Monday, August 23, 2010

Hello Everyone,

This week I am going to pose a few questions I have had for God.

Have any of you ever wanted to ask God why?

Not why do bad things happen to us?
Not why do you permit evil?
Not why did our loved ones have to die?
But why did you send Christ down to die for our sins?

Why would you send your son, why would you become one of us and suffer for a sinful man that shows his appreciation by crucifying you?

I am so thankful that you did, but have a difficult time understanding why.

I have chosen a few passages that have helped me with some of these questions. God has not completely answered them but I will continue to listen for when he does.

Have a blessed week!

Billy

2 Corinthians 5:15-18 NIV

15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Psalm 145:18 NIV
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

John 15:18-26

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.

26"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

Romans 8:31-35
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Monday, August 16, 2010

Don't worry be happy

Hello Everyone,

This month was one of those months that things were a little tight. I know not to worry because I know God will fulfill all of our needs. But even as Christians we have a tendency to worry about things as mundane as the weather, traffic, politics, and even how we will be perceived by the world. We worry about other things as well that have more bearing on our lives. How much time have you put into worrying about your balance sheets at work, your CSI scores, as kids we worried about test scores.

All of these things bring acceptance in the world. It is good for us to want to do well and succeed in life, as long as we don't put all of our life into succeeding. When we do well we reflect Christ living in our lives. That is the key to the things you put emphasis on, am I bringing glory to God in the things I do? In achieving my success did I apply biblical principles to my practices?

God wants us to succeed in all that he blesses us to do. It brings him pleasure to see his children do well, just as we swell with pride when we see our children do well. The key is to apply Christ in all we do. If we do that everything our hands touch will prosper.

Have a blessed week!

Billy

Matthew 6:25-29
25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

A Pledge of Thanksgiving and Praise


Hello Everyone,

The past week has been a very eventful one. One that has made me reflect on things and take note of what is important and what is not. I have been blessed with many things in my life and like everyone else has not showed God the appreciation I should have at times. I have taken many things for granted, from God, my wife, family and friends, and have seen that life is far too precious and short not to enjoy everyone. I have pledged myself this week to make sure I show God, My wife and my family and friends how much they mean to me.

The challenge I would have for everyone this week is to start everyday thanking God for ALL that he does for you. Make sure everyone in your life knows how much you appreciate them by showing them. Something as simple as telling your son I love you or cleaning up the dinner dishes for your wife. Little things sometimes carry more weight than we realize.

1 Chronicles 23:30
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening,
1 Chronicles 29:13
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.

Daniel 2:23
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

Psalms 18:49
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

Throughout the day think of your interactions with your family, coworkers, and the public and glorify his name in all you do.

Have a blessed week!

Billy

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Wealth and Salvation

Hello Everyone,

This week our pastor was preaching a sermon on "Flunking Life." Part of the sermon brought up the parable of the young rich man and what he must do to get in to Heaven.


Matthew 19: 16-24
16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

In this parable Jesus mentions "the eye of a needle." There are many questions whether he is talking literally or about a gate that had existed in Jerusalem where one had to strip his camel of all that he was carrying and make it prostrate itself to crawl through.

After hearing our pastor talk about this story I had a revelation of us stripping off our possessions and crawling before God.

I had never heard the story of the gate before and had not thought of this parable in this way. We do not have to be rich, in possessions, because through Christ we have eternal life which is far greater than any possessions. You see in fact a rich man can have eternal life, the main question is in what he sees as being rich.
Do you see possessions or do you see serving Christ as your definition of the word rich.


Have a Christ filled week!

Billy