What is Your Biggest Fear?

I am not a proponent for words like "never, always, biggest, etc...", but this was the title for this weeks blog post. So as I share with you a fear I have, I'm not sure if it is my biggest fear, but it is a significant one. The fear I have is: "Will I be successful?"
Now I could have said my fear was snakes, or heights, or being alone. While these are all fears, as I searched my heart, I believe the "successful" issue was bigger. Now the challenge with this is what is success? As a minister, is success bringing people to a faith in Christ? Could be. Is success growing the numbers of people that come to church? That has some truth to it as well. Is success giving a great sermon every week? I'm sure that can be a part of it.
You see, success can be defined in many ways. You could ask 10 people what they think is success, and you would probably get more than one answer.
So what is success? I think Jesus was clear, that success comes from giving ourselves fully over to Him, and putting our trust in Him, and loving God with all of our heart, and soul, and mind. If we do this, then the resulting success will be determined by God.
So as I write this, all of a sudden I realize I don't need to be fearful of not being successful, because it isn't based on numbers, or being the best preacher, but on faithfulness. And the truth is, all our fears are unwarranted when we put them in the hands of God. Go ahead and do that, and see how you feel about your fear; put your fear in the hands of God.
In essence then, this blog is more like a journal writing, and you happen to be in on it. I hope this has created some thoughts of your own in regards to your own fears, and how God can take away those fears.

I Can't Wait To See What's Next

When reading a mystery, you often get to a place in the story where you get excited about what happens next. In fact, I was just reading a book on Monday where I got near to the end, and I didn't want to put the book down. So I kept reading, because I wanted to see what was going to happen. I read it all the way to the end.
Life can be this way as well. The exciting parts of life lead us to want to see what is next. Maybe you get engaged, and you are excited about getting married and what it will be like to be married. Or maybe you are getting ready to finish college and you are excited to see what is next in your life. Or maybe you have a child, and you are excited about what will happen next when they are born.
But even the struggles of life can be like this, and lead us to wonder what is next. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." This is a verse that leads us to think, "I can't wait to see what is next." If God has a plan for us, a plan that has a future, a plan that offers us hope, then we should be very excited to experience it.
Are you at the place where you are excited about what is next? If not, why not? Whether you are or not, there is great hope when we walk with God; when we trust God. Each day, I want to wake up and say: "I can't wait to see what's next." I hope you will feel this way too. Blessings.

Accountability

How often do people set goals at the beginning of the year and not carry through with them? How often do people decide to read the Bible more, but fail to do so? Why is this? Lack of accountability. Accountability is not a popular word in our society. Maybe it is because people think of being judged by others, or told what to do, or they don't like the thought of their life being scrutinized. The problem with a lack of accountability, is that people’s behavior tends to be more sinful. The Bible tells us that we are prone to sin. If this is our tendency, then it would be helpful to try and support each other in making our actions the best that they can be.
This is what accountability is about, not judging each other, but helping each other be our best; being strong for each other when we can't be strong for ourself. That is why those in AA groups have sponsors, their sponsors are there to keep them accountable. Usually if we know that someone is going to check on how we are doing, then we tend to behave better and keep our commitments.
Accountability is important whatever we are trying to do in life. Whether it is setting a goal for losing weight, or working out more regularly, or cutting out destructive behavior, it is important to have someone in your life who can keep you on task.
This sets us up for the question: who should be my accountability partner? The answer to this, is someone you trust, someone who wants to be there for you in that way, and someone who has strength of character (someone you admire). Once you choose this person, and they agree, you then need to figure out how they are going to keep you accountable. Maybe they check in with you once a week, and/or maybe you phone them if you are struggling to do what you want to do, or maybe you send daily or weekly e-mails to them letting them know how you are doing. The key is that there is regular contact.
The process for accountability is not judgment, but love and growth. Are you accountable to anyone? If not, who might you choose? You life will be better for it!

