Trust in the Lord alone.

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans,

who rely on human strength

and turn their hearts away from the Lord.

They are like stunted shrubs in the desert,

with no hope for the future.

They will live in the barren wilderness,

in an uninhabited salty land.

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat

or worried by long months of drought.

Their leaves stay green,

and they never stop producing fruit.

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

But I, the Lord, search all hearts

and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

according to what their actions deserve.”

(Jeremiah 17:5-10)

 

It's easy, as a single, to set your hope on a future partner. To think night and day about the prospect of loving another. But it's important to remember how dangerous putting our faith in another can be. By doing so we create unfair expectations for ourselves and the other person. Expectations that our future partner will never be able to meet.

They will not always make you happy, and in fact the more you expect of them the less likely they are to be able to make you happy. Happiness should not come from another, but from within. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, let Him fill your heart with joy. Let Him be the reason for loving another. Loving another for any other reason will only rob the both of you of the joy that can be had.

 

 

I will boast in my weakness.

Sometimes I cry when my day has been bad.

And sometimes I curse when my kids make me mad.
My eyes often wonder where they don’t belong.
And my mind often thinks that I do everything wrong.

I am not perfect.

And I am not strong.
It is in my weakness,
that I get carried along.

He is my strength,

And He is my shelter.
He is where I run
when I have bad weather.

I say I’m not worthy

‘cause of who I have been.
But He came back for me,
then He died for my sin.

He wants all of me,

No matter who I am.
Because He is my Savior,
The Son of Man.

There is nothing that I can do

to be worthy of His Grace.
It was a gift from my Father
when His son died in my place.

It is not in my strength

or perfection that I boast.
Because it’s in my weakness
that glorifies Him most.

Now I give up my life

for the one true King.
May His Love and His Mercy
be displayed through me.
 

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12: 8-10)

Is anything too hard for the Lord?

No matter how strong we think our faith in the Lord is we often act as though certain things in our life are out of his control. We may see them as being too big for him to handle or too small for him to care about. Fortunately for us, this isn’t the case. The truth of the matter is that these things seem too big or too small for us and out of our control; therefore we have a hard time believing that this thing, this situation, this hardship is within His control or something that He could even be concerned with. Furthermore, I think that we (I) have a fear that the more we (I) hand over to Him, the more disappointed we (I) may be when things don’t turn out the way we (I) wanted/expected them to. (Yes, I added all of these I’s as an indication of the fear that I have recently realized in myself)

Let’s take the story of Abraham and Sarah for example. Sarah had wanted to give her husband a son for years but was never able to do so and was now too old, based on human wisdom. One day the Lord appeared to Abraham through three visitors who told him that his wife Sarah would have a son the next year. Sarah overheard this conversation from the tent.

So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master--my husband-- is also so old?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return this time next year, and Sarah will have son.” (Genesis 18:12-15)

And wouldn’t you know…..a year later just as the Lord said, she gave birth to a son named Isaac.

In this case it sounds as though Sarah underestimated the power of God. She thought that her wishes, her dreams, her desires were out of God’s control, and may have even thought that they weren’t important enough for Him to care about. But more than that, when she was told that it would happen she tried to laugh it off in disbelief. I can’t speak for her myself, but I am guessing that it had to do with the fact that she didn’t want to believe it, only to be disappointed.

How many times have you disregarded a feeling or a nudge you’ve received from God because you didn’t think that it would turn out the way you wanted it to? Of course it has a lot to do with our fearful nature, but it also has to do with our unwillingness to let God do what he knows is best. I mean what if God had another plan for Abraham and Sarah. Let’s say the next year comes around and she hasn’t even become pregnant. That would be a huge disappointment, likely to crush her spirit. But what if she was to believe that next year she would be with son, never ended up pregnant, but God sent an orphaned child into her life for adoption. (Now, based on this particular story that would probably have been very unlikely; the gift of child in this case was more about giving heir to God’s kingdom than it was a blessing to Abraham and Sarah). Her wish still would have been fulfilled, it just wouldn’t have looked quite as she had expected. Is that necessarily a loss?

When God gives us a nudge towards something (someone) we often look at what we want or can get out of the situation. Then as a way of talking ourselves out of it we try to give ourselves every reason in the world why it couldn’t work out that way. In doing so we not only disobey our calling, but we also miss out on other great opportunities; great things that God has in mind for us.  Yes, the journey getting there may not be quite as appealing as we had hoped, and in some cases it may even end up being a painful roller coaster ride, but in the end we have to remember the promise that was made to us….

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28)

So let's forget about our fears and our doubts. It’s time we (I) became obedient to His calling.

Be Blessed,

Brian.

