March 31 - Testing

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Whatever temptations you or I are tempted with, we should know that God will not let us be tempted by anything too hard for us to turn away from. God does not tempt us. God provides a way out of that temptation or trap, but it is up to us to follow his word and truth to escape it. Our commitment and love for Christ is proven through how we react to temptations that are placed before us. We have two options:

A) Give in to the temptations of the world/Satan
B) Live for Christ, by carrying out God's will in our lives.

We can't carry out God's will and live in sinful pleasures. We can't live by the world's standards and please God.

March 30 - Objective

2 Corinthians 5:9

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

As Christians, our goal in life should be to be like Christ. If we are in a crowd, or with a friend, or by ourselves, we are to be more like Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life and carried out God's will in his life. He didn't refuse to teach others or to help others. When God called him to do something...he did it.

We cannot be Christlike if we are not in the Word of God. We must study the word, then put that into practice. Jesus practiced what he preached...perfectly. In John, we see that Jesus is the Word in the flesh. He came in human form to carry out God's will on earth and to be the perfect and only sacrifice to save the world from death through sin. Finally, from studying and practicing the Word in our life, we should teach it. Can others see the Word in action in our lives? In the body and in the spirit, we should be living for one purpose:

To glorify God by striving to be more like his Son everyday.

March 29 - Salmarnir

Psalm 50

1 The mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. 2 From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth. 3 Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. 4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." 6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. 7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. 8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. 9 I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, 10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. 13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? 14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, 15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." 16 But to the wicked, God says: " What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? 17 You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. 18 When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. 19 You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. 20 You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. 21 These things you have done I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. 22 "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: 23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

It has been a long time since I sacrificed a goat or a cow. It's been so long I can't even remember doing it...or maybe I never have. It's a good thing God doesn't require sacrifices through animals and livestock. Thankfully, the need for sacrifices ended when Christ came and was the sacrifice for our sins. However, through our commitment and relationship with God, we are to sacrifice willingly to his kingdom's work. We are to bring glory to his name through the giving of our time, work, money, and talents.

We are to be fully committed if we aim to please God. We can't spend a few minutes a day in the word and then turn around and spend hours at the bar downing beers or overeating to our stomach's content at dinner. Through our lives, we are to be living sacrifices for the Lord.

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.

Did you get that? This is how we worship God! How we live our lives, shows God how much we love him. That's some responsibility! I think many of struggle too much with self-control to say that we worship God purely at all times. Commitment to honor and glorify God with our lives is what he has called us to do...

God desires commitment more than sacrifices.

** The song on today's video is Psalm 50 read in Russian. Interesting...**

March 28 - Questions

Mark 13:10-13

10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Three main points:

1) We must deliver the message to all nations. This includes 5 miles from our residence to the third world countries that we so often forget about. Missions are essential to making Christ known in this world.

2) The world is passing away every day. Moral values are on the decline and sin is on the rise. So many people doubt and refuse to believe the existence of God and the gospel.

3) Christ tells us as it is: we will be hated. If we live our lives according to the word and the commandments given to us through God, we will be hated by the world. This isn't an "I don't like Christians" scenario. It is an "I hate Christians" mindset. BUT...Christ tells us also that, even though the world will hate us for carrying out God's will and seeking his direction in our lives, we will be saved from the eternal flames of hell.

How are you delivering the message? Are you passing away with the world? Are you worthy of Christ's love and his promise for standing strong in him?

March 27 - Meditation

Psalm 104: 33-34

33 I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.

I find myself coming to the Lord in prayer when I need to confess my sin or when it's a desperate moment in life in which things are not going all that well. This means, I am not consistent in my communication with God.

We tend to assume that God is just in the business of 'doing' for us. However, as this verse reflects, our prayer, worship, lifestyle, and meditation should be centered around one thing: his glory. When our lives are focused on living to please God, his will is carried out through us. Instead of only going to God to confess sins or to complain or beg for a turnaround in the events that are happening, we should be consistent in our communication. Praying daily, in the good times and the bad times. Everything we have is from and of God. We all have so many blessings to be thankful for and assume that God knows that we are thankful. Maybe he does...but through our prayers we are to give thanksgiving and then present our needs and seek guidance within our lives.

This week, I need to be in prayer everyday on a consistent basis, with my overall goal being to be pleasing to my Creator.

March 26 - Fruit

Luke 6: 43-45

43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

What type of fruit do you bear? Just because I am a Christian does not mean I bear good fruit. I may not be in the word of God, I may do the opposite of God's instruction, but I still may profess to be a Christian.

If were true, I would bear bad fruit. If I am caught in sin and the quality of things that I take in to my heart and life are corrupt and of the world, the same things are going to be revealed in my life. I am essentially bearing bad fruit and this is evident to everyone around me. When I profess to be a Christian, I really throw a monkey wrench in the gears, because people look to me to see what Christianity is all about. They should see love, patience, kindness, understanding, compassion, conviction, and a desire to save the lost. Instead, if I do not focus on things of above, they see hatred, anger, malice, greed, judgement and so many more things that are dark and unattractive. 

Thankfully, through the word of God we have an avenue to things that are holy and pure. If we focus on God and the things of God, our lives will be more like him. What goes in, must come out. In times of distress or emotional problems, are you going to bear good fruit or bad fruit? If a friend loses a loved one or they are caught in sin, are they going to see good or bad in you? 

