True, we don't know exactly when He was born. But we know that He was, and what He taught us, and that He died and rose again that we might have life in Him. And that's the best of reasons to celebrate Christmas, and every day! My our Lord continue to bless you abundantly.
"May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
-1Corinthians 13:13
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Stick a fork in me--I'm done
Oh yeah, I am done indeed. I've been playing around at following God for a very long time now, and I've had it. I don't want to be fitting God into my life any more; I want Him to be what I'm about in whatever I am doing. I have an ark-load of reasons for hanging on to stuff that has kept me comfortable with giving the Lord the easy things; but when it comes down to putting it all on the line I've been reluctant to give it ALL over to Him.
Jesus calls us to follow Him, regardless of where we are or what we might be giving up. And while it seems to me that things aren't going very well in the world these days, that really shouldn't be our main concern. No matter what's up, we have a Savior who goes far beyond the problems of this world.
Take comfort in knowing that the Lord of all is concerned about You. Indeed, God loves you, and He will keep you close. You know Who your Lord is, and no matter what's up, follow Him.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
-Psalms 3:5-6
Jesus calls us to follow Him, regardless of where we are or what we might be giving up. And while it seems to me that things aren't going very well in the world these days, that really shouldn't be our main concern. No matter what's up, we have a Savior who goes far beyond the problems of this world.
Take comfort in knowing that the Lord of all is concerned about You. Indeed, God loves you, and He will keep you close. You know Who your Lord is, and no matter what's up, follow Him.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
-Psalms 3:5-6
Friday, December 12, 2008
Step One - PRAY!
In just about any endeavor, something is going to go wrong.
Am I a pessimist? No, just seeing this world as it is. This isn't heaven, it never will be, and the chances are that whatever we are up to, something is bound to come up that we weren't expecting--be it a minor inconvenience or a major foul-up. And while we needn't dwell on what might go wrong, we shouldn't ignore the reality of our fallen world.
Some things are easy to plan for (or against, if you will). For me, it was working on my car. It took awhile to catch on, but I finally came to realize that even when doing something simple, there was most likely going to be a nut that wouldn't come loose, or the wrong-sized whatever, or a part that would drop into the black hole that forms beneath any engine that is being worked on. So I learned to make provisions for these things. I rarely had it all covered, but it did make things easier than assuming that Everything was going to work out as hoped.
What I'm getting at here is having a plan, whether it's about working on something, heading off to the store, or just getting out of bed in the morning. Not everything needs an elaborate plan, and indeed some things don't seem to need any forethought; "I've done this a thousand times before; what could go wrong?" The answer? Probably nothing; but possibly anything. So it really does help to make a to-do list, a project analysis, a plan of attack.
But here's the Main Thing; even the simplest plan should start out with "Step One-Pray About It." Discuss the situation with the One who knows-for-Sure what's going to happen. Not only will starting things out with prayer give us our best shot at keeping everything in perspective, but the Lord wants to be included in everything we are up to. Don't wait until things go sour to seek His assistance. Let's make Him a part of all that we do.
"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."
-Colossians 4:2 NLT
Am I a pessimist? No, just seeing this world as it is. This isn't heaven, it never will be, and the chances are that whatever we are up to, something is bound to come up that we weren't expecting--be it a minor inconvenience or a major foul-up. And while we needn't dwell on what might go wrong, we shouldn't ignore the reality of our fallen world.
Some things are easy to plan for (or against, if you will). For me, it was working on my car. It took awhile to catch on, but I finally came to realize that even when doing something simple, there was most likely going to be a nut that wouldn't come loose, or the wrong-sized whatever, or a part that would drop into the black hole that forms beneath any engine that is being worked on. So I learned to make provisions for these things. I rarely had it all covered, but it did make things easier than assuming that Everything was going to work out as hoped.
What I'm getting at here is having a plan, whether it's about working on something, heading off to the store, or just getting out of bed in the morning. Not everything needs an elaborate plan, and indeed some things don't seem to need any forethought; "I've done this a thousand times before; what could go wrong?" The answer? Probably nothing; but possibly anything. So it really does help to make a to-do list, a project analysis, a plan of attack.
But here's the Main Thing; even the simplest plan should start out with "Step One-Pray About It." Discuss the situation with the One who knows-for-Sure what's going to happen. Not only will starting things out with prayer give us our best shot at keeping everything in perspective, but the Lord wants to be included in everything we are up to. Don't wait until things go sour to seek His assistance. Let's make Him a part of all that we do.
"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."
-Colossians 4:2 NLT
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Who's Waiting For You?
