Friday the 30th

1 Samuel 17: ⁴³ He (Goliath)  said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"  ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, we use the image in our everyday life to explain the underdog winning. We like to tell the story of how one small man overcame the unbeatable giant. Many never pay attention to what was spoken before David slung that rock. If they did the story would take on a whole new meaning wouldn’t it? It would take on the meaning that it is supposed to have, which is no man who walks with the Lord is alone, no person who steps out in faith is defeated.  You see, David had won the moment he decided top step out on to the battle field in the name of the LORD. It must have been quite a sight! David had to of been I would imagine around 16, his brothers treated him like a kid, Saul said he was “only a boy” Now Goliath, he was a battle hardened vet. He had seen battle time and time again, the taste of death, was nothing new to him.  When it comes time to go out and face him, no one will go! An entire army of warriors, and not one would go……except for David. David had no armor, he had to borrow some, and even that did not fit, he had no weapon, save for a sling and a bag of stones. What David did have was the one thing that was lacking among the ranks of his countrymen……faith. David did not go out for fame, he did not go out for his country, he did not go out so others would treat him like a man. He stepped onto the battlefield in the name of the LORD! No spear or sword stood a chance, no warrior, no matter his experience level can stand against the LORD. This is the key, this is the part we so often forget. Yes David killed Goliath, but David was not alone, David had God with him. Even a kid becomes a formidable opponent when that kid comes in the name of the LORD. We are today’s David’s I know that we all face struggles, and battles that look impossible, struggles that no one else you know is willing to take on. We look around and we know that we do not have the best worldly armor, we do not own the high tech weaponry that the enemy might have. What we do have is armor that cannot be pierced, and the weapon that we carry with us, is the power of the Lord our God, the creator of the world. What earthly obstacle can stand a chance against the one who created everything? I see people daily going up against their Goliath, and failing over and over again. The problem is always the same, they want the ending of the story, without the beginning. They want the glory for themselves, not for the Lord.  They want the win, but they do not want the way! If you want to slay your Goliath, all you need is what the Lord puts in your hand. If you want to be victorious, step onto the battlefield of life in the name of the Lord.  It is the first part of the story that is important. Without it you’re just a kid slinging rocks!

 

God bless, and have a great weekend

Brian

 

Thursday the 29th

Ephesians 4: ²⁵Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

 

This is a tough one for me, it is something I struggle with daily. Speak truthfully to my neighbor. I know I am not alone in this struggle, because many people do it to me daily as well. I am not talking about out right lying, I am talking about the little falsehoods, the little “white” lies if you will. They are not spoken out of anger or malice, these lies tend to be spoken out of love…..misguided….but out of love none the less. The scripture sums it up we are members of one body, would you tell your hand that it’s nails look great when you and your hand know good and well they need to be trimmed? Would you tell your feet that they do not stink, when in fact they do? This is really what the scripture is drilling down on, real, honest, loving truthfulness. We are all bound by the blood of Christ, as a result we must be honest, you don’t have to be hurtful, just honest. Therein lies the problem, a lot of times the truth hurts. We have advanced to a place in society where to speak the truth is not wanted if it might inflict pain. Even if that pain might be exactly what is needed to cause the needed change. I think of Christ when it comes to issues like this. Chris never embellished, flattered, or glossed over the truth. He just put it out there. He told people that hey yeah, you are a sinner, you need to look at how you are living, you need to make a change in your life, so that you might live forever with me. Here is the key though, it is something that Christ was so good at (big surprise) and where we often fail. Christ always loved, He always encouraged, and He always offered forgiveness. We find it much easier to just shine it up a little bit. We say things like it’s not that bad, or there are worse things you could do, we are very good at rationalizing others actions so that we can fit it in to the OK section of life. We do no one, ourselves, or God any favors when we approach our relationships that way. As Christians we need the truth, we depend on the truth, and we crave the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It might be painful to hear, it will be painful to say, but if we really do love and care for the person, it is the only acceptable response. It is no surprise that the next verse is do not let the sun go down on you while you are angry. Guess what? We start handing out the truth, and there will be hurt feelings, and hurt feelings tend to bring about anger. When that happens what is needed? More truth! When your hand goes to sleep do you whisper, and coax it awake? NO! you shake it, you move it around, you get the blood going as quickly as you can…the truth is you need your hand back, and you can’t wait around for it, your hand is important to your every day life. That is how important we are to each other. This is the model for a real conversation, this is the way to communicate with each other. There will be no need for anger, if we are honest on both ends of our conversation.  If we are to operate like one body, full communication is needed. Think of playing any sport. Your head is in constant communication with your body, and to be good at any sport your body has to be working together in unison. There is no glossing over the truth, the foot can’t keep dragging if the body is to walk without a limp, and the foot will not correct the problem is the body keeps telling it that it will be ok to continue. There is a world of communication going on with your body just to walk down the street. This is why the image of us being one body is so powerful. There is no room for dishonesty or falsehood, or white lies. No matter the intention, the body cannot function without the full truth. So speak plainly, speak honestly, and when spoken to honestly, don’t be angry, don’t seek to hurt. Speak as Christ spoke, honestly, directly, full of forgiveness, full of love, and most importantly with full honesty.

