Good morning! Today is Memorial Day, a day in which we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives to ensure our freedom. Unfortunately many today will spend time around the barbeque grill or at the lake without ever taking time to reflect or say thank you.
All too often we are the same way when it comes to our faith. We take very little time to remember what God has done for each of us. We place no tangible reminders in our lives to stir our hearts or cause others to ask about God’s faithfulness. Let me challenge you with the following passage of scripture:
Joshua 4:6-8 (NLT)
We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future, your children will ask, 'What do these stones mean to you?' [7] Then you can tell them, 'They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord's covenant went across.' These stones will stand as a permanent memorial among the people of Israel."
[8] So the men did as Joshua told them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had commanded Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.
What is the last prayer that was answered in your life? When did you experience God’s supernatural intervention in your circumstances? When did you see God stir the waters of turmoil that surrounded you? If you are like most people you have no recorded testimony of those events. Most of us are very negligent in preserving a record of the mighty acts of God within our lives. In days of old, families kept a family Bible that would note such things as baptisms, marriages, etc…, but rarely do you see a recording of the miraculous.
If you don’t already do it I would encourage you to keep a journal that details God’s working in your life. During times of doubt when your faith is anemic at best, you can return to the pages of your own life and see God’s faithfulness revealed time and time again. 3 years ago I wrote and published my first book as a personal reminder to me of God’s continual faithfulness and provision in my life. On those days that I find my faith waivers, I return to those pages to remind myself of God’s power and grace.
This Memorial Day take a few moments to reflect on the sacrifice of the men and women who paid for your freedom. Thank God for their willingness to fight and give their lives. Then take some time to remember God’s work in your life and to express your gratitude in praise.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, May 30, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Monday Morning Encouragement - May 23, 2005
Did you know that your life brings God joy? I think to many times we put God into a “man upstairs” box and too easily forget that God is not just the “Most High” God, but He is also the “Most Nigh” God.
God created each of you with an intimate personal relationship in mind. God does not force you to love Him, he desires your free expressions of love. God also wants to show you the depths of His love.
It is with this thought in mind that I would like to share the following verse with you:
Zepheniah. 3:17 (NLT)
For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song."
I want you to notice a few things in this passage of Scripture. First of all notice that God lives in community with you. There is no place you go and no circumstance you face in which God is not present with you. He sees your days both good and bad. God desires to share your life with all of it’s ups and downs. How many times do you talk to God about your day? How often do you invite him to join you at work, at school or at play?
Did you realize that God rejoices over you? Look at this next point. “He will rejoice over you with great gladness.” When you think about the word rejoice, I want you to think about the strong expressions of joy that are expressed at a wedding or the birth of child. Not only is God rejoicing over you, but He is rejoicing with great gladness. When we live our lives in harmonious relationship with God we honor Him and bring gladness to His heart.
Do you ever get scared? My daughter tends to be frightened by thunderstorms. When the storms come, she likes to come and crawl into bed with mom and dad. Why does crawling in bed with us calm her fears? I can’t make the thunder go away. It is the love of her parents that she seeks. Our love gives her strength and assurance that everything will be ok. Look at what the Bible says about power of love conquering fear:
1 John 4:18 (NLT)
Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us.
The final thing I want you to see is this: God exults over you by singing a happy song. God literally breaks into song when He rejoices over you. What an amazing thought!!! God…the Creator, sustainer, the Almighty….rejoices over you and me in song.
Today if you are feeling a little unloved, unappreciated or just plain unnoticed, remember this…when God thinks of a love relationship with you, His heart is filled with gladness and He rejoices over you in song.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
God created each of you with an intimate personal relationship in mind. God does not force you to love Him, he desires your free expressions of love. God also wants to show you the depths of His love.
It is with this thought in mind that I would like to share the following verse with you:
Zepheniah. 3:17 (NLT)
For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song."
I want you to notice a few things in this passage of Scripture. First of all notice that God lives in community with you. There is no place you go and no circumstance you face in which God is not present with you. He sees your days both good and bad. God desires to share your life with all of it’s ups and downs. How many times do you talk to God about your day? How often do you invite him to join you at work, at school or at play?
Did you realize that God rejoices over you? Look at this next point. “He will rejoice over you with great gladness.” When you think about the word rejoice, I want you to think about the strong expressions of joy that are expressed at a wedding or the birth of child. Not only is God rejoicing over you, but He is rejoicing with great gladness. When we live our lives in harmonious relationship with God we honor Him and bring gladness to His heart.
