Friday the 29th

John 20: 24-25

²⁴Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"   But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

 

You have to see it to believe it…….our faith. The belief in something that we cannot see, but we know to be true. You don’t need much faith, just the size of a mustard seed will be sufficient.. Charles Spurgeon tells of a woman know all through out the county for her faith, there was nothing this woman could not accomplish when she set her mind to it. After hearing of her, a woman traveled across the county to meet this woman. After spending some time together, the woman asked her “how do you have such great faith”, the lady’s response was that she did not have great faith. She had a little faith, in a great God! So often people look at Christianity as something that takes a great amount of faith. As a result many never get on the path, or if they do, they get stranded at the start. Why? Because they are searching for Great faith. They spend so much time trying to grow their faith, but never plant the tiny seed that will allow faith to grow. You don’t have to take a giant leap, just a small step. You don’t start with a full in bloom garden, you first have to plant the seed. You have to take the first step. If you find yourself in church and feel unfulfilled, if you are trying to accomplish something, and can’t seem to make headway, if you feel as though your relationship with the Lord is one sided…….double check to make sure you have planted your seeds! You have to take that first small step, if you will give the Lord just a little bit of faith; He will enter your life, and drowned you with blessing. He is right there, waiting for you. Thomas followed Christ, he lived with him. At one point Thomas was ready to return to Jerusalem and die with Christ, but he had yet to plant his seed of faith. Have you planted yours? Is it planted in fertile soil? If not, plant that seed, and water it with the Word of God. If you feel that you need to see to believe…..give the Lord a little faith, and hang on, you will see things that you will not believe.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 28th

John 20:21-22

 

 ²¹Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." ²²And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit

 

The counselor, the one who would show the things that Jesus did not show them while He was alive. The Great Spirit, that resides in all of us today. Just how powerful is it? Just what can be accomplished with the Holy Spirits guidance? Imagine a group of men, gathered in a room, the door locked, afraid of what was to come, afraid for their future, worried about those who were searching for them, afraid that they might be found. Then Jesus shows up, and gives them the Holy Spirit. They go from men hiding in a room, to men who exploded onto the scene, they went form men scared for their life, to men who would carry on the teachings of Christ, these men showed up everywhere, preaching the Gospels, spreading the good news. The went from fearful to fearless, all because of the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit resides in each one of us, it has the same power, and the same guidance, it is waiting for you to tap into it’s strength so that you too might accomplish what you might now think to be impossible. It is waiting to take you from living a life of fear and uncertainty, to living a life full of  direction, a life where there is no need for fear. As the Father sent Him, He now sends us. It is through Christ, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, that we might honor and glorify the Father. Leave the fear behind, and lock on to the strength of the Holy Spirit. Let it lead you to the life that is waiting for you, a life lived for Christ, a life full of limitless possibilities.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Wed. the 27th

John 19:15

¹⁵But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
      "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
      "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.

 

We have no king, but Caesar………The Jewish people had a long history with their Kings, they did not want one, then they got one, and hated Him, then another that they loved, You could say they had a love hate relationship with their kings, all the wile waiting  for their one true king…..and here He was, fulfilling all of the prophesies, yet when the time comes, when they have the chance to accept Him, they proclaim that their king is Caesar……WHAT?? That goes a long way to show you the political landscape at the time, it also shows the worldly status that the Jews had with the Roman empire, in short you could say that they were full on in love with this world. We are not too far from that today. If we were to be asked who is our king what would be our response? We elected a man who many talked of as if he we the second coming, we are hyper focused on the economy, and our savings accounts, we scratch and claw to get ahead, yet each day we are being asked shall I crucify your king? I know sounds a little over the top right? Maybe some might say I am being a little dramatic. But am I?  You see we go where our hearts go, and our hearts go where what we love goes. Just like the Jews so long ago, they saw that Christ was a threat to them, a threat to their way of life, a life that they loved, so the best thing would be to get rid of Him. That is how much they loved their life. So we go today, chasing after the dollar, and letting our King slip off to the side. We have but one King, and that King is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has defeated death, so that we all might live eternally with Him. Yes, times are tough, but not that tough, look at the faces of the people in Haiti, listen to them as they thank God, not for their wealth, not for their successes, but listen as they thank God for their lives. Don’t become like the Chief Priests of Christ’s time, do not fail to recognize your true king. Let the world fall around us, but don’t let them crucify our King, nothing this world has can compare to what has already been given to us.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Tuesday the 26th

