Luke 15:17 Luke 15:20 2/23/2016*

Luke 15:17 "And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!"

It took a while,  but the prodigal son finally figured out what everyone around him had known from the beginning. His problems were his own doing.

I am sure  the prodigal son thought his father was selfish and cheap. He probably thought his brother was the favorite,  and got the best of everything...he was sure that everyone else had ruined his life.

But then "he came to himself". He quit blaming his family, his friends, his environment, and manned up, and looked in the mirror.  That was the beginning of the beginning for him.  In that moment he started the healing process.

Have you "come to yourself"? Have you looked in the mirror and taken ownership for where you are in life.  We live in a nation of denial, and every sin has a ready made excuse.  Our society will teach you to deflect blame, and be the victim...don't.

The  moment you accept the blame, you take back the power to fix it.

 You have to own it.  "Come to yourself".  This is the first step in repentance and improvement.  But it cannot begin until the blame is yours and not someone else's.

Take a long, honest, look in the mirror today. See if you are blaming others for something that needs action on your part.  If so, then do something....

...."So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20)...

Your Father loves you, and has already paid for your forgiveness...
What you have done is fixable....all you need to do is turn around, face it, and come home.

"Repentance means you change your mind so deeply that it changes you."

Bruce Wilkinson

2 Samuel 11:1 Philippians 4:8 Exodus 34:21 1 Cor 15:58 2/16/2016*

2 Samuel 11:1  "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem."

Most know the story of David and Bathsheba.  But did you know laziness played a part in David making the biggest mistake of his life?  The beginning of his disaster finds a King idly taking time off, while his men fight.

Doctors tell us it is important to relax, and the bible instructs us to "be still"....but there is a difference in this, and being idle.  In your stillness and relaxation there should be a focus on God, and His glory.  In fact that should increase the peace and rest you experience.  


 When instead you are idle, you open yourself to danger. " An idle mind is the devil’s playground" (Philippians 4:8)  Our minds are to be disciplined even when resting.  And when they are not,  the enemy will be waiting with all varieties of pollution.  Whether it is on a roof top balcony like David, a drug, a drink, or the internet... there are traps set for wandering, idle minds.

We were made for a purpose.  There are things we are supposed to accomplish and we must work hard toward those goals.  It is not always easy.  It is not supposed to be.

 "Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest" Exodus 34:21.  Plenty of sermons on remembering the Sabbath,  but don't forget the first part of the verse.  We were made to work,  and we were made to accomplish great things "... Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Cor 15:58)

Live your life intentionally. Keep moving forward. Find joy in what God created you to do.
.....Rest on the way, but never be idle.

Idleness is to the human mind like rust to iron.

Ezra Cornell

  

Matthew 6:2 Mark 9:41 Mathew 25:40 2/9/2016*

Matthew 6:² “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others..."

This verse makes an assumption.  That you give to the needy ... Do you?

We seldom slow down long enough to consider others' needs... and because of that, we miss blessings. Generosity is a lost art, that we have allowed busyness, selfishness, and cynicism to kill. Often our gifts are little more than tax deductible, self promotions.

This is sad, as there is nothing that gives a true believer more joy than giving a pure gift.

Jesus said it matters little whether the receiver is deserving or not, what matters is the givers heart and motivation.  "... anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."  (Mark 9:41).  

At times we seem to ignore the clear directive in this verse ... it is how we are to reach the world..."By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  John 13:35

Love is not something you talk about...it is something you do.

An act of love towards one of God's children, is an act of love towards God. ... whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Mathew 25:40). This verse is not speaking to an organization, but to each of us individually.

This week, be intentional.  Ask God to put a need on your heart. Pick a day, put it on your calendar,  and go meet that need.

Don't just hand someone a couple dollars, but sacrifice your time, energy, and money to change someone's reality... just because God loves them.

You will be the one who receives.

"The gospel alone liberates you to live a life of scandalous generosity..."

Tullian Tchividjian

Mark 4:9 James 1:22* 2/2/2016

Mark 4:9  Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

Occasionally we spend  time as the "intellectual" Christian, tormented because we're not sure exactly what a verse means in the "original language".  Often the meaning is clear, and it is our desire to accept it, that is not.

In the verses above, God lays out the requirements for accurately following Christ....

You have to have ears ... and that is only figuratively speaking.   It's not the ones on your head that matter, but the ones on your heart.

If you can comprehend the Word of God ... then you can accept the gospel, be saved, and walk with Christ ... period ... end of requirements.

The question is seldom ... what does God require?... the question more often is are we going to do it? God makes it clear that this is the question that matters. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22)  What you hear on Sunday doesn't mean much if it doesn't change your actions the rest of the week.

Dig deep in the scripture but as you dig,  don't ignore the plain meaning sitting on the surface.
As you search for God's will, remember He didn't hide it ... it just might not look like what you're expecting.

Until we get to Heaven and see face to face, there will be mystery in the Bible.  It is the living Word of God, and holds infinite truth.  As God reveals it to you, live it.

Never stop studying, but don't spend so much time concerned about what you don't understand, that you never live out what you do.

If you have ears, then hear.  And when you hear, do.

"Remember, a real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided."  - Tony Robbins