The mouth may speak audibly, but the heart speaks 10x louder...

March 25 - Decisiveness

James 5:12

12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear - not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and you "No," no, or you will be condemned.

Back in James again. The first thing I want to do is define condemn. Condemn is defined as to pronounce to be guilty and to sentence to punishment. James tells us that our yes should be yes and our no be no. This verse in summary is stating that as Christians if we do not heed the word of God and live by it in all manners, we are guilty of sin and our punishment is death. Christ has provided a way to avoid this condemnation if we place our faith in him and live according to his perfect will. We are to say "yes" to the things of God, in full confidence that his will is being carried out through our lives. We are to say "no" to things of the world, in full confidence that God's promises are enough to satisfy our our every need.

The most important understanding of this verse is that when presented with the truth, your "yes" is a statement of affirmation that you whole-heartedly commit to live for Christ and not for the world. When the devil presents temptation in our paths, we should stand firm in our "no".

There is no "maybe".

March 24 - Shift

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This verse is very, very applicable to our lives as Christians. Everyday, our country and the world all over is shifting farther and farther away from God and his will. It's really no surprise that this shift is occurring. Our world is saying...

- homosexuality is not a sin and it is okay, just accept it.

- abortion is perfectly fine, just legalize it.

- alcoholism is not bad, everyone is doing it.

- pornography is not as bad as cheating on your spouse.

- legalizing ___________ is necessary because _______'s need it.

- God does not exist so it's only logical to live for myself.

and so on...

Paul tells us in Romans that we are to be transformed through God's word and his divine will in order not to be caught up in the sins of the world. The world is full of deception and perversion from God's holy and perfect plan. Through this spiritual strengthening, we can stand up against whatever issue is shifting away from God. If we conform to the things of the world, we are of the world. Last time I checked, we are to set our minds and hearts on things of God, which are holy and pure. Giving in and accepting homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and everything thing else angers God because it is sin...against him.

I've heard so many worldly debates and defenses such as:

- studies have shown...

- statistics prove...

- there is no other evidence besides what the Bible says...

NO OTHER EVIDENCE IS NEEDED BESIDES WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!

God does not change. Sin from creation is sin to this current day. When Christ rips the sky open and draws his people home, I will be thankful that I took him seriously.  

March 23 - Perseverance

James 5:7-8

7 Be patient, then brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

In this passage, we find instructions on being patient until the return of the Lord. I also believe we should apply this instruction of patience to our relationship with Christ and within our lives. When we present requests and concerns to God in prayer, we are typically very impatient. I want instant answers and some signs immediately, but that's not how it works. The Lord is in complete control of our every second. If he wants my life to end, he has the ultimate power. That is why every breath is a blessing. We begin to lose appreciation for each and every blessing, down to our breath.

We find patience as a topic of instruction elsewhere in the Word. In 1 Corinthians 13, we find that love is patient. If we love Christ, we will be patient in our suffering, our requests, our prayers, and our needs. Within that love, we should fully trust that God will handle our prayers in his time.

I can't help but picture a 12 year old wanting to drive the family car. Most parents will insist that their child waits until they reach the legal age of 15 to drive under their supervision. Yes, there are some irresponsible parents who allow their children to drive without legal clearance and without supervision. Thankfully, as Christians, we have a responsible Father who insists that we are patient in living out our lives in his time, not ours. God's love is protective for his children. I am often blind to the greatness of his love.

I am going to take this one step further. In James (1:3), James explains that through testing of our faith in suffering or in waiting, perseverance is developed. We become stronger, spiritually, when we exercise patience. We also become stronger when we abide in God's word and follow the instructions therein. How can I ignore the Word of God and expect Christ to be glorified through my life...

James 1:12

12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

March 22 - Sides

John 18:37

37 You are a king, then! said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Jesus never deviated from God's plan. He was placed on trial before Pilate and he didn't cower or avoid the topic. When we are often times confronted with others saying, "You are a Christian, right?", we often dance around the subject and claim to be but we like to make the other end of the conversation happy with our answer. Christ told it like it was. What if I told it like it was through my words and my actions? Abiding in the truth and living by the Word will glorify the King...

One question that I must ask myself (and I challenge you to ask yourself):

Which side are you on, truth (Christ) or falseness (the World)?

March 21 - Confidence

Matthew 16: 15-18

15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, " You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, " Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it...

As Christians, we are the church. We may belong to different bodies and church families, but we are all responsible for carrying out the will of God and sharing the gospel with the world. Peter, in this passage, is very confident in who Christ was (overlooking the fact that Peter would deny Christ in just a couple of chapters). Nonetheless, at the same time Christ was very confident in Peter. Christ would use Peter as not only a disciple, but a cornerstone for sharing the faith with the world. The best thing of all is found in verse 18...not even the gates of hell can stop God's people when their intentions are set on glorifying him and preaching the gospel to the dying world. Satan cowers at even the sound of Jesus' name.

In everything we do, we should be confident in Christ and his word, just as he is confident in us. Yes, we fall. Yes, we sin. Yes, we are selfish at times (a lot of times). Christ has a purpose, a direction, a plan, and is willing to back us 100% of the way...as long as well are fully committed to making him known to the world. If we are ashamed of the Word or of Christ's name, how can we expect him to back us up. Strange thing, even if we do act foolish and try to avoid sharing him with others, he still loves us.

Romans 1:16

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...