John 18:40

 ⁴⁰They shouted back, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion

 

Barabbas one of the  first men saved by Christ….. He was if you think about it, given a second chance, because of Christ. Could you imagine being in Barabbas’ position, sitting in a cell awaiting the punishment for crimes you had committed. When out of the blue guards show up and tell you that you get a get out of jail card. Not for anything that you had done, not because of any connections that you have, not because of your station in life, or your bank account, but simply because a man was going to take your place. We don’t know much about Barabbas, we don’t know what happened to him after his release, did he go back to the same old life that he had? Did he make good use of his second chance? We just don’t  know. What I can tell you is there is not a huge difference between Barabbas and each one of us. We too were sitting in our cells, awaiting judgment, awaiting our fate, and the same man that saved Barabbas is still saving people like me and you today. Each one of us is free to leave our cell, each one of us gets a second chance, not because we deserve it, not because of our accomplishment not because of our bank accounts, but simply because a man chose to hang on a cross, and pay the price for each of our sins. SO just like Barabbas, the age old question remains. What will you do with your second chance? Will you walk out of your prison cell and go right back to what you know, or will you seize upon the opportunity given, will you forge a life in honor of the Man who gave you that second chance? We all have taken part in rebellions, we all have a list of sins that are in our past, but they are gone, they all have been removed, it is your second chance, it is yours to use however you wish, let history record that you used in the name of the Lord.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Monday the 25th

John 18: 17

¹⁷"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter.
      He replied, "I am not."

 

When I read this passage, where Peter denies Christ, I always think of what I call the quiet Christian. Peter denied Christ out of fear of being arrested or persecuted as one of Christ’s followers. One might say he feared for his life, so he lied. That is how the quiet Christian lives. You know them, perhaps you yourself from time to time have done the same. The subject of Christ comes up, and they get quiet, when beliefs are questioned, they do the easy thing…..they agree with the group. In short, Christ is denied once again. If we were to ask, we would find that it is done today for much of the same reasons as Peter did it. The quiet Christian fears for their life…..oh it might not be literally….. but they do fear death….. social death, they fear that they will no longer be accepted as part of the group.  They want to live in this world….Yet by denying Christ they jeopardize their spiritual life. Christ would never hesitate to claim anyone of us as his own….think about that. Think of your past, think of others past, I know that I have some pretty dark spots in my past, but I know without a doubt that Christ would not only say he knew me, he would accept me, he would love me, and he would defend me from anyone who might attempt to tear me down. If he has that much love for each of us, how could we even think of denying Him….how could we entertain the though of doing anything other than defending His name, His life, and His teachings? Yes, we all will find ourselves at some time or another  in a situation where we feel like Peter, we will feel threatened, and we will feel unsure of how we will be taken, but I urge each of you, stand firm on the rock of Christ, don’t be the quiet Christian, take the stand for Christ, He would, and has done more you each of us already!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Friday the 22nd

John 18: 3-4

³So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.  ⁴Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"

 

The betrayal of Christ, it is a story that we can all relate to can’t we? We all have at least one Judas in our lives, and it seems that the more successful you are in the field that God has placed you in, the more people like Judas seem to be around you. We all know Judas, maybe some of us have been Judas at some point in our life. What I want you to notice is how Christ handles the betrayal. Who is it that you want? One of the things I love about Christ is He was a guy who knew the answer to the questions before He asked them. Put yourself in His place for a moment, you see a close friend, someone you have counted as your own, standing next to the ones who are about to arrest you…..does Christ give the “ye too Brutus “ speech? Does he fall on the ground and question, Judas, His friends, or His Father as to why this is happening? Does He run for the hills or point to some one else and say yep, that is him…that is the guy you want……No of course not….”who is it you want?” Jesus? Well that would be me, let’s get it on! Jesus was not the kind of guy you would want to play “flinch” with….something tells me He would always win! How would you react? What course would you take? Would you run, or would you stand? When we look at this story we see how we should live our lives as Christians. Unapologetically, boldly, and fearlessly. The Judas’  in our lives are plotting and planning now, looking for a chance to betray us. It might be on a spiritual front, a family front, or a work related front, but no matter, Just like Christ being betrayed, our betrayal is part of the plan. There is something to learn form it, there is a chance to show the glory of God, there is the opportunity to show the world the true strength of the Lord. Let us all find the strength of Christ in our times of betrayal, and hardship. Let us too stand, and boldly ask who is it that you want? Then let us take up the challenge of overcoming that hardship, if Christ can so calmly accept the arrest that would lead to His death, I know that any hardship, that my Judas might bring will be an easy challenge for the Lord; and that is the key, as Christ believed in His Father, let us believe in Christ. Alone, we might want to run in fear, but with Christ….well let Judas bring his best, …he does not stand a chance!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Thursday the 21st

John 17: 11

 

¹¹I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.

