Reelin' In The Years

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.  Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.  Ecclesiastes 7:14

Have you ever found yourself in a “funk?”  I am not talking about jamming out to James Brown or Parliament, but more along the lines of just going through the motions of life-marriage, work, etc…

God allows both good and bad times to come to everyone.  He blends both of them together in each of our lives in such a way that we can't possibly predict our futures or count on our own wisdom and power.  We usually take credit for the good times and blame God for the bad without taking the time to thank Him for all of the good that can come from them.

We must not become too comfortable when times are seemingly good and seem controllable.  God may allow bad times to cause us to seek Him again.  On the flip side, when times are difficult or painful, don't despair; God is always in control of every situation and will bring good results out of bad times.

Don't Give Up

Let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away from all that will distract to Jesus. Just think of Him so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds.  Hebrews 12:1-3

There have been plenty of times that I have started something, given up and then quit something. For instance, I really wanted to learn to play the banjo, so I purchased one along with an instructional book and DVD. I attempted to play the banjo along with the video and became so frustrated, that I quickly gave up and returned everything back to the music store.  (I think Bela Fleck was teaching the lesson on the DVD...) If only I had given the instrument just a little more effort and practiced more, maybe I could have learned to play the banjo.  Who knows? I could have been in a bluegrass band by now….okay, maybe not the latter, but it never hurts to daydream!

Our lives are much the same, particularly our walk with Christ. There are plenty of times that we are faced with difficult situations that wear us down and make us want to give up, but once we have Christ in our lives, He gives us His never-ending strength and energy to endure.

We must keep looking to Him and seeking His strength when we feel like giving up and saying "I quit." We must follow His example and keep on pressing no matter what we are facing!  

Feel Like A Stranger

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.  By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country…Abraham died in faith without receiving the things promised, but he saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that he was a stranger and foreigner on this earth.  Hebrews 11:8, 13

I always enjoy ‘people watching,’ especially while travelling for work or on vacation.  This week I had some down time in Bristol, TN and couldn't help but feel a bit ‘different’ from the locals in a coffee shop I visited.  Regardless, it was a great trip and when I read the above passage from Hebrews, it reminded of how we are all different from each other and 'foreigners' here on this earth.

One of my favorite stories from the Bible is Abraham leading the exiles out of Egypt into the wilderness for years and years in the pursuit of the promised land.  (By the way, it’s also a great passage to read when you are struggling with impatience.)  Abraham never actually saw the end destination-the promised land, but yet remained steadfast and continually obeyed God’s command despite the years of searching and the endless complaining and anger from the impatient exiles he was leading.

We are all here on this earth for a short time and this is not our final destination-we are essentially strangers in a strange land living with the promise of what’s to come in the next life-eternity with God in heaven. It's easy to become frustrated and defeated when our needs are not met immediately, but this world is simply not our home.

Let us not be so attached to this world's desires and possessions that we can't move out at God's command.  

The Walk

Make me know Your ways, O LORD ; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.  Psalm 25: 4-5

Waiting on God’s perfect timing is difficult for any believer.  I have certainly had my share of experience in waiting on God and looking back, those times helped me to grow in my faith and dependence on Him.  

We are blessed with some wonderful friends and one friend in particular recently confided in me about being patient with a difficult situation at work.  You see, my friend has worked tirelessly for the same company for several years now and has never been given a raise.  With our nation’s economy  finally making signs of improvement and with an increased workload year in and year out, my friend finally worked up the courage to sit down with his boss and make a case for an increased salary.

The meeting seemed to go well and I was impressed with my friend’s courage to be bold and ask for a raise in the first place.  Courage is often times associated with bravery, but I am referring to my friend’s ability to patiently wait for God’s voice instead of only following the advice of their family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.  Doing this requires great faith, humility, and patience, all of which are the other characteristics needed for successful waiting.

I am pleased to write that the conversation took place and things are looking promising for a pay increase.   My friend just needs to continue to patiently surrender to God’s plan for his life…

Thanks be to God for blessing us with such amazing friends!!

It's A Real Good Thing

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  Psalm 103:8-10

Being the proud father of two wonderful and strong-willed sons, I have recently found myself having to be very patient and forgiving with our oldest, who is often times hot-tempered with me when it comes time to be disciplined.