March 20 - Goals

{No video today}

Ephesians 4 has a couple of verses that I plan to apply heavily this week. I know I can be a better example not only to my co-workers, but to the students in my classroom. Teaching is a stressful occupation, but when the stress and negativism of the daily grind begin to show through my character and attitude, my students will most likely follow suit.

Ephesians 4:29

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Amazingly, the things we say can influence the remainder of someone's day. In some cases, what we say can influence the rest of someone's life. This is not an instruction to just be nice and to someone, this is an instruction in how we can serve a Mighty God. If I speak of God's goodness and his blessings in my life, but 5 minutes later I am complaining about something someone did, does that reflect my appreciation of God's grace?

Ephesians 4:31

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Our character reveals God's love for us. If I walk around with a snarl on my face and anger with people I come in contact with, what does that tell them about the love that I claim to possess from Christ?

Ephesians 4:27

27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

How many times a day are we tempted, even by the smallest temptations? The devil wants to see us fall. Failure is what fuels his fire...literally. Satan hates it more than anything to see God's children run into his arms. By giving Satan a foothold in our lives, we are essentially unlocking the door to our heart that we once opened for Christ. God has no sin or darkness in his existence (see yesterday's post). If we surround Christ with things of this world and sinful desires, God will not have anything to do with us. I don't know about you, but I want to stay close to God...

On second thought, I don't think it's quite as important to apply these verses for this upcoming week, as it is to apply them to my life permanently. Goals set for living for Christ in a pure and holy way are much harder to reach in comparison to worldly goals that are so much easier to achieve. The world is wrong however, the Word is right...

"Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time".
                                                                                                        -Arnold H. Glasgow

March 19 - Walking

1 John 1:5-7

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Being a Christian is tough! There are so many traps and temptations in this dark world. We are to be the light in the darkness, enduring through lust, greed, profanity, addiction, and so many other downfalls. We backslide because our relationship with Christ isn't very strong. If I am not founded in the truth revealed in the gospel, then I am sunk. 

In the Word, it's said that there is no darkness in God at all. He is 100% light and that will never change. Christ portrayed this purity and light while walking this earth and living in the physical. Christ was tempted, just as we are tempted every single day. He was given opportunities to show God's love, just as we are given opportunities. Except in most cases, we do not use those opportunities to bring glory to God. 

What is it that is so appealing about darkness (sin)? It's a temporary satisfaction. No matter the sin...it is temporary. If it is sexual pleasures outside of marriage or pre-marital...it doesn't last. If it is drugs, it appeals for a short span, but quickly fades. If it's money or possessions, it can only last up to your last breath (and I haven't seen many people living it up on their yacht while they are in a nursing home). God is the only thing that lasts. Again, what is so appealing about darkness?

Christ has purified us through the shedding of his perfect and innocent blood. We as Christians are called to shine the light on the darkness. We are to expose the creatures that lurk in the darkness and warn those who walk in the darkness about the harm Satan is plotting to inflict on us. If I was lost in the woods at night, I would want a flashlight or a torch. To refuse a light in the dark where holes, animals, obstacles, and dangers are abundant would be ridiculous. The same is true here. I find myself walking through the woods at night turning my light on and off. 

Life is good...when we walk in the light.

John 8:12

12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have light of life."

Christ promises us life. He explains that if we FOLLOW him, we will never walk in darkness. We will still be tempted. We will still have traps in our path. We will still face persecution...but we will have the light of life. It is so much easier to turn away from sin and temptation when I am closer to Christ. Our minds and spirits must be set on things of God, not of this world. 

March 18 - Contradiction

Tomorrow starts week 12...

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Bottom line is: God hates sin. Sin is God's opposition and it causes his children to fall and make mistakes. We break God's heart and go against God when we give in to evilness. If the Lord's will is only done in goodness and faith, how can we have a hand in sinning (whatever our situation is), and still serve him to bring him glory? We can't.

Strive to live a pure and holy life for Christ Jesus.

March 17 - Greatness

Isaiah 40 gives us examples of God's greatness. Verse 12 says that God measures the waters in the hollow of his hand. This is talking about all the earth's water in his hand. God is HUGE! He is so great he created this world, including you and I. He cares for his creation. If he can hold and measure the earth's water in his hand, think about how he can care for all of his people. Nothing is impossible with God.

In verse 12, we find God weighing the mountains on scales. God is so big and so strong that he is fully capable of weighing mountains on scales. I can't even pick up a 100 pound rock without hurting. If he is strong enough to move and weigh mountains, think about what he can do with our "big" problems. Nothing is impossible with God. This verse confuses me though...

Why would God need to weigh the mountains? He should already know the weight and dimension of each and every peak. Truth is, he does know. In verse 13, the question is posed: Who understands the mind of the Lord? The answer: nobody. Nobody ever had to teach God anything, because he is so wise. God is and sets the standard of our understanding. He's not just the wisest of all, he is the source of our wisdom. Nothing is impossible with God.

God is the source of strength and wisdom. He is the source of love and life. God is in a league of his own, because there is in fact, no one like him.

No other man was able to heal the blind, cleanse a leper, raise the dead, to be born of a virgin, teach elders and other "wise" men while at the age of 12 years old, and he died. Not only did he die, (many men have died), but when he died he rose again, because death can't grip a sinner. Christ never sinned, therefore he was able to rise from the dead...unlike any man. There is nobody like our God...

March 16 - Fresh

Revelation 21:5

5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new..."

