Saturday, November 26, 2011

Don't say not yet! Luke 9:23, 59

Good morning everyone,
I hope and pray that all of you are having a Blessed holiday!  I often wonder why we procrastinate when it is obvious that Christ asks us to lay down our crosses daily and follow Him!  There are two reasons why we should not delay in following Christ!  (1) Tomorrow may never come and (2) God may get tired of asking you.  Everyday, realize that you are living your life as a gift from God.  That is why they call it, the 'present!'  Yesterday is gone and cannot be relived and tomorrow is uncertain.  But today, you can live for Jesus and become a true follower and not just be a fan!  In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, 'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.'  In Luke 9:59 Jesus says to another person, 'Come, follow me.'  The man agreed, but he said that he needed to return home to bury his father first.  What excuses do you make before you are willing to follow God with your whole heart?  Whether it be a cold heart, an unforgiving heart, or a life style that doesn't include the Savior, everyday without Christ is one day closer to shutting Him out for good!  Ask God to take you right where you are at to consume you so that any and all barrier walls will be broken down!  He seeks you many times during the day.  Are you so busy being busy that you fail to notice?  Do you say, 'God, you can have this part of my heart, but that part I'm not willing to let you change yet?'  Pray to Him for a complete restoration of your heart right now and if it is a sincere request, He will honor that request!  You make the choice!
Your brother in Christ,
p      

Friday, November 25, 2011

Joy in the morning! Psalm 30:4-5

Good morning everyone,
Thanksgiving day was a day to celebrate with family and friends.  I ate way too much, but it sure was fun.  For you individuals that spent it alone, I pray that you had special time with the Lord!  Whether you had a difficult day or you had a time of joy, remember that Jesus is there to carry you!  Psalm 30:4-5 says, 'Sing to the Lord, all you Godly ones!  Praise His holy name.  For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime!  Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.'  Regardless of the trials and tribulations you face, God is ready to restore your soul to carry you to your final destination!  That destination can be an eternity with Him.  Some of you feel as though you've done way too much to ever receive grace from the Creator.  Even though we've all disappointed Him, it is because of His grace that there is hope and restoration.  None of us have been written off as hopeless!  Wherever you are at, remember that Jesus can still use you to have His light shine through your situation.  Even though it may appear hopeless, Jesus is ready to perform a miracle.  Choose this day whom you will serve.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15)! 
Your brother in Christ,
p

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Ready to be thankful! Colossians 2:6-8

Good morning everyone,
Tomorrow is a day for all of us to celebrate as a nation about being thankful!  I'm not sure everybody that you or I know will have the same opportunity to have a big meal with all of the trimmings.  It should also be a time when we thank God for all that He has provided!  You may say that you don't have much to be thankful for but I would beg to differ.  No matter what you may be going through, I would like to remind you that your Lord and Savior is still there to love you in the midst of any suffering that you are enduring!  He will give you reason to celebrate even in the midst of pain and suffering.  If He celebrated while carrying the cross, shouldn't we celebrate all the more knowing that He is there to carry us until our lives have finished?  Even a brain tumor cannot stop my friend Scott from celebrating the victory of eternal life over death!  Just like Jesus rose on the third day, Scott is shining for Jesus even though he has been given a death sentence.  He has been promised that he will be sharing eternity with the Father.  In fact, we all have been given a death sentence and in the scope of eternity, we will all sit down at some point and have a personal conversation with our Maker.  Some will have that conversation quicker than others.  Let me encourage you to shine for Jesus as you approach Thanksgiving and do something extra special for folks who feel as though they are already dead!  Your act of thankfulness and compassion may be the turning point for individuals who have given up to see that Jesus loves them too!  Colossians 2:6-8 says, 'So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.'  Happy Thanksgiving and don't forget to include Christ in your festivities as you celebrate why you are thankful!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Relief from your enemies! Esther 9:22

Good morning everyone,
Are you tired of getting beat up from those individuals that seem like they bully you more than your fair share?  Do you ever wonder why so many individuals feel intimidated by your successes?  Have you ever prayed for those individuals instead of taking it so personally?  Esther 9:22 says, 'as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.  He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.'  When you go through tough times, when you encounter people that attack you for seemingly no reason, when you feel as though the world is against you, who do you turn to for refuge?  Have you ever thought about doing something nice for those that treat you wrong?  It is possible that the people that are attacking you are simply scared and they live in defence mode.  In other words, they only know how to attack because that is the way they survive.  Maybe nobody has ever shown them the love of Christ!  Let me encourage you to do something different the next time somebody attacks you; pray for them first and ask God to give you His love to shower them back with and see what happens.  When you do that, your days of sorrow may just turn into days of feasting and joy!  Gods love can overturn any and all obstacles so that Jesus Christ shines through to make a bad situation one that will require a celebration!  
Your brother in Christ,

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Are you hungry? Matthew 25:35

