Thought of the day….

Without Sin? Hummm…… In today’s verses Jesus is being confronted about  the woman caught in adultery. The crowd was ready to stone her to death, a just punishment for the time, but Jesus has different standards of love and forgiveness than the world. Today I want us to look at each other through Jesus’ eyes and love and forgive one another. Just as the verses’ tell us, we all sin in some way or another, and we live by God’s grace and forgiveness.

Today I ask, who can cast the first stone?

Thought of the day….

My wife has been involved in an international prayer group for many years. One of the wonderful things they do is pray scripture back to God. So today I want us to offer up a prayer of scripture with today’s verses.

Father today I trust you with my life, with all my heart, I vow to you Lord, not lean on my own understanding but rely solely on you. Father I give you all Glory for all things in my life good and bad and look forward to the path you put before me.

Amen

Today I ask, are you leaning on God for understanding and giving Him all the Glory?

Thought of the day….

Today, the above scripture is referencing speaking in tongues. We could debate from now on if this is possible or not but I use it to make a point about my Grandmother. She was a wonderful Christian woman. I vividly remember seeing her sitting and reading a small Gideon’s New Testament almost constantly. Most of her waking hours were spent in prayer or reading God’s word. She was a very humble woman that never wanted to bring any attention to herself. When I was about seven, my Grandmother took me to church with her regularly. While there, I remember seeing her kneel down between the pews and pray quietly. After praying for a short time she would begin to somewhat convulse and start to mumble and speak in words that I couldn’t understand. As you would guess, at first, it kind of scared me so when I got home I asked my mom about it and she explained that she was speaking in tongues. She went on to tell me that my Grandmother spent so much time with God in worship that she spoke in tongues. Again, we could debate until Christ returns about the theology but that’s not my point. The thing that I remember the most was that it sealed the deal for me at seven years old. This God that I have been learning about is real! If my grandmother who I had seen in prayer and worship at every turn had this kind of a relationship with God, and that she could speak to Him in this way, He must be real. Today as I look back on it, I can see it as if it were yesterday and I think about how I too have felt God’s presence in my life many times. No, I can’t speak in tongues but I still know He is as real as He was back then.  Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

Today I ask, do you have a relationship with God? Do you know He is real?

Thought of the day….

Prayer, why do we pray? The bible is full of times when prayer is mentioned and often times, just as in today’s scripture, Jesus is the one praying. I believe that many times we come to God with our prayers and somewhere in the back of our minds we believe it will never happen. Maybe we come only when we are in dire need. Other times, hopefully, it’s to thank Him for our many blessings. While other times its, simply to commune with God in a quite conversation. All of these reasons are valid reasons to meet with God.

Prayer has had a great influence on my life, because I have seen the impact of what it can do. In today’s verse Jesus went up on the mountain to pray, and He sent all night in prayer. When is the last time we spent more than 10 minutes in prayer? Spend time with the Father, tell Him your thoughts, tell Him you concerns, bring Him your petitions, tell Him your frustrations, thank Him for all He’s done. Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast your burdens on Him. He has big shoulders and can carry them all.

Today I ask, will you spend time with God in prayer today?

 Dead Ends Are Part of God’s Plan

 by Rick Warren

 ”At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8b-9 PH)

When the pursuit of your dream deteriorates from difficult to impossible, when the situation looks hopeless — congratulations! You’re in good company.

Even Paul went through dead ends: “At that time we were completely overwhelmed, the burden was more than we could bear, in fact we told ourselves that this was the end. Yet we believe now that we had this experience of coming to the end of our tether that we might learn to trust, not in ourselves, but in God who can raise the dead” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9 PH).

 If God can raise dead people physically, he can raise people who are dead emotionally. He can raise a dead marriage. He can resurrect a dead career. He can resurrect you from a health problem. If God can raise the dead, he can do anything.

 In Abraham’s situation, God said, “I want you to become the father of a nation,” but then Abraham had to wait until he was 99 years old before he had his first child. The Bible shows Abraham”s situation going from difficult to impossible. He looks at his body and says, “No way!” Then he looks at his wife and says, “Double no way!”

But Sarah got pregnant, and they laughed about it. When the baby was born, they named him Isaac, which means “laughter.”

God often lets problems become impossibilities. The disciples planned to follow Jesus. They thought he was the Messiah, but then the next thing they know Jesus is hanging on the cross, dying. Was this a dead end for the disciples? For three days it seemed that way, but then Jesus walked out of the tomb.

When you face a dead end, you may start asking, “What’s going on, God? Did I miss your will? Your plan? Have I missed your vision?” Keep in mind that dead ends are part of God’s plan for you.

What’s the best response to a dead end? “He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again” (2 Corinthians 1:10 HCSB).

Talk About It

Have you ever missed seeing God’s vision because you thought he had abandoned you (when your problem was seemingly impossible)?

Ask God to help build your trust in him and his promise of deliverance.

Thought of the day….

Love has been described as a feeling, a state of mind and an emotion of the heart. I prefer to say it is an uncontrollable emotion of the heart. It is something inside you that can’t be controlled whether it is for your children, you family or your wife. Each is a different emotion but all still love. As today’s verse says, Love must be sincere or real it is not evil but everything that is good.

Today I ask, do you really love?

Thought of the day….

Last night I told many of our youth at church about an urgent prayer request, of a young collage age student named Vitoria that had been in a violent auto accident. The doctors had told her parents that she would not make it through the night. I asked you to pray for her for healing and for her parents for comfort and the young girl that she have peace. I regret to tell you that Victoria went home to be with our Lord this morning. God did answer our prayers, just not in our worldly ways. She is no longer suffering and is in praise and worship with the father. As a parent it breaks my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for her parents and the young girl that caused the accident, for peace.

Today I simply asked you to pray.

Thought of the day….

I used to tease some of the youth at church that God is always with you and see everything you do. He’s with you when you’re out and about and he even with you when you’re naked. So when we are blatantly defying His word, He is not far away.  No, I can’t explain it, I just except it. How can God be everywhere at all times? There are so many other references that God is “Omnipresent.” Genesis 28:15 What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. Job 31:4 Doesn’t he see everything I do and every step I take? Jeremiah 23:23 Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Psalm 145:18 The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Hebrews 13:5 I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Like I said, I can’t explain it but I believe it and am thankful for it.

Today I ask, do you feel Him with you always?

Thought of the day….

He is risen! Yesterday was Easter, with the exception of Christmas it is the most celebrated Christian holiday. Without the risen Christ, the Christian faith is not any different than other religions of the world. The rising of Christ from the dead in fulfillment of scripture for the forgiveness of sins is the center of the Christian faith. We celebrate not only the rising of our Lord and savior from the dead but we are publicly announcing our faith that He is the risen Lord, the son of God.

Today I ask, will you celebrate and announce Christ is the risen Lord and son of God?

 Thought of the day….

 What can I do to be saved? Nothing! I know people today that have told me they couldn’t come to church or have a relationship with Christ until they made some changes in their lives or they had done some things that God surly could not forgive. As today’s verse says, it’s about GRACE not works. It’s about GRACE not about being worthy. It’s a FREE gift of God. All you must do is ask.

Today I ask, what must you do to be saved? Nothing but ask.