I never cease to be amazed by the limitations people assign to God. I often hear people say what He wouldn’t do—and some go so far as to say what He couldn’t do. Since when is God restricted by the extent of our imagination?
Walking on water, healing the sick, driving out demons, and raising the dead were just a few of the miracles performed by Jesus. It was hard for some of those who were alive during the time of Christ to accept these signs and miracles. So I can understand how this may be just as difficult to accept for some of those living 2,000 years later.
Those who see Jesus only as a “good man” or simply a “prophet” would no doubt find it hard to fathom how this “guy” could turn water into wine or feed thousands with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread. There would have to be a logical explanation. But those of us who accept the deity of Jesus should recognize that God defies logic. Our belief in Jesus’ resurrection hinges on the understanding that God can do the things that we know to be impossible.
When we think of the Almighty, our brain cannot fully comprehend all that He encompasses. Our God is the Lord of all. Psalm 24:1 tells us “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” There are no exceptions. There is nothing outside of His jurisdiction. (Someone once even questioned if God could stop time. A quick look at Joshua 10:1-15 answered that!)
But at the end of the day, it’s all about faith. I would be a little disappointed to serve a God that is only as great as I could imagine. The fact that God surpasses all human understanding fortifies my faith. I know without a doubt that I can rely on Him for anything and everything. And I am encouraged to know that with God, nothing is impossible!
I believe God can do anything—except fail. ☺
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
God’s Time
We often give ourselves ultimatums: “I want to have this thing done by this time.” But when we make up timelines without first consulting with God, we set ourselves up for tremendous disappointment.
The truth is, people want what they want when they want it. We become impatient with delays and setbacks. And many of us are easily ruffled when things don’t run according to our schedule.
But the moment we decide to do things “our way” we fall into Satan’s trap. And sometimes we do it with all the best intentions—“Lord, I’m going to raise $6,000 by July and I’m going to be on a plane to Haiti by September to do some mission work!” But when a wrench is thrown into our plans and we don’t meet our own self-imposed deadlines, we become angry and frustrated.
Imagine how frustrating it was for Moses to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. When he originally set out on the journey, he couldn’t have planned for it to take 40 years! But imagine if he had said, “Okay, if we’re not in the Promised Land by the end of February, I’m just going to quit!” All would have been lost. Thankfully, Moses was a man of great faith and was willing to follow God’s timing—and not his own—until the end.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” There’s no plan that we should make without first consulting with the Lord. And once we get the green light to move forward, we must accept that His plans are perfect and His timing is right.
Allow God to do the planning and watch how it all unfolds—right on time!
The truth is, people want what they want when they want it. We become impatient with delays and setbacks. And many of us are easily ruffled when things don’t run according to our schedule.
But the moment we decide to do things “our way” we fall into Satan’s trap. And sometimes we do it with all the best intentions—“Lord, I’m going to raise $6,000 by July and I’m going to be on a plane to Haiti by September to do some mission work!” But when a wrench is thrown into our plans and we don’t meet our own self-imposed deadlines, we become angry and frustrated.
Imagine how frustrating it was for Moses to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. When he originally set out on the journey, he couldn’t have planned for it to take 40 years! But imagine if he had said, “Okay, if we’re not in the Promised Land by the end of February, I’m just going to quit!” All would have been lost. Thankfully, Moses was a man of great faith and was willing to follow God’s timing—and not his own—until the end.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” There’s no plan that we should make without first consulting with the Lord. And once we get the green light to move forward, we must accept that His plans are perfect and His timing is right.
Allow God to do the planning and watch how it all unfolds—right on time!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Love
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and many hearts and minds will turn to all things romantic. There will be plenty of flowers, candy, and big red hearts to be seen. But looking aside from the overly commercialized, Hallmark version of love, how many people really know true love? And do we only get to experience it once a year?
Despite the hype centered on “love” this time of year, in our daily lives, we generally experience 4 types of love—they go by the Greek names of storge, philia, eros, and agape. Here’s a breakdown:
• Storge is what you would call “family love.” It’s the kind of love you often see at weddings, birthday parties, and family reunions. Good times!
• Philia is also known as “brotherly love.” Yes, it’s the word at the root of the name Philadelphia—the City of Brotherly Love. This is the kind of love that allows people to stand up for one another and have compassion for others.
• Eros is “romantic love.” This word is the root of “erotic.” It’s the kind of love shared between a husband and wife, which binds them for a lifetime.
• Agape is “unconditional love.” This is the love that God has for us and shows us each and every day.
The Bible offers the perfect definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Be sure to give it a read—especially if you haven’t in a while. Some of the highlights: Love is patient, love is kind, and love never fails!
Do you know the Love of Jesus?
Jesus Christ displayed the greatest Love of all, by laying down His life so that we may receive salvation. And it didn’t end there—as Christians, we experience the perfect Love of the Living God each and every day in our lives.
If you want to experience the Love of Christ in your life, it’s easy. Just say the following prayer, “Lord, I know that I have sinned. But I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that He died for my salvation. And I believe that He rose from the dead so that I may enjoy eternal life with You. Jesus, I accept your gift of Love, please come into my life as my personal savior and help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Amen.”
If you have said this prayer for the first time, you are saved from the penalty of sin! Let the Holy Spirit guide you to a place of worship where you can fellowship with and be encouraged by other Christians—and enjoy the Love of Christ!
