How to recognize God’s abundant blessings in your life

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

— Psalm 84:11

 

Sometimes when I share the Gospel, I get the response, “I know I need Christ, but I’m afraid he might call me somewhere I don’t want to go.” Many people genuinely believe that the day they accept Christ, God’s going to call them to minister to penguins in Antarctica!

But let me tell you, living in Christ has been a more abundant life than I could’ve ever imagined! He’s never taken me to a place without giving me his supernatural peace in heading that direction. And, he’s never led me down a road that’s caused me to look back and say, “I wish God hadn’t done that.”

I hope you know today that God wants you to enjoy life’s blessings. If it’s wholesome, if it’s good, if it’s godly, and if it will make you a better person, he wants you to have it! He doesn’t hold back good things from you.

So when you look around and it seems everyone else is having all the fun, remember that God has blessed you with specific blessings for the specific purpose he has for you. And as you grow in your faithfulness to him and walk uprightly, he will bless you all the more!

GOD GIVES GOOD GIFTS TO ALL WHO FOLLOW HIM. SO THANK HIM FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS IN YOUR LIFE!

How to run the race of the Christian life

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Hebrews 12:1-2

If you take a drive on any given morning, especially in many metropolitan areas, you’ll probably see at least a few people jogging along the roads or sidewalks. And when you see them, maybe you feel like that fellow who said, “Every time I get the urge to jog, I just go lay down and the urge goes away!”

But whenever you do see people jogging, it should remind you of the Christian life. If I go out to run a few miles, I’m going to be steady and constant without a whole lot of sprinting, jumping, or any other kind of erratic movements.

In the same way, the Christian life is not to be lived in spurts and jumps and stops and starts, but it is to be lived like a racer running to the finish line—steady and constant. The Christian life demands discipline to keep your head level and your eyes forward as you look toward the great finish line of being with Jesus forever.

But the world and the enemy want to take your eyes off the great prize that awaits you. They want you to follow this impulse or that temporary happiness, hoping that you’ll completely forget about the race you’re running.

So when it comes to running the race set before you, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, your Savior. When you do that, the distractions of the world will seem strangely dim compared to his wonderful light!

RUN THE RACE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BY KEEPING YOUR EYES FOCUSED ON CHRIST AND THE WORLD’S DISTRACTIONS WILL SEEM INSIGNIFICANT.

Mark 10:2-10

Some Pharisees wanted to test Jesus. So they came up to him and asked if it was right for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus asked them, “What does the Law of Moses say about this?” They answered, “Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away.” Jesus replied, “Moses gave you this law because you are so heartless. But in the beginning God made a man and a woman. That’s why a man leaves his father and mother and gets married. He becomes like one person with his wife. Then they are no longer two people, but one. And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together.” — Mark 10:2-10 (CEV)

How to love beyond your emotions

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19

 

It amazes me how little so many today really understand what love is. They equate love with infatuation. And nowhere has this taken hold more firmly than in the minds of our young people. I was reading some definitions of love that teenagers had given recently. One said, “Love is an inward inexpressibility of an outward all-overishness.” Another remarked, “Love is a feeling you feel when you feel you’re going to feel a feeling you never felt before.”

Now we may chuckle a little when we read those words, but we have to remember it’s not their fault they see love in such a shallow light. Our culture constantly feeds this misconception in our movies, music, and other media. These young people are simply regurgitating what they’ve been told!

But the truth is, love is not just a feeling… it’s a commitment. And while our world says, “I love you because of what you do for me,” real, biblical love says, “I love you because God first loved me.”

Real love loves after the infatuation is over. It loves when you’ve been staring at the same person over corn flakes for thirty years. So don’t let our culture tell you what love is. Love because of the love of Christ that’s in you!

DON’T JUST LOVE BECAUSE OF HOW PEOPLE MAKE YOU FEEL. LOVE BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST IN YOU.

Knowing your primary occupation #followme

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 4:19

If you’ve ever done any scuba diving or snorkeling, you know that right under the surface of the ocean, there are all kinds of beautiful coral reefs and spectacular sea life. And on many of the big reefs, you can see miles and miles of beautiful schools of fish and other creatures. Now when you go fishing, you take those fish out of that beautiful life when you bring them into your world where they can’t live.

But when you’re fishing for men, the exact opposite happens. You see, people are born into spiritual death. And apart from faith in Christ, they remain in death forever.

When you become a fisher of men, however, you play a part in taking men and women out of death and into a beautiful life. And not only that, you also get to share in the victory that comes when a sinner is brought to Christ as God supernaturally uses you to draw people to him!

So as you live your life, remember that your primary occupation is a fisherman who’s bringing people out of death and into eternal life in Christ. Every other job you have is just a lake where you can fish for more!

WHATEVER YOUR JOB IS, REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE PRIMARILY A FISHER OF MEN, BRINGING THEM OUT OF DEATH AND INTO LIFE WITH CHRIST.

You should hold your life in trust for God.

You should hold your life in trust for God. Think deeply on what that means. Is anything too much to expect from such a life? Do you begin to see how dedicated a life in trust for God can be? In such a life miracles can happen. If you are faithful, you can believe that God has many good things in store for you. God can be Lord of your life, controller of your days, of your present and your future. Try to act as God guides and leave all results to Him. Do not hold back, but go all out for God and the better life. Make good your trust.

I pray that I may hold my life in trust for God. I pray that I may no longer consider my life as all my own.

How to make an eternal impact with your short life #LifeIsShort

All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

 

Isaiah 40:6-8

I have some good friends who, years ago, were on their way home from church. And as they came to an intersection, another driver ran a red light and they were hit by a truck in the front of their car. To make matters worse, the driver sped away instantly to avoid taking responsibility. Now, if my friends had left church just a split second earlier, they most likely would’ve died that day.

