All posts filed under: Devotion

Daily thoghts of inspiration

The missing piece

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I am a firm believer that every one of us have a gift. We are all destined to do something in life that no one else could ever do. Even if we did our best to imitate somebody else’s gift we could never quite deliver like they do. Each one of us are uniquely created and strategically gifted and placed to do just one thing and do it like no one else could. I recently read the story about an eighty-six year old man named Jack Harris. It took him more than five-hour a day for eight years to complete a 5 ft jigsaw puzzle of James Tissot’s painting “The Prodigal Son” – only to find out that there was a missing piece. He looked for that piece but it was nowhere to be found. See, the piece was accidentally thrown away and the thought of not completing the puzzle left Jack really sad. Fortunately, the manufacturer heard Jack’s story about the missing piece and graciously custom-made that piece for him to complete building the puzzle. There is a song that only you could write, …

Worship is a life well lived and a job well done

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Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! Psalm 104:23 pray with me today – Lord, let your favor rest upon us today. Establish the work of our hands today, no matter what we – from bishop to the butler, the president to the pastor, the doctor to the dog whisperer. Help us to fulfill your calling in whatever we do and may we do it all to your glory. Amen! Well, as you can tell, today is Monday and I promise that you can have a more fulfilling day if only you begin to see or view your job as significant and meaningful no matter what you do. First and foremost, there is no job out there that is inherently more holy than other jobs. Prophets, priests and pastors are not the only professions listed in the Bible… Last time I checked, #Butler made the list. — Walter Bright (@WaltBright) September 16, 2013 In fact, …

Paradoxically Scriptural

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Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Luke 18:25 What? That is a paradox! G. K. Chesterton defines a paradox as a truth standing on it’s head calling for our attention. In other words, it is a statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but that may be true in fact. Throughout the Bible we come across passage after passage “standing on it’s head calling for our attention.” We often wrestle with these verses – even dismiss them because they are sometimes too paradoxical. But could it be that these passages are calling for our intention for a reason? Are they calling us to actually, critically think about what we are reading and adjust our worldview – or at least submit that worldview to the worldview of scripture, Christ and the Kingdom of God? Here are a few statements to consider: to receive one must give… Come to think about, we all like …

All effort is in vain without the Lord

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It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2 Let me clarify or unpack a few things before we get to the heart of the matter here in Psalm 127. First of all, the first three verses of Psalm 127 is not an encouragement to laziness. When Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air they don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Look at the lilies of the field, they don’t work or make their clothing,” – he was not telling us that we should not work. We know from other passages that if we do not work we will not eat. Diligence is neither greed nor restless anxiety Those who build a house must indeed labor on it, and certainly the watchman of a city must certainly stay awake.  Children are a heritage from the Lord – his gift, yet husband and wife must do something in bringing the …

It is Mine!

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Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said. The Story This is a story we are all very familiar with… the story of the children of Israel before they actually entered the promise land. In the text above, Caleb comes to Joshua and reminds him of things that happened about 45 years earlier when God told them to enter the promise land. He (Caleb) and Joshua were two of the few that went up to explore the promised land and actually returned with great news and faith – that even though there were giants in the land, they were going to stand on the promises of God – that every piece of land they walked on shall be theirs. Well, we know that some of the other guys came back with a …

The Weiner in you

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Anthony Weiner said last Thursday that he’d traded racy messages with many women since similar sexting forced him out of Congress. The former congressman who resigned in 2011 after the first batch of sexts surfaced, is running for New York mayor and had been near the top of most polls of the Democratic primary race until the latest furor over his behavior began last week when the gossip website The Dirty posted explicit messages that a woman said she and Weiner sent each other starting in July 2012. When reporters attempted to pin down the evasive Weiner as to the number of women with whom he had exchanged illicit messages, he delivered a rambling response before settling on “six to 10, I suppose.” Jonathan Lemire & Jennifer Feltz The question is what is this guy thinking? After being publicly humiliated and getting kicked out of office by his actions, he goes back to doing the same things that ousted him in the first place. It is my take that Anthony Weiner has a Weiner Problem. …

11 Things God is able to do

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Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us. The word “Able” is translated from the word dunatos (in turn from dunamai) which refers to the power one has by virtue of inherent ability and resources. “Able” describes that which has sufficient or necessary power, means, skill, or resources to accomplish an objective. I am completely persuaded that God is Able God is able to create something out of nothing God is able from these stones to raise up children. Matthew 3:9 God is able to make all grace abound to you God is able to make all grace abound to you… having all-sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 God is able to deliver God whom we serve is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will carry us out of your hand… Daniel 3:17 God is able to give you strength to …

11 Signs that show you’ve fallen from Grace

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You are hoping that works will get you what only faith can secure for you. Galatians 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? You deliberately tolerate and indulge the sinful nature. Hebrews 10:26 If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains, You have forsaken your first love Revelation 2:4, 5/ You walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? Turn back! Recover your dear early love. You do not trust God, the scripture nor the church You are completely isolated from everything. That includes God and His people You have an unhealthy pursuit of money and material things You are vengeful and unwilling to forgive  You have no desire for worship, prayer, obedience and church fellowship You no longer feel His presence, hear His voice, or fear Him You demand perfection of others Yet, you are longing, …

Men die when they relax

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2 Samuel 11:1-26 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. Read the rest of the chapter here Instead of going to war David decided to relax Instead of being there to lead, David decided to relax Instead of showing up to do his duty to country and to God, David decided to relax. Relaxation can be a good thing for a leader sometimes but not when the lives of …

Pitching to Jesus—and Refusing to Take His Signals

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I’ve imagined this scene in my head: I’m playing baseball with Jesus. The stands are full of fans, but out there on the field it’s just him and me. I’m the pitcher. Jesus is the catcher, behind home plate. He settles into his crouch, ready to play, and I look for his signals—simple commands. What pitch will he want me to throw? I wait in anticipation, but also with one eye on the crowd. What will they think of me? He signals a fastball. I think for a moment and shake my head—no, not a fastball. Next he signals a slider. This time I look toward my teammates in the dugout for guidance. Then I glance up at the fans. No, I’m not comfortable with that one either. He gives me yet a third signal. No, not today, thank you! Then I imagine Jesus silently and slowly withdrawing his signaling hand back into his mitt. There’s a deep disappointment in his eyes. He’s decided to let me throw whatever I want. So I do—and then …