Be Prepared

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Luke 14:25-27  

²⁵ A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, ²⁶ “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
Section from the book
And when Jesus really does come first, life becomes filled with risks. You risk the loss of family, reputation, prosperity, and more—for the world is hostile to this kind of allegiance and worship and hates the renunciation of those things the world loves to worship.

Simple thoughts

This is one of those cases when the section from the book really speaks for itself. However the key words are the first 7, and when Jesus really does come first.

If you have never lost anything for the sake of Jesus, I’m not sure you really have him first.  When you put Jesus first be prepared because the Bible is clear the world will come against you. The question is do you trust Jesus enough to take on the world?

Check your ID

 

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Romans 5: 3-5  

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

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When the world strips away your comfort and confidence in things temporal, when friends become enemies and attack you, when in the providence of God suffering enters your life like a flash flood, you are given an opportunity to see very clearly where your ultimate dependence lies and where you find your identity.

Simple thoughts

There are two kinds of suffering and trials. One is the self inflicted kind where there are consequences for your actions. The other comes when something happens that you had no control over. The key to both kinds of suffering is knowing that God causes all things to work for good for those who love him. I really love what it says above in regards to suffering and trials. You are given an opportunity to see very clearly where your ultimate dependence lies and where you find your identity. When you come to the realization that your ultimate dependence and your identity is found in Christ. You should say thank you suffering, thank you trials. When a person’s dependence and identity is in something other than Christ they are doomed now and possibly forever unless they change and trust in Christ. The next time a trial or suffering comes upon you let it be an opportunity to check your identity.

Do you go to church to be fed?

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage  Psalm 29: 1-2

¹ Honor the Lord, you heavenly beings;
honor the Lord for his glory and strength.
² Honor the Lord for the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
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You should think of worship as an opportunity to offer something to God, not just to receive something. You should come with the intention of offering your words, your mind, your heart, and your entire life to the God who has rescued you from sin, death, and hell itself.

Simple thoughts

Do you go to church to be fed? Do you go to get filled up for the rest of the week? If that is the reason you go to church you’re selfish. You should go to church to give not to get. You should first and foremost go to church to give worship to God with other believers. And that is no excuse not to worship him the other 6 days of the week either. Worshiping in church is not for your good, it is for the glory and pleasure of God. Going to church is not about being fed, it more about being led by the grace that God has shown you and publicly not just thanking him but worshiping him for it. Needless to say when you worship God you will in the end be fed and it will carry you through anything.

Trust me you need this

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage 1 John 5:21

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

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The call to keep one’s self from idols is given to the church. This sounds strange, as you see yourself as a worshiper of God and not of strange deities. But there it is at the end of John’s epistle. His last words in that letter to the church are, “Keep yourselves from idols.” The warning isn’t given to them because it wasn’t a real danger or because there was an off chance someone might fall into idolatry. It was given because this is our root problem on any given day. It is what we, especially as followers of Jesus, must fight against.

Even when you know the dangers of idolatry and the command to keep yourself from idols, do you know what idols you need to keep yourself from? It is not enough to say that you will worship Christ alone and reject false gods. You must be able to recognize the form idolatry takes in your life.

Simple thoughts

I’m sure you do not have a golden calf enshrined somewhere in your house that you worship everyday. But I am sure somewhere ,you have an idol that you worship more than you even know. The funny thing about idols is that they don’t look like you’d think. They are not statues; they may not even be a physical thing. The simple definition of an idol is anything you place in front of God. To indentify your idols just look where you spend the most of your time and money, that could very well be your idol. What is it that you are the most afraid of losing? That could be your idol. Where does your mind drift off to when given the chance? That too could be your idol.  I will go out on a limb and say that the root of all your personal problems is in fact idolatry. The way to kill roots in a septic system is copper sulfate. The way to kill the roots of idolatry in your life is a fresh and renewed sense of the gospel.

A complaint is nothing but a lack of trust

Scripture passage Philippians 2:14

Do all things without grumbling or questioning.

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Let’s get something straight. You complain, and you know it. The problem with your complaining is that you do not see it as a problem. You view it as harmless venting. You believe you are just stating facts, that a certain circumstance is frustrating. Your justification of complaining is truly unfortunate, because it certainly bothers God. The reason you complain is the reason it is wrong.

You complain because you misunderstand (or just miss altogether) the grace you have received and the purposes of God in your life. You misunderstand the grace you have received by not recognizing it and receiving it with gratitude. Life, breath, and all of God’s provisions for your life are acts of his kindness and are truly wonderful, and yet they all seem to disappear when the small inconveniences of life appear.

