Pressing Forward

We are only Day #2 in the New Year of 2016, and many people are trying to fulfill their New Years's Resolution. One of the great figures of faith in the Holy Bible is the Apostle Paul. As I reflected on Paul's life just a few days ago with a post reflecting on God's usage of him.

Sometimes there are moments in our lives when we reflect on the past decisions that we have made. Those decisions were either good or bad, right or wrong, rich or poor, wise or unwise.  Human nature sometimes leads us down a very negative pathway, and we focus on the evil that we have done rather than the good that we have done.

Paul reflected on his own life BEFORE knowing Christ Jesus as Lord, as well as DURING his walk with Jesus.  He was a well respected, religious teacher in the Jewish community, but he was blazing a trail to Hell because he persecuted Jesus' followers.

All of Paul's accolades and accomplishments meant nothing (dung in his own words) because they didn't bring him any closer to knowing Jesus and possessing eternal life.

The climax of Paul's words in chapter 3 focus on his goal of moving forward in Christ.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 3:12-14

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New Beginnings

There is excitement in the air with anticipation and expectation that great things are going to happen in our lives this year.  This is a Presidential Election year in the United States, the Summer Olympics in Rio, and many more exciting events forthcoming.

The most important question perhaps we should all ask ourselves is this: what kind of person do I want to be this year? On the job? In school? In my personal relationships?

My guess is that most of us want to do better, be better, and make a positive impact in this world.

God has in mind what He wants for all of us this hour, this day, this week, this month, this year, and the rest of our lives.

God loves each and every one of us, and wants the absolute best for all of us. He wants us to enjoy life, be prosperous, help others, use our talents, and make a positive impact in this dark world. But more than that, God wants us to become more like His Son Jesus Christ.  Jesus modeled Perfection to all of us. He modeled Holiness, Sacrifice, and Undying Love for others.

As we begin a New Year, consider this great passage of Scripture:

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."

- Romans 8:29

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!! 

Looking Ahead

It is the night BEFORE New Year's Eve, and we are all anticipating a brand new beginning when the calendar changes to January 1. Many of us will make New Year's Resolutions (i.e., lose weight, go to the gym, start a new business, etc.) But why is it that our resolutions don't last too long? Do we get bored? Lose interest? Give up too easily? 

Human nature merits that we get excited about New Things. But when those New Things grow Old, we lose interest. We lose excitement.  This sadly happens not only in things but in people.  New relationships suddenly become boring, unsatisfactory, stale, outdated, and soon we are on the prowl for someone else. 

God has better plans for all of us.  But we do not have to wait until 2016, because we can make it up in our minds tonight to change direction. 

We can experience new things everyday! God is all about recreating, renewing, and transforming the useless into the useful.

Consider these passages of Scripture:

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” - Isaiah 42:9

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

REMEMBER .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

Amazing Grace

I am truly amazed at the Grace of Almighty God. The Bible tells us of a man named Saul from Tarsus who was a religious leader known as a Pharisee. Saul hated Christians, and he wanted to do everything in his power to eliminate them from the earth. 

In various texts of Scripture, we see that Saul was a very violent man, who dragged off Christians to prison, beat them up physically, and separated their families. He was also described as a blasphemer (someone who speaks evil of the divine name). In that case he would have been speaking evil of Jesus Christ. And yet even after all of these evils perpetrated against God's people, the Lord had mercy upon Saul, appeared to him from heaven, and told him that he needed to go into the city to see a man name Ananias. From that point forward, the rest is history. 

Saul converted to Christ and he become an apostle of Jesus. He then went on to write half of the New Testament. Look at what God did in this man's life! And if God can show that kind of mercy upon someone who did all of that evil, surely we who profess to follow The Lord should be willing to share mercy to those who have wronged us. 

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

I Timothy 1:12-14

Let us marinate on the story of Saul of Tarsus, and the great things that God can do in the life of someone who has really blown it and whom everybody else would have written off and thrown away. God can use anyone He wants to, so we should remember that about ourselves and about other people. 

Remember ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!

What Are You Willing To Exchange For a Bowl of Soup?

About 4,000 years ago in the Middle East, there were two sons named Jacob and Esau. They were twins. Of the two twins, Esau was the first born son.  Issac was their father, and Rebekah was their mother.  Isaac favored Esau, but Rebekah favored Jacob. Esau was a rugged, red-haired boy, who in today's terms might be considered a "man's man." He liked the outdoors, and was a hunter. Jacob, on the other hand, might be considered a "mamma's boy" because he liked to stay at home.

In the ancient world, the first born son got all of the perks.  He received the father's blessing, which meant he would assume the rights of spiritual leader of the family, and would receive all of the financial rewards along with that important title. This meant that Esau was destined to rule and to be rich.  One day, after Esau was exhausted from being outdoors, he was famished.  Jacob was cooking some lentil stew.  Esau asked his brother if he could have some of the lentil stew.  But Jacob said that he would only give his brother the stew if Esau agreed to sell his "birthright" to Jacob.  Well, Esau agreed to surrender his birthright to Jacob, and then he ate the stew and left (Genesis 25:34).

Seems harmless, right? However, at that moment, the Bible says that Esau "despised his birthright." Esau traded in something very valuable for a temporary relief of his hunger.  What are you hungry for? An inappropriate relationship? A great paying job where you have to compromise your values? Popularity? Acceptance? Whatever it is, it isn't worth trading in something valuable that God has already given you.  What is valuable? Our integrity.  Our sexual purity.  Our word. Our family.  Our marriage.  Satan wants for all of us to trade in these valuables for temporary pleasures that ultimately lead to eternal death.  He's the master deceiver, and he'll stop at nothing to lure us into doing something that we'll surely regret later in life.

The Bible warns and encourages to be careful about sin and temptation:

"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

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" - Hebrews 2:18

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." - James 4:7


REMEMBER ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!