Watch and listen to the amazing story behind this young girl as she obtains her painting inspiration from God.
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4:11
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The time is now
Quick memory test...
Try to recall how often (just this week) you decided to put something off. Perhaps it was going to the store, cleaning the house or something else that was on your "to do list." It doesn't matter if it was a big deal or not, just think about it for a moment.
In most cases we start off with very good in intentions. Then somehow along the way we end up talking ourselves out of doing what we had originally planned to do. Often the excuses we have are legitimate...and yet some times they are not.
If we look inside the 8th chapter in the Book of Matthew we will find a similar situation.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:19-22 (NIV)
In this scenario, it's very likely that the man's father was not dead. It's most likely that he was old or even sick and the man wished to go home and wait for his father to die, and then he would follow Jesus.
Jesus' answer was a little tricky, but the message He was delivering was that we should never make excuses when it comes to following him. The time is now and there is no better time than the present.
Just keep this in mind the next time you have a little free time in the morning, afternoon or evening. Do you watch TV, get on the computer, pick up your Bible, etc. It's really easy to say "I can do it later."
Remember - On His way to the cross Jesus never paused, never said, "Ah, I can do it later." He had a job to do and He did it.
As followers of Christ we have a job to do as well and that includes interacting with God on a daily basis.
The time is now.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Try to recall how often (just this week) you decided to put something off. Perhaps it was going to the store, cleaning the house or something else that was on your "to do list." It doesn't matter if it was a big deal or not, just think about it for a moment.
In most cases we start off with very good in intentions. Then somehow along the way we end up talking ourselves out of doing what we had originally planned to do. Often the excuses we have are legitimate...and yet some times they are not.
If we look inside the 8th chapter in the Book of Matthew we will find a similar situation.
Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Matthew 8:19-22 (NIV)
In this scenario, it's very likely that the man's father was not dead. It's most likely that he was old or even sick and the man wished to go home and wait for his father to die, and then he would follow Jesus.
Jesus' answer was a little tricky, but the message He was delivering was that we should never make excuses when it comes to following him. The time is now and there is no better time than the present.
Just keep this in mind the next time you have a little free time in the morning, afternoon or evening. Do you watch TV, get on the computer, pick up your Bible, etc. It's really easy to say "I can do it later."
Remember - On His way to the cross Jesus never paused, never said, "Ah, I can do it later." He had a job to do and He did it.
As followers of Christ we have a job to do as well and that includes interacting with God on a daily basis.
The time is now.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Obedience and Consequence
If you were to go to the doctor and he were to tell you that you had high cholesterol and that you had to change your diet or risk a heart attack, chances are you would follow his advise. The consequences would just be too great to ignore.
If you were driving down the road and noticed flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror you would probably pull over without giving it a second thought. The consequences of not doing so would be too great to ignore.
If you were at work and your boss gave you a due date to complete an assignment, chances are you would complete the assignment by the date requested. The consequences would be too great to ignore
During Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, His mother, Mary, set a very early example for us to follow….to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Once the wine was completely gone, Mary told the servants…
"Do whatever He tells you."
John 2:5
It was a very simple request.
This one little statement of faith showed us the love and dedication Mary had for Jesus. Mary knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus would do something special even though He had not performed a single public miracle up to that point.
Mary’s simple request still holds true today. "Do whatever He tells you."
Since we should be fully obedient to God and obey every one of His commands, then basically we should “do whatever He tells us to do”. Therefore, by reading the Bible we know exactly how God desires us to act and treat others. The Bible is The Word of God and it provides us with His unquestionable laws for mankind.
Of course, out of convenience, there are many decrees in the Bible that people would rather ignore. Some of the scriptures can be down right disturbing or even unsettling. However, no amount of denial on our part will make the reality of God’s Word disappear. We do not get to pick or choose the convenient parts of the Bible that we want to follow. Whether we like it or not, the truth is exists on each and every page. We certainly may have several favorite passages, but that does not provide us with the luxury of ignoring the rest of the truth.
"At the end, forever, you and I will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period."
-Father John Corapi
This post was inspired by a message delivered by Father John Corapi.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
If you were driving down the road and noticed flashing blue lights in your rear view mirror you would probably pull over without giving it a second thought. The consequences of not doing so would be too great to ignore.
If you were at work and your boss gave you a due date to complete an assignment, chances are you would complete the assignment by the date requested. The consequences would be too great to ignore
* * *
During Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, His mother, Mary, set a very early example for us to follow….to do whatever Jesus tells us to do.
Once the wine was completely gone, Mary told the servants…
"Do whatever He tells you."
John 2:5
It was a very simple request.
This one little statement of faith showed us the love and dedication Mary had for Jesus. Mary knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus would do something special even though He had not performed a single public miracle up to that point.
Mary’s simple request still holds true today. "Do whatever He tells you."
