The Gift

Luke 2:10 -11 10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The gift, the miracle, the undeserved answer to our prayers. The Christmas season is here, and 5 days from now we will join in unison to give thanks for the gift of life that was given to us by God. I have to share with you…..it happened today…..it happens every year, and I never know when it will show up…….but this morning there it was. Today I find myself filled with the Christmas spirit. I feel the overwhelming undeniable feeling of joy, and the need to tell people in my life how thankful I am for God, For His Son, and for having them in my life. It is truly a season of JOY!

Each and every year I promise myself that I am going to hang on to this feeling. I am determined to be this thankful, this joyful, this over the top happy to be alive, and have the chance to reach out to everyone I come across……I think I made it to about the end of February last year…….yeah, pretty dismal I know, but next year I know I will be making a run for it again! It does beg the question, how long do we stay grateful for the gift. Oh I know, don’t get me wrong here, I know most people are thankful throughout the year, but being thankful, and being full of joyful thanks, is not the same thing is it?

Let’s say you wanted a Porsche, fully loaded, free and clear, yours, tax title and licenses, you want it, you dream about it….and one day you open your door, and there it is! You are excited, you are joyful, you think you are the luckiest person on the face of the planet. Matter of fact the first month you have it you run in and pull people out of stores, movies, and work, just to come look at it, next month you are still pretty excited, matter of fact the first several months you remain on cloud nine…..then it happens, you jump in one day, crank the engine over, and it is just a Porsche. When people ask what you drive, you get a little gleam in your eye, you are thankful, but you simply respond, Porsche. We humans are bad about this, we get used to having something, and we go from appreciation, to more of an expectation mindset.

Christ (and I don’t have to tell you this) is not a Porsche. There is not one thing on this earth that can compare to the magnificence of the Lord, there is nothing that comes close to His power, His glory, or His presence, yet somehow, someway, in the middle of life, with all the hustle, and bustle, all of the trials and tribulations that come with just living this crazy life, it happens. Oh we don’t like to talk about it, we don’t like to admit it, we don’t like to say it out loud, and like it less when someone else does, but Christ becomes that Porsche. We are thankful, we know we should….but. We really want to…..but. We have the time….but……well we just are not as happy, or as joyful, or as thankful as that first day our Savior entered our lives!

That is what is so great about this Season. It is a chance to rekindle that fire into a blaze! It is an opportunity for us to recognize just how awesome of a gift that we have been given, and we get that gift not once a year, or once in a lifetime, but that gift walks with us each and every day. I am extending a challenge to each person that reads this. For at least the next five days, commit to be joyfully thankful. Write a letter, or an e-mail to someone who deserves thanks, but most likely does not get it. Tell the people you come in contact with just how great it is to have them in your life. Share the good news with those who have not heard it, and revel in the happiness with those who have. Make the next five days a reason for those who know you to take pause. Let them see what joyful thankfulness looks like. Then five days from now, see if you can make it another five, try to carry it into the new year. Write letters, make phone calls, drag people out of the stores, movies, and work, shake hands, pat backs. Let the world know to “fear not, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people”

Merry Christmas to all, and may God bless each of you this Christmas Season!

God Bless,

Brian Thetford

The Ridge Fellowship

Psalm22

The Workweek With Christ

Two Way Street

Romans 8:32  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

 

 

I know that we hear all of the time from our friends, our loved ones, our co-workers, “hey, I am here for you” . “whatever you need, just let me know”  “whatever I have is yours”….however most of the time this old saying holds true. We will be friends through thick and thin……but when it gets thick….I am going to thin out! That is the way most of our relationships go. As a result we become jaded, we become untrusting, we start to think that the only person that is willing to give 100% for us….is us. It is no surprise that we take those feelings and throw them right on to the Lord.

 

The Lord will not help me, I am all alone, God does not care. All of these feelings have little to do with what the Lord is doing in our life, and a lot to do with the fact that this is the expectation that we have experienced from the world, so we project it onto God. Romans 8 is a great chapter, we all know verse 28 that reads that God works for the good in the lives of those who love Him. This verse (32) is even more to the point. God loves each one of us so much that He gave His only Son. He did not spare Him, He did not hold anything back. He gave the most important thing any of us could think of….His own Son. Do you really think God would make that kind of commitment, then turn and walk away? Bring that thought into your own life. Think of something you have worked on, something that you have poured your heart and soul into. Did you reach a point where you just said forget it, before it was completed? Highly doubtful. Now what if it was something that you felt so committed to that you leveraged your house, your car, and all of your savings? Would you just throw in the towel when it got hard, or looked difficult? No, of course not, you have gone all in, you will give whatever is needed to make sure it works. Now think if you had to give one of your children. The only way you could see this thing through would be for you to give up one of your own…..would you quit? Would you be willing to walk away? If it was something that you loved so much that you killed one of your own children, what would it take to make you stop giving to that cause? NOTHING.

 

That is where God is at in your relationship. There is nothing that can separate you for God loving you, there is nothing that can come between you and Christ…..except yourself. You see all too often, God does not run out on us, we run out on Him. God gave His Son. What did we give? What do we continue to give? Have you ever given any thought to the idea that God has not quit giving, we have just quit accepting? You might think “whaaat?” no way, no how have I quit taking anything offered by God. What about the love of your spouse? Do you accept that every day, or are there many days that it is taken for granted to the point that it is just an expectation? What about your family, your job (or the time given to you while you do not have one), your friends, those that come in contact with you every day? What do we do with these things? Anything? anything at all? Do we accept these gifts that are given daily, or do we just expect them to be there? As a result, we do not truly accept them, we set them on a shelf to collect dust, and miss the spectacular gift that has been given to us.