That Familiar Conflict

In life, conflict is bound to happen, and while conflict is not fun to experience, it can be beneficial. Meaning that sometimes conflict is what allows us to address a situation we are avoiding, or ignoring. It is not uncommon for us to ignore certain situations because we don’t want to “rock the boat” or we don’t want to create any tension in the relationship. So we let the issue linger on, while all the while it is simmering deep inside us. Finally, the situation gets so bad that it has to be addressed.
On top of this, there are those all too familiar conflicts that happen time and time again. These conflicts happen regularly for several reasons: one may be that the person whom we are in conflict with, doesn’t learn, and continues the behavior that creates the conflict (i.e. an employee who doesn’t do their job, or a friend who takes you for granted). Another reason is that some people just create conflict based on their selfish behavior. Because they only focus on themselves, they tend to bring conflict into the relationship whenever you don’t pay enough attention to them.
A verse that has been very helpful for me, which helps to guide me in the conflicts of my life, is Romans 12:18- “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” What this verse tells us is that we can only do so much to bring peace to a relationship or situation. If I am in conflict with someone, or they are in conflict with me, I will do my best to communicate with them, and seek to bring resolution. At this point, hopefully peace has been restored. I can be at peace knowing that I have done my best to resolve the issue. If they are not at peace, that is on them, not on me.
On top of all of this, there is love. God calls us to love all with the love which God loves us. Whether we realize it or not, we are often in conflict with God. This too is a familiar conflict. The conflict comes from our sin and our turning from God’s way to choose our own way. But God keeps loving us and calling us back into a relationship with Him. With this as our example, we can look to love others in spite of our differences, challenges and conflicts.
What conflicts are you facing? Usually these conflicts aren’t random, but have a visible reason why they are there. Seek to resolve it through communication, bringing peace into the situation, and ongoing love. Blessings.

My Cardboard Testimony

It is very common to see people holding cardboard signs with messages. Of course it is probably most common for those who are homeless. In this way they can get a message across that they need help. The cardboard sign is a cheap and easy way to let their need be known. But is it effective? It must be because so many do it.
However, cardboard messages have taken on a new twist. People also use cardboard signs to speak other messages, like: messages of protest; messages that they are selling something; messages for garage sales; messages about lost pets; I even came across a sign that read, "Family kidnapped by ninjas; need $4 for karate lessons."
One way our church used cardboard testimonies is to set up a series of verses from the book of Romans along our walkway during Halloween. The idea was that as the families came up to the church to get candy, they would read the different signs. The signs read: Romans 3:23- "For all have sinned and fall short of God's glory." Romans 5:8- "For God demonstrates His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 6:23- "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." AND Romans 10:9- "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Our blog group topic this week is "My Cardboard Testimony." If I were to write my testimony on a cardboard sign, what would it say? What would it look like? I am not the most creative person in the world, but I think I would want it to be in bright colors, with a picture of the cross on it. The bright colors to get people's attention, and the cross to remind everyone that we are saved only by Jesus' death on the cross. Now then, what would the text be? The text would be simple, like the statement of the blind man who Jesus healed. His testimony was straight forward: I was blind, now I see, and Jesus is the one who healed me.
For me, I think I would state that I was lost in my own selfish ways, surrounded by friends who were leading me down the wrong path. Finding Jesus helped me to get on the right path and make something wonderful of my life. So the text would say:
"I was lost in my sin, but now I am found in Christ.
I know I am living the life God has for me!"
How about you, what would your sign say?

It's None of Your Business

Have you ever been told, “It’s none of your business?” What does that make you think? What does that make you feel? For most people, it either makes them feel left out and unappreciated, OR it makes them all the more curious and they want to find out what is none of their business.
Reflecting on this made me think of how people might say this to me because of what they are doing in their lives. Meaning, that what they are doing is not what they should be doing, and so they don’t want me, or others to know. They say, “It’s none of your business.” The truth is, even if it is none of my business, God knows what they are doing. We are told in Psalm 139:1-4, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. God knows when we lie down and when we wake up. God knows our thoughts and the words that we will speak.” Everything is God’s business, and God knows what we are doing.
But there is a sense in which other people should know our business. Matthew 18:15 tells us, “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and tell them their fault, between you and them alone. If they listen to you, you have gained them back.” This is talking to us about accountability. We have lost the sense of accountability in our individualistic society, but we are to be there for each other in love, and help each other stay strong. That is why James tells us in the book of James, chapter 5, verse 16: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Again, we are there to keep each other on the straight path by confession and prayer; all in the spirit of love and support.
What are your thoughts?

