What Team Do You Choose??

 

It seems like everyday there is a new attack on Christianity. Keep putting us down for our belief in Jesus. Keep mocking us, knocking us for our faith. No matter how much they slander us or persecute us, I'll pick team Jesus! Every time! Why you may be asking yourself. Well, what better team to be on. He is my King, Savior, coach, manager. What ever you want to call Him, He is in charge. Best part is? I'm already in His lineup. I'm not penciled in, He has me written in the palm of His hand.

Isaiah 49:16 New Living Translation

16 See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

So what better team to be on than someone who knew you before you were even born?

Jeremiah 1:5 New Living Translation

5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Every coach or manager that I have ever played for has taught me life lessons along with teaching me more about the game and how to play it. What can I say about Jesus and what what kind of life lessons He has taught me.

The pages of The Bible are full of His lessons for us. How to live our lives in such a way, that will please Him and bring glory to His name!

John 10:10 Amplified Bible

10 I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

Jeremiah 29:11 New Living Translation

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

You see. This is the kind of team that I want to be a part of. Abundant life. Prosper, hope, future!

Unlike the other team, The Enemy. He has different plans for us. They are not good plans either! He wants to tear us down. Cause us to sin and distance ourselves from God.

John 10:10 New Living Translation

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.

John 8:44 New Living Translation

44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Murder, lies, evil. Not the kind of team that I want to be a part of.

Jesus is Life and Love. Satan is death and destruction.

Which team will you choose??

    

    

Faith Over Fear.

After unloading a truck at work the other day, I took the drivers paperwork out to him. He got out of the truck and greeted me. He  knows that I am a pastor, so he asked me if we could say a prayer for his brother who has stage 4 colon cancer. I told him I can absolutely do that for him and his brother. So we prayed right there beside his truck in the dock. When finished he said to me that I was not afraid to pray anywhere at anytime. He really appreciated the prayer for his brother and the told me that we need to have more faith over fear. His statement has resonated with me ever since that day. I see it on t-shirts, posters, bumper stickers and even on pop sockets. Faith over Fear.

I started thinking about what if we really lived it out instead of just having it printed on material things. How many times in the Bible does Jesus tell us to fear not? A lot of times.

Exodus 14:13 New Living Translation

13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. 

So  many people are afraid today. Afraid of what the future holds. What tomorrow brings. It's understandable. We want to know what is going to happen, what's coming next. Listen to what Moses is saying though. Stand still and watch. The Lord will rescue you. All we have to do is just stand still. How many of  us find that hard to do? This is where faith comes in. Believe in what The Lord will do. He is always acting on our behalf!

Hebrews 11:1 New Living Translation

11:1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

So no matter what comes against us. What makes us worried or afraid, God is with us & for us! He is our protector. People may try to mock you and make fun of you for your faith. But stay strong in The Lord.

Isaiah 54:17 Amplified Bible

17 “No weapon that is formed against you will succeed;

And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.

This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.

So lets put into practice having faith, not fear. God is in control. We just have to let Him do His thing. 

Romans 8:31 New Living Translation

31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Amen!

Do You Feel Different?

 Now that it's over, do you feel any different? Happy, sad? Hopeful, hopeless? I'm talking of course about inauguration day 2021. Some people were extremely excited to see the last president go. Some are fearful of what the new president will do. America is very divided on this. Are you hoping that the new president will do better things for America? Are you feeling hopeless because the guy that some voted for did not get in? 

Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm neither. My only hope is in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:8 New Living Translation

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

His leadership never changes. Don't have to worry what will happen four years from now with Him. Even in 8, 12, or forever. He never changes.

So many people are putting their hope in the government. To help them. Fix or make their problems go away. To provide for them. Especially after this past year that we have gone through.

Psalm 121:1-2 English Standard Version

121 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

I depend on The Lord for help. Help in every situation. He is the one that I lean on. He is the one that I trust in. His love never fails. People are putting their hope into a president who doesn't even know their name. You know who knows your name? Jesus. He knows every name. 

Romans 12:12 Amplified Bible

12 constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength]

So I may or may not agree with the changing of the guard today in Washington D.C. But one thing that I am going to do is pray for the new president and vice president and their team. That God will lead them, guide them and direct them onto the path that He has already laid out for them. That He will soften hearts and minds.

Amen!

Positive, Uplifting Words.

