Thought for Friday, June 1st

(A New Format for Summer – I hope these Daily Thoughts continue to be a blessing.)

June 1, 2012

A Worthy Wish List

We have all had things through the course of our lives that we have wished for.

And obviously those things that topped our wish lists as little children changed when we become teens and changed again as we matured into adulthood.  And more than likely as the years pass and the decades roll by those wish lists continue to change.  However one wish or desire that should remain the same throughout our life as Christians, should be to experience more of God.               

“I wish I were honest enough to admit all my shortcomings:

-         Brilliant enough to accept flattery without it making me arrogant;

-         tall enough to tower above deceit;

-         strong enough to treasure love;

-         brave enough to welcome criticism;

-         compassionate enough to understand human frailties;

-         wise enough to recognize my mistakes;

-         humble enough to appreciate greatness;

-         staunch enough to stand by my friends;

-         human enough to be thoughtful of my neighbor;

-         and righteous enough to be devoted to the love of God.”

-          Gordon H. Taggart

  Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts…

1 Corinthians 14:1

We can wish for many things; but only those things that we wish for that deepen our relationship with God and draw us closer to Him are going to last the test of time.

We can wish for happiness, wealth, peace of mind and many other things: but if we focus our desires on God and make Him the treasure of our heart – we will find all these other things that we might wish for and desire will be either by-products of a greater and deeper relationship with Him or they will become less important and won’t continue to matter to us as much.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re my provider, my deliverer, my hope, my strength, my salvation and the glory and the lifter of my head: in short you are all I need.  May all my hopes, desires and wishes be focused on you and what you want for my life.

“My life is in You Lord
My strength is in You Lord
My hope is in You Lord
In You, it’s in You

I’ll praise You with all of my life
I’ll praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life, with all of my strength
All my hope is in You “

-  Lyrics from ‘My Life Is In You Lord’ by Daniel Gardner

Thought for Thursday May 31st

May 31, 2012 

The Restrictions of Failure

To Affect Our Lives 

  The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall. The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.  In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Hebrews 11:24-26

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

Quote of the Day

“God gave each of us two ends – one to sit on and one to think with.  A person’s success or failure depends on the one he uses most.” – Anonymous

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

It has been said that, “Failure is the path of least persistence.”  Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Sadly this describes many Christians I have met.  They give up so quickly when the things of God do not come easily or quickly enough.  Have you ever taken time to ponder the reason scripture tells us to wait upon the Lord?  Sometimes waiting doesn’t necessarily mean just sitting and doing nothing but it can mean doing what is before us and staying steady and consistent to the task while we are awaiting the fulfillment of the promises and expectations by faith, we have in God through Christ Jesus.

If we are in line with God’s will and doing things God’s way then failure is not a possibility.  However, when we begin to take over God’s plans and they start becoming mans plans then the probability ratio for a lesser success increases.

Jesus never fails and if we are walking in the path of His righteousness and allowing His spirit to lead us by letting Him order our steps, then success is guaranteed.

Spiritually speaking there is no place for failure in the life of a Christian, or maybe I should qualify that by saying a Christian who is walking in the fullness of the divine and perfect will of God.

If we find ourselves experiencing failures in our life: maybe we need to spend a little more time on our knees and in the word seeking, searching and listening to the instructions of our Heavenly Father.  For when all is said and done; He is the only one who can unconditionally guarantee success for you and me. 

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re the quintessential personification of purity and perfection; the infinitesimal essence of surety and consistency: you are victory and success and because your Holy Spirit abides in me; I too can experience these amazing elements in my life: yet often I fail to experience them to the fullest of their potential because I fail to allow you total and absolute control over every aspect of my life.  Forgive me and help me to do better.

“What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?”

–

Robert Schuller

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Wednesday, May 30th

May 30, 2012

The ‘S’ Factor

Or

The Effects of Sin 

  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Hebrews 11:24-26

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:12-23

Quote of the Day

“The seven deadly sins are: Politics without principles; Wealth without works; Commerce without morality; Pleasure without conscience; Education without character; Science without humanity; Worship without sacrifice.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

The effects of sin are lasting and often far reaching.

For the lost soul who has not accepted God’s free gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, sins effects are eternal:  leading to and resulting in perpetual torment, agony and suffering an eternal separation from God and an ever after in the fires of hell.  If an individual dies without having embraced and accepted God’s salvation this is the impact sin will have on them.

For the Christian sin, though forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus and though covered by mercy and grace when repented of: still can carry lasting effects that result from the act or deed that is a sin.  Often even though the sin may be forgiven the consequences of that sin still linger.  Whether in damage to the physical body as a result of abuses inflicted upon it: whether by damage done by hurt in relationships with others who might have been affected by said sin: or any other natural consequence that could be a result of a particular sin: often even when forgiven Christians still find themselves dealing with the effects of those acts of sinfulness.

