Thought for Saturday, June 30th

June 30, 2012

Passion Isn’t A Fruit of the Spirit, But Maybe It Should Be

A thing that one is passionate about tends to consume a lot of their time and energies.  To be passionate about something in particular generally denotes a deep love and a heavy commitment to the object of that affection and passion.

Some people never find anything that they become truly passionate about, while others have either causes, people, or sometimes even possessions or abilities that they become passionate about and dedicate and commit the greater portion of their time and resources too.

As Christians it would almost seem incumbent upon us to have a passion for the Lord.  We should be not just willing but desirous of investing our time, our talents and our treasure in service for the one who is so passionate about us.  Yet sadly often we give Him not much more than a half hearted, lackadaisical, weakly administered effort when it comes to our time or our attentions.

He deserves so much more than that from us don’t you think?

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.”

-       Denis Diderot

 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

James 5:12-20

  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: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Philippians 2:4-7

His passion is for our lives to be wrapped up in His love.  He gave all so that we could have life and have it more abundantly.  Scripture tells us that it is but our reasonable service to present our bodies as living sacrifices to Him.  If presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is a reasonable service can you imagine what a passionate service would be like?

In all we do our focus, our attention, our ambitions, our energies and our desires should be for Him, about Him and in Him.  Anything less is just too much less than what He deserves.

When assessing your list of passions does Father God and Jesus top the list?  If not then you need to reassess your priorities.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are passionate towards us to such a degree and measure that it is not definable, nor are we in our limited time sets able to comprehended: but that you are real and that your love for us knows no boundaries is not just a truth, it is a reality.  Thank you for a love so amazing and a passion so great it can not be measure.  Help me to be as passionate for the things of your kingdom as you are for me.

“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 Friday, June 29th

June 29, 2012

Do You Feel Rewarded

Rewards are often sought after, sometimes given unsolicited: but more often than not, most feel they are unnecessarily withheld.

Often with our children, when we want them to do certain things or accomplish certain goals we will dangle a reward for successful achievement before them, in the hopes that we will inspire and encourage them towards the success we hope for them to achieve.

Spiritually speaking, do you think God ever uses the rewards system for His children?  I tend to think He does?  In a sense receiving a reward is the same as being honored or recognized.  And I believe that when we do things that honor and please God: He delights in rewarding us.

The Bible teaches us the principle of reaping and sowing.  When we give good things, in effect, we get good things.  If we sow love – we get love; if we sow peace – we have peace; when we sow commitment and service from a willing heart filled with love; we are rewarded by God’s pleasure and delight in us.

Spiritually speaking, if we don’t feel rewarded, maybe it is because we are not doing anything worthy of a reward.

“No person was ever honored for what he received.  Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”

-       Calvin Coolidge

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:3-6

Most if not all of us like to be rewarded.  But we must remember that in order to be rewarded we need to do something worthy of the rewards.  Now sometimes God’s grace and mercy transcend our worthiness; but how much sweeter the reward when it comes because of a life well lived and a deed well done for God’s glory.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are so kind, gracious and loving and it should be our delight to serve you without the need of being rewarded; but I thank you that you delight in rewarding us because you love us so much.  Help me to live worthy of your rewards.

“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, June 28th

June 28, 2012

Do You Have Enough Faith

In Christendom ‘Faith’ is like unto a buzz word that is hyper critical to the very essence of what makes the whole process of being a Christian work.

Yet I sometimes wonder do we really understand the reality of what faith really is, or is it one of those concepts we have somewhat of a miniscule comprehension of; knowing we posses it to some degree; but we really don’t know how it works and what we are suppose to do with it?

Scripture tells us that if we have faith the size of a grain of mustard seed we can speak to a mountain and that mountain can be cast into the sea.  Yet I don’t see to many people moving mountains, do you?

Scripture also tells us that if when we pray, we believe, we can have whatever we pray for.  Yet I don’t see any of us emptying out hospital wards or solving issues like world hunger and homelessness.

I believe God has made available to us opportunities and possibilities that we can not comprehend, nor fathom the height nor depth of because we don’t exercise the capacity for faith that is available to us.

