.
I'll keep this one short today. I read Psalm 62 and I was thinking on it today.
From God I get: rest, salvation, honor, hope, and I will never be shaken.
God is my rock, my salvation, my fortress. mighty rock, my refuge.
God is strong and loving.
Psalm 62 (Emphasis mine)
1. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
2. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
3. How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4. They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. "Selah"
5. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. "Selah"
9. Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath.
10. Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong,
12. and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Computer Virus
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I got a virus on my computer. I have been using a PC for over 15 years and have never really had a problem. This one hit me hard. It’s hard to tell exactly when I got it. A virus can sit dormant on your PC for long periods of time and then some little thing you do activates it and it begins to wreak havoc on your PC. I suspect that I recently got this one. I let my virus definitions expire for a couple of days. I just kept putting off taking care of it. I knew they were expired but I was busy. Then Sunday, the PC locked up. I had to just push the button in and hold it until it shut down. I tried restarting it about 5 times before I got it to come up. It worked for about 30 minutes – long enough for me to back-up all my data. Then it locked up again. Then it was dead. It refused to restart. It continually locked up when it was trying to boot up. I tried several tools to remove it but I couldn’t get rid of it. I finally had to completely reformat my hard drive and reload everything.
I was thinking that computer viruses are sort of like sin in our lives. The devil waits to attack you. He knows what is going on in your life and we waits for your defenses to be down. Don’t let down your guard like I let my virus protection expire. Be sure to put on the armor of God before exposing yourself to the world. (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)
Protect yourself by:
1. Being strong – Don’t forget that God is there to lean on through your struggles.
2. Truth – Truth is extremely important to your protection. Tell the truth and stand for what is true.
3. Righteousness – Make sure you spend time with God every day. It is by doing this that you can keep your life on the right track.
4. Gospel of Peace – How can you survive if your feet are not planted firmly in the truth.
5. Shield of Faith – The shield is the piece of our armor that is used to ward off the attacks of the enemy.
6. Helmet of Salvation – Be sure to protect your head. The mind is constantly under attack by the enemy. (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:7)
7. Sword of the Spirit – The sword is God’s word/ Most of the armor is defensive. This is a piece that is offensive. You need to know it and have it in your heart so that when you need it, you can easily recall it and apply it. This is the weapon that Jesus used when the devil attacked him.
8. Praying Always – part of surviving any attack is knowing who to turn to for help. It is through prayer that you can know what God would have you do.
Ephesians 6: 10-18 (Emphasis is mine)
10.Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11.Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14.Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15.and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
.
I got a virus on my computer. I have been using a PC for over 15 years and have never really had a problem. This one hit me hard. It’s hard to tell exactly when I got it. A virus can sit dormant on your PC for long periods of time and then some little thing you do activates it and it begins to wreak havoc on your PC. I suspect that I recently got this one. I let my virus definitions expire for a couple of days. I just kept putting off taking care of it. I knew they were expired but I was busy. Then Sunday, the PC locked up. I had to just push the button in and hold it until it shut down. I tried restarting it about 5 times before I got it to come up. It worked for about 30 minutes – long enough for me to back-up all my data. Then it locked up again. Then it was dead. It refused to restart. It continually locked up when it was trying to boot up. I tried several tools to remove it but I couldn’t get rid of it. I finally had to completely reformat my hard drive and reload everything.
I was thinking that computer viruses are sort of like sin in our lives. The devil waits to attack you. He knows what is going on in your life and we waits for your defenses to be down. Don’t let down your guard like I let my virus protection expire. Be sure to put on the armor of God before exposing yourself to the world. (Ephesians 6:10 - 18)
Protect yourself by:
1. Being strong – Don’t forget that God is there to lean on through your struggles.
2. Truth – Truth is extremely important to your protection. Tell the truth and stand for what is true.
3. Righteousness – Make sure you spend time with God every day. It is by doing this that you can keep your life on the right track.
4. Gospel of Peace – How can you survive if your feet are not planted firmly in the truth.
5. Shield of Faith – The shield is the piece of our armor that is used to ward off the attacks of the enemy.
6. Helmet of Salvation – Be sure to protect your head. The mind is constantly under attack by the enemy. (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:7)
7. Sword of the Spirit – The sword is God’s word/ Most of the armor is defensive. This is a piece that is offensive. You need to know it and have it in your heart so that when you need it, you can easily recall it and apply it. This is the weapon that Jesus used when the devil attacked him.