And no, you do not get a pass because you can handle the big problems in life but not the small ones. Perhaps when sickness, death, and affliction come into your life, you run to God and his promises and find comfort that gives peace and patience. Maybe it is just the small stuff that you sweat. So what is the big deal? Everything! In fact, your complaining about the small stuff is more dangerous than complaining about the big, because life is made up of the small stuff. Tragedies punctuate periods of your life, but it is the smaller inconveniences that make up the bulk of your existence, and this is what most people will see you handle. Those situations are the most obvious testing ground of your faith. If God’s grace is big enough for you to handle the big problems, why isn’t it enough for you to walk meekly though the smaller issues?

 Simple thoughts

It is hard for me to say and it may be hard for you to hear but anytime you complain you may think you are only stating facts but the truth is you are really ungrateful for what you do have and questioning God for the circumstances He gave you for your own good. Ouch! I’ve done it and you have too, the key is recognizing it and fixing it. Because complaining is draining and complaining is not a conversation, although there are some who would be mute if they couldn’t complain. The next time you are about to complain or hear someone complaining think about it as a lack of trust in God and address it accordingly. Because God causes ALL things to work together for good for those who love him, even what your complaining about.

Kill it

Scripture passage Romans 8:13

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

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You seem to think that your sins will somehow die of old age. It’s as if you believe you can wait them out, and they will eventually grow weak and fail. But the truth is your sin ages more like an oak tree. If you aren’t chopping it down, its roots are growing deeper, and its branches are growing stronger.

In other words, your sin will not just go away. You are called to aggressively seek sin’s destruction—to kill it. But even when you understand this, it is more complicated than plotting its murder, for the act of killing sin is a slow, continuous process that runs the span of your life. And if you are not putting sin to death, then you will find that it is seeking your destruction. As John Owen said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

Killing sin isn’t merely the cutting of branches but a striking at the root. This means you need to do more than recognize your sin of impatience; you must seek to know how this branch of sin is connected to the root of pride. From there you can get to work. But the work of killing sin is not moral improvement or personal reformation. It is the Holy Spirit empowered spiritual war against all forms of corruption that would lead you away from the gospel. Sin and temptation lead you away from the gospel by telling you that you can find greater fulfillment and satisfaction in something other than Jesus. Your sinful actions always reflect the battle within you over your allegiance.

What this means is that the true nature of spiritual warfare is a fight against indwelling sin, and that the only success you can have in that fight is through the power of God’s Spirit. And how is it that you and the Spirit can work together? How is it that the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in you? The answer is found in the gospel. God justifies the sinner, gives him the Spirit, and sanctifies him in the truth by the Spirit. Your hope in this war against sin is outside of yourself in God. In the end, you are called to kill sin because it seeks to lead you away from the hope of the gospel, and you are able to kill sin because of the hope of the gospel.

 Simple thoughts

No reason to say anything more.  

Repentance Reaction

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage 2 Corinthians 7:10

¹⁰ For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

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You will never be done with repentance—at least, not until death or Christ’s return. While it is something you should be doing frequently, it is not something you just “get used to.” Repentance requires a daily intentionality. And let’s be honest; you will have more to repent of by the end of the day than you can possibly remember. So, where should you start? The big picture is that repentance is both an attitude and an action. It is more than being sorry for sin, and it is more than cutting out a bad habit.
 Simple thoughts

I like what the book says here that repentance is more than an action. Many of us have heard the definition of repentance as turning and walking away from your sin. It needs to be much more than that. Repentance is also an attitude, true repentance is a hate for the sin you’ve committed against God and when you truly see if for what it is your response shouldn’t be much different than Kevin’s in the movie classic Home Alone.  When you understand the sin you’ve committed against God you should be repulsed, shocked, or even mortified. If you’re not you may be just sorry or just sorry they got caught. You must understand that repentance is much more than being sorry or stopping a bad habit.

Don't just sit there, Go!

 

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Matthew 28:19-20

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

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If you want to be useful to God, you will need to be the person who moves first. You have to take the initiative to move toward the people God has put into your life and the people God has sent you to. Most will not come to your church’s worship gathering, most will not seek out your advice, and most will not strike up a conversation with you. You will have to go to them.

The opportunities are always there, but they are difficult to see if you are too focused on yourself. You must take the time to be truly present where God has put you

 Simple thoughts

Imagine yourself being the second car at a stop light, the light turns green and the car in front of you does not move. How long is it before you do something? Before throwing your arms up in disgust, or honking your horn? Probably not very long, you say to yourself why do they not just go! It’s not that hard! More than likely God says the same thing about you. In Matthew 28 Jesus says go, ask yourself are you just sitting there, not moving? In sharing your Christian faith you can’t stay put and wait for people to come to you, you have to go. Your reasons for not going could be many but the root of the problem is you’re too focused on yourself just like the person sitting at the green light in front of you is focused on something other than going.  So please take your foot off the brake, hit the gas and just go.

