Ain't It AWESOME! – 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

9  God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ.  
10 He died for us, a death that triggered life.  Whether we are awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we are alive with Him!  
11 So speak encouraging words to one another.  Build up hope so you will all be together in this – no one left out, no one left behind.  I know you are already doing this – just keep doing it!
– 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

Ain't It AWESOME!

I love this scripture because it quickly reminds me how much God loves us.  Yes, He loves us – YOU AND ME!  In His perfect wisdom, He knew we needed a Savior – not just so that we can go about our daily business, living life and all that that brings here on earth, but even when we pass from this world and on to the next – with Him!  Do you know what that means?  Can you grasp the awesomeness of it all?

The same Christ – the One who we all look forward to living in eternity with, is already here with us!  We have Him with us – in ALL His magnificence and Glory!  We don't have to look forward – we just have to look inward!  The same Peace; the same Joy; the same Love; the same Forgive-ability-ness; the One and Only Christ is HERE . . . right NOW . . . WITH US!  

So REJOICE!  

WE LIVE WITH CHRIST!

  –  Victorious!  

  –  Righteous!  

  –  Free from condemnation!  

We are His chosen priesthood, designed from the beginning of the world to share in His love and amazing grace – right now and forever – AMEN!  

Remember this the next time you start getting down on yourself or when life starts seeming a little too "much" (or even a lot too much)!  Remember who is inside you – giving you the strength to get through it and cheering you on.  Remember that He willingly became YOUR sin (and mine), so that He could defeat it forever, and you will never, never, never have to be slave to it again!  Remember ALL that He has delivered you from so that you can encourage those around you.  Walk in the fullness of Christ, who is ALWAYS with you, and you will see miracles . . . not only in your life but in the lives of anyone and everyone you come in contact with.

THANK YOU JESUS!

Prayer
Father, thank You for giving me life through Your Son Jesus.  I pray that I will always remember that I have Him HERE with me NOW!  May I be a blessing to someone today by building them up and speaking encouragement into their lives.  Also, let me accept encouragement from others in all humility.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

A Prayer For You All! – Ephesians 3:14-21

A Prayer For You All!

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 

15 from whom His whole family 

      in heaven and on earth derives its name. 

16 I pray that out of His glorious riches 

      He may Strengthen you with Power 

      through His Spirit in your inner being, 

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 

      And I pray that you, 

      being rooted and established in Love, 

18 may have Power, 

      together with ALL the saints, 

      to grasp How Wide, 

      and How Long,

      and How High, 

      and How Deep, 

      IS the Love of Christ, 

19 and to know this Love 

      that surpasses ALL knowledge

      that you may be Filled 

      to the measure of ALL the Fullness of God.

20 Now to Him who IS ABLE 

      to do immeasurably More 

      than ALL we ask, 

      or imagine, 

      according to His Power 

      that is at work within us, 

21 to Him be Glory in the Church 

      and in Christ Jesus 

      throughout ALL generations, 

      FOREVER AND EVER! 

      AMEN!

 – Ephesians 3:14-21

Nothing I can add can top this one – I pray this for you ALL today!

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

So What? – That's What! – Colossians 3:1

1  So, if your'e serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it!

– Colossians 3:1  (MSG)

So What? – That's What!

I love this . . . So What?!

Remember the "So What" back-and-forth that went on when you were a kid? 

Kid #1: I did this or that!

Kid #2: So What? 

Kid #1: That's What!

Kid #2:  . . . (the still and silent sound of crickets in the background)

That's all there was . . . there was really no come-back once the "Thats What!" was used.  That's What, is all there is and nobody can argue the validity or the finality unless . . .

As a Christian, if your That's What isn't reflected by your What's What (your actions), then those observing –  everyone you know, knows you, or is even on the outside just observing, are left to say So What!?  He's a Christian - So What!?  He doesn't act like it.  He's no fun to be around; he's always depressed and just mopes around; he's always negative and critical; he badmouths his coworkers; he steals office supplies; he speeds and cuts people off in traffic (even though he has a "fish" on his bumper); he cusses like a sailor; he drinks like a fish; he's always late to work; and on-and-on it goes.

