Thought for Thursday, March 1st

March 1, 2012

Let It Go

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Exodus  20:1-6

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Deuteronomy 4:23-31

Quote of the Day

“Four species of idols beset the human mind; idols of the tribe, idols of the den; idols of the market; and idols of the theatre.” – Francis Bacon

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

Figuratively speaking: if we are Christians, God has brought us all out of our own Egypt (that place of captivity called sin and death) and He has brought us into the promise land of life and hope in Him: yet we like the generations of old; often have our own idols that we have allowed to take His place in our hearts and in our lives.

For some it is their job, their career, a bank account, or retirement fund: while for others it is a past time or hobby; for still yet others it is an object (like a television or a boat), while for still others it is an old tradition that has been held onto for years past it’s useful life expectancy.

Anything that stands between us or gets more of our attention than God does has more than likely become a type of idol in our lives.

God told us in the first commandment to have no other god’s before Him: so do you ever wonder why we don’t take Him seriously?

Often, for many, they don’t even realize they have allowed these things to become their gods.  Yet when it comes time to serve Him these others things demand our attention and consume our time. 

Remember no object, tradition, objective or ambition will ever give you what God has.  

Maybe it’s time to reassess our priorities and maybe, just maybe there might be a need to reorder the items of significance in our lives and maybe God needs to be put back at the top of the list.

Any thing that stands between you and a more fulfilling relationship with Him is something you need to give up and just let go of.

Today’s Prayer

Father you are jealous and rightfully so: you have given us everything and so often we give you so little in return.  You deserve not only our highest praise, but you also deserve our unrestrained love and service.  Help me to be more aware of those things I let come between us and help me to reprioritize my life so that you are always first and foremost in all I do.

“Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.”

– Mark Twain (From ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’)

“Let the poor man say
I am rich in Him
Let the lost man say
I am found in Him
Let the blind man say
I can see again
Let the dead man say
I am born again
Holy Spirit come
Move in power“

- from ‘Let The River Flow’ by Darrell Evans

Thought for Wednesday, February 29th

February 29, 2012

What Makes A Day Worthwhile

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

Habakuk  4:18-19

The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.  I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.  This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 118:14-24

Quote of the Day

What is the worth of any thing,

But for the happiness ‘twill bring?” – R. O. Cambridge

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

Any day that is a God day; is a good day!

When a day starts with it’s focus on God and when we seek Him in the morning; at the mid-day, in the early evening and even into the night – then that day has the potential to yield optimum success.

Today is an extra day in the year that we only get every four years.

What a great opportunity to take this extra day and make it extra special for the glory of the Lord.  You will not have another February 29^th again until the year 2016:  So already today is special.  But if God is the focus and this day is all about Him and all for Him it will be even more special.

Every day needs to be a God day in the life of a Christian.  This year we just have the joy and privilege of having one extra day to serve Him and to bless others, thus blessing Him.

The question in today’s title asked what makes a day special?

There are many things that can make a day special; but most assuredly no one can make any day more special than God.

And isn’t every day that we can honor, serve and please Him a day to be counted as special?

So, just how special do you plan to make this day for you and for God?

Today’s Prayer

Father you are my all; my every thing; my hopes, my desire and my delight.  Thank you for another special day.  May my day be a special day for you and may what I say and do today make you smile and make you proud to call me your child.

“A friendly look, a kindly smile, one good act, and life’s worthwhile.”

– Anonymous

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Tuesday, February 28th

February 28, 2012

Let Go – Let God – And Be Astounded

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians  4:13

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 John 4:1-11

Quote of the Day

“Callum – Is God everywhere?

Mother - Yes dear.

Callum – Is He in this room?

Mother – Yes, He is.

Callum – Is He in my mug?

Mother – (growing uneasy): Er-yes.

Callum – (clapping his hand over his mug): Got Him!

(Callum was four years old at the time of this conversation).” – Margaret Donaldson

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

 Often, as Christians; we are like Callum – we think we have got God: but the real question is ‘Does God have us?’

