Swimmingly (Psalm 116:6)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “swimmingly.”  One of the guys that I have been doing business with for years knows that I am involved in the swimming world, and have been for most of my life.  Every time he meets me, whether it has been one day or one month, he always asks if life is going swimmingly.  It cracks me up.  It is good to have friends that know the important pieces of your life.  God is a friend to us in much the same way.

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

~Ps 116:6

My question is: how do you live your life?  There is much that the Bible has to say about living our life in a simplistic matter.  We are to do a certain number of actions, the most important of which is to serve God.  Sometimes we get caught up in the complexities of life, and forget that God is a simple and direct God.  I can’t promise that life will always go swimmingly, but we can rest assured that God will continue to act in simple ways to help us serve him in the best way possible.  My prayer is that you reach out to God and live a simple life, and both the easy and difficult times.

Praying for you,

MO

Pell-mell (Matthew 26:47-56)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “pell-mell.”  Could you imagine being sold out by one of your closest friends?  This was the place that Jesus was in.  It must’ve been a little bit lonely and frustrating.  In today’s passage we see that when Jesus is arrested all those who are close to him pretty much deserted and left him to fend for himself.  After so many years of ministry, building relationships, making a difference… Jesus was now alone.

55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” ~Matt. 26:55-56

My question is: have you made the decision to follow Jesus, even when times get bad?  If his own disciples left him when the going got tough, how much more should we be concerned about doing the same thing?  Even though God is always in control of situations, we see that sometimes even those closest to Jesus were unable to understand the chosen path that needed to be fulfilled.  What was at one point a strong coalition of disciples and followers was now a pell-mell mass of jumbled and confused individuals.  My prayer morning is that each of you make a decision to remain loyal to the Savior, no matter what the circumstances.  We need to stick together as the family of God.  Allow Jesus to solidify your faith a little bit more today.

Praying for you,

MO

Ci-devant (Romans 6:1-12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “ci-devant.”  The apostle Paul has some really good words to say concerning sin.  In this particular book he is at the point with these people where they need to hear information about a relationship with JC pretty straightforward.  He pretty much gives them a couple of options.  They can either live the way that they always have been, or they can change and take a different path.

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

~Rom 6:11-12

My question is: what will it take for you to make a decision to move a little bit closer to God, and a little bit further from the sin that keeps you from knowing God perfectly?  I’m not saying that you have to be perfect, but we really should strive to be the best we possibly can, knowing that moving towards righteousness causes us to move away from sin.  My prayer is that you evaluate your relationship with Christ.  Do the things that take you away from your ci-devant old self, and become more in tune with Jesus, who wants to work on the new you each and every day.

Praying for you,

MO

Klaxon (Joshua 6:4)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “klaxon.”  One of my favorite stories in the Bible is in the book of Joshua.  I love how God's people were pretty much outnumbered and terrified.  They never knew exactly what to do.  It seems like they were the underdog team that you always thought was going to get their rear ends kicked, and then all of the sudden God the hero shows up and allows them to win.

"Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

~Josh 6:4

My question is: are you ready to do God's work?  I think for most of us, we would like to do things for the kingdom but just do not know exactly how to put it into action.  My prayer is that you are always ready to witness to others, both in action and in love.  Just as the priests I'm sure were a little bit miffed at what God was about to do, they still followed him and did what he told them to do – and made those klaxons sound off loud!  I know that God will call each of us to serve him in some capacity in life; it's up to us to be ready.

Praying for you,

Mo

Mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “mercies.” God has always given his people the chance to make good decisions and calls them to obedience in everything that they do.  The peeps in the OT did not always make decisions that could be deemed worthy of God’s approval.  But where God’s people failed… ultimately his love prevailed and continues to do so.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

~Lam 3:22-23

My question is: Have you taken time lately to thank God concerning his compassion for you and the way that he cares in your life? I know that sometimes we fail to give him the credit for the mercies that he bestows upon us.  I pray that God gives you understanding of his faithfulness… and that you respond to his giving you new mercies every morning.  We serve a great God that is patient and wants only the best for each of his children.

