Wednesday the 25th

Galatians 6:  ¹ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 

 

Restore them gently….it take a lot of love to restore someone gently. It is easier to be stern, and gruff. It reminds me of what a comedian called New York CPR. That is where you see someone in need, and you look at them and say “get up, or you are going to die” When we restore gently a couple of things have to happen, first you have to be full of love….yeah that is hard, but the other thing you have to do is go to them. Jesus did not wait for people to come to Him, he traveled all around His land reaching out to all He came in contact with. As a good friend of mine would say about fishing. “you have to get out amongst them”. My buddy had a nice fishing boat, and we would go down to the coast and do some saltwater fishing. However that boat was just a vehicle to get us to where we were going. As soon as we got to the spot, it was straight into the water. You know…..there is a fine line between fishing, and swimming…..I had to go a few times before I really understood why we were doing that. We could have stayed on the boat, it was dry, it was safe, and you had unlimited access to bait, drinks, food….life was good when you were on the boat. The problem? You just don’t catch that many fish. So you jump in. The back bay water is dark and murky, and you KNOW that you have to pay attention. There are stingrays, crab traps, sink hole, and you might even see a shark or two. You have to take your bait with you, you have to pack extra gear, and as for food, or drinks, you can forget it, you just have room for the bare essentials. The payoff though…..man, the payoff is huge. I have waded into many pockets of trout and red fish, and the day was spent hauling in the fish, and picking the biggest ones to keep on my stringer. That is what happens when you get out amongst them. You are in their habitat, you are no longer a fisherman, or a boat, you are just something else in the water, except you have a little surprise!

 

There is little wonder why Jesus said ‘I will make you fishers of men” winning souls is much like fishing for reds. You have to get out amongst them. Sure it is safer to stay at the church, your cubicle, your house, or your car, and just wait there is security, there is everything you might need there is the comfort that comes with knowing your surroundings. Yes, a few people will straggle in here and there, and yes you will make an impact on those people….but what happens when you get out amongst them? Oh, folks, I will tell you the truth, it is scary, there are sinkholes, and stingrays, crab traps, and more than a couple of sharks. You might not be able to take with you everything you want, you might have to wing it, and “get by” with less; but when those people, those that are hurting, broken, desperate, searching for food for their soul…..when those people see you out there, in their environment, wading through the trash, unaffected, and standing tall; that is the hope they need to see, that is the spark of faith that will draw them in. It is not a safe place to be, and we must be careful. This is why scripture warns us to watch out or we might be tempted. When you are out fishing with the sharks, you begin to see just how easy it is to be a shark. You might be tempted to fashion yourself a fin, and join in with the group. That is where the love comes in. You see a shark has no love in it’s heart, it kills, and it eats, it is primal, it is brutal, and while it might look graceful, and powerful, a closer look will show you it is a life of constant death. Love is what makes us fishermen, it is what will keep the sharks of the world away. It is also what will allow us to gently restore someone. The first thing Paul tells us about love is that it is patient. It is not rushed, it is not forced, it sits and waits, it knows that healing takes time. Love understands that you can’t help heal a soul, if you are yanking it’s arm out of socket trying to drag it down the road to recovery. You have to go to it, and show the way, then follow, while you lead.

 

Christ has filled you with that love, He has filled you with that patience. Sadly, the world does everything it can to fill you with  malice, impatience, indifference, and complacency. You might not have ever thought about it, but I am quite sure that the devil is safest while we are at church. I am positive that if he had it his way that is exactly where he would have us stay. Packed up in a tight little group, patting ourselves on the back, and never venturing out beyond our comfort zone.  So once again we find ourselves with a choice. Will we stay on the boat, or get out amongst them? Now I am not talking about all of us packing up and going on a mission trip, that would be great, but we are not all called for that. For some of us, getting out of the boat is nothing more than stepping out of our office, or our house, and taking the Word of God to someone who needs it, someone who has fallen, someone who is searching…..but we have to choose the safety of the boat, or the unknown that comes with stepping out in faith.  God did not make us to be hermits. He did not put all of this light, and love inside of us (yes, you do have it in there)so that we could horde it. Get out of the boat, find those in need, and restore them gently, and make sure to watch out for the sink holes, and the sharks.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

 