 

Now let me ask you this. If you have children (and if not think of when you were a kid) what do you do when you give your child gifts and the do not use them, or they waste them, or they take them for granted? Don’t you want to find a way to get them to use what has been given before you give more? Why give them another bike, when the one they have is not used? Why give them a new glove, when they will not even go outside to play ball? Starting to see the point? There is nothing that God will not give you, if you need it. There is no length that the Lord will not go to make sure you are taken care of. He is all in, He has invested His most precious asset. He has made the full commitment. Now it is up to each of us to utilize what we have been given. We have to accept the gifts given each day, we have to make the most of every day. I can promise you that you have been given a gift today….what will you do with it? Will you set it to the side while you wait for the “good” gift? The one you have been praying for, the one that YOU really want? Or will you choose to take each gift and celebrate it, cherish it, and make the most out of it? Yeah I know if we do that with every little gift we are given we will be pretty tired, and we will be pretty busy…….and we will realize that we are pretty blessed. God does not hold back, so make it a point to not hold back on God. He will flood your life, but you have to turn on the spigot. He Gave the first gift, He gave the big gift. Will it go to use, or go on the shelf? There is nothing God will not give, can we say the same about what we are willing to give back to God?

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Whatever You Wish

John 15:7-8  7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

 

This is a tricky verse, that is why included the verse after it for clarity. SO often we read the first verse, and when I say read, I mean skim over. The problem with doing that is many people read this verse, and are left with a feeling of less than more. We tend to miss the first part (if you abide in me, and my words abide in you) and really hone in on the second (ask whatever you wish, and it will be done).  I bring this up because I believe this Christmas season there will be many disappointed “Christians” . When we take care of the first verse, the next verse takes care of itself. Am I not making sense? Let me point to it this way. Could you imagine Christ during prayer bargaining with His Father? “Father, I know you love me, and I have been working very hard down here in Your name, so how about you hook me up with a new house, you know I don’t own one now, and it would be great to have a home base to do your work”.  Maybe He would have asked for God to “give” Him that new flashy tunic that just came in, or the new sandals with the sole that allows the bottom of your foot to breath…..of course just saying those things out loud is laughable, It would be hard, if not impossible to picture Jesus like that. Yet, if we are honest with ourselves, are we not all like that to some degree this time of year? I hope I get, I really want, you know what I need?

 

Don’t get me wrong here, I do enjoy getting gifts, just as much as, and in some cases more than the guy next to me (he got socks). What we have to be careful of is that we do not start to confuse love of any kind with the newest shiniest thing. We have to make sure that while we all have worldly desires, those desires are taking a back seat to God’s. What is more important, that your father gave you a car for graduation, but missed it, or that he gave you a 10 dollar watch, but was there to hug you and tell you how proud he was of you? Do you want your spouse to hand you that perfect gift on Christmas morning, or would you rather them have nothing to give, but that look of love and desire that they had for you the first year you were together? I guess what I am getting at is that the fancy wrapper, and the cost of the gift is what the world wants us to pay attention to; but the love, the intent, the true gift is found in the one that has given.

 

The Jews were waiting for that flashy gift to show up. They are still waiting today. They wanted a king, we were given a commoner. They were looking for a savior from the Romans, we were given a Savior from death. You see the gift God gave the world might not of looked like much. There was no golden palaces, no expensive linens, no grandeur surrounding this gift from God. This simple gift however would change the world, He would in fact change our lives, and eternity.  The gift did not look like much, but the love, the intent, the desire behind that gift was beyond comprehension.

 

You see that is the difference between asking for a worldly gifts, and wishing for Godly desires. It is hard to glorify the Father when we are more worried about glorifying ourselves. It is hard to bear fruit if you are not watered with the life giving Word of God, It is hard to be a disciple of Christ, when we are disciples for ourselves.  When we align ourselves with the Word of God, when we work to live our lives chasing after the Lord, our desires turn from what do I get to what can I give. When we abide in the Lord, we will begin to see more worth in the gift giver than the gift itself. Oh don’t get me wrong, we all have lists (an Orvis reel with a 8 – 9 ft. graphite fly rod if anyone is asking)  but what we must remember is hopefully in the end we have given more than we were given, and no matter what shows up….if anything at all. We know we are loved, we know that the true gift has already been given, and it is one that while it might not of looked like much, turned out to be one of immeasurable worth. Christ did not ask for much, but always had what He needed. He was always ready to give, even when love was returned with hate. Jesus did not ask for new sandals, He asked for love. Love for Him, and for us to love each other. As we enter into this season, that is my wish for all of us. May we feel the love of the Lord, may we seek to love those around us, even if it is not returned. Way we all have a blessed Christmas season.  

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Why?

Isaiah 48:10  Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

 

Times are tough, there is little doubt about that. People are hurting, and they are feeling alone. I hear, now more than ever, the one question that resonates. Why? Why me, why now, why does it have to be hard, why can’t it just come easy? When I hear that question, I often think of this verse. I talked to a fella that works with various metals, and I asked him just what it means to “purify” silver. He told me that if you purify it, you have taken all of the slag out. The junk, the stuff that is just filler, and fluff, but not silver. When you get all of that out, then you have purified the silver. I asked him just how he goes about doing that. He told me that you put the silver in a smelter, and crank up the heat, as the silver gets hotter, it pushes out the impurities, and they rise to the top. He then takes a tool and pulls the slag off the top. He continues to add heat and pull off the slag. I asked him how he knew when he got all of the slag out. was there a temperature that must be reached, was it a specific time that it had to be done for, just how do you know.  His answer pretty much sums up what the Lord is telling us here. The man looked at me and said “I know when I am down to pure silver because when I look into the smelter, I see my reflection”. Wow, with enough heat, and enough time spent pulling the junk out he can see his reflection.

 

That my friends is what the Lord is doing. Now as it is pointed out we are not put through the same fire as silver. Humans don’t keep well when exposed to high heat. However we have a different furnace. It is the furnace of affliction. Yeah, I know…..no one likes to hear about the furnace of affliction. I do not particularly like it myself. It is hot, it is uncomfortable, and typically I end up losing some stuff that I was fairly sure I needed. However, in the end, when the Lord gets all of our slag out, guess what? He can see Himself. Now that is worth the work; and knowing that God is working to get all of the junk out of us, should also remind us that we are not alone. The Lord is standing over that furnace, pulling out the slag as it comes to the top. Have you ever stood over a furnace, or smelter? Have you ever splashed a little slag onto you while pulling it off the top? It is not easy work. It takes time, it takes sacrifice, and it takes having to put up with a little pain. Yet there the Lord is, diligently working to get the slag out.

