a clock ticking down toward your final day on earth.  You do not have forever.

I was reminded of this recently as I was watching the NBA Finals.  Did anybody watch the Finals?  I was somewhat cheering for Dallas because the OKC Thunder did not make it to the finals.

Anyways, as I watch this series, I was amazed when the game series went back to Dallas from Miami for Game 3.  As I watched the pre-game show, I noticed that on the chairs were the same shirts that had been placed there during the Lakers’ series.  They were blue and they had the same saying on them.  IN OKC, we change it up every game, but not in Big D.  These shirts were the same, but then it hit me as I read what was written on the front of these shirts: “THE TIME IS NOW.” What a statement.

Dallas has never won the whole thing.  Jason Kid and Dirk have been to the finals, but they had never won.  Those guys are getting older.  If they are to get a ring, “The time is NOW.”  It had to happen.  So the owner made a brilliant statement, “The time is now.”

For some of us today, this is God’s message; “The Time is NOW.”  Today, you got to choose, are you going to win or are you going to continue to lose?  God wants you to win.  He is calling you to make a choice to love Him, obey Him, and commit your life to him.  Yet it is your choice.

For some, your marriage is about to totally be a loss.  You need to make a choice.  For others, you are about to lose the dream God has given you.  You have to choose.  Then there are those reading this and your finances are falling apart.  You have to make a choice.  The most powerful thing you can do everyday is make a choice to love and obey God.

Remember what Moses said in his Final words: Deuteronomy 30:19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses…” You have to choose wisely.

I’ve been mistreated :(

March 30, 2011 in Featured, Life with 0 Comments

Hurt Heart

One thing I have learned in life is this: people will hurt you at times. Whether it is the pain of a broken friendship or family. The sting of rejection by someone, the lose of peace, or the frustration of a harmful word spoken. We have all been mistreated by someone or something in this life.  So how should we react to being mistreated or hurt by someone?

Jesus taught us in Luke 6:28 to “pray for those who mistreat you.”

 

It is so hard to pray God’s blessing on someone that has mistreated you.  Yet it is even harder to “Love God and love others” the way God tells us too and hate someone else at the same time. Matter of fact, I would say it is impossible. So Jesus said in order to bless and not curse, you have to pray. Praying frees you and your offender.

Let me encourage you to pray the following ways for those who mistreat you.

  • First you pray that they would know the love of God.No change happens outside of God and His love. So you pray for God’s love to come into their life.  It has been said “Hurt people hurt people.”  When someone isn’t living in the love of God, they will mistreat others.  We have all been there.
  • You also pray for God to prosper them. This is very hard, but so effective.  When you pray for someone to prosper you are really praying for what you want in your life. Listen, the secret behind Jesus teaching us to pray for others is to think; what would I want if I were in their shoes. I would not want what I deserve, I would want better. So you pray for good in their lives. You pray for God’s best in there life because that is what you want in your life.
  • Finally, pray for their happiness. Anyone that hurts people outwardly is not happy inwardly. So you pray that your enemy would know happiness.  That they would find true joy in their heart and mind and life.  Joy is the strength of the Lord; so for someone to know joy is to find Jesus.

 

Why are you praying this way? Well, one Jesus says too; but that isn’t the only reason.  If you do not learn to pray for those that mistreat you, you will hold onto that hurt. Eventually years from now that hurt will hurt you, and then you hurt others. Prayer frees you and your offender.  I know this is radical, yet this is God’s way.

What do you pray when others mistreat you?

Live 511 Now

February 28, 2011 in Featured, Life with 0 Comments

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”

I love this!  Encourage and build up others; in other words, stop putting people down.  Today, you have the chance to make a huge difference in someone’s life by speaking great things to them.  Maybe your spouse, your child, a co-worker, or a friend; it really does not matter who, it matters what (you say or do).  What you do today matters to someone somewhere.  Think about ways to encourage and build up others.

Who do you need to encourage right now?

Make the phone, write the email, send the text, or go visit them.  You never know, you can be the reason that they continue a work or a marriage or a friendship or even a life.  Encourage and build up others!

What are you growing?

January 11, 2011 in Life with 0 Comments

When I was a child, my dad would often take me out to someone’s farm to get hay for our horses.  Many times when we would go, the farmer would have a crop planted.  And eventually in the conversation the question would emerge; “what are you growing?” Funny thing is that what ever the farmer sowed, he always reaped.  This reminds me of a great verse in the bible that applies to life.

It is Galatians 6:7  ”Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.”

So today, what are you growing?

I got an email from a friend last week and within a story she sent, the following was written:

*If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

*If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

*If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

*If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

*If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

*If you plant hard work, you will reap success

*If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

Think about it today:  What are you growing in your life?

Words

January 10, 2011 in Devotionals, Life with 0 Comments

Proverbs 29:20 “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Way too often what we say gets us in trouble.  Words are the most powerful tool we have each day.

We can either use our words to…

destroy or to lift up,

lie or to speak the truth in LOVE,

hurt or to sooth others,

hinder or help,

discourage or encourage.

Who needs you to think about the words you use in their life today?

Think about what you are thinking…

January 7, 2011 in Life with 0 Comments

“You are today where your thoughts have brought you.  You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.”  -James Allen

“Thinking is the talking of the soul with itself.” -Plato

Each day is filled with endless mind chatter that we either tune into or allow to ramble on within our head.  Whether you realize it or not the very things you allow to chatter away in your head without thinking about effect everything you do.  Your thoughts influence the way you see other, the way you act in situations during the day, and the way you end up going when you have to make major decisions.  Research suggests that each of us talk privately to ourselves at the rate of approximately 1,300 words per minute.  Crazy, when you stop and really think about it!  Ha, Ha!

But that is my point…if your thoughts are leading your life today, then you need to think about what you are thinking.  It could be that you could drastically change your life by tuning into the chatter within your head.  Just THINK about it.

First time situations are fun!

May 6, 2009 in Family, Life with 2 Comments

video-6-00m-06sYesterday, my youngest daughter took here first bite.  We all gathered around as a family and watched to see exactly what kind of face she would make, weather she would spit it right up or swallow it down, and finally to celebrate progress.  Whether we realize it or not, first time situations are fun.  God made us to experience newness every day.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Today are you experiencing new things for the first time?  If not, why?

When things are not working…

December 4, 2008 in Life, Teaching with 2 Comments

781286_30800578Oswald Chambers once said, “If God allows you to be stripped of the exterior portions of your life, He means for you to cultivate the interior.” I meet people all the time that live so discouraged because things are not working out the way they had hope. When things do not work, it is time for us to go to work. Not working on the other person, or on the dream, or on the job, or even on trying to figure out the problems, instead it is time for work on our personal walk with Christ. When things are all good and you get everything you want the way you wanted, it is easy to become complacent and even prideful. It is in the unmet expectation and the dashing of our dreams that we learn to lean deeper into Jesus. The true test of a great relationship with Christ is your ability to trust no matter if things are working out or not.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

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