Ahoy faithful blog followers, sincere apologies on my lack of entries over the past couple of weeks. It's been a very busy time around the church getting ready for the missions revival and the mission trip to St. Petersburg, Russia. We had a successful trip, I believe, and as soon as I can put a couple of moments together I'll file a full report with some awesome photos. Until then, thank you for your prayers. We all stayed safe and well during the trip and have arrived home safely and have entered the foray of overcoming jet lag while returning to the hustle and bustle of daily life.
I've got some Patriot Guard responsibilities today and a very busy week starting this weekend, but I really want to share this trip with you. Stay tuned, my friends.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Living vs. Existing
There is a group of people out there in the world that I simply do not understand. They are called “adrenaline junkies”. People who parachute out of airplanes or off cliffs, people who jump off bridges or towers with a rubber band tied around their feet. I just can’t identify. But, I do like roller coasters and I love motorcycles, does that mean I may be mildly affected?
I love movies. Adventure movies, car chases, fist fights. I don’t like the horror movies, that’s too much. But set me in front of a good western and I won’t move for 2 hours.
Nobody likes to be bored, every needs a little excitement from time to time. I contend that we were designed for more than just a meager existence.
We were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. What for? I think Jesus gave us the answer in the book of John.
John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Before we can live an abundantly life we need to figure out what it is. I dusted off my trusty Greek lexicon and looked up “life” and “abundantly”.
Life: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ.
Abundantly: over and above, more than is necessary, superadded.
We were created in God’s image. We were built according to a plan, modeled after the pinnacle!
We are filled with His spirit. Gasoline is a subject on most people’s minds these days. What kind do you use? Whatever’s cheapest? I have to use premium in my bike.
How about your body? How many of you take vitamins? Why? It matters what goes in your tank doesn’t it. (diets, fuel, etc.) God offers us the highest octane fuel ever known to fuel our spirits, our lives, the holy presence of Jesus Christ.
For what purpose?
Abundant living…so people will notice and see a difference.
We are to stand out. To be a peculiar people. Not affected by the same things the world is. To find beauty, grace and power in godly things. To live an abundant life that others will be curious about.
We are to react differently than the way the world expects. We are to have a joy and happiness that is unusual to the ordinary.
We are to live fearlessly and fully knowing that it only gets better from here.
Victorious living…to win the lost, the rescue them from the very pit of hell.
I mentioned Westerns and Action movies a little earlier. What do we love about them? Brave, strong heroes doing battle against the bad guys. And don’t you want the good guy to win at the end?
Westerns are cool because you can always tell the good guys from the bad guys. How? The good guys wear a white hat! Friends…I don’t see too many white hats anymore; I don’t see too many hats at all. But bless our hearts if we’ve been born again we wear the white robes of a child of God! I don’t know about you but my robe is bigger than my hat!
Exciting lives…not just an existence.
I’ve got to admit, I get in a rut way too often. I let things get me down; I become hindered by the pressures of this world and the stresses of day to day living. But we have the power to overcome all that and live above it.
What gets us down?
Health…I just don’t feel good. Friends, I believe in a healing Jesus and I believe He is standing just outside our consciousness desperately waiting to bless us. Like I mentioned before, it matters what we put in to our engines. We don’t need to allow ourselves to be weighed down by the temptations and empty pleasures of this world. They only last a season. We need to fuel our bodies, our minds and our spirits with good!
Money…now you’re starting to meddle. Yep, but I’m preaching to myself here too. There’s never enough. But how many of you know from experience that 90% goes a lot farther than 100%. It’s a God thing. Why is it that when the economy turns bad that contributions are the first thing to be cut? Do we trust God or not?
The future. My God doesn’t only know what the future holds, He’s in control of it. If I’m living in unison with Him then the future can’t hurt me.
Folks, we are not bound by anything except ourselves. We are blessed beyond measure. We have an eternally secure future and God loves us even more than we love ourselves. What are we worried about? What are we sad about? We are the children of God. He holds all things in His hands. He is truth, He is love, He is power. What else is there?
We have no reason to fear.
We have no reason to worry.
We have no reason to be sad.
We have no reason to be bored.
God has called us to be His agents; to step up to the plate and live the adventure, the adventure of doing the extraordinary, to make eternal differences in people’s lives, to be a hero, to rescue the doomed, to celebrate the victories, to be in battle mode every day.