Do you ever get scared? My daughter tends to be frightened by thunderstorms. When the storms come, she likes to come and crawl into bed with mom and dad. Why does crawling in bed with us calm her fears? I can’t make the thunder go away. It is the love of her parents that she seeks. Our love gives her strength and assurance that everything will be ok. Look at what the Bible says about power of love conquering fear:
1 John 4:18 (NLT)
Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us.
The final thing I want you to see is this: God exults over you by singing a happy song. God literally breaks into song when He rejoices over you. What an amazing thought!!! God…the Creator, sustainer, the Almighty….rejoices over you and me in song.
Today if you are feeling a little unloved, unappreciated or just plain unnoticed, remember this…when God thinks of a love relationship with you, His heart is filled with gladness and He rejoices over you in song.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, May 16, 2005
Monday Morning Encouragement - May 16, 2005
Good Morning! It is a brand new week with new opportunities and challenges ahead. This morning I want to talk to you about maintaining your focus in turbulent times.
One of my favorite accounts from Scripture is found in the following verses:
Matthew 14:25-33 (NLT)
[25] About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. [26] When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. [27] But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid."
[28] Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water."
[29] "All right, come," Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. [30] But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
[31] Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" [32] And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
[33] Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.
There are so many wonderful truths in this account that we can take to heart and put into practice.
The first thing I want you to see is that even in your deepest darkest hours, Jesus knows where you are. In fact not only does he know where you are…he is right there with you. You may currently be experiencing a time of loneliness, personal crisis or despair. If this describes your situation the words of Christ are for you today: “I am here! Don’t be afraid.”
The second thing I want you to realize is that Jesus is inviting you to join him. Jesus invited Peter to “come.” Think about the nature of this invitation. Jesus was inviting Peter to do the impossible…walk on water. When we join Jesus, when we accept his invitation to “come, He empowers us to accomplish things that we in our own strength could never do.
Sometimes we criticize Peter for his lack of faith, but did you ever notice that he was the only one who got out of the boat? When it was all said and done only Peter got to experience the miracle of walking on water, only Peter could testify of how Jesus pulled him from the waves, and only Peter got to walk hand in hand with Jesus upon the waves.
A critical point for each of us is the issue of focus. Peter was walking on water until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to watch the waves. When the waves of life come crashing in, they so easily move our focus off of the will of God and onto the crisis itself.
Peter was not sinking until his eyes shifted. In my younger days I was a police officer. Part of my duties was traffic enforcement. Do you know how hard it was for people to drive straight when they were busy watching me in the rearview mirror. People would get their focus onto me and forget about driving straight. The same principal is true. You cannot stay on track with God’s will if you are fixated on your circumstances.
My final thought for you today deals with the most powerful prayer any of us could pray: “Save me, Lord!” Peter’s cry to Jesus was not an eloquent prayer. He did not wax poetic in his cry for help. Peter simply needed the saving power of Jesus right then and right there. This is the same power that is at work when we give up our own self-reliance and selfish ways and cry out to Jesus for salvation. Just as he did with Peter, Jesus is waiting to pull you up out of the wrong choices, sinful attitudes and rebellious nature that you are sinking in. He is ready to respond to your crisis without delay. Cling to him for life.
As you go throughout this week, remember that the problems of life may be over your head, but they are under Jesus’ feet. Ask Him to save you and savor the moment as you walk hand in hand with him, strolling on the tops of the waves.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
One of my favorite accounts from Scripture is found in the following verses:
Matthew 14:25-33 (NLT)
[25] About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came to them, walking on the water. [26] When the disciples saw him, they screamed in terror, thinking he was a ghost. [27] But Jesus spoke to them at once. "It's all right," he said. "I am here! Don't be afraid."
[28] Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water."
[29] "All right, come," Jesus said.
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. [30] But when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
[31] Instantly Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him. "You don't have much faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" [32] And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped.
[33] Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed.
There are so many wonderful truths in this account that we can take to heart and put into practice.
The first thing I want you to see is that even in your deepest darkest hours, Jesus knows where you are. In fact not only does he know where you are…he is right there with you. You may currently be experiencing a time of loneliness, personal crisis or despair. If this describes your situation the words of Christ are for you today: “I am here! Don’t be afraid.”
