Make Today Count

Today I have extended a challenge to my friends on the EFED Facebook page. I would like to extend the same challenge to you. This is not a difficult challenge. It does not require you to go out and buy any special equipment. God has given you every thing that you will need. If you have a voice and a few moments then you are ready to begin this challenge.

Today, I want us to make a difference in someone’s life. We can do this by encouraging those around us.

In the day in which we live it seems we are so tied up in our own lives that we fail to see those around us. Technology has made it so that we have access to others every minute of our day, yet we seem to be the most disconnected of any time in history.

I want us to do something about that. Make it a point to reach others today. If you see someone who needs a word of encouragement, take a moment and offer that word. If you know someone who is struggling today, take a moment and pray for them. You can even let them know that you did so. If you see someone who could use a helping hand, stop and offer that hand to them.

There are so many little ways that we can encourage each other daily, yet we seem to overlook those moments. It is not always the big things that make a difference. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day. A note to let someone know that you are thinking of them can make a difference.

Take a moment this morning to ask God to show you how you can make a difference. Ask Him to show you someone who may need a word of encouragement. There are people all around us who are looking for hope. If we will allow God to shine through us, we can share that hope with them.

Will you accept this challenge to make today count? Will you commit to encourage someone today? I would love to hear your story about how God used you to make a difference in someone’s life today.

 

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There is Only One Way

“The Lord is merciful and gracious,Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.” Psalm 103:8-9

Friends, I feel the need to share something that has been on my heart. There is a trend going on among God’s people which disturbs me, and I feel the need to speak out about it.

First, let me say that I very much enjoy sharing words of encouragement with you. I feel this is what I am called to do. I try to share Scriptures that will cheer you on along your Christian journey. I share words of wisdom and stories from our lives that will encourage you and your family. I do my best to take Scripture and use it as a guide for your everyday life.

Next, I want to share my belief on what God wants for His children. I believe that God wants His children to be happy. He wants good things for us. I believe that God rejoices with us when we rejoice, and He hurts with us when we hurt. I believe that God wants to see His children enjoy life.

Here is the problem I am having. There are people out there right now who want to tell you things that simply are not true. While I do enjoy bringing you words of encouragement, I never want to lead you to believe that your life is always going to be easy and worry free. I do not want to fool you into thinking that if you have positive thoughts, your life will always go as planned. Friends, sadly this is not true.

Please do not think I am here to spread gloom and doom. That is not my intention. I do, however, feel that God has placed this on my heart today. I feel that just as I share encouraging words with you I must also share the serious words with you.

In the verse that I shared today, we read that God is merciful and gracious. He is slow to anger and full of mercy. God sent His Son to live on this earth for a season and then to die on the cross so that we might be saved. Yes, He loves us. He is merciful. Yes, He wants good for us.

There is something I want us to understand. Even thought we serve a God who is mighty and gracious and merciful, we are told in John 16:33, that we will face trials and tribulations on this earth. Friends, please do not believe the lie that if you will just think positively, then your life is going to be easy and trouble free. This is not true. We are told right here that we will face trouble. We do, however, find hope if we will continue on to the end of this verse. After we are warned that life is going to be difficult, we are then encouraged by these words, ” But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Within this statement we find the truth. It is not in our own positive thinking that we find hope, but in the assurance that we have a Savior who gave His life for us. In doing so He has conquered the world. This is where we find true, lasting hope.

There is one more misconception that I would like to discuss. This one, in my opinion, is not so obvious. The trouble I have in this matter is not so much that it has been twisted and misused, as it is that it simply has been left out altogether. I am talking about the judgement and the wrath of God.

Now, you may be saying, “But, I thought you were just talking about a loving God.” You would be correct. We do serve a loving God, but if you will continue reading today’s verse you will see that this day of mercy and grace will, at some point, come to an end.

We read in Psalm 103:9 “He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.” Friends, there is coming a day when God will say enough is enough. Please do not miss this very important part of the puzzle. Somehow we have gotten so caught up in the power of positive thinking and the blessings of God that we have forgotten about punishment for sin. Romans 6:23 reads, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” There is only one way to Heaven and it is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

You can be as positive as you want to be. You can think all the good thoughts that one mind can manage. You can be as good a person as you want to be. What I want you to understand today is that none of these things are going to keep you out of Hell.

I believe in having a positive attitude. I believe in being a good person. I believe that as Christians our lives should reflect Jesus and the love that He has for us. I encourage my kids every day to be positive. I encourage them to work hard and to be good people. What I make sure they understand though is that none of these things are going to save them from the punishment that sin brings, and none of them are going to get them into Heaven.

I understand that I may appear to be on my soapbox today, but I truly believe in my heart that these words need to be shared. I feel that I have been given the responsibility to share the truth with you. If that comes through encouragement, then that is what I want to share. If, like this morning, it comes as cold, hard facts, then I want to be faithful in sharing that as well.

I do have some encouragement for you this morning. God loves you. He does want good for your life. He sent His One and Only Son to die on the cross for your sins. He is, at this very moment, preparing a place for you when this life is over. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He did so as a gift to all of us. It is up to us to accept that gift and give our lives to Him. This gift is our only hope.

Friends, I want to see happiness and health in our lives. I do want us to be good people. I believe in being positive. But, I do not want us to believe the lie that these things are enough to keep us out of Hell. There is only one way to Heaven. I pray that you have chosen that way today.

I Am

“And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”

Exodus 3:14

This week I have been thinking a lot about all that God is to us. To some, God is simply a name. To others He is an all-powerful being that exists somewhere in space. Yet to others, He is simply a myth. If you are a Christian and you have a true relationship with God then you know that there is so much more to Him.

I love what God calls Himself in today’s verse: I Am That I Am.

Friends, this name covers so much. It should be an encouragement to us that no matter what we are facing, God will be what we need.

In life there are so many unknowns that we face each day, yet if you will listen closely to God’s voice you will hear him whisper, “I Am.”

When you are hurting, God whispers, “I am your healer.”- Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

When you are scared, God whispers, “I am comfort.”- 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

When you are lonely, God whispers, “I am near”- Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

When you are weary, God whispers, “I am your rest.”- Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

So often we search the world over looking for the answers to our problems, yet the entire time God is standing there saying, “I Am.” I pray today that no matter what you are needing you will seek God and all that He wants to be to you.