Tuesday the 28th

Hebrews 2:17

¹⁷For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

 

What a friend we have in Jesus. It is a song that we all know, been around for a while, and holds true yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If we think of our earthly friends what do they all have in common? They know us, they know where we have been, and what we have done. They know our hopes and dreams, they help us, they encourage us, and they are faithful. Most of all we can count on them when life gets tough. We all have one friend in common, and that of course is Jesus. HE has all of the same qualities that our other friends have, and then some. He was made like us, he understands the pain, the struggle, the happiness, and the love that we feel. HE knows our potential, and our shortcomings. Most importantly he stands between God and us, he makes atonement for our sins! What a friend he is! Think about that for a few moments. Think of your friends that you have now….how often can you make mistakes with them? Once, maybe three times? Sooner or later we humans tire of others shortcomings. We find that our friends might not always be friendly, yet we still find Christ patiently waiting for us to correct our path, waiting for us to recognize where we went wrong. You can almost hear him telling God…..no, hang on a second Dad, he will get it this time, really……please forgive him……again……You see we all fall short of the glory of God. We try and we struggle, yet we still stumble, we still miss the mark sometimes. Each time we will find Christ waiting, lending a shoulder for support or a hand to help us up. He is our high priest, he is our Savior, and make no mistake about it, he is our friend. HE has walked in our shoes, and loves us still.

 

Peace,

Brian

Monday the 27th

Hebrews 2:10

¹⁰In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.

 

For us to get to Christ’s level, he had to come down to ours. We are now brothers, and sisters to Christ. This did not come about by the Lord looking down, and making it happen. It came by way of Christ putting in the work while he was here on earth. It came by way of a father, making a sacrifice that few of us would be willing to make ourselves. This gift we have been given, this life eternal that is at our fingertips, came through suffering. It came by one giving up everything for another. We are called to do the same. Yes it is true that much can be solved in today’s world with money, shell out enough cash, and things seem to get better. The question I would ask is how is that working out for our economy today? Not very well! It takes effort, it takes sacrifice, and it takes us putting the needs of the guy next to us ahead of our own. God could have made things a lot easier, he could have just said all is forgiven……yet had that happened we would be in the same situation spiritually that we find ourselves financially today…..we would be asking what else ya got? We would have missed the gift, because there would have been no cost ……Christ suffered and gave his life for us. He was tempted, and came out sin free. In the end after all of the struggle and strife, he held out his hand and said I have something for you, will you take it and pass it along? Will it take some struggle, will it take some sacrifice…..of course it will, however once you have it, once you feel it fill your soul, you will understand it is worth the price. You will understand that you cannot keep it all to yourself. Like most things in your life you will find that when you work hard for something you want to share it, you want everyone to experience it. We might suffer for a season, but the harvest is worth the reaping.

 

In the name of the Lord,

Brian

Friday the 24th

Hebrews 2:1

 ¹We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

 

The great drift. We are all subject to it. It comes along when we get lax, when we start to listen to the outside world around us, more than the inner spiritual truths found within us. I firmly believe that this drift  or slipping away as used in the KJV is a favorite tool of the devil. I know he tries to use it on me often. The worst feeling in the world for someone who walks with Christ is for that person to feel as though Christ is not there, or does not care. The devil will work very hard to create that feeling. You will hear the old reliable “well no one will know”, or “that does not count”. The devil will try very hard to lull you to sleep, all the while whispering in your ear just to relax it will all be alright. As you let those feelings creep in the feeling of isolation grows, and the distance between you and the Lord starts to become a reality. Paul knew of this drift, and that is why he was reminding everyone to pay careful attention to remember what has been preached.

 

Do you remember you old high school friend? You know the one. Your one friend that you were just so sure that you would stay in contact with forever?  Chances are that you do not have the least idea where they are today. What happened to that relationship? You got older, people move away….whatever the case it really comes down to one thing the big drift. We allowed those people for whatever reason to fade away. We like to tell ourselves that these things just happen, and that it was meant to be or it was for the best (and maybe it was), but when we think back to those relationships and see how easily they slip away, we can understand just how easily our relationship with Christ can fade, drift, and slip away as well. Like any healthy relationship we have to work at it. That means prayer, reading the Word, sharing the good news, and reaching out to others. Don’t let the Lord and His teachings drift away. Don’t let Christ become your old high school friend, work to keep Him in the forefront of your life everyday. When you actively pursue the truth, you will find it, and you will see that the drift is a choice, one that we choose at the delight of the darkness.  It might sound dramatic to some but we are in a battle daily, and it is not a win or lose fight, it is a fight over the direction of the drift. Which way will you drift today? Away or towards the Lord? Will you hold on to the truth, or let yourself be lulled? It is my prayer that we do drift, I pray that we drift towards the Lord, in an ever growing, ever strengthening relationship so that we all might be counted among His favored flock.