I went to visit a dear friend the other day; someone I hadn't seen in almost a year. You know how it is--we have things to do, other obligations, our own duties and worries. And the next thing you know, there's people that really mean a lot to each other that just can't find the time to get together.
It was a great visit. We caught up on things, shared our joys and trials, and talked about our troubles. And though we really didn't come up with wonderful answers for each other, we were able to lift one another up, and to remind ourselves that God knows the answers and that we really need to lean more on Him. Sometimes the best help can be just knowing that we're all in this together as we walk in the world. And truth be told, it was just nice to spend some time in fellowship with someone that's been a long-time friend and fellow pilgrim.
Is there someone you haven't seen for awhile? There might be something that's on their hearts that could use a visit from you. Or they may well have something to share about a concern of yours. Or perhaps they just need a visit from a friend--You. I know I did, and I really got blessed for finding the time to get together.
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Galations 6:2 NKJV
It was a great visit. We caught up on things, shared our joys and trials, and talked about our troubles. And though we really didn't come up with wonderful answers for each other, we were able to lift one another up, and to remind ourselves that God knows the answers and that we really need to lean more on Him. Sometimes the best help can be just knowing that we're all in this together as we walk in the world. And truth be told, it was just nice to spend some time in fellowship with someone that's been a long-time friend and fellow pilgrim.
Is there someone you haven't seen for awhile? There might be something that's on their hearts that could use a visit from you. Or they may well have something to share about a concern of yours. Or perhaps they just need a visit from a friend--You. I know I did, and I really got blessed for finding the time to get together.
"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Galations 6:2 NKJV
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
What's In There?
We'd all agree that the Bible is truly God's word; and indeed, according to polls by the Barna Research Group, 92% of born-again Christians (those who have accepted Christ and are trusting in Him for salvation) believe that "the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches." Yet, only 62% of us have picked one up in the last week. Not only that, 46% believe that Satan is not a real being, 37% believe that being a good person will get you into heaven, and 26% believe that Jesus committed sins while here on earth, all of which is NOT what the Word says.
Remember the joy of getting a love letter? Well, the Bible is filled with page after page of love letters from God, not to mention words of comfort, guidance, hope, and joy. We really ought to know what's in there. Don't neglect the message from the One who loves you the most.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2Timothy 2:15 NKJV
Remember the joy of getting a love letter? Well, the Bible is filled with page after page of love letters from God, not to mention words of comfort, guidance, hope, and joy. We really ought to know what's in there. Don't neglect the message from the One who loves you the most.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
2Timothy 2:15 NKJV
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
God IS In Control
That's the thing, ya know? Whatever's going on, and there's sure a lot of
whatever going on these days, God's got it covered. And we need to trust in that.
After fifty-some years of waking up in the morning, I am fully convinced that when I get out of bed, the floor will be there. Whatever my condition has been, there has always been a stable, solid surface to stand on. And that's what we need to remember about our Lord--no matter what's happening, God and His promises are a firm foundation that we can trust to always be there.
Dear friends, wherever you find yourself today, know that you're safe and secure in His love, and rejoice in the security of standing on the Rock of Ages.
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
-Isaiah 40:31 NLT
whatever going on these days, God's got it covered. And we need to trust in that.
After fifty-some years of waking up in the morning, I am fully convinced that when I get out of bed, the floor will be there. Whatever my condition has been, there has always been a stable, solid surface to stand on. And that's what we need to remember about our Lord--no matter what's happening, God and His promises are a firm foundation that we can trust to always be there.
Dear friends, wherever you find yourself today, know that you're safe and secure in His love, and rejoice in the security of standing on the Rock of Ages.
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
-Isaiah 40:31 NLT
Friday, October 24, 2008
Walking with the Savior again!
Not just sure how to reactivate the old blog ( http://1tim611.blogspot.com/ ) but perhaps it's just as well, because this is going to be a new thing of sorts.
After spending a long time of wandering from the Lord, and wallowing in the world, I am recommitted to Him and believe me, dear brothers and sisters, I ain't goin' back again!! Nothing I was doing was working out, except slowly killing myself, and I've had more than enough of trying to do things My way. From now on, I'm trusting in Him to take care of things, and all I want to do is to be available.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
-2Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
After spending a long time of wandering from the Lord, and wallowing in the world, I am recommitted to Him and believe me, dear brothers and sisters, I ain't goin' back again!! Nothing I was doing was working out, except slowly killing myself, and I've had more than enough of trying to do things My way. From now on, I'm trusting in Him to take care of things, and all I want to do is to be available.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
-2Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
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