Mindful

I love this tree. Don't know what kind it is but it's beautiful.

Which brings me to the days word that popped in my head. Mindful.

Mindful according to Webster's means aware.

one of the synonyms listed is alive.

I like to play with words and I look at Mindful and wonder just what is my mind full of?

1 Chronicles 16:15
Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

This season take a break and do a mind check. Where is it? And what is it full of?

Has the news taken over, or the fact the God is God of all things?

What presents to buy or His Holy Presence?

Words someone spoke to you that caused hurt, or Words of Life from your Father in Heaven.

Be mindful of what you are filling your mind with.

Rejoice for the Lord has come and is coming again!

A Year!

I have posted this blog for a year now. I do take Sundays off, holidays, and some vacations, but for me to do this consistently is nothing short of a miracle.

My office is full of journals that say -I am going to write everyday. And the next post is 6 months later : )

BUT God had another idea. He woke me a year ago and put it in my heart to do a 100 days with the Son. Get up, watch the sun rise and read His word.

After a 100 days - I didn't want to stop. So I am still going.

What have I learned? God is faithful. HE meets me every morning. Even when my eyes are still glued shut from night's sleep. Even when I am in a not so nice mood. Even when I come to my desk with nothing at all to offer.

And it is on those days, when His Spirit breaks through the chaos of this world and shines His light on His Word and His Way.

Rejoice in the Lord. For He is truly God of all, Creator of all, and wonderful in every way. It is my prayer that you are blessed by my journey with the Lord.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 136:1,26 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

God is Good

Fall's glory resting on a treetop. This tree sporting it's glory went through a horrendous drought this year. Still in it in fact. But it's colors shout to the glory of God. The drought will end. God is faithful.

Psalm 100 ¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. ²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. ³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. ⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. ⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Mark 10:18
... there is none good but one, that is, God.

Faith hinges on our belief that God is good. Our trust is wrapped in knowing that God is able to help us.

When faith wavers and doubts overtake you, stop and listen. Seek where your heart is and what you believe about God. IS He still good? Is HE still capable?

Doubts live in disbelief. They hiss in your ear - "God is not good. God is not able."

God is good. Seek Him. Ask Him. Knock on the door of His tabernacle and know that HE is good. He will answer. We may not get our way, but we can trust that God is good. Always. Forever.

Hanging On

Calm skies fill with warning clouds, thunder, and lightning. The wind blows, temperature drops, and a tempest is born.

Like the weather, life can change in an instant. A peaceful day blown by winds of change and turned into a time of fear and heartache.

What is a Christian to do?

In Matthew 8:23-25 Jesus slept through the storm.

Acts 12:6 Peter slept while in chains in prison.

Jeremiah 29:11-15 ¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Peace comes with Knowing God, His Word, and His Promises.

Grab hold of the Lord, memorize and meditate on His Word. And trust.

Ephesians 6:10-12 ¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Where are we going?

1 Thessalonians 2:12
That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:

2 Timothy 4:18
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 1:4
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Life on earth is temporary but determines our eternal life.

In Christ, we are assured eternal life in His heavenly kingdom.

Rejoice! Eternal life is ours. Even now.

Be not Offended

Proverbs 18:19
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Matthew 11:6
And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Psalm 119:165 ¹⁶⁵Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

Mark 9:42 ⁴²And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

In our culture with it's 'rights' and 'entitlement' mentality, one thing is for sure - people are offended over everything.

The Name of Jesus sets many off. They aren't blessed.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Families will gather. Be wise in your words. Abundant with God's love. Quick to give and quicker to forgive. Guard your heart from taking offense. Very little really matters. I mean seriously, does it really matter if the Cowboys when the game or not?

Bless the food. Enjoy your family. And be the light of the World, honoring the name of Jesus with your words and actions.

Enjoy the Holiday tomorrow and Give Thanks to the One who is worthy.

What did Jesus do?

Matthew 11:4-6 ⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

⁵The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

⁶And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

These were the credentials Jesus used to assure John the Baptist that He was the Messiah.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-3 in the temple

Luke 4:17-19

¹⁷And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, ¹⁸The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

This is what Jesus came to do and what He did.

Well, we have our assignments. Put on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6)Be prayed up, filled with His Holy Spirit, and go as you hear the Lord command.

When the church takes on the mantle of Christ and goes in His power and anointing, then will the world see the Glory of the Lord.

One Another

1 Corinthians 1:4-5

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

As Christians, how should we see one another?

1 John 3:11
For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

WE are to honor one another. Serve one another. Encourage one another. Believe one another. Forgive one another.