8. Praying Always – part of surviving any attack is knowing who to turn to for help. It is through prayer that you can know what God would have you do.
Ephesians 6: 10-18 (Emphasis is mine)
10.Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11.Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14.Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15.and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Authentic Christians
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As I wrote about Christians making an impact on society, I started thinking about the reasons we are failing. I think a good part of the reason we are not impacting our world is because we don’t live differently than the world. What is it that makes us different? What is it that makes us an “authentic” or “real” Christian and not just a “pretend” or “fake” Christian? Too many people call themselves a Christian when their lives don’t reflect biblical truth or values.
The Christians of the first century were able to take their faith and spread it to the entire world. They did this without the use of the printing press, radio, TV, and the internet. What is it that made them different? My first thought is that they practiced a different kind of Christianity than we do today. As we read about it in the book of Acts, we might classify it as radical. We might say they are all a bit extreme. They didn’t think they were radicals. They thought they were just being authentic Christians. If we want to impact our world the same way they did, then we need to live like they did. We need to start applying the same Christian principles to our lives.
The book of 1 John has a lot to say about being an authentic Christian.
An authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. (1 John 4:15 “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”) Being a Christian starts with a verbal commitment to Jesus. It goes beyond knowing and believing. It has to do with acting on your faith in Christ. The Bible says that “faith without works is dead” and it also says that “even the demons believe in Jesus”. (James 2:17-19) Authentic Christians verbalize their commitment to Christ as Lord of their lives.
If you are an authentic Christian, you will be upset with yourself when you are sinning. (1 John 3:9 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”) This doesn’t mean you are perfect. This doesn’t mean you’ll never sin. It means that you will not want to sin. If you are an authentic Christian, your sin will make you uncomfortable. You know in your heart that you have done the wrong thing. When you sin, simply confess it and ask God to forgive you and to help you not to repeat that sin again. (1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”)
An authentic Christian will enjoy the fellowship with other believers. (1 John 5:1) An authentic Christian wants to be around other Christians. Hebrews tells is that it is important for Christians to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another. (Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”)
An authentic Christian obeys Jesus’ commands. (1 John 5:3 “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”) Obeying Christ gives our lives meaning and purpose. Obeying Christ protects us from things that will harm us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If someone continually willfully breaks God’s commandments, then I would wonder if he ever really made a true commitment to Christ.
An authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God. (1 John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”) You can’t live an effective Christian life without a love for God’s Word. Authentic Christians are students of the Scriptures. Authentic Christians follow the teachings of Christ. One stumbling block of many Christians is their lack of time in the Word. (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”) Many believers don’t realize the importance of spending time in the Word. There’s no way to know what Jesus wants you to do, if you don’t read the book. There’s no way to know how to react in tough situations unless you have “hidden the Word in your heart.” (Psalm 119:11 “have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”)
Lots of people say they are Christians but few act like it. Christians are not currently having an impact on our society and I believe that is because there are few Christians who follow the principles outlined here. Too many Christians look and act like their non-Christian counterparts. We should be different than the world. We should conduct our businesses differently than non-Christians. We should treat our spouses differently than non-Christians. We should treat our children differently than non-Christians. We should live differently and we should have a different value system. Only authentic Christians can have an impact on the world.
So, are you an authentic Christian? Do you talk about your faith in Christ? Are you upset with yourself when you sin? Do you enjoy the fellowship of other believers? Do you obey the commands of Jesus? Do you study and obey the Word? If not, what’s holding you back? It’s not too late to make changes in your life.
** I didn't intend for this to be this long but I guess it is. I do want to acknowledge that not all of this is my original writing. I found an outline for this blog handwritten in my Bible and so I know I heard a sermon on it at one point in time. Any way - to whoever orginally penned some of these ideas, thanks. I needed to think about them and hear them again.
.
As I wrote about Christians making an impact on society, I started thinking about the reasons we are failing. I think a good part of the reason we are not impacting our world is because we don’t live differently than the world. What is it that makes us different? What is it that makes us an “authentic” or “real” Christian and not just a “pretend” or “fake” Christian? Too many people call themselves a Christian when their lives don’t reflect biblical truth or values.