 

We are in the world still, there is no doubt about that, and just like Christ each of us are on the way home. That journey will take us through some very difficult times. Along the way we will have great joy, and we will also have times of despair, but we are protected. Christ did not ask His Father to look after, or, check in on us…no he asked His Father to protect us, as in the Greek word tereo which means to guard from loss or injury. To protect by the Name of God. I think of the Haitian woman that was pulled from the rubble after being trapped for 5 days. When questioned she said that she prayed to God, and spent her time talking with Him. She said that she knew that she did not need any man, all she needed she had….God. She knew that God would protect her, and He did just that. Each of us has that protection offered to us. As this woman shows us so well, that protection does not mean that there will not be hardships, but when we call out in the name of the Lord, we know that he hears, and will protect us. Just look what comes with that protection…”so they may be one as we are one” Christ proclaimed that what was His was His Fathers, and what was his Fathers was His, because they were one. We are invited into that family, we are offered that protection, that love, that glory, and that grace, that forgiveness that comes form being a part of the family of God. Why should we fear the world….HOW could we fear the world? We have the protection of the Lord God Almighty, we are invited to be one with the Family. I urge each of us, do not wait for the earthquake to come to your home, we don’t need a pile of rubble on our heads to accept this, and let it work in our lives. Accept the protection that is offered, by calling on the Lord daily. Christ might not walk among us as a man today, but make no doubt about it, He is still very much among us. That prayer might have been offered a long time ago, but God is a promise keeper, He will offer you the shelter that you need to be more than victorious in this life.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 20th

John 17: 4

⁴I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

 

How do we glorify God? Just as Christ points out here. We complete the work we are given to do. Each of us has a checklist that has to be completed. Before it is completed, we cannot be taken, and once it is done, no one or no thing, can keep us here. We each figure greatly into the plan that God has for this world, He needs each and every one of us to get out and be active. Yes even you…..all to often we sit on the shore and watch the boats leave the harbor, all the while our boat is tied safely at dock. Our God made each one of us a captain of our vessel. It is up to us to cast off the moorings, and set sail. We cannot fully glorify God, unless we fully engage in the life He has given us. I don’t know about you, but I can look at my life and see half-measures in places that should be all out effort. We have to go all out if we are going to complete the work we have been given. It seems that the first half of our task is easy, we show up…... We make the effort; but it is the second half that is so important. It is the going out and looking for those that are different than us, it is reaching out to those that are lost and searching for God. It is the spreading of His Word to all the corners of the globe….Yeah I know I get tired just thinking about the task! Just look at the attitude of Christ though, talk about follow through! He is declaring to His Father, I have completed it! It is done, I have a little farther to go, but write it on your hand…it is done. See Christ might have felt a lot of emotions, He might have had many hardships, but failure was never never an option. Each one of us has that same drive, that same force inside of us. I know we do, because Jesus Christ is alive and well inside of those who will call on His name. So loose the mooring rope, and launch your vessel, resolve to set out to complete the work God has for you. With Christ at your side, and living inside of you, the task might seem daunting, but failure is not on your horizon, the full glorification of God is!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The New Covenant Church

www.thenewcovenantchurch.com

<))))><

 

 

 

Tuesday the 19th

John 16:32

³²"But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

 

 