Living a Joyful LIfe

Happiness and joy both exhibit emotional responses within us. But even though we know they are different, we don't know how to differentiate them from each other. Because of this we sometimes don't know how to separate them in our mind. As our blog group tackles the topic "How to live a joyful life," let's talk about how we can and should let God help us to separate them.
Let's start with happiness: Happiness comes from good experiences and fills us with good emotions. You have fun with your family and you feel loved. You get a raise and you feel more secure and appreciated. You buy a new car and you feel excited that you are able to enjoy this new toy you have. But what about when bad things happen? I don't know too many people who are happy when bad things happen. You get a bad health diagnosis and you are scared. You have a life crisis; you might feel depressed. You have an argument with your spouse, or kids, or friends; you are not at peace. And if someone is happy when something bad happens, you look at them with concern.
On the other hand, joy can happen at all times of life. As Philippians 4:1 says, "Rejoice in the Lord, always; again I say rejoice." How is this possible? How can you be joyful always? Joyful when bad things happen? Joyful when you have a crisis? Joyful when a loved one dies? The answer is yes. We can be joyful always. The reason for this is that joy isn't based on emotions, joy comes to us by God's Spirit.
The Bible tells us that joy is a "fruit of the Spirit." So when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are filled with God's Spirit. The Spirit plants the seed of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. As we let God work in and through our lives, this fruit grows in our lives; including joy. Joy comes from knowing that God is with us in all things and at all times. Joy is knowing that God cares for us in the most difficult of
times, and walks with us in our pain. Joy is knowing that God can make good come out of the bad. This is why we can be joyful at all times. This is how we live a joyful life.
The foundation of a joyful life is having a relationship with our creator, God. A life built on this foundation is a life that will have security, and love, and hope, and peace. A life that experiences this deep personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, will be joyful because it will never be without options or help. While our emotions are up and down, which leads us to limited experiences of happiness, joy exists with us abundantly and permanently.
Do you have a joyful life? Do you know that God's presence is with you at all times? Do you have this foundation? I pray that you do. Blessings.

How Do You Relax?

This is an interesting topic for me this week, because I am on vacation. We often think of vacation as a time to relax. If that is true, why do so many people get back from vacation and say that they need a vacation? Relaxing is not about the stopping of work, but the ability to enjoy what you are doing, and be at peace. When you are away from work, you still have issues at home; or you are busy with many events that you do while on vacation; or maybe it is a working vacation. The point is, whether you are at work or on vacation, most of the time the schedule is filled with things to do. Or even if you do nothing, is that really what relaxing in about? Most people when they do nothing get bored. Boredom isn’t the same as relaxation.
So how do I relax? By doing what I enjoy. When I am sitting quietly reading a book, or playing catch with my son, or playing a game with my family, I am in relaxation mode. In these times, God blesses me with the ability to be free from stress and worry. And yet, I relax another way as well. This other way is in my times of meditation with God. When I take the time to be still before God, and let God’s Spirit minister to me, and let God fill me with His peace and love, I move to an incredibly relaxed place. So much so that after this time, I don’t even get mad at others, regardless of the situation.
Relaxing is about not allowing life to get to you. Relaxing is about enjoying what you do. Relaxing is about being at peace. May we all find ways to relax in our busy lives. Blessings.