Good morning everyone,
As I sit and ponder what I'm going to do today, I wonder if you feel the same way I feel?  Have you been so busy lately that you're not sure what has kept you going?  My schedule has been chaotic to the point of exhaustion, but my Lord has restored this tired and weary soul!  Today has been my first lazy day in a long time and I've been thinking about a question that I think we all need to consider!  For most of us here in the United States, hunger is quickly disappated because we eat because we can!  In a lot of countries, hunger is a common occurance and many individuals go to sleep at night with their stomachs still growling!  It isn't a matter of opening up the pantry and fixing a late night snack!  It is more about simply trying to survive!  As you approach your day, consider feeding someone else so that you can put yourself in a hungry persons shoes.  As you buy someones meal, also offer them this verse!  Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,Matthew 25:34-36 (in Context) Matthew 25 (Whole Chapter)

Ladies and gentlemen, feed people with physical food and in addition, feed them the word of God and they will see the face of God!  Love folks right where you are at and share what God has so richly Blessed you with and two things will happen!  Love changes each heart and Jesus Christ will shine through the situation.  See, people need to know that Jesus Christ is real in your life and they need to see Him at work and not be just a bunch of words!
May God richly Bless each of you as you seek His face and serve so others are given the same opportunities that you have been so richly given!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Friday, November 18, 2011

Persevering when you feel beat up! 1 Corinthians 13:6-8

Good morning everyone,
Some days it would just be better if we didn't have to face the barrage of issues that are going to happen.  These past few weeks, I've seen love ones go through seemingly unsurmountable attacks!  Physical ailments, mental meltdowns, Spiritual warfare, and the list goes on and on.  Through it all, I've noticed a common thread that makes those situations bearable.  It has allowed me to spend opportunistic time with my Savior to lift those concerns to Him!  1 Corinthians 13:6-8 seems to jump off the pages of Scripture to remind me that persevering is the key to getting through those days that I would rather write off as easily forgotten.  "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.  The key word in that Scripture that helps me endure is always!  When we literally can't do a thing to help those that are struggling, we can still pray with those individuals and watch the miracles begin.  God says when you think about giving up, I'll be there to help you persevere!  Is that not the best hope that any of us has been given?  When you feel like giving up, let me encourage you to reach out to me so that I can pray for you!  Brothers and sisters, I feel as though I hit a wall a couple of weeks ago and the head cold of ages has rocked my world.  Working 13-16 hour days has not helped but God has allowed me to let Him carry me and He has assured me that His love will endure!  No matter what you have been carrying in your backpack,  your Lord and Savior is ready to carry it for you!  Give Him the opportunity to shine through your situation and be ready to see a miracle transpire!
Your brother in Christ,
p     

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

What is the point of recognition? Matthew 6:1-3

Good morning everyone,
All of us like to be praised when we do something that is 'good!'  That is simply part of our human nature.  But we have to be very careful why we do the things that we do.  Matthew 6:1-3 points out the dangers of wrongful giving!  "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what you right hand is doing."  Brothers and sisters, ask the Lord to give you a generous heart so that you give because it is the right thing to do and not simply a required thing to do!  Everything you have been Blessed with up to this point is really what He has allowed.   And remember that everything you have is really only on loan from Him in the first place.  Most of us live on what we have and not on the 'faith' of what we don't have!  To be generous with a heart like our Savior, we have to be willing to let Him stretch us to the point of truly following Him.  When we give, Father help us to give with our whole heart; not for the purpose of getting praise from men but simply because we want to please You!  Simply said, you can not out give the 'Giver!'  I know a lot of you are wondering how you can tithe anymore than you currently are doing.  There are many ways that you can tithe and my suggestion is to allow God to show you how He can use you more effectively.  Ask Him to use you to be a deflector of who He is so that when you help someone, help them to see Jesus and not you the person!  As we approach the holidays, may I make a suggestion that each of us seek His face so that we can see where He wants us to serve!  Serve as in giving of our time so that we take our eyes off of our own mess so that He can show us how better to use the 24 hours per day that we have.  Mess is the beginning of message, and God is capable of giving you a heart like His and He can turn you messes into a message of hope for others if you will allow Him! 
Your brother in Christ,
p

Friday, November 11, 2011

You are Everything! Mark 7:37

Good morning everyone,
Mark 7:37 tells us that people were overwhelmed with amazement.  "He has done everything well," they said.  "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."  Over the last few days, I feel as though the rug has been pulled out from under me!  I've come down with a bad head cold or I'm just 'worn slick' from all the travel!  It could be a combination of the two.  Either way I'm reminded that my Lord and Savior is still right beside me.  No matter when you body wears to the point of exhaustion, remember God is there to carry you through to create a situation for His light to shine!  We were made to be courageous when we are bombarded with all the things that are thrown at us.
Courage requires trust and in Psalm 9:10 we are told, "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."  That verse should give you the courage to never be scared and to seek Him at all cost.  He has guaranteed you an eternity where no one else can even guarantee you the present!  Does that excite you?  I know for myself, His promises are what keep me going when nothing else makes sense.  I invite you to start your day with Him so before the messes start to mount, He can instruct to you a message that is crystal clear!  He loves each of you and more than anything, He wants you to see that by you giving Him praise, He will never forsake you!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Saturday, November 5, 2011