 

I often think how frustrated God must be with me sometimes. I can just see Him, standing over the furnace of my life, sifting out the slag….almost done, getting clear, starting to shimmer….then bam! Another round of slag pushes up to the top. I can almost hear Him exclaim “good night! How much junk does this guy have to burn out?” Really? More? Yet He does not tire. He does not throw up His arms, and say just forget it, let’s pour this one out, and get a new one. No, He does not. He patiently stands over the furnace, waiting for the next round. Knowing that as long as I am willing to put in the work, sooner or later, that last bit of slag will float up to the top, and he will pull it off to reveal His reflection. He will look at me, and see Himself, He will look at my heart, and see the heart of His Son. At that moment, both the Lord, and I will know that every hardship, every bit of pain, grief, turmoil, disappointment, and every set back, was needed to bring me to this moment.

 

Take heart, and stand fast, this current season of pain, will give way to a season of joy. The pain will turn to happiness, and the disappointment, will turn to elation. You are simply in the process of pushing out some slag, and make no mistake about it….the Lord is right there ready to snatch it up, looking to see how much of Himself he can see in the reflection.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Nov 15th

1 John 4:12  No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

 

 

Did you read the paper today? Maybe you listened to the radio on the way in, or you caught the news on the T.V. before you started your day. Pretty amazing stuff. We have people rallying against people who make too much money, we have people going to individuals houses, and calling them out. We have Politicians picking the personal life of their opponents apart, trying everything, and every angle to tear down the person. It is a pretty amazing sight. I am sure with a little thought you can come up with countless other instances in the news….maybe in your own life, where you see one person attacking another. What does any of that have to do with this scripture? Well first many of these people will be found in a Church this Sunday, and second I have yet to see an act of love generated from any of the actions listed above.

 

You see, if we are to make a difference in this world, if we are to “fix” things, if we are going to spread the love and light of the Lord……We are going to have to understand the difference between the issues, and the person. We are going to have to understand that tough love is not the same as defamation, and assault (and no that does not just mean physical assault). When did it become OK to go out of our way to hurt someone “just to prove a point” when did there become an acceptable amount of pain that we are allowed to inflict? We are allowing our world to turn into a cesspool, and I say we are allowing, because even if you sit back and say “well I am not doing any of that” Just what exactly are we doing (myself included) to stop it?

 

It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning. You see, I am part of the problem, I don’t want to be, and honestly I am not sure how I became involved, but looking back, I am fairly sure it had to do with me wanting to fit it. SO what do I mean? Well we did not just wake up and say “hey, starting today it is going to be OK to hurt people, or attack them” No, it started much more innocently than that. The devil is not one just to bang in the door, he is much better at just creeping in. Looking back, I see that I am not much different that a lot of people. It used to be that I had a lot for problems with many issues, but then the problem quit being with the issues, and became more about the person. It is a theme that I hear repeated often. Oh, so and so is for this, and did you know that they filed for bankruptcy, and they cheated on their spouse, and they lied on their taxes, and they…….wow! Now it seems like we are less interested in showing what is wrong with the issue, and a lot more interested in tearing the other person down. Worse yet, I don’t hear much about trying to help fix any of the problems that I have just been so eager to share with whoever will listen.  How about you? Are you guilty of the same thing? Do you see any love in any of that statement? DO you find a shimmer of the love that God holds for that person in my wonderful assessment? Sadly, neither do I. It brings me to the very upsetting revelation that I am missing the mark. To use my favorite archery term….I am sinning.

 

We have got to make it a point to start leading with love, even when we are encountered with people who lead with hate. Even when we find it so easy to drill down on the short comings of the person, instead of sticking with the issue, or trying to find a way to help instead of just continuing the process of degradation. It is up to each one of us to re direct the conversation, to stand up for the person, while point out the shortcomings of the issue. We must act in love, and we must start today. We live in a world where many people would love to see the name of God removed, and eradicated. Looking at the way I have behaved in a few instances….who can blame them? No one has seen God, and if people cannot see Him, and His Son in us then what are we doing here? Were we not called to spread the good news? Looking at the news, I don’t see much good news being professed. Listening to the water cooler talk I hear little good news, and more talk of isolation, despair, and struggle. How can God work to produce a perfect work in us, if we are working hard to go in the opposite direction? How can God light the world, if we refuse to light our hearts? Jesus hung on a cross, and his last act was to show love those that killed Him, He met hatred with forgiveness. Yet I have a hard time forgiving my neighbor? I have a hard time not talking negative about them? It would seem that I have some work to do, and I don’t believe I am alone on this. Hopefully, I can work to get my heart to look like Christ’s

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Following Your Heart?

Proverbs 16:9  The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.

 

 

Have you ever spent time planning something then for no real unexplained reason you end up going a different direction? We have all had that happen. You see the heart wants what the heart wants, but The Lord will step in to keep us from straying too far off the path. He nudges, He prompts, He sends the spirit to guide. We plan, we plot, we spend our time looking towards where we want to go, not necessarily where we need to go. We are only human, not perfect, nowhere near if we are to be honest. So everything we want, everything we desire, is not always the best for us, or for the Lord. Yet we want it anyway. What  God we serve!

 

I often hear the question, if the Lord can guide, if He can establish, then why not just line us out? You know why don’t we wake up in the morning, and right in the middle of our prayer, God breaks in directly, and says “OK, today this is what I need from you. I need you to go here, do this, and then go see this person” , Or maybe “today, I need you to work on this” Why can’t it just be that simple? Well, there are a couple of points to that question. First, where would the love come in? If we did it because we were told to, what would be the point? We are not down here doing anything that God can’t do for himself. Do you really think God needs us to go feed the homeless? Did He not feed an entire nation when they were homeless? Does He need us to go care for the sick? Did Christ himself not heal with a touch, or with a simple command? No, please never confuse “doing God’s work” with doing something in the name of God, because if you don’t He can’t”. We do these things so we can be living examples of God’s love, and that is a task that must be chosen to do. Just as each one of us were chosen by the Lord. Christ Told us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” He chose us, and He chose to love us. If He did it because He “had to” then the love would not be present, it would be nothing more than a function. A check mark on a list. That is not love, that is something else entirely.