My Current Most Profound Insight

One definition of "insight" is to understand the inner nature of things. The last couple of years I have had the opportunity to mentor many people from my church. I have been grateful to God for giving me insight into their thoughts and lives which has helped me to guide them in their spiritual growth and help them to make good decisions.
But an even bigger insight that I feel I have experienced is in regards to relationships. As we live our life, we are challenged with pressures, and stresses, and hardships. We are pushed and pulled in so many directions, and by so many people. This drain can leave us weak and unable to deal with the problems of life.
God has placed it on my heart and in my mind to encourage people to be in good relationships. What I mean by good relationships is to have many relationships with people who energize you, encourage you, and build you up. When you are with these people, you feel blessed, and when you leave them, you feel uplifted and more excited about life.
As I talk to people, I am realizing more and more that this is not happening. Too many relationships are dysfunctional and draining. People are not being intentional about setting up times to be with those people who are good for them; whom they enjoy. But God wants us to be in these relationships. God wants these relationships to dominate our lives. God wants us to have these relationships because they will help to keep us healthy, and will lead us to live fruitful and "joyful" lives.
How about you? Who are the people in your life you love to be with? Who energizes you? Who encourages you? Who builds you up? Are you intentional about being with them? I encourage you to do so. This is my "insight." What is yours?

Work Worth Doing

Have you ever wondered, why am I here? I'm sure we all have wondered this at some point in our life. Most people I ask that question to answer it with a statement of what they feel they are called to "do" in life. While we are all capable of doing many things, that is not the primary reason we are here. The primary reason is to love God. By loving God and being loved by God, we are then called to love others.
In a blog titled "Work Worth Doing," why would I start by talking about our call to love God and others? Because, without this understanding, we end up doing much that is not really worth doing. What I mean by this, is that too often, with a limited perspective of our existence, the work we feel called to do is usually for our own benefit; it is self-serving.
This work is not work that is worth doing, because it is based on affecting only one person: yourself. God created us to have an eternal perspective because we are eternal beings. If all we do for work is that which benefits ourselves, then we fall far short from making much of an impact with our lives. In John 6:27, Jesus says: "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
So we need to ask, what is this food that endures to eternal life? It is work that will carry over into the next life; our life in heaven. Simply put, the work that is eternal is loving others, worshiping God, and leading people into a life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This kind of work can be lived out in the workplace, the church, our home, with our neighbors, most anywhere we are. And the great news is that it will make an eternal difference with all whom we share.

The Ultimate Birthday Party

Birthday parties are meant to be fun. They are meant to make us feel happy. They are meant to include our family and friends; all those who are important to us. They are not meant to be rigid, but meant to be a celebration of the fact that we were born into this world. There are many ways that you can throw a birthday party, anywhere from a simple dinner, to a trip to an amusement park, or a night of dancing.
Our blog group is asking the question, what is the ultimate birthday party? Now I suppose the answer to that would depend on what you enjoy. For some, a great birthday party may be going to the opera. But if you don’t like the opera, then it wouldn’t be very fun. For others it might be going to a baseball or basketball game. And still for others, a time spent with friends is all that they need. There can’t be any one idea, because each person has different likes and dislikes.
One wonderful birthday party that I heard about was a story Tony Campolo tells, of a time he was in Hawaii to speak. It was late at night and he couldn’t sleep, so he went to the local diner. While there, he overheard a couple of prostitutes talking, and one lady (let’s call her Gladys) was talking about how her birthday was coming up, but that she had never had a birthday party. After some time the women left. This gave Campolo and idea that he ran by the café owner, to throw a party for Gladys. The owner thought this a great idea, and they planned it for the next night when it was her birthday. The next night came, Tony and the owner were ready for Gladys, in she walked, and they shouted out “Happy Birthday.” Gladys was moved to tears. She found out that Tony Campolo was a minister and asked about his church. He said he was the pastor of a church that through birthday parties for prostitutes! She couldn’t believe it, stating: “Now I would go to that kind of a church.”
I believe this is a powerful story, because it talks about showing value to a person’s life. And that is what the ultimate birthday party is: showing value for the person’s life. It isn’t so much what we do in the party, as long as the person feels valued. I know for me, when people take time out of their schedule to be there for me, or to show me they care, that makes it the ultimate celebration. How about you? What do you think is the ultimate birthday party?

