Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Tuesday the 22nd

John 12

 

 42Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

 

I am sure I will not get the full point out of this scripture, but every time I read it, I think of the same thing…….we really have not changed as a people have we? I talk to people all of the time who know Christ, they even claim to put their faith in Him, yet they will not talk about Him in public….they will not give Him the glory. We have moved to a place in society, all in the name of inclusion, where we all to often will not mention our faith. The President is hesitant to put up a nativity, you are hard pressed to find a Merry Christmas sign posted anywhere, and most conversations end with Happy Holidays. Just the mention of scripture will get you “the look”….you know the one I am talking about. Eyes cut to one side of the head, and an eyebrow goes up….the look that screams….”you’re not a Jesus freak are you” …..While back then the fear was being put out of the church, today the fear is getting grouped in with the church! We have nothing to fear, and only salvation to gain! We need a ground swell of people finding their voice. If we are going to help heal the world, we have to start by showing the world that speaking of our faith is an everyday occurrence. Think of it this way. If you had a best friend that went everywhere with you, you lived together, you ate together, you went to parties together (there is one to think about)….well….. you would talk a lot about that friend wouldn’t you? You would want the people you meet to know your friend….I mean that would be awkward wouldn’t it? Just having a conversation with someone and never acknowledging the person that came with you…….but that is what we do…..many of us don’t even introduce our friend to our family! Christ is with you always. Don’t deny Him His introduction. Worried about how some people might take you? Worried that they might talk trash about you…..First, good for you if they do, I can’t think of anything better to be persecuted about! Second…..it is my experience that those types of people are going to do it anyway, no matter how hard you try to win their praise! This Christmas season make it a point to introduce your friend, you might not win all of the praise from some of the people that you come in contact with, but you will win the praise of God. I don’t know about you, but I would rather have God’s praise, than the entire world’s!

 

In Christ’s name,

Brian

 

 

Monday, December 21, 2009

Monday the 21st

Luke 2:4-5

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

 

Today would roughly be the day that Joseph loaded up with Mary and headed to Bethlehem. It is about an 80 mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Most of the groups traveled about 20 miles a day. On the last few days leading up to Christmas, I think about that trip a lot. 4 days on the road…and I do mean on the road. No car, just a donkey….one donkey…..and as they travel they have an abundance of one thing…..time. Time to walk, time to see the land….and oh yeah, time to think. Plenty of time to think about all that had transpired, and all that lie ahead of them. This time of year we are all on the road to Bethlehem aren’t we? The days slow down, we have the year behind us, and a new one rolling towards us. Plenty of time to think what have we accomplished and all that we still have undone….and just like Mary we too are carrying Christ with us on our trip. We too have to think about how we will care for Him, how we will protect Him, how we will live with Him. When we look back on the year do we see that we have prepared a place in our lives for Christ to live? In the coming year do we have a plan in place to keep Christ alive and well in our home? As this short week gets underway think of it as your trip to Bethlehem, Christ is coming into the world, and the world will be forever changed. Likewise, for us this time is a chance for a new beginning. We too have been changed forever. As you walk along the path this week, take the time to look behind you, and to look forward. Where will Christ’s place be in your life in the coming year?

 

Rejoice,

Brian

 

 

Friday, December 18, 2009

Friday the 18th

John 9: 1-3

 

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

 3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

 

