He Acts Just Like His Daddy!

1 John 3:10

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

A teaching from the world, and sadly from pulpits, is that we are all God's children. But this is a false teaching. The scriptures tell us that we are all God's creation, but not all God's children. Even Jesus told the Pharisees, which were religious leaders during His day, that they were not God's children...

     

     John 8:44

          Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He 

          was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because 

          there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his 

          own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

In order for us to be a child of God we must be born into His family. In John 3:3, He tells us that we must be born of water and the spirit. Water speaking of our natural birth in the womb and spirit speaking of our salvation birth through the working of God's Grace. 

So if you have established today that you are a child of God because of your new birth, then I ask you this... Are you acting just like your daddy?  Do you treat others with love, Grace and mercy?  Would your dad be proud of you for being his child?  

If you have established that you are not His child, but his creation. What keeps you today from knowing Him as Savior?  What is it that stops you from receiving that new birth into the family of God today, right now?

Who are you today? Child or Creation? Of your Father God, or your father the devil?  Who do you act like?

Sing Maggie, Sing!

Matthew 15:6b-8

...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

With our computers and video effects today, it is possible to make everything seem real. From blowing up cars or cities falling into a hole, we can make all things seem as if they are real. What's even funnier than that is people are the same way. 

I remember a story my dad told me of a man who feel in love with a woman named Maggie. One the first night he heard her sing he was so in love with her that he asked her to marry him, and she did. While on their honeymoon, she went to prepare for bed.  When she came out of the bathroom he was shocked. He said where is your long blonde hair?  "I put it away, it was just a wig" she said. He asked where her long eyelashes were. "I took them off, they were fake" she said. He asked about her teeth and makeup. "I only wear them during the day, they aren't real" she said. Now saddened, the man looked at her one more time and said, "Well please sing Maggie, sing". Hahaha

In this scripture we see the very same thing. People were saying they were serving God but really they were fake. Their beautiful songs of praise were only sung so others could praise them. Their beautiful messages preached were only preached to win the glory of men and not their souls. Their wonderful keeping of tradition was making their witness to be of no effect. You know, it sure is hard to win people to Jesus while living out of His will and way. Who wants that kind of fake Christianity?  Do you honor God with your lips and your heart is far from Him?  You may think fake is a harsh word so let's look at the word Jesus chose... Hypocrites. 

Don't be fake. We have enough of that in our movies and appearances. Be real!  Real Christian, Real!

You Never Know a What A Day Can Bring

Proverbs 27:1

Boast not thyself of to morrow;

for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Wow!  Isn't Alabama the greatest place to live?  We have mountains to the north and oceans to the south. Fun at the beach in the summer time. Cool snowboarding and skiing in Mentone during the winter months. We have the best of everything. There is a saying in Alabama... If you don't like the weather, just hang around a day or two and it will change. 

On February 12, 2014, it was predicted that a big snow event would happen for us.  All day I looked at the temperature and kept thinking that it wasn't going to snow. (This could be because our local weather stations missed it big time two weeks earlier.  They called for a dusting and we got hammered by a couple of inches of ice)  So we waited and waited for the snow, and just when I had given up on it... The snow started falling and boy did it fall. We were now in winter wonderland. 

The funny thing is that in two days the temperatures are forecasted to be in the upper 50's to lower 60's. Don't you think that is crazy?  

This scripture tells us that we have no idea what a day may bring forth. It could bring great blessings or great sorrow. It could bring peace or turmoil. There is no forecasting what could actually happen. We could hope and try to plan our days but in all honesty the only thing we could do is... Prepare!  Prepare our hearts for blessing as well as sorrow. Prepare our family for good times as well as bad times. We must remember that God is there in either case. No matter if we have snow, we have our God. If we have sunshine, we have our God. If we have storms, we have our God. 

Stop and take time to thank the Lord for this day He has given you. Ask Him for guidance as you prepare to face this day. 

WWJHD

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

A good friend of mine, Mat Burkett, was preaching and sharing his heart one night about Joseph of the Bible. He was comparing Joseph to Jesus. He said although Joseph was thrown into a pit and sold into slavery, he never retaliated. He never sought out revenge or thought of any malicious plan to get his brothers. Then he proceeded to share with us how we all act sometimes. Our desire to get even or hurt the ones that hurt us. He took us all back to the 90's when Christians used to wear the WWJD bracelets. Meaning what would Jesus do. Then in humor he said, "I spend most of my time saying WWJHD, What Would Jesus Have Done because I already messed it up". 

