Are We Really Thankful?

Good Morning!! Did you know that out of an estimated 1 million adults that were delivered out of Egypt, only two made it to the promised land?

​ Once freed, the Israelites experienced great blessings from God. He provided food, water, and victory over war. In fact, the Lord was their provision. On the other hand, while God supplied all their needs, He was not pleased with the majority of them, and He scattered their bodies over the desert. I don't know about you, but I want to know why God wasn't pleased, and why only two people made it to the promised land of Canaan. Could it be that we are making the same mistakes? In 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, Paul warns us that the Israelite people had two problems that angered the Lord. First, they craved evil things which God had forbidden. Second, they desired good things which the Lord had not provided. Not only did they want what God had not given them, but when the children of Israel didn't get these things, they grumbled and complained. They were discontent because of what they didn't have and ungrateful for what they did have.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.—Psalm 107:1 (NIV)

People who truly trust God are content people. They have learned to say in troubled times, "Lord, this is not what I would have chosen or what I have planned, but I look to you in love and trust, knowing that You have my best interest in mind." Psalm 61:8 states, "Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." God is not on the job only during the holidays. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. Our Father desires for us to trust His heart when ours are breaking or unsatisfied with His provision.

Like the Israelites, we are often discontent because of what we don't have,...and so ungrateful for what we do have.

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Dear Lord, forgive us for not trusting You to provide for our every need. Deliver us from the sin of grumbling and discontentment. Cultivate in us more grateful hearts. Amen.

" Where there is no discomfort, there can be no growing now, nor glory to come."

We Have Our Own Mission

Good Morning, My Friends!! Do you ever look at others and compare yourself to them,...compare what you've got to what they have, or what you do to what they accomplish? I know I sometimes do and every time I make that comparison, I come up short. Either I'm not as well off, or not as smart, not as popular, not as energetic or not as organized, not as creative or not as productive. God didn't create me, however, to live their lives. He gave me my own mission. When I keep my eyes on the Lord, and His plans for my life, it doesn't matter what others are doing. You don't have to compete, because there is no competition for the role of you on this Earth. You simply need to be the best you, God enables you to be.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.—Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Friends, you were specifically knitted together in your mother's womb by God Himself with purpose and care (Psalm 139:13).  No one else has the exact same combination of personality traits, spiritual gifts and life experiences as you. Even though we don't know all the designs God has on our lives, we know that they are good and worth pursuing wholeheartedly. We also know we will not discover them by envying others, or accepting their mission in place of our own. Ignore the competition; better yet be happy for their success! They are no threat to us. Just keep your eyes on the Lord, and keep asking Him to bring about His plans for you today.

We are a one-of-a-kind,...and each of us has a grand mission that only we can fulfill.

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Father God, we declare according to Ephesians 2:10 that You have good plans for our lives. We ask You to reveal them to us and bring them closer to completion today. Convict us Holy Spirit when we begin to envy, covet or compare. Remind us that we need not compete with others, but love them. You are our source of fulfillment, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

" Where there is no discomfort, there can be no growing now, nor glory to come."

Being Christians, Better

Good Morning!! The Christian life is built around a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are never alone. Christ's agenda is to make us all we what were created to be,...and to make our lives better than we ever thought they could be. He does, however, give us a choice. God says if we know the truth, it will make us free. I wanted to be free, so I began to seek the truth. What is truth? Is having the promise of freedom and individual rights true freedom or does it paralyze and restrict us? The enemy (the devil) entices us with choices that seem harmless. He paints the Christian life as God's attempt to pull the plug on the party, keeping us from the pursuit of happiness and all the prizes that go along with our dreams.
...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.—Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

But the truth is that real freedom comes only from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He created us, and only He knows what will bring us deep fulfillment. Jesus offers us a way out of our depression, despair, and sin. You see, sin separates us from God. No amount of money, success, or ability can fix that. Nobody is born a Christian. Sin is not just something we do. The condition of our soul makes us do stupid things, foolish things. We are born that way. But God demonstrated His own love for us by sending Jesus Christ, His only Son, to this earth to die for us.