Trusting God, that HE is at work in those called by His name. That God is able to change the hearts of His children.

1 John 4:12

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

When we look upon a brother or sister in the Lord, we are looking at a Holy Temple. A temple where God dwells.

Beware of those who are not Christian but call themselves Christian. You will know them by their fruit. But be careful not to cut off one who is weak, or immature.

Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom. But Love one another.

Sorrows

Sorrow entered into the heart of man after the fall. A by-product of sin. A down payment on the wages of sin - death.

Who hasn't felt their heart go cold after a midnight call. News of a good friend who was plucked out of your life.

Loss. Loss of life, friends, wealth, home, even country. Some days it would seem as if sorrow were taking over.

The great WHY question.

Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah 53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

The verses above are about Jesus. A man of sorrows. Not His, but ours. He gave up heaven to come and take the sin of the world upon His shoulders. Nail it to a cross. Our grief became His grief.

But the story doesn't end there. HE paid the price, died, and rose again from the dead. He took our sin and sorrow and grief. And promises us eternal life. Joy unspeakable.

We may not see it now, joy may look like an impossibility with what you're going through today. But joy will come. As sure as the sun rises and sets, His Joy will swallow you. IT may start small, a faint tickle in your heart. But it will come.

Though we suffer, we suffer not alone. Jesus is with us, understands, and promises to never leave or forsake us. There may be sorrow, but we have the surety of HOPE.

Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Joy along the Road

Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Many think that a Christian life is one of boring drudgery. Religious duty that one must do. No fun.

They are wrong.

Psalm 105:43
And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:

Now the joy of the Lord is not the same as worldly happiness. How many times have you wanted something, got it, and in such a short time that 'happiness' evaporated?

The joy that is in Jesus is everlasting. It takes hold of your heart and soul and lifts them up heavenward.

A joy that even the enemy can't steal.

Seek the Lord and you will find joy. His joy. When you consider the heavens and the earth made by His word. When you commune with your Heavenly Father and know that HE loves you - what gets better than that?

Rejoice for the Lord is come with open arms. Ready to receive all that believe on Him.

This journey through life on earth wasn't meant to be walked alone. Before you rise in the morning, call on the Lord and walk with Him. Experience the joy of your salvation.

Don't leave home without it.

What Do You Say?

Psalm 34:13
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Psalm 37:30
The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

Psalm 145:5
I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

Matthew 12:36
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Doesn't that last verse make you want to put a hand over your mouth? Yikes!

The words that come out of our mouths, and fingers if we are on the Internet, are a reliable gauge of where our heart and mind are residing. Are we speaking life or death? Measure those words before they proudly march out.

In this time of 24/7 news and Internet, it's easy to let emotions rise above wisdom. Often while reviling the evil we see, we can slide into their camp by spouting the same evil.

God's wisdom will always trump and triumph over worldly chatter. Guard your hearts and minds. Soak in the wisdom of God and His Word. Let the Holy Spirit teach you what to say.

Be wise. As the old proverb says - even a fool looks wise if he stays quiet.

Place a guard over your mouth and the words you write. Make them count. Make them adhere to righteousness.

Reading the Word

Psalm 119:18

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

1 Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Read the Bible.

We all know that and even try to. But how often does it become just words? Boring even, especially if you are reading in the begats.

AND then, there are the times when we read over a verse and it lodges in our hearts. We KNOW what it says for us specifically. As if the Lord wrote it with this day and moment in mind.

Life. Alive. It is a living Word. Jesus, God in the flesh, the Word of God. Come to bring us the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

AS you sit down to read the Word, ask Holy Spirit to open your eyes. Teach what the Word says, and place it in your heart.

Memorize scripture that speaks to you, meditate on the Word of God. Let it sink down into the deep parts of your soul and spirit. Let it bring life to you.

Read the Bible, wash in the Word of life, and revel in His Goodness.

Feel like you're in Hot Water?

Hot Springs - really hot!

Psalm 119:143

Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.

James 1:12 ¹²Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him

1 Peter 4:12-13 ¹²Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ¹³But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Sometimes, life just sits on you. Maybe you're not even dealing with one big thing, but your life is unsettled, off kilter, troubled or just plain not fun.

What to do?

2 Timothy 1:6
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

1 Samuel 30:6
... but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

Pray and ask what the Lord has placed inside you, your gifts, talents. What He designed and destined you for. Find one thing you can do and do that.

There are times when no one else is going to encourage you, in fact it may feel like the world is against you. Praise the Lord, you're in good company. And it's time to do as David did - encourage yourself in the Lord.

