Pour (Jeremiah 10:23-25)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “pour.”  Jeremiah ended his temple address with a prayer to God. The prophet admitted that a person’s life can’t be considered his or her own as though they are free to direct their own steps. The Lord is in control, and only those who let God direct their ways will be truly blessed. Because Judah’s judgment was inevitable, Jeremiah pleaded that it might come only with God’s justice and not with His anger.  Jeremiah was asking for God’s patience in passing judgment or else the nation might be reduced to nothing…

“Correct me, Lord, but only with justice — not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name.”

~Jer. 10:23-24

My question is: do you allow God to pour his goodness into your life?  There are so many things that you can do with the strength of the Lord.  He asks only for our obedience and love.  My prayer is that God is in control of your life today and continues to be more so in the future.  Each of you is a special individual and the Lord will bless you.  Just as the Lord rightly delivered judgment on his people, so does he pour out his blessings on those who call on the name of JC.  Live your life according to the decrees God has given.  He will correct your missteps and give you a heart more toward his each day.

Praying for you,

mo

Life (1 Timothy 6:11-16)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “life.” This is what being a God follower is all about. So many times throughout the Bible we hear about what it means to live through a relationship with God. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul reminds him of the importance of fighting for the life to come. The apostle Paul knew what it meant to live a crazy life of serving God. I love this passage and what he says to young Timothy because Paul knows it is imperative to fight to the very end.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

~1 Timothy 6:12

My question is: what does it mean for you as a Christian to fight the good fight of faith? God has put you in the unique position to influence others and to live a life for Christ. We are in the presence of many witnesses and it is imperative for us to live a life worthy of the calling God has given. You are coming to the end of your season and each of you knows what it means to fight. With every practice, every stroke, every breath – you are fighting to do your best. My prayer for you is that you continue to live your life in the same manner. We don't know how many more days we have left on this earth. But we do know that we can live each of those days for Christ. As we finished the season strong, remember to take hold of your calling from God.

Praying for you,

mo

Emphasis (Genesis 22:1-12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “emphasis.”  God chooses often to show us his will by way of situations.  We are given the choice to follow his way but are not forced to do so.  In this instance, Abraham is faced with a choice and given a test in obedience.  Could you imagine God telling you to sacrifice the promise of a nations?  It’s almost a little crazy if you were Abe, you know.  The cool thing is that in the beginning of his discourse, God puts a major emphasis on reminding Abe that he is to take his only son and give him up.  This would ultimately throw a wrench in the promise Abe received from God concerning building a great nation through this kid…

“Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Mariah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.’”

~Gen. 22:2

My question is: how do you respond when God seems to ask you to give something up for the good of his ultimate plan?  I know for me that sometimes God wants me to do stuff that takes me out of my comfort zone.  I feel like the decisions I need to make to live in obedience are not always the most desirable.  Yet, I choose them because God has  a plan and I would like to be a part of it in the fullest.  My prayer for you today is that God put on your heart the things he wants for your life.  Just a warning, sometimes the stuff that God wants for us is not the path we are currently on.  Look for the places in life where God puts special emphasis… go that route with boldness.

Praying for you,

mo

Careful (1 Corinthians 8:9-13)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “careful.” Paul knew a thing or two about what it took to be a constant minister for the Gospel.  In the early days a lot of dissention among Xtians occurred because of the certain rules, regulations, and rituals attached to an obedient life in Christ.  Now, that the peeps wanted to follow the will of God was all good, but to the extent of craziness and fighting within the church… well, that is just absurd!

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?”

~1 Cor. 8:9-10

My question is: how to you live your life in accordance to God’s law? There are a lot of brothers and sisters in Christ out in our churches, schools, and society that need good role models. You can, and should be, that role model. And if you are on the other side of the coin and feel like the newer and more inexperienced Xtian then I encourage you to find others that you know to be strong in the Lord.  My prayer is that we as God’s peeps give others a reason to believe that a life with JC is the way to go. Be careful to understand that others are always watching you to see if you example is worth following… is it?

Praying for you,

mo

Restraint (Habakkuk 3:1-16)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “restraint.” We like to think that we live in a pretty crazy world. The funny thing is, God has always dealt with people according to the way best to help them. God has always been the leader of this world and governance humans according to their situations. Habakkuk showed how God influenced nations to perform his will. In that specific instance, God prevented people from doing what they naturally were inclined to do. He helped them understand his cause and move toward his will. Even when evil is present, God can make something good come out of it.

“He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.”

~Hab. 3:6

My question is: do you allow God to govern your life and the things that you deal with? Sometimes we don't always understand our situations. My prayer is that God would shape you into a leader who influences many toward the will of God. As God gives you more influence, what is necessary do to help others understand the goodness that God has prepared for them. As the nation of Israel needed to be course corrected every now and again, so do we as Christians need God's influence in our lives. Take each day to make your natural inclinations to match God’s.

Praying for you,

mo

Respond (Joel 3:1-21)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “respond.” In this very short book of the Bible, God uses this particular profit to pronounce judgment on the nations. Because of God's promise, Israel could look toward the future of hope. But they could only do this if they would respond in obedience to what God expected from them. Joel tells the people here that the Lord is going to use this nation to judge others. God was going to bring terror to those who rebelled, but hope to those who trusted in him.

“The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”

~Joel 3:16

My question is this: how do you respond to God and what he expects of you? Some of you may not even know what God has in store for you. And that is exactly why we need to have people in our lives that can help us understand those things. We need to be a people full of discernment, strategy, and a hope for the future. My prayer is that you respond favorably to God's plans for you, as he will respond favorably when you take action. Just as Joel painted a picture here, God will continue to reveal his plan to you. You need only to respond.

Praying for you,

mo