God doesn't sleep

From the Word: Esther 6:1 “That night the king could not sleep…”

"Not when there is injustice. The King of Glory never sleeps nor does He slumber. He will bring justice swiftly for those who love Him. The devil is plotting and we are not unaware of his devices. Even more so the all knowing God. Will He not arise and carry out His good plan according to His mercies? Will He not see us in the court, dressed and ready for Him and extend his scepter to us? Will he not hang the devil on the gallows he meant to hang us on? Will He not bring us to His banqueting table and hang His banner of love over us?"

It is Easter weekend as I write this. So many thoughts and emotions come with this time of year. Beauty is all around as flowers are in bloom and for a few weeks in California we get to see green hills instead of brown ones. 

Even with all the beauty we are constantly reminded of the fallen world we live in. Just last week the headlines were "Shooting at an Elementary school." Sin and the devil are at work. They don't take a day off. We read that after Jesus overcame the temptation in the wilderness that the devil went away looking for an opportune time to trip him up. 

The good news is that God doesn't sleep either. In fact Jesus said that He and His Father were working from the beginning. God doesn't change and Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever! Jesus is alive and working on the earth. 

Jesus told a parable of a widow who went to an unjust judge to get deliverance. Eventually she did because the unjust judge didn't want to be wearied with her coming anymore. In the explanation of the parable Jesus tells us that we shouldn't give up either. God is not unjust! He hasn't forgotten you. Jesus ended his statements by saying that God would bring justice swiftly. 

Don't give up or give in. When you see the devil taking lives and sin destroying people press in to God. He isn't off taking a nap or an extended vacation. He is intimately involved in the events of the earth bringing justice, comfort, peace, healing and especially the good news of the gospel that Jesus took our sin on the cross and defeated death and the devil when he raised again to life! 

God loves you so much. Easter shows us that. The beauty of spring shouts that there is a resurrection and we can be made alive with Christ. I would encourage you to take some time to meditate on the story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Get into a Bible believing church and experience the wonderful presence of God. Tell God how thankful you are for His love and love on Him right back. Finally, take some time to pray for those who are bound by sin and the devil, that they would be delivered and experience the salvation and love of Jesus this Easter weekend as well. 

Some Good Advice

"I told him to stay humble, stay teachable, forgive quickly and apologize quickly. It is good advice for all of us."

There are times I know God is speaking through me to others. I am sure any of you readers who are Christians can identify a time when you were used of God to speak to someone else. At times we find that those same words God speaks through us are spoken to us. 

In the case of what I said to my friend as I wrote it down that night and now a year later as I read it today it applies to my own life. 

Humility is a misunderstood word. In our present society we think of humble as it relates to things. People will call a small house a humble house. Some would say that someone without means in the natural is living a humble life. This is not the humility that God wants from us. 

True humility is depending on God. Moses was said to be the meekest man on earth. Did you know he wrote that about himself? Most of us would say he was prideful. Not so if you have the right definition of humility and meekness. All Moses was saying about himself was that he was the one who depended on God the most. 

In order to succeed in life we need to stay humble. That means we continually depend on God. Depend on Him for everything. For wisdom, direction, strength and whatever else you need. If we can stay humble then we can know that God will pour out His grace on us. God opposes the proud be He gives grace to the humble. 

We should also endeavor to stay teachable. It is a personal goal of mine to be a lifelong learner. The crazy thing is that the more I know the more I realize how little I know. Especially when it comes to God. The more I know of Him the bigger He gets. 

When we realize we don't have all the answers it frees us from pride and helps us to stay humble. Then we get back to the place of grace. Being teachable will also help us to navigate new areas of life. 

Finally we should all be ready to forgive quickly and apologize quickly. Jesus forgave us. That is reason alone to forgive others. If fact, we are commanded to forgive as God in Christ forgave us. 