I find great comfort in knowing that Christ….the one perfect man……the one person that we look to for guidance, and know He will always be there for us, draws His strength form the same point we do. The Father. Christ knew that there would come a period of time where he would be fully abandoned by those that followed Him, yet Christ knew that there was nothing to fear, for His Father was with Him. I know that many of us are going through tough times, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. We too can take comfort in knowing that when everyone else has left us, when no one will stand by our side, we always have the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is no depth to deep, nor a point to high that the Lord cannot find us. I can’t think of any other person that has that type of commitment……well my wife comes close….but that is for another message…..If Christ can look at His own pending death, knowing that it will be a death to suffer alone, and yet he still knew that he would always have His Father, then how could we worry for a moment that we would be abandoned  at our time of need? It is all about where you put your trust every day. When times are good, when they are bad, when they are just….well…. normal….you choose where your trust will lie. If you trust the Lord to guide you through the good times, if you give Him the glory for your achievements and happiness, then I can promise you He will share in your sorrow, your pain, and in your time of trials. Life is funny sometimes. It is when we are on top of the world we like to say I did this alone, yet we are surrounded by throngs of “supporters”. We feel unstoppable, and undefeatable, yet we would never achieve those high points without the Lord’s help, and when we are down, at the very moment things look the darkest, at the time when we should be leaning on the one that has been through it with us all, that is the moment we look around and wonder why we are all alone. We are never alone, we only choose to shut the Lord out of our lives. We are never stranded, we only choose to cut our lifeline. We are never beaten so hard that we cannot get up, we only choose to not accept the hand that has been picking us up, and helping us along the whole time. We are never alone, we are never without help, we are never beaten, we only choose to be.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

 

Monday the 18th

I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. - Ezekiel 22:30

 

 

Praying is a huge part of standing in the gap, but God is not asking us to kneel in the gap, he is asking us to stand in it. TO compare it to what Christ did while He was on earth would give us a very good picture. Christ prayed for us all no doubt about it, but he lived for us. He spent time in prayer, then went out and lived that prayer. That is where we need to be, living a life standing in the gap. I hear more and more people say, “well I can’t really make a difference” or that the problem is too big, or they don’t have the resources…..reason after reason to not participate, choice after choice that keeps us on the edge of the gap looking down instead of down in the gap looking up! This hesitation is what keeps us form really getting neck deep in God, and good and covered up in the gap. Have you ever spent much time looking at a gap? Seldom is that gap even, or smooth. It has deep spots, it has shallow spots, and it is wide in the middle, then usually narrow towards the ends. Folks that gap is not a perfect gap, and we are not perfect people. If you find yourself looking at the gap and think that there is no way you can fill that spot…..well you are not looking at the right spot for you. By the same token, if you can fill the gap just by sticking a foot in…get out, you are standing in someone else’s spot! Each and everyone of us has a spot to fill, each and everyone of us has the opportunity to stand in the gap and fill that spot for someone else to get across. For some it might be a trip to a country far away, for others it might be a trip down to the shelter, for others it might be just a trip next door, but how we fill that gap, is how we live our life. Your life is the mortar that will hold you firm in the gap. So yes prayer is important, but the lives that we fashion will decide how our part of the gap is filled. How is your mortar? What have you used in the mix of your life? When people look at the life you lead, the time you spend, the sacrifices that you make for others, do they see a spot in the gap that can be crossed safely? The weight of the world crossed the gap on the back of Christ, that is some pretty strong mortar……..Will you work to fill your part of the gap?

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Friday the 15th

John 16:1

 ¹"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. ²They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. ³They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.

 

Let’s see we can’t pray in school or before a sporting event, We can’t display the 10 Commandments in any Government building, we cannot mention Christ, God, or the Holy Spirit in any public gathering in fear of offending someone, yet we are told to be tolerant of any and every detail that directly goes against our belief……I don’t know if we have been put out of the synagogue, as much as the synagogue has been put out of the world. It is not that the world is trying to kill us, as much as it is still trying to kill Christ. Evil does not grow in the presence of God, so are we surprised to see it so rampant in an environment that has been deprived of God? Yet we still hold firm to the faith, they not only do not know the Father, but much like the “wise” “intelligent” “scholars” of the past many today refuse to see the Father even though his presence permeates every molecule in existence. I wish I could say that things will get better, but those who can read know that we are in for a long ride. As Christ reminds us, we were given the knowledge so that we might not stray. Keep Christ close to your heart, let his love, and light shine from within you. Become a beacon for those that are still lost in the darkness, so that they might come to know the truth, so that they too might come to know the Father, and the Son. You might be the only Bible that someone reads, yes, you can make that big of an impact in someone’s life, It is what we are called to do. Stay the course so that others might follow.  Keep the faith, and follow the Lord.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

 

 

Thursday the 14th

John 15:12-14

¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command.

