""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.""
Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
- Life is so draining! Everyday can be filled with so much drama, worry, endless struggles, and countless burdens.
- Jesus wants us to cast all our troubles into him. He wants to be the source of our relief! He wants to give us rest!
- Jesus understands our struggles. He has experienced them first hand!
- We all wear a yoke. We have a choice each morning to choose which yoke we want to wear!
- The yoke of the world is heavy with sin and produce only regret. The yoke that Jesus provides is light and easy to manage. God does not give us more than we can handle. The world will unload on you and crush you.
- True rest, rest for your soul is only found in Jesus. We chase after many things to find rest and nothing of this world can truly satisfy us.
- Jesus is not going to force his yoke on us. We have to chose to pick it up. We have to let down the yoke of guilt and sin and pick up the yoke of Christ. You can't carry both.
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Friday, September 29, 2017
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Psalms 46:1-11
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."
Psalm 46:1-11
- Hymns of praise, celebrating deliverance from some great foe.
- Who or what are you battling without God? What great foe do you need rescuing from? We must turn to God for deliverance!
- Psalmist says that even if the world ends, we need not fear. In the face of utter destruction, God has the ability to save us.
- God is our refuge even in the face of total destruction. God is our eternal refuge and will provide strength.
- Never abandon your walk with God. Remember what God has done and have faith in what he will do!
-Be still and know that God is in control. He will fight the battle for us. Through his strength we will find victory!
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Psalm 46:1-11
- Hymns of praise, celebrating deliverance from some great foe.
- Who or what are you battling without God? What great foe do you need rescuing from? We must turn to God for deliverance!
- Psalmist says that even if the world ends, we need not fear. In the face of utter destruction, God has the ability to save us.
- God is our refuge even in the face of total destruction. God is our eternal refuge and will provide strength.
- Never abandon your walk with God. Remember what God has done and have faith in what he will do!
-Be still and know that God is in control. He will fight the battle for us. Through his strength we will find victory!
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
I believe in God but...not organized religion!
I believe in God but...not organized religion!
Our world loves the idea of community. Team building and team work is a focal point in corporate America. As a society we work together and believe in community on a number of things. Our recognizes that working together is a good thing. God values community and team work as well which is why he created his church! Sadly organized religion is not valued in the same way. Church is frowned upon by many and membership levels all over the country are declining!
Why do people reject organized religion? For one they are just against church in general. Why? Too often many churches have not been what God intended. People get hurt by the hypocrisy and division in most church's today! As a result people have given up on the idea of church! More harm than good has been done in the name of religion. Church has become more like a business than a house of God!
Why do people reject organized religion? Secondly, some are in favor of a solo relationship with God. A personal relationship with God is a good thing. But our relationship with God was never meant to be complete independent. 1 John 4:20. Solo Christianity means you pick the parts of Christianity you like and discard what you don't like. You determine your own theology and become your own moral campus.
Why did Jesus embrace organized religion? All he new was communal relationships with God and man. Community is fundamental to who God is. The trinity is a great example of this! We are desperately made in His image! Life in Jesus day was community. Prayer was done together. Scriptures were read in the synagogues and read together. Confession and repentance was public. They ate together and worshiped together!
Everything in the way Jesus lived was communal. His ministry and his teachings displayed a sense of community. How often do you pray and read with other people? Jesus rejected everyone of the flaws in religion. The corruption, legalism, hypocrisy, and bigotry! Jesus embrace the church that God intended!
1 Corinthians 12 -- the church is meant to be like a body! 1 Timothy 3:15 the church was intended to be a body but was also intended to be a family! Family is a beautify thing but families can be broken. The same with church. A house full of broken sinners coming together in the image of God! Jesus intended the church to be a family. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 what did Jesus intend the church to be? Ambassadors of Jesus. Reconciler's who work together to help other people reconcile with God!
Unity, sacrifice, love for one another...etc are not even possible without God and without community!
Sent from my iPad
Our world loves the idea of community. Team building and team work is a focal point in corporate America. As a society we work together and believe in community on a number of things. Our recognizes that working together is a good thing. God values community and team work as well which is why he created his church! Sadly organized religion is not valued in the same way. Church is frowned upon by many and membership levels all over the country are declining!
Why do people reject organized religion? For one they are just against church in general. Why? Too often many churches have not been what God intended. People get hurt by the hypocrisy and division in most church's today! As a result people have given up on the idea of church! More harm than good has been done in the name of religion. Church has become more like a business than a house of God!