Pride will stop us from both forgiving and apologizing. When we are prideful we hinder relationships and hold on to hurts. It is that ungodly spirit that insists "I was right and they were wrong!" that wont let go. A spirit of humility depends on God to forgive and apologize; even when you don't think you were that wrong. It doesn't matter as much as following the way of God. God's way is forgiveness. He showed us that in Jesus Christ. 

This is just a short list of things that will help us in life's course. Can you think of any other good advice that you would add to this list? 

One Year After a Terrorist Attack

"Looking back over today I never would have thought it would turn out as it did. The head of our safety ministry came in to our pastors meeting to tell us that there was an active shooter down the street and that we were locking down the facility. Soon after we started working again our administrator came and asked if we could bring the people from the site to our church while they were interviewed by the police. I immediately thought of the school but then knew that in a time like this we needed to be a light and extend care to our hurting community. We watched some of the news reports and then started preparing for the arrival of the people. We had snacks, sodas, water and coffee available for them. Some counsellors showed up and set up in the youth auditorium. Police and probation officers arrived first. One of the detectives who attends our church showed up with a shirt soaked in blood. I remembered I had two shirts in my office that were samples from Man Day that I went and grabbed. I gave him one and his partner the other one. They were both very grateful. When the people arrived they separated them by who saw something and who was just there. The people had tears in their eyes. They were very grateful we were open for them. When the bus pulled in and parked at the church one person yelled “Thank God we're safe!” One of our members who worked at the IRC said she has never been prouder of her church than today. Some of our other members were there and greeted me as they walked in the building. Many of the officers and peer support personnel were from our church as well. The cafe was packed. They were getting most of their names and pictures and busing them to another site to be picked up. We had a second bus load of people come bringing the total from 200 to probably 400 not counting the hundreds of volunteers, chaplains, police, detectives, and counsellors. They started to ask about if we were going to have a church service. I had told Pastor Luke we would have a prayer service tonight. They were concerned about opening the campus. We decided to move forward and believe God for safety. A guy went to Costco to buy a pallet of water for the people and when Costco asked him what he was doing and found out they dumped chickens and bagels, croissants and bread in his truck to bring. It was great to see pastors from other churches and the community uniting for this. When the sun had set I walked across to get ready for the prayer service. It was God orchestrated. There were 16 salvation's and who knows how many online. We prayed and preached the gospel. That was all. People from all over the world were texting and hitting us up on social media."

One year later after these events I woke up and came to church to pick up Pastor Luke and our Administrative team and we all headed to the IRC for a memorial gathering where they honored the organizations who opened their doors for the people being evacuated. There were somber moments and words of hope given. They presented a plaque to The Rock Church for our involvement and had Dr. Fred Adams, our administrator at the time of the event, say a few words. 

What I think left the greatest impact was the scripture he read from Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

There are many people whose lives will never be the same after December 2, 2015. Fourteen individuals are now gone from our lives. Their families and friends left in the wake of terror. I am sure many questions and sorrows still linger. Only in Jesus will we find rest for our souls. He alone has the answers. He alone can calm our fears and give us peace amidst the storms of life. He was acquainted with sorrows and if you listen to some of the statements He made regarding current events of His day you will find that there was plenty of tragedy and many questions. 

It was the mission of Jesus to point us to and show us the Father. That is exactly what He did when He went to the cross. Not only in that one instance but also throughout His entire life He showed us the Father through his life, His words, the miracles He performed, His emotions and His actions. 

Now He calls us to the same life. He wants us to show others the love of Jesus through our lives. We can share the words of life. We can act in a way that displays the goodness of God. Whether it is through a prayer, a shoulder to cry on, buying a pallet of water at Costco or giving someone a fresh shirt it all displays the love of Jesus.

We will not forget those who lost their lives. We will work towards love and unity in our nation. Over and above all, we as Christians, will show the love of Jesus to a lost and dying world. 

Super Powers

"We saw the new super hero movie. It is a bit disturbing how much they quote scripture and misapply the Word. They have a form of godliness yet deny its power. So sad that all the answers and greater power than any superhero are right in front of them and they don't even care or recognize it."

