Blog Archives - The Remarkable Blog

Names of God

1/31/2017

I am so excited this month one of our pastors is doing a series on Wednesday nights on the names of God. I never weary of the subject. It seems as though every time someone needed something in the Old Testament God would reveal Himself with a new name. Services are in our Youth Building Wednesday night at 7 PM beginning on February 1, 2017.

This is from https://www.lwf.org/names-of-god DR. ROGERS

Abba~Father
Have you ever thought about God as a daddy? Galatians 4:6 says, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Abba is the Aramaic word meaning Daddy, Father. It's a term of warm affection, intimacy, and respect for one's father. Now, to some that may sound like an irreverent way to address God, but Jesus called God, "Our Father," in Matthew 6:9 and He gave us that same right. In America, children call their fathers, Daddy. But in the Middle East, they say Abba. Jesus says that we can call the great God of the Universe, Abba Father. Daddy Father.

Related Scripture: Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6

Related Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 2:4, 8:1, 97:5, 136:3; Isaiah 1:24, 6:1; Romans 10:9

I adored my earthly father and think of him probably every day. He celebrated me and the smile on his face told me he loved me without saying a word. He never tired of my presence. He thought of me often and would purchase little gifts for me and even bought me the white convertible I drive in the Summer. I was his daughter and he was my Daddy. So it's not hard for me to see Daddy God as a good father. I am one of the lucky ones. Some of you reading this may have never even met your father. Perhaps he died or was an absentee Dad. Whatever the case it is never too late to get to know Father God and let Him love you as no one else could ever love you.

Following this series I will begin a New Series on Sunday February 5, 2017 at 10AM at Lakeview Resort in Morgantown, WV 26505 title "Love has Actions". It is a great month at Restoration Church International. I personally invite you to join us Wednesdays and Sundays.

God is love and He loves you and I. When someone loves someone they will do anything for them. When we love someone we think about them throughout the day. When we are in love we consider the other person in all of our decisions, purchases, commitments and actions. We can become hurt, disappointed or filled with joy and anticipation depending on how the relationship is going.

February has long been referred to as Love Month. I pray that you will take time to consider those you love and those that love you. Need help? Come see us this month we have something for everyone.

The innocence of childlike faith

1/30/2017

"Da, watch!" This from the voice of my three year old grandson. With hard hat on and safety glasses over one ear and under the other--screw driver in hand he thought he'd made the world. Little did he know that his method of doing things was far below his ability to fulfill the task. The problem? Play stuck in a very tiny space. Solution get it out himself. A toothpick would work but that little screw driver was definitely not going to get the job done. However in his little mind the problem was as good as solved; in fact he wanted to be sure his DeDa (Croatian for Grandfather) was watching.

Matthew 18:3 (NIV) And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Such confident assurance this little man of mine had that the mission was accomplished. It will take years for him to be conditioned by the world and circumstances around him, to get him to believe that he is incapable of doing what he believes he can do. Oh, he may have needed some minor adjustments and a different tool but he was right about one thing--it was possible.

Matthew 19:26 (NIV) "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

The next time you come up against a situation that seems impossible...think again. Perhaps you just need a different tool. Have the faith of a child. Oh and by the way, when it became to difficult he just handed it to DeDa and DeDa got it right out and handed it back to his grand son.

We can learn a great deal from a child.

Anointed but not through the fire.

1/27/2017

My husband was making soup this morning and I was looking at all the ingredients he was putting in. I began to think of all the people that we have put an anointing into over all the years we have been in ministry. Jesus deposited much into His disciples in a short amount of time while He was on this earth. In their zeal and enthusiasm and their particular anointings they thought they could do the work. It wasn't until after He left that they began to find out about the fire. The heat from the fire is what blends all the ingredients together to make a particular anointing. You may have received a deposit from someone or even God Himself but like the disciples you will not be effective until you have undergone the fire. The fire is what makes the mixture a sweet fragrance to God. It is not how gifted you are it is how you handle the fire. That is what determines what God can use you for. In ignorance the disciples said they could be baptized with the same fire Jesus was. He told them indeed you will. They were effective in the ministry because they went through the fire that blended the ingredients that became the sweet fragrance that was received of God.

Think about those that have deposited an anointing into your life. What makes them so powerful? What have they been through? How are you doing when the heat comes into your life? What is your mouth saying about the process you are going through?

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV) "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

Jezebel's Stranglehold

1/26/2017

Dear Followers of RPMDaily.net I pray you take this article to heart as I did and pray for this great nation of America. What we do matters.