Maybe one of the most far reaching effects of sin from a spiritual perspective is that it knaws at our joy and often causes us to experience less than the fullness of what God intends because we become overwhelmed with the affects of those acts of disobedience.  Did you realize if you add the ‘s’ from sin to laughter it creates slaughter?  How apropos in that often the effects of sinfulness can in effect, begin to kill or deteriorate the fullness of our relationship with God.

How do we avoid these effects?  Well the simple answer would be to stop sinning: but as humans the probability of that occurring are somewhat minimal, since we will not be perfect until we see God face to face.  However, we can cast our cares on Him, lay our burdens at His feet and make ourselves dependent on His grace, mercy and strength as well as His wisdom and discernment to enable us to deal with the aftermath of our disobedience in ways that will strengthen our faith and still draw us closer to Him.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re compassionate and forgiving yet just and fair and even though I know if I will confess my sins to you – you will always forgive them: I also realize that sometimes I may still have to deal with the aftermath and effects that my disobediences have created: so grant me grace, mercy, wisdom strength and meekness to yield to you, surrender to your will and to learn from my mistakes so that I do not find myself repeating them with any degree of frequency.

“Two things never live up to their advertising claims: the circus and sin.”

–

Anonymous

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Tuesday May 29th

May 29, 2012 

A Little Joy – A Lot of Laughter

Lifts the Spirit and Liberates the Soul 

  …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10(b)

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalms 126:1-6

All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Proverbs 15:15

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Quote of the Day

“The satirist shoots to kill while the humorist brings his prey back alive and eventually releases him again for another chance.” – Peter de Vries

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

“The love of truth lies at the root of much humor.” – Anonymous

Jesus is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth: and He says when you know the truth the truth will set you free: and if you are free you should be happy: and if you’re happy you should be joyous: and if you’re joyous then laughter should fill your soul and it should emanate from within you to touch and encourage, enlighten and lift up those around you.

If we truly believe that the joy of the Lord is our strength we need to let the world know we are joyous.  We need to seek to find the humor and lighter side to the many and yes, often humorous, situations in which we often find ourselves in.

I believe God loves to laugh and I’m sure He finds a lot to laugh at as we His creation carry out the business of our lives on the stage of this world.  Often what we deem as dire and disastrous can often be nothing more than a chance to allow God to once again prove His faithfulness and to bring even more hope and joy to our souls.

Have you ever noticed that often some of our greatest calamities and our seemingly most embarrassing moments lend themselves to some of our most comedic reflections once we have moved beyond them?

Sometimes I fear that we Christians take ourselves so seriously that we fail to embrace the magnitude of the joy, liberty and good humor that are such a vital component in our life of faith.

God did not send His son to save us just so we could be in despair and droll: He came to give us life and life more abundantly and for me that means laughing a lot, expressing my joy and being grateful and giving glory to the one who has made this possible.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you give such love, joy and happiness to my life: help me to always be willing to express the depth of my gratitude and the magnitude of my happiness and joy.

“Good humor makes all things tolerable.”

–

Henry Ward Beecher

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Monday, May 28th

May 28, 2012

Is It Dumb – Is It Stupid – Or Is It Dumb-Stupid

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.  The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

Psalms 53:1-2 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 1:7

It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

Proverbs 10:23

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

Proverbs 14:9

Quote of the Day

“However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. ” – Anonymous

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

Have you ever had a duh moment?  This is one of those moments when the light comes on and or you realize how ridiculous and inept what you have been doing is and all of the sudden a better way to accomplish the task at hand comes to your mind.

Spiritually speaking we have all had a duh moment or two over the course of a lifetime.  But what keeps those duh moments from becoming foolish moments?  The moment itself may feel or seem foolish, but the real evidence of a character of foolishness is that when a foolish act is discovered one continues to pursue and act in the same manner even though the foolishness of it has been brought to their full attention.  Acts of foolishness, whether you like them or not, will occur at some point in time: The key is to know how to respond to them and what to do about them so that we don’t become perpetuated fools.

Into every life a duh event or moment will occur but our attitude about them and or our willingness to learn from them may determine whether or not we find ourselves labeled as the fool.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are always wise, deep and you comprehend my beginning from my end; and you aren’t even put off by my momentary lapses into foolishness, but you do not want me to become a fool  So help me Lord.  Help me to be wise, to seek counsel and to listen for and obey your voice.

“There are well dressed foolish ideas just as there are well -dressed fools.”