Why do people reject organized religion? Secondly, some are in favor of a solo relationship with God. A personal relationship with God is a good thing. But our relationship with God was never meant to be complete independent. 1 John 4:20. Solo Christianity means you pick the parts of Christianity you like and discard what you don't like. You determine your own theology and become your own moral campus.
Why did Jesus embrace organized religion? All he new was communal relationships with God and man. Community is fundamental to who God is. The trinity is a great example of this! We are desperately made in His image! Life in Jesus day was community. Prayer was done together. Scriptures were read in the synagogues and read together. Confession and repentance was public. They ate together and worshiped together!
Everything in the way Jesus lived was communal. His ministry and his teachings displayed a sense of community. How often do you pray and read with other people? Jesus rejected everyone of the flaws in religion. The corruption, legalism, hypocrisy, and bigotry! Jesus embrace the church that God intended!
1 Corinthians 12 -- the church is meant to be like a body! 1 Timothy 3:15 the church was intended to be a body but was also intended to be a family! Family is a beautify thing but families can be broken. The same with church. A house full of broken sinners coming together in the image of God! Jesus intended the church to be a family. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 what did Jesus intend the church to be? Ambassadors of Jesus. Reconciler's who work together to help other people reconcile with God!
Unity, sacrifice, love for one another...etc are not even possible without God and without community!
Sent from my iPad
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Luke 12:4-7
"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
Luke 12:4-7 NASB
* There is no fear in death when you know where you are going. Trusting in God and being confident in your faith can lead a man to face any hardship or pain without fear.
* God cares for you! God is never too busy or he never has too many concerns. He cares about the little details in your life and his focus is on you and his will is to deliver you!
* When we realize how much we are worth to God and understand what he has in store for us, we can conquer any problem and face any challenge. Life and death only have meaning through God!
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Luke 12:4-7 NASB
* There is no fear in death when you know where you are going. Trusting in God and being confident in your faith can lead a man to face any hardship or pain without fear.
* God cares for you! God is never too busy or he never has too many concerns. He cares about the little details in your life and his focus is on you and his will is to deliver you!
* When we realize how much we are worth to God and understand what he has in store for us, we can conquer any problem and face any challenge. Life and death only have meaning through God!
Sent from my iPhone
Thursday, September 21, 2017
1 Peter 1:3-4
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,"
1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
1 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
- We were born destined for destruction. We were born hopeless. Praise God for Jesus! We don't deserve anything and yet through his mercy he has giving us the chance to rewrite our destiny!
- Reborn! Start over! Begin again! What have you be reborn into? What new life have you been given through Jesus? There should be noticeable change. From one being to another completely different being.
- There is power in Jesus's resurrection! The power to save and heal! Jesus conquered death and was raised to a new life. His death has enabled us to live a new life as well. We too must die. We must let go of our old self and die to our sinful nature and be raised to a new life with Christ!
- Our reward can never spoil nor fade and is everlasting. Nothing on earth can compare to what God has in store for us. God is waiting in heaven and longs to see us face to face! What mind can fathom the great riches that God has prepared for us in heaven? Any struggle, hardship or pain we may face on earth is a worthy price to pay for eternity with God!
Saturday, September 16, 2017
John 14:21
"Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.""
John 14:21 NIV
- Just like in any relationship love is so much more than a feeling. It's the same with God. He doesn't just want us to have feelings of affection. He wants the type of love that compels us to be obedient!
- Our relationship with God is reciprocal. He initiated the love by offering his Son. We in return love God back by offering our selves as a sacrifice.
- There is a chain reaction. We accept Jesus and love him and in return we receive a relationship with God. Everything starts with Jesus. We cannot claim to love God and not love Jesus.
- Jesus will reveal himself to us more and more overtime as we love him and love God the way he calls us too!
Sent from my iPhone
John 14:21 NIV
- Just like in any relationship love is so much more than a feeling. It's the same with God. He doesn't just want us to have feelings of affection. He wants the type of love that compels us to be obedient!
- Our relationship with God is reciprocal. He initiated the love by offering his Son. We in return love God back by offering our selves as a sacrifice.
- There is a chain reaction. We accept Jesus and love him and in return we receive a relationship with God. Everything starts with Jesus. We cannot claim to love God and not love Jesus.
- Jesus will reveal himself to us more and more overtime as we love him and love God the way he calls us too!
Sent from my iPhone
Monday, September 11, 2017
Communion
Communion
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Do this in remembrance of me! We remember Jesus every week. We reflect on Christ sacrifice and we are looking forward to Jesus return! Communion is mor than a memorial. We must examine our selves! We reflect on the cross and make decision to change the areas in our lives that do not represent Jesus! Communion is the focal point of our worship service to God!