This passage is in reference to making the earth new one day when Christ returns to the earth to bring his people home. The desolation and ruins of the earth during that time will be repaired and made new. I cannot help but think of Christ's promise and willingness to make things new at all times. His desire is for us to come to him broken, in humility ready to be made new and to live a life focused on bringing glory to him and striving to be pure. Throughout the gospel, we are given scriptures of God's willingness to make our hearts new.

In Psalm 51:7b, David pleads for God to wash him (not necessarily in the physical, but certainly in the spiritual) and make him white as snow.  Psalm 23:3 says, "he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake".

We are blessed to serve and worship a God who is readily willing to renew us. In Ephesians (4:22-24), Paul explains that as Christians we are to put off our old self or our old way of living. Our minds were futile and deceived by sin. After obtaining an understanding of God's greatness and will, we are commanded to acquire a new attitude and mindset. The old self is off, so what do we do now? The scripture tells us that we are to put on our new self, being created to be like God in a holy manner of living.

How can we be expected to put on a new self on our own? We can't. We were never asked to because Christ takes care of it for us as long as we believe. We are born with the curse of sin and God has provided a way to life...a new life -  a new self. The old life we lived was damaged, dirty, and unpleasing to God. Through faith we are given a new life spiritually. This new life is to be apparent to all who can see us or those that come in contact with us. God's promises are not empty promises. We are given such a beautiful and true gift for FREE. Many take this gift as just a way out of hell, but there is so much more to it. We are to do something and act on that free gift that we've been granted. Salvation is to be shared with the world, from your family to your co-workers, from the person working the cash register to a third-world country. It is our responsibility to reach the unreached.

Tonight, our pastor said this and it is so true:

"There is nothing that God cannot do through a people who are completely submitted to Him".

Some people, including myself, still carry some old self with their new self. God gives us a fresh breath...God makes us new.

March 15 - Cursed (Pt 2)

Yesterday, we took a look at the curse that has been placed upon us since the beginning of time. When Adam messed up and ate the fruit, the perfect fellowship with God was ruined. From there out, the penalty for sin would be death. This puts us in a dangerous spot because we are born into sin, therefore we are born into death. We know that God is angry at our sin...not necessarily us, but our sin. Sin is anything that is evil and against God. Through this anger though, God loves us abundantly. Now, we are going to take a look at the answer to the problem we have been faced with...

The answer is that God has made us a way for us to have life. We can now see, we are now free, we are now alive. That way is Jesus Christ. God sent his son to walk this earth and to minister to a dying world that he would die to save. You and I both have messed up countless times. We do it all the time. There is only ONE way to life. There is only ONE way to God. There is only ONE way to heaven and that is through the life of Jesus Christ.

Christ was faced with temptations, just like us. He lived on this same planet among worldly people and misconstrued ways of thinking and living. Jesus lived the perfect like...there is no one else like him. Christ was set on serving his father at all times. From birth to death, he lived and died to carry out God's plans. There was no deviation and no mistakes made from those plans. This is the man that died for us. He died to save us from death. Not the physical death that we will all face one day, but the spiritual death from the curse of sin.

Christ was crucified not only by the hands of Roman guards and other people who sought out his death, but he died at the hands of God. This was the sacrifice to carry out his will. The perfect man who lived sinlessly all his days, was strung up and killed. His death was not in vain...it was to save us from our sins. Jesus, perfect in all his ways, took our dirty, filthy, lowly, nasty, hurtful, degrading sins upon him as if he were the one who committed them. That is love. That is love that we will never experience anywhere else on this earth or in this universe. Jesus Christ is the answer to our problem...

Romans 5: 12

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...

Romans 5: 8

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6: 6-8

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will live with him...



We now can see. We are now free. We are now alive, conquering over death...

March 14 - Cursed

Felt some awkward pain in my knee today. I hope it doesn't hang around...because I'm not stopping :)

Genesis 2:8-9,15-18

8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. -- 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. for when you eat of it you will surely die." 18 The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him..."

Such a pivotal story, from the beginning of the Bible. You would think a pivotal, turning point would be set at a climax in a book...somewhere in the middle, right? I am on page 6 in my Bible. God did not waste any time in delivering this message to his people.

I notice a few things in this selection of verses. First of all, God created perfect fellowship with man from the beginning of creation. The Lord took care of Adam. We see that God created this garden full of trees and produce to live by. God had provided for him. Today, we tend to think, "so what? God gave him an orchard. Big whoop." It is a big whoop. The creation of the LCD TVs, PS3s, internet, or microwaves had not happened yet. God had a plan for those to be invented by Adam's descendants many years later. God  provided for him, nonetheless. I also notice that God created and provided a mate for Adam so he would not be alone (thus a timeline of people began). From the beginning we see that God had this all planned out. 

Secondly, I noticed that God had a purpose for Adam. He appointed him to tend and take care of the garden of Eden. The Lord gave him a gift and said, "Here, I NEED you to take care of this for me, but there are going to be a few things you should know." Adam hears God out and then goes to work. Next thing you know...

Genesis 3

The serpent deceived Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She ate it and then gave some to her husband. Next thing you know, they are hiding in the woods to avoid God because they knew what they had done was wrong. God did not shake his finger at Adam and Eve. Instead he cursed them forever. God said, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life..."