His Love endures forever! Psalm 100:5

Good morning everyone,
Psalm 100:5 should be the verse you read over and over again.  It states that, 'For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.'  That is a promise that should not be forgotten.  That verse is one that should give us hope and help us to realize even though the world is against us, our Lord and Savior is for us!  If we trust Him, His promise will be lived out through our lives.  In today's world, we have many promises that are made to us and many times those promises are broken.  Verse four tells us that we are to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  If you do that, I can guarantee that for the problems you face, He will help you to overcome the insurmountable!  If you try and do it alone, you are going to run into more obstacles than you can 'shake a stick at.'  I encourage each of you to connect with the only One that can help you to see that there is beauty in those obstacles if you see through His eyes.  Prospective is either I have messes upon messes because I'm trying to do it alone or those messes become miracles that He works through and gives me an 'attitude of gratitude.'  After all it is your choice to choose this day who you will serve!
Your brother in Christ,
p

Thursday, November 3, 2011

This is the day that the Lord has made! Psalm 118:23-25

Good morning everyone,
Why get excited about what today holds?  Have you ever had those days where you wake up and it would be better and easier to just roll over and go back to sleep?  I think we all have experienced that kind of start.  Let me tell you some exciting news about what God is capable of and then maybe you'll be able to look at things in a 'greater light.'  Just the fact that God isn't tired of our rebellion yet gives us hope!  He hasn't shut the door on us just yet and turned out the lights and said the party is over; now it is time to clean up the mess.  Brothers and sisters, there is still time as long as you are breathing and blood is pumping through your veins.
Psalm 118:23-25 reminds us to remember all that the Lord has done for us.  He put the world in motion and He is the One who put life and breath in each of us.  Why should we have an attitude that stinks before we even get out of bed?  Shouldn't we be jubilant and thankful that we were important enough to Him that He even created us in the first place!  You are an integral part of the biggest  project that has ever taken place!  It isn't just happen chance that you were one of the chosen to carry out His plans!  Shouldn't we listen a little more to Him to know how He wants us to carry them out?  Agree to spend a little more time with him and give Him the first fruits of your labor and see what happens.  Since this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! 
Your brother in Christ,
p

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

What's next! Matthew 25:21

Good morning everyone,
Have you ever wondered what's next in your life?  It could be that you are completely stoked about life and your are excited about the next opportunity that God has chosen for you or it could be you are completely done with all the frustrations that seem to come your way.  Did you know that God can use you either way and have His light shine through you?  In fact, the more hopeless the situation, the know He can use your situation to make a Blessing come from your mess!  I know a lot of you feel as though you are the last person on this earth that God could use to reach the unreachable!  See, I believe that God is truly the God He says He is.  He can move mountains if you will simply have the faith of a mustard seed!  Have you lost your faith?  Just remember the more hopeless your situation, the more possible a gigantic miracle can take place.  My brother Scott is a perfect example of what God can do with a tough situation.  He just recently had a brain tumor removed and has been given by his doctors a shortened amount of time to live.  Wait a minute; they don't realize the God he serves!  God is continuing to use Scott in a mighty way and through his situation, God is demonstrating character like I've never seen!  His physical death is pending but His eternal life in Jesus Christ has already started.  There is a small town here in the state of New York that I'm working next to and its name is Endwell!  It is ironic because that is what Scott is living out!  He is ending well!  Scott is living out Matthew 25:21 and I can already hear the Master saying well done good and faithful servant.  May each of you draw ever closer to our Savior to find out just what He intends to do with you next!  
Your brother in Christ,
p

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Faith is Confidence and Assurance! Hebrews 11

Good morning everyone,
When nothing makes sense at all, faith is what gets you through any given situation.  It has often been said that faith is only as strong as the object in which it is placed!  Chapter 11 of Hebrews is a chapter completely full of individuals that God used to show their incredible faith.  Faith is believing even though you  physically can't see it!  Put yourself in the position that the people in this chapter find themselves.  For example, Noah started building an ark some 100 years before the rains came.  He was made fun of and laughed at even by his own family, and yet he let no one get in the way of his instructions from His Creator!  Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son because he had the faith that Someone greater than himself could restore and bring back to life that which he was instructed to sacrifice.  God is looking for a few good men and women who are willing to be obedient and willing to do what He says without questioning!  Are you one of those that wants your faith to be rock solid like these individuals protrayed?  Are you willing to trust that God will do a mighty work through the faith that He displays through your life?  I know I am!!  May it be your prayer today that God instill in you a faith that you will be able to withstand any and all attacks from the enemy!  God is mighty and God is willing to work out a 'life of faith' through His children.  Ask Him and you shall receive!
Your brother in Christ,
p