Be Thou My Vision!!!

The past few weeks, I have been rather lax in my postings, I realize. Our church has been challenged to seek the "vision" that God would have for the coming ten years...

What a challenge! I have spent countless hours praying not only for the "vision", but also a true unity in that vision corporately. The verse found in Proverbs 29:18 that I alluded to a couple of posts back keeps reverberating in my mind..."Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

I have often kind of meandered through life, as if no care for the future, because I know who holds tomorrow, but if I am not seeking what He has for me am I just wandering aimlessly?

Our meeting with the whole congregation was smooth and unified...praise be to God! Now, we must put those ideas and plans in to action. Pray that we will continue seeking His will for His church! And, I also challenge you to seek what God's vision is for you in the coming days, months and years. Take the challenge and you will be blessed!

Please let me know if you have a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today!!!

Are we accountable???

As I set off into the year 2009, my mind is staying on whether my outlook on the year is for personal gain, or if I am seeing the BIG picture of how God sees what is in store through me. I can sit back and dream of a new car, a PS3, XBox360, you name it...but those things are only gonna bring finite joys. The works that are done through the Lord will last forever and will provide "joy unspeakable and full of glory" as stated in 1 Peter 1:8.

Yes, it's easy to say that's what my mind is on, but everyday is a battle to keep focused. Here I am on the 6th of January, reminding myself to stay focused on God's call for the year...hmm, I would say that it will be an uphill climb to keep on track. But, one thing that helps is a sense of accountability. In the past, when failures came and went, the only concerns I had were on how I was affected. Now, there is a great number of people that I feel accountable to...some may say that adds an extra pressure, not me. Having an accountability keeps my eyes more focused on what I am doing, and why I am doing it.

Do you struggle with addictions, habits, or something that you feel you can't get away from? Wouldn't it be easier if you had someone to turn to when those tendencies come around? One of the things that can help an aching soul is having someone to share with. Maybe you feel uncomfortable sharing with a minister or deacon, elder, or whoever...maybe you can talk to your Sunday School teacher, or someone who has been through and survived what you're going through. The key is finding someone to be accountable to...someone who you can call when you need to. Maybe that can give each of us the victory to achieve what God has for us this year!!!

Let's take another look at our weekly memory verse, found in Philippians 3:14..."I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Keep repeating it to yourself...pray that God will use it to speak to you...and ask for the chance to share with someone...Challenge yourself!!!

Please let me know if you have a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today!!!

Press toward the mark!!!

Since I have taken a few days off from the posting, I have been thinking of a new verse and how to challenge each other for the year that is upon us. Thinking along those lines, I came to the following verse, which will be our first memorization challenge for 2009. The verse is found in Philippians 3:14..."I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

As I thought on those words, I was reminded of a video I found at BluefishTV that talks about how we always strive to be the best for ourselves, but why aren't we striving to be the best for HIM???



If you've never visited BluefishTV, click on the comments under the post "Know the scriptures???". There you will find a promo code to get a FREE video for use in your church or small group.

Before winding up this post, let's take another look at this week's memory verse from Philippians 3:14..."I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Take the challenge fresh and new this year...pray that God will speak to you...pray that He will use you to share His message with those you come in contact with TODAY...

And, please let me know if you have a special prayer request I can word on your behalf!!!

O How He Loves Us

Many times I sit around and think, "how can the God who created the heavens and earth love someone like me"? Do you ever wonder why God loves us? I also wonder if I really grasp the meaning of the word love...does anyone really know what love is? The sappy song from the 80's runs through my mind..."I wanna know what love is, I want You to show me"...yes, I did change it a bit, because instead of asking one of you to show me, I want to learn from the One who created it.

Our verse for this week talk about love, as well. Let's take a look at 1 John 4:10..."Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

I think about the love that God showed for us...not a spoken love, telling us how He cares for us...but a doing love, putting His words to action. Because of His love for us, He sent Jesus to earth, not just to walk around and teach, but then to die for our sins...not for the sins He had in His life, because there were none. He gave His perfect life to ransom you and me.