If we really want our "That's What!" to be the exclamation point to the question of our Christianity, then we need to show who Christ really is in our lives.  We need to be the light in the ever-growing darkness that is spreading across our land. We need to stop and take a look at the things that we say and do, at the places we go, and at the way that we get there. We need to always be aware that there are people watching us and taking notice of this "Christian" life, and we need to act like we believe that who we say we are is really who we are.  Knock-off Christianity is easily spotted and quickly dismissed, and I pray that I will never be the "Christian" who causes someone to decide to say So What to Jesus.

So . . how about it?  Are you serious about living this resurrection life with Christ?  Me too . . . so let's act like it!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for the wonderful resurrection life that I have in You. I am so sorry for the times that I have not been a good example of that life. I pray that I can act like I know the Love, and Power, and Grace, that You so freely gave, so that everyone who knows or sees me will never say So What to my life in You.

Have a blessed day everyone!

–  Richard

It's Already Yours – Ephesians 1:3

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
– Ephesians 1:3

It's Already Yours!
In the movie Trading Places, Eddy Murphy plays a down-and-out street hustler who because of a bet between two wealthy businessmen, is taken from the streets and thrust into the lap of luxury.  He is given a new, fully-furnished luxury town home (complete with butler, limousine,  and chauffer), a new job with a Wall Street investment firm, and enough wealth to sustain him for the rest of his life.  In the scene where he is taken to his new town home for the first time, "Valentine" (Eddie Murphy's character), starts taking the nick-knacks and valuable antiques from around the living room and hiding them in his overcoat – his face is all lit up like he just hit the jackpot or won the lottery.  The two businessmen just look on and chuckle in amusement, and they try to explain that he doesn't need to "steal" the valuables because they are all his to do with as he pleases.  In a classic comedic move, Valentine looks directly into the camera with a huge grin and a "Can you believe this?" look on his face.  It isn't long before we see Valentine fully integrated into his new life and living as a successful Wall Street executive.  He is even giving investment advice to seasoned stock brokers and market analysts.  He is no longer the down-and-out street hustler – he has become a new man – a new creation if you will.

I can picture God standing by with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, chuckling in amusement as we discover the blessings that have always been available to us, and are ours for the taking.  I think that too often we timidly approach God, and with feeble prayers, we ask for a small blessing when all the time there is a huge blessing in the waiting.  God is just waiting for us to get to a point in our lives when we have the faith to take it, and to be ready to handle the responsibility of receiving it.  Like a parent eagerly waiting for a child to open a marvelous gift, He delights when we discover the blessings He has already designed for us.

Scripture tells us that God has already blessed us in the heavenly realms with EVERY spiritual blessing in Christ.  It doesn't say that He WILL bless us – it says that we are ALREADY blessed.  We just have to have the faith to take and accept what is already ours.  And once taken, we have to be mature enough to live the blessing and take on the new life in that blessing.

Example?  You ask for and believe/have faith, that God will bless you with a boldness to preach the Gospel.  God sees that you are spiritually ready, high-fives Jesus, and sends the Holy Spirit to the "Heavenly Storehouse" with instructions to deliver your blessing.  Next thing you know, you receive an invitation to give your testimony in front of the congregation at church.  Afterward, someone who just happened to be visiting your church, comes up to you and says, "You know,  I am headed to India for a missions conference, and I want to pay your way to go with us and tell your story on the opening night of our conference – there will be thousands in attendance!"  You had a small street ministry in mind, but God already had a global outreach blessing ready for you . . before you were even born!