It’s when we forget what we are that allows us to begin to be affected more than we affect. To be weighed down with the burdens that shouldn’t have any effect on us. Stop it!
Quit living vicariously through the movies or books or anything else. Stop waiting for something to happen. Stop whining, stop complaining. Start living! You are a warrior, a knight in service to the king, you are on the winning team, you have been called to the most fulfilling, exciting life ever imagined. Go get it! There are no good excuses!
It’s a matter of attitude. If you think you can, you can.
If you trust and follow…God will lead.
I love movies. Adventure movies, car chases, fist fights. I don’t like the horror movies, that’s too much. But set me in front of a good western and I won’t move for 2 hours.
Nobody likes to be bored, every needs a little excitement from time to time. I contend that we were designed for more than just a meager existence.
We were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. What for? I think Jesus gave us the answer in the book of John.
John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Before we can live an abundantly life we need to figure out what it is. I dusted off my trusty Greek lexicon and looked up “life” and “abundantly”.
Life: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ.
Abundantly: over and above, more than is necessary, superadded.
We were created in God’s image. We were built according to a plan, modeled after the pinnacle!
We are filled with His spirit. Gasoline is a subject on most people’s minds these days. What kind do you use? Whatever’s cheapest? I have to use premium in my bike.
How about your body? How many of you take vitamins? Why? It matters what goes in your tank doesn’t it. (diets, fuel, etc.) God offers us the highest octane fuel ever known to fuel our spirits, our lives, the holy presence of Jesus Christ.
For what purpose?
Abundant living…so people will notice and see a difference.
We are to stand out. To be a peculiar people. Not affected by the same things the world is. To find beauty, grace and power in godly things. To live an abundant life that others will be curious about.
We are to react differently than the way the world expects. We are to have a joy and happiness that is unusual to the ordinary.
We are to live fearlessly and fully knowing that it only gets better from here.
Victorious living…to win the lost, the rescue them from the very pit of hell.
I mentioned Westerns and Action movies a little earlier. What do we love about them? Brave, strong heroes doing battle against the bad guys. And don’t you want the good guy to win at the end?
Westerns are cool because you can always tell the good guys from the bad guys. How? The good guys wear a white hat! Friends…I don’t see too many white hats anymore; I don’t see too many hats at all. But bless our hearts if we’ve been born again we wear the white robes of a child of God! I don’t know about you but my robe is bigger than my hat!
Exciting lives…not just an existence.
I’ve got to admit, I get in a rut way too often. I let things get me down; I become hindered by the pressures of this world and the stresses of day to day living. But we have the power to overcome all that and live above it.
What gets us down?
Health…I just don’t feel good. Friends, I believe in a healing Jesus and I believe He is standing just outside our consciousness desperately waiting to bless us. Like I mentioned before, it matters what we put in to our engines. We don’t need to allow ourselves to be weighed down by the temptations and empty pleasures of this world. They only last a season. We need to fuel our bodies, our minds and our spirits with good!
Money…now you’re starting to meddle. Yep, but I’m preaching to myself here too. There’s never enough. But how many of you know from experience that 90% goes a lot farther than 100%. It’s a God thing. Why is it that when the economy turns bad that contributions are the first thing to be cut? Do we trust God or not?
The future. My God doesn’t only know what the future holds, He’s in control of it. If I’m living in unison with Him then the future can’t hurt me.
Folks, we are not bound by anything except ourselves. We are blessed beyond measure. We have an eternally secure future and God loves us even more than we love ourselves. What are we worried about? What are we sad about? We are the children of God. He holds all things in His hands. He is truth, He is love, He is power. What else is there?
We have no reason to fear.
We have no reason to worry.
We have no reason to be sad.
We have no reason to be bored.
God has called us to be His agents; to step up to the plate and live the adventure, the adventure of doing the extraordinary, to make eternal differences in people’s lives, to be a hero, to rescue the doomed, to celebrate the victories, to be in battle mode every day.
It’s when we forget what we are that allows us to begin to be affected more than we affect. To be weighed down with the burdens that shouldn’t have any effect on us. Stop it!
Quit living vicariously through the movies or books or anything else. Stop waiting for something to happen. Stop whining, stop complaining. Start living! You are a warrior, a knight in service to the king, you are on the winning team, you have been called to the most fulfilling, exciting life ever imagined. Go get it! There are no good excuses!
It’s a matter of attitude. If you think you can, you can.
If you trust and follow…God will lead.
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