My mind is now taken to the old chorus we've sung for ages, "O How He Loves You and Me". Remember the part..."He gave His life, what more could He give"? Think about that in a parent's viewpoint...if you have kids, can you imagine giving one as a sacrifice for someone on death row? That's essentially what God did for us. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for sinners who have a death sentence...to give us life!!!

Let's take a look at the end of John 10:10..."I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Some other translations talk about living to the full. Do I live life abundantly, or do I live in a shell? Not only did His love redeem me by Jesus' blood, but gave me freedom that many will never know!

My challenge from this is...to not only know the love that God has, but to show it to those around me. Are you up for that?

Look at the verse for this week again...pray God will speak to you through it...and share what He gives with someone else...

Please let me know if there is a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today!!!

Continuing the challenge...

Okay...yesterday a challenge was put forth to one and all (myself included). I had 4 responses come to me personally, including the 2 that were directly responded to the post. Thanks to you for putting yourselves out there. This is not anything that I am going to pester you with daily. I will not email you and make sure you are keeping up with your acceptance of the challenge. This is simply a chance for us to all grow closer in our walk with our Lord and the knowledge He can give. If you haven't accepted the challenge, I hope you will take it very seriously.

That said, let's take another look at this week's verse to memorize. If you haven't read yet, it is: John 3:30..."He must increase, but I must decrease". What did this verse tell you about yourself? about God? about what you need to do? It simply states to me that God must play a bigger role in my life, while my own personal ideas take a back seat. God's ways are not my ways and my mind cannot even comprehend His wisdom. If I step back and let Him step forward in my life, His perfect will can be made evident in my walk, talk, and testimony.

I was searching YouVersion today for the word challenge in the Bible and found no references in the KJV. If you've never checked out YouVersion, take the time and check out this great reference with many different translations and a good search engine for the Bible. I went over to the Holman Christian Standard Bible and came across a passage from Psalms 57. Let's look at the KJV, verses 2 and 3..."I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. (3) He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth."

To continue with the "challenge" theme, we look at how God shall save us from the reproach of him that would swallow us up. The Holman version states verse 3 as follows..."He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging the one who tramples me. God sends His faithful love and truth."

I find it amazing that my God would "challenge" the one trying to trample me...that is quite a thought to take hold of, right? But, there is a premise to all that, though. In verse 2, we must call upon the Lord in reverance, knowing that every good thing comes from and through Him. If we try to do things on our own, only defeat and trials will come.

May we be "challenged" to take the Word of God into our hearts and minds today and each day hereafter. Remember this week's verse...John 3:30..."He must increase, but I must decrease". Keep that fresh in your mind...

If you haven't accepted the challenge and would like to, simply post a comment to this post below and say you're up for a challenge!!! Please let me know if there is a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today...

Are you up for a challenge???

Today, I was meeting with a friend who was asking what I am doing to draw more people to God? What goals do I have set in place? Then he asked me a tough question...what plan do you have set for memorizing scripture? Think about that...What plan do you have set for memorizing scripture? It has been somewhat hit-and-miss is what I said. I work on memorizing scripture, but haven't set a goal for how many. Well, today, I set forth the goal of one verse a week. And I am asking you to join with me.

In Psalm 119:11, it states..."Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." If we are constantly memorizing scripture and dwelling on it, we will see a difference in the way God moves and the way WE are moved.

While we were talking, I shared a verse, but went blank on the exact reference in scripture...because of that, I have placed it as this week's memory verse...it isJohn 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Let's focus and meditate day and night upon this verse. I will highlight and remind you each day. Then, next Monday, we will start a new verse. I challenge you to take this journey with me and see what God will do through us in the coming days, weeks, months and years. If you will take this challenge with me, leave a comment below or just email me.

Let's take a step back and let Him increase today and each day from here on.

Please let me know if there is a special prayer request I can word on your behalf today...