Mountain Mover

“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

Matthew 17:20 

 

Faith......with even a little bit we can move mountains!  Even the mountains we create in our own minds.  Philippians 4:13 reminds us that "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" which includes strengthening our faith.  Here's my question to you: What mountains need to be moved from your life?

Surprise!!!

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:16

 Here are some facts that will probably surprise you: 

* There is absolutely nothing you can do to cause God to stop loving you.

* Success does not indicate God's love.

* Struggles do not indicate a lack of God's love.

* Your actions do not change God's love for you.

Why?  Because God IS God, and God IS love! God cannot be anything else and still be God.  SURPRISE!!

Motivate!

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Hebrews 10:23-24

 

What motivates you?  Someone who tells you where to go and what to do, or someone who goes with you and shares the task?  What motivates you to help someone?  The person who demands, or the person you truly care about?

 

Years ago, during the summer break, I would cut grass.  And it was miserably hot out.  I took a bit of a break because I knew our mail carrier was just around the corner so I waited.  When he rolled up, I walked out to get the mail from him and noticed that he was sweating profusely.  I asked him how much longer he had to stay out in the heat.  He said, "Until all my mail is delivered."  The next day, I put a bottle of water in the freezer so it would be truly ice cold.  When I heard that distinctive growl of the mail truck, I took the frozen bottle out and put it in the mailbox with a note letting him know how much I appreciated him.  

 

Small acts of kindness, help and encouragement are the best.  If we do things to be seen and get a lot of credit, we are not acting as God's ambassadors. When asks "Why do you do these things?" our answer should be "God loves me so much that I get to love other people."

 

I encourage you to do something to help others today.  Make it a habit.  

Angels

All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.

Hebrews 1:14 

 

Remember Abraham and Sarah?  God sent angels to tell them that they would have a son even though Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 99 (try explaining that one to the Social Security Office).  God used an angel to guard the Garden of Eden when He kicked Adam and Eve out.  God sent to keep Balaam's donkey from moving forward.  God sent an Angel to tell Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus.  God sent an Angel to Joseph to tell him to take Mary as his bride and told Joseph and Mary to get away from Herod's soldiers.  God sent a single Angel to Egypt to kill the first born of everyone who did not have their doorway marked with blood.

 

The Angels' worship God.  They only do His bidding.  They are sent to care for and help Believers.  But we have the danger of worshiping the Angels instead of God.  God created man "a little lower than the angels" yet when Christ returns for us, we will be CHILDREN of God...not Angels.  

 

Be grateful for the Angels God sends to us, and focus our worship on God not His Angels. 

Everything? Really?

As I have said before, the Christian position is this: I may do anything, but everything is not useful. Yes, I may do anything but everything is not constructive.

1 Corinthians 10:23

I have a habit of turning on the television to watch a favorite show and then I just leave it on for background noise.  I do the same thing with the radio.  Here's the thing, during this background noise there will be things that come on which are not good for my mind.  So I have the choice to let my mind absorb everything thrown at it, or turn it off. We make the same decisions with our computer usage as well.  We make a decision to either limit our viewing or just absorb everything that comes into view.  

Here's my point: Just because we CAN doesn't mean we SHOULD! 

I will tell you that our dog, Woody Bear, is NOT a fan of loud noises, especially thunder and fireworks.  When he hears thunder or fireworks, he will either go hide in the closet or want me to hold him to comfort him.  He's trusts us to keep him safe and to comfort him (not to mention give him snacks).  

But think about this, when we are afraid, God is right there to comfort and protect us if we TRUST Him.  If we truly trust God as we claim to, then we trust Him completely!  We trust Him with providing what we need; we trust Him with our families; we trust Him with our jobs; We trust Him with every aspect of our lives!  When we trust God, we have nothing to fear because He is in control of EVERYTHING!

Stroll Anyone?

There are times I wish I could have walked along with Jesus as He taught the Disciples.  That would be a stroll well worth taking.  However, given that I don't speak or understand Aramaic...   

Some of the best conversations I have had was on a stroll.  I remember the talks I had with my Grampa as we walked to his favorite fishing hole.  I remember many of the talks I had with my buddies while we were on patrol.  Some of the most interesting things when we walk together.