 

 

Be blessed, and have a fantastic weekend,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 22nd

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

 

¹⁴If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. ¹⁵Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

 

Love not hate, encouragement, not destruction. Space, not suffocation,  this is how we live. I know first hand how hard it can be to try and love someone like a brother when it would be much easier to hate him like an enemy. I know that I always feel the need to “go make it right” instead of letting the Lord work on His timetable.  For some reason time and time again the Lord places people in my life that create an opportunity for me to work on this! It is very telling how Paul instructs the Thessalonians to deal with those who will not follow instruction…..do not associate with them, in the hopes that they will feel true remorse. I fear that this is a concept that many of us miss. We find it much easier to force the topic, we feel justified in belittling, and running down the person in an attempt to get them to change. There is one problem with that approach…..it typically does not work! However when we leave people alone, when we allow them to have the time to reflect, and to think, an amazing thing happens, we have created time, and space for the Holy Spirit to enter that persons life, and go to work. Think about it like this, what makes more of an impact on you….having someone in your ear saying you have to love me, you have to love me, you have to love me…..you are not doing it right, not that way, no, no, no, no! I hardly think that type of behavior will do much to convince anyone of anything, conversely when someone lays out what they hold to be the truth, when we are approached with love and fellowship, and then we are given time to reflect on that truth, what happens? We have the time to come to a conclusion. This is what Paul is suggesting. Tell the truth, shout it from the mountain tops, let the world know! But when you are faced with someone who will not accept the truth, let the Lord do what he does best….find the lost sheep. We all want to be soul winners for the Lord, however we are not the ones who really changes the heart, the mind or the spirit, that is the work of the Trinity. All we can do is present the option, open the door, perhaps create the spark. Then we have to let the Lord take over. Give the facts, give the truth, then give them space. It was in the belly of the whale that Jonah realized he could not outrun the Lord.

 

God bless,

Brian

Tuesday the 21st

 

2 Thessalonians 3:11

¹¹We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

 

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. How many times have we heard it? Yet it is still as true today as it was when Paul wrote his letter. Have you ever noticed that when you are busy you tend to stay out of trouble….you just do not have the time!  We all welcome and enjoy the breaks that come along in our life. Often they are much needed, and fully appreciated, yet whet do we do with that time? How do we fill the gaps? This is when our faith comes in to play and we really do not think about it. It is during our down time that we have the best opportunity to put our faith on display. It all comes down to choices. Have some time at work and you find yourself on the internet….what will you seek out? Something to satisfy your faith, or something to satisfy that worldly desire that is creeping in? Will you seek out relationships that will strengthen your faith, or turn to the busybody relationships that Paul was speaking of? How will you fill the time left in your day? The choice is yours, and yours alone. Pick up the bible, or pull it up on the web. Seek out a charity, better yet, get up from the computer, and pick up the phone, or walk down the hall, reach out to that person in your life that is hurting and needs encouragement. We all know at least one person who could benefit from us taking time our of our day. Really it comes back to another common theme of Christ, one he preached often,  put yourself third, and use that time to thank God, and help others. Serve God, and serve others, yeah I know……sometimes you don’t want to do that, you just want to be selfish, and take all of that time for yourself, you earned it, you deserve it right? Don’t fall for it, there is a reason we have been given that time….the question is what will we use it for?

 

 

May God bless and keep you,

Brian

 

 

 

 

Monday the 20th

2 Thessalonians 3: 5 (NIV)

May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

 

Have you ever noticed that you never see a picture of Christ smiling? He always has a very determined look set on his face. In short it is due to his perseverance. Christ walked the world under a timetable. Yet he never seemed rushed, no one ever described him as overly excited, or high strung. Christ had patience, and he persevered through the most difficult times with grace. In this verse the King James version uses the word patience, the English Standard version uses the word steadfastness. The translated Greek word is hupomone from the root word hupomeno meaning have fortitude, persevere: - abide, endure. Why do I point this out? It is important to remember that while we often think of love, and compassion as important traits of Christ, we should never overlook his fortitude. No matter the obstacle Christ took it head on, he saw the goal not the obstacle. He put his shoulder to the proverbial grindstone, and went to work, he did not let up until he was finished. This is a trait that we too should mirror when it comes to our faith.