Bad Company

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

This verse came to mind as I rushed around the house trying to get me and my three kids ready for work and school this morning. Not because I had a particular person in mind, but because I was thinking about my alarm and how many times I had hit the snooze button. My alarm was set for 5 o’clock and I didn’t get up until…..well, let’s just say that I hit that snooze button a few times too many.

For any of you “snoozers” out there, you know what I’m talking about. The snooze button seems to be your friend, “hey buddy, just lay back down for a little bit longer. I’ll wake you up again in a few minutes.” So what do you do? Yep, you lie back down and go right back to sleep again.

Ten minutes later it’s going off again; and there waits your friend. “Hey buddy, no rush, just one more time. You’ve got plenty of time to get a little more sleep. Besides, you set me a little early this morning; go back to bed.” Next thing you know you’re waking up to your alarm screaming at you and you’re realizing that you’ve slept through 5 rounds of snooze without even realizing it. “Oh crap!!” Now you’re running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get yourself and three kids up and ready for the day. Bad thing is you are already out of time. So now, for some reason, you think that screaming and yelling at everyone will make things better and magically get them all ready for school. Nope, not so much. Let’s just say if your day wasn’t starting off bad enough; it’s even worse now because you’re realizing that you just made your kids feel bad for something that was your fault. “Way to go DAD!”
So where are you going with this, you ask. Actually I’m not sure. Other than to say that the snooze button can often be like that one friend you have, you know the one that your parents say is a bad influence. Well, that’s your snooze button for you; or at least for me any ways. He sits there enticing me with his opportunities to do something that I shouldn’t do, but would have so much more fun doing. He makes you feel loved, like he is doing you a favor. Bad thing is, it’s not actually a favor; no, it’s a trap. I don’t want to get up, I want to stay in bed; and he knows that, so he uses it to bait me in. Next thing you know, he’s laughing at me hysterically (or at least that’s what it sounds like) as I am finding myself in the very bind that I had hoped to keep myself out of.

Do not be deceived: “snooze buttons ruin good morals.” 1 Crossons 15:33

Every day is a new day.

It may sound a little cliché, but it's true. Every day is a new day.

Unfortunately, we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
With that in mind we should do our best to live everyday to its fullest.


A new day to love those closest to you.

A new day to serve those around you.

A new day to share yourself with new people.

A new day to be the person you want to be.

A new day to create the legacy that you want to leave behind.

A new day to pursue the love that has been placed on your heart.

A new day to be thankful to a God that has stolen your heart.

A new day to ............

What does a new day look like to you?
Feel free to share what your new day brings.

*The post with no name*

As I put my thoughts together for this post, I had a couple of names come to mind. Names like “The reason Jesus is crying” and “Will the real Jesus please stand up”. The first seemed a little tacky (and honestly there are a lot more reasons for Him to cry), and the second has already been used. But both of them (as do many others) come to mind when I really sit and think about the things that God has laid on my heart lately.

This evening I saw a story on the news about a pastor that I have a lot of respect for. This pastor has been very instrumental in my walk with Christ by helping me understand what God’s love, mercy, and grace truly mean. The story talked about how this pastor had used his money (made off of the books he writes) to buy a $1.6M home. It wasn’t the story itself that made me really think, but the “Rant’s” that came in afterwards. Many of the comments were bashing this pastor for the way he had spent his money. I can’t lie and say that I totally agree with his decision. I mean let’s face it from the outside looking in, it probably doesn’t look very good. But let’s look at the real issue with what ensued after this story was run.

Many of these comments came from people that may not necessarily believe. And that’s ok. The problem is in the comments from the believers and why the nonbelievers feel the way they do.

“The reason Jesus is crying”-

As a parent, nothing is more frustrating or upsetting than seeing or hearing your kids bully each other. It is one thing to have the kid down the street picking on your son, but when it’s his own brother it’s absolutely devastating. You can easily explain to your son that the kid down the street does not know him enough to truly judge therefore he should brush it off and move on. But when it comes from his brother, who truly knows him, it’s a little bit harder to explain. Matter of fact, it’s almost impossible. The only explanation you can give is that we are all human and that we all make mistakes and will always fall short of the glory of God. But this doesn’t make it any easier; it doesn’t always remove the pain that has already been inflicted.
In the book of Romans Paul writes:
So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For the Scriptures say, “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow to me and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’ “ Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. (Romans 14:10-13 NLT)

When I read this tonight I was reminded of all of the judgment and condemning that I see us (Christians) inflicting on one another. Whether it be those who have judged this pastor, those who judge churches because they don’t believe people should be removed from sin through graphic illustrations but rather through a relationship with Jesus Christ, or those who have judged the pastors who bring people to Jesus through the “prosperity” gospel. They are all bringing people to Jesus, and in His eyes we are all believers; we are all brothers and sisters. A family should not fight AMONGST each other; a family should stand hand in hand and fight WITH each other!