Something happens to when you start trying to act like Jesus,...you begin to change, not all at once, but you do change.Our whole life takes on a different focus.

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O' Lord, we know our sin has separated us from You. We believe You sent Jesus to die for us. We ask You to forgive us. We now turn our lives over to You, and receive Jesus as the leader of our hearts and lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

" Where there is no discomfort, there can be no growing now, nor glory to come."

Is It Fear, Or God,...Choose Wisely

Good Morning!! So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) We must step out in faith and allow God to take the clumsy caterpillar and transform it into a beautiful butterfly. He has a perfect plan for our lives that can only be fulfilled if we are willing to shed our cocoons and fly with Him. In spite of the shaky flights, and unsure landings,...it's always worth the ride.
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?—Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

We must not wrap ourselves in a cocoon of fear and anxiety over what might happen if we move out of our comfort zones. We must obey God's calling on our lives. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)

Even in disastrous situations, God still fulfills His purpose when we surrender to His Will.

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Father God, we know You have called us to serve You. Help us to overcome the fears of this world,...and to cling tightly to You. We trust that You have a plan for our lives. We know that if we just trust You, follow You, and obey You, we can rest in the safety of Your Will.  Thank You for being our strength when we're weak,...and our refuge when we're scared. In Jesus' name, Amen.

" We live in a time when every religious channel seems to be filled with messages about power, success, fame, and fortune,...and God's Word is just another item for sale."

MERCY,...Few Want To Give, But Everyone Wants It

Good Morning!! Because we are human, we don't always give second chances and grant mercy, right away,..nor do we want to. When we've had a hard day or have to deal with difficult people, sometimes we just blow up! Jonah didn't understand why God would give the people of Nineveh mercy and compassion. God told Jonah to go there and call the people to repentance. Jonah didn't think they deserved it.  Maybe they didn't in the eyes of Jonah, but they did in the eyes of God. That is how He works. He is the God of second chances and He is full of mercy and compassion (James 5:11).
...The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.—James 5:11b (NIV)

God requires that we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him.  (Micah 6:8)  This is not an easy task to carry out,...that's why we need Him. Sometimes we feel guilty because of the things we have done, that we know were wrong.  We may think that God could never forgive and accept us. But that is far from the truth. God forgave the people of Nineveh,...and He forgives us too.

God give second (and third and fourth....) chances,...even when we don't deserve it. He loves us just that much!

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Father God, thank You that You give mercy to Your children (that's us). We know that there are things that we've done that are not pleasing to You. Please show us the way we should go,...and point out the things we need to correct. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

" We live in a time when every religious channel seems to be filled with messages about power, success, fame, and fortune,...and God's Word is just another item for sale."

We Have Been Given Power

Good Morning, My Friend!! The power of influence,...it's a wonderful, and terrible gift. Have you ever noticed who got recruited to do the stone throwing dirty work, of the Pharisees and hypocrites? They were God-fearing men and women of high standing. They weren't bums on the street, or women found in the back alley,...they were the same men and women you found sitting in the church pews, every week. They were you and me. Scary isn't it? Our influence can mend the brokenhearted, bond together unsuspecting lives, and bring unity to warring friends and neighbors. But if our words carelessly leave our lips, we can sever the strongest relationship, smother self-worth, and crush the spirit.
But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.—Acts 13:50 (NIV)

God has given us an awesome gift,...and praise the Lord; He's also given us rules to use it. In 1 Peter 3:4, He tells us to be 'gentle and quiet spirits' not because He doesn't want us to talk (thank the Lord),...but because He wants us to think before we speak and act. How many times do we flippantly say something because it's the first thing that comes to our mind, or because we got caught up in listening to the latest gossip?

From the earliest examples in the Bible, men and women of God, have wielded the power of influence.

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Sweet Spirit of God, teach us to be prayerful with our influence. Guard our tongues to only strengthen, encourage, teach, nurture exhort, evangelize, and disciple. Don't allow us to speak to others until we've spoken with You. Amen.

" We live in a time when every religious channel seems to be filled with messages about power, success, fame, and fortune,...and God's Word is just another item for sale."