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Wed the 28th

Malachi 3: ⁹ You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

 

Bring your whole tithe into the store house! I know, I know, here we go again talking about money, why does it always have to be about the money? What if I was to tell you that if when you read this passage and if all you get is that God wants you to give more money, then you have missed the point?! This passage reads that God is asking for His whole tithe. All of it, and sadly what comes to my mind is all the people who just  put some money in the plate at church on Sunday, and consider their tithing done. This is a big scripture, God is calling us to give Him all of our tithe, that means a lot more than money. We get to wrapped up worrying about how much money we give. There are people who have plenty of it, and don’t give enough, and there are many who can’t afford to give much and still keep a roof over their head, and if you read the scripture, God has no intention of you being destitute. He wants to bless you, He wants to give you so much that you will not have enough room for it all. You see that is how God works, HE gives you plenty, so that you might have plenty to give….but it is not all about the money. Everything has value, especially to God. I was talking to a friend yesterday, and he was telling me that when he orders stuff online and it comes in, and does not fit, he donates it. Sure He is comfortable, he can afford to do that, but the difference is he does it. Most would return it and get what is theirs. Not this fella, he gives every chance he gets. I have another buddy of mine that he does not have much money, but he goes around and he gets people to sponsor him, so that he can go on mission trips, and help others.  He might not have money, but he has time, and he gives it. Another friend of mine spends his time teaching at a rehab center that is Christ centered, he does not have a lot of extra time, or money, but he has knowledge. These are men who give what they can, and then go out and give what they have extra of. This is offering God your full tithe. This is living for the glory of God. We all have something extra to give. Why would you want to hang on to it? DO you want more? Do you want to be blessed? Then give what you have, God promises He will give you more! Not just here Jeremiah 29 tells us that God has plans for us to be happy, to prosper us. Joshua 1 reminds us that God will be with us always. There are countless passages that show how much the Lord wants to give us. HE wants us to be happy, but we have to get rid of what He gives us, if we try to keep it, if we try to save it, it will rot in our storehouses. SO maybe you are thinking right now Brian, “I hurt to much to give anything, I need it all for myself” I can promise you others are hurting worse, and need you, and your perspective. If you want to heal yourself, go share the Word of God, and see how fast you will heal, and help heal someone else. It might be the very thing that is hurting about right now, needs to be shared with someone else with no faith, or little faith. Share it! Bring out your full tithe. God wants to open the floodgates of heaven, and drowned you in His love, but He has to know that you ware willing to do the same! You world can be flooded with the love, and blessing of God, just remember to grab a bucket and start passing those blessing out! We all have something to give, and there is someone out there that needs what only you can give. It all counts to the Lord, there is nothing to small, every act done in the name of the Lord is huge, and He will repay you double. Bring your full tithe to God, it is the only thing God will ask you to test Him on. You want to experience the full blessing of God? Test Him!

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Tuesday the 27th

Mark 13:  ³²"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 

 

I was standing in the kitchen last night and I heard on the TV a woman say that “she wants to live in amazement of something”….(I think it was an ad for a movie coming up or something like that) She wants to live in amazement……I ask how can you not be living in amazement everyday?!  We don’t have a lot of time here on earth when you stop and think about it. Each and everyday counts, each moment counts, each interaction is a chance to be amazed. Look at the world that we are surrounded by, the beauty, the life, and the love that is all around us, and tell me that there is not a lifetime of amazement surrounding us at any given moment.  The woman was partially right, but it is not that there is nothing in your life right now to live in amazement of….no it is that we are not awake enough to see it. I don’t want to live in amazement, I want to be awake, I want to be present, I want to live alive, for I know that I have no idea how long it will last. We allow entire block of our day to pass in a fog, sometimes it seems like entire days might slip by us……We must remember to live alive, not just when we get home, or not just on the weekend, but each and everyday. When we start the day off putting the Lord first, then we set up our day for one of amazement, carry Him along with you throughout the day. If you want to be alive, if you want to be alert, decide to take the Lord with you each and everyday, each and every hour. Live you life in amazement of all that He has given you, and all that has been placed at your feet. The Lord gave you a life, that life spans 24 hours, 7 days a week. He has filled that life with amazing things, people, events, and moments, will you be awake enough to see them? Will you live your life with the Lord, or will it be alone and asleep?

We know that we don’t know the day or the hour that the Lord will return, and we know that when that day comes the time for do overs or getting it done is over…..so the real question is, are we alert? Are we ready? Are we living our life and making each day count? I remember my parents, my preacher, my god-parents, all of them would say live today like it could be your last…..and I would always say OK! It gets me to thinking, what if I left today? What would I leave undone? What have I been putting off for tomorrow? Live your life in amazement, and you will be alert, give your day to the Lord, let Him direct your steps, and you will find a life full of amazement, joy, peace, and life. Keep watch, be amazed, live alive!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Monday the 26th