 

Secondly, what if I were to tell you that God does break into your day (and sometimes your prayers) and nudges you in the direction of His plan? He does, but as this scripture points out, sometimes we are busy following our plans, and we do not see His. Want to know what the Lord wants you to work on today? See what comes into your life. For some reason no matter what time I leave, I typically run into traffic at some point on the way in to work. I only have a 15 minute drive……traffic….at 6:45….really?  Yeah, that is no surprise, I need to work on my patience, and I find it no surprise I am provided with opportunities to work on that. Another good example is who the Lord brings into my life daily. It never fails, I typically have to deal with a few people who really have the unique ability to grind on my nerves. Yeah……sometimes I really need to work on seeing people for who they are, instead of just how they affect me….you might say I can be a little selfish. You know, I talked to a friend of mine the other day, and we were talking about this very subject. He looked at me and proceeded to tell me that he does not have those types of people in his life…..I said never? He said he could not think of one person that would meet that description. I am left with no other alternative than to believe the my friend must of lined that issue out, and is now on to other things. How about the people that need help, the people that are hurting, the opportunities that come up to make a difference, but overlap the football game, or the night out on the town?  You see, we ask for God’s guidance, but I tell you…..He is offering guidance every day…..but we have to choose to follow. We have to make a choice between our heart’s earthly desire, and the desire to follow the steps the Lord has lined up for us.

 

I will leave you with this thought. If your brother or sister called and asked something of you would you go do it? What if it got in the way of your plans? Would you still go? What if by doing this thing you knew you could show them how much you loved them. Wouldn’t you do it? What if it was your Dad, or your Mom? They asked you to do something, maybe they did not even ask (you know how parents can be) maybe they just dropped a hint, or you picked up on something they said. Wouldn’t you make it a point to do it? Even if you had to change your plans? Of course you would, you love them, and you want them to know it, you want an opportunity to show them. SO you put your plans to the side, and you work on theirs. God, Christ, The Holy Spirit….are they not our family as well? Honestly, don’t they love you more than your own parents, your siblings? Then, how can we not lay down our plans, and follow the steps the Lord has laid out for us? Oh we will always want what the heart wants, but we choose what we will go after. Every day, sometimes every hour. We make a choice. Will we close our eyes and blindly follow our hearts desire, or will we live with our eyes open, looking for the things the Lord beings into our life? Will we choose us or Him. It really comes down to a simple question……who do you love?

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

We Are The Body

John 20:14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

 

The tomb is empty, and the Christ is gone. This has to be the lowest point in Mary, and the disciples lives. Could you imagine the despair, the utter feeling of being totally lost they must have felt? Yet Mary turns, and there is Jesus. Folks, that is the way life is every single day and twice on Sunday. Every day Christ is at our side, yet so often we never turn to see Him. We get lost in the moment, lost in the pain, and disappointment of the day. We get wrapped up in the deals, the bargains, the hectic schedule, and we pick up so much speed that it feels like either the wheels are going to fall off, or we will be crushed by the weight of the day. At that moment, we need to turn to the Lord. The knee jerk human, worldly reaction is to reach out, grab another gear, and hope it all holds together for another day, that is not the way we were built. We were made to live, laugh, and love, not stress, cry, then die. Each day we should find some time to turn and see that Jesus is walking with us. We should remind ourselves that even at our lowest point we are not alone. Jesus is there to take the burden, the confusion, the pain, and the frustration. He never asked you to carry it, nor did His Father, all they have ever asked is that you live for them, and allow them to carry all of your weight.

 

There is more to this verse though, a little bit of symbolism I believe. You see Mary turned, and saw Jesus, but she did not see, nor understand that this was Jesus at first.  Now there are a number of reasons why this could have happened, perhaps Jesus did not want her to see that is was Him immediately, in this case I believe it is more of typical grief. Jesus was dead, Mary saw Him die, She could not get her head around the fact that He was actually standing in front of her. So at first she thought that He was the gardener. And here I find the symbolism.  If it were just the gardener standing there, and that gardener was a believer, then would that not mean that there was in fact a part of Christ standing there? When someone is at their lowest point, and they turn and see you, should they not see Jesus staring back at them? Should they not feel the love, compassion, and help, that we expect, and enjoy from the Lord? Are we not told that we are the Church, we are the living breathing body of Christ? Are we not the living examples of Christ here on Earth? I think you know the answer to those questions. Which means that it does not matter if you are just a gardener, or the President, CFO, CEO, COO, VP,  or any fancy initials you want to hang after your name, we all carry the same prefix J.C…..Jesus Christ. We are here for each other, to help out, to carry the load, to build up the broken, and tear down the walls that hinder. Today Mary might turn and instead of Jesus she might see you, or perhaps today is the day that you turn and see the outstretched hand of another. Give the help that is needed, and take the help that is offered. With God above, the Spirit within, Jesus at our side, and the living breathing body of Christ around us, we should never feel alone, or left behind.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Just For You

Matthew 9: 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 

 

There are a couple of passages that reflect this same simplicity Jesus says, and people do. Hey you, get up and follow me…..and Matthew gets up and goes. Pretty simple huh? I mean it seems easy enough, Why not right? Christ shows up in your life, and you move….What? it’s not that easy? There is more to it than that? Life is more complicated today? There are more grey areas, life is not so black and white like it was back then? I might be inclined to go along with those thoughts, but Matthew was a tax collector. If you want to see a picture of someone living in the grey area, look at the life of a tax collector in the day of Jesus. These guys were crooks, by way of the law, they taxed more than they were supposed to and they kept the profits. It was common knowledge, no one liked the tax man (some things never change). Matthew was living a life that would rival Bernie Madoff! The difference is Matthew most likely never would have been caught, and prosecuted! Think about it, Matthew had a pretty good gig going on by worldly standards. He took what he wanted, lived as he pleased, did not want for anything. Matthew must of had a nice house, he threw a dinner party and a ton of folks showed up. If they had Maserati’s back then, you can bet Matthew would have had one.    Yet, Matthew was called, and Matthew moved! That tells me one thing. Out of all the stuff that Matthew had, he still felt like he was missing something. He knew there was more to be had. I often wonder about the next few days after Matthew decided to follow Jesus. I can see him sort of looking around thinking, “wow, this cat does not have anything!” What am I doing here, why did I give up everything that I had? I am sure that all of those questions were answered as soon as Jesus raised that little dead girl. Oh, I can here Matthew say to himself, this guy gives life to those that are dead………OK, I am in!