I know not everyone is called to be a speaker or a preacher, but I think you get the idea.  So how do I tap into these blessings that already mine you ask?  It's simple really – you ready for it?  Here it is:

Love the Lord with ALL your heart.
Love the Lord with ALL your soul.
Love the Lord with ALL your mind.
Love the Lord with ALL your strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

The key is love – the love OF Christ and the love we find IN Christ.  If we can just figure out how to stop loving ourselves so much, and stop focusing on what it is that WE want, and how WE want our lives to unfold, then we can put our focus where it belongs.  The blessings which are already ours and have always been waiting for us, will be at our disposal and we can realize the abundance of life that God has designed for each one of us.

Prayer
Father, I thank You for the blessings that You have waiting for me.  I pray that I can take hold of the faith to handle the awesome magnitude of Your vision for my life.  Teach me to love with all that I am so that I can claim the  spiritual blessings in Christ that Your Word promises.  Grow me Lord, so that I can handle the blessings once I receive them.  I look forward to seeing the direction my life will take because of Your great love for me.  Help us all Lord, to catch Your vision for our lives and to have the faith to believe in them . . . like You believe in us.

Have a blessed day everyone!

– Richard

The Cross Roads – Luke 23: 26-27 / 32-33

26 As they led Jesus away, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country just then, was forced to follow Jesus and carry his cross. 
27 Great crowds trailed along behind, including many grief-stricken women. 
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 
33 Finally, they came to a place called The Skull.  All three were crucified there – Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side. 
– Luke 23: 26-27 / 32-33

The Cross Roads
Do you remember the road that led you to the Cross?  Perhaps you skipped down the road as a child and have spent the majority of your life celebrating the Love and Grace of our Savior;  maybe you crawled down it after leaving a bar  or a night of partying;  maybe you traveled down the road for 40 or 50 years and after a life of searching, finally reaching the Cross.  Or maybe, like me, you were drawn to the Cross after a life of defeat, and despair, and perverted living – the Lord reaching down from heaven, rescuing you and walking hand-in-hand all the way to the Cross.  Regardless of how you got there, the point is that you got there, and once there, our Lord Jesus changed your life forever.


Jesus took a very different road.  The road He took was filled with betrayal, and hate, and chaos, and confusion.  It was lined with jeering crowds, weeping women, and Roman soldiers.  It was paved with the blood and sweat of criminals past who were led to their deaths in the same way He was being led . . . or was it?


As I was reflecting on the events of Good Friday, I began to look at it from a different perspective; I began to imagine seeing everything from heaven's perspective.  Looking down at the events of that day,  I began to see a road filled with joy and celebration. A road lined with choirs of angels singing the praises of our King – "Glory, Glory, Glory to the Lamb – He is the Righteous King who takes away the sins of the world!"  I began to see a road paved with gold and pearls and diamonds, shining brightly in the sun as Jesus, dressed in brilliant robes of white and purple, and crowned with brilliant light marching purposefully and gracefully into victory over sin and death!


This was The Plan after-all; the saving Grace of our Father setting His seal upon His people – giving us the keys to the kingdom so that we could face Him through the unblemished blood of His perfect Son.  This was His way of saying, "You are my beloved children and I will walk with you in the cool of the morning, and we will fellowship in the mansions of heaven - forever!"  What an awesome and  wonderful Father we have!


Yes, this was a horrible day as humanity reared its ugliest head and showed how truly evil we can be – but it was a Glorious day that was carefully planned, and perfectly executed, and triumphantly realized . . . just for us . . . just for you . . . and just for me!  Thank You Jesus!


Take some time today to reflect on the road that got you to the Cross.  Thank the Father and our Lord Jesus for guiding you there. Thank the Holy Spirit for giving you the power to live this Victorious Life.  Live this day – for Him, and reflect His Love, and His Grace, and His Compassion to those you meet today.  Celebrate the day as I believe it was celebrated in heaven – with singing and rejoicing, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty!  He saw me and He saved me!  He rescued me from uncertainty and I will dwell in the house of the Lord - forever!"


