Applaud Loud and Often!


Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Psalm 105:2 NKJV

We are one Wednesday night away from finishing up a four part series that I am teaching using the book Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. I have really enjoyed seeing some scriptures open up in a new and fresh way to me. I only hope the church I pastor can say the same. Last evenings lesson can be wrapped up in one sentence. Applaud God Loud and Often. Make a big deal out of God with your living.
The apostle Paul wrote in his last letter to Timothy, to stir up the gift that in is you. The next verse says God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear, but power and love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:6-7.
God has not given us the fear we often feel when we are being challenged to step out with our gifting that the Lord placed in our life. That sprit has to be coming from another place. But that fear will stagger us and even cause us to not do what we should do with our gifts.
In the story of the talents that Jesus tells in Matthew 25 the one talent servant failed because he was fearful and believed his Lord was hard. It is interesting to note that the other two servants never seem to deal with these issues. The answer can only be one reason, they knew their Lord, the one talent servant never got to know his Lord. So because of his fear he buries his gift in this world and never uses it for the glory of his Lord. It cost him everything.
I challenge you to not bury your God given talents in this world. Don’t cover your gifts from God with the drives of life. Remember as you use your gifts to make a living, have fun or have accomplishments in your life that God gave you that ability. It’s not yours and He will one day ask what you did with it. Get to know Jesus, know your Lord, so as you go through life and work through your day, make a big deal out of God with your life.
Applaud God Loud and Often

I feel my purpose today is not to give you some formula for instant anointing or blessing. I want to challenge you to grow yourself in God in a fresh way and in a greater direction. If we do that blessings will become a given. In the Old Testament God said they would chase you down and overtake you.
"And all these blessings shall come on you and overtake you, if you will listen to the voice of Jehovah your God." Deuteronomy 28:2 MKJV
The writer then goes on to explain those blessings.

When it comes to life I am a firm believer in planning, meting goals, talking about needed changes and making them, financial planning and preparing. I have a saying on file that explains the truth about the importance of planning. Poor Preparation is the Perfect Path to Panic!

In the same sense, if we want God involved in our daily life we will have to prepare the of the Lord.
Isaiah prophesied that john was coming and he said that John would cry out to all people with a command, "In the desert prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3 NIV
Matthew, Mark and Luke tell of this event. Mark simply copied the writings of Isaiah into the Greek language and said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." Mark 1:3 KJV
If you look closely at the words he uses he says the way we prepare is make his path straight.
The word "way" translates to "road".
The word "path" translated to "a worn rut or path".
The word "straight" translated to "level".

Simply put we are to prepare a road for the Lord into our lives, created a path that is easy to see and make it level or easy to walk on. Prepare God a way to easily walk through our life. Make plans for God to easily touch our lives.
If we do that, if we make it easy for God to be involved in every aspect of our lives then we leave little room for panic.

God bless you today, go make a way for God to easily walk through your day.

Sorry for using my devotion book again but yesterday evenings was to good to pass up.

He Lives In You

"I work and struggle, using Christ's great strength that works so powerfully in me." Colossians 1:29

God was with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the cool of the day.

God was with Abraham, even calling the patriarch his friend.

God was with Moses and with the children of Israel.

God was with Peter, he could touch God's face. He was with James, he could watch Him sleep. Multitudes could hear His voice. God was with them.

But if you have His Spirit, God is In you... He will do what you cannot.

Example, imagine a million dollars being deposited into your checking account. To any observer you look the same, except for that goofy grin on your face. But really your not the same.

With God in you you have a million resources that you did not have before!

Can't stop worrying? Christ can. And He lives within you.

Can't forgive the jerk, forget the past, or forsake your bad habits? Christ can! And He lives within you.

From the Next Door Savior by Max Lucado

Wow! This mornings devotion was like a fine meal. It really it the spot for me. It was centered around Philippians 4:6 "Pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks". The writer said that Heaven knows no difference between Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon. He went on to say that we may go days without thinking of God but God never stops thinking of us. I really needed that this morning.
I find my life often gets cluttered up and like Paul in the scripture. I have actions I don't want to have. I do things I don't want to do. (Romans 7:15-21) I told God this morning that I need His help to think better. It is amazing how this mind can pull us down. I don't want to get distracted in the mist of a miracle. Like Peter in scripture (Matthew 14:30), while he walked on the water, it is easy to start looking at things around us and lose sight of Jesus and the miracle he is working in our life.
So this morning I took a deep spiritual breath and smiled when I remembered that God is thinking of me. So I prayed God help me to capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)

May you too remember that there is a miracle going on in your life so don't get distracted by the storm, Jesus is walking on your waves.

Thank God its 2009!

You may not be so excited but for me I personally couldn't wait for it to get here. I can't really say that the second that seperated last year from this year really makes any difference but for me it did. 2008 wasn't one of my greatest years. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best, 2008 scored about a .o2 for me. Physicall, emotionally and just all around it wasn't that great.
But here we are with a brand new page to write on. I plan on being a lot more careful with what I draw and write on my New Year's page. I have adjusted my life emotionally and physically. Spiritually I am planning to and already reaching after Jesus more than ever before. Do I think it will be a perfect year if I do everythng perfect? No! Life will always have ups and downs, that's part of living. I do believe that if I plant better things in the soil of my life that I will get a better return. Its easier to handel the little bugs of life if you are reaping a better harvest. So I will plant some better seeds in life this year.

As I started my New Year devotions the following was in the front of my Devotion book, Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado.

For the next twelve months I will be exposed to the world’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I Choose Love…
No occasion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy…
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less that human beings, created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than
an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace…
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience…
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of
cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is too long,
I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist
at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness…
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind,
for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness…
I will go without a dollar before
I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast,
I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness…
Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not
question my word. My wife will not question my love.
And my children will never fear that
their father will not come home.

I Choose Gentleness…
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I Choose Self-Control…
I am a spiritual being…
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught by Christ.
I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my year. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek grace. And then, when a day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest. Galatians 5:22-23

I hoe you too will plant some better seed in life this year. The choice is your!