Running To Win

In a race such as a 10k there are many different kinds of runners: there is the casual runner who isn’t in the best of shape but wants the challenge of the run. There is the cautious runner who doesn’t push the race too hard for fear of burning out before the end. Then there is the compromised runner who can get easily distracted during the race. Finally, you have the committed runner, who is there not only to compete and finish, but to win.
The committed runner knows the importance of training consistently. The committed runner knows that victory is achieved, not by the fainthearted, but by the one who is diligent and strong.
If we were to liken this to the Christian life, the committed runner is the one who utilizes the many resources that God gives. The committed runner commits himself/herself to regular study of the Bible. The committed runner not only comes to worship, but gives himself or herself fully to it; meaning they let the music touch their soul, they let the prayers affect their heart, and they let the words of the Bible reading and the sermon transform their character. They let themselves participate in all aspects of the service. The committed runner also knows the benefit of prayer, and finds time each day to rest in the arms of Jesus. The committed runner knows the power that is received by being closely knit with Jesus. The committed runner knows that there will be times of failure, but in the end they will be victorious.
As Romans 6:4-4-5 tells us: “Therefore we have been buried with Christ by
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
What kind of runner best describes you? The casual runner? The cautious runner? The compromised runner? Or the committed runner? The good news is, that whatever runner you think yourself to be, God is there with you, and can help you to become a more committed runner. God can help give you this desire, and can help you to achieve it. All you have to do is commit, or maybe re-commit yourself to him this day. And again remember the words Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24- “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”
The truth is, when we are committed to the Lord, and trust in Him, we will all win!

Who Controls Your Mind?

Who controls your mind? It seems like a silly question at first, because the answer should be: I do. But the truth is, we can be controlled in what we think, which leads to what we do. The Bible says our war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The enemy, Satan, wants to come in and take control of our lives, control of our minds. The mind is the doorway to the heart. The mind gives commands that the body follows.
Actually, the answer shouldn’t be, I control my mind, but rather, God controls my mind. If we seek to control our own mind, then we will be misled, or deceived, or tempted away from what is best for us. But if we let God control our mind, then we will be able to live in the best way we can live.
In the Bible, in the book of Romans, chapter 12, it talks about the “renewing of your mind.” Renewal happens when our spiritual vision and thinking adjusts to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon our lives. It is the need to transform our will to the will of God. As Jerry Bridges says in his book The Pursuit of Holiness: “…it is the will that ultimately makes each individual choice of whether we will sin or obey. It is the will that chooses to yield to temptation, or to say no. Our wills, then, ultimately determine…whether we will be holy or unholy in our character and conduct.” (p. 125)
So you see, that it is best for our will to be in line with God’s will, and for this to happen we must let God control our mind. The key to all of this is that we were given life to glorify God; to honor God with our lives. But we cannot do that on our own. To do this we must start with renewing our minds; get the things of God into our mind! I cannot stress this enough. Second, we need to begin to make decisions that will bless God with our actions. Pray to God for strength, and seek God for wisdom. Through this wisdom, God will be leading us to live as we should. So, WHO CONTROLS YOUR MIND?

Having Ears That Hear

In Matthew 13:13-15, Jesus says, “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'” Jesus wanted the people to understand that when hearts become hard, when we lose our curiosity about the things of God, then we will not know how we are to act or what we are to believe.
It is interesting to me to see that God wants people to know His word, and yet Jesus often talked in “parable” form. Jesus would purposely teach through parables to weed out those who were following Him simply for the “wow” factor. Because of Jesus’ popularity and miracles, people often followed Him because it was the thing to do, or to see another miracle. They wanted to be wowed. But Jesus wasn’t there to be an entertainer, Jesus came to lead people to salvation. And Jesus’ style of teaching was designed for the true follower.
Jesus knew that those who really wanted to understand His teaching, whose hearts were truly seeking Jesus, would stick around and ask questions. Jesus knew that those who were sincere in their pursuit of God would persevere through the mysteries of God.
How about you? Do you pursue God and God’s mysteries, or do you allow yourself to go away with questions and not understanding? Seek God with your whole being. Be a person who has “ears to here.” It will make the difference in your fulfilling God’s purpose for your life, and for your life to really count.