 

In John 11 verse 9 Christ asks his disciples “are there not twelve hours of daylight?” This gives us an idea of Christ’s mindset. 12 hours of daylight, plenty of time to accomplish what needs to be done, yet the darkness is coming, and we don’t have a lot of time to stand around and feel defeated, or rush though things only to have to go back and do them over a second time. We must be steadfast, we must persevere. May we all be directed into God’s love, but let us all remember to have the patience, the steadfastness, and the perseverance to carry on in the name of Christ.

 

Peace,

Brian

Friday the 17th

2 Thessalonians 3:3

³But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

 

I knew a guy that loved the saying “we will be friends through thick and thin…..but when it gets thick….I am going to thin out!” Really when we think about it there are a lot of people in our life like that; fair weathered friends that are only with us as long as the good times are. It is hard to find faithful friends, when we do we marry them, or hang on to them for life! They are the people who will be there when the shadows are long, and the light is dim. Yet we often forget the source of hope eternal, we leave out the one person who has been there before we were, and will be there long after we are gone. We get so caught up in the good times that we look over the one that will never let us down no matter how dark the days…..the Lord. He is faithful, and he will protect you. No matter how dark, no matter how loud the thunder, and driving rain are in the current storm in your life, you cannot miss his light, and you can hear him shout over the storm, I am with you! I will never forsake you! Have you found in these tough times that you are feeling a little more isolated, do you feel like the next wave might be the one that takes you under?  Does it seem like all of the people that were so eager to be around you have fallen by the wayside? These things are the devil throwing up roadblocks to get you to throw in the towel. Remember you don’t have to love the devil for him to win. You just have to turn your back on the Lord. God does not give up on his people, he never has. HE did not send his son as a sacrifice so that he could quit on us at a later date. We are the ones that all too often give up on him! Be as faithful to the Lord as he is to you. Place him at the top of your friends list. Try picking up the bible, and praying before picking up the phone and crying. You will find that the Lord is indeed faithful, he will protect you, he will bring you through the storm, but you have to let him.

 

May the light of Christ fill your heart,

 

Brian

 

 

Thursday the 16th

2 Thessalonians 2:7

⁷For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.

 

Lawlessness is all around us, there is little doubt about that. The troubles that Paul was dealing with we still deal with today. Which path will you choose? Will you join in with the lawlessness? It is the easy thing to do you know. Most of the people you work with, most of the people you come in contact with are active participants in the lawlessness. Take it from a guy who at one point in his life ran quite well with the lawless crowd, you will never feel more accepted by the world at large, you will never be cheered on, or admired as much as the way this world will when you are part of the lawlessness. Believe me, it is part of the lie, but a big part of the draw. This scripture reminds us of an important point. The lawlessness might be around us, but it is supposed to be, and it is being held back. So here again we are faced with a choice, it is one that only we can make for ourselves, and often it might be a choice that only we know about? SO what will it be? Will you jump on board (or perhaps continue to run with) the lawless crowd? Or will you take a stand, clothing yourself in all of the armor that the Lord has provided. We make a choice to be the light, or the bowl that tries to cover that light. You are either against or for. There is no middle ground. The world is watching, waiting and many are hoping that you will join the band of lawlessness. Choose to be the light, choose to let your life be a living example of the love of Christ. Lawlessness might surround you, but you do not have to give in. God does not tempt beyond what you can handle, stand firm, stand fast, stand in the name of the Lord.

 

 

In the name of the Lord,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 15th

2 Thessalonians 1: 11

¹¹With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

 

Every good purpose, and every act prompted by your faith……..Everyday you make a choice. Everyday, your actions will decide who you are Paul is praying that God might fulfill every purpose, but do you notice what else? Every act prompted by your faith. Yes, God has a plan for each of us, but our actions count, every day, every choice. They count; it is the difference between giving the Lord something to bless or something else he is going to have to forgive you for. It can be a bit unnerving in the beginning, to think that everything counts…….you will find yourself second guessing….who am I kidding I still second guess sometimes…….the key is to let your faith lead your actions. Keep your faith out in front like a shield. It will protect you, it will work as a barrier between you and the pitfalls of humanity. The Lord wants to bless you, he wants you to live a life that is larger than life, that fullness only comes from leading with faith so the Lord can continue with his plan. I pray for all of us that we might all be counted worthy, we have a lot of work to do, let us start each day with our shield of faith leading the way. Let every action come from our faith, faith in the truth, faith in the light, and faith in the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. May he fulfill every good purpose.