Colossians 3: ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 

Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another…interesting word grievance the Greek word that Paul used was momphē  meaning blame, or my implication,  fault, the KJV uses the word quarrel. Now a grievance we understand to day as something that was done against us, however the word quarrel, dials us a little closer in to fault, or blame. It brings to mind an important piece of advice I was given once, I am sure you have heard the same….don't sweat the small stuff…..and if there is one thing I have learned, most of it is all small stuff. That is the trap that the devil lays for us. All the little grievances, the little quarrels, all the little faults that we carry around and pin on people. It is the hope of the ole' devil that we get so caught up in the details of the little things, that we allow hate….no that is to harsh, it does not even have to get to that level for the devil to win……. we allow indifference to enter our hearts, and it is from an area of indifference that we start to live our lives. That is not how we were called to live. We were called to live a life of love. Here Paul calls us to put on love, as if it is clothing, something to drape over your entire body, we are to strive to have so much love that we are covered in it. Why? Because a loving heart is a forgiving heart; and a forgiving, loving heart cares about each person they come in contact with. It is the loving heart that impacts everyone it comes in contact with. Paul drives the point home by pointing out we are not just to forgive, but we are to forgive as the Lord forgave you. Ouch! That is a tough one! We all forgive, but do we forgive completely? You all know what I am talking about, we say oh I forgive you, but we don't, we hold on to the hate, or hurt, we lay and wait for the opportunity to strike back, we speak the words of forgiveness, but we do not give the love that is supposed to come with it. We must learn that we will hurt people in our lives, and we will be hurt by others in our lives. We do not mean to, just as most do not mean to hurt us, we are human, we make mistakes and we blunder through this world bumping in to each other. We hurt, we forgive, we love, and we grow. So we must learn to forgive, but that does not mean we have to forget. This can be a hard concept to get your head around, but if we keep it in the context of Christ it helps to shed a little light on it. The Pharisees were always after Christ, he forgave them for their ignorance, but He held no malice towards them. He still spoke the truth to them, He still had love in His heart for them, and the hope that they would change their minds. As a matter of fact, if one were to come to Christ and ask for forgiveness, are we to believe that Christ would have told them, to go away? Of course not! We know that many Jews became followers of Christ. When people tried to trap Christ, and kill Him, did He hold ill will against them? No He forgave them for it. He was still very well aware of the fact they wanted Him dead, but He only held out love in return. One of the last things Christ did with His time here on earth, was to ask His Father for forgiveness for the very people who had hung Him on the cross. That is the best example of forgiving, that is the best example of living with only love to give in return. That is the best example of how we are to live draped in love. We live with a forgiving heart, fully aware of the world around us, fully aware that we might be hurt, but fully aware that the only thing that will ever beat hatred, and indifference, is love and forgiveness.

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Friday the 23rd

Genesis 50: ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

 

This is what Joseph told his brothers when they all met up for the first time after His brothers had sold him off. You intended me harm, but God intended it for good.

 

A lot of things in our life are like that you know. We can’t see the good until we get closer to the end of the season. Joseph went through a lot….and I mean a lot, sold off by his own family, wrongfully accused, thrown in jail, but in the end God raised him up. God had a plan, and Joseph knew it, so throughout the entire season of pain, Joseph continued to give thanks to God. I know many of you are asking if God is so great then why did He allow Joseph to go through all of that pain. All I can say to that is that God is great, He is an awesome God…..we however are not! It takes time, and pressure for us to be shaped into the person God needs us to become. Have you ever helped your kids make cookies? When you roll out the dough, and you place that cookie cutter onto the dough, you have to press down. What happens if you do not apply enough pressure? Well the cookie does not come out right does it? The dough will not fill in all of the places around the mold, as a result, once the cookie is baked, you can’t really tell what it was supposed to be. The corners are missing, the middle is not filled in, it is just not right. However if you press down hard enough the dough will fill every corner, and once it is baked it comes out just the way it is supposed to look. Well that is how it is with us. We are the dough, and God has to press down pretty hard sometimes to get the mold filled like He needs it to be. SO during the seasons of trial, when life is hard and it seems like the entire world is pressing down on you, give thanks! It might not be fun, and it might be painful, but know this, God is shaping you into something that He needs. HE does not want you to be a hunk of dough, He has a specific mold just for you that needs to be filled. It will take some effort on your part to help get all of the places filled in, and that might be tiring, it might be relentless sometimes, but know that in the end, after that season of shaping, God will raise you up. He will unlock the full potential of His love and grace, and then you will realize that all that is behind you has been for the good. Even those that might try and harm you, in the end, God will use it for the good. SO do not buckle and give up when you draw the short stick, or someone sells you down the river. Give thanks and hang on! God has great things in store, he just has to get the mold filled!

 

God Bless, and have a great weekend!!