God was not happy. He had created a perfect fellowship in which Adam had it made, but the desire of sin and temptation turned everything around forever. Adam's disobedience sets the stage for us, many years down the line. The entire human race is cursed because of Adam's decision. "Way to go Adam...way to screw it up for us all", right? Think again. Put yourself in Adam's place. Temptation rises and what do you do? The exact same thing I would do and that's the exact same thing Adam did. 

So, we are born with this curse. We are in constant sin. God gives us life. From birth to death, sin hunts us down. Temptation lurks in the shadows. We are affected by this curse because we are not in fellowship with God...

The gospel presents this problem to us, but it also presents us with an answer. Our problem is that we are blind to sin. Sin is in front of us and we keep stepping into it, because we cannot see it. Our problem is that we are slaves to our sin. Our problem is that we are dead in our sins. We continue to fall into the sins that have us chained so tightly. We are helpless. We cannot restore our own sight. We cannot free ourselves from sin. I have never witnessed a dead man raise himself from the dead, have you? 

From birth, we are enemies of God. The price of our sinful nature and sinful acts is death. Our mistakes are punishable by death. Remember that curse? This is it. "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it when we sin against God. If Adam and Eve had apologized, God would have still placed this curse on mankind. God is the perfect judge who rules over everything. His punishment for us is death.

What is the answer to this problem though? We are blind, we are slaves, and we are dead. What do we do? When my pulse stops and my heart ceases to pump and my breath leaves my body, I am going to be face to face with my Creator. God is definitely not going to be happy with me. I have messed up. I have sinned. No one in this world can think that God is going to be content and happy with the way their lives were lived. We will be accountable for our sins. We are helpless...

This anger that God will have for us when we enter his presence is not a hateful anger though. God loves us nonetheless. Yes, he is upset that we break his commandments. He loves us so much that he designed a way for each of us to have a way to life without the punishment of death. There are not multiple ways that God created for us to have life, but there is one way...and only one way. That way is through the blood of Jesus Christ... (continue tomorrow).

March 13 - Service

No video today.

Matthew 6:24

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

These are the words of Christ Jesus. His message is clear. Either you are a follower of Christ or a follower of the world. In this verse, he uses money as the possible master that someone could serve. We all have our sins and wants in the world. Some can control those wants better than others, but as Christians we are all responsible for serving God and God alone. Consider this verse as a fill in the blank exercise pertaining directly to your life:

 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and _____________."

What's in your blank? Is it money, just as Christ described? Maybe it's lust, anger, apathy, jealousy, idolatry, gossiping, or any other type of evil/sin.

Self-control and a strong relationship with God is the only thing that can wage war against that second master that is thriving for our attention. Thankfully, God holds true to his promises and when we pray for help and strength, he is gracious to give it to us. We have to want to turn away from the things of the world that drag us down. Why continue to try to pet a biting dog? Why continue to try to stop a fire with your bare hands? The same is true with sin. Sin will leave you burnt. It will burn the skin off of your body. It will bite you over and over again until you don't have a hand left. Christ on the other hand has the ability and desire to heal us of our ailments.

You can serve God by helping others, being consistent in prayer and devotion, dedicating time and money to his work, and sharing the gospel with the world.

I cannot serve both God and the world.

March 12 - Disaster

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Friday, Japan was rocked by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and flooded deeply by a terrifying tsunami. When circumstances and disasters like this happen, it's hard not to question how God can allow it to happen. Sometimes, we get caught up in blaming God and being frustrated with the negative impact it has on all the people involved. We become angry at times because we lose our possessions, our money, our house, our car, or even worse, our family members or friends. It's so easy for us to get upset at God in these times. 

God is full of love and has a heart of compassion for his people. There is no one on this planet that has the right to question God's actions, his plans, his will, or his purpose in each of our lives. Whether a hurricane wrecks our lives or we lose a family member in an accident, we do not have the right to blame God or become upset with him. It's easy to say this when I sit comfortably in my dry home with every little possession in their places, unmoved. We find rest in God. We find comfort under his watch. His grace is sufficient. His mercy endures through good times and bad times.

We thank God one day for his blessings, but the next day we turn around and question his authority. God is the creator of all things and we should be thankful just to know him and have a relationship with him. He could easily build a wall between us and him, making it impossible to enter into his presence, but he is so loving and caring that he wants us to be embraced by his arms. Hard times will happen. We see it from the beginning of time and throughout history. God is in control. 

For the people in Japan, we must reach out to them. Regardless of our economical status, we are called to aide them all. Our prayer is that God's will will be successfully carried out in his time. The people of Japan are in turmoil, but only God can heal the broken hearts of the live's affected by this tragedy. We can show our love with our time. Time in prayer and time in labor. We can show our love with our money. Obviously, we can't all up and leave to help in person, but using our money wisely to help the right organization, restoration can begin. 

Humbly pray...he cares.

March 11 - Nearness

Your love is deep and broad, abundant, so true. 

I am weak and selfish, worthless with you.

Sanctified in your mercy, raised up in your grace, 

the only reason for my breath is so I can run this race.

To see you at the finish line, 

to prove to the world that you are mine.

To let the light of Christ shine,

and reveal that your purpose is divine.

When I'm tired. When I'm hungry. When I'm hurting, down and out.

I could mope and hang my head,

drop my lip and start to pout.

Or choose to find strength in your truth.

The words on these pages provide proof.

You are worth every minute,

down to my last second. 