I remember trying to read a book while walking on a treadmill once.  Only once, for two reasons:  When I walk, I like to actually GO somewhere.  I discovered that I am NOT coordinated enough to read and walk at the same time.  I also learned that treadmills will leave road rash just like falling on concrete. Sorry, my mind wandered for a moment.



God brought to mind that Paul and Barnabas walked together until they had a disagreement over bringing John Mark, then they had an argument so sharp that they went their own separate ways. Scripture tells us over and over that we are to walk in the Spirit, walk with God, walk with one another...but when we walk we must be agreement.  Here's the point of all this: When we walk with God, we learn so much and we learn that we want to walk with Him more and more!     

Think But Not Overthink!

I have a problem.  I'm not sure if it is part of being an Introvert or just my own struggle.  You see, I have this tendency of overthinking.  Now, one of my favorite past times is to contemplate, meditate and think.  I find it refreshing.  However, there are times when I can think during the day and my mind is at peace, yet when I close my eyes to sleep the little whispers sneak out and I begin overthinking the weirdest things.  My mind fixates on the way said something to me, their vocal intonations, their timbre, their expression, their body language, then there comes the evaluating every possible meaning of what was said.  Because of this, sleep become elusive, anxiety grabs hold and I end up exhausted when the alarm sounds in the morning.

Yeah, I know...."You've got quite the problem, Padre."  Really?  Am I the only one who overthinks things?  I'm willing to bet not.  Where do we let out minds dwell?  

God gave us a mind to think.  One of the wonderful things about our minds is the fact we can focus our thoughts, yet that can also be one of the most dangerous things about our minds as well.  Where do you focus your mind?  Or, perhaps, you just let it wander aimlessly about peeking around corners, poking into the closets and corners, peering through the windows of your brain.  

When Paul tells us to "SET YOUR MINDS" he is tell us to focus our thoughts on God!  Focusing takes conscious effort and can be exhausting, but where our minds go so too do we.  Your mind wanders to hatred...you will be a very angry person.  Your mind wanders to lust...you will devalue others.  Where you mind goes, there you will be!

Are You BLIND?

Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.

Acts 9:8-9 

Saul had a lot going for him. After all, according to Philippians 3:5, he was:

• circumcised on the 8th day
• a true Israelite
• born of the tribe of Benjamin
•  A Hebrew of Hebrews
• A Pharisee

Saul was highly educated and learned at the feet of Gamaliel who was a teacher in great demand (and was expensive to be his student).  Saul's life was on the fast track to greatness!  In fact, Saul had be commissioned to destroy this new cult that worshiped this man, Jesus.  He conducted a relentless search for these members of "The Way" much like the Inquisition.

Saul was BLIND!  Not physically, mind you, rather he was blind in his ambition to succeed and he was blind in his hatred of the followers of Christ.  Saul could not see beyond that.  He could not see how his blindness destroyed families and caused people to fear him, rather than respect him.  Saul was so blind that nothing else mattered.  

Enter Jesus on the road to Damascus as Saul was on his way to destroy more followers of Christ. It was on that road that Jesus took Saul's blind hatred and blind ambition and made him physically blind instead.  When Saul opened his eyes, he could not see.  Jesus took all of Saul's spiritual blindness and rendered him helpless.  I learned that sometimes God will allow us to be put in a place where we HAVE to rely on Him, and this is what happened to Saul.  He had to be led because he could not see.  He was helpless and didn't eat or drink for three days!  Imagine suddenly being rendered helpless, where all you have is time to think.  Oh, Saul probably recited the Scriptures he had learned, perhaps offered prayers, maybe he even re-evaluated his life choices.  The fact of the matter is this: Jesus got Saul's attention!

Saul was BLIND in more ways than one.  How about you?  Are you blind as well?

Where Do YOU Live?

Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead

Philippians 3:13 

 

Let me ask you something, where do YOU live?  Now that may sound silly, but this is one of the most frequent issues I deal with when conducting counseling sessions.  The fact of the matter is we all have a past, and there are parts of it we wish we could get a "do-over" or we could bury where it would disappear.  I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't have something in their past that they hope never comes to light.   We make mistakes....some of them HUGE...some cause us an ache we cannot seem to be rid of.  

The past is so powerful that it can make a person fearful of trying again. The past is so powerful that it can make a person live the rest of their life just going through the motions.  The past is so powerful that it can paralyze a person with shame so they cannot see beyond their past.  The past is powerful BUT God is more powerful!!!

