When you want to be the BEST!

Photo credit:  Cindee Snider Re

Ephesians 3:17-18  "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.."

What does it mean to let Christ dwell in your hearts?   And to experience the fullness of God?

It means to let the Holy take up residence...live...hang out ...all the time...play outside with you, sit down and have coffee with you, and play video games with you. To engrave God's truth on the mother board of your operating system, the tablets of your heart.  To allow holiness to change you and your behavior.

Paul's prayer is that believers would wake up, and be strong in the Lord, filled with the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge...which means we have to know what His word says.  

We have to make time for Jesus and read the Bible.   We have to be doers of the word and we have to allow truth to influence our behavior.

We have to spend time with God, to get to know Him.  You can't have a relationship with someone you don't spend time with.  We can't live like we want after reading it.  The Bible is packed with wisdom that shows us how to be holy.  Isn't that what our Best Friend in the entire world would want for us?   

We were created in His image so we should follow as closely to the Master Designer as we can.  Ephesians 5:1 is one of my favorite verses "Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children."  Copy that!  No cutting necessary, only paste it in your heart!  

Dwelling on Truth will have some positive affects in your thinking, your language, your actions.  God gives us the perfect example to model in His Son, Jesus.  So when you are looking for something to influence your faith, the Bible with all of it's wisdom works perfectly to guide, shape and sharpen your faith.  

We have to walk with God and allow Him to walk with us.  Daily, all day, not just once a week in a pew in a Sunday morning.  

You think you are too busy and don't have time to meet with God on a one on one basis?  If so, then you are too busy NOT to consider what God has to show you and the ways you should go.  You would have a lot of time if you dropped the other 19,000 ways you tend to divide your day.  

Ahem...now I am really stepping on some sore toes aren't I?  So what do we do about this?  How do we choose what's better?

We seek first...

We seek first Him to be our First.  In everything.  In our homes, jobs, and especially in our minds and hearts.  Only looking to the Perfect source to learn how to copy and absorb His perfect behavior.  And then you keep coming back to the same source, same Teacher to learn and apply it until it becomes your nature.  

It's the better choice, the holy choice, the choice of the saved and sanctified.  Choose the wiser option.  
Choose Holy, choose Better.  It's the Best for you!  

How do you be the best "whatever"?  Learn from the Best in everything!

Need Peace?

This is for those non-stop-merry-go-round type days that make you nauseous because the world is spinning around you or your head is spinning with chaos.

Or it's for your Thursday.

Or it's for that midnight call as you chase the ambulance to the emergency room.

Or maybe just today.

Saying God's words back to Him in prayer is powerful.  When trouble comes say this verse back to God

It helps today.

It helps on a Thursday.

It helps on those midnight ambulance chases.

It helps.  Notice it's a choice.

First you have to know where to find it, that peace drives out fear, and who holds the keys of peace.

The Prince of Peace holds the keys.

If you are looking for peace.

Next it requires you to participate.  Don't forget to bring your brain.

Next your heart is required to trust.  This is a game-changer.  NON-negotiable.

It helps if you do this.

On a Thursday.

It helps today.

It helps when you are chasing ambulances full of chaos.

It helps.

And when you find the Prince of Peace, guess what...keep yourself there.  

Stay.  When you find Peace stay here, stay there.  Train your eyes on the hands that hold the keys to peace.  Stay poised and relax.  Focus on peace.

Chaos and trouble lives out there and wants to chase you down the streets of life, you need to keep yourself tethered to the only and non-negotiable source of Calm that you can.  

Maybe you crave chaos, or want to spin out of control?  Put what little trust you have left into the hands of the Prince of Peace.  

Peace is needed to smooth out the rough corners of your heart.  Those shouting matches you like to have with the internal opponents.  Steadfastness, Power, Faithful Peace found in His trust vault.

Peace Power Verse:
Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." 

Simple Math

Adding the numbers

I didn't pay attention in math class.   I really don't like to crunch numbers.  Maybe the real truth is I wish I cared more about math equations and calculations.  I admire those who have amazing math skills beyond my comprehension. 

There are other numerical conundrums that amaze me too.  It's the numbers that increase when the power of the gospel is combined with the power of prayer.  I call it the Ato41 principal.  

Let me take you there…. The room was electric that day when the Spirit whooshed in to fill the hearts and minds of those who gathered.  Different tongues were heard to the highest volume of praise.  There was so much noise that outsiders thought the crowd had drunk too much wine.  

Contrary to the obvious confusion, the day was Pentecost and the gospel message collided with seeking hearts.  It was fifty days since Jesus had rose from the dead.  People had returned to their normal schedule.  Blanks from their wandering minds had been filled in with the “we’ll never know what that was all about” answer.  But there were a few good men left to lead in faith by having hope in the promised Helper who was still yet to come and empower them to grow the church.  Thus, on this day of combined prayer, fasting and waiting, the Helper showed up and showed up big time.  As a result of all the words spoken that day, many numbers repented and many numbers were baptized.  Many, as in 3000, numbers were added to the faith fold that day.  In a matter of moments, numbers were added to take a step of faith.

Working in ministry with Christian radio, there are a lot of people who come up to me and say, "Thank you for what you do."  I don't do anything except remain faithful to the call God.  With your support, God gives the opportunity to speak to you with a word of encouragement.  I don't get caught up in the numbers of listeners on paper, or Internet stats.   But I do know that every listener is a number indicative of God's story.  

the number of...
lives impacted by the power of the gospel.

restored marriages.

dedicated dad's leading. 

loving mom's tendering.

missions extended.

wayward hearts returned. 

I am all about these numbers and so is God as he brings change.  I love to be involved in God's stories.    

Here is your chance to get involved in the supporting the work of God in increasing the numbers of changed lives.