Bad things happen to good people……..but really are they bad, or just an opportunity to show the strength of God? Be it our current situation, or something we have been struggling with our whole lives, anytime we find ourselves in a time of hardship, we have two choices we can throw a pity party, and wallow in it, or we can recognize that this world, our bodies, our station in life, they are all temporary. We can say that we will never get through this, or we can say this is where I am at, and I will push ahead. Every hardship is a chance to shout the glory of God. A girl lost her arm while surfing. She did not let it stop her, she surfs to this day, and gives the glory to God. She has turned her hardship into her ministry. I have seen people down to their last dollar give the shirt off their back to someone in need. No matter rich or poor, healthy or sick, we all have trials, we all have seasons in hell. Take heart! God is at work in each of our lives right now. We can choose to acknowledge that or we can listen to the world, and believe that we are less than others, that we are broken, or that we will never recover. Think of Job, talk about a life used to glorify the Lord! God worked in his life after the devil had almost stomped the life out of him, and took all that the world said Job HAD to have. God is always present, He is always working, He is working to use your life as an example of His power right now. Without the bad we would have no idea what good was, without pain there would be no joy. Know this, the depths of any pain you go thorough will not compare to the heights of Joy you will receive if you will allow God to work in your life. Give thanks for your weakness it is a chance to show the world that with God you are strong. Be thankful for the seasons of trial, for it is the opportunity to shout to the world that God will provide. Let God work in your life, invite Him in, and you will see the power of God.

 

Glory be to the Father,

Brian

 

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Thursday the 18th

John 7: 10-11

 

7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"  11"No one, sir," she said.  "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

 

How quick we are to point out others faults. It is easy to look at another persons life and see where all of the wrong turns were made, all of the transgressions are clearly seen. Yet it is not as clear when we look at ourselves is it? How many of us have been part of a group just like the one in the scripture? How quick have we been to condemn a fellow brother or sister, all the while knowing that we too are guilty of transgressions? When we look to ourselves, I mean deep into ourselves, into those dark places that we don’t like to look at, the places that we don’t show the world, we find that while the sin might not be the same, we are no better than those that we would condemn. When we look and see how hard it has been to make changes in our own life, and honestly none of us are done with that, then we can look at others, not with eyes of condemnation, but with eyes of compassion. We all struggle with daily life, we all have demons that torment us, we all have a past, and we all have made mistakes. Let us make the commitment to break away form the mob that would condemn. Let us be the one to go against the flow, like Christ, and recognize that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we draw closer to the remembrance of the ultimate gift of love, allow yourself to do the unthinkable….love the unloved, forgive the un-forgiven, and pray for those that will not pray for themselves. Remember your past, and look towards your future, you will see that there are no stones to throw, only love to give.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wednesday the 16th

John 7:24

 

24Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."

 

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Many people could not see Jesus for what He really was, even with all of the signs, all of the teachings, many refused to see the truth. Looks can be deceiving, and when people looked at Christ, they did not see the image that they expected to see in a Savior. Imagine if you will a man living in the wilderness speaking out about a man that was coming to save the world. The people were waiting for a savior, a hero, someone to ride in and save the day. Imagine their surprise when the man that is pointed out, is not rich, he is not well dressed, as a matter of fact he looks pretty much like any other guy from that time. They were expecting a miraculous event to bring a man, what they got was a uncommon common man who brought miraculous event to them. He is still doing that today you know……but so many of us have fallen back into the mind set of looking for thunder and lightening to announce that the Lord is among us. With Christmas right around the corner we are once again reminded that the Lord snuck into the world. In a quiet manger, surrounded by common folks, a few wise men, and the angels. By all appearances it was not the birth of a savior….. at least not what the world expected. In much of the same respect that is how he comes to us today. How often do we make judgments by mere appearances? How many times have we missed the help of our savior because the person offering was not the person we expected? How often do we pass up the opportunity to act on behalf of Christ because we don’t think that the people in need look like they “deserve” it? Appearances can be deceptive, and if Christ was not what the natural world expected back then, why would we think it would be any different today? Stop judging by mere appearances, look to the same place that God looks…..the heart. Don’t get caught up in the status of those around you, look to the substance. It is not the clothes that show a persons worth, it is their willingness to give the shirt off their back for their brother. Be on the look out for Christ this Christmas, you might be surprised where all you see Him…….when you quit judging by appearances.