When it come to forgiveness, look in the mirror

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Colossian 3:12-13

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

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Your refusal to forgive one who has sinned against you is a manifestation of hypocrisy—a telltale sign that either you have not experienced God’s forgiving grace, or that you take such grace for granted. Why do you withhold what has been given so freely to you? Have your offenders done worse than you? Are their crimes against you more severe than your crimes against God and others? When you refuse to forgive, it can only mean that you have not yet come to understand forgiveness, or you have been taking it for granted and have not yet sufficiently learned from it.

 Simple thoughts

When Christians gather forgiveness is a topic that generates a lot of conversation. People have a hard time forgiving and if you’re honest with yourself the person you have trouble forgiving has probably done what, one or two things to you? Even if it was ten or twenty that is just a drop in the bucket for the sins you have committed against God yet he forgave you. So when you have trouble forgiving someone look in the mirror and ask yourself, do I even know what forgiveness or grace is or do I take it completely for granted? Scripture says you must forgive.

Tipping for poor service

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Matthew 7:1-2

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. ² For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged

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Are you merciful, compassionate, and forgiving, or do you gravitate toward giving people what you believe they deserve? How do you receive people who are hostile to the gospel? How do you speak to or of people who are your social/political opposite? Here’s a good test for yourself—how do you tip servers at a restaurant? Not just the good servers but even the bad ones. Have you considered that tipping generously, even if the service is bad, is a demonstration of grace that is not likely to be lost on the server? Stop judging. Let the gospel compel you to live by grace and demonstrate it to those around you.

 Simple thoughts

This one hurt, I’ll be honest I never thought about tipping poor service as grace, but that is exactly what it is. I think of the poor service I gave Christ before becoming a Christian, and yet after; yet he chose and chooses to love me anyway, it humbles me. I still to this day struggle with wanting to give people what they deserve especially when it’s not good, like less of a tip for poor service. I even become self-righteous when people do something wrong or do not live up to my standards. Sometimes it makes me feel good or even superior to them. But yet again when I look at the example of Jesus and how he was perfect and sinless and how I am a sinner and don’t even come close to His standards and He still loves me anyway. That is what grace is and how I should think about it. Does a poor waitress deserver a bad tip, you bet! Do I deserve Hell, I do! Thankfully God is a great tipper. I’ll never look at tipping the same again.  

What do you want?

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage 1 Peter 1:13
⁵Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

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What is your greatest hope? Your deepest longing? Is it for Christ to return? Be honest. That’s not always at the top of your list. The reason you are not eagerly waiting for Jesus is because you either misunderstand his second coming and/or love the world more than your King and his kingdom.

 Simple thoughts

Truthfully, there is nothing I can say about the section of the book today, truly sobering if you stop and think about it. Something to ponder today.

 

Who found who?

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Psalm 73: 1-3, 17

⁵ In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”

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The more robust, the more detailed your theology, the more humble you should become. Why? Because you did not figure God out; he revealed himself to you.

The proud theologian has somehow convinced himself, or at least acts as if, he discovered God. But you understand that you did not uncover the truth of God like some kind of rock star archeologist. He sought you, caught you, and gave you sight, knowledge, and life.

 Simple thoughts

What is the one thing that is everywhere and that no one has ever found? The answer God. I get a kick out of it when someone says they have found God. My gut reaction is to say I didn’t know he was lost.  The truth is the person who really has God in their life will be the first to acknowledge the fact that they had absolutely nothing to do with it. The person who has God knows they were not looking for Him but in fact they were running from Him. They know that it was God who sought and caught them. For those who tend to think they had something to do with it or even those who think by their own intellect have figured God out they are the ones who run the risk of becoming prideful and arrogant.  I have actually seen some who really, really knew the Bible and theology crash and burn because of their pride and it wasn’t pretty. The more a person knows God the more humble they should be because they realize His glory and their sinfulness. When it come to God just remember who found who.

Stop your complaining

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Psalm 73: 1-3, 17

Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.² But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
³ For I envied the proud Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.

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You know that God is sovereign and good, and that should be enough to comfort and direct you. It should calm and quiet you. It should stop your complaining and start your worship even in the midst of the most painful experiences of life.
  Simple thoughts

If you realize that God is truly sovereign and good why in the world would you ever complain? Perhaps you don’t realize how sovereign and good He really is. The sooner you do the quicker you will get out of the complaint line and into the gratitude line. Just remember everything works for the good of those who love Jesus. You may not like it but whatever it is you are going through God as a purpose for it. Thank Him for it.