Tuesday the 24th

Isaiah 59: 4 No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil

 

 

Lies….it is something we deal with daily, it is something we are talking about in church right now, and strangely enough it has come up as a main point in movies that I have recently watched.  A study was done at the University of Massachusetts  they had people engage in 10 min. conversations. During that time 60% of the people studied, lied. Not only did they lie, but on average they told 3 lies during that conversation. 3 lies in 10 min. at that rate a person could easily tell 100 lies in a day. When the subjects watched themselves on video, they were surprised that they lied, and were amazed at how often and how easily they did it. If we can lie to others that often, how often do we lie to ourselves? Sure we can make it a point to not tell anyone that we come in contact with a lie, we can vow to always be truthful with those around us…..but are we so kind to ourselves? Yes lies are empty, they do bring about trouble, and give birth to evil, however what about the lies we tell ourselves? What about the empty arguments that we have with ourselves?

 

I do not know how many times I have argued with myself until the wrong seems….. maybe not right…..but not entirely wrong. Often it is called living in the gray area. A favorite song of mine has a catchy line in it. “right or wrong, black or white, cross that line you’re going to pay, in the dawn before the light, live and die by shades of gray.” Have you ever really paid attention to the dawn? If you have ever gone hunting, or camping, you know what I am talking about. There is a time at dawn….it is not yet light, but it is no longer dark. The surroundings have no true color, the world is cloaked in shades of gray. Bushes look like deer, tree stumps move, and every now and then you might just think you see a man standing beside that tree. If we listen to the world, if we argue with ourselves, we cloak our mind in shades of gray. Suddenly what has always been wrong, now…..well in this case it is different. This time it does not count. No one is around, no one will ever know…..funny how knowledge by others seems to sometimes justify right and wrong. I bring these up, because these become lies that we believe, not just believe, but lies we live…..and we think nothing of it. I want to point out that if we cannot be honest with ourselves, then we have no chance with being honest with those around us. If we want others to have a relationship with Christ, we can’t take them, until we have an honest relationship with Him……and that all starts with what goes on between our ears.

 

It was quite a blow for me to start being honest with myself…..come to find out I am not as good looking as I thought I was! Seriously, when we really open ourselves up to ourselves, we often very quickly realize why we lied to ourselves in the first place, we are not as perfect as we want to be, we gave in to temporary pleasure because it was easier than not. We lied and hurt others because we felt we were not as good, as smart, as equal….well if we are being honest with ourselves guess what…. chances are we are right, we are not perfect, it is easier to sin than to do the right thing, and as far as being as smart, as good or equal with someone else…. well it does seem that we pick out the gifts that we are not blessed with to be the ones we want. Wow, felling alone right about now? Pretty depressing stuff….no wonder why we lie to ourselves! It does not have to be.

 

You are feeling alone and isolated, because you were never built to live that way. There is a drive inside you to excel. It is in all of us. We have just let the world drowned out power source. Of course that source is Jesus Christ. Guess what? You can’t lie to him! You think you are not good enough? You are right! With Christ you are better than good enough, you are beyond the grey of dawn and firmly in the light. Think you are not perfect enough? Again, you are right. With Christ you are as perfect as you can be. Exactly as intended, exactly perfect for who you are. As for doing the right thing, yes it is hard, but with Christ it becomes much easier. You see, when you take Christ with you every day, you have no need to feed yourself those lies. You might be able to lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to Christ! He already knows you. Quit arguing with yourself, and start talking to the Lord. Quit believing the lies and allow yourself to believe the truth. You are good enough, you are perfect enough, and you can do the right thing….not because you are that good, but because the Lord is that good. Step out of the grey of dawn, and into the light of day.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

 

Thursday the 19th

Luke 19: 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

 

 

