Prince of Peace

Most of us are quite hectic and frantic during the Christmas season. There is no doubt that we often move so quickly through this season that we miss how powerful the Christmas story really is. I know I can get so caught up in doing all the stuff of Christmas that my mind is frazzled and I am not a peace. But scripture reminds me that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He longs to keep me at peace as I go about my life. He longs to provide peace the world over. The question is... Do we allow him to bring this divine peace to us and through us?

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

God Will Complete Us

About five weeks ago I slammed my finger and it has been a slow healing process for sure. Now I am waiting for the nail to fall off. It no longer hurts but I just ready for this to be behind me. It will take time, but in few weeks my finger will look just fine. The waiting is the hard part.

The football team has had a couple of hard losses. These games have hurt so much. I know we will rebound and will get better, but it just takes time. There is no way to know just how long it will take, but I do know that we are better than we have been in several seasons. I am most excited about our bright future. The waiting is the hard part.

I am not complete. You are not complete. As much as we try to fool ourselves we are not complete. Phil 1:6 reminds us that God began a good work in us and he will faithful to complete it. There is no doubt that it takes time. It does not happen over night. The process is the hard part for me and I am sure it is that way for you as well.

John 15:5 tells us that we must stay connected to Christ and as we do, the Lord will enable us to bear fruit. God is good and we can trust his work in us!

This great news and hope for all of us incomplete disciples.

Creativity and God

I saw a great quote today. "Creativity, God invited it, Jesus modeled it, and the Holy Spirit empowers it."
Do you feel creative? Do you ever pray for it? Sound funny? It may sound like just a bunch of craziness, but I don't think so. If God is the most creative, then he can illumine our minds with His creative bent. God is the most creatively bent, so as we walk with Him it stands to reason that He can make us creative as well.

Take a few moments and read Genesis 1 and 2. Remind yourself just how creative God is.

Pray that God would open your eyes to His creativity just under you nose. Certainly in your front yard or down the street!

Pray for God to bring out His creativity in your life!!

God and Contentment

What is up in your life? Are you frustrated and angry with your life? Do you wish you could move to the next phase God has for you? You may wonder when ___ is going to come into your life. It could be money, job, relationship, etc.
God is teaching us patience and trust the that he knows best. He longs for us to love Him above all. God is more interested in our relationship with Him than we can even imagine. He will use whatever situation we are in to draw us closer to his side.
The faith journey is one that is forged with trust. Trust holds us to the hope that the Lord is at work even when we may not see it or feel it. God is working and moving in our lives at all times! We must trust that he knows best and longs for the best for us.

Read over Phil 4:11-13 and remember Paul is in prison.

Jesus would say it like this: be faithful where you are. Be faithful in the position you have and we just might find ourselves given more responsibility. Don't make this a formula or think that since you are being faithful God OWES you something.

Just know that God longs for us to be faithful and obedient to him regardless!!

Making Moments Count

"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him..." 2 Chronicles 16:9

I find great comfort in knowing the Lord is longing to strengthen me and work on my behalf. It is so reassuring to know the Lord desires to be the catalyst in my life: for spiritual growth, victory over temptation, to do His will, etc. We can often feel alone and by ourselves but the Lord wants to take each of us and lead us to a place of honest trust in Him.

Westminster Shorter Catechism says:
The chief end of man is glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Our lives should bring him glory. Our lives should give others a glimpse of his greatness. We can certainly live out our days in a life that does not necessarily do this or we can opt for more. We can opt to live a life that is only possible with the strength of God.
Scripture also reminds us that we are clay in the potters hand. We are to place ourselves in the hands of God to be used by Him for His plan and purpose.
So put yourself in the Lord's hands and let Him use you as He will.
That is what Jonathan did in 1 Samuel 14.
He took the lead when no one else would. He was willing to stand alone.
Jonathon was willing to take the leap because he:

He saw the need. 1-3

No one would take action. His dad the King was perched under a tree in fear. The 600 men with him did not know what to do either, because they did not have any weapons. (see 13:16-22) Do you see the needs around you?

He had someone he could depend on. vs.7

We read that Jonathan had his right hand man. This guy was willing to to go with him. Do you have someone in your life like this? The 3am person.

He counted the cost - 4-6

There were no guarantees that all would work out for him. This is true for us too. There are no promises as to how things will work out. So we must count the cost. We must be willing to take the step to be who the Lord has called us to be.

He got the nod from God.vs. 8-12

God spoke to him in a very specific way. There was a very intimate relationship between Jonathan and the Lord. Are you cultivating this relationship with the Lord?

He acted on behalf of others. vs 12

Jonathan did not do this for his acclaim or his fame! He did this because Israel was in need. Are you living this way?

God And Time

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6

Time is one of our greatest assets. We have more time on our hands than we realize. We certainly have time to give. Most of us waste much of our time, while God makes the most of His time. God gives us the example of working out His will in perfect timing. To give our time means we have an awareness of the needs around us, we understand the sacrifice it will take, and we see the blessings it brings to others.

Do you give people your time? Are you willing to sacrifice on behalf of others? God was willing and did! He gave himself as he acted on our behalf for our benefit. In the person of Jesus Christ we see the best example for our daily lives.

Romans 5:1-11 expresses this perfectly.

vs 1 -4 we see the Impact of his presence - We have peace, stand in his grace, and walk in hope. Do you walk in light of these realities? Do you walk with the Lord knowing that you have his presence?

vs 5-8 we see that God's gift was Intentional - Christ died for us while were enemies of the cross. We are powerless to save ourselves. Do you intentionally look for ways to help those around you?

vs 9-11 we see the price of his Investment - The love of God knows no price to high to display his love. It cost him is life. What are you willing to do to reach out and love those around you?

God gave himself will you?

The gift of time is great. It really is. May we make the most of the time God has given us. I am thankful he made the most of his time and we should as well.

Father's Day

Yesterday was not the easiest of days. I missed my dad and would have enjoyed giving him a call just to chat. He was a great friend and gave me so much wisdom. He helped me grow and be the man I am today. I think about his life and what all he stood for. He made such a huge impact on my life. Much of the impact was not even intentional. I say often, that more is caught than taught from our parents. This is a huge warning to all of us. People are watching!! The way he treated mom and helped around the house, was a great example for me. I am so proud to his son and pray that my life will be more like his a I grow older. I say this, because I saw Jesus in my dad. Like Paul admonished his congregations to follow his example, I want to follow the example of my father. The question that comes to mind, is my example worthy of being followed?
Sigh...
I have a long way to go. But I trust, " That he who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." Phil 1:6