Since we should be fully obedient to God and obey every one of His commands, then basically we should “do whatever He tells us to do”. Therefore, by reading the Bible we know exactly how God desires us to act and treat others. The Bible is The Word of God and it provides us with His unquestionable laws for mankind.
Of course, out of convenience, there are many decrees in the Bible that people would rather ignore. Some of the scriptures can be down right disturbing or even unsettling. However, no amount of denial on our part will make the reality of God’s Word disappear. We do not get to pick or choose the convenient parts of the Bible that we want to follow. Whether we like it or not, the truth is exists on each and every page. We certainly may have several favorite passages, but that does not provide us with the luxury of ignoring the rest of the truth.
* * *
If you were to pick up your Bible and read God’s Word, chances are you would follow His commands for the rest of your life. The consequences would just be too great to ignore."At the end, forever, you and I will either be in Heaven or Hell. Period."
-Father John Corapi
This post was inspired by a message delivered by Father John Corapi.
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I can't get no Satisfaction
Jeremy was an extremely smart young man. He was born with exceptional intelligence and the personal drive to go along with it. Once Jeremy finished college and was in the work force, he began to realize that he could use his intelligence to his advantage. Jeremy was so driven to be successful, that it really never bothered him if he hurt anyone on the way to his next promotion.
On his journey to the top, Jeremy said and did just about anything in order for a situation to look favorable for him. Failure was not an option for Jeremy. He was not willing to learn from his mistakes, because in his mind he had none. It was always that everyone else was too stupid to understand his point and therefore they needed to be fired. Finally, after fifteen years of stepping over (not around) anyone in his path, he became the CEO of a mid-size financial company.
Jeremy deceived and lied to many people. Some of his deception was harmless, yet some would be considered mind-boggling to anyone with a fraction of any ethical standard. None the less, Jeremy's drive, willingness to do/say anything and his intellect, eventually got him to the top.
Every night Jeremy would come home and tell his wife a story about how he had manipulated a certain situation in his favor and that everyone was too stupid to realize how he had "played them". He might not always had put it in those exact terms, but he would angle the story to his benefit. Heck, he even had his own wife fooled.
Even though he had stepped over many people to become CEO, he had done it so cleverly and so insidious that few people (who were still in the company) had ever caught on. Jeremy's mistake was that he loved himself and his ambitions above everything else. He had always thirsted for more. Sadly, he died of a heart attack at the age of 57 after walking out of a business meeting. At his funeral one of his colleagues said this...
"I remember Jeremy as a shiny red corvette. Yeah, he was like a fast car that never slowed down. He never took his eyes off the speedometer. Because if he had, if he had looked up, he would have seen the many road signs warning him to SLOW DOWN, STOP or YIELD. But that wasn't in his nature. Because when Jeremy put his eye on the prize, he went after it with every ounce of his being. And I don't think that he ever had a chance to sit back and enjoy everything that he had...everything that he was given."
Let's be clear about one thing in this story. God is the sole provider of everything that we have. Our home, car, job, money, stature, health, relationships - everything. Out of love, these things are given to us because He wants us to find joy and in turn glorify Him for these wonderful gifts.
However, Jeremy loved himself more than anyone or anything. He loved the feeling of success. He loved being on top of the world and yet he was never satisfied and was always on the lookout for his next conquest. And at the age of 57 his world came to a sudden halt.
Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)
We can learn a valuable lesson from Jeremy. We too should never be satisfied. We should never be satisfied in our relationship with God. We should never be satisfied with how much we give back to Him. We should never be satisfied with the amount of love or compassion that we show our family or friends. All of us have daily struggles with temptations and many times we may not even realize that we're in the Devil's cross hairs...but rest assured we are.
Don't give the Enemy the satisfaction of pulling us away from our daily duties to glorify God. And before we rest our heads on that pillow tonight, let's give ourselves the satisfaction of knowing that we did everything we possibly could to please God today.
And finally, I am satisfied with this post and will close it here. :)
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
On his journey to the top, Jeremy said and did just about anything in order for a situation to look favorable for him. Failure was not an option for Jeremy. He was not willing to learn from his mistakes, because in his mind he had none. It was always that everyone else was too stupid to understand his point and therefore they needed to be fired. Finally, after fifteen years of stepping over (not around) anyone in his path, he became the CEO of a mid-size financial company.
Jeremy deceived and lied to many people. Some of his deception was harmless, yet some would be considered mind-boggling to anyone with a fraction of any ethical standard. None the less, Jeremy's drive, willingness to do/say anything and his intellect, eventually got him to the top.
Every night Jeremy would come home and tell his wife a story about how he had manipulated a certain situation in his favor and that everyone was too stupid to realize how he had "played them". He might not always had put it in those exact terms, but he would angle the story to his benefit. Heck, he even had his own wife fooled.
