Month: February 2014

This Week: Let them see you in me

Published by

With every breath I breathe I sing a simple melody But I pray they’ll hear more than a song Lyric/Prayer Take away the melodies Take away the songs I sing Take away all the lights And all the songs You let me write Does the man I am today Say the words You need to say? Let them see You in me Let them hear You when I speak Let them feel You when I sing Let them see You This is my prayer this week – that I will decrease and Christ will increase in me. That His light may shine through me. So that it is no longer I, but Christ living in me.

holy, holy, holy VS happy, happy, happy

Published by

I have never met anyone who doesn’t dream about being happy. There is this thing inside us that long for a happy life. I don’t think happiness  is a bad thing to want. Our loving heavenly Father planned for our happiness. The very idea of “Shalom”  in the Bible – “nothing missing – nothing broken” speaks to that fact that God provides for our happiness.  However, I also think most of go about looking for happiness The wrong way. We seek to fill that God-Shape Vacuum (that only He alone can fill) with things that don’t satisfy. First Things First Most people do not know better, so they go about seeking happiness the wrong way. They go for pleasures of all kinds, but it leaves them empty and longing for more. They go for status, fame and money, but soon realize that these things just can’t deliver true happiness. They go for self-help books that only scratch the surface of how to find true happiness. Jesus said, “seek first the kingdom of God and His …

Some Days You eat the bear – Other Days the bear eats you

Published by

A few years ago, Billy Collins wrote a masterpiece called “Some Days.” Some Days you eat the bear and other days the bear eats you is Collin’s poetic explanation of the piece. In it he asks the question: “How would you like it if you never knew from one day to the next if you were going to spend it striding around like a vivid god, your shoulders in the clouds, or sitting down there amidst the wallpaper, staring straight ahead with your little plastic face?” In essence, what he is saying is, Some Days you are at the top of your game – other days you are not. Some Days, as a writer, speaker, singer, preacher, parent, a Christian, leader, professional, athlete – you are on top of the world, but other days you are dull, uninspired, bored, creatively challenged, down, depressed – at a wall. How do you deal with this kind of emotional roller coaster? How do you manage to stay focus, and keep a sound mind when you are feeling dry, less inspired than …

Context is Everything

Published by

Context is everything. I heard a story about a guy who had a very unique way of reading the Bible. In his effort to hear what God would say to him for that day, he would hold a closed Bible in his hands, close his eyes, than open the Bible with his eyes still shut, drop a pointing finger on the page of the bible, open his eyes, than read the verse on which his finger landed. Well, one morning, his first attempt landed him on a verse that said,”and Judas hang himself.” Feeling unsatisfied, he dove in for something else and his finger landed on another verse that said, “go do likewise.” Well you can imagine that was the last day he played Russian Roulette with the Bible. Come to think about it, most Christians I know approach the word of God Just like that. They reach in for something, than pull it right out of its context. But it’s important that we read and interpret the word of God by taking into consideration …

Patience: the Rose among many thorns

Published by

Somebody once said that if you ask God to give you patience, “he may allow difficult situations in your life to help you cultivate it.” Unfortunately, these situations are never pleasant and none of us look forward to any one of them. But apparently, they seem like the most logical place for patience to develop. Paul understood this very well. Remember the thorn in his flesh? Speaking to this very situation he said, “In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We “patiently” endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food.” 2 Corinthians 6:4, 5 NLT In the same chapter he adds the following We have been despised We have been slandered We have been called impostors We have been ignored We live close to death Our hearts ache We are poor We own nothing In such difficult times and dark situations, there is one word that stands …

6 Reasons why you should forgive people who are not sorry.

Published by

Recently, I was speaking about the power of forgiveness at a meeting and there a young woman two or three rows from the front. I could tell that she had something on her mind. She seemed a bit anxious. Apparently, she didn’t want to interrupt or draw attention to herself. But I could sense that she was struggling very hard to ignore the urge to ask a question. Finally she gave in, and with a raised hand, she asked, “but what if they are not sorry for what they did?” I thanked her for the question and assured her that I would address the question in the next session. However, I took some time to counsel with her after the meeting because she was obviously looking for an answer to deal with a pressing need.  The following is a summary of what I told her and later shared with the group: Forgiving someone who doesn’t see the need to ask for forgiveness or show any sign that they are sorry for what they’ve done wrong is …

5 ways to Rekindle the flame in the ashes of your love life

Published by

  As we approach Valentines Day, I would urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to make thing better in your relationship with you spouse. Here are 10 Simple, yet powerful ways you can rekindle the ashes of your love life: 1. Address every unresolved issue in your relationship I understand that women feel very deeply about things, but men do too. It is important to deal with hurts and disappointments as promptly as possible. If we allow the sun to go down on our wrath, we run the risk of opening the door to resentment and bitterness. This is never a good place to dwell in a relationship.. It is important, therefore, to resolve every conflict. Repent and forgive. 2. Focus on the little things Sometimes in life the things that matter most are small things. Little gestures of kindness. Little acts of grace. Little moments of tenderness. Little sacrificial service. All these can add up to spark an unstoppable flame. It really doesn’t have to be a diamond ring – I’m sure that wouldn’t hurt, cuz …

3 Incredible Promises & 1 Big Reason

Published by

“But now, God ’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead-end— Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.” Isaiah 43:1-4 MSG Check out The Promises: When you are in over your head – I will be with you When you are in rough waters You will not go down When you’re between a rock and a hard place It won’t be a dead-end Check out the …