Every day of each year,

                    Stay close. Lord stay near.              -cm

March 10 - Greed

Proverbs 19:21

21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

We are a greedy culture. I am the worst. My thoughts, especially as of late, have gone to ways to make more money or become a millionaire and retire early. Ask my wife and she will tell you I come up with random ideas (some good, most bad) in which I can make more money. There's a problem with this though...actually there's a lot wrong with this.

We have a mentality that we are hopeless and helpless without money in our pocket or our bank account. The truth about it is, God provides for His people. I have a job and I feel that God is using me as a teacher to 1) better my character 2) be his hands and feet in my school and 3) reach other's with his love. I have been blessed with a job that pays our mortgage, car payment, insurance, etc. God is taking care of me in so many ways, as well as my wife. What am I telling God by placing so much time and energy into thinking up new "money making" ideas?

I am telling God that what He has given me is not enough.

If I break that down beyond the dollar signs and decimal points floating in my mind, I'll be sure to find myself in a lowly state of humility. How could I tell God that what He has given me isn't enough?! That's outrageous. Yes, God has blessed me with a great wife, a house, a fully functional car, a loving family, a healthy body, but above all, God has blessed me by sending His son Christ Jesus to save me from this very greed.

The world will sink it's teeth into us if we let it. Watch TV enough and you'll find infomercials that make you think, "what could I invent to make some cash?" or "that looks really cool, as do the people using it...I think I want one".  The things of this world will fade faster than we know when our time here is up. Yes, we can provide for our families as we pass, but should our time, efforts, energy, and talents be used simply to make more and more money? At what point does money become more valuable than a strong prayer life?

"There is no price on salvation. It is completely free". There's our sales pitch.
Our paycheck is the glory we bring to God for the blessings he has already bestowed on us.

Colossians 3:5

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry...

Being a Christian is not and easy  job  privilege.

March 09 - Restoration

2 Chronicles 7:14

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land...

This is such a strong and meaningful verse. Our country and our world is being destroyed more and more everyday. If not physically destroying our country and God's creation, we are busy degrading it spiritually and morally. The Lord offers us refuge and restoration if we turn to him. Are we turning to him or from him?

That is all...worth at least a moment of thought/prayer. Repentance is a must.

March 08 - Bragging

As you may know or not know about me, I am a North Carolina fan and have been since around the ripe  age of 10 (which consequently was the same age I was saved). Saturday night, UNC played Duke at the Dean Smith Center. Earlier this season both teams played at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and Duke won. Saturday night on the other hand, the Tarheels came out on top.

Students at school realize I am a Carolina fan. What they are also starting to recognize is that I don't brag when my team wins. I do this on purpose. I would gladly boast and brag about any Carolina win, but I realize a few things:

1) I have nothing to do with UNC's program (beyond being a fan).
2) Fans that obsess and dwell on their team are not fun to be around.
3) Boasting in a sporting event doesn't gain me anything.
4) There is something bigger worth bragging about and that something is God's love.

After a game, I focus on shedding as much positive light on the situation as possible. I mention the opposing team's good characteristics. If Carolina loses, so what? Yeah, I like Carolina and want to see them win, BUT those players are going to survive and live to see another day (if the Lord see's fit). It's like they say, "it's just a game".

Standing among a few of my students yesterday, the topic of the game was brought up. Somebody actually questioned me on why I wasn't rubbing it in or bragging about it. I simply said, "there's only one thing I boast about and I can't do that here at school". The only thing we have a right to brag or boast about is our God and what He has done for us. Sure, you can say that God caused North Carolina to win that game, but let's be serious. I really doubt God is playing us like a video game...I think He's got bigger things going on that are way more important.

Galatians 6:14

14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...

Such a simple verse to live our lives by. No matter how much money we make, no matter if our team wins, no matter the car we drive, no matter the square footage of our house, no matter how many friends we have on facebook, no matter what...nothing is worth boasting in, except for Christ Jesus. We are blessed in so many ways. If something goes well, we take credit and hold our head up high like we are perfect and great. When things go south, we point the finger and play the blame game. If something goes right or wrong, our attitude and behavior should reflect our relationship with God. Our goal and objective is to bring glory to Him.

Looking back on yesterday, maybe I should have revealed the only thing that I boast in to those students. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the fear of causing strife and risking losing my job. What I need to realize is that God will take care of me no matter what happens. Of course, I'm not going to preach the Word to my classes, but if someone asks, is it not my responsibility to give them a truthful and accurate answer?

Two pages later, Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - 9 not by works, so that no one can boast."

No one could or can do what Christ did for each one of us. I could go take a beating and get strung up on a wooden cross, but honestly, it would just be murder. Through Christ's crucifixion, we are given life. We have a purpose and we have celebration in His resurrection. Eternal salvation is offered and freely given to those who believe. Anything less than God's love is not worth boasting in...

Nothing is greater than God's love.

March 07 - Authority

Colossians 1:15-18

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Some people do not understand how we as Christians can serve and love a God that we cannot see. It is hard to grasp and understand how we could be so devoted to an invisible God. In Colossians, it is clearly said that Christ is the image of the invisible God. That's the God that created this world. He created heaven, hell, Adam and Eve, animals, plant life, the sun, everything. When we worship God, we are worshiping Christ and vice versa. Jesus was not made up or fictional. His life in the flesh was very real and is real to this very second. God sent Christ to the earth to live out his life to present physical evidence of his existence. No one on earth has priority or authority over Jesus Christ. He has ultimate and full control over everything.