“Will the real Jesus please stand up”-

Not only do I believe that it has become harder for others to come to the family of Christ because we fight and argue with each other, but I also believe that we have made it harder because we have taken Him out of the picture. The real reason people are upset about this pastor and his home, is because we have made him out to be this supernatural being that does no wrong; that is without sin. I don’t say that to judge or condemn him but to say, “where is Jesus in this equation?” By putting these high expectations on these pastors (Matthew 23: 8) or any other Christian we have removed the very reason for Christ’s existence. If we were perfect, made no mistakes…….if we were without sin; there would have been no reason for God to send His one and only son to this earth to live a sinless life only to die a devastating death on a cross at OUR hands in OUR name.

WE DO NOT DESERVE THE GRACE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED AT THE HANDS OF OUR GOD. But He has given us that Grace anyways. He did send His son, and His son did die on a cross. And for that we must show Grace as well. Our duty as a believer is not to hoard every ounce of Love and Mercy and Grace that He showers down upon us. Our duty as a believer is to share it with everyone; the least of these, and the most of these; and bring them into His family.

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

(Matthew 22:37-40)

Unconditional Love

Unconditional: (def.) not subject to a condition or special terms.

We hear a lot about unconditional love. About its importance and how we should strive to share it with those around us. It may be easy to picture when we think about our families; our spouses or our kids or even some of our relatives, but what does it mean when we think about those of the opposite sex that are not related to us?

To be honest with you, up until a few years ago I didn’t know what unconditional love meant outside of family (if I even knew what it meant there). The love I knew with the opposite sex…….well, it was conditional. In return for my love certain things were expected.

When I was about 13 a friend of mine found a large brown paper sack full of pornographic magazines next to the local convenient store dumpster. To the little boys who now had it in their possession, this was a gold mine!! In reality, as a 36 year old divorced father of 3, it was a curse!! You see these magazines were doing more to me than just bringing me pleasure and quick satisfaction; they were shaping my mind and my heart.

I quickly began to see females for their body parts, and not for their hearts. For this very reason it was very hard to have friendships with women. Actually, I didn’t think they were possible or that they really existed, because my mind had been shaped by the images that I had been staring at in those magazines. Sexual attraction accompanied most, if not all of the friendships that I did have.

Now there is a lot of good and bad that I could tell you that happened between now and then, but really to the point of this post it would really just be a lot of filler. The reason why I am writing this is to explain how our minds have been distorted by some of the very things that have given us enjoyment. For men, it may be the same porn magazines that I enjoyed; for women, it may be the love novels, soap operas, or even the glamour magazines (maybe porn as well). No matter what it is, they all have one thing in common…..they change our expectations, the conditions for which our ‘worldly’ love is built. They tell us that we can have something that is not ours for the taking, when we want it and how we want it. And that this, the expectations of our love, is how life is supposed to be.

But when I think about what true unconditional love SHOULD be between a man and a woman, I think about the relationships that were shared between Jesus and the women in his life. Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50), and the revealing of His resurrection to Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18) are all fine examples of the blessing He was to the women in His life with no expectations, no conditions. Even when you look at Paul and Silas with Lydia (Acts 16:11-15, 40) you see a relationship with no expectations other than that of a friendship, and a place to stay; with no expectations, no conditions.

My pastor recently did a series on friendships which included a sermon on community. There was nothing about the idea (biblically or otherwise) of friendships or community that excluded members of the opposite sex. Therefore when I read Acts 2:43-47 or Acts 4:32-35 I think about the ways in which we should love each other unconditionally; sharing what is ours (our possessions, our beings) without the expectations of anything in return.

Let’s face it, in a ‘Christian Singles’ world where we are given the idea that we are supposed to sit back and wait until God miraculously brings us our husband or wife in on a glittered unicorn with a bright flashing neon sign above their head that reads “Future Spouse =>” we tend to evaluate every man or woman that comes into our life as if we are looking for that SIGN. In reality all we are doing is throwing away opportunities for real authentic unconditional relationships.

I am not saying that we should not pursue “love”, we should, I believe that God wants that for us. What I am saying though, is let’s stop throwing away good friendships for the pursuit of it. Let’s get past our selfish nature and enjoy the people that God puts in our lives. If something more comes of it than great, but let us not be afraid to step back from that pursuit and look at that person through God’s eyes and love them as our brother or sister. We all have been made with different gifts and abilities, with different characters and personalities; let’s enjoy our differences and learn to live together per His requests, as one huge happy family.