 

Glory to God in the Highest,

Brian

 

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tuesday the 15th

John 6: 5-6

 

5When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" 6He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"  8Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

The Lord does not need much to work with to provide for many. We see that very clearly in this chapter as He feeds thousands while starting out with next to nothing. Yet this all starts off with a very simple question. Jesus asks how will we handle this problem…….and like all good teachers, he knows the answer before the question is even asked! Of course, as we all do, the first thing the disciples look for is how are they going to solve the problem on their own. When you find yourself facing impossible challenges, where do you turn?  Do you look first to what you can do? Most of life’s problems can’t be solved by us alone. We might be good, but we are just not that good! We typically run in to the same problem. We do not have enough resources at our disposal to really take care of the issue. However, there is a place we can turn….to the one who has the answer to the question “how am I going to fix this” before it is even asked. The Lord knows that this world is a challenging place. He knows that there are obstacles that you cannot conquer on your own. Instead of looking for what you can do, why not look for what God can do! Even our biggest problems are minute to the Lord. There is nothing that He can’t handle, and do you know what? He wants you to ask for His help! HE knows that we can’t do it alone, that is why He sent us the Holy Spirit. It resides in each of us. Don’t rely on what you have in your hand. Trust in what you have in your heart. It might be a big problem, but we serve a big God! When we find ourselves in difficult situations, when the path gets hard to see. Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the Lord. He can feed thousands with nothing, he can give the blind sight, and the sick their health. I promise you that He can deliver you from your trials. Start by turning to the Lord, then pickup your cross and get to work, the Lord will do the heavy lifting!

 

Peace,

Brian

 

Monday, December 14, 2009

Monday the 14th

1 Corinthians 13: 13

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

 

Christmas is upon us. I know for many of us the running starts this weekend, and will go through Christmas weekend. As we run from family to family, house, to house over the next couple of weeks tensions mount, and patience starts to run thin. We get so caught up in the holiday, that we miss the celebration! So as the schedule starts to fill up, and the trunks are crammed with the suitcases and gifts, remember to pack extra love. You will need it! Fill your heart with love this holiday season. If you think you don’t have enough, think of the love that God has for each one of us, so much that He has sent His only Son. Think you don’t have the patience? Think of the patience that God must have waiting for His children to return to Him……we drag our feet yet His love does not diminish for us. Fill your heart with love, and you will find that there is no room for anything else. So you are going to see the cousin that you can’t stand, the uncle that always seems to find your last nerve, the nephew that you are sure is a direct descendant form the devil……remember God loves each and every one of them just as HE loves you. Don’t be a scrooge with your love, this Christmas choose to love them all. God does not ration out His love, Christ did not come to earth just to save a few, love them all, just as the Lord loves you!

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday the 1th

John 5: 39-40

39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

 

 

Faith and religion, two words that are so often used interchangeably yet two very different words indeed. Faith is our belief and dependence on Jesus Christ, Religion is the actions, the rituals, and the exterior….in short religion without faith is useless. You might make it to Church every Sunday, but if your going for the fashion show, you have missed your opportunity to recharge your faith. Even an atheist can read the Bible, and memorize scripture, yet that will not give them faith. We can have good religion, and still be missing the most important gift that God gave us, the gift that we are celebrating this month. Of course that gift is Jesus Christ, and our faith rests in Him. Have you ever put something together, and it just does not come out right? You read the directions, and re read them, yet something is just not right, something is missing. You get frustrated, you walk away, then come back later, and pick up the directions once again….lo and behold, you see that you have missed a very critical piece. It happens to be the one piece that brings everything together. That my friends is religion without faith. You can try to put it all together, you might think you have it, but it will never go together right. You might get something that looks like faith at face value, but it will not stand the test of time. This Christmas season let us set our religion side, and unite around our faith. Let us rejoice in the one true thing that holds us all together as brothers, Jesus Christ. It is in Him we will find salvation, it is in Him we will find our joy, it is through Him we will find our faith. Let us lead with our faith, then follow with our religion.

