Joy in the Small Things

Matthew 25:23

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

As I was about to start my run one morning I was stretching these old muscles and listening to the snapping and crackling. I was putting my headphones in and trying my best to get excited about the run, when I noticed something shining out of the corner of my eye. (This was before I even started running today) As I approached the shiny object, that I knew was a coin, I started laughing because it was a nickel!  

My first thought was, "Wow, moving on up!"  Many other thoughts went through my mind, because I truly believe God will speak through any thing in your life if you will only listen. I thought... You mostly only find pennies right?  Many people will drop a penny and leave it but not a nickel. They will battle the struggle of bending over to pick it back up because of its value. 

I also thought... "God, why a nickel today?" The scripture above came to my mind. If we are faithful over the small things (like looking for pennies) then he will reward us with greater things (like a nickel). 

Look at that last part of the verse... "Enter thou into the joy of The Lord". God really helped me today to realize that my joy, true joy, comes from being faithful and looking for the pennies. If you never look for the pennies, then you will never find the nickels, dimes, quarters or even dollars. Some people are quick to look for the paper money, just as people are ready to share the gospel with the wealthy and friendly. But what about the one who hasn't bathed in weeks? What about the drunk who is mean and hateful? What about the poor and lonely?  But they are just pennies Steve... 

Faithful over the small things!  Keep looking today...

Remembrance

Luke 24:8

And they remembered his words,

There are times that we go through our everyday routines and we are blindsided by a thought from our past. You know what I mean?  We could be at work, minding our own business, and a thought from years ago come across our mind. We wonder, "Where in the world did that come from?"  It came from the files of our memory bank. 

We store emotions, thoughts and feelings in those banks. Things like, our first crush, our first time driving a car, our first touchdown, or our first day of school... It's amazing at times what the memory banks can bring to our attention. (But then at other times we can't recall something a simple as our name, haha)

An amazing thing is when we recall those powerful words of our Lord Jesus right when we need them. You know... When we are struggling and He sends us a word. When we are discouraged and He brings to our memory that He will never leave us nor forsake us. That is so powerful!  We read and study, study and read... Days or even years may go by and then all of the sudden, when you least expect it, He brings them to your memory. 

Thank you Lord for searching my memory banks and giving me the right scripture at the right time!  Thank you for using my memory to teach me the truths of your word. I remember Lord! I remember. I love you Jesus and I love your word!

I Need Thee!

Hebrews 4:16

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

There is no need for insurance until a flood, fire or tornado. There is no need for life insurance until death. There is no need for health insurance until sickness or a medical emergency. There is no need for vehicle insurance until an accident. Do you see where we are going this morning?  Think of this... I don't need my thumb until I go to shake a hand or grab a glass of tea. I don't need my legs until I get up to walk somewhere. 

How many times have we treated Jesus in this same manner?  When storms come, we cry for Jesus. When accidents happen, we plead for the presence of Jesus. When medical situations arise, we cry for the stripes and the blood of Jesus. What about today?  What about right now?  What about when there are no storms, accidents, medical needs or emergencies?  How much do you need Jesus then?  

I know He wouldn't, but what if He treated us in the same manner we treated Him?  (Thank you Lord for not being this way)  We would definitely be in trouble. 

The great thing is that if we know we have been doing this, then God is revealing to you your condition and you can pray right now for help. He not only wants you to need him in trouble, but also in everything, everyday. 

Don't just need him tomorrow when trouble comes, like a spare tire. Need him now!  Need him in everything. Need him in life, family, work, church, marriage, friendships, driving, sitting in the swing, fishing on a boat, shopping in a store, need him now!

Sing it with me... 

I need thee, Lord I need thee,

Every hour I need thee

O bless me now my Savior,

I come to thee

Who Are You Gonna Blame?

Genesis 3:11-13
And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Don't you think it's a little bit funny how this story played out?  Adam and Eve were caught in sin. God asked them about what had happened. Then the blame game began. Adam blamed a Eve, Eve blamed Satan and Satan had no one to blame.

So many times we hear our children say, "Billy made me do it, Sally was doing it so I did it too". Or we hear Christians say, "The devil made me do it."

How easy and simple it is for us to say that the devil made us do it. But in truth, Eve was deceived by Satan but she sinned on her own. And although Adam listen to his wife, he is the one who sinned. And although Satan did the trickery and deception, we are the ones who sin. He may lure us and entice us, but we are driven away by our own lust and commit sin.

We can blame it on computers, but they only display what you type into them. We could blame it on our televisions but they only go to the channels you press. We could blame it on alcohol, but it is you that take it into the body. We can blame it on half-dressed men and women, but it is you that looks with lust. See we can justify and blame our sins on all the people and things around us and eventually, when Christ calls us out on our sins, the blame game will have to stop.

Stop blaming others and confess your sins this morning. Don't look at what others are doing, or not doing, you follow Jesus. You do right.

I Say Boy, Pay Attention

Proverbs 1:7-9

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge:

but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,

and forsake not the law of thy mother: 

For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,

and chains about thy neck.