I load & unload trucks all day long where I work. Some loads come in very good and some come in very bad. What do I mean by bad? The load is spilled all over the floor, pallets are tipped over, product is damaged, etc. The good loads are the ones that we want to see. Everything is in place and where it is supposed to be. No damage, nothing broken or tipped over. When the bad loads happen I usually notify our quality & purchasing teams. They reach out to our vendors and get it taken care of. When the good loads happen, I always let the drivers know. This happened three times yesterday. After the first load was finished, I took the drivers paperwork out to him and told him what an awesome load that it was, and how his truck line is top notch with deliveries to us. I told him how happy I am when I see their truck's pull into our lot, because I know it's going to be a good load. His smile was a mile wide while thanking me for the positive feed back and compliments to him and the company that he drives for. I told him that there is to much negativity right now, I want to be positive and uplifting. Tell people the good stuff that happens. He told me that was a great way to end the week.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 New Living Translation

11 So encourage each other and build each other up

The second and third drivers were from the same truck line, but with two different kinds of deliveries. Again, both of them were perfect. Not an issue with either one. I told each driver the same thing about how good the loads were and how awesome the truck line was. One of the drivers told me that he never hears the good stuff, only the bad. I told him that wasn't going to happen today. Only positive and uplifting words are going to be spoken to you. I said the same thing to him as I did the other driver. To much negative out there. I want speak positive. Be the light of Christ to people.

Ephesians 4:29 Amplified Bible

29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak].

So may I encourage you to speak kindly to people. You never know what kind of power those positive and uplifting words can do for someone. Could make their day. Or their week! Let's lift everyone up and encourage each other. To many people are ready to tear someone down.

Let's use our words for good.

 

Amen!

Fog. The Clearing Of,

 Fog. It has been pretty consistent around this area for the past week or so. It seems like everyday it was foggy. It makes it hard to get around. Can't see the traffic lights. Unable to see the lanes on the road. Or even the tail lights on the car in front of you. We are relieved when the sun finally comes out and clears the fog away. Or burns it off. Which ever you prefer.

This past week reminded me of us. How many of us walk around in the fog of  life, stumbling, bumping into things because we are unable to see. God gave His Son, Jesus to us, to clear the fog away. We don't have to live in the darkness of fog anymore. He made a way for us, to see clearly.

Isaiah 42:16 The Message

But I’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going.

I’ll be a personal guide to them,

    directing them through unknown country.

I’ll be right there to show them what roads to take,

    make sure they don’t fall into the ditch.

These are the things I’ll be doing for them—

    sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute.”

With the fog also came frost that formed on almost anything that didn't move. Trees, car antenna's, eve troughs, you name it it was there. The trees were beautiful to look at, that's for sure.

I thought about the apostle Paul. The fog that he was in, considering what he was doing to the Christians of the day. Then he had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul's eyes had frosted over so he couldn't see anything. He continued into the city and found a man whom Jesus had sent to lay hands on him and pray. The moment that he believed in Jesus, The Son of God, the frost melted away from his eyes and he could see again. 

God also gives us His word, The Bible to help navigate foggy days. He won't leave us on the road to ruin. He provides the light for us.

Psalm 119:105 New Living Translation

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet

    and a light for my path.

So no matter what you are going through or dealing with. Trust in The Son of the living God, Jesus. He will clear out the fog, and give you a clear path.

2021. It's A New Year, Right??

 So here we are. What most of us have anticipated for a while now. The arrival of 2021. Adios 2020. So long. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. All those cliche goodbyes. Let me ask you a question. Do you feel any different now that's it's a new year? Is there any difference from December 31 to January 1st? Other than the year number changing. People were so weary of 2020 and all the problems that came with it. They were willing to do almost anything to get out of it. By the calendar changing over to 2021, did you think that all of last years issues were just going to go away? The virus is still here. People are still out of work. Small business' are closing at an alarming rate. Everything is still pretty much the same. Just a different year now.

What can we do about it you may be asking?

Well for one, we can change our attitudes about how things are going. Instead of looking at our problems, let's look at our blessings. Let's be grateful and thankful for what God has done for us during this pandemic. He still loves us. Cares about what happens to us. It may not seem like it to some people, but God is still at work, and He is still good! He is still in control, even when we don't see it, or feel it. I believe that The Lord is about to do something amazing this year, 2021.

Romans 8:28 Amplified Bible

28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.

I believe that He has a plan for 2021. To awaken the church and all Christians across the globe. For us to mobilize and become united like never before. He is calling us to rise. He has a plan.

Proverbs 3:5 Amplified Bible

 Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

2020 did not make any sense to us. It was a big chaotic mess. God knew what was happening and that is why I trust in Him. Not any of our earthly leaders. Do you think that by changing our president will make our problems go away? No, it will just welcome in a different set of problems. People are hopeful that this change will be a good one. The only person I put my hope in, is Jesus!

So we can change the calendar year. We can change our leadership. There is one thing that never changes. JESUS! You can count on Him, always!

Hebrews 13:8 New Living Translation

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Amen.