The Christians of the first century were able to take their faith and spread it to the entire world. They did this without the use of the printing press, radio, TV, and the internet. What is it that made them different? My first thought is that they practiced a different kind of Christianity than we do today. As we read about it in the book of Acts, we might classify it as radical. We might say they are all a bit extreme. They didn’t think they were radicals. They thought they were just being authentic Christians. If we want to impact our world the same way they did, then we need to live like they did. We need to start applying the same Christian principles to our lives.
The book of 1 John has a lot to say about being an authentic Christian.
An authentic Christian confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. (1 John 4:15 “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”) Being a Christian starts with a verbal commitment to Jesus. It goes beyond knowing and believing. It has to do with acting on your faith in Christ. The Bible says that “faith without works is dead” and it also says that “even the demons believe in Jesus”. (James 2:17-19) Authentic Christians verbalize their commitment to Christ as Lord of their lives.
If you are an authentic Christian, you will be upset with yourself when you are sinning. (1 John 3:9 “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”) This doesn’t mean you are perfect. This doesn’t mean you’ll never sin. It means that you will not want to sin. If you are an authentic Christian, your sin will make you uncomfortable. You know in your heart that you have done the wrong thing. When you sin, simply confess it and ask God to forgive you and to help you not to repeat that sin again. (1 John 1:8-10 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”)
An authentic Christian will enjoy the fellowship with other believers. (1 John 5:1) An authentic Christian wants to be around other Christians. Hebrews tells is that it is important for Christians to get together, encourage one another, and correct one another. (Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”)
An authentic Christian obeys Jesus’ commands. (1 John 5:3 “This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”) Obeying Christ gives our lives meaning and purpose. Obeying Christ protects us from things that will harm us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If someone continually willfully breaks God’s commandments, then I would wonder if he ever really made a true commitment to Christ.
An authentic Christian loves and obeys the Word of God. (1 John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”) You can’t live an effective Christian life without a love for God’s Word. Authentic Christians are students of the Scriptures. Authentic Christians follow the teachings of Christ. One stumbling block of many Christians is their lack of time in the Word. (2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”) Many believers don’t realize the importance of spending time in the Word. There’s no way to know what Jesus wants you to do, if you don’t read the book. There’s no way to know how to react in tough situations unless you have “hidden the Word in your heart.” (Psalm 119:11 “have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”)
Lots of people say they are Christians but few act like it. Christians are not currently having an impact on our society and I believe that is because there are few Christians who follow the principles outlined here. Too many Christians look and act like their non-Christian counterparts. We should be different than the world. We should conduct our businesses differently than non-Christians. We should treat our spouses differently than non-Christians. We should treat our children differently than non-Christians. We should live differently and we should have a different value system. Only authentic Christians can have an impact on the world.
So, are you an authentic Christian? Do you talk about your faith in Christ? Are you upset with yourself when you sin? Do you enjoy the fellowship of other believers? Do you obey the commands of Jesus? Do you study and obey the Word? If not, what’s holding you back? It’s not too late to make changes in your life.
** I didn't intend for this to be this long but I guess it is. I do want to acknowledge that not all of this is my original writing. I found an outline for this blog handwritten in my Bible and so I know I heard a sermon on it at one point in time. Any way - to whoever orginally penned some of these ideas, thanks. I needed to think about them and hear them again.
.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Are Christians making a difference in today’s society?
.
If we were honest, we would admit that Christians are becoming more and more irrelevant in today’s society. Congregations are shrinking. Christians are perceived negatively in all aspects of life. American society continues to move away from its Christian roots. It is becoming more and more difficult (and important) to reach people for Christ. However, most Christians today do not share their faith. They do not take the Great Commission seriously. It is easier to talk about anything else than their faith.
Let there be no mistake – it is the job of all Christians to reach the world with the gospel. However, it is much easier to do nothing and so that is what most Christians do. The biggest “Christian thing” we do all week is occupy a pew seat on Sunday morning. There is a common saying in churches that “15% of the people do 85% of the work.” That seems like a pretty good estimate. And, usually it is the same 15% for every event. Involvement takes effort and that is something that most Christians aren’t willing to give.
I wonder what the Church would look like if the 85% of uninvolved Christians decided to get involved. What if 100% of the Christians in a church were involved in church activities? The result would be a church who took the Great Commission seriously. They could help meet the needs of society. They would reflect the love of Christ to the lost world. They could accomplish almost anything they attempted.