 

That is the simplicity of Christ. Get out past the religion, the “right music” the “right rituals” “ the right prayers” the “right church” get down to the brass tacks, and you will see plain and simple, Jesus brings life where there was only death. That is what makes the choice so simple. It is that very thing that makes men and women leave their lives of comfort, and travel to faraway lands to tell the world this truth. It is why people turn from their old worldly lives, and follow Jesus when He calls. They realize that Christ brings them life…..Christ brings you life. It is this simple truth, Christ died for you, that can change a life, a family, a community, a country, and yes the entire world we live in. There is something more out there for you. I don’t care who you are, or where you are at in your journey with God. That empty feeling, that little empty feeling that shows up usually when you are at the height of your game. The celebration that falls a little short, the joy that somehow still feels a little lacking. That is the feeling of knowing there is more out there. That is the feeling of the call of Christ to do a little more than last time (even if last time was nothing). It is the feeling of making sure you make that simple choice, and follow when Christ calls. I am sure that Matthew knew exactly what feeling I am talking about. I would be willing to bet he had been living with that feeling for quite a while.

 

Knowing that Christ brought us life, and continues to guide us through that life. Knowing that He offers that life to you each and every day, and each and every day, He calls you to make that choice, and fill that empty feeling with the Love of Christ. There is always more to do, there is always something better out there, that something better is what Christ is calling you for. He is not calling me to it, He has me doing something else. He is not calling your neighbor to it, He has them tied up on another task. He is calling you. The work He has done, He did for you. The work He continues to do, He is doing for you. The call that you hear….yes, it is for you. Will you go as willingly as Matthew did? Even if it means that you might have to give up some of what you have to get what you are being called to? Christ is calling you today, will you follow? It really is just that easy. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be willing.

 

 

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Rings and Things

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

 

 

I have not been wearing my wedding ring here lately. My joint has been killing me right where my ring hits, so I am taking a break from wearing it. Now does that mean I get to take a break from my marriage? Since I do not have that little chunk of silver on my finger does that make my vows worthless, does it mean that since I am not waving the married flag, it does not count? Better question, when I do wear it, am I now somehow magically bound by the mysterious powers of the metal that encircles my finger, and now I am unable to do any wrong? I think we all know the answer to that. That ring means nothing. It is nothing more than a way to convey a status to the world of what my intentions are, not necessarily how I am living. What I do with it off, or on is up to me. The outward appearance has nothing to do with the internal. I am what I was led to be, married. Ring, or no ring, it all still counts, and people will know my marital status, not by the ring, but by my actions.

 

Folks, we are not called to admire Christ, we are not called to be His cheerleaders…..he does not need them! No, God made us in His, and His Sons image, and we are called to be Christ like. We are called to emulate Him, not just admire. However, just like my wedding ring, many folks today seem to think that just because we wear the right ring, have the correct bumper sticker, go to the right Church, drink or eat the right things, or sing the right songs then we are Christ like.  I know many people who are flying the Jesus flag, yet just like the guy with the cowboy hat that has never been on a horse……they are all hat, and no cattle. We have fallen it to the trap of being more worried about how we are perceived than worried about how we are LIVING like Christ. This is not some lengthy admonishment about how we terrible of a job we are doing. It is more of a desperate plea for us to each stop and look at our lives. You see, Christ never really cared what others thought about Him. He cleaved to the one and only truth. The Truth of His Father. He did not care where He preached that Word. In a boat, in a Synagogue, by a lake, on a hill, or in the house of a sinner. He did not care if those around Him were Samarian, Jew, or Roman. He showed love for His Father, and Love for each and every person around Him. Here is where we find the key. It is not a matter of where we are at, or what we are wearing. It does not matter if we find ourselves surrounded by Christians, or Atheists. We must be what we were called to be…… conformed to the image of Christ.

 

Does that mean that I have to have an Ichthus (Jesus Fish) sticker on my car? Do I have to belong to the Church that is deemed the “right” one in my circle? No. If I shout Jesus from the rooftops, and say I believe, will that mean that I am “in”. Nope, even the devil believes in Christ…matter of fact I would bet that the devil believes in Christ more than a lot of people today. Saying you are married does not make you married, saying you are sober does not cure the alcoholic, calling a dog’s tail a leg, does not mean that a dog has 5 legs.

 

We have been given a gift, we have been shown the greatest amount of love that anyone could be shown. When we least deserved it, we were given what we did not deserve on our best day! In return all we can do is try to live the life that the Lord has planned for us, and that life is one that looks as close to Christ’s as we can get. No, it is not easy, yes, we will have days that we will fail miserably at it. But it is not that ring or the bumper sticker that will define your walk with Christ. It will be defined, and a testimony to all around you, when they see you struggle, but continue on, when you fall, and get back up, when you falter, and reach out to the Lord for stability. When we return love for hate, compassion, for scorn. When we are seen nailing our lives to the Cross of Christ, standing on the rock, dirt under our fingernails from clawing our way back up, torn shirts from navigating the thorn bushes, and holes in the knees of our pants from praying for the help, guidance, grace, peace and strength needed to make it another day. A ring will not make you married, and a bumper sticker will not make you a Christian. Both take a lifetime of selflessness, just like the life that Christ led.

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Oh Yes You Can

Romans 3:3  What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?

