Tuesday, September 6, 2011

One hundred years from now

One hundred years from now it won't matter what type of fancy new gadgets we bought or what type of cars we drove. All that will matter is what we did with the time we had. By human nature we are are so focused on tomorrow, that we don't even realize we are doing little more than wishing our lives aways.

What are we in a hurry to do? Where are we in a hurry to go? Heaven? I would guess that most people don't even think about Heaven on a daily basis. For many people, Heaven is a place far away. A place that old people or dogs go when they die.

That might be true; however, Heaven is so much more.

Heaven is God's Kingdom. And for those blessed enough to be granted access, I believe it will be like nothing we could ever imagine. It will far surpass our wildest expectations.

Heaven is not some distant destination. It is THE destination. It is THE place to be. I once saw a book titled, "1001 places to see before you die." And I would remind anyone that Heaven is the only place you want to SEE when you die.

Serving the Lord for all eternity is both a privilege and a blessing. It is a honor bestowed based on what you did with the little time you were given.

Don't put off tomorrow - what you can do today. Ask the Lord for guidance in all that you do and think about Him in all your actions.

Verse of the day:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7
New International Version (NIV)

God bless you. And this is for His Glory!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Accountability and Resiliency

How many times can a person backslide? How many times can a person continue to make the same mistakes over and over and over again? How many times can a person continue to sin - day in and day out? How many times can a person ask for forgiveness - over and over and over again?

The answers to those questions don't really matter. What matters is that God's love is measureless. How do I know this? I know this because of John 3:16.

I know that all men sin and all fall short of the Glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

However, once we sin there is typically time for retrospection. During this time, we can choose to do one of two things. 1) Ask for forgiveness and pray. 2) Do nothing

It's a given that we are going fail in being pleasing in God's eyes. We all fall short. Thus, our responsibility should be to focus on accountability and resiliency.

Be accountable for our actions and ask for forgiveness by humbling ourselves toward the Lord. And being resilient by allowing the past to stay in the past. What we've done, we cannot undo. However, we can move forward and learn from our mistakes and become stronger. It's not about how many times you fall down. Its' about how many times you get up and what you do next.

If you allow it - sin will invite you to give up your relationship with God. That is the focus of the enemy - to plant seeds of doubt and deceit so that we feel unworthy or even too depressed to speak with God. This is how the enemy builds momentum... you sin and the enemy wants to keep the wheels moving. Put the breaks on this momentum by speaking a simple prayer, be accountable and resilient.

Jesus showed tremendous resiliency during his walk to Calvary. He was whipped, beaten, spit on, nailed, etc. and still He continued to His destination: The cross.

Jesus took accountability for our sins. The next time you sin, take accountability for yours. Then move forward. Don't dwell on it.

Prayer:
Father forgive me for my sinful ways. I know that I am unworthy of your love. I pray you have mercy on me and allow me to be an instrument of your Will. Help me to lead myself, my family, and others into your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

God bless you. And this is for His Glory!

Verse of the Day