The second thing I want you to realize is that Jesus is inviting you to join him. Jesus invited Peter to “come.” Think about the nature of this invitation. Jesus was inviting Peter to do the impossible…walk on water. When we join Jesus, when we accept his invitation to “come, He empowers us to accomplish things that we in our own strength could never do.
Sometimes we criticize Peter for his lack of faith, but did you ever notice that he was the only one who got out of the boat? When it was all said and done only Peter got to experience the miracle of walking on water, only Peter could testify of how Jesus pulled him from the waves, and only Peter got to walk hand in hand with Jesus upon the waves.
A critical point for each of us is the issue of focus. Peter was walking on water until he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to watch the waves. When the waves of life come crashing in, they so easily move our focus off of the will of God and onto the crisis itself.
Peter was not sinking until his eyes shifted. In my younger days I was a police officer. Part of my duties was traffic enforcement. Do you know how hard it was for people to drive straight when they were busy watching me in the rearview mirror. People would get their focus onto me and forget about driving straight. The same principal is true. You cannot stay on track with God’s will if you are fixated on your circumstances.
My final thought for you today deals with the most powerful prayer any of us could pray: “Save me, Lord!” Peter’s cry to Jesus was not an eloquent prayer. He did not wax poetic in his cry for help. Peter simply needed the saving power of Jesus right then and right there. This is the same power that is at work when we give up our own self-reliance and selfish ways and cry out to Jesus for salvation. Just as he did with Peter, Jesus is waiting to pull you up out of the wrong choices, sinful attitudes and rebellious nature that you are sinking in. He is ready to respond to your crisis without delay. Cling to him for life.
As you go throughout this week, remember that the problems of life may be over your head, but they are under Jesus’ feet. Ask Him to save you and savor the moment as you walk hand in hand with him, strolling on the tops of the waves.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, May 09, 2005
Good morning. I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day and had the opportunity to spend the day with those special people in your life.
Today I want to talk about religious activity versus true passionate faith.
As a pastor I have the unique vantage point of watching people during church services. As Christians we would generally say that our relationship to God is the most important thing in our lives. We sing songs about how glad we are that we have Jesus in our hearts and God watching over us. Yet, many times as I look out on the congregation I see faces that radiate something less than joy and hearts that show something much less than gratitude. Quite frankly the actions are not consistent with the condition of the heart.
Look at what Jesus had to say to the “religious” people of his day:
Mark 7:7-8 (NLT)
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away.
Their worship is a farce,
for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'
[8] For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions."
The truth of the matter is and has always been…God is not interested in your religion…He wants your heart!!! Too many of us today have substituted religious activity for a heart that yearns after God. We allowed mediocrity in our lives to replace passion in our hearts.
Church attendance and good deeds are no substitution for a true and authentic relationship with Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself said:
Matthew 7:21 (NLT)
"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.
I find it sad that so many have traded empty ritual for authentic relationship. They have missed the mark and will find themselves separated from God.
Today my challenge to you is two fold. First of all examine your heart. Does Jesus occupy that space? Have you allowed yourself to fall in love with Him? His love for you was displayed upon the cross…have your received His love in all of its fullness?
Secondarily, if you have given your life to Him, are you living out a passionate faith. Do you enter the church house without a thought that you are there to meet with God? Do you sing of joy but look like you ate a bowl of sour lemons in the process? Are you truly living out your faith or just practicing religion?
Remember, faith is an issue of the heart.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Today I want to talk about religious activity versus true passionate faith.
As a pastor I have the unique vantage point of watching people during church services. As Christians we would generally say that our relationship to God is the most important thing in our lives. We sing songs about how glad we are that we have Jesus in our hearts and God watching over us. Yet, many times as I look out on the congregation I see faces that radiate something less than joy and hearts that show something much less than gratitude. Quite frankly the actions are not consistent with the condition of the heart.
Look at what Jesus had to say to the “religious” people of his day:
Mark 7:7-8 (NLT)
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away.
Their worship is a farce,
for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'
[8] For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions."
The truth of the matter is and has always been…God is not interested in your religion…He wants your heart!!! Too many of us today have substituted religious activity for a heart that yearns after God. We allowed mediocrity in our lives to replace passion in our hearts.