Prayer
Lord You are a mighty and an awesome God.  Your plan to redeem mankind was perfect and I thank You for remembering me and for leading me to the cross.  My life is so different than it was and I am so grateful.  You reached down to me and You lifted me out of my sin and You held me to Your chest – what a glorious day that was!  I will celebrate this day and I will let Your light shine through me as I go through my routine so that others might be drawn down the road to the cross.  I love You my Lord!


Have a blessed day everyone!


– Richard

The Devil likes to Fish! – James 4:7

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

– James 4:7

The Devil likes to Fish!

My brother and I used to go fishing all the time when I lived in Dallas.  We would get up so early and we'd be on the lake at sunup.  We had some good times but at first it was just plain frustrating.  You see, before I moved to Dallas, my brother used to tell me about all the fish he would catch – sometimes 30 to 40 in one day!  I don't care who you are – that's good fishing.  The frustrating things is that when I moved and we started fishing together, we didn't catch anything – nothin – nada – zilch – zero!  I began to question his stories of abundant fishing.

After about a month or so of getting "skunked" every outing, we decided to change our bait.  We switched to live minnows on a double rig – in no time we were catching limits of hybrid and small striped bass.  Fishing was fun! 

As we had more and more success, we moved on to Black Bass and we learned all we could about how to catch them – we bought topographic maps that showed the underwater structure where they lived, we could see where water channels and deep  pools were located so we could strategize our trips.  We checked out the different lures and techniques and we learned what was effective and what wasn't.  Soon we were catching good size keepers.  I really miss those days fishing with my brother!

The enemy uses the same techniques on us – trying to lure us into sin by presenting us with things that are appealing and seem good.  He knows what whets our appetites and he watches our reactions to each attempt.  He is patient and quiet, and he knows just how to dangle that hook right in front of our faces so that when we get hooked, we don't even realize what has happened.

The Bible tells us to be big, mature fish (Christians).  A fish only gets big and mature by avoiding the temptation of the lure – in fact, most times, when a lure is dropped in the water, the mature fish will swim the other way.  It won't try to get a closer look (it has already seen others get yanked out of the water too many times), it won't dance around the lure or even try to smell it - the mature fish knows that the lure means danger and it avoids it at all cost.

As you run away from sin, the devil will try to find less experienced fish to prey on – oh, don't be fooled – he will NEVER leave you alone because he wants to bag the trophy fish, but he will turn his attention elsewhere until you make a mistake and he will try out a brand new and shiny lure to get you when you are at your weakest.

So if the devil won't ever completely leave us alone, what chance do we have to get big and fat (so to speak)?  The key is to stay where the devil won't go – in the Word.  You have to be so into God's Word that the devil will run away when you come around.  The power of the Word is such that the enemy MUST flee, he has no choice.  You also have to put on your armor every day – the day you forget is when a dart will come flying in from a distance and you will be vulnerable to attack.

The Word of God and the Armor of God – the best things to put in any tackle box!

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your Word.  I submit myself to You today and I ask that You lead me in the way that I should go.  I look to You for every direction and I submit every thought and every action to You.  I need Your Word to protect me against the attacks of the enemy and I will put on my armor every day so that I can stand with my brother and sisters against his attacks.  Thank You Father!

Have a blessed day my Brothers!

– Richard

Blending Our Voices – Romans 15:5-6

5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 

6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
– Romans 15:5-6

Blending Our Voices
Our God is the God of endurance and encouragement – and boy do we need Him!  In a world that emphasizes promoting individual accomplishments, the Bible tells us that we need each other, so that together, we can glorify God.  It is clear to me though, that in order to be able to do that, we need to be in God's Word everyday, so that we can take advantage of His encouragement; to keep on enduring . . . together, and to put aside our own agendas and ideas of how the world should revolve.  The key is to strive towards harmonious living in unity with Jesus.  It isn't about you, and it isn't about me - it's about you and me IN Christ - that's how we will glorify our Father.