 

So you can’t do it huh? God does not deliver for you, He does not listen to you, you are not important enough. You cannot dream that big, those things don’t happen to me, there is no way I can be that lucky….it’s always the other guy. I hear these, or versions of these statements often. Who are you listening to? Who has told you to water down your dreams. Who has convinced you that you cannot win? Who in your life right now, or in your past has robbed you of undiluted faith? Their unbelief, has fueled your unbelief. One of the hardest things in life to learn, and believe, is just because a “smart” person says it…well….that does not make it true. Their lack of faith does not mean that there are no faithful! We get in this habit of believing what others say, more than what we know. We start to defer to friends, self-help books, and the latest fad to try and find our worth, and our compass. We start to believe the lie that somehow the person with the better background, the better college receipt, the better wife, car, family, whatever you want to measure, is better, or more deserving that we are. Has God promised to be more faithful to  them? Have they cut a deal with the Lord to have more, or have it easier? Maybe they are right, and you are just not that smart!

 

I want to be very clear on this, God is not a deal maker. He made one deal and one deal only, He allowed us to kill His Son, so that His Son might stand in for our sins. As a result that deal made us all sons and daughters to God, and siblings to Christ. That is the deal, not another one has been made, nor is there another on to come. God’s faithfulness extends to each and every one of us. Not more to one, and less to another, but exactly what we need and how much we need to accomplish His goals for us. Folks His goals are big, His plans are monumental, and His faith, and belief in you goes well beyond what any mere human might think of you. Could you imagine if Christ let His faithfulness be dictated by those around Him? I can see it now, Jesus walking down the streets of Jerusalem, kicking rocks and dust, head down, murmuring to Himself, “geez, the Pharisees don’t believe me, the Romans don’t believe me, very few of the Jewish people believe in me”……”Maybe they are right”, “Maybe I can’t change the world”. “Maybe my Dad just does not know what He is talking about”……….. WHAAAAAT???? Could you imagine? No….honestly no, I cannot imagine that ever happening. So why do we think it is ok for us to think like that, why would we allow someone’s unfaithfulness nullify God’s?

 

We have to believe in ourselves, and the best way to do that is to believe in God’s faithfulness to us. It is hard to just believe in ourselves, You hear that all the time….”come on, just believe in yourself and you can do it”. But if you will believe in the promises God has made to you, then it becomes quiet clear that no one can dilute your dreams, no one can hold you back. You are not trapped, you are not restrained. God….the God….you know THE ONE….He says you can. He says you are worth it. He says that with Him, His Son, and the Holy Spirit in your life there is no dream that He sets into motion that you cannot accomplish. Do not allow the unfaithful around you to nullify God’s faithfulness! Shrug off the I can’t, and the I will nevers’…God says you can, the Lord says you will, listen to the Lord. He will tell you time and time again, “yes my child, you can”.

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Luke 6:12 -13  ¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

 

 

Christ spent the night praying, and I would think that is anyone had the ear of God that night, His Son did. Christ did not just pray a little, He spent the night praying. Anyone that has taken part in a prayer vigil knows praying all night take some focus, it takes commitment, and it takes determination. After a night of prayer, Christ goes out and chose twelve men to be His apostles. Not ten, not eleven, but twelve, and one of those twelve was who? Judas. The man that would betray Jesus, was handpicked the morning after a night of prayer. If that is not proof positive that we will have difficult people in our lives I do not know what is!

 

We can read where that Jesus experienced all things human. It is one of the aspects that makes Him able to identify with us so well. I would think that this must have been one of the harder things to experience. Not just betrayal, but betrayal at the hands of one you love. It is a stark reminder that God’s plan does not always mean “our plan” , we can pray for protection, we can pray for an easy life, we can pray for smooth waters, we can pray night and day endlessly, but that will not change the fact that we will be hurt, we will be betrayed, the waters will get rough. So am I saying that we should not pray? Of course not! Prayer is vital in our relationship with the Lord. Christ Knew what was in store for Him, and He did not falter in His praying!  What we must understand is, that sometimes prayers are answered in the middle of our pain. The sweet healing power of the Love of Christ might just show up in the middle of a torrential downpour. An entire world was set free at the pinnacle of one Man’s pain. Your prayers are always answered, but sometimes we have to struggle through the pain to get to the blessing. This is our “big game” the world cup, the world series, the super bowl, and the masters all rolled into one. We pray for a win, but honestly we pray for strength. We pray for the fortitude to endure the challenges that we are to face.

 

What have you obtained in this life that yourself or someone else did not have to sacrifice for? If it was easy to get, was it satisfying to obtain? Your job, your family, your friends, even your hobbies, are they any sweeter when they come without struggle? Why would we want or expect our relationship with Christ to be any different? For every step you take in prayer, you can bet the devil will be there to try and knock you back. Praying does not guarantee us a life of ease. It guarantees us an open line of communication with God. It allows us to cry out and let the Lord know that we cannot do it on our own. God is God, not Santa Clause (although some pictures it is hard to tell the difference) His plan might take us through dark storms, disappointing outcomes, and less than satisfying relationships, but I want you to remember something. God works for the good in the lives of the people that love Him, and have been called to His purpose. It might not seem like it right now, but know this; If it is not good right now, that just means that God is not done. Do not slack on your praying, increase it. Just because you find that you have a traitor in your midst does not mean that your prayers have not been answered, it might just be that God is about to do something huge in your life. Life is tough, and at times it might seem unfair, but know that God is a just God, He is faithful, and He is moving right now to change your life, and you know what….He is going to work in that traitors life as well. It might just be that traitor is doing some praying himself, that might just be what brought them to you.  Remember that light at the end of the tunnel……it might be you.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Who Says?

