And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

 As a Christian, when you do something for God, are you doing it for Him or yourself? Many people would quickly answer that they are serving God, but when you peel back the layers of intention, is your acts of service true worship?

 We can easily mess up our service with other intentions. Let me explain. Maybe you haven’t been living in obedience to God, like you should, so you think in your mind if I serve God, it will right my wrongs. Possibly you are trying to “fit in” with the active member’s club at church and feel this is your doorway to acceptance. And then there is always the prideful approach, where you believe your acts of service to the Lord will make you look good in front of other people, giving you a certain status amongst your peers. There are other intentions that can drive you to serve that only serve yourself and not truly God.

 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

 So, how can you make sure that you are serving God and not for other reasons?  Prayer is essential for any act of service. Prayer opens the line of communication with God and He speaks through His Holy Spirit, directing your service. In your prayer, you ask God to empty anything in you that might take away from the purity of service, such as pride, deceit, even jealousy. Train your mind to understand that the only reason you are serving Him is because He so graciously served you through His Son’s sacrifice on the cross for the redemption of your soul, and you are serving Him out of thankfulness. Finally, realize that you are the hands, feet, and mouthpiece of Jesus Christ in your service and everything you do should be a reflection of Him. Any service that doesn’t reflect Christ’s character should be purged and reset your heart.

Consider it a blessing to serve God, by returning a very small portion of His blessings back to Him for what He has done and will continue to do in your life. Serve Him with a pure heart! Blessings!  

 

 

 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7

 One of my favorite videos to watch is pilots, inside the cockpit of jets, while they take off. One thing I notice every time, the pilot always has his/her eyes on the instruments as they lift off the ground and continue to watch them until they reach their proper altitude. Why? Because the instruments don’t lie, they tell the truth about the performance of the plane and watching those instruments ensures the plane is at the right speed, right angle for lift, and is moving away from earth and not headed towards it. Left to visual flying, the pilot might get confused by what he sees and crash.

 For the Christian, today’s verse gives encouragement to live your life by faith and not sight. Many times in life, you’ll encounter things that can generate anxiety, fear, sadness, even failure, leading you on an emotional rollercoaster. God never intended for His children to live that way. He wants you to feel the security of His presence, His control over your situations, and most of all embrace you with His love, forgiveness, and hope. In the process, your flight through life goes much smoother and avoids the pitfalls that many outside the faith find themselves battling, like addictions, destructive behaviors, even suicide.

 Your life as a child of God can ONLY be lived out by faith, not by the sight of your circumstances. No matter what comes your way, God allows it to draw you closer to Him for faith building and learning to let go and let God handle the crisis. He will do it, if you simply allow Him to take control as you carry on in faith. Look towards Jesus Christ and you’ll fly high and straight every time! God bless!

 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

 Several years ago, we had to put my wife’s mother in an assisted living facility as she was not able to properly care for her basic and medical needs at home. The first year there, I recall she was always worried about her bank account, her bills, and living expenses. All of that was being handled by my wife; all she had to do was live and enjoy the last few years of her life with other people in similar situations. The benefits of assisted living far outweighed the burden put on my mother-in-law.

 If there is a group of verses that clearly represent a life with Jesus Christ, it’s found in Matthew 11:28-30. No doubt, living the Christian life in this world is not easy and the struggles to maintain faith can be put to the test by the trials we face, the heartaches we encounter, and living opposite of how everyone else is living. But Jesus says to come to Him with our heavy burdens and He will lighten our load. His way is not burdensome, but light when we connect with Him. I can tell you from personal experience, I’ve learned over the years that giving God my struggles, my worries, and disappointments has released its weight, allowing me to have an inner peace and assurance that God has it all under His control. Let me repeat that….GOD HAS IT UNDER HIS CONTROL. 

 Like me, you might not be old enough or disabled enough to enter an assisted living facility, but you can enjoy the benefits of having God assist your living by giving Him all your worries and struggles. He will help you navigate through them with an inner peace like no other. Put your trust in Him today and you too will see God’s assisted living facility is the perfect fit for your life! God bless!  

 

 

 Jesus said, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

 As a child growing up, you might have heard your parents say phrases such as: “I’m not going to tell you gain”, “this is your last chance”, or “when I get to 3, you’d better do what I say”. If the parent was true to his word, they’d apply discipline to you for not obeying. If you are like me, you took advantage of that grace period to correct your behavior and avoid the pain of their punishment.