Praying for you,

mo

Roger (Philippians 2:12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "roger."  In the spirit of Veterans Day I thought I would turn you onto a military term.  Actually, I think that most everybody knows what this term means.  When joining the military, I would bet that this is probably one of the only responses that a new folder would know.  When I think of this word in terms of the Bible, the apostle Paul comes to mind.  It seems that no matter what he was told to do, he just kind of did it.  He knew that God had plans in mind.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling…”

~Phil. 2:12

My question is: with what kind of obedience do you live your life according to God's plan?  My prayer is that you would do things the way that Paul did.  When he told the church at Philippi that they needed to work out their salvation, he knew that following Jesus was not an easy task, but one that would take them to the end of life.  So, if you feel like life is pretty tough sometimes and you don't know what to do, just remember that God has you on a path.  If you seek to follow him with fear and trembling, you can always feel confident in responding with a resounding, “Roger that!”

Praying for you,

Mo

Apogee (Exodus 24:1-18)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “apogee.” Can you imagine the way that Moses felt in the presence of God? God actually tells him to come up to him on the mountain. There is something very poetic about that. I can see Moses now at the peak of that mountain feeling on top of the world, and scared out of his mind in the presence of the Lord. Now that is a healthy fear.

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.”

~Ex 24:12

Moses was given a pretty hefty task. He knew that he was going to be up there for a while. And if you ever have seen the movie, Charlton Heston comes down with a full beard. That is quite some time! My question is: when is the last time that you have been called up to the mountain by God? The Lord calls us into his presence even today, but we must be the ones to answer. He is not going to force your hand. My prayer for you this morning is that you allow yourself to be called by God. And, when he calls, make sure you go up to the apogee, or highest point. Do not waiver, but ascend as high as he needs for you to fulfill the duties he instructs. Make a difference for God today.

Praying for you,

Mo

Euchre (Hebrews 4:11)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “euchre.”  Life is filled with stuff that tries to take our focus of the all the great stuff we should be doing. One of my mentors once told me that the good stuff sometimes will get in the way of us doing the great things that are in store for our lives. I know that in the scriptures we see that the Evil One does whatever he can to keep our eyes from God.  The churches back in the day even knew that stuff would get in the way.  The writer of Hebrews allows the people in the church to understand that all efforts need to be given towards following God, with an attitude of praise and obedience.

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

~Heb 4:11

I know that tons of stuff in each of your lives seems to be good and what you need to be doing.  I would encourage each of you to remember that we cannot give up in our attempts to follow God through your actions, prayer, and praise times.  My prayer is that we come to obey know eternal life with the believers, and that we see Jesus one day as a family… when we enter his rest. Until then, we cannot let the Evil One euchre, or trick us, into thinking that we can live any other way that completely for Christ.

Praying for you,

mo

Allocution (Matthew 5:1-7:29)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “allocution.” Every few years we have the opportunity to hear the inauguration speech of either a new or current president. These are known as some of the most listened to speeches by people from not only our country, but all over the world. On the morning of this year's presidential inauguration I am inclined to think of one of the greatest speeches ever given. The Sermon on the Mount was given by Jesus a couple thousand years ago, yet it still resonates with people today. Even though most of us would not even realize it, people often use parts from the Sermon on the Mount in present day speeches and every-day conversations. Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people, including disciples, and others who chose to follow him. He chose his words carefully, knowing that these words should and would resonate with those who heard.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

~Matt 5:13-16

My question is: what are some of the greatest speeches that you have ever heard? In all of my years of ministry I have heard a ton of great speeches, sermons, and other allocutions. And, I have to say that I am really proud that my Savior gave perhaps the most moving challenge of all with the Sermon on the Mount. My prayer is that each of you takes heed to each section of this encouragement by Jesus. Take time today to read through this particular sermon, and give thanks for a God who reaches out to love us continually.

Praying for you,

mo