Brian

 

Thursday the 22nd

Ecclesiastes 9  ⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. ⁸ Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

I have to admit, I am broke! I often wonder how I am going to pay for the next bill that come in the mail. I have a house payment that is too high, kids that both need braces, and college, and cars, and clothes, where is my ministry going, how will I pay for it’s needs,  am I serving the Lord, am I doing enough and well…..I just do not know how I am going to do it all. How am I going to pull all of this off, how will I be successful? AS I sat and thought about all of these things, I could not help but thank God! I give Him thanks that I am fortunate enough to have these problems! I bent my knee last night, and this morning full of thanks. That may sound strange to some, why would I be giving thanks when I have all of these things to worry about, all of these stressors in my life (and that was just a partial list).  Well for one I know the I am not the only person in the world that has many of these same issues, but more importantly, if I allow myself to get down and wallow in all of the unknowns, I will not have any time left to eat my food with gladness, or drink my wine with a joyful heart! You see, he was right, it is now that God favors what you do. He is not to concerned with what you want to do, or what you are planning on doing, or, if you are repentant, what you have done in the past. No it is now the God favors what you do. So what are you doing now? Are you caught up in the “what ifs”, and the “what abouts”? Have you become a slave to all that you don’t have, and all that you need to do? Are you missing the opportunity to enjoy your life, because you are stuck at a stand still full of fear, and worry? You have to let it go. By that I do not mean just forget it, or ignore it, I mean give it to God. He wants it, He sent His Son so that we could rest all of our cares on Him. As Scripture reminds us, if God provides for the birds, and the animals, will he not provide for us?  turn your cares over to the Lord, and start being joyful! Life is short my friends and we only get to do it one time. God did not intend for you to spend your 12 hours of daylight caught up in worry. Don’t let this spectacular gift of life that God has given you slip by with your head down. Live it fully, enjoy every moment that comes your way, and give thanks to the Lord. That is the life He wants you to live, eating with gladness, drinking with a joyful heart, living your life full of pure happiness. Don’t miss tonight’s sunset, because you are worried about tomorrow’s sunrise!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Wed the 21st

Ezekiel  ⁴ The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' ⁵ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. ⁶ And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. ⁷ You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. ⁸ But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."

 

Anyone who has folded their hands in prayer, or bent a knee to the Lord has head a call that is similar to this call of Ezekiel. Each of us are called out to carry the Word of God to the masses. We too are sent out among obstinate, and stubborn people, but look at what God tells Ezekiel, whether they listen or fail to listen….they will know that a prophet has been among them. It reminds me of when Christ walked among us on this world. He brought the truth to all who would listen, yet if they failed to listen, it was no fault of His. Just as God points out to Ezekiel, we have briers, and thorns around us, scorpions live among us…..it sounds like a pretty tough place to live! Have you ever been in a situation where you had a choice to make? You could keep your cool and keep plowing forward, or you could lose your head, and become frantic. This is the choice we are faced with today. We know what is at stake for the world, we have a unyielding desire to shout it to everyone we see. But when a fire breaks out in a crowded room, do you yell fire, or do you calmly start moving people to the door, saving those that will go, and moving on past those who will not listen? If we lose our heads we will not save as many, and more people will not listen. We are in a room that is catching on fire, so how will you respond? God gives us the answer in this scripture. Do not give in to fear! Do not be afraid, do not be terrified (terrified is a pretty strong word, God knows how intimidating the enemy can be) We must remain calm, and save who we can, we must remember that it is not up to us to save everyone, we do what we can, we speak the truth, and spread the word, and those that will listen will listen, and those that will not, well it is their choice, we must move on, and continue our mission. Are we to think that we will be more successful than Christ? Of course not! Christ gave His life, He hung on a cross to prove His point, and further the truth, and still there were those that would not listen, why would you expect better results. In this scripture we are reminded first and foremost, it is up to us to save ourselves, to not allow ourselves to become rebellious, we are to sustain ourselves on the Word of God, and save those that will listen. If you stop for those that will not move away from the fire, you risk becoming consumed by the very fire that you are trying to save people from! Keep your cool, do not be afraid, do not be terrified, the Lord is with you!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Tuesday the 20th

Psalm 59: ⁶ They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city. ⁷ See what they spew from their mouths—
       they spew out swords from their lips, and they say, "Who can hear us?" ⁸ But you, O LORD, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.  ⁹ O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, ¹⁰ my loving God. God will go before me and will let me gloat over those who slander me.

David is speaking of people who are conspiring to kill him, or bring him down. I think we all can relate to how David feels. We all have people in our lives who are circling us. For whatever reason they have chosen us as the target for their frustrations. We know all to well what David means by they spew swords form their mouth, and we understand the arrogance of David’s enemy, for our enemies also attack, and speak out against us with no reluctance. As if they will not have to answer for the words they speak. Notice though, David runs to his one place of shelter, he runs to the Lord. David knows that God will go fight those who might stand against him. David is well aware that as re are reminded in Hebrews 4 “nothing in all of creation is hidden from God’s sight, all is uncovered, and laid bare before the eyes of the one that we must all give account”. In short, two wrongs do not make a right, David sees no reason to go out and return the favor of malicious words, or deeds. David turns it all over to God, and he knows that God will take care of it. That is the key to it all. He does not hope, he does not think, he does not assume. He watches for God, he calls God his fortress, He calls God his strength. These are not words of a man who has a good hunch that things will work out. They are words of a man who has faith. David proclaims God to be the solution, the place to go in time of need, the righter of wrongs, and the shelter in battle. He knows that without fail God will go out before him, and make the path clear. What a great God we serve, but do we allow that much faith into our hearts? Do we live not with the hunch, but with the expectation that God is going to bat for us? If we think of this in the reverse, how would we feel if God just hoped we loved Him? What about if God just kinda sort of really hoped we did the right thing, but if not well there is always next time? Sounds pretty uninvolved doesn’t it? Sort of makes God out to be a flake huh? God expects us to love Him, He is jealous for us! He expects us to do the right thing, because He made us in His image. So do you think that He does not expect you to have the same expectations of Him?  I boldly proclaim that I  do expect God to love me, I expect Him to take care of me, to shelter me, to go out before me and clear my path, so that I might love Him all the more. Does that sound blasphemous to you? It should not! God has promised each and every one of us that He will do just that, and God is a promise keeper. So take heart! Yes people will spew out swords from their mouths, yes people will plot to hurt you for no reason that you are the easiest target to get to, yes, you will have challenges in your life that seem insurmountable. But remember this Psalm, remember that God is with you, He is your fortress, your strength, and He loves you! Allow that faith to take hold, allow God to do what He does best, Love you, and take care of you. He will go before you, but that can’t happen until you get out of His way!