Why is it so easy for us to say hurtful things to the people we love the most, especially our family? The more I reflect on the things Elliott has said to me out of anger, I can't help but be overwhelmed by how loving, forgiving, and slow to anger God is with me.  What if God actually gave us what we deserved?  What if God kept a list of our wrongdoings and we were repaid according to our sins?  Thankfully, the ultimate price has been paid for our sins and we will never have to experience God's wrath for our shortcomings and iniquities.

Just has God forgives us, we are to extend forgiveness to others who have hurt or wronged us.  It's not as easy as it seems, but it's the only way to mend and repair a broken relationship and move forward in love.

Trouble Me

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose… Romans 8:28

I read something that struck a chord with me just the other day in the excellent book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  Friday’s devotional was about being thankful and praising God even we are facing difficulties.

When we face turmoil, we begin to realize just how much we need God in our lives.  I firmly believe that God allows difficult circumstances to make us realize our dependence on Him.  You see, when things are going  well, we grow idle in our faith and falsely begin to believe that we are self-sufficient in our own minds. Our Father allows these times to shake our foundations so that we are humbled and reach out to Him in need and in love.

We must turn every aspect of our lives over to God-our marriages, our children, our relationships, our jobs, finances, health; anything that we try to manage without dependence on Him is prideful and will not stand the test of time.

Even if it feels strange and foreign to you, praise God even when you are experiencing trouble…it just may all be part of His perfect plan to bring you into a closer relationship with Him!

Lengthwise

Certainly you made my mind and heart; you wove me together in my mother’s womb.  I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.  You knew me thoroughly… Psalms 139:13

Ah, summertime.  It’s great to enjoy the long days and what a better time to work on projects around the home… 

Just two years ago, we had a screened in porch built and last summer we are going laid the concrete for a patio that has provided us a place for our grill and some lawn chairs.   Until we had a concrete pad, our grill was stored inside our screened in porch and it drove Alicia crazy. (Not to mention, I burned some of the vinyl siding off of the side of our house, but that’s a story for another day and time.)  The contractor that worked on both of our home improvement projects amazes me.  He knew exactly what materials and tools he needed to complete each project and worked efficiently on both until completion.  I know a lot of folks who are quite handy, but I am certainly not one of them.  I cannot build a Lego set correctly without the instruction manual….oh well!

God is like the ‘master builder’ when it comes to each of our lives.  He knows what work needs to be done and just how He will use His beloved children to finish the job.   You see, each of us are wonderfully and fearfully made to serve as His vessels while we are on this earth.   From before we were born, He has known us and the plans He has in store for us.

Praise His holy name!!!

Walk With Me

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering.  Hebrews 10:23

In my walk of faith, there are occasions that if left to my own devices, I begin to become selfish in pursuing what makes me feel happy, and I only hear what I want to hear.  I can always tell when I am beginning to veer “off path,” because I tend to be short-tempered, impatient and combative with my family and friends.   I can typically pinpoint the “off path” beginnings by my shortened and unfocused prayers, lack of reading God’s Word, and going through the motions of worship at church.

It’s when we live according to God’s divine wisdom that we walk by faith and not by our own sight.  We begin to make decisions as God would have us make them instead of based upon how we feel, and what makes us feel “good.”

We must let the Holy Spirit guide us, not our impulses and emotions.  We must walk with God daily and allow His divine wisdom to reign supreme in our lives.

People Are People

The sun is glorious in one way, the moon is glorious in another way, and the stars are glorious in their own distinctive way; for one star differs from and surpasses another in its beauty and brilliance.  1 Corinthians 15:41

As our youngest son continues to grow and develop, the differences between him and his older brother are astounding.  For instance, Elliott crawled for the first time around 7 months and then quickly began scaling and walking.  Elijah, on the other hand, just started to crawl when he was 10 months old.  Elliott hardly eats enough food to sustain life; Elijah is very much like his daddy and is virtually a human garbage disposal.  Point in case, we are all created by God to be different from one another.

To truly live the lives God intended us to live, we are to accept who we are as individuals and fit into His great plan rather than comparing ourselves with others and trying to fit into everyone else's plans.

Each of has been uniquely made to fill a need and we are ALL part of God's master plan.  Make it a personal goal of yours to find out what you are individually supposed to be and then succeed at being yourself.  It's okay to be different, in fact, God made you that way!

Courage

Be strong and of good courage.  Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.  1 Chronicles 22:13

Today is a big day for a close friend, so I wanted to offer some words of encouragement…

From experience, there have been moments in my life that I have either dreaded or feared the worst outcome and my entire outlook and attitude was impacted in a negative way.

As believers, we can live with positive attitudes knowing that God loves us, created us, and promises each of us eternal life and salvation.  Satan enjoys making us live with dread and fear as if God's promises aren't true.

God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) and since He did not give us fear, you know He did not give us dread either.  God always goes ahead and makes a path for us.  

Trust that your loving Father has gone before you to make a way for you and refuse to live in fear!!

Amazing Grace

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  Romans 10:13

Just like all of his birthdays since we have lived in Knoxville, Elliott once again got to milk his sixth birthday over an extended period of time this year.  To start the month of June off, one of Elliott's grandparents came up to Knoxville to visit and showered him with several birthday presents.  On the day of his birthday, we took our family along with Elliott’s two best friends to the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga .  On the week of his birthday, we took Elliott to the Mexican restaurant and they surprised him singing happy birthday and an ice cream.  Finally, this week, Elliott is enjoying a week at the beach in South Carolina with Alicia and Elijah.  Despite all of celebration and the gifts he has already received, Elliott still has some expectation of receiving a gift each time he sees another family member or friend.

To some extent, we are all childish with the gifts we expect to receive, but there is one gift that is given freely to each one of us-the perfect gift-the gift of God's grace. 

There is nothing you need to do to receive this gift other than calling the name of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and accepting that His death on the cross is that which saves you from sin.

If you haven't accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, what are you waiting for? 

Just The Two of Us

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the Lord weighs the motives.  Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.  Proverbs 16: 1-3

As our summer has kicked into high gear, it has become obvious that Alicia and I are in desperate need of quality time together.  Don’t get me wrong, as we both love doing stuff with the boys, but I think that we are both overdue to spend some time doing adult things like hiking, going to see a movie, or going out on a dinner date, just the two of us.

Finding the right  balance in life always proves to be more difficult than it sounds.  For us to live up to our true potential and follow the plans God has made for us, we must seek to achieve balance in our lives.

Our first priority should always be to seek the Lord each and every day, though prayer, reading of the Word and worshiping on a regular basis.  I know too many people that consider Sunday their day of rest and will make up any excuse to not go to church.  I look forward to going each week and feel like something is off if I am out of town or miss a service.

Our next priority should be to spend time with our family and friends.  Married couples with children should always make time for each other.  A strong marriage will work wonders with your children…

Fishing

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen  Ephesians 3:20-21

Last year, the boys gave me a fishing pole for Father’s Day and I recalled taking Elliott down to the creek in our neighborhood to try out the new gift a year ago.  Fishing is one of those sports that requires a good bit of patience and just sitting on the bank of the creek with my son, provided me with some great father and son bonding as well as another analogy about the control we try to maintain in our lives.

We used a frozen biscuit as bait and I honestly didn't expect to catch anything on our first fishing expedition together. Of course, with it being Father's Day, I certainly wanted to catch a fish and punch my "man-card."  We found a pretty deep spot in the neighborhood creek and could visibly see fish swimming.  To my surprise, I felt the fishing line tighten and actually caught a fish on my fourth attempt.  It was pretty cool, and Elliott was pleased that we caught a fish, but it got me to thinking about how different the afternoon would have been if we never got a bite.

Our lives are much the same and often times we stress over things in which we have absolutely no control over.  We must learn to spend more of our precious time glorifying and enjoying our loving Father rather than trying to maintain the structure of our daily lives. 

When we keep our focus on God and allow him to prepare each day for us, we begin to enjoy living in the peace of His presence.  Thanks be to God!

Velvet Sea

 Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side.  Matthew 14:22

In the gospel of Matthew, Chapter 14, Jesus asked the disciples to board the boat before Him and He promised that He would meet them on the other side.  He never gave any specific details nor did He bother to tell them just how He was going to cross the Sea of Galilee.

Sometimes we just have to trust God without knowing any of the specific details.  If you are like me, this is proves to be very difficult as I like to know who, what, where, when, and why.

The Lord may not give us every detail of His plan so we should not require to know every detail or know all things either.  We just need to obey Him and trust that His timing is perfect and good, as it always is.