10 years ago, I was so worried about my past that I sought counseling from one of my mentors.  He didn't tell me what I wanted to hear, instead he asked me a question: "You dug up a corpse, drag it around with you, and you wonder why your life stinks?" To say that I was stunned would be the biggest understatement of my life up to that point.  I had never thought about my past as being a corpse.  My mentor, being the wise person that they are, followed that up with: "As a child of God, why would you punch Him in the face?  You have been forgiven yet you want to keep digging up that nasty dead past and parade it around like a trophy!  You want me to feel sorry for you because of your past? Think again!  YOU have a new address and it's not in the past!  Best start living in the new address GOD gave you!"

 

Truth be told, I had to take a very long hard look at my life.  I had to do some deep soul searching.  I had to do a lot of praying for help.  And, true to form, God revealed that there were changes I needed to make.  One of them was to accept that my past is part of what had helped shape me into the awesomeness you see today. 

 

The past is the past, we don't live there anymore.  The future is the future, we don't live there yet.  We live now!

 

Keep Pushing Forward

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:14 

 

Have you ever gotten bogged down?  Did you know that when we do get bogged down, our attitudes begin to change?  We begin to become negative, complaining, always focusing on what's wrong.  Why do we do that?  Why do we allow ourselves to become bogged down in life?  Could it be that we have forgotten the fact that God provides us with gifts every single day, or could it be we take them for granted, or we have become so focused on ourselves that we ignore them completely?

 

This month we remembered D-Day.  Think about this, what would have happened if all those soldiers reached the seawall and just stopped?  After all, they were being attacked by very determined defenders.  Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt, Jr. landed on the beaches of Normandy with his troops.  He was 56 years old, suffered from arthritis, and had to use a can to get ashore.  However, he refused to let his troops become bogged down and stop pushing forward.  One of his soldiers said, “General Theodore Roosevelt was standing there waving his cane and giving out instructions as only he could do. If we were afraid of the enemy, we were more afraid of him and could not have stopped on the beach had we wanted to.”

 

If we become bogged down by looking at our past or worrying about the future, what kind of example are we setting for others?  The gifts God gives us are DAILY!  If you are reading this, God has given you the gift of understanding and learning.  If you are breathing, God has giving you the gift of life. If you woke up this morning, God has given you the gift of today.  Let's start looking at the gifts God gives us, being grateful for them, and press on to the goals God has set for us! 

What's Your Message?

Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

2 Timothy 2:15 

 

I have to be honest, I was not an especially good student in school.  I didn't like studying at all, because in my mind, when school let out for the day that was MY time and school was the absolute last thing on my mind.  On Saturday nights before bed, I was supposed to polish my "church shoes" and "study my Sunday School lesson."  Truth be told, I watched TV while I polished my shoes and them skimmed over the first paragraph of the lesson.  You see, I KNEW that my Sunday School teacher and the Pastor would tell me what I needed to know, and I let them.

 

Many years later, things didn't seem to make sense to me.  I mean, I had heard lessons about how we're not supposed to work on Sunday because it's a day of rest, then I'd see these same people going to restaurants and shopping and the like.  When I questioned them on that, I was told "Well, you have to understand, these people are going to work on Sunday anyway..."   What I took from that was the notion that "these people" were seen as less valuable than the "church-going folk."  And I began to question what I had been taught for so long.

 

It was when I began to study, TRULY study, the Scriptures that things began to make more sense to me.  By study, I mean learn about the time in history when the particular passage was written: what was going on, what was the culture like, what do the words REALLY mean, how does all of it fit together.  STUDY!  

 

Believe it or not, Jesus did NOT speak King James English to those to whom He ministered.  Jesus talked with people in ways THEY could understand!  Jesus proved His message by His actions!  Shouldn't we do the same thing?  If we live our message, what message are others seeing us live? 

Dust In The Wind

You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes.

James 4:14

 

I found some notes from a sermon I heard WAY back in my youth and, believe it or not, I found the message still quite relevant today.  Therefore, I thought I'd share bits of it with you.

 

Have you ever given any thought about the length of your stay here on Earth?  I have and I realized that the longer I'm alive, the less time I have left on this rock (yeah, I'm a genius like that).  Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 that we came from the dust (when God breathed life into us) and we will return to the dust.  While that may sound depressing, it shouldn't.  Instead such information should serve as an encouragement to live your life fully!