As a kid I loved comic books. So much so that whenever I made any money from mowing my grandmother's lawn I would immediately ride my bike to the comic store and spend it on the latest copies of all my favorites. It wasn't until I grew in the Lord and understood more of the things of God that I really saw how many spiritual things are hidden in these books. Eventually I made the choice to stop reading the comic books and even burned my whole collection in four small barbecues (but that is a story for another time). 

Now these same spiritual messages are being woven into the movies that are being produced. There are spiritual themes and raging wars between good and evil. I enjoy a good action flick with explosions and well won victory. What gets to me is the exaltation of evil and the err when it comes to God's truth. 

As much as we can imagine when it comes to power and ability it still pales in comparison to the power and ability of God. The movies make these super heroes and the bad guys they protect the world from look like they are in an exalted position but none of them come close to the exalted position Jesus has at the right hand of the Father. They will never come close! 

In John 19 Jesus is face to face with Pilate. During the encounter Pilate tells Jesus that he has the power to set him free or to send him to be crucified. Jesus' response is so powerful that I have to pause and take it in when I read it. He responds by saying that Pilate would have no power unless it was given from above. Wow! We think we are so great and mighty but the only reason we are anything is because of God's sovereign plan. 

The truth is that only God is powerful. Only Jesus is exalted. Only the Holy Spirit is worth being in awe of. When we try to substitute any other it will be out of place and rob us of the true blessing of what is real. So go have fun at the movies and enjoy a good story and some awesome special effects but be sure to have more fun in church praising the God who is over all. 

How have you experienced the power of God in your life? 

The Lord was with Him

"From the Word: “The Lord was with Him”. What a statement! Write it on my grave for it is written on my heart. How can I have this said of me? I must be with the Lord. If I draw near to Him He will draw near to me. If I am for Him then I am not against Him. If I open the door He knocks on in my heart He will come in and eat with me. If I call on His name as Abraham His friend, if I walk with Him as Enoch did who pleased Him so much that He took Him, if I will be obedient and follow Jesus commands then the Lord will be with me. Amen."

Plain and simple. We have access to God. He is not far away. We may have felt far away but He has always been there. We may have felt distant but He was close. He has opened the way to be with Him. 

Jesus is our access. We can go to God through Him. Our prayers are heard because of Him. We can be with God anytime and anyplace. He is already there and wherever and whenever we desire we can access His presence. 

With God's presence also comes His power. We have the power of God available to us. It is called grace. It is God's sovereign divine ability to get the job done on our behalf when we couldn't do it. Whatever it is you are endeavoring to do, know that you have the power of God available to you to do it. 

Too often we try to go at it alone. And yet the greatest power is present and available to us. Call on God, be with Him, give him your situation and ask for His grace. As you do God will empower you and walk you through the process. If God starts something then He will also finish it. God doesn't do anything substandard. He does all things well. You can trust Him with your life. 

God is with you! 

How have you seen this principle at work? 

Washing the Feet of the Saints

"After the service a man met me at the door and asked if he could wash my feet. He he had a shopping bag in his hand with water bottles and towels. I tried to get out of it by telling him that the fact that he asked was enough to refresh me and wash my feet in a figurative sense. He persisted. Finally I said that if he washed my feet I would have to wash his feet. He agreed. I told him to wait until I greeted everyone as they left and he took a seat on a nearby bench. After greeting everyone he came over and I looked around for an appropriate place. One of our ushers suggested the fountain and we decided it was a good place to go so we walked over. When I asked him his name he dodged for a while but finally told me his name. He is the brother of two girls who were heavily involved in the youth ministry. At the fountain he got all the towels and water set up and I sat and took off my shoes and socks and rolled up my pant legs. He even had a bar of soap, Irish Spring. While he washed my feet he spoke of how he was starting on a new road of total obedience to the Lord. He didn’t know who was preaching but knew that God had told him to ask the minister today if he could wash their feet. After he finished he put his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me. We switched places and I started to wash his feet. While I did I told him of how Christ had set the example for us and the significance of Jesus taking our dirt on Himself. Jesus even washed the feet of Judas. When I finished I prayed for him and we walked back together."