I was watching the Italian open last weekend, and in the opening rounds I watched a guy from Finland named Jarkko Nieminen play. It was a great match, and he played harder than he had to for an opening round. Interesting thing about Jarkko, he was not supposed to be there. He was a “lucky loser” . Jarkko had lost in the qualifying rounds, and as a result he did not make the cut, but another player withdrew, so although Jarkko lost, he still was allowed to compete in the playoffs. I would love to tell you how he went on to win the event, but that did not happen. He did however beat several more players that were ranked above him, before finally falling to the number 7 player in the world. Not too bad for a loser! It really got me to thinking, ya know….I like that term, lucky loser. In the game of life, I am a lucky loser. You see, I have always been able to play the game of life, I just really was not accomplished enough to get into the “big show”, the 16’s, the playoffs, whatever you want to call it, I was just not quite good enough to make that next step….that is of course until a much better player than me withdrew. He did not pull out of the game, or leave, but out of an act of love, he sacrificed his own life, so that I could advance. He actually traded my losses, and my sin, for His wins, and His purity. As a result I got to make that next jump, I got to make it to the playoffs, I get to play in the big game of life. This player of the game of life did not just give me His spot, He loves me so much, that He has stayed on while I play to coach, to guide, and to protect me from the many dangers of playing against a craftier opponent than myself.

 

I have now found myself in the finals. Playing the game of my life….for my very life. A lucky loser, who because of the actions of another, has found myself in a position that I did not earn, playing at a level that I did not qualify for. That is how Christ works. I wonder if Jarkko on that day, felt as I do almost every day? Grateful., thankful, and most of all driven. You see none of us are really losers, we just don’t have all the tools that we need to succeed. The biggest one being a good relationship with our Lord. Christ has already made the sacrifice, He has already opened up the spot for you. You are being called right now to play in the big game. He has the best equipment, the best advice, and the best of all, He knows that you are going to win already…..even if you do not. How can you not? You have the Lord of Lord, and King of Kings at your side for a coach, a friend, and a protector. Can you hear the call now? “Hello, you are today’s lucky loser, please suit up, and head to the court………you are up” Will you show? Will you commit? Will you display the drive and the desire that can only come from trying to repay a debt that can never be repaid fully? Try, and you will find that you are not a lucky loser, you will be hailed as the champion of the game.  

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

 

Tuesday the 17th

John 11:8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

 

This is what the disciples spoke to Christ when He wanted to return to Judea for Lazarus. “They tried to kill you, why would you go back”? Of Course Jesus looks at it more along the lines of “how can I not go back?”. Standing against the storm. While Jesus gave us many examples to live by, it would seem that as many times as He stood His ground, as many times as He went back to face sure opposition…..He wanted to leave us plenty of examples of being strong, trusting in our heavenly Father, and standing in the face of opposition. Go back, finish the work, even if you know they are looking for you, go back for a friend even if they might try to kill you, speak the truth, even if they might throw stones. Christ knew that while man might kill the flesh, all flesh does in fact die at some point, after all the human mortality rate is still holding steady at 100%. It is living for the next life that counts. Christ’s drive can be summed up in one word, fearless. HE was fearless in the face of opposition, He was fearless in the face of authority, He was fearless up until He drew His last breath. He was a warrior, and His sword was the sword of truth, that is the Word of God. You know….I have that sword, so do you…..but the fearless part does not seem to come so easy, does it? The biggest, sharpest, deadliest sword, is useless if no one will swing it. Could you imagine? A fine knight, out on his best steed, wearing his best armor, and holding his sword at his side. The battle rages in front of him, yet he will not engage. That is how I feel sometimes, I would dare to say that is how we all feel from time to time. To bring it to modern times, we own a Porsche, but we do not want to drive it. They will not listen….they will mock me…..I will be excluded…..they will not understand…….these are just a few reasons why we get up each day, and leave our sword by our bed as we head out into the world. It seems crazy to say that doesn’t it? That would be like a cop leaving his gun, a firefighter leaving his ax, a baker without flour, or a or a butcher without a knife

 