So how do we get Christians to get involved? How do we get churches involved in the Great Commission and not just social events? When is the last time someone was saved at a potluck dinner? When is the last time someone was saved at a softball game? When is the last time someone was saved in a Sunday morning service – ouch – that one hurts! It means we, the body of Christ, have to start to take responsibility for things. We need to learn what it means to be a true disciple, an authentic Christian. We need to learn to love and care for people. We need to learn to reflect the image of Christ to others. We are called to be like Christ. We need to be His hands and feet to a lost world. We need to speak the truth in love. We need to open our mouths and our lives and share about our relationship with Christ with others. We need to stop being so lazy and get some “guts” in this area.
We don’t have to continue to be a “Christian failure”. We don’t have to be a lukewarm mediocre church. We have a lot of potential. We can change. We can be the kind of Christian that the Bible calls us to be. We are mediocre because that is what we choose to be. We can choose to be so much more. We can make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ.
As I thought about this the last few days and wrote this, make no mistake, I am speaking to and about myself as much as I am about Christians in general. I need to make more of a stand. I need to be more proactive in sharing my faith. I need a “kick in the pants” to be more involved. What about you? Think it through and be honest. Are you doing all you can for the cause of Christ? It is the only thing that really matters.
I am thinking my way through a post on what makes an authentic Christian. Look for that post in the next day or two.
The Great Commission from Matthew 28:
16. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
.
If we were honest, we would admit that Christians are becoming more and more irrelevant in today’s society. Congregations are shrinking. Christians are perceived negatively in all aspects of life. American society continues to move away from its Christian roots. It is becoming more and more difficult (and important) to reach people for Christ. However, most Christians today do not share their faith. They do not take the Great Commission seriously. It is easier to talk about anything else than their faith.
Let there be no mistake – it is the job of all Christians to reach the world with the gospel. However, it is much easier to do nothing and so that is what most Christians do. The biggest “Christian thing” we do all week is occupy a pew seat on Sunday morning. There is a common saying in churches that “15% of the people do 85% of the work.” That seems like a pretty good estimate. And, usually it is the same 15% for every event. Involvement takes effort and that is something that most Christians aren’t willing to give.
I wonder what the Church would look like if the 85% of uninvolved Christians decided to get involved. What if 100% of the Christians in a church were involved in church activities? The result would be a church who took the Great Commission seriously. They could help meet the needs of society. They would reflect the love of Christ to the lost world. They could accomplish almost anything they attempted.
So how do we get Christians to get involved? How do we get churches involved in the Great Commission and not just social events? When is the last time someone was saved at a potluck dinner? When is the last time someone was saved at a softball game? When is the last time someone was saved in a Sunday morning service – ouch – that one hurts! It means we, the body of Christ, have to start to take responsibility for things. We need to learn what it means to be a true disciple, an authentic Christian. We need to learn to love and care for people. We need to learn to reflect the image of Christ to others. We are called to be like Christ. We need to be His hands and feet to a lost world. We need to speak the truth in love. We need to open our mouths and our lives and share about our relationship with Christ with others. We need to stop being so lazy and get some “guts” in this area.
We don’t have to continue to be a “Christian failure”. We don’t have to be a lukewarm mediocre church. We have a lot of potential. We can change. We can be the kind of Christian that the Bible calls us to be. We are mediocre because that is what we choose to be. We can choose to be so much more. We can make a difference in this world for the cause of Christ.
As I thought about this the last few days and wrote this, make no mistake, I am speaking to and about myself as much as I am about Christians in general. I need to make more of a stand. I need to be more proactive in sharing my faith. I need a “kick in the pants” to be more involved. What about you? Think it through and be honest. Are you doing all you can for the cause of Christ? It is the only thing that really matters.
I am thinking my way through a post on what makes an authentic Christian. Look for that post in the next day or two.
The Great Commission from Matthew 28:
16. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
17. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Routines
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I will be glad to get back to school and back to my normal routine. The only thing that I don’t like is the 5:15 alarm clock - that will take some getting used to again. My natural tendency is to stay up late and then sleep in. I get some of my best work done late at night. However, everything is better when I get back to my routine. I eat better. I read more. I’ll get back on track posting on this blog again.