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Monday the 19th

John 18: ¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)  ¹¹Jesus commanded Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"

 

Philippians: 1 ²⁷Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel ²⁸without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.

 

How many ears have you cut off in an effort to protect, or further the Word of God? I know it sounds a little harsh doesn’t it? well I know that the literal answer is none….for most of you……but when we read about Simon Peter striking the servant, we know that he did not do it out of rage, or out of hatred….no Simon Peter was protecting Christ. When I read this, it got me to thinking. You know…….we do a lot of sword drawing, and a lot of ear cutting today, all in the name of protecting Christ. Oh, I do not think for one second that the majority of us lash out to intentionally hurt, we just want to protect Christ. We want to protect those we love, we want to protect the world from evil, so we lash out. We condemn, we judge, and we damn people all in an effort to “save them” Sadly, just like the Simon Peter, and the servant in the scripture, all we really accomplish is hurting someone, and the one injured  is left looking at their ear on the ground, wondering why in the world anyone would listen to this sword wielding, ear slashing lunatic! Put your sword away! We all want to be soul winners, we all want to save our friends, our families, our co-workers, even our faith. But we must all understand that true soul changing, life extending, soul replenishing, saving grace, does not come from us, and it does not come from the tip of a sword (literal or figurative), all of this comes freely from Christ, the one who has already taken the pain of the cross, and the tip of the spear. SO if we are not to beat those around us into conformity, then how shall we be successful? We shall be a living example. We shall use the same tactics that won our hearts over. We shall live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Do we each not have a cup to drink? Do we too not have a purpose to fulfill for the Lord? The sword will never be as compelling as love, our behavior will always out weigh our words. Let your life be your calling card. Let your life be a sign to those around you that you are saved. Let them see that you have no need to be frightened or threatened. These actions are the ones that will be successful, put the sword away, it is not needed anymore.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Friday the 16th

Galatians 5:  ¹³You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. ¹⁴The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

We are free, and that freedom that we receive through Christ is the most liberating type of freedom we can feel. However, as Paul points out, With that freedom comes the opportunity to whatever we want. That is the deal you know, we choose, Christ gives us freedom form death, freedom form the world, but we decide what we do with that freedom, and what we do with that freedom will decide our lives here on earth, and our eternal salvation. So we are urged not to indulge the sinful nature. One might wonder how that might happen. How could a person choose the Lord, then turn around and choose a sinful lifestyle. You might not be aware of it, but you are pulled to that sinful lifestyle daily. What we do, where we go, the words we speak, I do not need to remind you that the devil himself was an angel who chose a sinful lifestyle! The biggest pull towards a sinful life can be viewed by how we treat others. You are free to love or free to hate, free to build up, or free to tear down, free to serve yourself, or to serve others……it comes down to freedom to love, or freedom to hate. Oh and the hate comes so much easier than the love on some days doesn’t it? Paul hits it on the head though, if we keep up with the biting and devouring each other, we will let our freedom, the thing we want so much, destroy us. How ironic isn’t it? We are given the very thing that can destroy us as quickly as it can save us! That is why, our choice does not end with choosing the Lord, it is a daily choice that we make everyday, will we love? Will we take the freedom that we are given in Christ, and use it to spread the love that He has shown us? Will we rise to the challenge of the day and let the command reflect as brightly as the sun from us? Will we use that freedom to strengthen us, and allow us to freely love, even those whom the world says deserve no love? As we go into this weekend we have a choice to make, will we build, or will we destroy? The choice is ours, the freedom has been granted, where will the day take you?

God Bless, and have a great weekend,

Brian

 