 

Love as you have been loved by Christ….I don’t know about you, but when I put some thought into it….I really need to work on this one. Oh sure I have plenty of love to give, I make it a point each day to work on it, but Christ died for me….and you….and your friends…..and your family…..and that guy you can’t stand…..and that girl that gets on your nerves…..I would love to tell you that I could do the same….some days I feel like I am close, I am sure that you do as well. However I can’t help but think of Christ when He was here, for Him to see the unloved, and want to love, to see the shunned, and want to love, to see those that hated Him, and want to love. To think that His last words, His last thought was to love more, not less! What love, what commitment…what grace……We have much to work on when it comes to love, let us take that attitude of Christ’s and graft it into our hearts. Let us search for more to love, less to hate, more to love, less to shun, more to love, and less to judge……Let us work to be true friends to our brother Christ, let us work to love.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 13th

John 14: 5-6

 

 ⁵Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  ⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 

Where are we going? How many times have we all asked ourselves that question? As Thomas points out, if we don’t know where we are going, then how will we know the way, how will we know when we get there? The answer of course is found in Christ, the way the truth, and the life. This life is not about the path of least resistance, it is about the path that is laid before you.

 

We all start off in the dark, and it is easy to stay in that darkness; aimlessly wandering around, going from one place to the next doing what feels good, what is easy, and what puts a little extra coin in your purse. This is the place a lot of the world lives, and wants to stay. I can see why, it is an easy life, not one that amounts to much, but an easy life none the less. Thomas makes a great point we don’t know where to go, so it is important to know where to look. Christ makes it very clear He is the way. He is the one true path. Ohhh how the world hates to hear that! If you are lost look to the Lord for guidance. Here is the one simple truth for those that might question why. The Lord has nothing to gain by you choosing to follow Him, yet He offers so much in return. Your friends, your family, any person you meet will in some way shape or form use you to improve their life somehow. Yeah, I know it sounds harsh, but we are human. However Christ is no more, or no less perfect by your choice. He offers salvation by the grace of God, it is yours to take or leave. Of course Christ does not want to lose one soul, but make no mistake, He was quite aware that many would reject Him, even as He hung on the cross. Christ lives in each one of us, if you will allow it. HE will show you the path, He will give you direction, He will show you the way to His Father. Your choice, live in the dark, or let in the light. I think we can all agree it is easier to walk in the light.

 

May God bless and keep you,

Brian

Tuesday the 12th

John 14 : 1

¹"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

 

Yeah I know, it seems like a pretty simple scripture. Trust in God, trust in Christ. Almost goes without saying right? The question I pose is do you? Do we really trust in God, or Christ? What do you trust in? Some might say the Government, some might say their friends and family, others might say themselves. All of these are worthless without the Lord. Our rock, or protection, or faith rests not in anything of this world, but only in the Lord. Christ makes it very plain in the beginning of this Chapter. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Now that is trust. That is not trust but verify, or trust , but have a back up plan, that statement is trust, and turn it loose. As the saying goes, let go and let God. This is where we need to focus our growth in our relationship with the Lord. God is not a new employee, or a child. We don’t give Him a task, then hover over Him watching to make sure it is done correctly. The Lord cannot fix anything if you will not take your hands off of it. Scary isn’t it? Are you going through a tough time right now? Do you find that the more you try and force an issue, the more it is pushing back on you? Maybe you are just so stressed that you are ready to pull your hair out, and bang your head against the wall. Turn it loose. Allow the Lord to work on your behalf, look for the path that He has set before you…..Trust in God, and Christ, let the Holy Spirit guide you. I urge each of you to fully turn your problems over to the Lord, you pray and do the leg work, let God set up the details. Listen for the Holy Spirit to guide you…..and here is the important part….Go where It leads!!! Don’t waste the time, energy, and emotions on a troubled Heart. Trust in God He has great plans for each of us!

