Shoal (1 Tim 6:12-16)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "shoal."  In preparation for the sermon that I preached this past Sunday, I was convicted by the Lord to move deeper into a relationship with him.  I know that might seem a little bit odd, figuring that he is always calling us to become closer, but it was just one of those moments that one has every now and again that remind them how important it is to continually get closer in relationship to him.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

~1 Tim 6:12-16

Talk about an awesome charge of encouragement from Paul to Timothy!  In these few verses, the apostle was telling this young man that he must continually fight to preserve what he accepted from Jesus.  My question for you is: what are the things in life that are keeping you from becoming closer to God?  Some of us like to sit on the shore, and sometimes wade into the shoal, when the Lord is calling us to go to the deep waters.  When we move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, God will move us further from what we have been and make us more of what we can become.  My prayer is that each of you understands that God is calling you to a deeper relationship with him each moment, and that we must not take for granted that calling.

Praying for you,

Mo

Extant (1 Corinthians 8:4-6)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “extant.”  The existence of God has always been on the minds of people, both now and way back. I love when people try to discount the existence of God because is someone believes that God existed then why even enter into the conversation? In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul reiterates that it is because of Christ that we are in existence at all.

Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

~1 Cor 8:6

My question is: what are some of the big questions that you have on your mind for God? I know that sometimes it is difficult to believe, not because you are a bad person but because we all have questions. I remember when I first became a Christian I had a ton of questions. And, now in all of my wisdom later on in life I realize that I don't have those questions… I have those questions, and more! It is okay for Christians to question God, but not his existence or power. My prayer for you is that God brings peace to any doubts that might be in your mind. We exist because God has allowed us to be. Take that message of joy to the world.

Praying for you

Arcane (Matthew 13:1-12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "arcane." I think one of the things that people remember about Jesus, even if they are not Christian or even religious, is that he spoke to people in parables. Why did he do this? Well, there could be a number of reasons. The most important is that he knew that people might understand a little bit more if he brought stuff close to home. But when Jesus was on earth he had a very specific mission. The message that he brought was not for everybody. He spoke in ways that sometimes only a few people understood.

"Why do you speak to the people in parables?”  "He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

~Matt. 13:10-11

Jesus was very adamant about his mission here on earth. He knew he did not have a lot of time. My question is: how deliberate are you about the message that you bring to people with whom you come in the contact? The message that the Savior brought was arcane, or for a few only.  His limited time on earth was to impart his understanding to the disciples, that they might carry out the mission after he left for Heaven.  My prayer is that you get the message out to as many people as possible. We do not know how long we have. But we do know that the words in Scripture have been given to us for the purpose of saving others. Give the word freely, and let God do the rest.

Testify (John 8:12-30)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “testify.”  JC had to go through a bunch of scrutiny while on the earth.  He knew that he was justified because the Father sent him.  But he still had tons of critics, as he does today as well.  Being the light of the world was a pretty tall order, and he was always ready to love on people and change a life.  Even though he needed no justification from the praise of people, he lived and loved higher than the rule…

“Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.” ~Jn. 8:14

My question is: how do you believe JC is using your life as a testimony to the Savior’s love? I know that each of us has opportunitites to spread Christ’s love through our actions and care for others.  My prayer is that you use the Gosple to love above the rule.  Give God a chance to proclaim the Son through your life.  God will use use and give you the words when you need them. Trust in his plan to testify to others.