Pattern of Living

Why is it that some people seem to be closer to God than others? It is interesting for me to have people say, “Pastor, will you pray for me. I know God hears your prayer.” Obviously, they believe God hears my prayers more than theirs. I believe that the answer lies in our pattern of living. How we live our life, on a regular basis, day to day, moment to moment, helps to make an incredible difference.

There are many examples of people who have seemingly given their life to God, but then walk away, or live in an ungodly manner. It is not hard to figure out that this is usually because they have changed their pattern of living. What they practice each day is worldly living, not godly living.

Romans 12:1-2 says: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” To have a godly view, and live a godly life, one needs to be renewed and transformed in mind, body, and spirit.

Mind. What we place in our minds will affect our minds. If we put negativity, then we will become negative. If we put hate, then we will become hateful. If we put forgiveness, then we will be forgiving. And so on…. We can best transform our mind by reading the Bible each day, and remembering what it says. Maybe you might want to memorize verses or passages that help with where you are struggling.

Body. What we do and where we go will affect our thinking and our actions. If we allow ourselves to be in sinful environments, then we will in time be comfortable with this way of living, and find our pattern of living changing. We must surround ourselves with people who encourage us, and love us and build us up. We must build for ourselves a network of people who keep us living in a godly way.

Spirit. Jesus was clear that for us to truly connect with God, we must do this on a spiritual level. We need to learn how to connect our spirit with the Spirit of God. We can do this in several ways. Worship helps us to connect with God on a spiritual level. Prayer will do this as well, if it is not just us talking to God, but us trying to listen to God’s voice. Meditation, or quiet reflection will also lead us to this deeper spiritual connection.
I hope that you will be diligent and intentional about your “pattern of living.” If you are, then you will be able to live a godly life, and know God’s perfect will for you.

Opening the Door

As we come to this season of Lent, a season that is meant to be a time of repentance and embracing God’s holiness, I want us to think about a remarkable fact that is told to us in the Bible. God gives you and me an invitation into His presence. An invitation that shows that He hears us, and invites us to come to Him. As Ephesians 2:13 says: “Now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near.” As we understand this, we can understand that what once separated us from God, our sin, has been removed. Nothing remains between us and God, except for an open door.
When Jesus Christ died, the door was opened for you and me. The writer of Hebrews tells it to us like this in Hebrews 10:19-20: “So, brothers and sisters, we are completely free to enter the Most Holy Place without fear because of the blood of Jesus’ death. We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s body.” According to the writer, the curtain equals Jesus. Therefore, whatever happened to the flesh of Jesus happened to the curtain. What happened to his flesh? It was torn. Torn by the whips, the thorns, the weight of the cross and the point of the nails. By enduring the cross, Jesus removes the barrier of the curtain, in essence opening the door.
The good news is that Jesus hasn’t left us with an unapproachable God. Yes, God is holy. Yes, we are sinful. But Jesus is our mediator. 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
God is holy, and we are sinners, and there is a distance between us. Because of this, we don’t trust our conscience, we trust the cross. The blood has been spilt and the veil has been split, and we are welcome in God’s presence.

The Charge of Jesus

There are different kinds of charges. In the picture we see an elephant charging forward. You can use your charge card to purchase something you need. A charge in the Bible is calling someone forth to do a specific task; it is when God gives us a call, a responsibility of action. In Matthew 28:20, "Jesus said, 'I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" When Jesus said this, He was giving a charge to people to go out and make disciples. As Christians we have been given the calling of telling others the truth about Jesus; the truth about the gospel. Unfortunately, it is too easy to shirk this responsibility and think we have more important things to do. But what could be more important than someone's salvation? When we talk to people, we aren't alone. That is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, to help lead us to do and say what God needs us to! This really isn't meant to be open for discussion. It isn't a suggestion, but a command. It is to be part of who we are as Christians.
So here are some questions: What keeps you from telling others about Jesus and about heaven? How does it make you feel to know Jesus is always with you? Let yourself be ready for these opportunities that God alone gives you. Have a wonderful day.