 

Peace to the all, and love with faith,

 

Brian

Friday the 10th

 

2 Thessalonians 1:6-7

 

⁶God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well……

 

 

So why worry? Did you know that the Lord has made it very easy to live if you will just slow down and listen? See how we are taken care of? He will payback trouble to those who trouble you, he will bring relief when it is needed. He is a just God. How much time do you waste on worrying about the future? How much time have you lost being remorseful of the past? How much life have you let slip by to anger, and frustration over things that have happened to you? God is a just God, your struggle does not go unnoticed (though it might feel like that at the time). Quit spinning your wheels, quit wasting your time with useless emotions such as anger, and worry. From the time you wake up to the time you lay your head down at night, spend your time searching out your path. Throughout the day choices have to be made, actions have to be taken. Each one is an opportunity to choose the path you will walk. Let the Lord take care of those who trouble you, live to make the right choice, choose to do the right thing, let the chips fall where they may, as long as you are searching out that narrow path, the Lord will right the wrongs. HE will work behind the scenes and use your hardship for the good. When you are troubled, if you will lean on him, he will give you relief. Give the Lord a chance to show you how great he can be. Set down those useless emotions today, let your soul be renewed with the love of Christ. He will protect, he will repay, he will comfort, and he will never forsake you.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Wed the 8th

1 Thessalonians 2:19 - 20

 

¹⁹For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

 

In today’s world it is accepted if not expected to have the attitude of “well I am ok, and whatever the other guy is doing is his business” We set about our day building walls around ourselves, and creating our own little sandbox to play in. While turning to Christ is outstanding, and starting the journey with him is glorious, if you think you are done you are wrong! Our glory, and our hope is the same as Paul’s. We have to be soul winners. Like that favorite teacher that turned on the light of knowledge for you in school, you have to be that same inspiration to those around you. Just like that teacher, one of your greatest accomplishments will not be what you have accomplished  on your own, but how you have effected the lives of those around you. Have you been that teacher that just shows up for a paycheck? You know the type, they are the ones that have all of that knowledge in their head, yet only let out what is required, nothing more or nothing less; or will you choose to be that teacher…..the one……the teacher that inspires. The teacher that shows the way by the life they live, by the words they speak. Will you be the one that turns the light of Christ on for another?

 

 Think you can’t do it? Think you don’t have that type of personality? Well I will tell you that you are wrong. Moses went before the Pharaoh, he often spoke and inspired large crowds of people, he led a nation through the wilderness……but you know what? Moses did not think he would be able to do it either. He told the Lord that people would not believe him, he told the Lord that he was not eloquent enough, and that he was slow to speak (he stuttered). Guess what? The Lord does not care about that. The Lord uses the weak to humble the strong. HE has done it throughout history. Do not sell yourself short, there is nothing that you cannot accomplish with the Lord at your side. Strive to be a soul winner, strive for that joy that Paul speaks of. It is not our accomplishments that are our glory, it is the accomplishments of those we help. To be the most, you have to be willing to be the least.

 

May God bless, and keep you,

Brian

 

TUesday the 7th

1 Thessalonians 2:6

 

⁶We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.

 

 

 

It is amazing what we find we can accomplish when we quit trying to please, and win the praise of those around us! It’s commonly called doing the right thing. Sometimes people love you for it, sometimes they will hate you for it, and sometime they will think you are crazy, but there is one thing to live for, and there is one goal to have, and that is living for the Lord…..doing the right thing. We have no need to win the approval of anyone. If we look for the Lord’s plan in our life, and work to follow that path, if we listen for the direction of the Holy Spirit and follow that lead, we will not need the approval of others, yet we will find that we have it. There is a plan for each of us, there is a better future than the one we have now, there is a place of rest, and peace like we have not yet known. That is the goal to work for. We know that God is a promise keeper, and he has promised to take care of us, we know that he will never forsake us….as a matter of fact he says that if we will follow, he will work to make our lives better. This is what we work for, not the approval of others, just the approval of the Lord. If you are feeling trapped, if you are feeling lost, if you are feeling like you are at the end of your rope……you have taken your eyes off the goal, and are looking at all of the problems. Work for the glory of God, not the praise of men. Make that your focal point. Strive to put the Lord into every corner of your life, and let him worry about who praises you, and who does not. Do the right thing, not the popular thing, take the narrow path, not the wide one. It might be difficult, and go against most of what we have been taught, but the pay off is so much richer, so much fuller, and so much more complete than any praise that anyone might give.