So many times we think we know all about God and we even pretend we have Him figured out – but remember His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are so much higher than ours.  The truth is; our finite minds do not posses the capacity to fully comprehend the totality of all God is.  That is why we embrace Him by faith and trust that even though we may not understand it all – He still is all in all.

Yet, even with this realization that God is bigger, greater, more powerful, much wiser and far more knowing that we will ever hope to be: we have trouble letting go of our own limitations and allowing God to be all that He wants to be in and through us.

Letting go of ourselves and letting God be all that He can be in us would be the greatest, wisest and most life altering experience we could ever hope to have: and it would also be the most rewarding and exhilarating joyous and fulfilling transformation we could ever hope to achieve: yet we hold back, resist and just plain refuse to surrender all.

Somehow we think we need to maintain some degree or modicum of control over ourselves: when in reality if we would loose ourselves totally to God’s control our lives would be far richer, more peaceful and totally les stressful.  But still we just aren’t ready to let go and let God.

If we would, which we should: I’m sure we would be nothing short of awestruck and amazed at what God is capable of doing.

Today’s Prayer

Father you are all knowing, all powerful and ever present and oh so capable of doing more than I can even hope to dream about or imagine:  yet I fail to experience all that You are and all that You desire to be in my life – because I somehow, even though I know better, think I need to have some degree of control over my own life.  Help me to let go and let me experience what it really means to let God live through me.

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

– Lao Tru

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Monday, February 27 2012

February 27, 2012

Be All That God Believes You Can Be

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.  And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.  And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand.  And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand..

Genesis  5:1-4

Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.  And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah did.  And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.

2 Chronicles 26:3-5

Quote of the Day

“To be yourself [In Christ] in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – A Chinese Proverb

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

 To be ‘All that you can be’ in life – depends less on relying on who you are and what you are capable of – as it does in allowing God to live through you and thus allowing Him to make you all He believes you can be.

Joseph, in the passage above had been beaten up by his brothers, stripped of his clothes and sold into slavery: and then resold.  Most of us would have given up by this point.  But Joseph was the best He could be in the house of His master and it brought him recognition and position.  And then Potiphar’s wife in a fit of lustful rage; after being shunned by Joseph when she attempted to seduce him; lied about him and got him thrown into prison.  Yet still Joseph stayed true to his God and by so doing was made an assistant to the Captain of the Guard.  The rest of the story, as Paul Harvey might have said, finds Joseph interpreting a King’s dream and being put in a position of authority, second only to the King himself.

Had Joseph turned away from God and had he rebelled against what he knew God would have expected from Him – things could have ended much differently for Joseph.

The moral of this story is:  when we stay true to God and allow Him to perfect His will in us great things can happen.  God sees potential in each of us that we never see in ourselves.   Sadly often we don’t give God enough authority and control over our thoughts and deeds to allow His plans to be fully realized and to allow the potential He sees to become actualized reality.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  But we must first allow Him to be our complete source of strength.

Nothing is impossible with God, but so many times we forget to let God be the total factor and sum of all the variables in our life.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live up to God’s expectations for us?  For in truth, God does not expect anything from us that He is not willing, capable and available to ensure will happen if we will only let Him.

Are you ready to be all that God believes you can be? 

Today’s Prayer

Father you are awesome and amazing and so insightful and glorious.  And I know that I fall far short of the potential that You can see in me.  Forgive me for the times I try to succeed in my own strength, power or intellect and help me to overcome my arrogance, pride and conceit and help me to be humble and more reliant and dependent on you.

“Make the most of yourself [In Christ], for that is all there is of you [that will last the test of time].”

-          Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Saturday, February 25th

February 25, 2012

Cheerfulness and Joyfulness

Need to be A Shared Experience

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Psalms  5:11

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

Psalms 35:9

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods..