 

Glory to God in the highest,

Brian

 

 

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Thursday the 10th

John 5:17

17Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.

 

I really did not want to wake up this morning, I thought it would be a much easier day if I just stayed in bed, and let the day pass me by. We all feel like that every now and again don’t we? Just want to drop off the grid, and worry about one thing and one thing only…..me. In the spiritual world there is no day off. One cannot be afforded. We can’t just check out, and let the day slip by. There is not enough time. We each have 12 hours of daylight; enough time to get everything done, but not enough time to give up one hour of it! When Bob Marley (He started off Rastafarian, then converted to Christianity)  was shot, as soon as he got out of the hospital, he went to do a show. When asked why he did not take some time off, his response was that the bad people in the world don’t take a day off, so he was not going to either. That is how we have to look at it as well. We cannot give up one day….I can promise you the devil is not taking a sick day! Each day is an opportunity, it is our chance to make a difference, no matter how big or how small. You might think that the world will not miss you for a day, but you would be wrong. Every conversation is a chance for you to change a life, everything you get involved in is a chance for you to show the love of Christ to those around you. We can make a difference, each and everyone of us. It is the difference of one person at a time. So when you think of dropping off the grid for the day…. when you think that no one will notice or that no one cares, remember that the devil will still be at work, and the difference you might of made to someone will never happen,….that saving conversation, that random act of kindness, maybe something as simple as listening to someone’s problems, that will not happen,  but the devil will be there to step in. We each make a difference, we all count, we each wear the signet ring of the LORD. If my Father, and my brother are always working then I am going to work shoulder to shoulder with them. Will you join us?

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Wed the 9th

John 5: 6-8

 

6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"  7"Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."  8Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 

 

This illustrates exactly how Christ works in our lives. Have you ever had a big problem? Something going on in your life that you just cannot seem to overcome? When we find ourselves in that situation we typically look directly at the problem…..I will never afford that, there is no way I have the strength to overcome…..the world has me down, and it keeps kicking me….I just can’t get back up……sound familiar? I am sure it does, because we have all been there. Well Christ is standing right next to you right now, saying “get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” That man would have sat by the pool for the rest of his life, sure that he could never make it to the water….all of these problems, all of these obstacles were in his way. He had no help, when he does try to get down there someone gets in front of him…..all of these reasons that just make it to hard. Guess what? The man needed no healing pool, he needed no help form those around him. What he needed was exactly the same thing that each of us need, and just as Christ was standing there next to that man at the pool all of those years ago; He is standing right next to you when you open you eyes in the morning, He is next to you in the interview, He is walking right next to you during your season of hell. Christ’s advice to you today, is the same as it was to the man by the pool. Pick up your mat and walk! We can let the troubles of the world press down on us, we can allow it to keep us sitting on our mat, complaining about our misfortune, or how life is just not fair….how everyone else gets in front of us, or we can choose to let Christ do what He does best….. Complete us, fill us, and restore us. Don’t let the world keep you on your mat, accept the Lords offer, pick up your mat and walk with him today. Trust in Him, praise Him, love Him, and walk with Him!

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Tue the 8th

John 4:50-53

50Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour." 53Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

The man took Jesus at His word and left. Yet notice how it is not counted as belief in Christ (faith) until the father realized that the exact hour when Jesus spoke the words was the exact time that the boy’s fever broke. We do that often in our lives don’t we? We hear something and say OK I believe it, but it is not until we see the fruit of the words that we truly say “Ohhhhh not now I really believe!” While we might do well to live our worldly lives with a “trust but verify” attitude towards those we come in contact with, we cannot afford to have that type of relationship with our savior (trust me on this one). It is our faith that saves us, it is our faith that will bring us into a world beyond this one. We cannot “wait and see” with our faith in Christ. Grab hold of the promises of the Lord, let your faith lead you. Don’t follow with weak faith that only believes what it can see. Any common animal is capable of that type of faith, for it is not true faith at all. Choose to let your faith fill your heart, let it flow from your lips, and allow it to radiate from your very being. There is nothing that is too hard for God, there is not a problem to big, no situation impossible. The Lord will overcome all obstacles that might hinder you on your path…..if you will let Him, if you will choose faith in what is unseen over what can be seen, you will find yourself unstoppable. Faith is the fuel which will propel your life. Christ is the only vehicle that will run on faith, and that vehicle it the machine that will take you from the ordinary to the extraordinary!