This has always been tough for me because I have always been a by-myself kind of guy.  I have always found it easier to handle things on my own so that I can have control over how things are done.  I guess I just like to have things done a certain way, and of course my way is always the right way (NOT!).  Letting go of pride in my life is not easy, but I am finding that as I move out of my comfort zone and I try to participate in ministries and in things like small groups, Bible studies, and other church activities, I am able to see that if Christ is the center of our efforts, the group thrives and the small part that I can play helps to make it all work.  God can then move and He is glorified through the concerted efforts of the group, and not the individual efforts of the group members.  It takes everyone working together to be successful, and in that, the individuals are then ministered to – by the other members.  It really is a wonderful concert and we are all designed by our Father to work best as members in His orchestra.

Prayer
Father I thank You for helping me to let go of my pride and to be a small part of something bigger than myself.  I am learning how to let go of my own ideas of how things should work and I am growing in You because of my relationships with other people.  I pray that as I continue to join myself to others, that I can bring peace and harmony to the relationships and that together we can grow in You and learn how to live, united in Christ.  

Have an awesome day everyone!

–Richard

Grace Is For Everyone – Ephesians 2:4-9

4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 

5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 

6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 

7 in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, to us in Christ Jesus. expressed in His kindness 

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 

9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

- Ephesians 2:4-9

Grace Is For Everyone

Do you ever think about Grace?   God's Grace in particular?  It's something I've been thinking a lot about lately.  I still have trouble sometimes, trying to rationalize why God sent Grace my way.  I mean, I am nothing - and I certainly don't deserve it - especially back before I was first saved . . . I REALLY didn't deserve it then, but He chose to gift it to me anyway.  He still gifts it my way, every second, of every moment, of every day.

I am so humbled and so in awe of how God continues to work in my life, and I know that I'll never be able to justify it.  I can however, "gift" Grace to someone else.  I can choose to show grace throughout my day to those who don't know the love of our Father - and even to those who do.  Sometimes I forget that I am supposed to reflect His Love to those around us.  A BIG part of that love is Grace.

Believe me, I know how difficult it can be.  That so-and-so zipping in and out of traffic on the freeway; the guy who took the parking place - even though it was clearly meant for someone else;  the kid in the car who has his sub-woofer thumping hip-hop so loud that it is shaking everyone else's car;  the girl gabbing on-and-on about absolutely nothing so that everyone on the bus is now a part of her conversation;  the coworker who is not pulling their weight;  the fast-food clerk who just can't seem to get the order right; the inconsiderate person who brought their crying baby to the movie theater...and on-and-on the list goes.  All those people who annoy us and make our lives a little less "convenient" - yep, they deserve grace too.

I know I have been the person stealing a parking spot, or playing the stereo too loud, or doing something to annoy someone else, so I really don't have a right to complain . . . but I do.  I do it way too often sometimes.  The Lord has really shown me that I need to be less annoyed with people, and start showing them Grace and Love and Kindness.  I need to always be mindful that I am His child ONLY because He FIRST loved me.  I am, and always will be, undeserving of our Father's Love, and the Grace He so freely gives me, and I have no right to treat anyone as if I hold some sort of position over them.  I am nothing, therefore I should be gracious to all.

Prayer

Father, please forgive my ungrateful heart.  Thank You for reminding me that You are the reason for the very breath and life in me.  Thank You for showing me that the best way to reflect who You are is to show Grace and Mercy and Kindness and Love to those around me.  I pray that I can start today to not show impatience, or be annoyed, or pass judgment on anyone and I ask for the help of Your Holy Spirit because on my own, I know that I will fail.  But Lord, with Your help I can do anything!

Have a blessed day everyone!

- Richard

I Hope So! – 1 Peter 1:13

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
– 1 Peter 1:13

I Hope So!
Hope is one of those catch-all words that can mean a lot of different things depending on who is hoping, and what they are hoping for.  As Christians, there is only one hope for us – or at least that's what it should be.

