Hello Everyone,
Over the last week I have added extra travel time to my driving schedule, kids activities, and busyness both at home and work. During that time, for the first time since I started writing this email, I missed getting a devotional written for the week. I was down on myself for letting this happen but through it found the message God was guiding me towards.
Matthew 6:32-34
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
In society we are all so busy we chase after everything under the sun and only give God our extra time!
Do you think we could get by with that at our jobs or with our families? Then what makes us think that God only deserves the leftovers?
I have had a chance to truly think about it this week as I was feeling guilty about not getting out my writing. That is when this passage was brought to light. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Think about that. He didn't say do everything you need to then when you are done seek Me. He said SEEK FIRST!!!
We serve an awesome God who deserves to come first in our lives. Wouldn't you agree?
This week I am making a pledge with God to give him my first fruits, the first moments of the morning. I will get up early while everyone is still in bed and the house is quiet and just listen to what he has to say.
Try it and let me know how your week turns out.
Have a blessed week!
Billy
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Our Undercover Boss Jesus Christ
Hello Everyone,
One of my favorite new shows is Undercover Boss. It is a show where the CEO of the company disguises him or herself and takes on the lowliest of jobs in the company. I found it interesting the similarities between what the bosses are doing and what our Boss did. God came to earth as man to suffer the same hardships and trials that we go through and to pay the ultimate price for the things we did.
This past week our pastor was teaching on Christ's final moments on earth. If you have studied the New Testament you know that Jesus' last days were spent teaching his disciples how to live as he did.
In Christ's final hours while preparing to eat the Passover feast, he did something that was more than symbolic. It was one of the greatest things he could have taught. He taught us in this passage not to think of ourselves in to high accord, never put ourselves above any one else. If Christ himself would do the lowliest of jobs what makes us think any of us are above doing the same. To be true leaders we must first be willing to do what we expect of others.
Have a blessed week!
Billy
John 13:1-17
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
One of my favorite new shows is Undercover Boss. It is a show where the CEO of the company disguises him or herself and takes on the lowliest of jobs in the company. I found it interesting the similarities between what the bosses are doing and what our Boss did. God came to earth as man to suffer the same hardships and trials that we go through and to pay the ultimate price for the things we did.
This past week our pastor was teaching on Christ's final moments on earth. If you have studied the New Testament you know that Jesus' last days were spent teaching his disciples how to live as he did.
In Christ's final hours while preparing to eat the Passover feast, he did something that was more than symbolic. It was one of the greatest things he could have taught. He taught us in this passage not to think of ourselves in to high accord, never put ourselves above any one else. If Christ himself would do the lowliest of jobs what makes us think any of us are above doing the same. To be true leaders we must first be willing to do what we expect of others.
Have a blessed week!
Billy
John 13:1-17
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Hello Everyone,
Have you watched the nightly news lately?
If you have you may have noticed that there is a serious lack of people caring for one another and showing true love. The biggest story from the Super Bowl wasn't about the game or the commercials it was about Christina Aguilera making a mistake and getting caught up in all the excitement of the game and botching the National Anthem. I am as patriotic as they come but being a musician I know that if I were judged for the mistakes I made in my musical career and not the actual right notes or words that I played no one would know about the gift God has given me.
The truly sad thing about it all is during the Anthem the only shots they continue to show on the news are of the people who noticed the mistake and not the Pittsburgh player who while watching showed what it meant to him. I am not sure if anyone else noticed as no one in the media has mentioned it, but one of the players when shown on camera had a tear well up in his eyes and roll down the side of his face. Here is probably one of the toughest people in America who had worked his whole life for this moment and showed true emotion, something that the world has lost sight of.
Last year after Jamie McMurray won the Daytona 500 the biggest story was that he cried, not the reason he cried or what it showed our young men who were watching, no just that he was a man and cried.
I hate what it has taught our children. Even though I can't recall ever saying anything wrong to my son about crying, while watching Where the Red Fern Grows he kept saying the air was blowing in his eyes.
It is ok to show emotion, it is ok to mess up, it is ok to not be perfect. As we are all children of the most high God and are loved for what we do right or wrong.
Have a blessed week!
Billy
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Luke 6:37
37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
1 Peter 3:8
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
Have you watched the nightly news lately?
If you have you may have noticed that there is a serious lack of people caring for one another and showing true love. The biggest story from the Super Bowl wasn't about the game or the commercials it was about Christina Aguilera making a mistake and getting caught up in all the excitement of the game and botching the National Anthem. I am as patriotic as they come but being a musician I know that if I were judged for the mistakes I made in my musical career and not the actual right notes or words that I played no one would know about the gift God has given me.
The truly sad thing about it all is during the Anthem the only shots they continue to show on the news are of the people who noticed the mistake and not the Pittsburgh player who while watching showed what it meant to him. I am not sure if anyone else noticed as no one in the media has mentioned it, but one of the players when shown on camera had a tear well up in his eyes and roll down the side of his face. Here is probably one of the toughest people in America who had worked his whole life for this moment and showed true emotion, something that the world has lost sight of.
Last year after Jamie McMurray won the Daytona 500 the biggest story was that he cried, not the reason he cried or what it showed our young men who were watching, no just that he was a man and cried.
I hate what it has taught our children. Even though I can't recall ever saying anything wrong to my son about crying, while watching Where the Red Fern Grows he kept saying the air was blowing in his eyes.
It is ok to show emotion, it is ok to mess up, it is ok to not be perfect. As we are all children of the most high God and are loved for what we do right or wrong.
Have a blessed week!
Billy
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Luke 6:37
37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
1 Peter 3:8
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
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