Thursday the 15th

John 16:  ³³"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

So that you may have peace….man…that is something we are all searching for isn't it? peace in our life, peace of mind…..just peace…..the original text used the word eirō (to join); peace; by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest.  We spend a lot of time searching out this elusive peace, if we can just get the right job, the right spouse, the right house, the right friends…..then we can have peace. We can rest, we can calm the storm, things will be easier. The older we get the more we come to realize that in this world, it is not a matter of making it easy. Christ himself said the we would have troubles in this world, that should be a pretty good indicator that if you  chasing peace, if you are chasing after a place to rest, you will have a hard time finding it. With each accomplishment comes new worries, and new sets of unique problems. So perhaps the problem is not a matter of finding peace. Maybe peace is something that you will not find, because you already have it.  Have you ever worked on a project, be it at your house, or at your job, and when you finish the project, and you are cleaning up, you come across a tool that would have made the whole project so much easier? I know I have. You pick up this elusive tool and think, "man, if I had this when I started, I would have been done with a lot less stress, and taken a lot less time. That my friends is the peace of the Lord, you have it in your tool box, it is right there for you to use. Peace will never be found in anything you attain, because you already have it, you just have to utilize it.  Utilize your peace in Christ, and you will find that all of your projects will go smoother, you will find that the storm is no storm at all, just a summer shower. Christ has overcome the world, He has overcome death. The inner temple curtain has been ripped in half and  we have direct access to God through His son, our brother, Jesus Christ. Use that knowledge as your compass to find true north.  You can spend your life chasing worldly peace, but really it is comfort that you are seeking. Access the comfort already given to you freely. Place Christ in your life, and let Him navigate. You will find the peace that you have been searching for. This life is full of troubles, but they are only a season. Allow the peace of Christ to settle in. He has given us all that we need, before we ever needed it. It is just up to us to pull it out of the tool box.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Wed the 14th

Luke 6:45 ⁴⁵The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

 

You can’t un-ring a bell. Once the words have left your lips you can say you did not mean it, you can say you did not know what you were saying, but the damage is done. Just as this scripture points out, our words reflect our heart. Many people, including myself might not like to hear that, because a lot of harsh, hurtful words come out of our mouths on a daily basis, but it is a call for us, not to examine the words we use, but to examine our hearts. I know a woman whom I do not think is capable of speaking a hurtful word. Her heart is so full of love. Love of life, love of the Lord, love of her fellow man, that she never feels the need to speak harshly. Why? Because She holds no malice in her heart. That is the key. And if you read the scripture again, you will see it is spelled out for us very plainly….it is what we store up in our heart. It is what we hang on to. This scripture does not say that the good man never experiences bad things, or that he never has negative emotions. I am convinced that it is quite the opposite, the devil seems to assault the good people with more and more temptation to store up evil. We have to learn to let go of the evil. When you think of it that way, isn’t it strange that we even have to point that out? We have become a society of people who are taught to hold on to the bad, and let go of the good. As if the good intentions, the good words, the love given freely, is just a fluke, and it is the evil, hurtful things that count, and we should never forget. Think about it. The next time you are in a disagreement with someone, what pops into your head? The last time that person wronged you, or the last time they were good to you? Could you imagine how the disagreements with our spouses would go? “oh yeah honey, what you say might be true, but do you remember that time that you came home after a long day at work and cleaned the house? Well I have not forgotten that, and I want to say thank you, I love you, I am sorry that I hurt you, you did not deserve it.” Huh….what a concept…..Oh you might be thinking, well you don’t know…they deserve harsh words…..but can you really think of the Lord, and say that? Have we not been instructed to gently correct? Who had, in the time of Christ, or even in today’s world, more of a reason to store up evil than Christ? Yet He did not. Even at the time of His death, he looked upon man with love and forgiveness. He had chosen all of His life to store up good, and let the evil pass on by. As it so often does, it comes down to a very personal choice, what do you choose to store up today? What will you fill your heart with? Will you choose to reverse that though process of this world, and let the evil pass you by? Choose to store up the good, let it fill your heart to the point of overflow. Let that good spill out from your mouth, not because you have put a lot of thought into what you are going to say, but because it is all you have stored up. It will take some work, but if Christ could love the very people  that killed Him, I would think at the very least we could store up good for the people that irritate us.

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Tuesday the 13th

1 Corinthians 1: ²⁷But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

 

I was reading an article about a local Austin man who put together a big fishing event to for the local kids. I am sure you have seen one before. They stock a big tank with catfish then cut the kids loose. It is a great day for the kids, and it does a great job of raising awareness of kids that are hurting in our own communities. The man is 25 years old, and he was recounting how when he went to several businesses to get their support, he was met with resistance, they did not know him, he was considered young to be doing something like this, they thought that he might not be able to pull it off. His response was always the same….God will make this happen. He continued unwavering in his quest, and he was successful to say the least. He are starting to plan another fishing event, and wouldn’t you know it, a ton of people are on board. All along the way, when asked how he accomplished it he says God is a great God, and He was with him, and opened doors for him. Now people are coming out of the woodwork to be a part of this. When I read that story, I though of this passage. God uses each and everyone of us, and the person He chooses usually is not the person the world would expect to see for that job…..but that is nothing new for God, He has been using people from all stations of life to accomplish His plan. Noah, David, Moses, these did not start off as man who people would listen to. Christ did not show up in the world the way many expected Him to. Take a look at Paul’s life, He started off trying to kill Christians. God moves in the people He chooses to move in. He raises up the weak, the unknown, and the foolish, so that the strong, the famous, and the wise, might see that what the world considerers strength is no match for the power of the Lord. So when people say you don’t look like you can pull it off, or that you might be to young, or to old, just smile and say “thanks, but there is no limit to what the Lord can accomplish through me.” We serve a great God, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish, there are no heights that we cannot rise to, there is no barrier that we cannot overcome. It is in our weakness that God’s strength shines through. When the world says you can’t, know that the Lord says not only that you can, but that you will be better than expected, you will be more than conquerors, you will be successful as only a child of the most high God can be; physically, mentally, and spiritually you will victorious.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Monday the 12th

John 10: ¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.