A year later after I wrote this it still impacts me. Our obedience is noticed and impacts others. It is unusual acts like this that show our hearts. 

We recently had a missions conference at our church that hosted delegates from all over the world. At the conference we held meetings, had lunches and dinners and created an atmosphere for connections to happen among the men and women who were reaching people for the Lord in the nations. After three days we had worked hard and long hours and were spent in the best way possible. The neat thing is that I felt like we had washed their feet. Not physically but in a figurative sense. 

When you take care of others and serve them as you would the Lord I believe it is a humbling expression that God sees and His pleasure is on. He says in His word that when we have done it to the least of these we have done it to Him. Our expressions of service are precious to the Lord. 

Have you ever had your feet washed or had someone wash your feet. How did that experience effect you? 

Christ in the Boat

“Christ’s presence confers success.” - Spurgeon

"Spurgeon sparked a great thought from Luke 5:4 where Jesus tells the fishermen to let down their nets for a catch. They had toiled all night but only out of obedience do they act. The result is miraculous. Peter falls at the feet of Jesus asking him to depart for he confesses he is a sinful man. Jesus rejects to offer to leave and stays giving a statement of His purpose that he will make them fishers of men. They forsake all and follow Him. We look forward to the day of Pentecost and see how Jesus purpose was accomplished when the many thousands are saved. What made the difference was Christ in the boat. The Holy Spirit in the heart makes the difference. With Him we can do all things. Without Him we can do nothing."

The question I would ask you is "What are you looking to be successful at?" Is it in business? Then Christ should be your Boss and partner. Is it in Marriage? Then let Christ be the strength of the threefold strand that is not easily broken. Is it in ministry? Then follow the Chief Shepherd and serve as He did. 

The difference is the presence of God in the middle of the endeavor. One of the greatest examples of this is when Jesus and the disciples are crossing the sea and a storm comes upon them. Here is Christ in the bow asleep. Even thought the disciples were straining against the oars and were concerned for their lives they were in the most secure place they could be as long as Jesus was in the boat. 

We often feel the same way when straining against the winds and currents of our life struggles. It feels as though God is asleep and doesn't care if we perish. The moment we approach and bring our need to Him He speaks to the storm and calms it completely. 

If you haven't involved God or if He is outside of your endeavors it is time to re-prioritize. Make Him your all. He should not only be a part of your endeavors but the reason for them. When you do success is assured. 

Have you seen this principle at work? What factors come in to play when determining motivation and if Christ is truly in the boat? 

Avoiding Pitfalls

"I spent more than I wanted but you should never send a bored man to a hardware store."

I guess after reading my comment from last year the same could apply to window shopping with a woman during a sale. There are just things that we should know better. We also should know ourselves. 

Most of the time when I have messed up I can look back and see where I went wrong. Sure there are times where I am blindsided and didn't see the pitfall but most of the time I know I could have avoided the problem. 

It starts with knowing better. To know better we have to look to a higher way than our own. I could try to do life on my own thoughts or feelings. I could also try to get a better way from others in society or education. The problem is that all of these ways are flawed just like my own. The only way to know better is to go to God's ways. 

God is perfect. He is all knowing, ever present and all powerful. It just makes sense to look to Him for wisdom. Jesus even modeled His ways so that there would be no guessing on our part of what the will and way of God looks like in the flesh. When we look at Jesus we know better because it is made plain to us in His life. 

This is wonderful but we also have to know ourselves. We need to take inventory and look at the scene of the accident to find out where we veered off the road and what the factors were that got us off track. The signs will be evident. What time was it? Is that a factor? Were you tired or weary? Did you lack information, time or resource? Did you assume or jump to conclusions? Were others involved? Why did their involvement effect the situation? 

When we know the answers to these questions we can conclude that in the future we can look for these factors and find a way around them. Like the guy who went to the doctor and said he broke his arm in two places to which the doctor responded "Stay out of them places." We need to be aware of what factors are involved in our mess ups. This is especially true if it is a habitual sin or something that dominates our lives. It has to be addressed in the Spirit through prayer and the scriptures and then resisted through imitating Jesus and resisting temptation. Remove or reduce those factors in the natural if you can. 

You can do it. We all have things that God is working on or working out of our lives. Don't get discouraged if you fail from time to time. Repent, stay after it and maybe a year from today when you look over your journal you will find that you are operating in a higher way than you used to. That is called progress. 

Are there any other factors you can identify that would add to accidents along the road? What progress do you see in your life from knowing God's ways or knowing yourself? 

Day 363 - Counting Your Blessings

"We awoke to children as we do most days. What a blessing they all are."

Today I watched the classic movie White Christmas with my family. It is no contest the most entertaining Christmas variety show/tear jerker and feel good movie. Who doesn't tear up when the general inspects the troops? Between the smooth voices of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, the humor of Danny Kaye, the dance moves of Vera Ellen you can't go wrong. 

In the movie they have a song about counting your blessings. The first verse goes as follows:

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
i count my blessings instead of sheep 
and i fall asleep counting my blessingswhen my bankroll is getting small 
i think of when i had none at alland i fall asleep counting my blessings


It is interesting how some retrospect can change our perspective. Think back to when you had nothing. Think about what life was like before you had children. Sure they can drive you nuts sometimes but I bet you couldn't imagine life without them. Think about the blessing of your spouse or your friends. If you say you have nothing but Jesus remember the equations; 

Everything - Jesus = Nothing. Jesus + Nothing = Everything. 

There has been a saying going around on social media and I'm not sure who said it first. I guess when it is something as good as this is it doesn't matter who but really it must be a Holy Spirit inspiration. "Rather than look at what you don't have why not start looking at what you do have?" I call that wisdom. 

At a recent church service we decided to do something a little different and have a panel of people instead of a formal sermon. The wisdom that came forth was excellent. One of the statements that came from a wonderful woman in our ministry named Theresa Aguilar who is a reverend and instructor in our Bible College was to "Look for what God has placed in your life and connect with that." How awesome is that? 

If worry, fear, anxiety, depression or discouragement has hit you over this holiday season I would encourage you to count your blessings. You can start with Jesus as the biggest blessing of all. Don't focus on what you are lacking but look at what you do have. Finally, see who or what God has place in your life and try to connect. You can put all those fears to rest counting your blessings. 

What are the blessings you cherish? Are there any overlooked blessings people don't often see?

Day 360 - Keep it Going

"Ah the day after Christmas. For the most part we did what one should on the day after Christmas which is to let the kids play with their toys and go watch TV and relax."

Christmas is a time that can be a whirlwind of activity. People with young families or who have multiple events on Christmas day find themselves traveling from place to place and reliving the same experiences of opening gifts and eating too much with different family members and friends. There is nothing wrong with this. It can just be exhausting. Hosting the event can be just as taxing. Cleaning, cooking, setting the table, cleaning again, setting out desserts, cleaning again, opening gifts...cleaning again. You get the point. 

With all of the activity behind it is wise to take a brake and turn off the brain for a moment before you hit the new year with focus and intensity. 

In your rest there is still a work that has to be carried on. Never let up on the reason we celebrated Christmas. Jesus is still the reason for the season. Jesus is the reason for every day. Jesus is the reason for every season. We cannot rest or relax our faith and our daily walk with Him. 

Every day should be a Christmas day for us. It should be a celebration of God who loved us so much He sent Jesus to be with us. We now carry the presence of God in our hearts just like the manger carried the baby Jesus so long ago. 

Take a breath, watch a movie, relax, but be sure to keep it going. Talk about Jesus. Celebrate Him with your family. Enjoy His blessings and special moments each and every day. 

What are some ways we can keep the spirit of Christmas all year? How do we celebrate Jesus on a day that is not a holiday or church day?

Day 348 - Not What it Looks Like

"God is faithful and true no matter what I think or see. What matters is what God thinks and sees."

When Jesus came people were not expecting Him to come as He did. In fact if I would have written the Bible I am sure the text would be very different. 

I would have written a grand story like all the others. Jesus would have been very well received, He would have had every earthly comfort and lived a perfect life. At least I would have agreed with God on one point. 

Jesus would have still been the hero in my story and would have died in our place and been raised again to life. But in my story it wouldn't have been such a brutal death. No it would have been like when Superman died. It would have been an epic battle with the devil where Satan thought He struck the final blow and then Jesus would have raised again to life and totally annihilated the devil. Okay so there is a second point of the story my narrative would have agreed with. 

What is so awesome about Christmas, and even Jesus' life, is that it is a story like no other. No man could have nor would have written it. We mess things up when we try to play God. 

This Christmas you may have expectations of how things should go. There may be a picture in your mind of the perfect Christmas dinner, the perfect gift, the perfect Christmas morning or even the perfect message at church. Realize that God's picture is so much better. He sees what we don't see. He has plans that blow our plans out of the water. 

Look for the leading of God and grab hold of what He is doing this Christmas season. It may be unexpected like a baby in a manger. It may be as surprising as the cross. One thing I can tell you is that when God is involved it will be in His time, in His way and it will be as powerful as the resurrection because that is where everything in life flows from. Jesus is the Author of life. The story He is writing is wonderful and perfect. Let's live out His story.

What is your favorite unexpected part of the Christmas story? How do you see God's story being written in your life?

Day 347 - Just Let It Happen

"We came home and the boys got baths. My son did a cannon ball into the center of the bath tub. It was like watching a train wreck. You can't stop it but you can't look away."

There are experiences we have in life that at the moment seem like they will be catastrophic. Looking back on them you smile and may even laugh when you recount the tale to others. Somehow you recovered and are able to tell the tale. 

You surely have had family over and someone breached a subject and you died a thousand deaths while they talked. Or maybe for you it when you saw your children climbing off of the kitchen counter with chocolate all over their face and the beautiful cake that was waiting to be enjoyed by everyone was left with hand prints and sections missing. (Both of these have happened in our family by the way.)

Whatever the scenario is be sure to laugh and take it all as it comes with grace. This Christmas season as parties are happening and people are over make what is important important. Those things that will happen, and they will, are not the end of the world. There is nothing that you cannot recover from. 

This is the most wonderful season of all. It is a time we celebrate that Jesus came to earth, born of a virgin, laid in a manger. He was announced by angels, adored by wise men, hated by the world, and died for our sins. Be prepared to forgive quickly, make room for error and delay and be lead by love. As you do it will make this season so much more memorable and stress free. And who knows, maybe you will have a story or two to tell when it is all over. 

Have you had any catastrophic Christmas stories that you laugh about now? How did you recover from them?

Day 346 - For The Win

"I must have been healed because this morning I got up early and went to pray without any difficulty like the past two days."

Yesterday's post was about The Fight. We do our part with all we have. The great thing is that all we have is not enough. Why is that great? Because that is where the grace of God comes in and makes up the difference. 

Much has been said about grace over the years. I learned a simple definition of God's riches at Christ's expense" when I was young in the faith. I also learned the even simpler definition of "unmerited favor" when I got a little older. What really opened my eyes was when I leaned that grace is "God's sovereign Divine ability to get the job done on my behalf when I can't do it." It is "God's power in me to do what His truth demands of me."

All of those definitions add up to the fact that we cannot make it in life without a supernatural God. He alone makes up the difference. We may pray and fight and give but it will always be short. If we are to be more than a conqueror in life it will only be through Christ. Going for the win without Christ won't make it. Jesus is the ultimate victor and He gives us the victory. 

If you are at the end of your rope then realize that you can't do it on your own. Have you ever hear the expression "Let go and let God"? There is something to that. Tap into the grace of God. You do all you can and pray and ask God to work in and through you to make up the difference for the win. 