It is like the human brain.  Most people don’t even use a small portion of the brain capacity that they posses.  I think the same is true for Christians.  We often fail to reach our optimum potential because we fail to embrace faith to the fullness of what it could be and how it could operate in our lives.

Of course we each have a measure of faith: for without it we could not receive God’s gift of salvation; we could not please God and we could not grow in His grace and love.

Yet, I still can’t help but wonder if I truly could allow myself to be totally empowered to the fullest capacity of my faith potential, how different would my life be?

“If you are possessed by an idea, you find it expressed everywhere, you even smell it.”

-       Thomas Mann

  Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.  For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ; Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.  But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 10:11-17

I can only imagine how wonderful; how liberating and how miraculous life would be if I could walk in perfect faith, unhindered by any doubt or unmarred by any worldly or flesh-like concerns.

I know I have not yet arrived at that state; but it most certainly gives me something to strive towards; how about you?

Today’s Prayer

Father, your perfectness is sometimes beyond my comprehension: your existence in time and space defies my sense of reason or logic: yet I know by faith that you always have, been, always will be and have never made an error or mistake.  Yet even the degree of faith it takes to embrace these truths pales in the scope and magnitude of what is possible by faith if I were but able to surrender myself to such an extent of total and complete belief.  Help me get closer to the goal and let me grow by leaps and bounds in my ability not to just have faith but to live in faith.

“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 Wednesday, June 27th

June 27, 2012

Are You Looking For Trouble

Do you ever feel like trouble is around every corner?

Sometimes it seems like trouble can find us even when we are trying to hide from it.

And yet there are still others who we may know who seem to be the ones who go looking for trouble.

Have you ever thought about this concept from a spiritual perspective?

Do you ever think that some of us Christians, who are instructed to flee the very appearance of evil, might actually be guilty of looking for trouble, rather than trying to avoid it?

Do we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness or do we often find ourselves instead seeking everything we can find fault with within the church?  Do we look at the Sunday Sermon as a challenge to inspire us to live better or do we see it as an affront and personal attack propagated by the pastor to make us feel guilty?

Do we view the opportunities for service within our local body as just that – opportunities; or do we view them as burdens to be endured rather than experiences to be cherished?

Anytime we look for a perspective that is anything less than with thanksgiving counting all things as a blessing and if we are not looking for the glory and honor of God to be the underlying foundation of any and every situation – in affect – we are looking for trouble.

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

-       John Lubbock

  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 6:33-34

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

2 Corinthians 4:6-12

There is an English Proverb which states, “He that seeks trouble always finds it.”

There is a lot of truth in this statement.

If we seek trouble, whether in the natural world or even within the scope of our spiritual world – we will find it – because no one we will deal with or nothing we will encounter is perfect, save for the Lord Jesus Christ. 

So may we head the admonition of the Word and seek God with all our heart, mind and soul and may we flee the appearances of evil and strive to honor God in all we do.  If we do these things even with a modicum of success – this will take us a long way towards staying away from trouble.

Today’s Prayer

Father, your amazing, wonderful, awesome and glorious: beyond measure and greater than there are words to describe: and yet even in all that you are in and through me and all that you do on my behalf: I still seem to find more than my fair share of troubles to get involved in, and sadly I often get involved way to willingly.  Help me to be less of a trouble seeker and more of a God pleaser in the things I say and do.

“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 Tuesday, June 26th

June 26, 2012

Not A Tomorrow Kind of Thing

Have you ever noticed how tied in knots we can get over trying to figure out what is going to happen in the future: in fact often so much so do we get focused on these types of things that we miss the reality of what is happening right in front of our face on the day we are currently experiencing.

As Christians I sometimes wonder if we miss what God is trying to say to us today, because we are so busy waiting for Him to tell us about something that is still months down the road.

There are so many opportunities surrounding us each day that illuminate and illustrate God’s blessings, mercy, grace and love, but we miss them because we aren’t paying attention.  Our focus is down the road, around the bend or maybe even over the rainbow, but it certainly is not on the here and now and the present real world where God is moving and working in our midst.