 Today’s scripture quotes the words of Jesus; He came to seek and save the lost. His saving grace still applies to everyone today, as He freely welcomes everyone (His creation) to come to Him seeking forgiveness of sins and living a life of obedience by His standards found in the bible. By believing that Jesus Christ (God’s Son) came to earth, died on a cross for mankind’s sins, and rose to life 3 days later, and receiving Him as your Lord and Savior, you can be assured of God’s forgiveness and have a personal relationship with Him while here on earth (and into eternity).

 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom HE has ordained, HE has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. Acts 17:30-31

 Just like the parent who gives the child a chance to turn from their wrongdoing, so does God give you the chance to turn from sin and turn to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and security in Heaven’s home. The time to commit to Jesus Christ is today, for tomorrow might be too late. Don’t delay, because when Jesus comes back to judge the world, you will face the punishment of God (eternal Hell) and miss the opportunity for eternal paradise with your Creator. Come to Jesus Christ today!

 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 2 Corinthians 5:14

 It’s been reported that Charlie Kirk had numerous death threats made against his life, yet he continued to stand before crowds, that often mocked him, to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. His hope was to change the minds of young people who’ve been filled with the world’s belief system, just the opposite of God’s standards. Knowing this, he was compelled to bring a turning point into the lives of our next generation of leaders.

 The Bible’s New Testament records many stories of ordinary people who proclaimed Jesus Christ’s saving grace and died for the cause. They didn’t do it because they knew their reward would be heaven, they did it because they were compelled by what they believed to be true and through personal experiences with Jesus Christ when He was living amongst them. Christ’s love touched their lives and nothing of the world caused them to retreat, from horrible beatings and even death.

 If you are a child of God, what compels you to live each day for Jesus Christ? What compels you to share the good news of Jesus saving grace to a lost and dying world? If you struggle with those answers, maybe you need to double check your standing with Christ. Jesus didn’t die on the cross for you to live an idle life and hold back the special grace and mercy He’s shown you. He commanded us to share Jesus with everyone and in every place on this planet.

 We need more Charlie Kirks in this world to touch the lives of others, to dispel the lies the prince of this world is trying to infiltrate the minds of our youth. YOU can make a difference in your corner of this world. You don’t need to stand in front of thousands to proclaim Christ, but you can live out your faith in what you say, and act, and sharing your faith with individuals who are searching for light amongst the darkness. What compels you? Ask God to give you the heart to share what you know to be true! God bless!

 Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 

Airline pilots have a thorough checklist they go through to ensure the plane is prepared for a safe flight. Many accidents have happened when the checklist wasn't followed closely. 

God gave His people, the Israelites, a set of rules to follow to ensure an obedient life that aligned with God's plan for that nation. Over the course of time, they failed to follow God's commands and felt the pain of his wrath. His commands weren't complicated or burdensome, but the people chose to walk in their own way until God got their attention. 

Today we have God's word as a checklist for us to follow to ensure a life that is pleasing to God and many times yields His abundant blessings. Sadly some choose a different path and miss out on what could be a near perfect life. If that's you, I encourage you to come back to the book for wisdom and guidance as you navigate through this life. It may seem long, but eternity can't be measured, it goes on forever. Why not stay true to God and live in obedience. God blesses those who walk in His way. Start 

 For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment. Psalm 66:10-12

 God has a plan for your life. Many times, He blesses you with financial comfort, good health, and ease of life. But did you know that He also uses trials and difficulties as part of His plan to grow and strengthen your faith?  

 I recall during my last 14 years of employment as a supervisor, I was faced, almost daily, with situations that put me to the test mentally, emotionally, and at times physically. The pressure to perform in my role was very heavy on my heart, mind, and soul. I learned pretty quickly to turn over the challenges I faced to God for wisdom and direction. In the process, I developed a stronger relationship with God, learned to trust Him more, and witnessed God’s hand working in ways I could never have imagined. Without those difficulties, I’d probably stay stagnant in my faith. And beyond my growth, my testimony of trusting God has helped others in their walk with the Lord.

 Maybe you are undergoing a time of God’s testing. An unwelcomed health diagnosis, a financial burden that exceeds your budget, an enemy who seems to relentlessly pursue your happiness and joy, and the list goes on and on. Re-read today’s scripture right now.

 Your firestorm is just what God has planned to grow your faith, increase time with Him through prayer and bible reading, and show you who is really in control. Don’t fight against God, work with Him during this refining process and see your outcome yield rich fulfillment of Godly character develop in your life! God bless!