John 6:53-58
Unless we acknowledge Jesus death our religion is worthless. With out the cross we the message of Jesus is worthless. Participating in communion is participating in Jesus death. Eternal life is only found in Jesus and in His death!
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
We eat and drink judgement on our selves when we take communion in an unworthy manner. Communion is a time for us to repent. Taking communion with no intention of repenting is taking communion in an unworthy manner! This why we are able to take communion with glad and sincere hearts!
Sent from my iPhone
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
Do this in remembrance of me! We remember Jesus every week. We reflect on Christ sacrifice and we are looking forward to Jesus return! Communion is mor than a memorial. We must examine our selves! We reflect on the cross and make decision to change the areas in our lives that do not represent Jesus! Communion is the focal point of our worship service to God!
John 6:53-58
Unless we acknowledge Jesus death our religion is worthless. With out the cross we the message of Jesus is worthless. Participating in communion is participating in Jesus death. Eternal life is only found in Jesus and in His death!
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
We eat and drink judgement on our selves when we take communion in an unworthy manner. Communion is a time for us to repent. Taking communion with no intention of repenting is taking communion in an unworthy manner! This why we are able to take communion with glad and sincere hearts!
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Friday, September 8, 2017
2 Kings 5:10-14
2 Kings 5:10-14
10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy."
11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!" he said. "I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!12 Aren't the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn't I wash in them and be healed?" So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, "Sir,[a] if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'" 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!
- Go wash in the Jordan seven times. Seems simple enough. When we have complex or hard to understand problems we think we need complex and hard solutions. That is never the case with God.
- Naaman was angry for a few reasons. He though the Jordan river was beneath him. The Jordan river is where peasants bathed. He also lacked faith that such an easy task would have a miraculous affect.
- Elisha could have chosen any rive. Elisha could have just said you are healed without any requirements. God used Elisha in the exact way he wanted and Naaman had to surrender to Gods will in order to be saved.
- The act of dipping in the Jordan river did not save him. Submitting to God saved him.
- This could also be Gods way of foreshadowing the baptism of salvation. The similarities are amazing. The act of getting baptized does not save you. Submitting to Gods will through accepting Jesus as Lord and getting baptized because God calls you to is what brings you into contact with the blood of Jesus.
- Naaman was not just healed. He was renewed. He came out of the Jordan better than he was before his desease!
- What has God been calling you to do to be healed that you have refused to submit to? Surrender to Gods will and allow true healing to take over your life!
Finding God in the Journey.
Finding God in the Journey.
Moses lived in a broken world, much like the broken world we live in today! There is a lot we can learn from the life of Moses. The Jews lifted Moses above the rest of the prophets and considered him the be the father of prophets. The Books of Moses are viewed to be superior to all the other books in the bible. What was Moses life like that made him into this man that was honored and loved for thousands of generations?
As Moses lived his life and went through the circumstances that he encountered he grew closer and closer to God!
Moses was born! Exodus 1:22 from the start his life was met with resistance! Exodus 2:1-10 Moses was Gods and intervened in his life the moment he was born! Same with us. God has intervened so many times in my life! The consequences of sins are harsh on children. Yet even in a horrible situation God delivered him and saved him at the same time he perfected his plan for Moses life!
Moses was born a Hebrew and raised in an Egyptian house. Which identity would Moses chose? Who are you? What identity have you adopted? The best way to answer "who are you" is to ask "whose are you". We are all Gods children and belong to him!
Hebrews 11:24-26 Moses refused to be defined by his upbringing and he refused to be defined by this world. Moses chose the life of a slave rather than a life of of comfort. Too many of us try to be a child of God and. Child of the world all at the same time! MosEs chose to not be apart of this world!
We need to understand our identity.
Exodus 2:11-15 Moses must have thought that closing Egyptian doors would lead to Hebrew doors opening for him and yet he was left without either! Moses wants to be accepted but ends up being rejected by both. In the end Moses chose an identity by looking ahead. He found his true identity in God!
Moses doesn't just chose God and then everything becomes easy. When you chose God, Satan goes on the attack. As soon as you chose God you become an enemy of Satan! Ephesians 6:12 we are in a spiritual battle. When we chose God we enter a spiritual war! Satan wants to convince us that our battle is with each other and against flesh and blood!
Ephesians 6:10-11 the faster we get our armor on the faster God is able to use us! It took Moses 40years in Median before he put on the Armor of God and was ready for battle! How long will it take you to put on your armor?