If you and I ever believe that we’re guaranteed one more day, one more breath on this earth, we’re dead wrong. These may be the last words you ever read. These may, in fact, be the last words I ever write. All flesh is, without a doubt, like grass.

That’s why James says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). In the scope of eternity, even if you live to be 115 years old, your time here is nothing but a quick blip on the radar of eternity.

Now I realize you may be thinking, “Pastor, that’s harsh!” Yes it is, but it’s also reality. So the question is this: What are you going to do with your blip on the radar screen? Well, the only thing you can do that will have eternal significance is live your life for God. Lead others to him; serve him in everything you do. When you do that, you can turn your blip into a powerful marker of an eternal impact!

YOUR TIME ON EARTH IS A BLIP IN THE SCOPE OF ETERNITY. SO MAKE AN ETERNAL IMPACT BY SERVING GOD AND LEADING OTHERS TO HIM EACH DAY!

The Ride Plan

Have you prepared your ride plan?

Step #1 – Pick Your Road.

So Many Roads, So Little Time! Everybody enjoys a beautiful, scenic ride on a bike. Few people really enjoy riding the flat, straight roads. The flat, straight roads are practical when you are in a hurry, but nobody really enjoys riding them. Many people have ignored or rejected God because they think He wants to take the joy out of their ride, but God loves you and wants you to have a wonderful ride through life. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “….I have come that they might have LIFE and have it to the fullest!”

 

Step #2 – Consider Your Destination.

Where a Road Ends Is Important Too! A beautiful road leading to a fatal end is a deceptively bad road. The same is true on your Spiritual Ride. Prov. 16:25, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” We have all taken some wrong turns on life’s road (committed sin). Rom. 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Any turn from the road detours us from Heaven to Hell. Rom. 6:23, “For the wages (destination, end result) of sin is death……”

 

Step #3 – Realize Your Dilemma.

You Can’t Get There From Here! If the Grand Canyon separates you from your destination, you’re done. Your bike can’t jump the Grand Canyon, no matter how good it is! Everyone’s Spiritual Ride ends at the canyon of Sin and Death. You can’t jump it, no matter how good you have been. There is no way YOU can do it, but God made a bridge over it. In John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

 

Step #4 – Cross the Bridge Today!

Tomorrow Never Comes! To simply know the facts about the Bridge does nothing to solve your dilemma. You must make the decision to cross the Bridge. A bridge isn’t crossed by acknowledging its presence or by good intentions of crossing it some day. You must accept Jesus Christ as God’s only answer to your dilemma. A couple isn’t married until they commit their lives and say, “I do”. Jesus Christ isn’t Lord until you commit your life to Him. You must accept Christ by an act of your will in FAITH, not the feelings of your emotions. You do that by simply asking Him to come into your life and take over. In Rev. 3:20 Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in…..”

 

Reality Check:

Take a good look at the two roads below.

Your map is your own common sense. Your way is as good as any other way. You ride with fickle friends. You plan to cross the canyon by your good works outweighing your bad works to earn God’s love.

 

Ride Plan #2

Christ and the Bible direct your life. You acknowledge Jesus as the only Way. You ride with the Good Shepherd. You plan to cross the canyon by submitting to God’s plan and receiving His love. Which Road best describes your life? Would you like to change to Road #2?

 

How To Change Roads.

Simply pray and ask Jesus Christ to change you TODAY.

God is personally calling you TODAY.

Pray this simple prayer TODAY:

“Lord Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner in need of salvation. Please forgive my sins and come into my life as my Lord and Savior. Give me a new mind, a new heart and a new life. Direct me in my daily decisions so I can turn from sin. Take me to Heaven when I die and fill me with Your Holy Spirit now. Thank You for hearing my prayer and saving my soul TODAY.”

 

If you prayed this prayer and meant it, Jesus Christ promised to come into your heart, forgive your sins and give you a new life. It is impossible for God to lie, so receive His love, ride with His peace and begin a new life TODAY.

Christ Is Compassionate

Matthew 9:36-38 (NKJV)

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Christ Is Compassionate

Compassionate (com·pas·sion·ate) showing feelings of sympathy for the suffering of others, often with a desire to help

As you walk through the New Testament you will frequently come across passages like Matthew 9:36-38 that speak of Jesus having compassion for the lost and sick.

For most of us, it is easy to relate to His compassion for the sick, but how many of us feel the same compassion for an unsaved man as we do for the man who is sick with cancer or heart disease? This is more difficult for most men, because the condition is spiritual rather than physical.

Still, left untreated, both result in death. The difference is that a spiritual death is permanent while the physical death of a believer is only a temporary thing. We need to be compassionate with both the sick and the lost, just as Jesus was.

PRAY

Ask God to soften your heart towards others. Pray that the Holy Spirit would give you insight and guide you as you interact with others.

ASK YOURSELF

Is compassion a natural response for you? Do you feel the same sense of compassion for those who do not know Christ that you do for those who are hurting physically, mentally or emotionally? If you do feel compassion towards the lost, does this compassion drive you to share the Gospel?

TAKE ACTION

As you encounter others during this week, allow the Holy Spirit to guide your responses. If you encounter somebody in difficulty, show your compassion. Do not simply feel sorry for them but take the time to help them. If you come across somebody who does not know Christ, allow yourself to be used by God to share the Gospel.

Enough power in God ??

You see, there is enough power in God to fill you to overflowing and break the power of natural law. There is enough power in His Word to heal you and deliver you from any circumstance. The power is present not only to take care of you, but also to empower you to help others.