. The Word of God is our sword. It offers protection, it provides defense, and most of all it brings truth. The world does not always like the truth, the devil absolutely hates it. The truth brings light, and the light makes all things seen. So why would we leave it behind when we go out into the world? Why would we think that we can do it all on our own? When we look at Jesus’ life we see such strength,  such clarity, we see what determination looks like. Then we think of His words. Time and time again, He reiterated, He was not here to do His work, but the work of His Father. The words He spoke, were words from His Father. It was the Word of God that sustained Him, and drove Him.  If we want that strength, if we want that determination, if we want to be able to stand fearlessly against any storm, then I would humbly suggest that we quit trying so hard to do our will, and start trying to do the will of our Father. If we want to speak fearlessly, then perhaps we should base our speech on the Words of our Father. If we want to have that unbelievable strength, then maybe, just maybe we should realize how weak we are, and how strong the Lord truly is. We too can face any fear, stand before any foe, and withstand all of the attempted stoning in our lives. We have been given example, after example. We stand on the rock that is the Holy Trinity. When we do, we find that we stand in fine company. Moses, Jacob, David, the disciples, these are just a few of those who stood on that rock, and the most well know of course is Jesus Christ Himself. All of these people wielded the sword of truth, and I promise you, no stone, no taunt, no plot, no opposition can withstand that sword……all you have to do is remember to take it with you when you head out into the world……and then….be ready to swing.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

 

Monday the 16th

2 Corinthians 5:  ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

We had several baptisms this weekend. It is quite an energizing, refreshing, and inspiring thing to witness. Nothing makes the heart soar more than seeing people become dead to sin, and alive in Christ. As this passage reflects, they have become new. A new creature, a new life, a new beginning. The sky is the limit, and they are only bound by the heights that the Lord will take them. However, as soon as they step out of the water, the cheering has stopped, and they have a dry set of clothes on, they have to step out into the world. The same old world, with the same old temptations, and the same old traps. This is where many will find their greatest struggle, being a new creation, in the old world. It seems that it is a struggle that we will fight through for the rest of our lives. It is a struggle worth taking on, and one that if we rely on the Lord, we will have infinite strength to persevere, and be victorious. We must not fall into the trap that awaits us all. It is one of the big lies we are told, and one of the easiest traps the devil sets for us. The lie that if the world around us has not changed, then how can we believe that we have truly changed.

 

We are not told that the world has changed and become new, we are told that when we accept Christ we become new, we are given the fresh start, we are given the new chapter….not the world…..and the devil will do everything in his power to make sure the world does not change. As a result, it is easy to feel less than stellar about our struggle, it becomes easy to believe that we have not changed. We give the devil a foothold, and he starts the climb up to our very core. We cannot afford to lose that feeling that we each had when we stepped out of that water, or left the conformation alter. We fully aware of our choices, chose Christ. Do you remember that feeling? That fire that burned inside? That undeniable feeling that there was nothing that you could not accomplish, because Christ was running right alongside of you? Each of us should have that feeling each and every morning! We should remind ourselves each day that we are new creations. We are Children of God, our Brother, Jesus Christ, is walking next to us, not just on the day of our commitment, but each and every day thereafter. I know, you are thinking ….”man, if it were only that easy” I will tell you the truth, it is. You choose. What was your thought this very morning? Did you think, “oh, man…it’s Monday….it is going to suck!” Or perhaps “it’s Monday, I hope I survive”, or my favorite…..”It’s Monday, now I have to do what I did not do last week, and brother that list is LONG, I will never get it done.” Guess what, you have just set your day, and folks that is not the thinking of a new creation! That is an old creation, in the old world. Today, I want all of us……No, it is not what I want…..The Lord wants all of us to declare that we are new creations, boldly declare that yes you have struggles, but this new creation can overcome anything with Christ. Then go out and make it happen. No, the world will not bow you your every whim, and people will not clamor  to hear you speak, or see what you will do next….but the Lord will. Jesus will eagerly wait to hear you encourage the downtrodden, HE will leap with joy, as He watches you forge through and do the right thing. You see, you are a new creation, and it now has nothing to do with the world, and if it changes or not. It is now all about your relationship with Christ and if you will continue to change to be more like Him. Remember that fire that burned inside of you. If it is smaller now, then stoke it with prayer, and worship, if it is almost out, then fan it back to life with the Word of God, and if it is still burning as brightly, then get out there and lend some flame, there are those that need it, and the newly baptized need to see it. We are all new creations, today, tomorrow, and each day to come. Seize it, declare it, then live it.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.psalm22.net

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Wednesday the 11th

Acts 16: ⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

 