 

We have all heard the story of the pig, the chicken, and breakfast. The Chicken is just involved, but the pig is committed. We have a lot of chickens in our life….or hired hands, however you would like to look at it. We have a lot of people who would steer us down a path for their own gain. You can usually tell someone’s true intentions when they are trying to “help” you, by how much they benefit by your participation. Typically your best interest is getting them paid, or increasing their status, or elevating them…..but of course they are just trying to help you out……and of course it never fails, when the plans go south, your life long friend, your mentor, your shepherd……..well he has gone missing. The wolf can be a pretty intimidating creature, and when he comes, you find out what those who have been your leaders are made of. Fair weather friends are a dime a dozen. They will be with you through thick and thin….but when it gets thick….well they thin out! We have but one shepherd in this life, and that is Christ. Why do I feel so confident in this statement? Because Christ has nothing to gain if I show up….. I know that sounds harsh, but really, there is nothing I can do for the Lord, that He cannot do for Himself. He does not need me for anything. He created everything you can see, what could I give to Him other than my worship, my praise, and my unwavering faith…..a pittance compared to what He gives me. This is why you know that Christ is the true shepherd, He asks for next to nothing, yet gives more than we can attain without Him. Christ said He is the good shepherd, and will lay His life down for His flock, and in fact He did just that. That is why we should cling only to Him in our time of need. He will be out in front, leading you to safety, He does not fear the wolf, and as a result, you have no need to fear the wolf either. Christ sees the wolf, and it is the wolf who runs, for even the devil himself knows that he does not stand a chance against the Lord. So take refuge in the good shepherd, unlike the hired had, Christ is committed, not just involved.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Friday the 9th

Hebrews 11: ⁷By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

 

There are many stories of faith that can be found in the Bible, but Noah’s story always stands out. The guy built an ark! Why? Because God told him to. Period paragraph…..next subject!

 

That is faith, hard core, God loving, unwavering faith. When I think of Noah, I always think….who do I know that would build an ark? Would I be willing? We are not talking about a 5 year or even ten year project. We are not talking about a project that you have to spend a few hours on each day….no , we are talking about a labor in faith that lasted somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 years. If we were to take Noah’s age into account, it would be like us working on a project for about 20 years (I will use the 20 year number for perspective). Now that being said, would you build an ark? Right out in your front yard, because God told you to? I think of the ridicule that Noah must of endured (you know his neighbors had to think he was crazy) Everyday for what we would think of as 20 years Noah got up and worked on that ark……How many of us have worked on ANYTHING for 25 years? I think the faith that Noah had in God is often overlooked. We think , “oh yeah, Noah, the guy that built an ark, and saved his family and the animals” but we forget the time that Noah put in working for God on the front end. Now we know that Noah was a good man, Genesis tells us he walked with God. He was also the one person that God could find righteous in a wicked world. But we also know Noah was not perfect. In short, Noah was not much different than you and me. He was a common man who loved God, in a time when not many did. So what was it that made Noah so spectacular? His faith! His faith put him out there everyday tirelessly working on what God needed him to do. He was focused on God, not the world. What did Noah get for this service? Life! Not just for him, but his family as well. Paul tells us that things like Noah, and the Israelites in the wilderness, happened so that we might learn from them. What do we learn? To fear the Lord? Sure, one might take that away, but what I see is the love God has for those who follow Him. When you hear of these things you might only hear what happened to those that fell away, but I urge you, do not miss the importance of what happened to those who had faith in God…… they were given life.  Now God may not be asking you to build an ark, but what is He asking you to build today? He may not be asking you to work on one specific project for a fifth of your life, but He is asking you to commit 100% of that life to Him! So will you? Will you build the ark that the Lord needs you to? Will you follow with faith in your heart, and walk with God, or will you allow the taunts, and the ridicule of the world to draw you away form your ark building? It is through faith that we will be given life, and it by faith that we must live!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian

 

Thursday the 8th

1 Corinthians: ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.

 

We are all in this together. Each one of us plays an important part, each one of us has a crucial role to play.  You might think, oh Brian, you are just being dramatic, we all are not that important. I beg you to see that I am not. This illustration that Paul uses shows just how important each and everyone of us are. Think of your body for a moment…then think of one part that you would gladly give up…..can’t do it can you? Every part you might be willing to give, would start with the statement “well, I could get by without”…..Christ did not hang on the cross so that we might all just get by, He did not give His life, then think well you know without John, or without Sarah, we will squeak by…..No, each and everyone of us are called, each and everyone of us is precious, needed, and depended on by the Lord…..and that means you. We all have a role to play…and every one of them is important. Everyone might want to be the brain, but what good is the brain without the fluid that surrounds and supports it? and what good is that fluid without the skull to hold it in place? And what good is the skull without the skin to protect it? There are no unimportant parts, each part in some way depends on the other. Even something as simple as a fingernail is important, try opening a can of food, scratching an itch, separating papers, or picking a guitar. Even the simple fingernail plays an important part in taking care of the body, and glorifying God. You are important. I hear it all of the time, “well there is not a lot I can do”, or “I am not good at anything”, “I am not smart enough”, talented enough, or important enough”…..the Lord is not in the trash business, He is in the recycling business. Everything God makes is good enough, smart enough, and important enough.  He does not care what you were before, He sees your worth for what you are now. A member of the body of Christ. There is nothing to small that can be done for the Lord, the extra prayer, the time given in His name….no we do not all get to be the brain, but without all of the other parts, the brain is very useless, as a matter of fact without the other parts the brain will wither and die. Some support, some will lead, some will work and not be seen, while others will be seen everyday. The difference is, no part is taken for granted by the Lord. There is not one single part he is willing to give up, there is not one single part that He is willing to get by without…..and that means you. You are needed, you are important, you are loved, and you will make a difference. We all depend on you, there is no one better qualified to do what you do.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