My Father's Eyes

Take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your week knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.  Hebrews 12: 12-13

We all model something to someone else.  Being a father, this has never been more apparent to me in all of my lifetime.  There are times that I set good examples for our children; other times, I wish I that could take back something that I have either said or done.

After 38 years, I have really come to appreciate all of the wisdom, advice, and love that my father has given me through the years.  The Bible promises us the way we live our lives will influence others; it may be for good or bad, for Christ or the enemy, so ask yourself what kind of example you have been setting for others lately.

I hope that one day our two sons will look back and realize that I tried to set a good example for them to live by, just like my father has for me...

Twist

"Because of God's tender mercy the dawn will break upon is from on high to give light to those who sit in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  Luke 1:78-79

I am a creature of habit and like to have a schedule of events or at least some sort of plan for each day.  I do occasionally like to change things up a bit, but by no means am I a fan of my daily path taking unexpected twists and turns.  This type of stubbornness can be difficult in the insurance business and especially with young children. 

You see, when we live our lives under the false belief that we are actually in control, we are not allowing God to help us through each day. We must stay alert to His Presence so that when our lives make that occasional detour or we run into 'bumps' in the road, we can lean on our Father to help us overcome the problems we encounter, with strength and peace.

Thank God for each day that doesn't turn out the way you anticipated it to!

Heavy Things

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.  Galatians 6:9

It’s amazing how you can be on top of the world one moment and then have the weight of the world on you the very next.  Think back to when Jesus was baptized….immediately after He was filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.

Jesus handled every situation in His life much more gracefully than I would have; He never complained once, or became discouraged, or depressed.  He faced each test and stood victorious when it was all said and done.

What if Jesus complained about the mobs of people that came to see Him to be healed or had a negative attitude about the gruesome death He faced on the cross?

We can all face any adversity in our lives with the same attitude that Jesus had; keep the mind of Christ and live victoriously! 

Man On The Corner

"Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today." ...And when the people saw it, they all complained, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."  Luke 19:5, 7

Have you ever been in a public place and noticed people with expressions on their faces like they were zombies or the walking dead?   We recently went to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, but I couldn’t help but notice people that looked miserable at such a neat place.

It got me thinking about a song that our children learned at their daycare about Zacchaeus.  You see, Zacchaeus was hated and rejected by many of the local folks in Jericho because he was a tax collector, not to mention he was also pretty wealthy.  When Jesus arrived in Jericho,  he singled out the "short man hanging from the tree" from the rather large crowd of people.  Regardless of being rich, Jesus recognized that Zacchaeus was desperately missing something in his life.  Notice that Jesus did not try to fix Zacchaeus or correct him before joining him at his home.  This, of course, outraged the crowd as Jesus was hanging with a known 'sinner.' 

How many people do you pass by in a given day that are 'hanging from a tree?" We are not called to fix people, but share the good news of the gospel with others.  We must slow down and open our eyes to the people in need all around us.  When we do, we begin to follow God's will for our lives, and serve others just like Jesus did.

Advice For The Young At Heart

Oh, how I love Your law!  It is my meditation all the day.  Psalm 119:97

Our very independent and sometimes stubborn children often fail to listen or seek my advice before doing things.  For instance,  our oldest son was balancing himself between the edge of the table and chair in the kitchen the other day after I repeatedly warned him to be careful as he might fall.  He refused to come down, so I stepped into the other room for a moment and heard a loud crash followed by the sounds of crying.  I was able to make a good lesson out of this and it goes to prove that sometimes we just have to fail and learn from our own experiences before we listen to other’s advice.

Anytime we are facing important issues or decisions, we should always seek our loving Father’s advice.  There truly is no topic to big or small that we cannot seek God on.  One of the best places to begin looking for advice is the Word of God, but often times, we seek other people’s input and advice and do not seek God in the process.

We must learn to read and study His Word and then learn to apply it to our lives, regardless of what issue or decision we are facing.  In doing so, we tap into His infinite wisdom and can learn how to respond to any and all situations that we will face during our lifetime.

Promises, Promises

God is not a man, so He does not lie.  He is not human, so He does not change His mind.  Has He ever spoke and failed to act?  Has He ever promised and not carried it through?  Numbers 23: 19

I recall making many promises over the course of my lifetime that were never fulfilled.  Some of them, I am thankful never saw the light of day, while others were disappointing because I never saw them through.