Going For The REAL GOLD

Good Morning!! In the Bible, we find encouragement to live our lives as though we were running a race. We are called to run with endurance looking unto Jesus with faith. He is the source of all we need to live. Once we receive Jesus by faith, we must continue in faith. Just as athletes train to win a race, we have to continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus.
 
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.—Hebrews 12:1b-2a (NIV)

Athletes compete against one another but Christians compete with one another. Christians have been equipped with spiritual gifts to strengthen and encourage others in the race. Just as the first athletes ran their races naked, we must lay aside every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us. Athletes focus their attention on the marker at the end of the race. We must fasten our eyes on Jesus. 

The more we believe and trust,...the easier it becomes to cast off doubts and overcome temptations.

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Lord Jesus, forgive us when we doubt. We thank You for dying for us while we were a sinner. We are so grateful that You forget our sins, and do not want us to re-live them over and over. Please remove the shame and guilt and help us to focus on You. Train and discipline us to run the race. Show us what we need to do. We're so grateful that You love us, and are faithful. Amen.

" We live in a time when every religious channel seems to be filled with messages about power, success, fame, and fortune,...and God's Word is just another item for sale."

Be The Salt

Good Morning!! Christ stated, "You are the salt of the earth." What did He mean by that statement? Jesus desires for us to be spiritual salt in a wild, tempestuous world. He calls us to be a place where hurting people can come for a taste of God's goodness. How does that happen? Just as weather exposes a salt lick in nature, storms in our lives that we weather with faith become the attraction for others. People aching and suffering with problems study us, when we handle our difficulties with joy and contentment. They will approach us, like spiritual salt licks, with their need for hope. They hunger for an explanation, of how we withstand the the on-slot of life's perpetual problems,...with serenity. They will come, eager to discover our secret,...so we can share how Jesus Christ is sufficient for anything life throws in our path.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.—Psalm 34:8 (NIV) 

But we can lose our saltiness, and our worth in God's Kingdom,...if we become a mental martyr, our saltiness vanishes into self-pity. If we lose our saltiness, those who crave the salt of God's Kingdom will look to others,...or even worse, taste what temptations the world offers as consolation. We must guard against anything that may siphon our ability to witness Jesus Christ's peace, love, and joy from our spirits. As we maintain our saltiness, hurting people will come and taste of God's goodness. We become of great value to the Father's kingdom here on earth. 

If we allow life's circumstance to make us bitter,...we lose our saltiness.

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Father, help us to become a spiritual salt lick for others. We want to be witnesses of Your goodness to others. When life gets hard, let our lives be a testimonies for others who are in need of a bit of spiritual nutrition. Amen.

" We live in a time when every religious channel seems to be filled with messages about power, success, fame, and fortune,...and God's Word is just another item for sale."

Be A Name Dropper

Good Morning!! When you have a need, you'll soon see the practicality of Networking. When I began looking for a new job, I learned early on how important it is to network. As soon as I met with one person, I could use his/her name to get a meeting lined up with the next person. Being able to use the names of people I knew or have them mention my name to others, really opened doors  and exposed opportunities. Having the right name or having the right person pasting along your name can make a big difference in your success.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.—John 14:13 (NIV)
Here's a name we can drop into our conversations with God, anytime,...Jesus. He's not easily impressed, but talk about getting you somewhere.  Jesus said to ask for anything in prayer, using His name.  In turn, Jesus mentions our names to the Father...This kind of networking and name dropping is not only OK, it has been designed by God for our benefit, and His glory. The power in the name of Jesus is awesome. It is the name above all names.

" Christ in your life means Christ is directing you, empowering you and living through you.

Nothing is impossible for you and Christ to do together."
(The Man God Uses, Henry & Tom Blackaby, p. 30)

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Father God, we affirm that our lives and sustenance, come from You...and apart from You, I can do nothing.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

Don't Just Want To Reflect God's Love, Do It!

Good Morning!! If you know of someone, or suspect that you might know of someone that is imprisoned by pain,...problems of the past or present, you can share with them that God is greater than any prison we can make for ourselves. Let them know; not only can He set us free, but in so the freeing us,...can help us to see purpose for our pain. We can help others learn to walk out of their darkness. He reached down into my darkness and called me out of it,...out into the light. Maybe you can be the spark, that lights the flame of change, that someone needs. Lead or point someone, to God's unfailing, unconditional love.