In verse 17, it is said that he holds all things together. I love this part of this passage, because I know that Christ will return for his people. When he does, he is going to rip the sky wide open and drop non-believers to their knees. The invisible God that so many people deny and laugh about will make himself visible for the second and final time. The Lord is supreme and well deserving of our full devotion. Christ is the head of the church. That's not the church of Corinth, First Baptist of Townville, or the bible study that is held on Tuesday nights. Christ is the head of his people. His people make up the church, no matter what congregation we are from. We are to live for him and work together to bring glory to God.

It's up to us to make God's love visible everyday until he returns...

March 06 - Command

----

Deuteronomy 10:12-14

12 And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask for you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his way, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? 14 To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.

Verse 12 seems all too similar to a New Testament verse found in Mark (12:30). We are instructed that the most important commandment is to Love the Lord our God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. When we fear God, we love him. When we walk in His ways, we love him. When we serve the Lord, we love him. God deserves so much more than we give him. We obsess over little things, we do not invest the time that He desires and the time that we NEED, we overlook countless blessings, but yet we still say we love Him.

When I mess up and pray for forgiveness, I often times find myself saying, "I love you God". If this were entirely true, why would I continue to sin and hurt Him? If we walk in His ways, then we prove our love to Him through our actions and our heart. Our human/sinful nature prevents us from being perfect however. This is no excuse to continue to freely sin though. If we get drunk every weekend, overeat at dinner time, curse at our co-workers, and abuse our family, we are hurting God at the same time. How can He love us when we continually hurt Him? The answer is, unconditional love.

God 's love for us is steady, constant, and never changing. Our love for God, if observed on a line graph, would be all over the place. We would peak and then drop, over and over and over again. If we truly love God, we should desire and attempt to be more like Him. This week, this is going to be my goal...to love God with the same love He has blessed me with everyday...


"Failure is success if we learn from it."
- Malcolm S. Forbes

March 05 - Discipline

First day of week ten...a rain run.

Proverbs 10:17

10 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

Once a week I have an assignment for my students that requires them to think and respond with either writing or drawing. True, I may be the only physical education teacher in the world who does this, but I think it's important. I like to call it "Extravagant Minds", but none of my students would know it by that name. The deal is, after 10 weeks, if each student has completed all assignments correctly, they will receive a 100 quiz grade to help their grade out. If they don't do it, well, they don't get anything. It doesn't hurt them, but it does help them.

Yesterday, I quoted this Proverb to them and asked them to respond with a 5 sentence response. No, I did not reveal that it was a verse from the bible...for the sake of keeping my career in tact. I got great responses from some of the kids, while others didn't understand what the word "heed" meant and some thought that this one verse was a poem. Others simply responded with repeating sentences, off topic responses, but of course I am thankful that no one drew pictures referring to tobacco products.

What does this verse and activity for the students have to do with gym? Well...I could answer this in multiple ways, but I will go with one certain answer. Some students have decided that they are going to be leaders. Not leaders in a good sense, but a negative (too cool for school) kind of way. When this happens, as a teacher, you can see the so-called leader beginning to pick up little followers here and there. They don't really care about these followers, but they just want a support group. At some point, the ride ends though...

Towards the end of class Friday, a student walked by and I mentioned to her that I liked what she had written in response to the quote. She said thanks and we began to talk a little. In her response (which was over 10 sentences...) she mentioned that you should be a leader instead of a follower. I agreed with her, to some extent. I added in, well it might not be so bad to be a follower, as long as what you are following is the right thing. I tried to steer her in the direction that if you are a Christian, we should all be following the same leader. Yes, we may have pastors and leaders within the church, but ultimately we follow one of two paths. One, being a true and lively path being God. The other, a path to death and sin, being the world. Of course, I didn't go this in depth with the conversation, but hopefully a seed was planted.

A handful of students will be resilient to completing an assignment, but overall, my goal is to make these students think and hopefully if it won't change their life, it might alter their day for the better. There is still hope for a fallen world, but it is up to us as Christians to follow God's will for our lives and lead others towards Him and life.

Who do you follow?

March 04 - Opportunity

Today was the last day of week 9...tomorrow begins the 10 minute run x 10 sit-ups x 10 pushup routine.

Hebrews 11:1-3

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what we visible.

God is so amazing, we cannot comprehend Him or think on His level. We however, have faith in His promises and that He is in complete control, as He has been since the beginning of time. We cannot see God, just as we cannot see a physical Jesus, but we can see the effects and results of God's work in our lives. The same is true for non-believers who think it is silly for Christians to live for something that we can't physically prove existence of. The way we present ourselves to the people we share this earth with explains our faith in a Mighty and Powerful God.

If we don't live in the Word and by the Word, we tend to get off track and begin to give in to the world's temptations. Our lives are gifts from God, whether we have deformities, sickness, or if we are unemployed. No matter our situation we are to give glory to our God and to be a living testimony to those around us. Our faith is not in something that might be true or has a possibility to be flawed. Our faith is strong and complete in truth...just like our God.

Practicing faith in our lifestyles is much harder than talking about it...thank God for an opportunity to serve a God who is so much bigger than anything on this earth. Glory to God for giving us an opportunity everyday to be an example to others...

My life has purpose, as does yours.