As we grow in our faith, it is important to clearly distinguish God’s promises from frail human promises and lies.  If we cannot trust that God’s promises will come to fruition, then we can’t believe His Word.  If we can’t believe His Word, then we shouldn’t believe in Him at all.  If we don’t believe in Him at all we lose all hope and there is nothing to look forward to at the end of our lives.

Being a Christian, we are promised life after death and it will be greater than anything we can wrap our human minds around.  Take comfort in knowing that you can believe God’s promises, His Word and that He loves you.  You can believe because all of His promises will be carried out!

Willin'

“Not as I will, but as You will.” –Jesus, Matthew 26:39

I certainly live up to my namesake as I am determined and admittedly quite stubborn.  And so it is with my relationship with God.  I have really been working on my prayers lately, trying not to focus so much on the content of my prayers and petitions, but more on being obedient to what God is asking me to do in my life.  I assure you that it  has not been easy for me to give up the control , but things have been much smoother at home, work and in my relationships.

God’s ultimate goal for His beloved children is that we live in complete harmony with His master plan and yield to His will.  Jesus gave us all the ultimate example of yielding to God’s will that fateful night in the garden, moments before He was captured and crucified.

His plan for you and me is to move us to the same obedience of and willingness of Christ so that we can someday say “Not as I will, but as You will.”

My Soul

God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him.  Genesis 1:27

We are all concerned with our image to some extent.  I make it a point to exercise daily by either running, resistance training, playing tennis, or swimming,  so that I can stay healthy and fit into the occasional spandex super-hero costume.  I am not alone in my quest to look and feel great, in fact, many people spend countless hours every week in the gym or participating in some sort of exercise because they are concerned with their image.

The Bible tells us that we are created in God’s image.  This not only means our outward appearance, but our spiritual and emotional being as well.  When you think about it, we put a lot of emphasis on our physical bodies, these temporary dwellings, that will be transformed when we leave this earth to spend eternity in heaven.  Our spiritual being, or souls, are with us forever and when neglected, we are neglecting the most important part of what God created each of us to be.

Our spiritual well-being is the most vital part of our being; don’t  forget to take care of your soul too!

The Love You Save

I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.  Revelation 3:8

In the most simplest of statements, God’s purpose for each of us is to receive His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness and then turn around and express it to others.  He wants a relationship with us so that we can experience His love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness on a daily basis.  When our focus is directed inwards, it is hard to share God’s love with others. 

We all need our alone time and Jesus often spent time by Himself after teaching or performing miracles.  It’s when our focus is strictly on seeking our own personal pleasure at the expense of relationships with family and friends that we are not following God’s master plan.

We are all promised eternal life with our Father in heaven , so our days on this earth are numbered.  Make the most of everyday by putting your relationship with Jesus first, other people second, and yourself last.

Take A Picture

Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  Ephesians 6:11

In preparation for our upcoming summer vacation, I recently dusted off our SLR camera that we purchased over two years ago and have been enjoying taking photos of the family and a few scenic shots around town. I have been fooling around with some of the features on the camera and have taken some fantastic shots by adjusting the aperture.  In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. Without getting too technical, a wide aperture shot results in an image that is sharp around what the lens is focusing on and blurred otherwise.

Much like adjusting the lens of a camera, the same happens in a temptation to sin. If we only focus on what we need in the heat of a moment, the rest of the big picture of our lives begins to be blurred. We shut out all reasoning and consequence of our sins and focus solely on the temporary pleasure.

In order to build our defense against this tactic of the enemy, we must learn to keep the focus clear on the big picture. There is never a temptation we will face that God won't provide a way out for us.

Evil Urges

I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  Romans 7: 15-18

If I had a dollar for every time I used "the devil made me do it" as an excuse for my poor choice of actions, I'd be a rich man.  Of course, it sounds like a valid excuse, but ultimately, we are the only ones responsible for our own actions.

We cannot use the power of sin or Satan as an excuse because both have been defeated by Christ.  When we refuse Christ's help to resist temptations, sin is stronger than we are and we may find ourselves defenseless against an attack.  This is why we should never try to stand up to sin alone, but depend on Christ who has conquered sin once and for all.

When we tap into His never ending power and strength, we can stand tall and not give into our temptations and the sins that so easily entangle us.  