2 Decisive Steps America Must Take to Escape Jezebel's Stranglehold
1:00PM EST 1/19/2017 F. DEAN HACKETT

This biblical strategy reveals our role to deal with idolatry and perversion in our country. (Daniel Tseng)The SpiritLed Woman podcast is empowering women weekly to follow their purpose in Christ and boldly walk in faith. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

Discouragement and despair are horrible taskmasters. They wear at your soul. The psalmist David wrote, "For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those who have been long dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate" (Ps. 143:3-4).

That must be how the prophet Elijah was feeling as he fled from Jezebel. The events on the days before had been an amazing display of God's presence and power. Yet, they had also been exhausting. In his weariness and with the threats from the queen to take his life ringing in ears the man of God felt totally alone and ready to give up.

What had led to such discouragement and despair in this servant of the Lord, this great man of God? His nation was totally backslidden and under the leadership of a weak and immoral man.

Israel had turned its back on the living God and was worshiping the idols, Baal and Asherah (the Canaanite female deity).

Ahab was a pouting, selfish and weak leader who allowed his wife to be the dominant influence.

The people living in Israel were in a moral free fall because of the influence of the male and female prostitution surrounding the worship of Baal and Asherah.

The economy of the nation was in a landslide resulting from three years of severe drought.

These matters weighed heavy on the heart of the man of God when he heard the voice of the Lord calling him to go to the king and to call the nation to account. "Elijah came to all the people and said, 'How long will you stay between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him'" (1 Kin. 18:21).

It was a direct confrontation between the idols made by human hands and Almighty God who made mankind and all things that exist. Would Israel continue worshiping the false deities who had eyes but could not see; had a mouth but could not speak; had a body but no heart of love, mercy and grace; had hands but could not heal or save? Would they repent and turn to the Living God, creator and sustainer of all things; whose eyes "... move about on all the earth to strengthen the heart that is completely toward Him" (2 Chron. 16:9b).

God openly demonstrated His presence and His power by sending fire from heaven and consuming the sacrifice and the altar that had been prepared by His servant. The people cried out and killed the false prophets of Baal and Asherah. Rain was restored to the land.

But Jezebel hardened her heart, stood firm in her idolatry and immorality and threatened to kill the prophet of the Lord God.

Fleeing for his very life, weary in body and soul from the great tasks of recent days, Elijah was hiding in a cave on the mountain of God, feeling absolutely alone.

Do you see the parallels with our nation today? We have turned our back on God Almighty, who founded this nation.

He has been thrown out of as many public arenas as possible, while we have opened the door to the false god of Islam and the idols of other nations.

Children in our public schools are required to learn portions of the Koran, Bhagavad Gita and the Tripitaka or Three Baskets of Buddhism but cannot wear a shirt that displays John 3:16. They will have days where they wear the garments of Islam and even learn the prayers but cannot speak the name Jesus Christ, sing Christmas carols or pray to the living God.

Our nation is being filled with idols and false deities.The Hindu goddess, Kali, goddess of destruction and death was displayed for days on the Empire State Building in New York City in August of 2015.

A replica of the archway leading to a temple of Baal was erected in a park outside of New York City Hall in September 2016.

A statue of the goddess Athena Parthenos (goddess virgin), sculpted from 1982-1990 and covered in pure gold in 2002, now stands in a replica of the Parthenon of Athens in Nashville, Tennessee.

Saraswati, goddess of wisdom and learning, was erected on Embassy Row, Massachusetts Ave., in Washington, D.C., to bless our nation's capital.

There are idols erected in the cities Atlanta, Georgia; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Portland, Oregon, just to mention a few.

We turned our back on the living God, and the influx of idolatry has sent our nation into a moral free fall just as it did the nation of Israel.

Women walking naked on the streets of New York City covered with body paint; 70,000 people attending the Burning Man orgy that happens for eight days in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, every Labor Day; the open display of homosexual, lesbian and transgender sexuality; the pandemic addiction of men and women to pornography and watching sexual acts in movies and on television shout the moral decay of a nation who has turned their back on Almighty God.

Combine that with the human sacrifice of 60 million American babies and the growing acceptance of same-sex "marriage" in the evangelical and Pentecostal communities amplifies the resounding moral decay of nation that is on a collision course with judgment.

Like Israel, our nation is suffering economic disaster. We have weak and pandering leadership. The spirit of Jezebel has been released across our land, threatening the true preachers of God.