Wed the 7th

Galatians 4: ⁸Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. ⁹But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

 

The slow fade is the phenomenon that Paul is talking about. We are taught by this world to want more, always. No matter what we get, no matter what heights we attain, there is still the desire for more. As a result what we wanted no longer holds the same appeal once we get it. We are slaves to the world. We allow our status, our belongings, our friends, and our bank accounts to be the masters of our day. When we accept Christ into our lives, and we allow Him to change our hearts, it is truly an amazing event in our lives. But all too often we fall victim to the slow fade in our relationship with Him. We start equating what we get from the Lord with our satisfaction level in the Lord! Like any new relationship, in the beginning it is full of “me” loaded payoff. Our lives improve, our relationships improve, often as a result of our relationship, and our new found self control, our bank accounts improve.  The mistake is made when we look at all we have been given, and then start to expect more. We forget that all of those improvements in our lives are just fluff, extras, given to us because we begin to understand how much God loves us, and how much He loves it when we love Him back….but life rolls on, as life always does. We get comfortable with our new gifts, we grow accustomed to having the Lord bless us so generously, and we start to look at the blessings instead of the Lord. We fall right into the trap that has been set by the world, and we begin to look for more blessings without looking for the Lord. We start down the path of enslavement to what we have all over again, and find ourselves very far from the Lord. It is when you hear people say “well the Lord just does not take care of me like He used to”, or “I just don’t feel that the Lord is with me like He used to be.” To those who might feel like that, all I can say is that you are 100% right! Although don’t make the mistake and think it is the Lord that has withdrawn from the relationship…..no, that is all our doing. The Lord might not take care of you like He used to, because we don’t take care of our side of the relationship, You might not feel His presence with you, but it is because we push Him out of the way searching for that next blessing. We start asking what has the Lord done for me, instead of what more can I do for the Lord. Do not allow yourself to become a slave to the world again. God has a purpose for you, a purpose that only you can accomplish. He has placed his hand of blessing on you, and has promised to never leave you. You are no longer tied to this world by the chains of it’s rulers. Through the love of God, and Christ, even the chains of death have no power to bind you. You are the Lord’s, and the Lord is yours. Do not look for the next blessings, search out the Lord. Don’t spend your time waiting for the Lord to give you something, go find Him, so that you might stand at His side and not just see the next blessing, but you can see His path for you. Don’t let the slow fade of the world enslave you again.

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

 

 

Thursday the 1st

Luke 12: ⁴"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.”

 

Death is certain, life is not. As a species we are the most infatuated with death than any other that walks the planet. We have bucket lists, we pile our money into accounts, and as Christ points out, we live in fear of those who might do us harm. So many of us come into this world kicking and screaming, and go out the same way. We hold on so tightly to this world that we cannot grasp the blessings God has in store for us. We will all pass form this world, we will all be called home….but that is what so many often forget. We are going home, we are not being taken from our home here on earth! As a result we should lead a fearless life. We should recognize that there is nothing, and no one that can do anything to us here that amounts to much in the big picture. The One to fear, loves us, and already knows what we are capable of. We should live as the image of the One that created us. The only reminder that death should bring, is the reminder that we have a lot of love to share before we go home.  We have a lot of hope to give, and a lot of hurt to heal. The only fear we should have is the fear that we will have to stand before our Lord, and explain why we let the fear of leaving this world keep us from fully committing to His will. That is what fear does you know. It takes the focus off of God, and puts it on your problems. Fear of death keeps us from fully trusting the Lord in our lives. As Christ points out in this same chapter, why worry about the insignificant things? Does God not provide for even the smallest of His creatures? Free yourself form the fear of losing this life, do not allow others to hold your life out as if the end here is the end forever. God will take care of your needs, if you will take care of His will…..and His will is for you to be a giant in this world. His will for each of us is to trust Him, glorify Him, and live a life that reflects Christ’s image. Christ lived a life that was epic, all the while He knew He was marching to His earthly death. Let each of us allow that same determination to drive our lives. Death comes to all here on Earth, but it is nothing to fear, it is only the ending of the first chapter. Your choice, will your chapter read like an owners manual or will it read like the opening of a saga? Will the One who reads all books read a story of someone who lived gripped in fear of losing this life, or will the chapter be the introduction to a book of a person who lives fearlessly, a person who knows that with God at their side there is nothing that cannot be done, and no need that will not be taken care of? It is your chapter to write. God give you the binding, the paper, and all of the ink you could use. What will you choose to write?    

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford