Christians should depend on God's promises as much as they depend on the fast-food drive-thru. Think about this...
How many times a week do most of us go through the drive-thru? At least two or three. Some people go every day to get their morning cup of coffee. Compare that with how many times the average Christian reads the Bible a week. For most of us, it's probably not every day. Why is that? Just as we crave that daily pick-me-up cup of coffee, we need a helping of God's Word every day. It will give us the strength we need each day... and it's caffeine-free!
At the drive-thru, we're confident we can have anything on the menu. You would never hear someone pull up to the window and say, "Is it OK if I get a cheeseburger?" You're more likely to hear them say, "Give me a Big Mac and fries!" They know if it's on the menu they can have it by asking.
With the promises of God, though, a lot of Christians think they're not entitled to them. They think the promises must be for someone else. Matthew 7:7 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." The Bible is full of great promises, and God wants us to have them. We have to be confident when we ask, and we will receive them.
At the drive-thru, we're not satisfied with a small fries. We want to SUPERSIZE them. We won't settle for small Coke when we can have a 44 oz. drink with free refills. As Christians, we often settle for a little blessing when God wants to give us so much more. John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
At the drive-thru, we don't sit and wait for them to throw our order through our car window. We reach out and take our order into our hands. It's the same with God's promises. We can't sit around and wait for God to drop them in our lap. We have to reach out to Him. He wants us to come to Him and tell Him our needs.
Finally, at the drive-thru, we're very likely to get the wrong order. How many times have you gotten home to find the order is wrong? God never gets the order wrong. He'll always come through and give us what He has promised.
Our God is a BIG God. We don't have to settle for a happy meal when we could have a steak dinner! Look into God's Word and you'll find everything you'll ever need.
Monday, March 18, 2019
Monday, March 11, 2019
Life Is Short
Actor Luke Perry died last week following a massive stroke. He was 52. That's only two years older than I am now. It really hits close to home when someone close to your own age dies. It makes you stop and think. It makes you realize how short this life is and how suddenly it can come to an end. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.
One of my cousins turned 57 last month. That's the same age as her father (my uncle) was when he died. My cousin posted memories of her dad on Facebook and how his life affected her outlook on life. I also have many memories of him. My uncle was a great man who died in the prime of his life. He was one of the finest Christian men around. He loved God, his family and his town (even if it was in Oklahoma), and he loved living. His death shocked us all. I've often wondered why such a good man had to die so young.
My Granddad Altman died when he was only 62. He suffered a massive heart attack. There were no warning signs. He just went to bed one night and had a heart attack during the night.
I was 8 when he died. It was the first time in my young life that I had experienced the loss of someone so close to me through death. I had just seen my granddad the day before and then suddenly he was gone. I didn't understand it.
I still don't understand why some people live a long time and others die so young. If you think about it, even if we live 100 years or more, that's still a short time when compared to eternity.
The Bible says life is like a vapor. James 4:14 says, "You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."
We should remember this advice from author Steve Simons:
Life is short.
Too short to waste time.
Too short to hate.
Too short to live with regret.
Too short to give up.
Too short to give in.
Too short to accept defeat.
God’s promises are eternal.
God’s blessings last forever.
God’s love has no end.
God’s favor is boundless.
God’s goodness is limitless.
Life is short. Eternity is long. Live like it.
One of my cousins turned 57 last month. That's the same age as her father (my uncle) was when he died. My cousin posted memories of her dad on Facebook and how his life affected her outlook on life. I also have many memories of him. My uncle was a great man who died in the prime of his life. He was one of the finest Christian men around. He loved God, his family and his town (even if it was in Oklahoma), and he loved living. His death shocked us all. I've often wondered why such a good man had to die so young.
My Granddad Altman died when he was only 62. He suffered a massive heart attack. There were no warning signs. He just went to bed one night and had a heart attack during the night.
I was 8 when he died. It was the first time in my young life that I had experienced the loss of someone so close to me through death. I had just seen my granddad the day before and then suddenly he was gone. I didn't understand it.
I still don't understand why some people live a long time and others die so young. If you think about it, even if we live 100 years or more, that's still a short time when compared to eternity.
The Bible says life is like a vapor. James 4:14 says, "You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."
We should remember this advice from author Steve Simons:
Life is short.
Too short to waste time.
Too short to hate.
Too short to live with regret.
Too short to give up.
Too short to give in.
Too short to accept defeat.
God’s promises are eternal.
God’s blessings last forever.
God’s love has no end.
God’s favor is boundless.
God’s goodness is limitless.
Life is short. Eternity is long. Live like it.
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Watch Your Steps
Life is about learning from our mistakes so we don't repeat them. If you're anything like me, though, you may find yourself making the same mistake over and over. We may even pray “Lord, if you'll get me out of this mess, I'll never do it again.” Then we do it again.
Motivational speaker and columnist Rick Kraft tries to explain why we make a mistake and then turn around and make the same stupid mistake again. He uses author Portia Nelson's book "There's a Hole in My Sidewalk!" to show us how to avoid making the same mistakes.
The book is only five short chapters. Here's a summary:
Chapter One - I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost...I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two - I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three - I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see that it is there. I still fall in...it’s become a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four - I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five - I walk down another street.
Kraft then analyzes the book by breaking down each chapter. In the first two chapters, he says the writer fell into the same hole each time and claims both times that it's not her fault. In Chapter 1, the writer is surprised she fell in the hole.
In Chapter 2, she pretends the hole isn't there and falls in again. She made the same mistake twice! She could have avoided the second fall if she had learned from her mistake the first time.
In Chapter 3, Kraft points out that the writer takes the first step to overcoming her problem by admitting it was her fault that she fell in the hole. She says her eyes are open, but it has now become a habit. She understands that she is both responsible for falling in the hole and that she has the power to get herself out.
Motivational speaker and columnist Rick Kraft tries to explain why we make a mistake and then turn around and make the same stupid mistake again. He uses author Portia Nelson's book "There's a Hole in My Sidewalk!" to show us how to avoid making the same mistakes.
The book is only five short chapters. Here's a summary:
Chapter One - I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost...I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two - I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three - I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see that it is there. I still fall in...it’s become a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four - I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five - I walk down another street.
Kraft then analyzes the book by breaking down each chapter. In the first two chapters, he says the writer fell into the same hole each time and claims both times that it's not her fault. In Chapter 1, the writer is surprised she fell in the hole.
In Chapter 2, she pretends the hole isn't there and falls in again. She made the same mistake twice! She could have avoided the second fall if she had learned from her mistake the first time.
In Chapter 3, Kraft points out that the writer takes the first step to overcoming her problem by admitting it was her fault that she fell in the hole. She says her eyes are open, but it has now become a habit. She understands that she is both responsible for falling in the hole and that she has the power to get herself out.
In Chapter 4, she puts herself in danger again by walking down the same street. She realizes she has a choice. If she makes the right choice by walking around the hole, she can save herself from falling in again.
Finally, in Chapter 5, Kraft says the writer now understands that she can avoid the hole altogether by walking down a different street.
Kraft's point is to show us we have a choice. Each day, we have many streets we can walk down. Some streets have holes. Some don’t. It all depends on what street we choose to walk down.
Finally, in Chapter 5, Kraft says the writer now understands that she can avoid the hole altogether by walking down a different street.
Kraft's point is to show us we have a choice. Each day, we have many streets we can walk down. Some streets have holes. Some don’t. It all depends on what street we choose to walk down.
He challenges us to identify the holes that we fall into and learn to avoid them. His advice: Choose carefully and watch your steps!
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Technology
It was 12 degrees when I got up this morning. That's even too cold for me... and I never get cold! I was disappointed because I couldn't go to church. I still enjoyed a live church service this morning because of technology.
More and more churches are streaming their services live on Facebook or YouTube. With a quick scroll through my Facebook, I found about half-a-dozen live church services. I clicked on the page for Accelerate Church in Amarillo and watched a great sermon. It wasn't the same as being there in person, but I was thankful I could watch it right on my laptop.
Technology is great. I normally go to Briarwood Church on Sunday. If I can't make it on Sunday, I can watch it later on Facebook. Sometimes, I like to watch the sermon again in case I missed something. I also can watch other church services on FB during the week.
It's a great way to reach others, too. It attracts people who might never step foot in a church. I've been inviting a friend to Briarwood and she never comes, but I found out that she's been watching it on Facebook. Only God knows who may be watching!
Thank God for technology. I use it for so many things. Besides watching sermons, I read the Bible and devotions all on my computer. It makes it really easy to research and find commentaries on the Scriptures.
Of course, I use it for other things, too. I listen to music, read books and the newspaper and spend way too much time on Facebook. I would be lost without the computer. On days like this when I can't out, I rely on technology, and it gives me a whole new view of the world.
More and more churches are streaming their services live on Facebook or YouTube. With a quick scroll through my Facebook, I found about half-a-dozen live church services. I clicked on the page for Accelerate Church in Amarillo and watched a great sermon. It wasn't the same as being there in person, but I was thankful I could watch it right on my laptop.
Technology is great. I normally go to Briarwood Church on Sunday. If I can't make it on Sunday, I can watch it later on Facebook. Sometimes, I like to watch the sermon again in case I missed something. I also can watch other church services on FB during the week.
It's a great way to reach others, too. It attracts people who might never step foot in a church. I've been inviting a friend to Briarwood and she never comes, but I found out that she's been watching it on Facebook. Only God knows who may be watching!
Thank God for technology. I use it for so many things. Besides watching sermons, I read the Bible and devotions all on my computer. It makes it really easy to research and find commentaries on the Scriptures.
Of course, I use it for other things, too. I listen to music, read books and the newspaper and spend way too much time on Facebook. I would be lost without the computer. On days like this when I can't out, I rely on technology, and it gives me a whole new view of the world.
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