If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.—1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)
I challenge you to decide, right now, to help someone by being a loving, caring, comforting person. Like the commercial says, "Just do it ". I promise it will give you one of the richest, most fulfilling times of your life,...and give those around you the most precious things you have to give,...your time and yourself. Put your love into action,...Pray that God will open your eyes to at least one person, around you in need. Reach out to that person quickly. Try to meet even one need in that person's life.

Put your efforts, where your mouth is,...don't just say you love, show your love.

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Father God, please make us into people who show their care and love, by putting them into actions. We thank You for Your love,...that allows us to love others. Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

It's I am,...Not, I do.

Good Morning!! We often define ourselves by what we do,...in other words, I am what I accomplish. (I'm a writer, accountant, or teacher.) The frustrating thing about accomplishments is that they never stay accomplished for long. I was once the outstanding I.B.E.W. Electrician,...I'm not anymore. I used to work for one of the biggest retailers in the country,...I don't anymore. I used to work with kids, at my church,...I don't anymore. The truth is that no accomplishment provides us with lasting meaning and purpose.  And yet, many of us place our self-worth and identity in what we do. The danger of this personal definition is that when our accomplishments pass away (and they will) we are in danger of losing sight of who we really are.

Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?". God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I am has sent me to you.'"—Exodus 3:13 (NIV)
Did you notice that the name God chose to define Himself didn't have anything to do with His accomplishments? God had accomplished some amazing things, and He could have said something like this: Tell them that the Almighty Creator, the All-Powerful God who created the universe, spoke the land and the sea into existence, created man from dust and woman from a rib has sent you. Instead, God chose to define Himself like this: I am. We should learn from God and choose to also define ourselves by who we are, not what we do. And we are dearly beloved children of God; valued because of Who loves us,...and chose us to be His. Remember that truth when you doubt your worth because your circumstances change, you loose a job or you find the 10 pounds you lost last year.

Do you know how you are?,...without what you do?

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Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us in spite of what we do, or don't do. We praise You, that You are the great "I am." Please help us to grasp Your deep love for us,...and allow the truth of who we are to transform our lives. In Jesus name, Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

Survive Crisis

Good Morning!! Anyone who has had any kind of life crisis knows a peaceful life can be jolted, by something as common or unforeseen, as a car accident, a fierce storm or a disease.  At first a strong sense of disbelief dominates. "This can't be happening!" we tell ourselves. But when the immediate crisis is over, and the awful events can no longer be denied,...the mind begins to replay our actions and reactions, endlessly. I found myself questioning everything I had done or said,...or all that I failed to say, or do. With the flashbacks came the "what Ifs"...just another way of blaming ourselves, and focusing on feelings of helplessness and stupidity.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.—1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
I'd like to share a few simple guidelines for surviving a crisis in your life. First take a hand in your recovery. While disturbing feelings are running their course, it helps to remember that, like broken bones, your spirit needs time to mend as well. As soon as possible, try to resume the normal duties of life,...no matter how irrelevant they seem. Balance a checkbook. Run the vacuum cleaner. It's tempting to let others protect you, but carrying on with the ordinary routines of cooking meals and paying bills is stabilizing. Even if you find yourself helpless, you can hasten your healing by refusing to given to the feeling powerlessness. There is nothing like getting back into a healthy routine, to sustain us through a crisis. It demands hours of concentration, hours in which we can't ask where things went wrong or brood about the consequences of a mistake. Work can be an aspirin, a tranquilizer, and antacid rolled into one. By forcing your attention away from the crisis, work weakens the grip of memory and regret. Just don't replace one bad thing with another,...pray on it.

The most effective response to any crisis is to pray.