Is there yet a servant of Lord in the United States of America who will stand with iron-ribbed courage from the Holy Spirit and proclaim without compromise the Word of the Lord: "How long will you stay between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, then follow him'" (1 Kin. 18:21b).

America must have an authentic call to repentance and returning to the living God.
We must have a genuine call to turn from the immoral practices and the love for entertaining ourselves with those things God has clearly said He hates.

We must also have a return to the authentic moving of the Holy Spirit and power; enough with having a form of godliness and no power; enough with relegating the working of the Holy Spirit to a backroom or small groups; enough with being afraid of the open display and manifestation of the Holy Spirit and power.

God knew a backslidden, immoral nation being led by an Ahab and Jezebel must have a prophet who boldly proclaimed the Word of God without compromise but also brought the power of the Holy Spirit and the working of miracles, signs and wonders.

That is what America and the world needed at the turn of the 20th century to prepare her for the ravages of World War I and World War II.

God sent the mighty out pouring of the Holy Spirit that gave birth to the Pentecostal movement.

The only thing that will confront the spirit of Baal and Asherah that has gripped America, the only thing that will turn the moral landslide and love for the spirit of darkness, the only way to deal with the spirit of apostasy in a backslidden church is a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Is there yet a servant of the Lord in the land? Men of God, it is time to fast and pray for a fresh anointing of the Lord.

It is time to enter the pulpit with more than a sermon series but with a bold and uncompromising Word from the Lord.

It is time to lead church members in presenting themselves to the Lord as living sacrifices, until the Holy Spirit comes like a mighty wind, and the fire of God falls and consumes the sacrifice.

It is time for the power of God to come back into the House of the Lord. It is time for the church to go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit and turn the community upside down.

Will persecution come? Yes.

Will Jezebel raise her ugly head and threaten to imprison and even kill the men of God? Yes.

Will many who claim to be Christian criticize and resist? Yes.

But, the spiritual and natural drought in the land will be lifted. The living water will flow. The greatest revival in our generation will be realized.

Do not allow the spirits of discouragement and despair to prevail.

There are yet many servants of the Lord who have not compromised or bowed the knee to idols. These men of God are rising up. Join them in seeking the Lord.

There is a small cloud on the spiritual horizon about the size of man's hand.
Rain is on its way!

Dr. F. Dean Hackett has served in full-time Christian ministry since October 1971. He has ministered throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, serving as pastor, conference speaker and mentor. He has planted four churches, assisted in planting 15 others, and currently serves as lead pastor of Living Faith Church in Hermiston, Oregon. Dr. Hackett founded Spirit Life Ministries International in 2001 to facilitate ministries in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina and to open a training center for workers in those nations. You can find him at F. Dean Hackett - Foundational, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Head verses the Heart

1/25/2017

Many people think and then their gifts work for others so they think they know. Not recognizing God's power in their life making them think they have the power thereby failing to rely on God. There is a big difference between knowing and believing. Many of us are comfortable with our faith until we have to use it. An example would be someone who works on the assemble line and no one knows there are missing parts until the model is released and people start driving the car. Sometimes the car has to come back in for a "re-call" and what is missing can be added. Other times the cars need taken off the road and a complete diagnostic and re-haul needs to be done. That is the way many people live their lives. They nor anyone else knows that something is wrong until they have to start using their faith and what they believe.

So what we perceive is trouble is really God mercifully allowing us to know what is wrong in levels so the repairs can be made. Then when heavier loads come we are not taken out by the devil or by our own ignorance.

It is only the manufacturer that knows when something is not operating or built to the proper operating efficiency. The Bible is our operation manual. How we are to run is spelled out within the pages verse by verse.

So operating efficiently is really all about trust. Are you willing to take your life (vehicle) off the road for necessary repairs so God can use you for His Kingdom. It takes trust to do this. Trust to pull into time with Him regardless of what else is happening on the road of life. We must make the necessary repairs or it is only a matter of time before we find ourselves along the road of life dealing with a breakdown.

The Bible says, whoever tries to keep his life will lose it. Luke 17:33 (NIV) "Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it."

Your success does not lie in your own human effort. Kingdom success relies on your trust in God.