1 Samuel 17:33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”

 

You can’t you, are not able, you don’t know how, you cannot learn, you will fail! Saul might as well have told David he was worthless. Who is telling you that today? Who are you listening to today? No, No, NO, NO, NO! we hear it over and over again every day. People are constantly telling us what we can and cannot accomplish.  We all have our Goliaths to face. They are the problems in this life that follow us, they taunt us, and they make us doubt ourselves. So who do we listen to? It is more often the case than not that we listen to the boss that tells us that we will never pull it off, the spouse who says don’t take the risk, the friend who tells you that you will fail. So we slink back behind the ranks of others who are just as scared as we are, and we wait. Goliath is still there, he is still calling out your name, he is still waiting. Why do we listen to those that would hold us back? I love David’s response to Saul “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” David is telling Saul that he has had other times where he has faced adversaries, they might have been smaller, but he won. If God will see him through the small ones, He will see David through the big ones! You see, when we listen to the world we will never be able to fully trust in the Lord, but when we set those naysayers aside, and focus on the Lord, focus on His strength, focus on His promises, focus on His faithfulness, then we will see there is nothing that we cannot do. There is no problem that we cannot face, and overcome. The world says you can’t, but the Lord says with Me, all things are possible. SO who will you listen to? Sometimes getting to the fight is half the battle. How many people do you think stopped David on the way to the battle field? An entire army refused to step forward, yet this one young man walked past them all. To get to a point where he could fight the Philistine, David first had to fight through the people who were supposed to be supporting him! Oh, but when we do that, when we refuse to listen to the ones who would tell us we can’t, and instead listen to THE ONE who says we can, when we lose ourselves, and find the voice of the Lord inside of us, we are unstoppable, no weapons formed against us will prosper. So who says you can’t, and does it really matter? The important thing to remember is who says you can!

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Sitting Idle

Ecclesiastes: 11:4  Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

 

A short sentence that not only gives us good advice for our spiritual life, but our daily life as well. No one ever got anything done waiting for the “right” conditions. You can wait for a sign all day, but the fact is you might have spent so much time looking for “your” sign missed the sign that was given. When you drive down loop one in Austin, and you are looking for the Rollingwood exit, there is a good chance you will blow right past it. The sign does not say Rollingwood, it only gives the county road number.  As a result, you know where you are going, but you are looking for a sign instead of looking at what needs to be done, you miss the road, and now you are having to back track. Things like that trip us up every single day. How often do you set on the side lines waiting for the right time, or waiting for a sign that will show you the way. We have to go after what we want, and pay attention to all of the signs, not just one specific thing. I was meeting up with a friend the other day. It was at a restaurant that was set back off the road. I had parked in what I thought was a good place, it seemed like I would be visible. So I am standing around, waiting, assuming that my friend got held up in traffic. A piece of what turned out to be trash caught my eye, I though it looked cool , so I head over. I call my friend as I am looking at this trash, and ask where are you. His response, pulling in now, good thing you were standing there, I would have never seen this place. I thought I was in a good spot, but it turns out my little diversion was just what was needed, just when it was needed. Had I been focused on just the driveway, I would not have seen the trash, I would not have moved, I would still be sitting there, waiting for something to happen. The exact same thing happens in our relationships, and in our business dealings every day. Tunnel vision, kills the ability to see the big picture, it keeps us in our little box, and keeps us chained in place.

 

The same thing can be said about our spiritual journey. We get so focused on waiting for a sign, the we don’t move. We stay planted waiting for a billboard, while millions of pieces of “trash” are laying there, just waiting for us to notice. Could you imagine someone saying well I want to get more involved in the church, but I am going to wait until the Lord shows me the way, or maybe I am waiting to start going to Church until I see a clear sign showing me which church to go to. What if we were to all say, I will not speak to people about the Lord, until I am given a sign as to who exactly it is that I am supposed to speak to?!  We would never plant the seed, we would never harvest the crops, and we would miss out on the glory of the rain God provides, because it is not the “sign” we were looking for. Now I am not saying that God does not drop a clear sign onto us like a 20lb sledgehammer sometimes. He does. He has, and He will continue to do that. However we cannot stand by in idle waiting for the next one! It might not come for a while, and I can promise you that if you are going to be in the right place at the right time, you are going to have to take some steps in faith to get into position.  

 

Do not waste your time waiting for a sign, worse yet, do not waste your time waiting for the “right” sign. Move, plant, reap. Take a step in faith. You never know, that little piece of trash that caught your eye might just be the thing intended to get you where you need to be. You are easier to see when you are moving, you are more likely to see the sign if you are actively doing God’s work. You will live a life of wonder if you will live your life in full view, on the move, without tunnel vision.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

It Ain't Over Till It's Over

Philippians 1:6  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

 

 

This is a piece of Scripture that never grows old, it is just as important to remember this today, as it was yesterday, as it will be next year. In short, God is not done with you yet. We are works in progress right up until the Lord shows back up, or we draw our last earthly breath. I say it is important to remember, because we all fall into a rut from time to time. It might last a day, a week or a year….the length is typically dictated by you. We think “this is it”, “I have come as far as I can”, “I have grown as close to the Lord as I can” …my favorite….”I have done all the Lord has asked me to do”. These lies are meant to do one thing and one thing only, slow us down.  

 

We will never accomplish everything, because the list is never finished, tasks such as spread the Good News, Love God, Love your neighbor, there is no expiration date on them. There is not some point that we reach that we get to cross that off the list. We pull it off today, tomorrow is coming with the next sunrise, we have to do it again. AN amazing thing happens when we greet the sunrise with the list in hand, we change, we become different people, we become more like the Lord, and less like the worldly person we were. When we set our feet on the path of the Lord, when we strive to stay on that path for the entire day, you will not end the day the same as you were when you started it. God will have moved in your life, and He has continued His good work in you for the day.