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Dear Father God, we come asking You to make us people that you planned for us to be. We stand together, putting our selfishness away and asking You to use us, to help further Your kingdom. Help us to rely on Your strength and love when crisis comes. Help us to be the gift to others, that You meant us to be. Let us eat hungrily of Your word,...and rest in Your love. Help us learn how to claim and receive all the promises You have made to us. We offer ourselves to You now, asking that Your will be done. Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

Septic Hearts

Good Morning!! If you are like me, you've had, or are having a tough time taming your tongue,...and controlling your temper. With pushing,...sometimes a little, sometimes a lot,...and the most vile things come flying out of my mouth. "What is wrong with you?"...as the sound of her words echoed through my mind they begin to penetrate my heart. I heard the small whispering voice of the Holy Spirit convicting me. Why did I act like that? The excuses I offered myself seemed justified. But don't I have Jesus in my heart?... Why wasn't His love flowing from me? I begin to pray and soon came to understand that the yelling and cursing was just a symptom of a deeply-rooted problem,...a septic heart. My heart and my mouth are closely related. If we really want to stop that kind of behavior, and expressing God's love, it is vitally important that we begin filling our heart with the things of God.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.—Matthew 12:34 (NIV)
You must realize that you heart is being, or has been poisoned by the toxins of: anger, resentment, unmet expectations, unforgiveness, bitterness, or dreams that have not been fulfilled. I have discovered some simple truths, that have helped me begin to detoxify my heart. The toxins are not completely gone, but I take the "antioxidant" of His Word daily,...to combat their effects. Try it! And you don't need a spoon full of sugar to help this medicine go down.

If we get satisfied with God each morning, then we won't need seek satisfaction from things of this world.

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Lord, You are slow to anger,...make that our desire as well. Help us to submit totally to Your control so that we can be a reflection of Your love to our family,...and all  those who cross our path. We want to surrender the things in our hearts that are not of You. We realize it is impossible for us to allow Your love to flow from us, with hearts that harbors past hurts and sin. We want to make a new start today in our relationship. Amen.

"The contents in our hearts, and the things that go in them, are more important than any outer packaging."

The Helper - Part 2

Good Morning!! Yesterday we discussed feeling like an ordinary Christian with no power, joy and peace in your life. Yet, we know that God never intended it to be that way. Therefore, our Lord sent a "Helper" the Holy Spirit. So who is the Holy Spirit?...Well, it's easier to tell you what He is not.
 
1.  The Spirit of God is not an "it", but a person. Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit by using pronouns such as "He" proving that the Holy Spirit is a Person not an "it".
 
2.  The Holy Spirit is not a power like the energizer bunny, because the bunny will eventually run out. Nor is He a force that is "with you" like in Star Wars. The Holy Spirit is the life of Jesus coming to live on the inside of us. We contain not just His power, but the very life of Jesus in us!
 
3.  The Holy Spirit is not a dove. He is part of the Trinity who was involved in creation. In Genesis 1:26 it says, "Let Us make man in Our image." The pronouns are capitalized emphasizing the deity of the trinity, which is, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is not only a person, but He is the person of Jesus Christ. They are one in the same. On this side of the cross, the "Helper" has come. When you receive Jesus as your Savior you also receive the Holy Spirit at the same time, or else the Trinity is a lie. If they are the same person, how can you have one with the other?

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."—Romans 8:15 (NIV)
 
We are not given power to imitate Christ; we are given the very Life of Christ! It's not about imitation, but about an impartation! Everything that Jesus is, His holiness, His faith, and His righteousness is ours too. We do not gain it over time,...we gain it as soon as we receive Christ by faith. However, Christ must not just be our Savior only,...He must be our Lord, as well. We must realize, like the disciples, that without the power of the "Helper" we can do nothing. We have to learn to depend on Christ in us,...that's what takes time.
 

Surrendering to His life within, is tapping into the source that enables us to be a victorious Christian.
Then we will begin to live with purpose,...His purpose. And the benefits are endless!