Living a Full Life

John 10:10- “Jesus said, I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” What would constitute a full life for you? People answer that question in many different ways. Some might say a full life would be to have lots of fun toys and the money and time to enjoy them. Others might say that a full life would be to have fame and accolades. Still others might say that it is about having a life filled with happy experiences. Because life is so unpredictable, the Bible tells us that a full life comes from 2 things: first, is having a deep, meaningful relationship with God; second is having good relationships with others. This is why Jesus stated, in Matthew 22:37-39 in response to the question ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’: “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus knew that what makes life meaningful and full is love; loving God, and loving others. While relationships can be difficult, and bring us down when they are not going well, there is nothing that can make us feel better than being in a good, loving relationship. If our relationship with God is good, the odds go way up that our other relationships will be good. How is your relationship with God? Where do you need to draw closer to God; give yourself more to God? How are you at loving others? How can your relationship with God help you to love others better; more? Blessings.

THEY WILL LISTEN TO ME

Vaclav Havel once said, “The real test of a man is not when he plays the role that he wants for himself, but when he plays the role destiny has for him.” Most people believe they have a destiny; or at least they want to believe. The problem is understanding what their destiny is. Most people struggle along, day to day, feeling lost, inefficient, and unappreciated. How can I do more with my life? they wonder.

If we are God's workmanship, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), then how can we live this out? The answer is that we need to listen to God. Sounds good, but how is it done? Jesus said in John 10:16, after having talked about being the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep, Jesus says that “they will listen to me.” But to listen, we have to hear, and to hear we have to know the sound of Jesus’ voice.

It is wonderful to be able to call someone up, and after one or two words have them know that it is me calling. This happens because they know my voice so well that it only takes a couple of words to recognize my voice. When my son is on the baseball field, he knows the sound of my voice when I call out to him. We need to know Jesus well, and know the scriptures well, so that when God calls out to us, we know it is His voice, and not the tempter's voice.

So my challenge to you, and to me, is to be ready to hear God’s voice every day. My challenge is for us to commit to knowing God better every day so we can discern the voice of God. My challenge is for us to seek out and live our destiny; the work God has for us!

Called

We get phone calls all the time. Some are sales calls, others are fairly meaningless, but some are very important; from people we care about. If you have ever gotten a call from someone close to you, who needed your help, maybe you didn't think you could help them with their problem, but in the end you made sure you were there to help them. We see in the Bible many who are called by God. At first they are not sure they can help, but then when God talks them through it, they are more willing.
In Exodus 3, we see how Moses is minding his own business, tending to his sheep, doing his job, when he has an encounter with God. And God starts to tell him that He has heard His people’s cries, and seen their affliction, and it is now time to deliver them from slavery. And all this time I’m sure that Moses is shaking his head thinking: “That’s right Lord. Glad to hear it. It’s about time.” And then Moses receives his call in verse 10- “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
The response: v. 11 Moses responds: “Who am I that I should go…” There is great reluctance on Moses’ part; great doubt that he is capable of this call.
God’s encouragement: v. 12, “Certainly I will be with you…”
God is here saying that it is not about Moses, it is about the fact that Moses has been chosen by God, and that God will be with him in this task, and because of this, everything will be all right.
God calls each one of us for a purpose He has set aside. We often don't want to believe we are able to do what God asks. But God assures us that He will go with us and work in and through us; "Certainly I will be with you."
If you were to think about it, you have a sense of what God is calling you to do. If you give yourself over to it and God, God will use you in profound way. Can you do it? I believe you can. I believe we all can!