Even though he had stepped over many people to become CEO, he had done it so cleverly and so insidious that few people (who were still in the company) had ever caught on. Jeremy's mistake was that he loved himself and his ambitions above everything else. He had always thirsted for more. Sadly, he died of a heart attack at the age of 57 after walking out of a business meeting. At his funeral one of his colleagues said this...
"I remember Jeremy as a shiny red corvette. Yeah, he was like a fast car that never slowed down. He never took his eyes off the speedometer. Because if he had, if he had looked up, he would have seen the many road signs warning him to SLOW DOWN, STOP or YIELD. But that wasn't in his nature. Because when Jeremy put his eye on the prize, he went after it with every ounce of his being. And I don't think that he ever had a chance to sit back and enjoy everything that he had...everything that he was given."
* * *
Let's be clear about one thing in this story. God is the sole provider of everything that we have. Our home, car, job, money, stature, health, relationships - everything. Out of love, these things are given to us because He wants us to find joy and in turn glorify Him for these wonderful gifts.
However, Jeremy loved himself more than anyone or anything. He loved the feeling of success. He loved being on top of the world and yet he was never satisfied and was always on the lookout for his next conquest. And at the age of 57 his world came to a sudden halt.
Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV)
We can learn a valuable lesson from Jeremy. We too should never be satisfied. We should never be satisfied in our relationship with God. We should never be satisfied with how much we give back to Him. We should never be satisfied with the amount of love or compassion that we show our family or friends. All of us have daily struggles with temptations and many times we may not even realize that we're in the Devil's cross hairs...but rest assured we are.
Don't give the Enemy the satisfaction of pulling us away from our daily duties to glorify God. And before we rest our heads on that pillow tonight, let's give ourselves the satisfaction of knowing that we did everything we possibly could to please God today.
And finally, I am satisfied with this post and will close it here. :)
God bless you. And this is for His Glory!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
When the game is on the line
There is a common sports analogy that goes something like this…
“Big players,
make big plays,
in big games.”
Essentially, this means that great players step up when the game is on the line and somehow (presumably through their skill or athleticism) turn the game into their teams’ favor.
Translating this into Christianity…
For many of us, when we tend to think about Jesus the first thing that comes to mind is His death on the cross. But what about all those other times that He stepped up and came through? As a matter of fact, can you think of a time when Jesus did not “make a big play?”
*Every time someone was sick or impaired…He showed compassion and healed them.
*Every time someone attempted to trick Him..He got the better of them and they left Him alone.
*Every time His flock was hungry...He fed them.
*Every time He was asked to dispel a demon…He removed it in the name of Almighty God.
*Every time He told a parable…it was done in order to help us understand.
*Every time He spoke…people listened.
*Every time He prayed…God heard him.
*Every time someone doubted Him…He proved them wrong.
*Every time we sin against Him…He has the power to absolve us.
Over 2,000 years ago, when “the game” was on the line, Jesus stepped up and made a “big play”. He sacrificed Himself for all of us. He suffered, was crucified and died so that our sins would be forgiven.
“Big players,
make big plays,
in big games.”
No one has ever had more responsibility placed on their shoulders than Jesus Christ did when He walked the earth. Once he gathered His apostles, He showed up every single day to teach the word of God and to turn sinners toward the path of righteousness.
Jesus gave us 100% then, and He gives us 100% now.
Can we say the same?
For us, it's a much more serious matter than winning or losing a game. It's a matter of eternal life or eternal suffering.
Think about it.
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
“Big players,
make big plays,
in big games.”
Essentially, this means that great players step up when the game is on the line and somehow (presumably through their skill or athleticism) turn the game into their teams’ favor.
Translating this into Christianity…
For many of us, when we tend to think about Jesus the first thing that comes to mind is His death on the cross. But what about all those other times that He stepped up and came through? As a matter of fact, can you think of a time when Jesus did not “make a big play?”
*Every time someone was sick or impaired…He showed compassion and healed them.
*Every time someone attempted to trick Him..He got the better of them and they left Him alone.
*Every time His flock was hungry...He fed them.
*Every time He was asked to dispel a demon…He removed it in the name of Almighty God.
*Every time He told a parable…it was done in order to help us understand.
*Every time He spoke…people listened.
*Every time He prayed…God heard him.
*Every time someone doubted Him…He proved them wrong.
*Every time we sin against Him…He has the power to absolve us.
Over 2,000 years ago, when “the game” was on the line, Jesus stepped up and made a “big play”. He sacrificed Himself for all of us. He suffered, was crucified and died so that our sins would be forgiven.
“Big players,
make big plays,
in big games.”
No one has ever had more responsibility placed on their shoulders than Jesus Christ did when He walked the earth. Once he gathered His apostles, He showed up every single day to teach the word of God and to turn sinners toward the path of righteousness.
Jesus gave us 100% then, and He gives us 100% now.
Can we say the same?
For us, it's a much more serious matter than winning or losing a game. It's a matter of eternal life or eternal suffering.
Think about it.
God bless you. And this if for His Glory!
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