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Lord, we thank You for forgiveness of sins and dying in our place,...that we might know The Father, and have eternal life. Today, we want to make You Lord of our life. We want to live life with power and purpose. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, and guide each day of our lives that we might glorify You. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

The Helper, Part 1

Good Morning!! Most Christians go through life barely hanging on. Yet God never intended for us to live a defeated Christian life. When first saved, most are so excited they just can't get over Jesus. Then something happens,...they know Jesus is their Savior, but there hasn't really been much change in their lives. They remain powerless, and their lives are less than joyful, productive and victorious. Have you ever felt like an ordinary Christian? I wonder if that is how the disciples felt. You'll remember that they gave up everything,...family, home, jobs, friends, to follow Jesus. They were totally devoted to Him. Still, some of them failed Him, some denied Him, and some were less than victorious,...but why?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."—Acts 1:8 (NIV)
The disciples fell short because, at that time, they were following Christ in their own strength,...much like some of us do today. It was not until Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, glorified and seated at the right hand of the Father that the disciples received the "Helper," But first, you have to come to the end of yourself and realize you need God,...without Him you are nothing. Next, confess that you have been living life your way. Then, ask God to forgive you and fill you with the Helper. Your life will never be the same. You've heard what Acts 1:8 says, but who is the Holy Spirit? More on that tomorrow.

Before the disciples could live and witness as Christ intended, they had to wait for the empowerment of Holy Spirit.

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Dear God, we're tired of living life by our own efforts. We're ready to stop trying to live for You, and allow You to simply live Your life through us. We give You our all. Fill us with Your Helper,...and empower us to live victorious. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

Shattered Dream, And Dashed Hopes

Good Morning!! Jesus' disciples had such high expectations that Jesus would be the next political leader to Israel. They had witnessed his power in feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with two loaves and five fishes, they felt the waves beneath their tiny boat subside at his command, they had watched him breathe life into a lifeless child, open the eyes of a man blind from birth, create new skin from rotting flesh on the limbs of lepers, and command a lame man to take up his pallet and walk. They had seen him walk on water, outwit the Pharisees, and win the lost. If ever there was a group of people who lost their dream, it was those disciples,...along with the women that ministered to, and with them (Luke 24:20). Even though Jesus forewarned the disciples of his death and resurrection, they fled when the soldiers came to arrest him, and hid when they hung him on a cross to die.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.—Romans 8:28 (NIV)
In their narrow scope of hopes for a political leader to save the Jews, they missed the bigger picture of God’s plan for a Savior to free mankind from the bondage of sin. While Peter realized Jesus’ identity ("You are the Christ."), he did not understand His destiny. Peter was shocked when Jesus explained that He had to go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed and on the third day rise from the dead.  He even took Jesus aside and said, "Never, Lord.  This shall never happen to you!" (Mark 8:33). Much like Peter’s dream, suffering is never part of our plans.

It is amazing that one minute Peter could be a building block, and the next a stumbling block,...but that’s the trap we all fall into, when we have our minds set on the world instead of on the things of God.

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Father God, there are things about life that we simply don’t understand, but we do know this; You are good and You are kind. We thank You that nothing happens in our lives that is a surprise to You. You have a greater plan than our small vision can imagine, or comprehend. We pray for You to reveal that larger plan for our lives, to us. Help us to pay attention to Your promptings,...and obey Your bidding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."

A Leap Of Faith

Good Morning!! Peter wanted more, he wanted adventure. When the disciples' boat was being tossed about by threatening winds, they became afraid.  Adding to the anxiety of an already frightening situation, their fear level peaked when they saw a man walking on water toward the boat. The man was Jesus. That's when Peter seized the opportunity for an ultimate thrill.  Peter requested that Jesus call him to walk on water. Peter's desire to walk on water in spite of his fear was based not only on his passion for adventure, but his passion to obey God in an adventurous way.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."—Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

Matthew 14:29-31 records, "...Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'" Peter took a risk,...and some might say that he failed in his faith, because he doubted and sank. However, our ideas of success and failure is not be the same as Jesus'. Remember Peter was also the only one who felt Jesus lift him up,...because of that leap of faith.

Peter may have failed in the eyes of the public,...but he was the only one who experienced walking on water.

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Lord, give us strength to live by faith. Help us not to fear the "what- ifs" but to take Your hand and jump when You say "jump." Let us experience the grand adventure of following You. Amen.

"Our weakness, is where God can prove Himself to be our source of sufficiency."