Eternal Implications

What you do and what you say today can have eternal implications. Maybe in your life, maybe in someone else’s.

Have you ever considered the weight of our lives? So often we think about how the events, circumstances, relationships and feelings that swirl in our lives effect and affect us, but what about how our lives intersect, influence and impact other people’s lives?

It is easy for us to see when other people’s choices cause us difficulty and pain. We are quick to label things as “offensive”, “rude”, “selfish” or “foolish”. We are especially quick to put these labels on other people’s behaviors, but what about our own? Are we as quick to consider our own behaviors? Continue reading “Eternal Implications”

What the world needs now

It’s that time again. You know, when men and women begin to politic and proclaim what they believe about something, because they are certain that their particular political convictions are the hope of America. The rhetoric, the campaigning, the promises, the slogans. All of this and more has begun as the presidential hopefuls seek to sway the opinions and therefore votes of the people in order to get into office, presumably to make us a “better nation” and “help us move forward” and whatever other promise of hope they brand along the way.

But I am here today to tell you that what the world needs now, what America needs now is not another politician or political promise. We don’t need another piece of legislation or a better judicial ruling. What we need is Jesus. We need to have an encounter with God. We need to see God and begin once again to know the fear of the Lord. We need to recognize Him as Sovereign and humbly bow before Him in repentance and confession and plead for His grace and mercy in our desperate time of need!Continue reading “What the world needs now”

Discouragement and defeat? Or more than conquerors?

downloadDoubt.

Fear.

Accusation.

Loneliness.

Being misunderstood.

Being maligned and slandered.

Forgotten.

Forsaken.

Worry.

All of these are the waves of defeat and the fiery darts of the enemy that are leveled at God’s children everywhere.

Mondays seem to be full of these crashing waves.

But then again so do other days. Especially those days when we are tired. And those days that are full. And those conversations that aren’t especially “seasoned with salt”.

I want to share with you that the victory truly is yours in Christ Jesus!!  Continue reading “Discouragement and defeat? Or more than conquerors?”

The power of words

“You are ugly.” – “You are beautiful.” – “There is hope.” –  “All is lost.” – “I love you.” – “It is finished.”

These are all words. These words mean something. Indeed all words mean something. What we say (and how we say it) has the power to bring hope and meaning to people’s lives. Our words also have power to tear down, discourage, misdirect and malign.

What do you do with your words? Continue reading “The power of words”

We get to choose

No matter what you do today, the fact is that it you had a choice in it.

It’s true.

Every day, every moment, we get to choose. And we do choose.

You might object and say, “No, I didn’t get to choose whether or not this or that happened to me” and that may be true, but you do get to choose how you react to the things that come your way.

There are numerous things that we don’t choose about our lives. But there are innumerable things that we do choose.

The shirt you have on today. The meal you have for breakfast. The alarm you set and the time you got up this morning (oh and by the way, these might not be the same thing) you got to choose. The expression on your face, the people you call, the things that you do today, the words that you speak, yes, even the things you avoid: these are all things that you have chosen.

There is beauty in this. But there is also responsibility.

What will you do with your choices? Continue reading “We get to choose”

Leading others to change

Can I share something with you that I believe will tremendously help you as a leader?

All behavioral modification is self-chosen. What I mean is this: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”.

In leadership we are constantly seeking to help people improve, discover a better path, realize their own fullest potential and so on and so forth. But when it comes down to it, we can help people (the best that we know how, and we don’t know everything) but yet each person has to choose for themselves what they will and won’t change about themselves and their actions.Continue reading “Leading others to change”

The joy of the Lord is my strength

Can I tell you that truly the joy of the Lord is my strength!

This is a Bible verse and a true one. It is also my testimony. And it is also my proclamation of faith.

Let me explain.

In the Bible we read that Nehemiah encouraged the people not to mourn over the words of the law (the warnings, the judgments) but rather to rejoice in the joy of the Lord (His promises, His grace which is greater than all our sin and all our problems). See Nehemiah 8:10

This is my testimony. There are times in my life that I don’t have a constant emotive state of exhilaration, happiness, or excitement. But what I do have is a deep assurance in my heart from the Holy Spirit of God and based on His promises and His character that all will be well in this life and the next. This is the joy of the Lord in me.

This is my proclamation of faith: In the face of trial, adversity, weakness, suffering, heartache, pressure and all the rest of the troubles of this world, I have deep within me a peace and an assurance that God is good and God is able. I have a faith that God will do what is right. I have a deep-seated belief and expectation that God is working all things together for the good of those who seek Him. I have a joy that though at times might be tested by the troubles of this world, is ultimately secured by God’s character, ability and promises.

I rest on the promises of God, with a belief that He is loving, He is true, He is able.

This is the joy of the Lord in my heart. And it truly does bring an abiding sense of peace and puts a smile on my face.

There are times when the emotions seem to come and go, but yet I cling to faith in my God who is able.

And when my faith seems shaken, I ask God for more faith, and He is faithful and always supplies my need.

If you feel unhappy or feel overwhelmed over the situations and circumstances of life, fear not! Call on the one who is able and rest in His arms. His promises will come to pass! Not one word He has spoken will fail! Let this faith, this certainty, this JOY be the strength of your life, this day and evermore!!

There’s not enough room!

I can’t make it fit!

Ugh…Argh…Grunt…Push

There are times in life that no matter how hard you push, what angle you take, what tools you use, it just seems that you can’t make something fit.

It could be a suitcase you are trying to fit in the trunk as you get ready to head out on vacation. It might be one more shoebox or one more clothes hanger that you are trying to cram into your closet. Or it might be one more event, activity, appointment, priority or habit you are trying to fit into your life.

In our already full lives, there come opportunities everyday to add one more thing. These opportunities that come are ripe with possibilities and with potential value that could be added to your life.

But the reality is not everything will fit.

There comes a point when one more thing simply is impossible to squeeze in.Continue reading “There’s not enough room!”

No compromise

Life is full of compromises.

When you are trying to figure out a place to go eat with your spouse, you compromise. This compromise makes us self-sacrificing in our love.

As you decide on an appropriate plan of action for your work project, you compromise. This compromise makes us team-players.

When seeking to make peace with another person, we compromise. This compromise makes us peace-makers.

But there is a place in life that we absolutely must never compromise. We simply cannot EVER compromise when its comes to sin. When we do, that compromise defeats us.

When we compromise with sin and the world, we really reject the truth of God. If we compromise with sin we are in actuality agreeing with devil and pushing back again the truth of God. Can you ever imagine in your life glorifying the devil and dishonoring God? We do this when we compromise with sin. Furthermore, if we compromise with sin we are rejecting not only the truths of God but also the promises of God.

The GREAT NEWS is that we don’t have to compromise with sin. If we will come to faith in the Lord Jesus, then we can have His Holy Spirit power within, both forgiving and cleansing from sin but also empowering us to live victorious over sin. As a believer in Christ, the same power that is at work in us is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!! The power that raised Jesus from the dead is able to preserve us complete and without blame in the face of sin and all the way until we leave this life and go to the next.

There is no sin, no call of the world, no deceit of the devil that is stronger than the power of God. Ask the Holy Spirit into your life for forgiveness and salvation but also ask the Holy Spirit power to be at work in you sio you can say yes to righteousness and no to sin. Don’t ever compromise with sin. And I know that if you ask Him, God is able to empower you and keep you victorious over all sin!!