Church attendance and good deeds are no substitution for a true and authentic relationship with Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself said:
Matthew 7:21 (NLT)
"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.
I find it sad that so many have traded empty ritual for authentic relationship. They have missed the mark and will find themselves separated from God.
Today my challenge to you is two fold. First of all examine your heart. Does Jesus occupy that space? Have you allowed yourself to fall in love with Him? His love for you was displayed upon the cross…have your received His love in all of its fullness?
Secondarily, if you have given your life to Him, are you living out a passionate faith. Do you enter the church house without a thought that you are there to meet with God? Do you sing of joy but look like you ate a bowl of sour lemons in the process? Are you truly living out your faith or just practicing religion?
Remember, faith is an issue of the heart.
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
Monday, May 02, 2005
Monday Morning Encouragement - May 2, 2005
It’s another Monday morning and believe it or not, May is already here. Today I wanted to talk to you about striving for excellence in all that you do.
I don’t know what kind of a student you were in school? My academic pursuits could best be described as “average.” When I graduated high school I graduated with a grade point average of 2.86. If you recall on the grading scale anything between 2.0 and 2.99 is a “C” also known as average. My parents have recounted to me many a teacher’s conference in which they were told, “he can do the work, he just doesn’t apply himself…one of these days he’ll grow up and decide he wants to accomplish something.” Of course in my defense, if getting out of work could have gotten you a letter grade, I would have been a straight “A” student in the fine art of slacking.
So this begs the question…does striving for excellence make a difference? Let me answer that question with a second question. When you go out to a restaurant or store, is there not a better quality of service from those who strive for excellence in their service of you from those who just give you average effort? The quest for excellence permeates every area of a person’s life. It is evident in their relationships, their productivity and their overall level of morale.
As a Christian, there is an even greater reason to strive for excellence in all that we do. Our work is not just a reflection upon us, but more importantly is a reflection upon God Himself.
Psalm 37:5 (NLT)
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
Think of it this way. If I go to a store and the clerk treats me with indifference, a poor attitude, or provides less than quality service I am left with not only a poor impression of the employee, but I have a less than favorable view of the store as well.
When we commit all that we do to God, He instills in us a desire for excellence. We strive to do our very best so that He receives the glory for our work. Conducting our work with excellence is another way of expressing our love to God. Your employer may be signing your paycheck and doing your performance review, but ultimately it is God who you are working for.
So today strive to be the best engineer, nurse, teacher, homemaker, secretary, student or laborer that you can be. If you dig ditches, strive to dig ditches better than anyone. If you file papers, strive to file better than anyone. One day we all we receive the ultimate performance review as we stand before God. Give Him ample reason to say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
I don’t know what kind of a student you were in school? My academic pursuits could best be described as “average.” When I graduated high school I graduated with a grade point average of 2.86. If you recall on the grading scale anything between 2.0 and 2.99 is a “C” also known as average. My parents have recounted to me many a teacher’s conference in which they were told, “he can do the work, he just doesn’t apply himself…one of these days he’ll grow up and decide he wants to accomplish something.” Of course in my defense, if getting out of work could have gotten you a letter grade, I would have been a straight “A” student in the fine art of slacking.
So this begs the question…does striving for excellence make a difference? Let me answer that question with a second question. When you go out to a restaurant or store, is there not a better quality of service from those who strive for excellence in their service of you from those who just give you average effort? The quest for excellence permeates every area of a person’s life. It is evident in their relationships, their productivity and their overall level of morale.
As a Christian, there is an even greater reason to strive for excellence in all that we do. Our work is not just a reflection upon us, but more importantly is a reflection upon God Himself.
Psalm 37:5 (NLT)
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
Think of it this way. If I go to a store and the clerk treats me with indifference, a poor attitude, or provides less than quality service I am left with not only a poor impression of the employee, but I have a less than favorable view of the store as well.
When we commit all that we do to God, He instills in us a desire for excellence. We strive to do our very best so that He receives the glory for our work. Conducting our work with excellence is another way of expressing our love to God. Your employer may be signing your paycheck and doing your performance review, but ultimately it is God who you are working for.
So today strive to be the best engineer, nurse, teacher, homemaker, secretary, student or laborer that you can be. If you dig ditches, strive to dig ditches better than anyone. If you file papers, strive to file better than anyone. One day we all we receive the ultimate performance review as we stand before God. Give Him ample reason to say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.
Carl
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