May the Lord find you and bless you today,

Brian

Monday, December 7, 2009

Monday the 7th

John 4: 17-18

17"I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. 18The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true."

 

Man, do I know how that woman felt! She did not tell a lie….not by today’s standards. Really the answer she gave was more truthful than what other people might have said. The pain, the embarrassment, the shame….whatever the reason, she put out just enough information to move the conversation forward, but not enough to show her true self. Withholding information is just as much misdirection as an outright lie. While we might be able to get away with in the natural world from time to time, just like this woman, we will have a meeting with someone where the misdirection will not work, the Lord will already know the answer before He asks you. So instead of working on the cover story, maybe we should spend the time working on dropping the façade. Why would the woman not give out all the information? Well it sounds like she was the biblical version of Elizabeth Taylor…..not exactly bragging rights that you want to own! How does Christ treat this woman? Well first he lets her know that she is not fooling anyone, he knows her past…..but here is the beauty of it, Christ still offers the water of life. Here is Christ, a Jew, talking to a Samarian woman (a big no no for the day)….and not just any Samarian woman, a woman with a history. Yet here is Jesus holding out His hand and saying  ‘hey, I know where you are coming from, but I have a better future for you” That is how the Lord shows up in our lives. You think you don’t deserve it….think your past is to dark, to many transgressions to be forgiven? Maybe you think that there is just no way you deserve that kind of forgiveness. Let me let you in on something…..none of us really deserve it!  He does not care about your past, just your future. He knows where you have been, and he does not care. He wants you now, just as you are, scars and all. Where you are at today, right now, this very second….you are just what the Lord is looking for, and He has a huge future in store for you, all you have to do is accept the drink of life giving water. Christ has never been concerned with what the world says about anyone, he knows each and everyone of us, and he knows the beauty and perfection that we are capable of…..the scars and the history you have picked up along the way, that is nothing to lie or be misleading about. Those dark spots that you went through made you who you are today. Make today the first day, the first day that you don’t feel the labels that the world has put on you, let today be the first day that you decide to live as a child of God… We all have a past, but we all will not have the same future.

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Thursday the 3rd

John 2:15

15So he (Jesus) made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

 

Did you ever know a hot head? Maybe you work with one now….when that type of person goes off, it is sort of expected isn’t it? You think, or there goes old so and so, he is wound up about something again….but you don’t pay a lot of attention to them do you? It is just another tirade form a person who has not fully accepted God’s grace. When we make it a habit to shout, and fume, when we take every instance, and point in our lives and make it a huge spectacle, we become ineffective. People quit listening. The reason why Jesus got everyone’s attention….notice they did not come back into the temple after he left….He so seldom showed that much outrage about anything. The point? Make your words and actions count. Don’t be the person that everyone brushes aside, and pays no attention to as well he is just being him. Hold your tongue, hold your emotions, until the offence is worth the outrage. Then people will listen. AS Christ shows us by his life there are very few things in life that really warrant outrage. Let us use His example in our lives, and as my Father used to tell me, don’t make a mountain out of a mole hill! Christ Did not get worked up about much, because he trusted His Fathers plan, let us do the same.