–

Diana Ackerman

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Saturday, May 26th

May 26, 2012

When The Fire Falls – Lives Are Changed`             

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:1-21

Quote of the Day

“Holy Spirit of God, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within it until the eventide. Inspire all my thoughts. Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my soul's most inward citadel, and order all my doings. Be with me in silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and the weariness of the evening. Give me grace at all times to rejoice in Thy mysterious companionship.” – John Baillie

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

When an individual surrenders himself to God and asks Jesus to forgive their sins and invites Him to live in their heart: they are in essence inviting the presence of the third person of the trinity to move in and abide with them.  Some people call it the baptism of the holy-spirit: some call it the indwelling: while others may refer to it in some other descriptive way: but the crux of the matter is this: when you accept God’s gift of salvation you are welcoming the Holy Spirit to move in and to live with you daily.  You are allowing the fire-power of the presence of God to ignite in your spirit and to illuminate your life.  The question then becomes how hot will you let that fire burn and how brightly will you allow Him to shine?

I contend it is impossible to be in God’s presence and not be affected and changed.  So why then do we see so many people who call themselves Christians who are lukewarm to cold and seem to have about as much illumination as a burnt out light bulb?  Could it be that their relationship with God is superficial at best an more than likely non-existent at worst?

When you truly connect with God and the fire of His presence falls from Heaven and ignites your life, there must be change: there must be an evidence of His power: there must be a testimony the bespeaks of His existence within you and if there is not then you may need to consider giving you life to Him.  If you are a Christian and your light is dull and your fire is nothing but embers you need to asses the place you give Him in your heart and life and you need to realize that if you really want to make a difference in this world for His glory – you must let the fire of His presence consume you and allow the glow of His glory to illuminate you and then you need to step back, stand aside, let go and let God do what only He can and if and when you do: you will be in awe and amazed at His mighty works and wonders in and through you.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are all encompassing, all powerful and beyond amazing and you are the light of my life.  May I be bold, courageous and always willing to allow the fire of your spirit to rage out of control in my heart and life so that it can consume me and light my world with your amazing radiance!

“O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.”

–

Augustine

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Friday, May 25th

 May 25, 2012

He Who Exaggerates Doesn’t Tell The Truth

`              

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

Proverbs 27:1-2

But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

John 3:21

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

Quote of the Day

“There are people so addicted to exaggeration they can’t tell the truth without lying.” – Josh Billings

Today’s Thoughts and Insights:

I’m sure most of us have either told or heard the story about the fourteen foot fish that weighed one hundred forty pounds that got away

If you have ever taken a course on how to prepare a resume – you have probably been instructed to embellish (a nice word for exaggerate) your abilities and accomplishments.

Exaggeration is a very common occurrence in the lives of most every person alive from the very young to the very old.  And generally the more often a story is told the more enhancements it receives.

However, truth is truth and God says anything that is not the truth is a lie.  So then are embellishments or exaggerations not the equivalent of lies?

God calls us to be a humble people; to be meek; and to have gentle spirits, so I would draw the conclusion from this that He does not condone our embellishments or exaggerations.  Fact is we need to always remember – God always knows the facts from the fiction.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re honest and true – yes and amen – dependable and precise and I thank you for your devotion and commitment to me:  my prayer today is that you will help me to become more like You.

“We always weaken whatever we exaggerate.”

–

Jean Francois de Laharpe

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming

Thought for Thursday, May 24th

May 24, 2012

Sometimes – It’s All About the Attitude  

 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:1-5

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;  And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Quote of the Day

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” – Zig Ziglar

Today’s Thoughts and Insights: 

In a world of high-powered, motivationally driven, success driven individuals – many would pretext that attitude is everything.

Mary Kay Ash put this spin on the subject of attitude, “If you think you can, you can.  And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”

With respect to our spiritual conquests, to think we can’t is not so far amiss from the truth, if we are depending on our own strength, merit, wisdom or prowess: but if we remember that we do not do things by our strength or mite as Christians, but rather by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, within us  But still our attitude does often impact and affect our aptitude for accomplishing the work and will of God.  If we have an attitude of doubt and uncertainty towards God and the validity of His promises to us – we hinder the effectiveness of His Spirit’s ability to work within us.  If we have an attitude of spiritual arrogance and holy superiority we have again dishonored God and we diminish the capacity for Him to be as effective in as He wants to be.

Attitude alone will not enable us to achieve success: but if we have the right attitude towards God and the things of God: His power and presence coupled with our attitude of surrender and submission, thanksgiving and praise, as well as an attitude of trust and obedience towards Him will enable Him to work through us and this will guarantee that His will can be accomplished and if that happens – we have indeed experienced success to the highest level and dimension.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re so great and good; honest and pure, truthful and righteous; I wonder how it is that I ever can doubt you and what you are capable of doing: yet often by my words and deeds and more so by my attitude I do – so forgive me and help me to be stronger, greater and to have an even better attitude for and towards you..

“Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier.”

–

Charles Kettering

“This is my cry: This is my song,

You are my guiding light, when the way is unknown;

And when the sunny skies, turn shades of gray,

I’ll stay close by your side: As you lead the way.

Jesus lead on I will follow:

Jesus lead on, let your love light the way… “

-  Lyrics from ‘Jesus Lead On’ by Brent Helming