Not satisfied?

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Philippians 4:11-13

¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ,^[c] who gives me strength. ¹⁴ Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

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Are you satisfied? It is pretty obvious that the answer is often no. I am not saying it is wrong to want things in this life, but why do you find yourself so frustrated with the absence of those things? The problem is not that you want evil things. The things you want are generally good, or at least harmless in themselves. But more than wanting, you become frustrated by not having. You become jealous, envious, and discontented with your life. It is true; you need what you lack, but what you lack is satisfaction in Jesus.

 Simple thoughts

I could not help but use this now infamous picture of Mckayla Maroney that has went viral. I will be the first to admit I am not sure the reason behind this now famous face. I can only assume that she was not satisfied with the silver medal. The fact that she worked her whole life (like 17 years) for Olympic gold and came up short left her disappointed and frustrated. Who could blame her? Before you answer, remember what you just read in today’s scripture and the excerpt from the book. It’s really okay to want things but the problem comes when you become dissatisfied without them. When this happens you slowly become jealous, envious, and discontent. When this happens the good things you want become bad things. The reason, because you have elevated them above Jesus. My kids used to get frustrated with me when I’d to explain the differences between the wants and needs in their life. We need air, food, water, and shelter but after that most things are wants. To me the most noticeable change in my life since becoming a Christian is that my wants have dramatically decreased. As Philippians 4:11 say I have learned to be content with what I have. Now I would be lying if I said at now I never wanted anything, but hopefully when my wants start leading me to not being satisfied or discontent I will remember what I am truly lacking in is my satisfaction in Jesus. When you have Jesus silver is more than enough and gold still does not compare to the value of knowing Christ.

Do you have Him in focus?

Time to fire up the blog again, I have found a book that I think is very good, a book that besides the Bible I can use as a daily devotional. The book is Note to Self by Joe Thorn, so each day I will share the scripture passage a expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts.

Scripture passage Philippians 2: 8-11

When he appeared in human form,
⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

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Take note—your view of Jesus tends to shrink over time. It is not that your theology itself drifts, but sometimes you so focus on one aspect of Jesus that you tend to forget the rest. The result is a shrinking Jesus (in your faith). And as your shrinking Jesus becomes small Jesus, he is easily eclipsed by your idols and ego.

 Simple thoughts
Stay focused on who Jesus is. Some people focus so much on the aspects of Jesus that they like or need that their overall view of Jesus becomes smaller, unfocused and distorted. Jesus has so many characteristics but for the sake of time let’s just look at two of them. Jesus is love we all know that but Jesus is also judge. So for the person who elevates His characteristic of love far above the fact that Jesus is judge can tend  not to feel the weight of their sin then never repent of it. That person may think that Jesus will let their sin slide because after all He is love. When in fact He is also the one who will judge everyone and the Bible is clear that not everyone goes to Heaven. But even for the believer we too can start to let Jesus get out of focus in our lives, let Him shrink in importance to us. When this happens Satan gains an advantage. Life for the Christian is hard enough so why give Satan more of a foot hold? We all must everyday stay focused on who Jesus is through study, prayer, meditation, and worship. Don’t forget that someday God Himself said that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.  So for you today focus on this Jesus is who he is not who you want Him to be.  

Feeling bad is not enough

Time to fire up the blog again, I have found a book that I think is very good, a book that besides the Bible I can use as a daily devotional. The book is Note to Self by Joe Thorn, so each day I will share the scripture passage a expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts.

Scripture passage Psalm 100: 4-5

⁵ Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

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As you consider your sins and feel their weight, you decide to embrace the guilt and even heap it on. Then, only after you have felt sufficiently bad about all that you have been and done do you begin to feel better about it all. It’s as if amassing feelings of guilt becomes a perverted kind of penance in which you pay for your transgression by making yourself feel bad—as if your guilt is a means of getting clean

Simple thoughts

Many think that feeling bad about something they did wrong is good. While you should feel bad for the wrong you’ve done sometimes feeling bad is not enough. Often people get feeling bad and repentance confused. They think that if they feel bad enough about what they did, that will make it better. Feeling bad for what you did is like trying to take a bath in mud. You may get wet but you won’t get clean. The only way to get clean is to trust in Jesus and repent of your sins. Repentance is not feeling bad, it is truly hating what you’ve done and turning around and walking away from it and back towards Jesus. So don’t just feel bad about the sins you commit, repent of them, hate them, and turn back to Jesus then experience what it feels like to be clean.   Kind of reminds me of 2 Peter 2:22
They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

Don't be a turkey?