 

The other thing that stands out about this passage…. This is the only time we see Jesus really get worked up. Think of all that Jesus went thought, the persecution, the brow beatings by the various religious leaders, the people in general who turned their back on Him. He never wavered, He never got angry, He came to save the world, and for a large part, it was a world that did not want to be saved! Even when they came to take Him away, His followers were ready to fight, but Jesus held it together (talk about faith in the plan!). Yet here we see a very different, a very human Christ. We see a very peaceful man make a whip, and take those that would desecrate His fathers house to task. If there is one thing in life that is worth getting worked up about, it is people desecrating God, and His house. This is an important point for today’s world because we as Christians are under attack daily. The world tends to take our forgiveness for weakness. As a result, while we do not have money changers in the temple today, we do have money changers trying to replacing our churches with the interests of the world. That is something to get fired up about.  The world depends on us sitting by the sidelines watching as they try to force us out of everyday life. Think I am overreaching? How many people do you know that go to Church weekly….even bi weekly, let alone bring the Lord into their lives daily? The world is doing a fantastic job of convincing people that they do not need God. It is time that we grab our proverbial whips and drive them out. Get fired up, take a stand. If there is anything in life worth standing on, it is the rock of Christ. Forgiveness and compassion is divine, but not at the cost of our Savior. Speak the Word of God proudly!

 

Trusting in the plan,

Brian

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Wed the 2nd

John 2: 10

10and (the master of the banquet) said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

Anything that Christ get involved in is the best. Once the Lord places his hand on something it is changed forever…..for the better. If something as plain as water can be transformed into not just wine, but fine wine; imagine what changes He can make in your life if you will allow it. Wine does not have free will….. you do. When you let the Lord get involved, he will bless you, He will pour out his favor on you, and He will transform your life from the simple worldly life that you have now, into a spectacular life long example of God’s love of those who love Him. The Lord does not do things by half measure. God did not give Moses the power to build a bridge quickly, He gave Moses the power part a sea. Jesus did not comfort the sick by tucking them in and bringing them food, He healed them of their sickness, He did not just tell people how to turn from sin, He drove the evil right out of those possessed. Christ did not just tell those who followed Him “ hey go out and tell the world about me” He sent His followers out with the power heal the sick, and drive our demons………No when the Lord gets involved with something it is never a half measure…….why would that not be the first place we would go in our time of need? Hurting? Ask the Lord to step in…..Lost? Ask the Lord for direction…..full of remorse? Ask the Lord for forgiveness. There is nothing that you need, that the Lord will not give to you. HE has your portion in hand, waiting for you to ask for His help. Just like the water, He will step into your life and change it into the finest wine. Mary did not run around looking for more wine, she did not send people out house to house to ask for wine donations. She went straight to the source, she went to the one place we should all run to in our time of need…..Christ. This Christmas season, let us all run to Christ, let us each ask him to change our lives from water to wine.

Peace,

Brian

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Tuesday the 1st

John 1:39

39"Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

 

 

Could you imagine……spending the day with Christ! What more could anyone ask for……What if I told you that Christ whispers those same words to you everyday……Come and you will see! Every morning when you wake Christ is there, waiting for you to say Lord, where are you going? Where are you staying? What does the day hold? If you will just ask, you will get the same response. Come and you will see. Will you? Will you follow the Lord today? Will you allow him into your heart, not just for a quick prayer in the morning, or a wrap up microwave prayer in the evening. Will you choose to spend the day with Jesus? The prince of peace has much to show you, he has more love to give than a thousand lifetimes could hold. Allow Him to give you that peace, that love, that joy, that can only be found when following the one who loves you so much. He does you know, He loves you down to your very core, the bright spots and the dark spots all the same. Christ is the one person who finds you perfect just as you come to him. He had a hand in creating you….and His Father the creator of all things does not make junk! Make the choice to ask the Lord where he stays, you might be surprised to find that he will stay right inside of your heart! Listen for the words that he speaks everyday to you. “Come, and you will see” then choose to follow the one true beacon of light in this dark world. Follow the love, follow the truth, follow the joy that always has been and always will be Jesus Christ.