Have you seen the grace of God at work in your life? What scriptures deal with grace?

Day 341 - Unlocking Life's Mysteries

"If we understand that parable we will unlock all the parables of life."

When Jesus taught He would always use a parable. A parable is a story that is placed alongside another concept in order to teach or amplify a truth. Sometimes Jesus would give the interpretation of a parable and other times He would not. After Jesus taught the parable of the sower his disciples asked Him about the meaning behind it. Jesus said that in the parable of the sower we would find the key to unlocking all the parables. 

It is interesting to note some things about this parable. I would encourage you to go to Mark chapter 4 and read it in verses 1-20 before you read any further here. 

The whole point of the parable is that the sower sows the word. The word is what we find in the Bible. It is the very word of God. When we speak the word of God it is sown like a seed in our hearts. 

Our hearts are the soil. We can see that there are different kinds of hearts and out of the four types of hearts only one will receive with understanding and produce fruit. That is the kind of heart we all want because we all would like to understand life. 

We have so many questions. Things in life are hard to understand. When the devil attacks or persecution rises like the hot sun or the cares of this life come along and choke us it is all designed to get us off of understanding the word. 

The difference comes when we apply ourselves to hear the word, receive it, understand it and put it to practice. True understanding does what it says. Like when we understand long division we will write it out correctly. In the same way you know someone understands the word when you see the fruit in their life. 

All of the parables, the stories we see and hear every day, the questions we have have that nag us, they all can be answered in this one parable. It is the key that unlocks the mysteries. It is found in the word of God. Sow it into your life. Receive it with a heart that desires to understand it and readily submit to it and put it into practice. As you do you will show by your fruit that you get the word of God. 

Are there other parables that have the 'seed' of the word in them? How do they further our understanding? 

Day 339 - Celebration time

"It was messy and lots of last minute things needed to be done."

Christmas is coming up. You probably are like me and have lots of details to get done before you can celebrate. It can be a mess of shopping, details, emotions, and many other things. 

Anything done right will take time and effort. The larger the thing the more mess to make it right. After all the details are nailed down and the pieces are in order it is time to celebrate. 

It is all worth it in the end. You may bleed before you sing but it is worth it. 

Think about what had to happen before the greatest event the world had ever known took place. God had to set up thousands of years with lives, prophesies, nations and kings moving people and God moving a star in the heavens before He could bring Jesus on the earth. 

To Him it was worth it. So for us it is worth celebrating. Yes it is a lot of work and family can be the toughest critics but that should t be the motivation for what we do. Shine the light and celebrate Jesus this season. 

How do you celebrate? What is your favorite Christmas memory? 

Day 333 - Christmas Lights

"At the end of the night the kids watched a Charlie Brown Christmas and then we drove home and looked at some Christmas lights on the way before getting the kids in bed."

Every year looking at Christmas lights with the kids has been a tradition that has kept our family close. I enjoy hearing the kids ooh's and ah's and seeing their faces light up with the large displays. 

There is a street in a neighborhood close to our house we have gone to a couple of years in a row that everyone on the street puts up a huge display. It is actually all linked together and they have their own radio transmitter so you can listen and watch from your car as everything moves and switches on and off in time. 

During this season we need to remember the words of Jesus that we are the light of the world. We have something to shine this season. Don't hide your light under a basket but put it on a stand for everyone to see. 

Take it a step further to our illustration link up with other believers this season and show the unity of the body of Christ. Let the world see how with one mind and one mouth we declare the praises of God together. They will tune in and want to be a part of that light. 

We have the greatest story to tell and the most opportune time to tell it. Put the Light of the world on display. He is after all the reason for the season!

Do you enjoy looking at Christmas lights? How can we shine the light of Jesus this season? 

Day 331 - Gratitude

For today's thoughts from last year I thought it best after reading my journal to offer some leftovers on the day after Thanksgiving. Instead of starting with the quote today I will end with the quote. Feel free after reading it to offer some thoughts of your own in the comments section. Enjoy. 