Everywhere I Go

I look up toward the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!  He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.  Psalm 121:1-3

Having almost every variation of Apple gadget known to man, including an iPhone, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, iPod Classic, Apple TV, and my now dated generation one iPad, I am still amazed at how much I am able to accomplish ‘on the go.’  If I want to watch a movie or television show, I can stream it online.  I do most of my banking online through an application.  My medical insurance carrier now has an application and I can view my claims and access my ID Card through a their new app.   I have access to most of my music library through the iCloud at all times, and I can stay connected at work through email and by phone.  Of course, one of the greatest marvels of the technological age is Words With Friends…I have several games going on at the moment.  While all of this is certainly cool, having God with us at all times is even cooler.

In fact, our Loving Father is not limited by space or time; He inhabits the hearts of everyone who believe in Him.  He is not restricted by buildings or places of worship; He is with us without a Wi-Fi connection or even without electricity, for that matter.

Ponder this for a moment-God is with us everywhere that we go and He is with us in everything we do.  No matter where we go or what we are doing, God is with us at ALL times!  Praise His holy name!

With or Without Reason

“I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"  At this they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.  John 8: 58-59

The other day, I was attempting to make a point to our children and was at a loss for words, so I uttered something completely ridiculous: "Because I said so."  Whoa, I have never heard that one before.  My children probably think I have lost my mind…which, maybe I have, but that’s neither here nor there.

When Jesus spoke the words above from John 8:58, He spoke one of the most radical and powerful statements of His lifetime.  He boldly proclaimed His divinity when He said that He existed before Abraham was born.  In addition to claiming that He was around before Abraham, He also applied God's holy name-"I am."

Jesus' claim is one that demands a response and cannot be ignored.  The Jewish leaders attempted to stone Jesus for blasphemy, because He claimed equality with God.  Who do you say He is?  Is He truly God or just a great prophet that did nice things for other people?

If I was not a believer, I would certainly question some of Jesus’ outrageous claims, but the truth is that Jesus is God, so how do you respond to His claims?  

Surrender

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.  Therefore submit to God.  James 4: 6-7

Our youngest son, Elijah, is at a fun age (he’ll be three in August) but also throws his share of temper tantrums as well.  I feel like a ‘broken record’ at times, lovingly correcting him or showing him the proper way to do things.  The other night, we went out for dinner an Elijah ordered a hamburger.  When Alicia removed the bun from the hamburger meat to apply some ketchup, Elijah became inconsolable because he thought the “hamburger was broken!”

The same principle holds true in our relationship with the Holy Spirit.  If a drowning man thinks he can help himself, he becomes dangerous to anyone who attempts to rescue him.  Until we surrender to God and give him full authority to reign supreme in our lives, we are not in any position to be helped either.  We may not realize it, but when we aren't following his lead, we are listening to ourselves and being disobedient.

To truly follow God, we must make his will our own and it starts by surrendering our own will!

Follow You, Follow Me

If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is not living in the truth.  But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him.  That is how we know we are living in Him.  1 John 2: 4-5

Our son, Elliott, got into a little trouble recently.  His sixth birthday is quickly approaching and with his age a stubborn attitude has also developed. (I wonder where he got that from?)  Just like most children Elliott’s age, it is easy to follow the lead of other people, even if what they are doing is wrong.

Whose lead do you follow?  Have you ever wondered how to express your love for God?  It's simple, because He tells us how-we are to follow Him!  The Bible is not just a bunch of stories; it's our manual on how to live a blessed life.  When you obey God, you are putting your faith to the test and showing that what you believe is true.

When you trust and obey God's commandments, you will be on the way to living a life full of joy and contentment.   

Trouble Me

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Someone very close to me is in desperate need of help but refuses to accept it from anyone.  This particular person seems to be defeated and overwhelmed by all of the troubles they have been experiencing in their life.

My friends and family are not the only people exclusive to experiencing difficulties; I too have had my fair share of trouble over the course of my lifetime as has every single other person on this planet.  The blessed assurance of Jesus is that we do not have to cave in by the pressures of this world or become defeated by our troubles, because we learn to accept that God is always with us.

With God, anything is possible.  We never have to face anything alone.  We can face our problems, and most importantly, we can overcome them.  Jesus also taught His followers that conflicts are only passing in nature.  Troubles and sickness all occur for a season and a reason.  They help us realize our need for God.

If we never faced adversity or difficulties, would we need God?