Thanksgiving Friday!

Happy Friday! The week has flown by, and it's time for the weekend again.

This week, I'm thankful I was able to take some time off and go on vacation. I got to visit a new place, hang out with some old friends, eat some great food, and enjoy a break from work. It's always good to take some time for yourself, and I definitely needed it!

I'm also thankful for this new class I'm taking. I'm telling you, learning new things about what you love to do does wonders for your motivation and drive. This class is making me look at my leadership, my team, and my ministry in a whole new way, and I am grateful for it. We can always do better! Thank You, Lord, for increasing my knowledge.

Finally, I'm thankful for my good friends and family. I had a conversation this week about some things that I wanted to achieve and places I wanted to go. I was hit with the truth bluntly, and it was exactly what I needed. Exactly. So, now I'm on a mission. Thank You Jesus for surrounding me with people who care enough to tell me the truth!

What are you grateful for this week? What has you smiling and praising God?

Verse of the Day: O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 136:1

Live Your Calling

Jesus came to earth to drastically improve our lives. With Him, we are reconciled back to God and can live eternally with the Lord. That eternal life begins when we accept Jesus. We don't have to wait until we get to heaven to experience our heavenly benefits.

In fact, Jesus showed us how to live when He was on the earth. Jesus walked in His calling and saw results. As He walked out His purpose, multitudes were drawn to hear His sermons. When Jesus stepped out in faith, miracles happened. His ministry caused people of all walks of life - shepherds, farmers, fishermen, carpenters, tax collectors, priests, and more - to experience the wealth of His wisdom.

I'm sure it wasn't easy. Jesus had to take time away to refresh Himself. At times He tried to escape the crowds only to have them follow Him to His hiding places. His own disciples at times did not understand His teaching. And then one of his closest disciples betrayed Him.

Yet, Jesus kept His eyes on the ultimate goal: salvation for all mankind. And because He persevered, He was able to reach His goal, and His one life became the saving grace for all of us.

Are you living out your best life? Are you walking in your call and enjoying the results? Are you seeing the fruit of following God's will? When troubles come, do you keep at it remembering the bigger picture?

It may be hard at times to live out our higher calling. Yet, because of Jesus, we have the added benefits of being God's children. Whatever we set out to do within God's plan will be successful. Sure, roadblocks will come. Yes, we will get tired. And there will certainly be people who let us down and even betray us.

Still, we can keep going knowing that our destination is sure... we can keep working knowing that we will reach our purpose in the Lord... we can endure the temporary pain seeing the great joy in our future.

Keep going. Don't give up. Remember Jesus' example. He's called you to follow in His footsteps. There's something great that you have to accomplish. There's a victory with your name on it. Go ahead and walk in your calling. Embrace your purpose and watch how your life will be blessed.

Verse of the Day: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10b

Wednesday's Word: God's On It!

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) had another vision. He understood that the vision concerned events certain to happen in the future—times of war and great hardship.


When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three whole weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.

On April 23, as I was standing on the bank of the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people.

Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.

Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.” Daniel 10:1-14 (NLT)

Right now you may be standing in prayer, seeking God's face, fasting, and searching for God's answer for you. Time may have passed, and you may feel like God has not heard you or that God doesn't care. It may seem like your answer will never come, and you may be thinking of giving up.

Don't lose hope!

Just as He heard Daniel's first prayer, the Lord has heard your prayer as well. Your answer is on it's way! God has you in mind. You are precious to Him, and He loves you. The Lord will not leave you hanging.

Continue to trust in the Lord, and He will prove Himself faithful to you.

Walking Worthy

Several times in the New Testament, we are encouraged to "walk worthy" of the Lord. Walking worthy is an active practice requiring that one consistently remembers Who has redeemed them. None of us are really "worthy" of our salvation. All of us are sinners who were saved by God's great grace.

However, in thanksgiving for the gift that we have been given, the very least we can do is aim to walk worthy before God. Walking worthy involves getting the wisdom and knowledge that the Lord has for us in His word and applying that knowledge to our every day life.

Many of us are experts at garnering the Lord's wisdom. We have all kinds of study Bibles, prayer books, devotionals, and even Bible dictionaries and concordances to assist us with our study. Every Sunday, we dutifully take notes from the pastor's seromons. We stop by the tables after service and purchase all kinds of dvds and cds.

Yet, how many of us are applying all the knowledge we have? How many of us when encountering a real life issue, put into application all the head knowledge we've gathered up?

Today, I want to encourage you to "walk worthy" of your salvation! Put all your "Christian smarts" to good use and live out what you've been reading about! Apply what you've been studying! Put to good use what you've been hearing from the pulpit!

God has given you His most precious and special gift of salvation. What about your life reflects that?

Verse of the Day: That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins... Colossians 1:10-14

Wednesday's Word: Psalm 27

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27 (NIV)

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. It reminds me that I have no reason to fear or be anxious, because God is with me. It speaks to the joy that I feel when I enter into God's presence. When I am there, I never want to leave!

This chapter also speaks to my shortcomings. Often, my heart nudges me to seek the face of the Lord, but I find myself caught up in other things. I say that I'll spend time in prayer, and then I'll find myself doing something else. And by the time I do make it to the Lord, I'm asking for His forgiveness.

Yet, I can always be confident of the Lord's goodness. I can always count on Him to be there for me when I need Him. His love never fails.

He's Right Beside You

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me... You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:8, 11

Many of us know that the Lord is with us. However, how many of us take advantage of the fact that the Lord is always right beside us?

David was unafraid of whatever challenge he faced because he knew that God was with him. He listened to the Lord's advice in how to live his life. And because David acknowledged God's presence, he lived a life of joy and pleasure.

Are you lacking direction? Do you not know what to do or where to go? Is your life without joy? Have you no pleasure in your way of living?

Perhaps you are missing out on the advantage of the Lord walking by your side.

The Bible says that the Lord will never leave us. He is always right there, ready, willing and able to help us in whatever we have need of. Even if it's something as simple as needing to smile, the Lord wants to help.

Today, take advantage of the Lord's presence. Allow Him to lead you, guide you, and fill your life with joy and purpose.

Verse of the Day: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9

He Rose!

Yesterday, Christians around the world celebrated the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Yes, Jesus endured great suffering. He was whipped, He was mocked, He had a crown of thorns jammed into His skull... He was forced to carry His own cross, He was then nailed to it, He was pierced in His side...

Yet, the story does not end there.

Jesus rose from the dead!

And the angel answered and said unto the women,

Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;

 and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee;

there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Matthew 28:5-7

He's not in the grave anymore. He rose with all power in His hands! Jesus is victorious over death, hell, and the grave.

And because He lives, we have the opportunity to have eternal life with Him. We don't have to suffer. We don't have to go to hell. When we lay our physical bodies down, our spirits can enter into heaven's paradise forever. We can spend life in the presence of our King.

Have you embraced Jesus' gift of eternal life? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior?

He died and rose so that you can be free!

Why stay in bondage any longer?

Verse of the Day: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:17-20