 

May the light of Christ light you path, and your heart,

Brian

 

 

 

Monday, November 30, 2009

Monday the 30th

1 John 7-8

7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

 

The voice calling out form the wilderness……. Most of the “enlightened” and “educated” people did not know how to take John. He did not testify for profit, or for personal gain, or notoriety. To look at him…..well to say he was less than worldly would be an understatement. John had one driving, unyielding purpose, to tell the world about the light coming into the world. Today each one of us are the “Johns’” of our day. We too have a very specific purpose, we are to be witnesses to the light and the life of Jesus Christ. Much like John, you will meet with resistance, you will meet many who would rather not believe, than to put the work in to change their lives. As Chesterton said “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.” As John lived his life telling the world what was to come, living a simple life, surviving off what God provided him; we too should strive to live that life in the modern world. Let our lives be the example that shows those around us that while changing our lives might be difficult, it can be done. Let people look at our lives to see the blessings that come from putting in the work. As we draw closer to the time of the remembrance of the birth of Christ, let us remember the dedication of John, let our lives and our words testify to the greatness of God, the compassion of Christ, and the Love that pours out from the Trinity upon us everyday. Let our voices be the new voices calling out, reminding the world of the Savior, the sacrifice, and the world to come.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Wed the 25th

Psalm 118: 1

 

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

 

550 BC (for the sake of argument) is when this Psalm was written. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good…… Fast forward  to 1621 in a little colony in what is now Massachusetts, we again see people gathering together to give thanks. Who were they giving thanks to? Did they throw the celebration as thanks to the Indians for not killing them? Was it done to show the people back in England and Holland how successful they were in the new colony? Maybe they did it as a way to share recipes and showcase the latest trends in fine colony dining……. No of course not. The remaining Pilgrims gathered together to give thanks to God! They gathered together as a group to lift their hearts and voices in prayer, song and joyful thanks for the blessings God had poured out upon them. Moving even further ahead to tomorrow, who will we give thanks to? Each other? What will our cause of celebration be? Our football team won? We don’t have to go to the office?  Tomorrow as the turkey cooks in the oven, the pies cool on the counter, and the houses are filled with family, and friends, let us all remember to give thanks to God, not for the simple things in our lives, but for the important ones. Our family, our friends, the bountiful meal that will be enjoyed, the time that we have set aside to revel in the blessings that the Lord has given…..Tomorrow let us lift our voices in prayer, song, and joyful thanks; just as the pilgrims did a couple hundred years ago, just like the Psalmist did a couple of thousand years ago. For what was true then is still very true now. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever!

 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, be blessed, and thank God,

 

Brian

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tuesday the 24th

John 1: 4-5

4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

 

“Understood it”, the Bishops’ Bible from 1568 and the King James both read that “the darkness comprehended it not”, the ESV reads that “the darkness has not overcome it.” You really can’t have one without the other can you? You will never overcome something if you do not understand it. This Light has never been understood by the darkness. I believe that the darkness will never understand. The birth of Christ was the beginning of the end for the darkness, the resurrection of Christ was the death blow (pun fully intended). Yet the darkness does not understand that it has been defeated. Christ won, he was the one time sacrifice that cleansed the world of sin, and in doing so gave each of us the offer of salvation. Therein lies the catch, and the reason why the darkness is still around. We were offered the gift, it is up to each of us to grasp it. The darkness is hoping that you don’t. Before we let the light into our lives we are all very much in the dark, and controlled by the darkness. We were living for one thing, and one thing only…..ourselves. It is only when we reach out into the light of Christ, and pull ourselves out of the darkness that we can see the beauty that surrounds us. The light continues to grow as long as we continue to look for those hands reaching out from the darkness, and pulling them into the light. Christ is the light of the world, yet that light can only reach as far as we are willing to take it. Around the globe, to the other end of town, maybe just into a neighbors house; wherever you go, carry the light of Christ with you. The darkness might understand you, but it will never defeat the light of Christ, it cannot defeat it, because it does not understand it. Let us all give thanks to God this week for sending the light to the world.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Monday, November 23, 2009

