Throughout life you are faced with unexpected storms that bring into your life an intensity beyond your control. Their potential to wreck havoc and impact your lifestyle is without question.
In the midst of a storm one feels vulnerable and impotent. You are at the mercy of the storm. You can't avoid it, deny it, or duck it. You have to go through it.
How do you survive a storm?
You survive a storm only by the grace and mercy of God.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
"This is the day that The Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it." All across America people will attend their places of worship. Many see this as a sacramental duty. Places of worship provide inspiration, information, incarnation, invitation, incubation, innovation, and initiation.
In the press of life the ability to go to a sacred place provides solace.
Okay these values are provided to you on this day as one commits their time to attend a worship service.
My challenge is what service will you render on this Sunday to others?
The highest form of worship is when you do something for someone else in the name of The Lord.
Life without purpose is meaningless. God instilled into everyone a purpose, a reason for being. The challenge in life is to discover your purpose and to develop the gifts God has given you to fulfill your purpose.
One may ask is my purpose my career, my work assignment, or my job definition. Maybe, but in most instances it is not.
The purpose God has for his people is twofold. Does it advance God's Kingdom and does God get the praise from the purpose He has instilled in you?
Use these objective measures to determine if you are living a life of purpose and fulfilling the mandate God has placed on your life.
What you see from the window of your life is shaped by the spirit within. Some people only see obstacles and problems. Others see opportunity and choices.
God always commands us to look to the hills from whence comes your strength. Your strength comes from The Lord.
When looking from your window, is really a view into your soul and spirit.
I was blessed with the pleasure to view the religious artifacts of a Jewish Temple. This is a view behind the veil.
What I learned from this experience is everyone should have their secret place where their treasures are dedicated to God.
In life you have to row your own boat through the rivers of life. Too often people leave their boat tied to the dock of low expectations and mediocracy.
If you are going to sink, why sink with your boat tied to the dock. Venture out into the deep water of productivity and high expectations. Because if you are going to sink you may as well sink where the big boats go.
You may be surprised to discover your boat was made for deep water.
There is a saying "either you stand for something or fall for anything."
One of the distinguishing characteristics of leadership is what do you stand for.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of a Christian is also what do you stand for.
"Stand up Stand up for Jesus You soldiers of the cross."
For some people they have gotten out of the habit of reading. Few read books, magazines, newspapers, letters, or pamphlets in today's world.
As our reading habits are waning so is the spiritual fabric of our society. There was a time when Bible reading was encouraged, expected, and championed.
I urge you "To take your Bible with you and read it everyday; I found the answer when I learned to pray."
I was asked my thinking on the difference between love and like. Basically a philosophical issue, but at the core one must have a working definition of love before you can distinguish if there are any differences.
To that person I would say true love is defined by God, who is the essence of love. Therefore love is defined by one's ability to go through something for someone while staying with that someone to make them better. It is the giving of oneself for another. Not quid pro quo- something for something. It's self-effacing, the giving over of one's
sense of self for another.
Ultimately it is giving one's
life for another. Personally it is the willingness to go the extra mile for someone.
Paul describes it this way, "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
Like is the antecedent to love.
It's a lot of work to rebuild your life after messing things up. Wrong decisions, bad relationships, poor choices, and anti social behavior can create for oneself a deep crevice that is difficult to dig out of.
In this moment of reflection it is far better to stay right than to get right. While the path my be narrow righteous living is the true path to take.
Too many people find themselves attempting to rebuild their lives only to discover its a lot of work.
Live the abundant life in God's love. He will build you brand new.
People spend too much time commiserating about what they didn't do or where they didn't go. Too much time is spent looking into the rear view window of life. Too many people take one step forward and two steps back. Almost like Alice in Wonderland's rabbit "running nowhere fast."
When you understand God's world, you quickly realize that it's not where you come from that's important, it's where you are going. Set your sights on the horizon and walk into your future.
I like 60 million People watched the debate last night between President Obama and Governor Romney. I support President Obama. I think the President didn't bring all of his equipment to work last night.
Without a doubt he has access to the best intelligence in the world. He is the most powerful person as POTUS in the world. He has four years of experience.
He should been the strongest, brightest, and most confident person in the room. He wasn't and permitted Romney to assert himself without the President reasserting himself. He didn't bring all of his equipment to work last night.
The good news is he will have two more debate work days. He must never forget he is the most powerful, the most intelligent, and should be the most confident person on the planet, especially in a debate with Romney.
What is the spiritual lesson? When fighting your foes, always remember that God, truth, justice, grace and mercy are on your side. Bring all of your equipment when you go to work.
Just purchased a bag of candy once called "Mike and Ike's". I noticed that you will now find some bags with either Mike's name marked out or Ike's name marked out. It my understanding they have split up.
There have been other famous pairs who have split up: Ike and Tina, Cheeh and Chong, to name a few.
There is another couple I know that will never separate. That's God and I.
Found an old washboard my parents use to use back in the day. In contrast to the modern washing machine, it is really a relic from the past.
I had to reflect that God has brought us from a mighty long way. Not only in technology and societal improvements, but also in our reliance on Him.
It's a powerful thought when I think about the goodness of The Lord and all He has done for me.
What about you?