Piece by Piece

1/24/2017

Daddy's and little girls are a special combination. Fathers and son's are often inseparable. However too often in this great land of ours children are abandoned by the very people who are to have taken care of them and teach them what forever is for. Many parents don't even have to leave their children to abandon them all they need do is chose the job over the moments of childhood or the girl friend or the new boy friend over the child God gave them. It happens. It happens all too often. The effects are life long. Only eternity holds for us whether it too is affected. Listen as one daughter breaks down sharing a part of her past.

Psalm 103:13 "13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him"

Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV) "6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

I pray as you watch this video that you consider your own priorities and misplaced affections. Consider the lasting affect your choices are making on the adults of tomorrow. And when you do--take a moment and ask for God's help, mercy, forgiveness and or guidance. No one is promised tomorrow. Make your relationships with your children right today.

When you say nothing at all.

1/23/2017

So my husband came home with the most beautiful salmon colored roses at work this past week. So at the end of the week I brought them home and set them in the kitchen. My children came over for dinner Saturday night and my daughter asks, "Hey Mom, nice roses; where'd ya get em?" I told her, "Your Daddy." She said, "Ah that was nice." It was the smile on her face that was worth more than the roses. Her Daddy didn't see that face but it said a million words.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."~Theodore Hesburgh

This February 17-18, 2017 my husband and I will be holding a Marriage Seminar. Here is the link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marriage-seminar-tickets-31132497137

It isn't always what we say. Sometimes our actions speak louder than words. What are your actions saying to the ones you love? or what are they NOT saying. This month take a good look at what others are seeing when they look at you. You may surprised.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) "13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."

A Changing of the Guard~Inauguration Day

1/20/2017

In ancient Israel when the kings changed the entire nation changed. If the king had been bad the people did bad. If the king had been a good king the people prospered and it went well with them. Yes I know we are not a Kingdom but a democracy so don't send me an email but, as a Christian I am an ambassador here and I personally belong to a Kingdom so I can see how the Bible applies to my life here on earth. Today is a very big day.

Romans 12:21 - Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Isaiah 5:20 - Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

1 Corinthians 15:33 - Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Romans 2:6-8 - Who will render to every man according to his deeds:   (Read More...)

Romans 5:3-5 - And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (Read More...)

Genesis 3:1-24 - Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?   (Read More...)

Proverbs 4:27 - Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Proverbs 3:7 - Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Psalms 37:27 - Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

James 1:13-15 - Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:   (Read More...)

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The inauguration of the President of the United States is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of a president of the United States. An inauguration ceremony takes place for each term of a president, even if the president continues in office for a second term.United States presidential inauguration - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_inauguration