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Friday the 8th

1 Corinthians 9: 24

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

 

I don’t watch a lot of football. I just don’t have the time, but I did watch the game last night. As I watched Colt McCoy walk off the field, I thought “yep, this game is over, it is going to be a blow out” But something very different happened, something that really made me take a look at my faith. The Longhorns came back on the field and got kicked around a little, and then it happened. They decided that the game was not over, they decided that as long as there was time on the clock, there was a game to play, and a game to try and win. Last night is the first time in a long time I saw the ideals of “play until the whistle blows” and “play your heart out” in action. As I sat there watching this unfold I found myself thinking, “ya’ know, this is how we should approach our lives, this is how we should fight for our faith.” All too often we don’t though, something happens in our life, and we lose our star quarterback, life looks tough, and we give up…or at least quit fighting as hard. Last night I was reminded that just because you do not win….well that does not mean that you lose. Do we fight for our faith as hard as the Longhorns fought for that win? You might think that they did not win, but they only played for a couple of hours. Imagine what that kind of determination could accomplish in a lifetime. The Longhorns showed up and ran the race to win the prize, I can’t help but wonder do we show that much heart when we run the race for our souls? Those boys stepped out on that field last night ready to give all they have….yet sometimes I get out of bed thinking how I can do as little as possible, and still be alright! I guess for most people last night was just another football game, for me it served as a reminder. We have to run the race in such a  way as to win the prize, we have to get up each morning and be ready to let it all hang out. We have to play until the whistle blows, not just sometimes, but all of the time. Yes the challenger might be bigger, and we might be ill equipped at times, but that is all the more reason to fight harder. How are you running your race today? Will you run your heart out, or will you do just enough to make it to the next check point? I don’t know about you but I laced my shoes up a little tighter this morning!

 

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Thursday the 7th

Ecclesiastes 4: 7-11

 ⁷ Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:  ⁸ There was a man all alone;  he had neither son nor brother.  There was no end to his toil,  yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"  This too is meaningless— a miserable business!  ⁹ Two are better than one,  because they have a good return for their work:  ¹⁰ If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
 But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  ¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  ¹² Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I take two meanings away from this scripture one physical, and one spiritual. First in Genesis 2:18 God establishes that we are not to wander this world alone. God goes as far as to say “it is not good for man to be alone”. Remember that after each thing God created He said it was good. For Him to point out that man being alone is not good…..well that is a point we should all take notice of. We are not meant to go through life alone. As the saying goes no man is an island. Yet many people try to do just that. They want to hold on to what they have, and not share it, or they are scared of getting hurt, maybe it is as simple as they just do not want to invest the time. God puts people in our lives at the times we need them. They are our angels that walk among us. They are our spouses, our friends, our co-workers. These people help us. They get us through rough times, they warn us of impending danger, they share our joys, our accomplishments, and our tragic failures. As Solomon points out a cord of three is hard to break.  I see the same meaning in our relationship with the Lord. We are told in Deuteronomy 31, reminded in Joshua 1, in Psalms 9, 37, and 34,  and Paul makes the point again in Hebrews 13. God will never leave us, He will never forsake us. Here again, we are not meant to take this world on alone. The God who loves us so much that He gave His only Son, will always be by our side. With the three strands of cord, made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we find a lifeline that will sustain us through any storm. Yet it is up to us to take hold of that lifeline. Just like with our friends, many people choose to go it alone. They are fooled into thinking that they are strong enough to take on this cold world all by themselves; this could not be further from the truth. Without the Lord in our lives, we toil for ourselves, and that will not bear fruit that will last,  when we stumble and fall spiritually there is no one there to help us up, when we close our eyes at night we have no way to keep our soul, our inner core warm without the Holy Trinity, and of course without that three strand cord, we are defeated before we start. In our relationships and in our faith, we are not meant to be alone. We are to be more than conquers, we are to be victorious! We are meant to do that with the help of the friends that God brings into our lives, and with the Holy Trinity secured tightly to our souls!   Where do you find yourself today? Will you accept the blessings that the Lord has brought to your door? Take the time to nurture your relationships, while they can be trying at times, it is the bonds of those same relationships that will help you through the hard times here on Earth. How about your soul? How is it faring these days? Is it colder than it should be? Reach out to the Lord, allow Him to fully enter your life, you will be amazed at the warmth, the peace, the joy, the love, and the security that you will receive.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 6th

John 13:1

¹It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

 