Despite the hype centered on “love” this time of year, in our daily lives, we generally experience 4 types of love—they go by the Greek names of storge, philia, eros, and agape. Here’s a breakdown:
• Storge is what you would call “family love.” It’s the kind of love you often see at weddings, birthday parties, and family reunions. Good times!
• Philia is also known as “brotherly love.” Yes, it’s the word at the root of the name Philadelphia—the City of Brotherly Love. This is the kind of love that allows people to stand up for one another and have compassion for others.
• Eros is “romantic love.” This word is the root of “erotic.” It’s the kind of love shared between a husband and wife, which binds them for a lifetime.
• Agape is “unconditional love.” This is the love that God has for us and shows us each and every day.
The Bible offers the perfect definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Be sure to give it a read—especially if you haven’t in a while. Some of the highlights: Love is patient, love is kind, and love never fails!
Do you know the Love of Jesus?
Jesus Christ displayed the greatest Love of all, by laying down His life so that we may receive salvation. And it didn’t end there—as Christians, we experience the perfect Love of the Living God each and every day in our lives.
If you want to experience the Love of Christ in your life, it’s easy. Just say the following prayer, “Lord, I know that I have sinned. But I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that He died for my salvation. And I believe that He rose from the dead so that I may enjoy eternal life with You. Jesus, I accept your gift of Love, please come into my life as my personal savior and help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Amen.”
If you have said this prayer for the first time, you are saved from the penalty of sin! Let the Holy Spirit guide you to a place of worship where you can fellowship with and be encouraged by other Christians—and enjoy the Love of Christ!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Market Correction
Due to the current economy, many people have adjusted their financial habits. Reckless spending is much lower and financial discipline is growing significantly. People are keeping a closer eye on their debt (especially the credit cards!) and trying to save more. This newfound financial discipline has spiritual implications as well.
Now, I’m no financial expert, so when the analysts are discussing the Dow Jones and the gross national product, I pretty much glaze over. But the idea of “market correction” caught my attention. According to analysts, a series of poor financial practices, such as overlending by banks, overspending by consumers (mostly on credit), and overambitious interest rates have led to current market conditions. And the resulting foreclosures, unemployment rates, and national debt are the price we now have to pay—literally.
Undisciplined financial behavior leads to serious financial consequences. Now take the word “financial” out of that previous sentence. It’s a basic spiritual principle that a lack of discipline leads to poor outcomes. So as Christians, taking stock of our financial habits is closely tied into taking a closer look at our overall lifestyle. During this period of market correction, maybe there are areas in which we will achieve spiritual correction as well. There are a few examples:
• More people are using coupons now when shopping. I heard someone once say, “Retail price is for suckers.” Getting the best price for purchases just makes sense. But of course, this type of discipline involves planning your shopping trip to the grocery store or mall to ensure you have the coupons you need—which means fewer wasteful impulse purchases.
• Many have cut down on non-essential spending, such as dining out. I can only begin to tell you how many benefits this offers. The first is the ability to spend more family time at home. In addition, by preparing your own food, you control the ingredients—which has tremendous nutritional benefits for your family.
• Most of us are also keeping a watchful eye on the credit card bills and our accumulated debt. Paying down and controlling debt has always been essential. Many lost sight of that during more prosperous times. But now, outrageous spending is down, allowing more people to appreciate what they currently have and save for the future.
Have you been more responsible with your finances lately? Or are you in the market for some correction? I’m reminded of the parable of the bags of gold in Matthew 25:14-30. Take a read—and ask yourself if you are like the servant who was pleasing to his master. Then ask God for ways in which you can be an even better steward of the finances He has entrusted you with.
What are some ways in which you have been led to be more financially responsible? Leave a message!
Now, I’m no financial expert, so when the analysts are discussing the Dow Jones and the gross national product, I pretty much glaze over. But the idea of “market correction” caught my attention. According to analysts, a series of poor financial practices, such as overlending by banks, overspending by consumers (mostly on credit), and overambitious interest rates have led to current market conditions. And the resulting foreclosures, unemployment rates, and national debt are the price we now have to pay—literally.
Undisciplined financial behavior leads to serious financial consequences. Now take the word “financial” out of that previous sentence. It’s a basic spiritual principle that a lack of discipline leads to poor outcomes. So as Christians, taking stock of our financial habits is closely tied into taking a closer look at our overall lifestyle. During this period of market correction, maybe there are areas in which we will achieve spiritual correction as well. There are a few examples:
• More people are using coupons now when shopping. I heard someone once say, “Retail price is for suckers.” Getting the best price for purchases just makes sense. But of course, this type of discipline involves planning your shopping trip to the grocery store or mall to ensure you have the coupons you need—which means fewer wasteful impulse purchases.
• Many have cut down on non-essential spending, such as dining out. I can only begin to tell you how many benefits this offers. The first is the ability to spend more family time at home. In addition, by preparing your own food, you control the ingredients—which has tremendous nutritional benefits for your family.
• Most of us are also keeping a watchful eye on the credit card bills and our accumulated debt. Paying down and controlling debt has always been essential. Many lost sight of that during more prosperous times. But now, outrageous spending is down, allowing more people to appreciate what they currently have and save for the future.
Have you been more responsible with your finances lately? Or are you in the market for some correction? I’m reminded of the parable of the bags of gold in Matthew 25:14-30. Take a read—and ask yourself if you are like the servant who was pleasing to his master. Then ask God for ways in which you can be an even better steward of the finances He has entrusted you with.
What are some ways in which you have been led to be more financially responsible? Leave a message!
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