When it comes to my spiritual life, sometimes routine is not the best thing. Huh – did I really say routines can be bad. Yes, I want to have a devotional time each day but I don’t want to do the same thing, the same way, every day. Sometimes the habits of our devotional life can actually get in the way of our growing closer to God. Sometimes the routine can make it grow stale or boring.
There is nothing boring about worshipping the God who created the earth and all its beauty. There is no lack of excitement in worshipping a Savior who died on the cross for my sins. So how do we avoid dry devotional times? By breaking your routine of what you usually do. Try adding some variety to your time with God.
Jesus found a quiet place away from the business of people and the ministry. We need to do the same. Try changing the routine. Try a different place, method, book of the bible, or topic. Whatever you do, just do it. Time spent with the Lord is never wasted time.
.
I will be glad to get back to school and back to my normal routine. The only thing that I don’t like is the 5:15 alarm clock - that will take some getting used to again. My natural tendency is to stay up late and then sleep in. I get some of my best work done late at night. However, everything is better when I get back to my routine. I eat better. I read more. I’ll get back on track posting on this blog again.
When it comes to my spiritual life, sometimes routine is not the best thing. Huh – did I really say routines can be bad. Yes, I want to have a devotional time each day but I don’t want to do the same thing, the same way, every day. Sometimes the habits of our devotional life can actually get in the way of our growing closer to God. Sometimes the routine can make it grow stale or boring.
There is nothing boring about worshipping the God who created the earth and all its beauty. There is no lack of excitement in worshipping a Savior who died on the cross for my sins. So how do we avoid dry devotional times? By breaking your routine of what you usually do. Try adding some variety to your time with God.
Jesus found a quiet place away from the business of people and the ministry. We need to do the same. Try changing the routine. Try a different place, method, book of the bible, or topic. Whatever you do, just do it. Time spent with the Lord is never wasted time.
.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Resolutions
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Well, the ball just dropped and 2008 is now over. As you reflect on the last year, how would you describe it? Was it a “good” year? Was it a year of achievements or trials? Did you accomplish your goals for the year? Did you lose weight, exercise more, eat more vegetables, watch less TV, read more books, etc… (Funny - those sound like mine!)
Have you thought about any spiritual resolutions? Those are the ones that really matter. In fact, we don’t have to wait for New Years to make spiritual resolutions. We can make those resolutions any time and, in fact, we can make them every day. Every day resolve to walk with God. Every day, resolve to live for Christ. Every day, resolve to do the right thing. Every day, resolve to thank God for your blessings. Every day, rely on God for strength and wisdom.
Remember, it’s OK if you can’t keep your personal resolutions. Good thing – because most people don’t keep them past the first month. Just don’t fail at your spiritual resolutions. Those are the ones that really matter.
.
Well, the ball just dropped and 2008 is now over. As you reflect on the last year, how would you describe it? Was it a “good” year? Was it a year of achievements or trials? Did you accomplish your goals for the year? Did you lose weight, exercise more, eat more vegetables, watch less TV, read more books, etc… (Funny - those sound like mine!)
Have you thought about any spiritual resolutions? Those are the ones that really matter. In fact, we don’t have to wait for New Years to make spiritual resolutions. We can make those resolutions any time and, in fact, we can make them every day. Every day resolve to walk with God. Every day, resolve to live for Christ. Every day, resolve to do the right thing. Every day, resolve to thank God for your blessings. Every day, rely on God for strength and wisdom.
Remember, it’s OK if you can’t keep your personal resolutions. Good thing – because most people don’t keep them past the first month. Just don’t fail at your spiritual resolutions. Those are the ones that really matter.
.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Vacation/Christmas
We spent Christmas in Pennsylvania with my parents. They live on a small farm in a rural area. We had a great time. We enjoyed a little snow. My daughter was able to sled ride one day. We were actually “iced in” for two days including Christmas day. We had a lot of time to relax. We played some games and worked a jigsaw puzzle.
As I reflected on the Christmas story this year, I thought about how God planned the birth of his son from the beginning of time. Even when he was creating Adam and Eve, he knew we would sin. He knew then that he would have to send Jesus into the world. He knew that Jesus would have to live as a human and then suffer and die to pay for our sins. Knowing all of that from the beginning of time makes me wonder why he created us. So as I reflect on the birth of Jesus, I am grateful that God loves me so much that He sent Jesus to be born, to live, and to die for me.
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