When I was a kid I used to hope for a lot of things.  Most of them would never come true but I hoped for them anyway.  Like most kids in our country, I was preoccupied with material things and satisfying my need for "stuff."  I used to wish and hope and dream and plan about things that I would never realize.  I remember one time hoping that I would be a millionaire so that I could buy myself a fire truck.  I was 6 at the time and if I remember correctly, the year before I hoped I could BE a fire truck!  That just shows the kind of silly things my imagination put priority on.

God built the need to hope in us.  So even though as kids we all hoped for silly things (I know I'm not the only one), it was because of the wonderful gift of hope that our Father in heaven, in His infinite wisdom, blessed us with.  He knew that one day, we would come to realize the fullness of the meaning of hope, and the one true reason He birthed it in us.  I believe He sits in eager anticipation of that Aha! moment when each of us recognizes Christ as our Savior and our one true Hope.

So understanding the hope that we now have, the bible tells us to prepare our minds for action and to keep sober in spirit!  Keep hoping and realize what and who you are – in Him!  The resurrected Christ is our King, and our Way to the Father, and we are given this blessed hope because He first loved us and called us to Himself!  It is nothing that we did or could ever do – it is only by grace that we were given this precious gift.

He is our eternal Life and our proclamation of Glory!  We need to share our hope with a world that has none – or that is hoping for material or worldly things.  We need to show them the difference that they can have in their lives by displaying the hope that we have!  We should be beacons of hope that will lead those with lost or misguided hope, to the Hope and to the Light of Christ!

Prayer
Father, I am so thankful for the hope that You have given me, in the gift of Christ.  Lord Jesus, you are my reason for being and my hope for the day when I will be with You in eternity.  You have brought joy to my life and I am forever grateful.  I pray that I can share that same hope with those who you bring across my path and that I never pass on an opportunity to share the Hope that I have in You!

Have a blessed day everyone!

–Richard 

13 It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free - signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. 

14 This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. 

- Ephesians 1: 13-14

Signed - Sealed - Delivered!

Have you ever had to get anything ready for shipping?  Perhaps a special Christmas gift that is going cross country?  You make sure that the contents are securely packed and protected with either styrofoam peanuts or bubble-wrap or some other form of protection.  You take extra care in filling out the shipping form, checking the address 2 or 3 times to make sure you got it right - then you take care to make sure it is sealed properly so that no one can tamper with  it . . . and then after paying for the extra insurance, you hand it over to the delivery service.  After getting the tracking number you daily check the package's progress until it arrives safely at its destination.  All this just for a package!

Not UPS, FedEx, DHS, USPS nor anyone else can even come close to the care and security that our Father and Savior have taken in making sure that you get to heaven.  He put you in the perfect package to make the life-long journey;  He protected you with the Holy Spirit, who wraps Himself around you every day, and every step, and every breath, so that you make it through to your final destination;  He sealed it with His blood so that no one and no "thing" can destroy you.  He did such a great job that your place in heaven is already prepared and waiting for your arrival - it's not a question of if you will arrive, but when.

So take heart - know that you are on your way!  Have confidence that as long as you keep your eyes on Him, our Lord and Savior will not allow the enemy to steal your joy.  Keep looking towards heaven and keep walking in your eternal tennis shoes;  keep singing praises to our Father and proclaiming His unconditional Love to everyone you meet;  keep sharing your heart with Him and letting Him be a part of your daily walk;  keep on living because you are instrumental in bringing others into the kingdom.  He wants to use you by letting others see His light shining through you - they will be drawn to you like moths to a flame  because the love of Christ pours out of you and everything you do.  You have been purchased and your destination has been sealed and signed for - and your destination is guaranteed!

Prayer

Father I thank You for choosing me to share Your kingdom with.  What a joy it is to know that I will be in Your presence and praising You as we stroll through streets of gold and fields of silk and pearls.  Your love humbles me and I know that if I can show someone just a portion of Your grace and forgiveness that they will be joining us in paradise.  Help me Lord to keep my eyes fixed on you and to not focus on the daily problems that will always be a part of this life - I know that You make everything better and that my problems are only temporary.  Thank You Lord!

Have a blessed day my Brothers!

-Richard