How many people get the full extent of your love? We follow the example of Christ, and folks…..that means we too will all die a physical death. No re-do’s no take backs, no start overs……when we start the second phase of our life, the one we are working so hard for now…..the first one will be over. We will leave this world, and all that will remain will be the love that we left behind…..or the lack of it! I know the world can be a crazy place. Full of demands on your time, and energy, but don’t let a day go by without letting those around you see and feel your love….the full extent of your love. Yes the kids will tear something up, lose something, or just generally irritate you, the spouse will not live up to your expectations everyday, the boss will be a jerk, and your friend will not be there for you when you need them to be. Love them anyway, and love them often. The disciples were not perfect, they all had their own quirks, and they all were humanly flawed, just like you, me, all of those around us. That did not stop Christ from loving them. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that someone in your life does not deserve your love today, and everyday. Love those that you love deeply, and daily. Christ knew when He was to die…..we do not. It could be today, it could be 80 years form now. One thing is for certain, it will happen. Christ knew the Judas was going to betray Him. Christ kissed him on the cheek, and told him to do what he must do. All of the cruelty of this would could not keep Christ from loving each and every one of us. All of the lies, the deceit, the betrayals, and still instead of indifference, or anger, Christ poured out love. Show those around you the full extent of your love today, then make it a daily habit. Anger will never correct a wrong, but love will cover it. Rage will never compensate for betrayal, but love will sooth the sting. There is nothing that can separate us form the Love of the Lord, let us show that same love to those in our lives! Allow them to see the full extent of our love.

 

Peace,

Brian

 

 

Tuesday the 5th

John 12:25

²⁵The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

 

This is a very convicting piece of scripture. Christ really laid it all out in black and white here. Do you love your life? It is a hard question to say no to isn’t it? We spend much of our day trying to make our life something to love, we must be careful of what we are trying to fill it with.  If you are filling your life with the Lord then it is not your life you love, but it is in fact the Lord. It is when we fill our lives with the things of the world. When our driving force is to amass wealth, and things, that we find we are in love with empty promises, and things that will corrode and rust over time. The person who loves the material world has forgotten to love the One who has made it all possible. What you have or do not have does not add or take away from your life. Not your true life, not your spiritual life….not your eternal life. However if you see this life for what it is, you will hate it, you will hate it because you realize that it is this life that is keeping you from the Lord. It is this life that the devil runs rampant in and tries to pull you away from the Lord. It is this life that we must fight against greed, envy, and deceitfulness each and every day.  So I ask again do you love your life? I can honestly say that while I am thankful for all of the blessings that God has given me to help me survive this journey…..it is the next life that will be loved, not this one!

 

May the peace of God be with you today,

Brian

Monday the 4th

 

Philippians 3: 12-14

¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

 

Forgetting what is behind us and looking forward to what is ahead, pressing onward to the goal. This is the very essence of the new year. The bible is full of new beginnings. Of course we start with the beginning of life itself, the moment that went form nothing to something. The great flood. We have the covenant made between Abraham and God. A new beginning when God Gave Moses the 10 Commandments. The building of Jerusalem , Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem after they had sat in ruins. The birth life and death for Christ, the forming of the new covenant. Paul turning from persecuting Christians to becoming the most outspoken prophet. All of these were times in history where the course was re-charted. Places where direction was changed.  That is what new years is for us. A time to change course, make changes, improve, and overcome. We might not have an entire city wall to rebuild, but what about our wall of faith? What kind of repair is it in? We might not have a city to build, but what about our life? Are we building a life in honor of God, or is it a life for the world? 

We might not be actively persecuting Christians, but are we working to advance the example of the life of Christ?

 

When we set out to make new years resolutions this year, what typically happens? We come up with something good, a good life changing choice. We are going to get fit, we are going to lose weight, we are going to make it to Church, or read the bible. Maybe we decide that we are going to do more for others……then what happens? Life happens! It is smooth sailing for a week maybe three, then reality sets in. Too tired to get to church, not enough time to read the bible, too hard to stay on the diet, too painful to go to the gym…..in short the choices get hard. As a result we slip, we break that resolution and go back to our old ways. What do many of us do? We give up! We decide that it is just too hard, and go back to life as it was. This is what we should correct. We are going to stumble, just don’t give up. We have to quit looking behind us, and press on to our goal. Making the resolution is the easy part, giving up is even easier. The hard part comes form the perseverance. The acknowledgement that we have fallen short of where we wanted to land, but making the choice to carry on. To look at the goal and not the failure.

 

Life will get tough, but remember you are not supposed to be trying to do it on your own. Wait on the Lord, and he will give you the strength that you need. So when you start those new year resolutions, know that yes it will be tough, the devil will make sure of that. Know that there will be stumbling points along the way, but don’t give up. Press onward toward the goal.

Happy New Year,

Brian