Have you ever felt like you are banging your head against the wall? Have you ever felt like you are doing everything you can do, but the situation looks hopeless? When you feel like that, I want you to remember this passage. Living a life of faith is never a from a to b to c journey. The Lord takes you where He needs you, and sometimes that is not where you think you need to go. SO is that time wasted? I don’t know how many times I have heard that…”I am doing everything I can, I pray for guidance, I go where I feel led, but I see no pay off, I do not see God’s word being spread…..I feel like I am wasting my time” Wasting your time eh? I think we have all been in that boat. Could you imagine the frustration the Paul felt? Ok I am going Asia….what? no? I am not going to Asia…..ok I am going to Bithynia……oh really? I am not going there either…..well let’s head over to Mysia…..no? not there either? Ok well then let’s set out for Troas. Imagine how Paul felt each time he was denied. Traveling back then was not jumping in the car or on the plane, and zipping over to the next stop. It was by hoof or foot, and let me tell you, that leaves plenty of time for frustration, and doubt to set it. If anyone had the right to feel like they were abusing oxygen it was Paul.

 

Now most people might lose faith along the way, they might turn back, they might just decide to stay, and go no further, even though they feel compelled to continue. Not Paul, you see Paul understood a couple of things. He was not leading anyone, anywhere. He allowed himself to be directed by the Holy Spirit, and when he was denied in one place, or when things did not work out, he did not stop to wonder “what did I do wrong?” or “why is this happening?” Not at all! He kept moving, waiting for the peace of the Lord to settle on him. Only then would he stop. So what is the point? Why would the Lord will Paul all over the map, only to be turned away time and time again? Sometimes it is the trip that counts, not the destination.

 

Paul did not travel alone, and as he traveled, his group came in contact with countless numbers of people. We have no idea how many lives Paul and his companions changed as they traveled through the land. Just as you have no idea the impact that you make on this world as you pass through it looking for “what God wants you to do”. That is why Paul cut such a wide path. He did not go into the countries that he “thought” he was supposed to, but he made a difference, he showed the True God to all those he encountered. He touched the lives of those around him even though he did no always accomplish his goal. You see, God’s goal for you right now might just very well be actively getting carried out, and you do not even realize it. It might be the perseverance that you display that someone need to see right now, it could be that the pain you are going through might just be the reassurance to someone that God does redeem, protect, and fulfill His promises. The small kindness that you displayed just might be the spark that lights the fire of Christ inside of someone. Often it is not the loud revivals, the huge service, or the pomp and circumstance that comes with religion that draws people to Christianity. It is the quiet moments, it is the times when we allow ourselves to do God’s work when we think no one is paying attention, it is the kindness done in the name of the Lord that opens the eyes of the lost. Everyone wants to “do God’s work” However we need to remember that we are doing that every day. His plan is fulfilled in our joys, and in our sorrows, in our triumph and in our defeat. God’s plan is bigger than our plan, and I can promise you, often it is not where you are going that counts, it is what you do along the way. You might be denied upon arrival to your supposed destination, keep going, don’t stop, don’t give up, don’t turn back. God is using you right now, where you are at, and on the way to where you are going.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.psalm22.net

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Monday the 9th

James 1: ¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Temptation, it strikes us all, and James is correct when he points out that God does not tempt. It is a common though for people to think. Today we still hear the same statement, “why is God tempting me?” I believe the better question is why would God tempt me? If we think of Job, it was not God that afflicted Job, it was the devil. When we think of Christ, was it His own Father that tempted Him? Of course not, it was the devil that approached Him out in the desert. It is the devil that seeks us out, and tempts us even to this day. Nothing has changed on that front! The devil plants a seed of doubt, or a seed of envy, desire, or scorn….and off we go! Even the devil gets a bad rap on the deal, because while he planted the seed, it is us who took the ball and ran with it. “the devil made me do it” How often have we heard that? If there is one thing to take from this passage, it is that no one can make us do anything. If that were the case then what would be the need of free will? Think of that for a moment, even the devil himself cannot force you to do something, for even the devil cannot interfere with free will. He can tempt, he can offer, he can skew the truth, but force?.........no, he cannot force me to do anything. If that were the case would God not immediately excuse my actions, since I truly did not have control, or choice in the action?