 

We see people we think of as Godly, or righteous, or maybe even people who are just really fighting the good fight, and we think “I want to be like that, but I can’t”. “They were raised that way”. “They went to school”, “they had the advantages”, I don’t have that kind of time” Guess what? Each person that you see like that, started off where you are at now. In some cases they started off well behind you…..(I know I started off at the back of the pack….truth be told, I think the pack had a good head start!) The difference is that those people you see, they did not buy into the lie that they were done, or that they could not go any further. They are confident that God is going to continue His good works through them. That is what I want you to understand. We are nowhere near the finish line! God has amazing things in store for each of us, and He wants us to see those things daily….yes daily. Each day we choose to regress to where we were, stay where we are at, or move forward, even if it is only one small step, we move forward. We quit looking at where we are at, and start looking at where we need to be. Will you extend the love of Christ today? Will you offer up forgiveness, compassion, help, and time? Will you allow God to continue His good works in you today? He has started building a temple within you, will you allow the construction, or will you halt the construction? Be confident in knowing that what God starts, He sees through to the finish. It all comes down to the labor He is working with. Will we work as hard as His Son, or will we look to cut a deal like Judas? I will tell you the truth, the harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few, God is working in you, around you, and through you. You will not finish this day unchanged…..it ain’t over till it’s over.

 

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

I Will Not Be Moved

Psalm 62:6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.

 

You have to love these feel good verses! Doesn’t it sound great my rock, my salvation, my defense…..God is great indeed! I knew a guy that was always talking about how he ran his house. Make no mistake about it, it was HIS house. His wife did what he said to do, his kids never talked back, and carried out every instruction to the letter. TO hear this guy talk, what he said went, and there was no debate, no conversation, his word, and direction was law, right or wrong, he was the king. Funny thing though, I dropped him off from work one day, he invited me in, so in I went. While we were talking in the kitchen, his wife comes home. Now what I witnessed was not the iron fisted rule I had heard so much about…not by a long shot. Inside of the first five minutes she was home, his wife had him hopping! Take out the trash, the kids need to be picked up in the next half hour, and my favorite…..she wanted to know what HE was cooking for dinner!  What happened to the MAN of the house? Well, honestly he told people what he thought would make him look like he was expected to look, in reality things were a little different!

 

It is the same way with some of these verses sometimes. My rock, my salvation, my defense, I shall not be moved. These are not just feel good about God verses. They are declarations of how our relationship with God works. HE is my rock, this is not some pet rock that we keep in a box. We are talking a boulder. A rock so big that we can stand on the top, and weather any storm, and be safe from the flood waters, and the currents of this world. HE is my salvation. My deliverance, aid, victory, prosperity, health. This is not a word to be used lightly. Salvation is all in, it is not a sometimes, wishy washy word. It is a word that encompasses the very essence of our new life with the Lord. We are SAVED. He is my defense. He is our fortress, our protector, our shield form this worlds snares and traps. This verse finishes up with I shall not be moved. I will not sway, I will not waver, I will not change course, what you see today, you will see tomorrow. How I am right now, is how I am every day. This is the hardest part of this passage. We have to stay with the Lord. We cannot move. You move you come off the rock, you run and the victory has to chase you. Would you leave your fortress, to go outside while you were under attack? I would think not!

 

This verse is not just a “feel good verse” It is a declaration, it is a battle cry, it is a resounding resolution shouted for the world to hear. I SHALL NOT BE MOVED.  Do not be like my friend who will profess one thing, then act another. Do not read this verse, then go about your day as if you are not a new creation in Christ. Let the true meaning of this verse sink down into your marrow, let it fill your soul. He is my rock, my salvation,; he is my defense; I shall not be moved. Live it today, and every day to come. Live it like the victor that you are. Display it for the world to see. Let them know, you will not be moved.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ

 

Open Wide

Psalm 81:10  I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.

 

 

Open your mouth, and I will fill it…..that sounds like fairly easy instructions to follow, however a quick look around, and it is easy to see that easy instructions are not always easy to follow instructions! In this passage we are reminded How God brought His people out of Egypt. That was a huge task, a task only the LORD could pull off. Yet as soon as  His people get out on their own, do they open their mouths wide, and bask in the blessings of the LORD? Nope! Most of them open their complaint line, and instead of thanking the LORD for their freedom, they moan, groan and complain, about what they don’t have. Fast forward, and we see God speak to the Prophets, here again, a few turn to the Lord, but most just open up the complaint department again. The Christ comes, many more people turn, but many more instead of opening their mouths for the blessings, only loosen their tongues, and complain through a mouth barely open enough to get the words out.  As usual we typically get in the way of ourselves.

 

What if I were to tell you that I would stuff your mouth with thousand dollar bills, as much as you could hold, so you would have to open wide. How wide so you think your mouth would be? I know I would be trying to unhinge it just to get a few more in there! I am sure that most would agree with that idea! I mean come on, we are talking about thousand dollar bills! Do you think you would stop and think about how dirty that money would be? There is no telling where those bills have been, in the trash, under plates, maybe on the floor of a crack house or two. There is filth covering them, yet we would all be in line begging to be loaded up!

 

Yet here we have God, telling us, “open wide your mouth, and I will fill it” there is no dirt, no filth, yet when it comes time to open our mouths, we only open wide enough to get the spoon in! We look like children taking that nasty pink anti biotic ! We know we need it, we know it will help, but for some reason we only complain. I have to believe it has to do with the way we have been trained. The world does not care much for compassion, it does not care much about forgiveness, and the world is always running short on love. We are taught that these things are only for those that are closest to us. It is that wrong-headed thinking that keeps our mouths shut when we stand before the LORD. You see, if we are to have ourselves filled with what God has to offer, we must break this worldly cycle of me first. God tells us to open our mouths, and He will fill it, and He does. HE fills it with Hope, Peace, Love, Forgiveness, Compassion, and Strength. It is out of these things that the success you are searching for will come, and it is because of these things that the success you realize will last. It is with these things, that you will prepare in this life for the next.

 

The Lord is not an ATM, although to hear some Preachers talk today you might think so! He does reward, and He does bless, but the Lords blessings typically come in work clothes, and it will take some effort to be successful. Think of Christ.  Talk about a work ethic! HE took the gifts that were given to Him by His Father, and He changed the world forever. If God was not willing to give His own Son a free pass, I am willing to bet that we will not get one either. The gift of salvation is free for the taking, but the successful opportunities will take some effort. Open wide your mouth, the King of kings is offering you as much blessing as you can hold, and then some.

 

 

God Bless,

 

Brian Thetford

 

The Ridge Fellowship

 

Psalm22

 

The Workweek With Christ