Sent from my iPhone
Moses lived in a broken world, much like the broken world we live in today! There is a lot we can learn from the life of Moses. The Jews lifted Moses above the rest of the prophets and considered him the be the father of prophets. The Books of Moses are viewed to be superior to all the other books in the bible. What was Moses life like that made him into this man that was honored and loved for thousands of generations?
As Moses lived his life and went through the circumstances that he encountered he grew closer and closer to God!
Moses was born! Exodus 1:22 from the start his life was met with resistance! Exodus 2:1-10 Moses was Gods and intervened in his life the moment he was born! Same with us. God has intervened so many times in my life! The consequences of sins are harsh on children. Yet even in a horrible situation God delivered him and saved him at the same time he perfected his plan for Moses life!
Moses was born a Hebrew and raised in an Egyptian house. Which identity would Moses chose? Who are you? What identity have you adopted? The best way to answer "who are you" is to ask "whose are you". We are all Gods children and belong to him!
Hebrews 11:24-26 Moses refused to be defined by his upbringing and he refused to be defined by this world. Moses chose the life of a slave rather than a life of of comfort. Too many of us try to be a child of God and. Child of the world all at the same time! MosEs chose to not be apart of this world!
We need to understand our identity.
Exodus 2:11-15 Moses must have thought that closing Egyptian doors would lead to Hebrew doors opening for him and yet he was left without either! Moses wants to be accepted but ends up being rejected by both. In the end Moses chose an identity by looking ahead. He found his true identity in God!
Moses doesn't just chose God and then everything becomes easy. When you chose God, Satan goes on the attack. As soon as you chose God you become an enemy of Satan! Ephesians 6:12 we are in a spiritual battle. When we chose God we enter a spiritual war! Satan wants to convince us that our battle is with each other and against flesh and blood!
Ephesians 6:10-11 the faster we get our armor on the faster God is able to use us! It took Moses 40years in Median before he put on the Armor of God and was ready for battle! How long will it take you to put on your armor?
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The Storm is Passing Over
The Storm is Passing Over
Matthew 24:38-49
Natural disasters that happen all of a sudden help us to realize that everything is temporary. It foreshadows to what will come spiritually for those who do it God!
In Jesus day 1/2 of all children died before they lived to be 10yrs old. 1/3 would die before they turned 1yr old. When life is that harsh it is a constant reminder of how fragile and temporary our lives are.
Priorities change during life or death events. Things that don't matter fall to the back and we become focused on the most important things.
We are all made in the same image of the same God. In tragedy we come together and all forms of racism seem to disappear. Gods true power is displayed in humanity when we come together and are united in helping and serving each other.
Tragedy brings us clarity. Living each day as your last is not just a cliche but a very wise proverb. God expects us to live a focused life ready for Jesus return!
Luke 9:23
It is a daily struggle. What sins do I need to die to again? It's a daily decision that God calls us to make!
Luke 9:22 -- Jesus carried his cross everyday! He is not asking us to do anything that he has not done himself.
Sent from my iPhone
Matthew 24:38-49
Natural disasters that happen all of a sudden help us to realize that everything is temporary. It foreshadows to what will come spiritually for those who do it God!
In Jesus day 1/2 of all children died before they lived to be 10yrs old. 1/3 would die before they turned 1yr old. When life is that harsh it is a constant reminder of how fragile and temporary our lives are.
Priorities change during life or death events. Things that don't matter fall to the back and we become focused on the most important things.
We are all made in the same image of the same God. In tragedy we come together and all forms of racism seem to disappear. Gods true power is displayed in humanity when we come together and are united in helping and serving each other.
Tragedy brings us clarity. Living each day as your last is not just a cliche but a very wise proverb. God expects us to live a focused life ready for Jesus return!
Luke 9:23
It is a daily struggle. What sins do I need to die to again? It's a daily decision that God calls us to make!
Luke 9:22 -- Jesus carried his cross everyday! He is not asking us to do anything that he has not done himself.
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Hebrews 11:6
"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 11:6
- My lack of faith keeps me from pleasing God. If I can't believe in God with out doubt and have faith in him then who am I serving?
- Intellectual belief is not faith. Faith causes action. Faith without deeds is dead. Faith in God is trusting in his power and entrusting ourselves to His will and His justice.
- You can be a good person and do good things and not be pleasing to God. You must believe in him and have faith in him.
- Believing that he rewards those who seek him seems simple; however, this reward is not material things here on earth. When tragedy strikes and the struggle becomes real; how do you respond? Do you blame God or do you keep your faith that your reward is in heaven and God will keep his promises?
- Seeking God is the key. Its a daily, hourly and even sometimes an minute by minute decision. Who are you seeking? What are you seeking? Where is your time and money invested?
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