No, we are, …..and I love the way it is phrased here,…. we are dragged away by our own desire. It all starts with a little thought, a little nudge, a little enticement. Seeing the beautiful woman or man) is not the problem, it is the pursuing, and building of an improper relationship that is the failure. It is not wanting a better life that is the problem, it is the lying, the deceit, and the short cuts at the cost of others to get that life that cause the problems. It starts with a thought, and leads us to action, and if we are not careful, that action will lead us to death. So in the end, it is not God, or even the devil that has led us to our demise, we have willingly walked there all on our own. Hard to believe when it is laid out like that isn’t it? No one is left to blame but ourselves. I am sure, like me, that is not what you want to hear, but no matter if we like it or not, we are masters of our own destiny. Where we go, what we will do, how far we will go, all depends on the choices we make, and those choices begin as thought. Who will you allow to dominate your thoughts? Will you fill your head with the Love of Christ, or with the love of this world? Will you listen to the truth found in the Gospels, or will you listen to the lies of the devil? Will you entertain thoughts of success through the Lord, or will you think of ways to lie cheat and steal your way to success? Make no mistake about it, both ways will lead you to what the world defines as successful. I know people who have found great success with the Lord at their side, and those who have gotten there by a darker path. On the outside they might look the same at first glance, but in the end……the true end…..their measurement of success will be quite different, and one will be found wanting, while the other will be found complete…..the path you choose, comes down to your thoughts. Which will you feed, which will you deny? Temptation comes in as a whisper, it leaves as a storm. I am sure many of you have already seen this, but it goes to show the importance of your thoughts.

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

www.psalm22.net

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

Thursday the 5th

Matthew 13: ¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.

 

Calloused hearts, hard of hearing, and closed eyes. Sounds like a pretty hard up person. Some days, it feels like I am that person. It brings to mind something C.S. Lewis once said. “Be sure that the ins, and outs of your individuality are not a mystery to him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you”. We have heard it said a million different ways in our lifetime. To thine own self be true. If we are to turn, then we have to soften our hearts, open our ears, and our eyes. Why do you think the Lord used these terms, hard of hearing, blindness, and calloused hearts? Much like C.S. Lewis was pointing out, we have to know who we are, to really do that we have to hear things we do not want to hear, see things that we do not want to see, and we have to allow ourselves the vulnerability of a soft heart, even though it means we will be hurt. We all know people…..if we are being honest with ourselves, we might even say that we know that we are guilty of, closing up shop, and putting it on auto pilot. What I mean is that we know we need to make changes, but we choose not to see the fault, we know what we are saying is destructive, but we choose not to hear it, and most of all, we see people in need, or in trouble, and we close off our hearts, and say they deserve it, or they have to help themselves. It is not a pretty picture, but it is one that we paint often. Some might say, Brian why beat yourself up so much, or why be so hard on people? I would say it is not about being hard on ourselves, or other people, it is about living the life Christ showed us how to live. I am not saying that we should simply change a few things in our lives……no, I am saying we need to finally allow ourselves to start living each and every day!  If we choose to hear only what we want, see only what we want, and feel only what we deem good, then we are not alive, we are nothing more than lifeless corpses wandering around bumping into each other, simply trying to survive the day. We have to see ourselves for what we are. We are imperfect, we do make mistakes, we do hurt people, and just as sure as we do it, I can promise you it is done to us as well. This however is living a life that is alive. When we allow ourselves to be honest about ourselves, to ourselves, then it becomes easier to see others as they truly are, not just as we want them to be.  The first drop of honesty comes with going to Christ and baring yourself. Now you might think, why do I need to bare anything? Christ knows me. Ahhh yes, yes he does, but I know for me personally….nothing is real until I tell two people in my life. Christ, and my wife. By telling Christ, I open my soul up for healing, by telling my wife, I open myself up for reality. I might be able to rationalize anything, but between the Lord, and my wife, they usually paint a pretty clear picture of spiritual, and earthly reality………a lot of times I do not like it. Once it is done though, I can begin trying to change….and that is where having Christ in my life pays off in spades. You see Christ knows we are not perfect, but He also know that He can heal us. Christ knows we will stumble, but He will pick us back up. You see Christ knows all of this because He was there when we were formed, and He loves us…..He chose us, each and every one of us. I can only imagine the Angles looking at Christ when He picked me……I can hear them saying to Christ….that one? Are you sure? You KNOW he is going to be a handful……..All I can hear is Christ’s soft response, “yes, even this one I will give my life for this one as well, He is far more than what you see before you.  I can heal Him, I can strengthen Him, I can love him.” But what about all of the faults…..he seems to have a lot of them”, I can hear the Angles ask.  “Yes He does” responds Christ, “but if he will see them, if he will hear them, if he will open his heart, if he will simply ask…..I can make those faults his greatest strengths”. This is what keeps my eyes open. I know that Christ is not a liar. He has promised to heal me, and He has promised to heal you as well.