Time to fire up the blog again, I have found a book that I think is very good, a book that besides the Bible I can use as a daily devotional. The book is Note to Self by Joe Thorn, so each day I will share the scripture passage a expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts.

Scripture passage Psalm 100: 4-5

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

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Does gratitude characterize your thoughts of God? Thankfulness is a good test of your faith. Its absence demonstrates that your faith is more lip service than experiential knowledge. Your days, whether easy or difficult, should be filled with thanksgiving because while life changes drastically, your God remains the same forever. He is constant—constantly good, loving, and faithful.

Simple thoughts

Is the only time you give thanks at the beginning of a meal or on a Thursday in November in front of a turkey? If so you are a turkey. Thankfulness should be automatic for the believer, and for those who are ungrateful or downright unhappy all of the time where is their faith? Do they stop and think about what God has done for them? You have to wonder? No matter what you are going through give thanks to the fact that God never changes and is never wrong and that EVERYTHING works together for the good of those who love him. Don’t be a turkey thank God early and often throughout every day.

What are you afraid of?

Time to fire up the blog again, I have found a book that I think is very good, a book that besides the Bible I can use as a daily devotional. The book is Note to Self by Joe Thorn, so each day I will share the scripture passage a expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts.

Scripture passage Matthew 10:28

²⁸ “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell

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The problem with this kind of worldly fear is that it will lead you to toe party lines instead of correcting and challenging the people you are close to. It will compel you to try to live a safe life, free from risk or danger instead of being willing to make the hard and “risky” choice of following Jesus in a culture that rejects him. It will lead you to so prize the good gifts of God that they mutate into idols that you are unwilling to let go of.

Simple thoughts

I have never been to a movie that I would call scary. What horror movies I have been too I usually end up laughing at the so called scary parts.  The reason is I know nothing in the movie can harm me. But I do not do so well when it comes to life. I am afraid of what people might think of me, I am afraid of being challenged for what I believe, I am afraid of conflict. The sad thing is these things are not even close to killing me like Matthew 10:28 says. However if I’m not careful these things could dominate my life. The idol I fight against everyday is comfort. I too often try to live safe from the risk or danger of speaking up for what I believe in. I need to ask myself if I won’t stand up for it do I really believe in it. Following Jesus is risky as far as the world is concerned, but consider the danger of not following Him, that is where the fear of God has to overcome the fear of man. 

Be Prepared

The more and more I read the headlines of the day the more I see the persecution of Christians rising in the United States of America. It is a scary thing and is only going to get worse. We have seen how Tim Tebow has been vilified, I see so called sports experts run him down continually on TV. Some cities are banning home Bible studies. And now with the ongoing controversy with Chick-fila, and a lesser known ordeal in Colorado where protests are being organized against a bakery who refused to do a wedding cake for a gay couple. I have been in discussions where we say at least there is not really any serious persecution in this country but that is changing for the worse. More and more serious things are beginning to happen in this country to those who profess to be Christians. But we should not be surprised because Jesus told us it would happen, and that it will get worse before it gets better. In fact the die has been cast and it’s all downhill until Jesus returns. We have to know this and be prepared for this because Jesus said in Luke 21:12 “before the end of the world there will be a time of great persecution.” But he also said in verse 13 “but this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.”  Now is the time to make sure that you understand this and you tell your children and grandchildren because it is coming and we all need to be prepared. When it happens to you in whatever form just remember Jesus’ words “ But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.”

Luke 21: 10-18

¹⁰ Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven. ¹² “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. ¹³ But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.^{[c] 14} So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, ¹⁵ for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! ¹⁶ Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. ¹⁷ And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.^{[d] 18} But not a hair of your head will perish! ¹⁹ By standing firm, you will win your souls.

Free Stuff

I am always amazed what lengths people will go through to get something for free. They will push and shove, stand in line, you name it they will do it for something free. In short they will make fools of themselves just to get something for nothing. I know you’ve seen it and if you’re honest with yourself you know you’ve done it. However there is one free thing that is really hard for many to accept and that’s grace. When a person stands in line for a freebie they have already made a choice to do so. With grace there is no choice, and not having a choice is what really bothers people. It takes mankind out of the equation and as humans that’s extremely hard to do, to give up power, control, or the ability to choose. Having to give up these things is offending to most people and no one will do it on their own.  It takes the hand of God for anyone to receive the handout of grace even then it’s still hard for even the Christian to turn everything over because we still like to think we have a choice. If God chooses something for us the only choice we have is to trust Him.

Romans 5:16
And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.