“God has made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.”

-       Isak Dinesen

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matthew 19:28-30

Wouldn’t it be a shame to stand before God one day with our little list of things we wish we would have experienced only to have Him say you were right there and it happened, but you missed it because you weren’t paying attention?  You were to busy thinking about the tomorrows rather than living in the today.

Today is the day the Lord has made and given to us – let us learn to rejoice and be glad in it.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re more beautiful than diamonds, more precious than silver and more costly than gold; yet often I do not cherish and experience the very moment I have with you because I am focused on something in the future:  help me not to miss today and give me the grace, strength and faith I need to leave the tomorrow to you.

“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 Monday, June 25th

June 25, 2012

The Others First Orientation

Who is there among us who does not like to be waited on and served as if we were royalty in a king’s palace?  It might be nice for a bit but wouldn’t it get old after a while?  Especially if we have God’s heart for service; we should not find ourselves content being served but rather we should be desirous of serving others.

George Elliot put it this way, “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other.”

Isn’t that in affect what God expects of us?  Doesn’t He want us to help each other out and serve each other thereby making each others lives less of a burden; and most certainly less difficult?

Should not, as scripture puts it, we esteem others to be more important or significant than we ourselves think we are?

Wilfred Grenfell stated that, “The service we render others is the rent we pay for our room on earth.”

I don’t know that this notion is entirely accurate but it most certainly has some merit as a concept.

“Everything that lives, lives not alone, nor for itself.”

-       William Blake

And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.  But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Matthew 19:28-30

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Luke 22:25-27

To please God and emulate Jesus we need to be willing to be a servant to those around us.  I am sure we will have our times of being served, but may we always be willing and ready to step up and be the first to offer to serve others first.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you sent your son to be an example for the future generations of humanity: to demonstrate what a true servant’s life would be like.  Help me to follow His example.

“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 Saturday, June 23rd

June 23, 2012

Being Happy – Where You Are

I sometimes wonder if being satisfied or content is a lost art in our modern society.

It seems that I encounter people daily who expect more, think they are entitled and basically that no matter where they are or what they have somebody, somewhere owes them better or more or bigger or and on and on.

I’ve heard the days from the past, where people had less and seemingly worked harder, referred to as ‘the good old days’ and I must confess I sometimes wonder if maybe they weren’t.

It seems that the more we have: the more we want there never seems to be a point when we stop and say I am content.  (This is not true of course of every person in the world, but it does depict the mind-set of the vast majority).

The only thing we should probably not be content with is our relationship with the Lord.  We should always desire for it to be better, more intense and deeper.  And I can’t help but think that if our relationship with the Lord was what it should be we would have a lot easier time being content with everything else.

“To be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them; to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice; to be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor’s except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners; to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit, in God’s presences – these are the little guideposts on the footpath to peace.”

-       Henry Van Dyke

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:11-13

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Hebrews 13:5-6

So how satisfied and content are you?

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re wonderful beyond description; more amazing than there are words to describe you and your grace, mercy and love are more than I deserve and all that I need.  Help me to draw closer to you and to learn to be satisfied and content.

“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 Friday, June 22 2012

June 22, 2012

Aim High

I have always heard it said, ‘that anything worth doing is worth doing well.’

We encourage our children, especially those in middle and high school, or who may have just graduated and are headed to college, to set goals, to aim high and to strive towards achievement that will optimize and enable them to be the best that they can be.

Should we as Christians have any less aspirations and ambitions?

Should we not aim high, pressing forward, striving to become the best and greatest servant and disciple that we can be for God?

Sometimes I think when it comes to spiritual matters we don’t stretch ourselves and reach for the next level.  There may be a variety of reasons or maybe they should be called excuses, as to why we are satisfied with mediocrity or even under achievement when it comes to our spiritual pursuits and ambitions.

Do you really believe God is worthy of only our least amount of ambition or our minimalistic endeavor and effort?  Doesn’t He deserve our optimum, most extreme, most intense attempts possible when it comes to our service for Him?