 

Several years ago, a group called Kansas performed a song called "Dust in the Wind" which spelled out that we are only here for a short time and nothing we can do will lengthen our stay here.  So shouldn't we do our best to make the time we have count?  Rather than living as if we are scared, we need to life with contagious joy!  We need to tell people how we feel about them.  We should let grudges go!  We should shed the mindset of negativity!  Live your life with enthusiasm!

 

Here are the three points I got from that sermon from so long ago:

 

1. Act on your impulse!  If we wait for the "perfect moment" it will never arrive!  Call that person you haven't talked to in a while.  Have coffee with someone new!  Smile and say "HI" to people you encounter, whether you know them or not, you might just make their day a bit better. 

2.  Focus on the Positive!  It's easy to be "gloom and doom" and always negative.  Being positive is a conscious choice we make, so exercise your brain and make that choice to BE POSITIVE!  Attitudes are contagious, so make yours worth catching.

3.  Traffic in the TRUTH!  You'll hear gossip and half truths and outright lies, but date to dig for the truth.  Speak only the truth!  Not what you may have heard someone else say, be discerning!  If you aren't absolutely sure of the truth, be quiet.  "It is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt."  You see, lies can outlive lives!

Let's make the most of our time here!

 

  

And Then...Stress Set In

"You have decided the length of our lives.

    You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer." - Job 14:5

I've mentioned before that I have always been a worrier.  Even as a child I would worry about everything.  And guess what that did for me?  Lots of pointless stress and lots of upset stomach issues.  And for what?

I have friends who love going to the gym. So much so that they get a bit anxious if they can't manage to go every single day.  They like to be fit, and that's not a bad thing.  I have friends who are almost fanatical about their diet, that's okay.  God has given us this ONE life on Earth, and that should reflect our love for Him.

So today, just two points:

1. Remember Jesus' words: "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" Matthew 6:27.  Worry, anxiety and stress add not a single moment to your life, however they will suck all the joy out of living.

2. We need to take care of ourselves with rest, and learn to relish each moment we are given.  Tell those you care about that you care.  Show others that you love them.  Hold no grudges.  Forgive if you want to be forgiven. Love and encourage each other!

Think about it! 

Something for the Monty Python Enthusiasts

What is your quest?  Ever think about that?  A quest is often defined as a "pursuit" or "search."  Webster defines a Quest as: "a chivalrous enterprise in medieval romance usually involving an adventurous journey."

Do you have a lifelong dream?  Do you have a Quest?  Are you pursuing a calling? Is there any pursuit that has dominated your life for years?   You see, without a quest, our lives become dull, bleak, hopeless, and just a matter of existence.  Without a pursuit our lives become weak and there's really little reason to get out of bed in the morning.  We just drift along, going with the flow with no enthusiasm, gathering debris.

A quest fuels a need.....a drive to fulfill our mission. It absolutely refuses to let us become complacent! A quest lights a fire under us and will not let us just coast along without direction wherever the whim may take us.  A quest gives us purpose!  It gives us a reason to move forward!  It keeps us from becoming idle. It pushes, pulls, drags us forward.

Did you know that God has a quest as well?  God's quest is found in Philippians 1:6 - "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." God's quest is to get us where HE has planned for us and He will not stop until His quest is fulfilled.

"What is your quest?"

Tinged by Rust

I have a confession to make: if I had the choice of any car in the world, it would be a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.  But here's the bad part about desiring a car that old, they are usually rust buckets.  And here's the thing about rust, it doesn't  just suddenly appear.  Rust slowly eats away at the metal, usually the time it is noticed you're looking at some rather costly body work.  Oh we try to prevent it with paints and sealants, but it only takes one tiny ding to give rust the entry point needed to eventually destroy the car.

"Where are you going with THIS ramble, Padre?"  Well, earlier this week we discussed how the deceiver will whisper to us of our past to generate guilt and shame about our past, when the FACT is, as believers, God has forgiven us our past.  

In the words of the Apostle Paul, "It is NO LONGER I who live, but CHRIST who lives in me!" (Galatians 2:20)  Does this mean the deceiver will never come after us again?  Nope!  He will come at us, seeking that tiniest ding where he can get in and try to make us ineffective.  But consider this: Because CHRIST lives in us, sin can touch us, but it cannot claim us!  The deceiver can whisper to us, but he cannot condemn us.  