 

Peace,

Brian

Monday the 6th

1 Thessalonians 1: 8-9

 

⁸The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

 

 

Watch the actions, not the words! There are many people who talk a lot about following Christ, yet they fill their day with gossip, and judgment. There are many people who will fill their day with long ramblings of all of their accomplishments yet we never see them do anything.  However it is often the quiet ones you have to watch, the ones who change their life, yet never say a word about it. The ones who make a 180 in their life, and never complain about the sacrifice, or the adjustment. It is the people who pick their cross up everyday, and while dragging it around still take the time to help others with their cross as well. Oh if you stop and ask them, they will bend your ear with the stories of how God has entered and changed their life.  They jump at the chance to give the glory and honor to the Lord for all that has happened in their lives. Yet they realize, especially today, talk is cheap. Let us take a lesson from the Thessalonians, let us be “doers” of the word. Let your life be an example of the changes that the Holy Spirit has placed in your soul, let the world know you as a follower of Christ, not by what you say, but by what you do. Actions have always spoken louder that words, Christ taught us much while he walked the earth, but his point became crystal clear when he died on the cross! Let us lead with our actions so that our words will have force, conviction, and meaning in a world that is lacking all of these.

 

May the love of the Lord shine upon you today,

Brian

Thursday the 2nd

1Corinthians 10: 23-24

 

²³"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. ²⁴Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

 

We will celebrate our independence, our freedom. This weekend we will set off fireworks, and fire up pits all in an effort to remember our freedom. Yet we have another freedom, a freedom that many of us do not celebrate, or might not even recognize. It is a freedom from sin, a freedom for the snares of this world. Freedom from the laws that protect us from sin. Just as many men and women have gave their lives so that this county could get, and keep it’s freedom, one man sacrificed his life so that the entire would might have freedom. Being an American comes with freedom, but responsibilities as well. The Christian life is no different. In that respect. Yes we are free, free to live a life eternal, but with that gift does come responsibilities. Paul reminds us that while yes everything is permissible, the question that remains….is it beneficial, is it constructive, if that still leave you a little unsure, just apply the second part of the reminder….who are you propping up? You or your neighbor? Better question, who is going to get the Glory you or the Lord? While each of us are free to enjoy the freedom we have been give, and we should enjoy, if not downright revel in it, we have to remember that he who manages a little well, will be given more. SO spend some time reflecting this weekend while you are flipping burgers, or taking the dogs off the grill. Are you embracing your freedom, and glorifying God, or are you using it as a tool for self advancement? Have you allowed your freedom to become your prison? While we celebrate our freedom in this country this weekend, let us celebrate our freedom form sin as well. As we gather our families around and pray this weekend let us give thanks for all of our freedom, physical, and spiritual. Happy 4^th of July!

 

May God bless you and keep you,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 1st

Colossians 4: 5-6

 

⁵Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

 

 

You know….I have never made an enemy by complimenting a person’s family, or their dog…….I can’t think of a time when someone told me to shut up and walked away from me when I approached them by asking about what is going on in their life. Whenever I take an interest in a person and take the time to get to know a little bit about them, for some reason they often will talk for hours……………weird huh? Every meeting is an opportunity, how we handle that opportunity is up to us. There seems to be a mindset today that says that we must save every person we see (good intentions), and we must do it by pointing out their faults, beating them over the head with the bible, and condemning them to hell if they will not listen (bad form)…….Folks….. you will not win many souls that way! I urge everyone be wise in dealing with others. We should all take a lesson from Christ himself. Christ is the son of God, yet when he came to earth he did not hold his position over anyone. He did not hold himself out as better than, or more deserving than anyone else. He offered to all who would listen to him, compassion, love, honesty tempered with understanding. For me personally, there is not a day that goes by that I do not remember where I came from, the struggles that I had, the worldly addictions that I set down. I hope that I never do forget, or let the passage of time lull me into the past being a hazy memory. When we remember how hard it was to change ourselves, when we think of the changes that we made, then we see how to deal with others. Not through fear, or debasement, but with the love, and compassion that our Lord showed us! Be wise, make the most of every opportunity, let your conversation be seasoned with grace, and salt, remember at one time you were just as dead in your sin, as the person standing next to you. Christ called people by his actions, and his compassion, it is care, love, compassion, and the grace of God working in us that wins souls….we just aren’t good enough to do it on our own! SO go out, and make the most of every opportunity!

 

Be blessed, and be a blessing,

Brian