What does the Lord say? His Word say? Proclaim it, bury it deep in your heart, and set your eyes on the goal.

Sing, shout, and Believe the Word of God and shake yourself out of defeat. He overcame the world, and in Jesus so do we.

Get up! Rise!

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Truth

The picture this morning is of the moon shining on the pond. Almost an illusion, it looks distorted by the tiny ripples across the water's surface.

So too does hope appear distorted and faint if we don't look to Jesus, the Truth.

Seek Him. Study the Word. Know the truth.

Our faith is one on one relationship with Jesus. No go betweens, no middle man.

Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Psalm 43:3
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Whatever you need-- health, provision, wisdom -- Seek Jesus, the Truth. Lay hold of the Word of God and set it in your heart.

Don't let the world dilute the truth with ripples of unbelief. Don't let the deceiver show you a shadow of the truth.

Instead, seek the Lord and the truth of His Word. Speak it, proclaim it, and grab hold of His Truth.

Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

John 8:31-33 ³¹Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Set the unshakable truth in your heart. Write it down. Believe it. Proclaim it. And Stand.

Ready, Set, Go!

Hebrews 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

The cloud of witnesses were those listed in Hebrews 11 - the great Hall of Faith Fame.

Those who ran their race.

The Lord has set us all on a course. Designed us to run our own race.

What weights are slowing you down? It's hard to run well with baggage. Stuff. They can be worldly wants and desires that sidetrack us from the race. Wounds and hurts that have us fall to our knees instead of running. Anything that would hinder us from using the talents and gifts that the Lord has given us.

The sin which doth so easily beset us. Anything that would take our eyes and hearts from the Lord.

Run with patience. Almost sounds contradictory. To me - this tells me it's a marathon and not a sprint. Don't stop at the half way mark, keep going. Pressing on toward the mark.

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Let's run. Shrug off the cares of this world, put on the full armor of God to bat away the sin that tempts us, and let us run with patience. Knowing that God is the author and finisher of our faith.

Let's run!

Get Your Hopes Up!

Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

The world says, "Don't get your hopes up."

And of course, that is a lie, IF you are a Christian.

^{Habakuk 3:17-18 17}Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: ¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

This guy was in a bleak time, but he knew His God. I don't believe it was by strong will and with beating himself into joy that he made this statement. Habakuk could write this verse because he knew his God. That God is bigger than any problem. Not just bigger but glorious and worthy of all praise. Able to give joy to any who look to Him.

Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Romans 15:13
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Ephesians 1:18
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Hope is not a wish. Hope knows the promises and the God who gave them. Hope overcomes the world and the waves of the storm. Hope is seen with the eyes of the heart through the Holy Spirit. Hope is given by the One True God who does not lie. Hope is in Christ, nailed to a cross to pay for our sin, dead in the tomb and on the third day risen from the dead. Hope doesn't die, but rises from death. HOPE in Christ and watch your spirit rise from the death of a vision, a dream. Hope and Rejoice.

Get your hopes up. God is able.

When Attitudes Rise

Yesterday I was thinking of something I had to do and an ugly attitude began to take over me. You know the kind - the snarky, let's trash this event before I can even get to it.

But God had other ideas. Before the stinking thinking got underway HE stopped it and said in my spirit - "What if I have something good and wonderful for you?"

Hmmm. Halted those wayward thoughts. I was able to cast down the 'vain imaginations' and replace them with a hope and excitement.

You guessed it. The very thing I dreaded was amazing and blessed me beyond what I surely deserved.

God is gracious. And has only good for us.

Psalm 31:19
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalm 52:1
Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

Check your thoughts. Listen to the Spirit. And be prepared to see the Goodness of God.

The War

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle 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.

We are at war. We do have an enemy. It is not our neighbor.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Don't be lion bait. Be hearers and doers of the Word. And put your armor on.

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

And rejoice!

Romans 8:37-39

³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Christ, we win. HE overcame the world. In Him the victory is ours.

Who do you serve?

Joshua 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Matthew 4:10
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

A hint of fall. Two leaves got together and decided to color up. They stand out amongst the green of all those around them.

That's how we should be. As Christians, standing out should be our normal.

It is a choice. Daily.

To go along with the 'joke' that makes fun of another,

To settle for mediocrity in what we do because we can get away with it (ouch)

To ignore the needs of another, the government can take care of them

To rail against authority instead of praying for them (double ouch)

To ignore the Lord throughout the day

To grieve the Holy Spirit

Everything is a choice.

Choose wisely.