Psalms 95:1-3

Quote of the Day

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.” – Mark Twain

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

 Joy, real joy can’t help but make you cheerful and if you are feeling cheerful and joyous then those feelings can’t help but affect the people around you.

As Christians: when we realize and recognize who we are in Christ and how blessed we are to be living as children of the most High God; how can we be anything less than joyously excited and exuberantly cheerful.

But this joy and cheer is not meant just for our own indulgence and pleasure.  We are to be a light in the darkness and we need to let the joy of the Lord radiate and illuminate so that others can see why we are so joyful and cheerful.

If you’ve got the joy of the Lord and it is truly your strength and if your delight is in the Lord – you won’t be able to contain it anyway.

It will spread and you will find that as you share your joy and pass around your good cheer others will be affected: and as they are affected that affect will come back full circle and you will be even more blessed than you started out.

So like the old camp song says, ‘Pass it On.’

Today’s Prayer

Father, how wonderful, marvelous, great and glorious you are and you are the delight and joy of my life.  You bring hope and cheer to every day and I am so blessed.  Thank you!  Help me to be free and liberal in my sharing of all the blessings, the joy, the hope and the excitement you bring to my life.

“In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy.”

-          Karl Reiland

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Friday, February 24th

February 24, 2012

The Inspiring Power of Love

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matthew  5:43-46

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 6:26-31

Quote of the Day

“Where there is great love there are always miracles.” – Willa Cather

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

 Have you ever noticed that some people are just easier to love than others?

It is a whole lot easier to love someone who has nothing but good things to say about you and who always seems to agree with everything you say.

But then there is that individual who seems to be able to find not only your last nerve, but they seem to have a propensity for jumping up and down on it.  That individual is sometimes more of a challenge to love.

What about that person who has chosen a pathway in life that demonstrates the direct opposite to everything you believe and hold dear?  Aren’t those types of folks often hard to love?

Then of course there are those who are so fake and phony and their insincerity is transparent and their blatant dishonesty is so apparent: they most certainly are hard to love.

Yet all these folks, just like us are sinners that Jesus died for.  And they, just like us before Jesus washed away our sins are dying and in need of someone to love them enough to tell them and show them what Christian love is all about and how Jesus is the only way and the only hope they have to make their lives better.

God loved us while we were still repulsively covered by sins and while our life is filled with all those things, which He abhors and detests.  So then, if He loved us while we were in that state – do we have any right not to love others?

Sometimes it’s the sinner lost and undone and sometimes it’s the brother or sister who just hasn’t grown to a place in their spiritual life that they have learned the importance of loving God with all that they are and loving others with the love with which they have been loved: yet if we can but be a catalyst to begin a movement to show the world that what is needed is love and more of it and if we can emulate and imitate the Godly love which we receive each day to others, I think we could really make a difference in this world.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re loving beyond comprehension; your amazing beyond description and I desire to honor and worship you in spirit and in truth.  But in order to truly worship I need to love all folks equally, and not just those who make it easy.  So help me to love every soul and every sinner as much as you love me.

“Where there’s love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”

-          Ella Fitzgerald

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Thursday, February 23rd

February 23, 2012

The Success of Surrender

The plans of the heart belong to man; But the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.  Commit thy works unto Jehovah, And thy purposes shall be established.

Proverbs  16:1-3

I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.

Ecclesiastes 3:12

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

Quote of the Day

“Success is to laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty and find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived – this is to have succeeded.” – Ralph  Waldo Emerson

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

Success can be many things to many people: however for the Christians the greatest success in life comes and is attained in direct proportion to the individual’s willingness to surrender to God.

Real success comes when we can give up our goals, our ambitions and our desires so that they can be replaced with Gods.   While we would like to all believe that what we want is what God wants: sometimes the two are not the same.

Every moment that God gives is an opportunity for us to allow Him to use us to make someone else’s life better; to make a difference in the world around us; to turn hearts towards Him and to facilitate others in growing in their faith.