 

SO I challenge you today, open your eyes, your ears, and your hearts. Oh it might be a little painful at first, the eyes are a little sensitive when they have been in the dark for a while, the ears are overwhelmed when you first remove the ear plugs, and the pain sometimes seems unbearable when you strip the callouses off of your heart and it is tender once again. I will tell you the truth though, you will feel alive, and Christ will heal you.

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.psalm22.net

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

Tuesday the 3rd

Hebrews 12:  ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

 

Throw off the chains that bind and run with perseverance YOUR race…..the race marked out for us. The KJV, the ASV, Bishops Bible, and the DRB translate the verse as to run with patience, the ESV says to run with endurance. The Greek word used is “hupomone” meaning cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting). Why do we need to run with patience? Because we each have to run our own race. Have you ever watched the 1600 meter ran? It is a very interesting race. You see, some people can get out in front, and they stay out there, some run mid pack, while others might drop even further back. It comes down to each runners “kick” they have to run their race, based on how they can best run, and for some, to finish as strong as they can, they have to be patient. They have to wait to Kick at the end. The point being, when watching this race the first couple of laps are watched in relative silence. There is not a lot of screaming form the stands to speed up, or go go go, the teammates out on the track are not pushing each other to get off pace and get to the front. Each one knows that while they are covering the same distance, they each have their own very unique race to run. Folks, we are running the 1600 in our spiritual lives. We all want to get to the same finish line, but we each have to run our race, the problem is that sometimes we forget to throw off everything that hinders us. So while we are running, maybe we pass someone and feel the need to tell them that they are running too slow, or they should get new shoes, or that their clothes are not suited for the race. We forget that the race they are running, while on the same track, is a very different race. It all comes down to potential, it takes patience to see that potential, and we all have the potential to win the race, as long as we run our race, the one marked out for us.

 

I was reading a book on the mental game of tennis last night, and it made a very good point, that I will try to paraphrase. When we plant a rose seed, it is still a rose, we do not curse it for not having roots, we know it is still in it’s infancy, when it sprouts through the surface, we do not curse it because it does not come up with blooms open, and strong stems. We are amazed that it has grown so much! Of course when it reaches maturity, we love the plant for what we knew it was always was going to become…..a rose. No matter the phase it is in, it is still a rose, it has the potential to become a beautiful rose bloom; and just the same, no matter where you are at, once you give your heart to Christ, you are a Christian. You have chosen to run the race, and now you just have to find, and keep your pace. Judgment can destroy a young Christian just as easily as forgetting to water a rose bush will halt its growth. We must focus on our race. Have you ever been out for a run or a walk with someone, and you start talking, you lose sight of where you are going. You get so interested in telling the story that the next thing you know, you run into a low hanging branch, a trash can in the road, or you don’t see the pot hole? That is what we risk when we spend more time worrying about telling our fellow runners how to run, instead of showing them what good form looks like. I promise you the devil has placed trash cans out along the track, he has pulled down the tree branches, and he has dug a few pot holes!

 

Just like with the rose seed, it all comes down to potential within us. Each one of us has the potential to become a shining example of Christ. Each one of us has the ability to exceed what we think our body’s limit is, we have the potential, to run further, faster, and stronger, than we thing we can. That is the potential of Christ living inside of each of us. For us to unlock it, we have to run our race, and more importantly we have to allow others to run theirs.  That is not to say that we leave a fellow runner on the sideline, we help, we foster the potential, not curse the lack of speed, we encourage by showing good form, and the effortlessness that comes with running with Christ. We encourage, we build up, we share the Word, and we keep running the race that is marked out for us. Be patient, throw off the chains that bind, and run!

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.psalm22.net

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com

 

 

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

<((((><

 

www.psalm22.net

 

www.theworkweekwithchrist.blogspot.com