I've noticed something in my studies of the book of Proverbs. Many, many times it begins with... "My son, give thine ear to instruction". "My son, don't lean upon your wisdom". Have you noticed that?  

Well, what would give Solomon the authority to say such things?  I mean, how could God use this man to tell me about wisdom?  I know that he was the smartest and wealthiest man of his time. I understand that he received his wisdom from God. But looking deeper, I can see that some of the very things he spoke about were the things he failed in. Who better to warn us of traveling down a certain road than someone who had been there before. 

I've heard people say things like, "Who's preaching about Jesus now?"  "Are you kidding? I know that old boy and believe me he has done a lot of things sinful and contrary to God". I've heard some say, "How can that person give advice on marriage when they made a mess of theirs?"  When people come to Jesus and confess their sins, He can greatly use them. No, He can't use us if we stay in our sins, but He will definitely use us when we are saved from our sins. 

Really when it all boils down, it's about how Jesus can forgive, and put lives back together. The instruction and wisdom we receive from those in Christ who have been there before, is truly from God himself. So when people give you a "I've been there before" story, pay attention. 

Pay attention son, I say boy, pay attention. - Foghorn Leghorn

Late Hit

Romans 12:17-21
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

In high school, one of my activities was football.  I can remember many, many instructions that coaches would instill in us. Some a little more than others. One of the rules I remember was, "If someone hits you after the whistle blows, take it." This would sometimes result in a penalty against the team doing the late hitting, but not always.

Being a lineman, we had certain missions. First, find the football. Second, destroy the man who had the football. Third, and never really taught but certainly a rule, if anyone sucker punches or basically whips you in your position...seek and destroy. I can remember getting hammered by a sucker hit on a play and recording the guys number in my mind. I knew there would come a time when he wasn't paying much attention to me. You see I was lining up across from him the whole game.  So every play he knew where I was and what was expected. Until coached called for second string kickoff team.  Finally, my turn! I scanned the field and found him in my sights (all the way on the other side).

Now my position I was in didn't call for me to block him. So rules number one and two were not in effect.  No, rule number three had become my top priority! The ball was away and so was I. I was running as fast as I could. He was looking back to where the ball was fielded, which was on the other side of the field from him. (I hope you are getting this... The ball was kicked to my side of the field and I could have been in on a genuine tackle but I was on the other side of the field fulfilling my mission three) No one was on our side now, just me and him.  He was blindly running toward his ball carrier when out of the blue... BAM! The greatest and hardest hit all night! Justice has now been served! I said nothing. I just stood over him with that "Remember me?" glare.

Then that's when it happened... A bright yellow flag hit me in my helmet. The referee was shouting something about unsportsmanlike conduct, you know how crazy those zebras can be. If he would have only known the whole story. This guy cheap-shotted me first! As I was coming off the field, now my coach is yelling at me and asking me why in the world would I do something so stupid. "But coach, he had it coming. He hit me first."

This morning maybe you've recorded the number of the one who has done you wrong. Maybe you're lined up against them right now and you're thinking of a way to retaliate. Allow Christ to move upon your heart right now. Give the hurt and pain to Him. Don't be charged with a late hit. Believe me, It's not worth the fifteen yards or standing on the sidelines the rest of the game because you couldn't control your temper. God can handle them as well as you.

The Itsy Bitsy Liar

Proverbs 12:19
The lip of truth shall be established for ever:
but a lying tongue is but for a moment.


The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.

Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.

So the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

This was a nursery rhyme when we were children. Don't get me started on our nursery rhymes. Wow, they were crazy and scary. I can see you right now.  You were reading the lyrics and singing along. Maybe even some of you were doing the motions with your fingers.

Some people say, "It's only an Itsy Bitsy Spider". No harm can come from a small spider right?  I mean it's just trying to build a web. Well as a child I heard this rhyme over and over again. But as I grew older I heard a new phrase. It goes something like this... Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

I find it so amazing that it's just a small spider. It's just an Itsy Bitsy Spider. It couldn't harm anyone. No damage could ever come from this web. It reminds me of a lie, an Itsy Bitsy Lie. If they never see it, it will never effect them. Well I know this is not the truth. Many years ago I knew a beautiful woman who made her living selling women's cosmetics and jewelry. She was bitten by a brown recluse spider. A spider that is about the size of a penny, legs and all. Surely nothing this small could harm anyone. But those bitten would share a different story. My friend was bitten right in the center of her hairline of the forehead. A huge patch of her hair died and rotted out. She struggled so much during this time. Because of her beauty and business, she battled hard.

Just as my friend gave no thought to this small spider the day before she was bitten, many people give no thought to the lies they speak and it's damage. 
Count the damage of lies. It would be more than hurricanes, tornadoes or tsunamis. The devastation is terrible. Be changed by Christ today! Truth will stand forever, while lies last but a moment but leave destruction in its path.

The other day I thought of a new nursery rhyme we should share:
The Itsy Bitsy Liar spewed out his sinful spout.
Then came the pain and destroyed the liar's house.
Out came the Son and took away His shame.
And the Itsy Bitsy Liar through Christ is not the same!