The interesting thing about surrendering to allow God to do these things through us is that in so doing we have allowed God to do the same and more in us.  Now that’s what I call success.

“Life is a succession of moments.  To live each one [In Christ] is to succeed.” – Corita Kent

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are the lily of the valley the bright and morning star and the secret to all the success I could ever hope to have.  Help me to be faithful to surrender so that I can experience ultimate success through You.

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

[God’ s Spirit having liberty to work in You]

-          Jimmy Johnson

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Wednesday, February 22nd

February 22, 2012

Let’s Get Past Just Praising and Let’s Get To Worshipping

Worthy art thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and are created.

Revelation  4:11

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

Psalms 29:2

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let is kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Psalms 95:6

Quote of the Day

“A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.” – C. S. Lewis

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

It seems to me that in today’s Christian world the word ‘Worship’ is used way to loosely. 

Many consider the singing of songs in the Sunday morning service the full and total context of what it means to worship.  But this would be inaccurate.  It is indeed an act of worship; but it does not constitute the totality of what worship entails.

Worship is more than an isolated act or deed; rather it is a lifestyle of connected acts and deeds that culminate to equal a life of worship.

Worship is what we do day in and day out.  So what does your worship look like?  Do you worship the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul or do you worship Him intermittently, when your not busy giving everything else your total attention and focus.

To truly worship means to be consumed by the object of your affection..  How many times a day does God or the things of God’s kingdom, cross your mind?

I understand we have to work, cook, clean our homes and engage in other activities, but is God always on your heart and in your mind in all you do?  Does your first thought or reaction to almost every situation focus your words and deeds on doing something in a way or saying something that will glorify and honor God?

If not then you may still be only praising Him at times – not worshipping Him at all times.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you deserve more praise, more honor, more glory and more love than I alone can give: but in my giving; may I give you all my worship and may my life be a life of worship lived for the purpose and aim of pleasing you.

“The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service.”

-          Billy Graham

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me

Thought for Tuesday, February 21 2012

February 21, 2012

Blessed Is He/She, Who Gives and Gives and Gives

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew  5:38-45

 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?   If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 7:7-11

Quote of the Day

“It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little  - do what you can.” – Sidney Smith

Today’s Thoughts and Insights

Almost everyone, somewhere along the way has heard it said, ‘It is more blessed to give – than it is to receive:’ and when it comes to God’s economy that is most certainly true.

When you think about it, God has given us much more than He could ever hope to receive in return from us.  First He gave us life itself and then He gave His son to afford us the opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternal life through the blood of Jesus.

That doesn’t even take into account all the blessings He bestows on us each day.

So, since it is obvious as Christians we receive more from God than we could ever hope to give, doesn’t it make sense that we should give as much as we possibly can?

And, please understand there is much more to this concept of giving than just putting money in an offering plate.  That is only a small part of what we have to offer and give for God.  There is the issue of our talents, our energies, our time and our daily living.  Every deed we do that is an act of love and ministry is a means and way of giving back to God.  Feeding a person who is hungry is giving to God.  Volunteering to sort clothes at the clothes closet is giving to God.  Helping out in Children’s church or chaperoning a Youth Event is giving back to God.  And look at all the benefactors of our generosity when we give unselfishly.

The more you give of yourself in service to God the more blessed you will be.

And with God nothing done and no amount given ever goes unnoticed.  Remember the story of the Widow’s Mite.  She gave all she had to give and God saw her little as greater than those who only gave a small portion of what was available to them.

I’ve often heard it said, ‘You can’t out-give God;’ and the longer I live and the more God enables me to let go and give the more I realize how true this saying is.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.” – Luke 6:38

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are gentle, giving, forgiving, gracious and kind and I am so blessed as your child.  Help me to give and give and give, knowing when I give all of me, there is still more of you to refill and replace what I have given away.

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more but those giving more.”

-          H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Word of God speak, pour down like rain…”

- from ‘Word of God Speak’ by Mercy Me