30 Days to Live

It’s been an exciting month!  I hope that this sermon series has impacted you as much as it has me.  It’s caused me to reflect back on my life in a number of different ways.  I’ve come to the realization that there are still areas where I can do more for the Lord that I thought I could. 

You know, no one ever said told me that being a Christian was going to be easy.  It’s definitely not the “High Road.”  It is work.  Jesus told the disciples that they would be hated because He was first hated.  It’s a constant struggle in so many ways, but the rewards are so great!  Like seeing the impact you can have on someones life by offering some encouraging words when they need it the most or giving of your time or finances to a ministry need that otherwise may not be met if you did not give.  These are the times that we realize what being a Christian is all about, sharing the Love of Christ with those around us.  It’s more than just going to church, going to Sunday School, singing in the choir, etc.  All of that is great, but it’s all in vain if we miss the big picture.  People need the Lord, and God uses His people to reach people.  What an awesome opportunity we have to play a part in other people’s lives and help lead them to the Lord!

I challenge you to be vigilant for the work of the Lord.  We all are presented with opportunities every day where we have to make a choice; whether we will serve the Lord and do what He has called us to do, or whether we will turn and walk away from it.  The choice is ours to make.  Let’s make the right choice.  God Bless.

I love the song by Mercy Me “I Can Only Imagine.”  It speaks to what emotions and thoughts we may have thinking about when we get to Heaven.

I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side… I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me.  I can only imagine… Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?  Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you be still?  Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?  Will I sing Hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all?  I can only imagine, yeah I can only imagine.  I can only imagine, when that day comes when I find myself standing in the Son.  I can only imagine when all I will do is forever, forever worship You.  I can only imagine.  I can only imagine.

Can you imagine what it will be like, standing in the awesome presence of our Lord Jesus?  WOW! What would you say to Him?  What would you ask Him?  Would you be able to speak?  These are questions that we may not know the answers to just yet but it doesn’t hurt to ask ourselves.  We serve a Great God, who is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.  Why not spend some time today thanking Him for all He has done in your life.

I love the story of Joshua and the covenant that was made on behalf of the tribes of Israel at Shechem.  He described to them all how they had served other gods despite the fact that God had brought them through so much and had defeated so many people for them.  Joshua told  them that they must decide whom they were going to serve.

I think this example in the Bible still holds true today.  We are faced with so many different trials in our lives, so many temptations, so many things that serve only as distractions from what we are called to be doing.  It is easy to get wrapped up in those things of the world and forget that we serve a Holy God.  We end up serving other gods in a sense.  In the age of the Internet, iphones, ipods, television, video games, etc. it is almost as if we live to serve these things.  I find myself getting so frustrated just watching other people with their cell phones.  From talking to texting, it’s as if they live to serve their phones!

We serve a great and mighty God who can do all things through us if we will only allow Him to use us.  I want to leave a legacy for my children that they know beyond a shadow of a doubt whom their father served!  I must do this by my actions, by my words, by doing the work of the Lord and bearing fruit.

The Bible says, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 NIV

We have a choice, we can serve the gods of this world (e.g. technology, TV, Internet, money, fame, self-interest, etc.) or we can serve the one true Holy God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The God of Israel.  Only you can make that choice.  I challenge you to take a hard look at your life and see exactly who you are serving.  Your checkbook is a good place to look.  Where the money goes is a good indication of where your heart is.  Renew your covenant with the Lord and live for Him!  A life of serving the Lord is the only life worth living!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

The Bible says that people would know we are His children by the fruit that we bear.  As believers we should be bearing fruit in our lives.  All of these characteristics listed above should define what kind of person we are.   That means we should not hate others because the fruit of the Spirit is love.  We should not be downtrodden because the fruit of the Spirit is joy.  We should not be overly anxious because the fruit of the Spirit is peace.  We should not be impatient because the fruit of the Spirit is patience.  We should not be mean to others because the fruit of the Spirit is kindness.  We should not be selfish and greedy because the fruit of the Spirit is goodness.  We should not waiver in our beliefs and commitments because the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.  We should not burn with anger because the fruit of the Spirit is self-control.

Now that is not to say that we would never display some of the other characteristics.  We are human after all.  I cannot say that I never get angry or anxious or that I do not get impatient with people.  However these bad qualities should not define our lives.  A believer should not be going around displaying just the opposite of these qualities the Bible has described all the time yet claiming to be a Christian.  A believer should also display all of the qualities.  The Bible says “fruit” and not “fruits!”  This is not a play on words either.  We should bear “fruit.”

I challenge you to check yourself when you catch yourself bearing ”spoiled fruit.”  Try bearing each of these qualities.  If you begin by focusing on one a day it will become easier.  God bless.

I love the book of Acts!  There are so many examples of how the Holy Spirit can work in our lives shared through the eyes of a disciple (Luke).  My favorite verse in Acts happens to be our scripture verse for today;

Acts 1:8 ”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NIV

How awesome is that!  These are words spoken by Jesus himself, describing to the disciples exactly what they were soon to experience.  I happen to work for the power company, however this is not the same kind of power this verse is speaking of.  We can experience the power of the Holy Spirit.  The same power that Jesus spoke of then is available to believers today.  To me there is nothing more amazing than feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit come upon you.

Lord it is my prayer that all believers would seek your face and be filled with the Holy Spirit so that the church would be plugged into your power source!