When the deceiver comes, turn him over to Christ!  Remember whose you REALLY are!  Run to Christ and be reminded of His sacrifice for you.  He bought and paid for you, the deceiver no longer has ANY claim.  Remind him of that often.  Remind each other of that often.  Remind yourself of that OFTEN!

Because of Christ, you have been RESTORED!

Welcome To Thirsty Thursday!

Our bodies are 60% water.  That's over HALF of our bodies!  Our brain and heart are 73% water whilst our lungs are 83% water.  THAT is a lot of water!  When I was a kid, we played outside all day and when we got thirsty we grabbed the garden hose and drank the cool water as if it were the nectar of heaven!  But guess what?  It didn't take long before we were thirsty again.  Why?  Well, could be we got sweaty playing outside, or our bodies used the water trying to cool us down.  But the fact is, when we drink water we WILL become thirsty again. 

Remember the woman at the well?  Jesus asked her for a drink of water and then told her "those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life."  Then she wanted to know how to get some of that living water.  People have been seeking that living water ever since.  Rituals, Religion, Rules will leave you feeling empty.  Sin will fulfill your urges temporarily. But neither are truly satisfying!  


The answer is simple, believe in Jesus Christ with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 

What To Do?

Are you willing to admit that you have blown it in the past?  If you say that you haven't, you're lying!  We all have made some major blunders, real clunkers, superior stupid moves.  Many of us have done things that cause us to blush just imagining the reaction of others if they found out.

So...what do we do with out past?  Do we parade it about like a banner?  Do we dig the deepest hole and try to hide it?  Do we just ignore it?  Do we deny it?

Take a look at Acts 9:17.  No, go look at it!  Read it!  The Apostle Paul dealt with his horrible past by knowing he had been forgiven.  In fact, God has declared every believer forgiven through the sacrifice of the ONLY True Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus Christ.  Yet we have a habit of wallowing and whining about the guilt we carry around because of our past. Listen, Christ DIED for your past and ANYTHING less than recognition of this fact makes a mockery of His blood!

"I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25

What do you do when you've blown it?  What do you do when your past creeps into your mind to bring you the shame the deceiver wants you to feel?  Simple, get on your knees and confess if before God!  And guess what? When you ask forgiveness for that a second time, God has no recollection of it because He's FORGIVEN you!

God WILL Rescue You

Say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, and do not fear,
for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.
    He is coming to save you.”

Isaiah 35:4 

 

You've seen the movies where the young people decide it would be a GREAT idea to go into the middle of nowhere, with scant supplies, where there is no power, and no one knows where they are, and then when the bad guy shows up to kill them, they become fearful and make some REALLY bad decisions.  I remember paying to watch such movies in a theater and eventually found myself wondering what special kind of idiots were these people.

 

But, don't we do many of the same type things?  We tell God, "no need to be concerned about me, I've got this" only to cry out for help later when OUR plans fall apart.  Then it becomes, "help me out of this mess I've made."  So, let me ask you something, and I'm talking to me as well, before we our plans into action do we discuss them with God first or just plow through without a thought?  

 

When things begin to go awry with our plans, we become afraid because we are no longer in control.  And it is usually at this point that we turn to God and cry our for help and rescue.  God, who loves us more than we can ever understand, always comes to our rescue.  Therefore, be strong and do not fear!  

 

How many times does God remind us of this throughout Scripture? Think about it.

 

Need A Refuge?

O my people, trust in God at all times.
    Pour out your heart to Him,
    for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:8 

For some, the word "refuge" sounds like a good place to stay forever and keep safe.  However, to stay behind cloistered walls can be detrimental to our spiritual growth because we have no experiences which force us to grow.  Without experiences, how can we possibly reach out to help others who are seeking and struggling?

A "refuge" is, in a reality: "being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble."  This makes more sense when we look at today's verse.  When we trust God at all times and pour out our heart to Him, he becomes our safe place from pursuit, danger or trouble.  We don't have to seek a place with walls that none can penetrate, we have God protecting us AS WE ARE GOING!  God doesn't protect us FROM our journey, God protects us DURING our journey!  What better refuge can there be?