March 03 - Details

POWER sin BEAUTY ugly STRENGTH weakness FORGIVING grudges LOVE hatred SAVIOR isolation PROVIDER theft TEACHER ignorance PROMISE-KEEPER backstabbing TRUTH lies AMAZING pitiful MOST-HIGH lowly SHEPHERD assassins CREATOR destroyers ROCK abyss FREEDOM prisoner CARING careless LEADER power-thirsty HEALER disease MASTER wicked PERFECT imperfect SACRIFICIAL greedy ALMIGHTY weighty LIFE death WAY false RESURRECTION  murderers KING peasants GOOD bad SECURE unprotected WORTHY worthless BEST worst GRACIOUS dirty RULER hardships LION snakes LAMB wolves INEXHAUSTIBLE used SON politics FATHER consumerism SPIRIT hedonism JOY fake ACCEPTANCE rejection DESERVING lust BIG microscopic ETERNAL war HEAVEN hell THE-WORD drugs ARTIST killer GLORY pain PATIENT self-seeking GIFTS wants COMFORTER strife SCRIPTURE tv JUDGE media GOD satan REFUGE temptation LIVING-WATER alcohol FOUND lost ALL none RIGHTEOUS unmoral CONTROL chaos SACRED profane FLAWLESS imperfect HOLY worldly

Nothing in this world compares to our God...

Isaiah 9:6

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE..."

March 02 - Marketing

John 2:12-25

12 After this (turning water into wine) he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. 13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and other sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle, he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

There is so much truth and glory within this passage. This is a passage that stands out well in my mind about Christ. We all see and think of Jesus as a kind, tender hearted man who never gets upset. He has a lamb with him and maybe a small child on the other side. He's always sporting a smile and his shoes are always clean. This is the picture of Jesus that we paint in our minds. This is not completely true...

Is it true that Christ is loving and caring? Yes. Was Jesus happy and cheerful all the time? No.

The temple was created as a place to worship the Lord and what Jesus saw was a misuse of a gift of God. People were selling livestock and merchandise within these temple walls. That makes me automatically think...

Where there is livestock...there is feces.

These people were allowing their animals to poop, urinate, and track dirt throughout the temple. Money was changing hands like the stock market. Corruption had found it's way into the gates that the Father had allowed them to enter. The purpose of the temple is not to function as an Ebay or opportunity to make a buck. Church/the Temple was created as a gathering place in which believers can worship a deserving, supreme, and loving God.

This misuse caused Jesus to deliver discipline when it was desperately needed. Christ was furious with these people. He flipped tables and took a whip to the room. Talk about messing with the wrong dude...this 'precious moments figurine Jesus' had turned into a whirlwind of discipline. Doves were flying loosely seeking safety, cattle were doing more than lowing, and money was trampled under foot. To put it simply, Christ was cleaning house (His Father's house).

Our churches are the same way. Money changes hands within the church walls. People sell girl scout cookies, handbags, chocolates, candles, etc. Church is NOT a place to barter or push merchandise on other believers. I cringe when I see the marketing of "goods" in the church. I cringe because I know that Christ is displeased with these actions. Any money changing hands should be done to glorify the Lord...

Moving on...the Jews wanted (demanded) a sign. Everyone wants physical proof of the existence of God and the authority of Christ. Luckily for them, Jesus was alive in the flesh and could deliver the miracle they were wanting. When Christ said that he could raise a destroyed temple, the Jews had an earthly mindset. A temple that took forty-six years to build could be raised in three days?? Christ was speaking of his body that would be sacrificed, beaten, destroyed, ravaged, degraded, and bled out. His promise was true. He knew his future. The temple of God in the flesh was raised in three days...

Many people at this time did not believe Christ. During Passover, they saw miraculous signs and they began to believe. It's strange how society never changes. Everyone wants physical proof and for many, the bible is not enough. Our lives are sometimes the only evidence that some people will see.

Thankfully, we have the freedom to worship in church. We are also blessed to know that heaven awaits us as the Father's eternal house. He will be waiting with open arms for His children.

Treat God's house as you would treat God. God does not want your scented candles. The Lord does not need your custom stitched handbags. Christ is worth so much more than Girl Scout Cookies. Give God glory...not a dirty, corrupt house.

In the same sense, treat your body as a temple of God. Check what you put in your body. If it isn't for good, just remember your body is God's. This is directed towards myself as much as anyone else...

Living by the word leads to a better life...

March 01 - Do

What a day...seems like my job gets more chaotic everyday. (As promised: 9min x 9PU x 9SU).

James 1:22

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says...

Such a simple verse, but so hard to follow what it says. How often do we sit in the pews or our chair in church or Sunday School and nod our head as the pastor or speaker brings the message? We agree with everything and take in what is said, but the next day we are doing just the opposite of what we were told. The same is true with our quiet time with God and when we open up His pages. We read that we are to be a light in the darkness, that we are not to be conformed to this world, and to live by setting a good example that is Christlike, but then we turn around and dim our light, mold our lives after the world, and display negative attitudes towards those we come in contact with. The key word in this verse is "do".

We are to "do" what God commands of us. If we are called to go on mission trips in the summer, then we should "do". If our talent of playing a guitar for worship services could help others connect with God, then "do". When a co-worker or friend is in tears, then comfort them..."do". From Genesis to Revelation there are a lot of do's and don'ts. These do's and don'ts shape our lives, but most importantly our relationship with the Lord.

Here's a start...

Matthew 7:12

12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you...

Dig and do...