"We have so much to be thankful for. First of all for Jesus and His blood. For open invitation to the feast at God's table and new mercies every morning. For the rising of the sun to setting of it God gives us beauty in life. In family and friends at the table. In divine appointments and graces we wouldn't have known until after we experienced them and looked back at the fingerprints of God all over it."

Day 328 - Your Inner Circle

"It has been a long hard road for her to get here and I know she appreciates this day and these friends and sisters who are here for her."

We all have spheres of influence that reach both outward and inward. I don't think there is anything wrong with having a lot of people in your life and extending a lot of love. We have a greater capacity than we are probably operating with right now. 

As you get closer to the core of the circle it is more important who is there. We have to carefully select people who we trust and who have the right to be there. They will prove this by their love, care, honesty and faithfulness. 

Even Jesus modeled this with his disciples. There were thousands around Jesus at any given time. He had followers and disciples by the hundreds. He selected twelve to be with Him and of those twelve we see three that He brought in even closer. They were exposed to more intimate and miraculous times with Jesus than the rest. 

The Bible tells us that a friend is born for adversity and it is sad when someone falls and has no one to pick him up. If we show ourselves to be a friend then when we are going through tough times our friends will show themselves. 

Do you like having lots of people around or just a few? How do you decide who is a close friend?

Day 297 - Dealing With Disappointment

"It was good food. When I asked for the check the waiter said it was free because it was Friday. Thankfully we didn't leave at that point because a moment later he was back with the check."

Have you ever had high hopes of something only to have a huge let down? Or maybe someone promised something and didn't come through? It happens to everyone. When disappointments come we often handle them wrong. 

Most of the time dashed hopes mean that we are resolved to never hope again. If our dreams are hindered or don't turn out as we expected then we resolve to not dream anymore. It is just too painful. 

I don't believe that God intended for us to give up so easily though. Jesus was faced with tremendous opposition and suffered many things here on the earth. We find that He was constantly dealing with disappointments. There were times Jesus would give someone an opportunity to follow Him and the people would turn away because of family ties or finances. When Jesus entered Jerusalem He wept because He knew the devastation that would come upon the people and all the while He was with them and they turned from Him and even forsook Him and crucified Him. He is described in the Bible as a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 

All that we know but think on this for a second. We are to follow Him. Even through all that disappointment and sorrow He never gave up. His prayers are full of life and future blessings. He endured the cross for the joy that was on the other side. 

So how do we handle the disappointments. First of all you do what you have to do. When you are hoping for the free lunch and the waiter brings the bill you pay for it. Figuratively speaking of coarse. When life tells you something and then makes you pay for it later just bite the bullet. 

Second is you dare to hope again. Allow yourself to dream. Also, be open to God's interpretation of the dream. It is okay that we are not in control of everything. If we were we would make a huge mess out of our lives. God knows how we handle the disappointments will shape our character and eventually our future. Purpose in your heart to handle the road bumps and roadblocks of life well. Slow down or find a detour. Delays are not denials. Your dream may be waiting for you on the other side of a tough season. Trust God with your tomorrows. When you do you can focus on today's lessons. 

How do you handle disappointment? What other scriptural examples are there of people who gracefully handled disappointments?

Day 292 - Work For It

"I had to work for it."

Yesterday we talked about worth. Today is work. Many people don't like work. I understand why. It is unpleasant to the flesh. If we could have results without work we would take it. That is not the way it happens though. Without work there are no results. 

It is a great encouragement that God is a worker. We are introduced to the Creator of all things in the book of Genesis as He works. Jesus said that He and the Father were working since time began. The Holy Spirit has a work He is doing in all of us. 

We are to be imitators of Christ. That imitation includes working. If we do then we will eat the fruit of our labors. That is the reward of our work. We get to the 'it' we had to work for. Whatever that 'it' is. 

How do we do the works Jesus did? What satisfaction is there in our work?