Spiritually speaking are you aiming high or flying low?

“Life has no smooth road for any of us; and in the bracing atmosphere of a high aim the very roughness stimulates the climber to steadier steps ‘til the legend over steep ways to the stars’ fulfills self.”

-       William C. Doane

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Colossians 3:1-4

Our ultimate prize is to meet Him face to face – but in the meantime – we have a whole lot of living to do.  Isn’t it about time we set our sights high, aim to be as pleasing to Him as we can be and embraced the desire and determination to do the most and the best for Him that we can do?

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re never slack in going to the extreme for the good of your children: help me to be extreme and to aim high in my ambitions, pursuits and endeavors for you.

“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, June 21st

June 21, 2012

The Value of A Friend

Everyone needs friends! 

Friends can be categorized to some degree: for instance we have casual friends, work friends, church friends, best friends and the list could probably go on and on.

But what is the function of a friend?

Is a friend supposed to be a person who makes us feel better about ourselves?  Should he or she be a facilitator of only happy thoughts, hallmark moments and gleeful occasions and occurrences?  Absolutely not!

A real friend is a person who sometimes annoys us, often challenges us, occasionally makes us downright mad and still is able to encourage and improve our quality of life.

This is the kind of friend Jesus is to us.  His love for us is unwavering, His involvement in our lives is perpetual, even when we don’t want Him to be involved: He often challenges us and for some He even can make us mad at times.

But there is no greater friend than He is.

And shouldn’t we strive to be the kind of friend to others that Jesus is to us?

“Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it.

-       Cicero

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;  For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?  And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.  I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Luke 11:5-8

Whether we are experiencing friendship as being the friend or having a friend we need to remember there is only one truly perfect friend: and He is the one who accepts us with all of our imperfections and faults and He endures all of our failures and shortcomings – so shouldn’t we do the same.

Remember we all need friends, but real friends don’t have to be perfect they just have to be loved.

“In prosperity our friends know us; in adversity we know our friends

-       John Churton Collins

Today’s Prayer

Father, you are a friend to the sinner, willing to extend them your love and grace, your forgiveness and salvation:  You are a friend to the believer who falters stumbles and fails, and you are willing to restore and forgive them too.  You do not place restraints or restrictions on those who you befriend and neither should I.  Help me to be a better friend.

“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 Wednesday, June 20th

June 20, 2012

Hot, Hot, Hot

The first day of summer is here and now we will all brace ourselves for the months ahead and those hot and humid days that, especially for those of us who live in the deep south, can be sweltering and occasionally oppressive.

Yet even the worst day of extreme high temperatures and total humidity can not compare to the oppressive and torturous environment that those who die without Christ will experience in the fires of Hell.

There may be those who don’t take the reality of Hell very seriously but for the Rich man who cried out for Father Abraham to allow Lazarus to dip finger in water to moisten and cool his tongue just so that he could feel a touch of relief:  it is more than real.

That is why it is essential and critical for those of us who have the guarantee of a home in Heaven to share the gospel, to tell the world and to make sure that everyone within an earshot of us has the chance to hear that Jesus saves and His salvation spares them from an eternity of perpetual torment and anguish.

“That’s the greatest torture souls feel in hell: In hell, that they must live and cannot die.”

John Webster

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Mark 9:42-48

It is not God’s will that anyone should perish and face the eternal fires of Hell, but sadly many choose that path by denying God and rejecting His gift of Salvation. 

As Christians we need to share our hope, our life and all that we are so that most if not all whom we encounter will be compelled to give their lives to God and allow His son to wash away their sins; and they need to welcome in and embrace the power of the Holy Spirit and open their lives to the possibilities that are within them for God’s glory.

Today’s Prayer

Father, you’re the giver of life and life more abundantly.  And the life that you give is eternal and glorious for it will be with you in your presence: yet the fate for those who do not know you is far more dire and I know you need us to go and tell the world that Jesus saves.  Make me bolder, and more determined to share your love and message of salvation with a lost and dying world.

“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