Monday the 23rd

John 1: 3

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

 

From the beginning, to the end, and all points in between, Christ has been there. He was a part of it all, and that means that He took part in your creation as well! Take a look around at all that HE and His Father created. The perfection in each flower, the majesty the mountain ranges, the great expanse of our sky and universe. Think of all of that perfection, appreciate the intricate uniqueness in each and every thing, then look at yourself. You are just as perfect as that flower, your potential is just as limitless as that universe. As we approach Thanksgiving let us give thanks to the Lord, for our lives, for our blessings, but let us not forget to give thanks to our unique place in this world. We were created in their image. The One who made all things made us with every ounce of painstaking work that they put in to everything else, and then went a step further, and gave us his image, He gave us a piece of the spark, a sliver of the light, we were given a soul; a soul that will give us eternal life if we so choose. Let us give thanks to the Lord this week and everyday after for giving us some of His perfection, let us show that thanks by making our lives examples of His love. Let us give thanks for His love, because through Him we are closer to perfection everyday. Let us thank Him, let us praise Him, let us love Him.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday the 20th

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

 

Today is my birthday, I turned 25……..ok well add 14 more and that might be right!  As the week has gone on I have had one thing on my mind. Peace. I went a long way through my life with no peace, I did not even know I was missing it! I have read, and studied, and read some more, it took many years to find it, but what I have learned is right after you let Christ in, you have to work on peace next, peace in your life, peace in your relationships, peace with yourself, in short you need the peace of God, and it is up to you to let that in. Without peace the world is still too loud, and that noise drowns out the voice of the Lord. That noise causes confusion, and the confusion leads to panic, and uncertainty. These verses are favorites of mine concerning peace of God. Paul makes it very clear where to look, and how to find peace……. On a bended knee. It is in prayer that we can quiet the noise of the world, it is in prayer that we give the Holy Spirit the room to search our souls. It is in prayer that we will find the Peace of God. Once you find it, once you let it in, the world will fall away. You will see that nothing is impossible with Christ at your side. When God is guarding your heart and mind, with Christ at your side, and peace in your heart you will be unstoppable! Be anxious for nothing, let the peace of God fill your life, and guide your steps.

 

God bless, and have a great weekend,

Brian

 

 

 

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thursday the 19th

3 John: 5

 

 5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.

 

As I was reading this letter this morning this verse really stuck with me. Paul points out to Gaius that he is faithful for what he is doing ( going out to spread the truth of Christ) even though those people are strangers to him. How powerful this one line is. Preaching to those you know, witnessing to those of a like mind is easy, but going out and carrying the word (in word and deed) to those you do not know really gives us the opportunity to show our faith. How often do we bend over backwards for those that we know, yet brush aside the people that we do not? Have you ever noticed how simple it is to convey compassion to those that are close to us, yet our hearts so easily turn cold when we see strangers in the exact same situation? This is really the meat of this letter (and to warn of Diotrephes party). Paul is encouraging Gaius to continue on, fight the good fight and spread the word. Why would Gaius need encouragement? Because Paul knew all to well just how hard that it can be to try and bring light to darkness. So let us each continue to encourage each other, let us remind each other that the great commission is for all of us, and while it might take you around the globe, or just down the street, we must remain faithful. We must continue to spread the truth of Christ in word and deed, when it is easy, but especially when it is difficult. When we are challenged, when we find it difficult, those are the times that we are most closely watched by others. Those are the times that in our weakness we allow God to break through and show His strength. Let us continue to pray for and encourage each other, for the strangers that watch are our brothers and sisters as well!

 

Peace be with you,

Brian