Live Such Good Lives

2 Timothy 2:16 "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." It is unfathomable to think that anyone would be ok with "becoming more and more ungodly". For those who have known the love of Jesus I am certain the thought of this would grieve their hearts. Only the ungodly are ok with becoming more and more ungodly. 2 Timothy 3:13 "evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." What would it be like if those who are called by the name of Jesus came out from among the evildoers and impostors by refusing to "indulge" in what makes us more and more ungodly? What would it be like if instead of entertaining gossip we refused to give occasion for the name of Jesus to be mocked among us? Today, "Live such good lives among the unbelievers that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 2 Peter 2:12

Have a Blessed Day

Scripture. Coffee. Silence. Sunshine. Can the day get any better? What a blessed life! "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." Just the though of the many tangible blessings we have causes me to rejoice in God's provision. But even more of a blessing is the knowledge that each day God delights to reveal Himself to us, even drawing close to us as we draw close to Him. "He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him." "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you" "The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them." Whatever this day brings with it, we know that God holds each of His children in the palm of His hand. And nothing will come to us, unless it first passes through His hands. But our joy today is to know Him, to seek Him and to rest in Him, no matter what. Have a very blessed day!

God is the Master Artist

"Time is the brush of God, as He paints His masterpiece on the heart of humanity." Ravi Zacharias I love this thought. I've always thought of God as the Master Artist. We can see it in all of creation from the complexity of the human body to the stars in the heavens. But with the hearts of men, his master piece is still a work in progress. Until we take our last breath we have the opportunity to be a part of the great unveiling of God's glory. Like one of the greatest stories ever written or told, or one of the greatest movies ever to play in theaters, History is real life art depicting the story of God's love and patience with His creation. Each of us plays a roll in His Great Story. What character do you or will you play? How will God's story in you play into the rest of the story? And how will your character affect others in His story? Will you be the one others are rooting for because of your kindness, love, generosity, perserverance, selflessness, honor, truthfulness, nobility and faithfulness? Or are there things in your life that you would do better to set aside? I'm speaking of things that expose a person as the "bad guy" in the story. You know what I'm talking about, right? The bad guy is always the liar, deceiver, backstabber, naysayer, gossip, jealous, envious, untrustworthy, faithless, cowardly, out of control, evil doer who would rather cling to his own evil way and blame others than come under the command to love others as he would love himself. Honestly, if we consider the command of Jesus to love our neighbors as ourselves what do you think that would look like? Would there be gossip? Would there be false testimony? Would there be neglect? Would there be abuse? Would there be temper tantrums? Would there be cheating, gossiping, lying or slander, hurtful words spoken, hatred, malice, conniving or contriving? Not one of these "qualities" is ever associated with the "good guy" character in a story. These things are always associated with the "bad guy" that no one is rooting for, the one that causes everyone to hold his breath and wait for justice to be had at the end of the story. What roll do you play? What roll do you want to play? You are the masterpeice...and God is willing to paint in you the story of a "NEW CREATION" if you are willing to repent and turn to Him. Like the "bad guy gone good" at the end of a story, anyone can repent and be redeemed. And in the end that person always captures the hearts of and becomes endeared to the audience because of his character's miraculous transformation. You could be that guy. :) Way cool! "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old is gone, the new has come." 2 Corninthians 5:17