Here is a Sermon about Good Kings and Bad:1. Colonial Attitudes toward God and Kings
a. In 1774, a report went to the King of England from the Governor of Massachusetts in Boston which read, "If you ask an American who is his Master, he will tell you he has none, or any governor but Jesus Christ."
b. Prewar Colonial Committee of Correspondence made this American motto: "No King but Jesus."
c. When Ethan Allen captured Ft. Ticonderoga, the commanding officer asked him by what authority he had done this. His reply: "In the name of the great Jehovah, and the Continental Congress!"
d. George Washington was offered the Kingship of America after the American Revolution but declined because of his biblical understanding of God (we assume);
e. First attempt at the Great Seal of America -- "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God!"
f. In the United States, the sovereign authority is religious...there is no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America, and there can be no greater proof of its utility and of its conformity to human nature than that its influence is powerfully felt over the most enlightened and free nation of the earth. Alexis de Tocqueville
2. God's people in the Bible should have paid attention to this principle
a. The Nation of Israel divided into two parts -- Israel in the North and Judah in the South
b. ALL of the 19 kings of North Israel were evil and refused to hear the 9 prophets God sent them
c. Of the 38 Kings of Judah, 5 were "good" and 33 were "evil"
3. Assyria took North Israel into Captivity
a. They had been warned -- 2 Kings 17.13
13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets."
b. The 10 northern tribes were removed -- 2 Kings 17.18
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah only.
4. Consider the contrasts in Judah
I. The Principle of Righteousness
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Proverbs 14.34
A. Righteousness is Crucial
"I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors...; in her fertile fields and boundless forests; in her rich mines and vast world commerce; in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and in her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power." Alexis de Tocqueville
1. Righteousness is reflected in our Trust in God -- Proverbs 3.5-6
a. Implies sovereignty
b. "In God we Trust"?
c. Exalts - "Raises to Honor"
2. Righteousness is Reflected on Imitating God
a. Righteousness--is translated as people living by just and godly principles that produce just and godly actions.
b. God has done what he directs us to do
c. We are made righteous through Yeshua (Jesus) -- (2 Corinthians 5.21)
B. Sinfulness is Catastrophic
1. Sin is rebellion to God
2. Sins find us out (Numbers 32.23)
3. Sin Shames us
4. Sin Separates us from God (Romans 6.23)
II. A Pattern of Righteousness and Rebellion
A. Hezekiah Trusted God (2 Kings 18.3)
1. In spite of (Because of) his heritage
a. Father, Ahaz -- wicked King
b. Sacrificed his children in the fire -- 2 Kings 16.2-3
2. In the Face of Assyrian challenges -- 2 Chronicles 32:14-15
14 Who among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand?15 Now therefore do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!'"
I once read about the movie artistry of Alfred Hitchcock. Commenting on how he succeeded in creating suspense in his movies, he explained how he spent a great of time helping his audience to understand the power of the villain in his story... and the amount of danger the hero was in. It wasn't enough to simply startle his viewers. They needed to be emotionally involved in what was at stake. That's what God is doing here. He's setting the stage, both for Hezekiah... and for us. He wants us to understand, in no uncertain terms, that Jerusalem doesn't stand a chance against such a powerful foe.
3. Only in the power of God --
a. The Letter from Assyria -- 2 Kings 19.14-19
b. Reassurance from Isaiah -- 19.20ff
c. Sennacherib's Defeat -- 19.35-37
4. Why was Judah delivered? Righteous, faithful acts of Hezekiah
B. Manasseh Taunted God 2 Kings 21.1-9; 16
1. Timeline
a. Born 710 BC - two years into the 15 year extension God gave his father
b. Reign began in 698 BC at the age of 12
c. 55 year reign ended in 643 BC -- Longest reigning king in Judah
2. He knowingly disobeyed God -- 2 Chronicles 33.10-11
3. God humbled him -- 33.12
4. God forgave him -- 33.13 cf. James 4.6
But he gives more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (Cf. Proverbs 3.34)
Conclusion
1. The answer to our nation's problems is not political, it is a faith issue
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance." Psalm 33.12
2. Early Americans remind us of our heritage
John Quincy Adams who would become President said later in 1821 about the Declaration of Independence:
"From the time of the Declaration of Independence, the American people were bound by the laws of God and the laws of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which they all acknowledge as the root of their conduct. We all came together to obey the word of God."
George Washington Farewell Address to Nation:
"Do not let anyone claim tribute of American patriotism if they even attempt to remove religion from politics."
Patrick Henry:
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not but religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the gospel of Jesus Christ."

3. Manasseh learned the Hard way
a. Who God is
b. God is true to his word
c. God is compassionate to the penitent
4. Through this wacky lineage God would send his son -- Isaiah 53.1-7; 10-11

Personal Integrity~With God all things are possible.

1/19/2017

Have you counted the cost of the personal pledges that you said you would do? We are far enough into the year that you may be having to re-evaluate the commitments that you have made. Are you still going to the gym? Are you still saving a certain amount from each pay check? You know what I getting out. Now is the time that our personal integrity comes into play. We realize that in the flesh we may not have what it takes to keep our word. So then what? We call upon God and ask Him to help us in our weakness. Our intentions may be good but what about our follow through is weak. We are strong to make a New Year Resolution and weak to keep them. Strong to say, "I do" at the altar and weak on the part "Till death do we part". This isn't some new phenomenon it is the way of man.

Mark 10:17-27 New American Standard Bible (NASB)The Rich Young Ruler17 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.”21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But at these words [a]he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.23 And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were even more astonished and said to Him, “[b]Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

A little "bird-brained" and confused?

1/18/2017

We have all noticed the unseasonable weather we have been having. Many of us are holding our breath knowing this won't last long. However, the "bird-brained" feathered friends of ours are confused. I noticed that they have begun to sing and it appears they are looking to build their nest?

Sometimes we are a little like our "bird-brained" feathered friends. We think because everything is going along fine that we have nothing to fear or prepare for. In reality we know this is far from the truth. We know the unprepared bird and his family will suffer great loss if he keeps living oblivious to the signs of the times.

So why do we? We live like this world is all there is. We live like all that matters is the here and now. But what about the hereafter?

John 14:3 (NIV) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV) "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first."

Action step for today: Live like there is a life after this one. Remind yourself that this life is temporary and people aren't. Be intentional in getting others to the same place that you will spend eternity. You can make today the best day of someone's life.