Just like my friend, we all are guilty of this. We spend more time on asking for forgiveness and patching things that we've broken instead of preparing for these moments. (And God graciously forgives us). But the Word says that we should prepare for moments of temptation. Moments of anger, strife, hurts, etc...  How do we do that?  By seeking the mind of Jesus. By constantly thinking of What Would Jesus Do!  And the only ways we can find the mind of Christ is through prayer and scripture. 

Think for a moment... 

   - How much time do you spend on WWJHD?

   - How much time in the Word and Prayer finding out WWJD?

Thank you Brother Mat for preaching the Word and sharing this wisdom

Take My Blanket From Me

Psalms 51:8

Make me to hear joy and gladness;

that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Have you ever had to try and break away from a habit?  I don't believe I've ever heard of many habits that were "good habits". Mostly the habits we speak of are bad ones. (But I know there are many good and great habits we need to keep, but today let's focus on the ones that need to be broken)

When I was a child, I was a thumb sucker. This habit was one that was cute when I was small (well young, I was never small). I would carry a silk blanket around my fist and suck my thumb. Dreamland was not a problem for a thumb sucker. This is the reason it was declared an ok, or good habit. But when I started approaching the seventh grade (high school grade back then) my parents begin to deem this as a bad habit. Oh the things that would come from this bad habit... "Buck teeth, overbite, crooked teeth, not to mention the shame if anyone spent the night and saw me suck my thumb when I was 11-12 years old. That was so hard. My dad wanted to put hot sauce on my thumb to break me of it (among other things... Haha). Mom would wrap it up so I wouldn't do it. Take my blanket from me to break me of it. 

What I'm trying to say is that while you think those habits you choose to do or carry around with you are harmless, most habits are sinful (not sucking your thumb). Our gossip, backbiting, sex-drug-alcohol-addiction, smoking it, snorting it, chewing it, over medicating, lying, over-eating, stealing, etc...  Anything that you MUST have, and there is no control over it could be a bad and sinful habit. 

God wants so strongly to remove our habits. He knows the outcome of them all. Over-eating can cause huge health problems. Many will say right now that you can have health problems without over eating, and they would be right in that truth. But not right in justifying over-eating. See you can have health problems without over-eating, but you can't have over-eating without health problems. Believe me I understand this better than anyone. 

I chose the food route because that's what I knew for so long. I would say things as, "I don't over-eat" "I don't eat much". So many times I would pray to God that He would heal me of diabetes, blood pressure and pants pressure (hahaha you know what I'm talking about), all while sitting in my recliner with a fork in hand. See God desires to break you first. Break you of these things. Break you of the fork. Break you of the recliner. The whole time you think it's hurtful of him. Maybe you get so hungry. Maybe you want to suck your thumb. Well just maybe He is breaking you of those things. 

Before you get irate and go into a spiral, I talked only of me. I can't break you of your chains/habits/sin. That can only be done by our Holy God. 

What do you need broken from today? 

Stop what you are doing and ask Him to help. 

Ask Him to remove it. 

Ask Him to break you from it, so that you may rejoice. 

Ask Him to break it from you. 

Snow Days 2014 - Unto One of the Least of These

Matthew 25:34-40

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink:I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

On January 28, 2014 a snow/ice hit our state of Alabama. We were not prepared for this event. I listened, and read, as many people blamed meteorologists and television stations. I saw ugliness come out of people as they took advantage of those stranded. I heard reports of business turning people out if they didn't purchase anything from their stores. I don't know the truth of many of these stories, but there is some truth I can tell you about, because I saw it with my own eyes. 

I saw 4x4's on all kinds of dangerous roads helping people stuck in the ice. I saw people shuttling folks back and forth to our schools because they couldn't drive on the roads to the school. I saw principals, vice principals, teachers, office staff, lunch workers, custodians, bus drivers and parents take care of their children and other children that they have never known. 

I watched as people would reach out to total strangers in their greatest sorrows. I had the joy in participating in all of these stories. I saw people, many Christians, rise up and continue to be the body of Christ again. And I would like to say THANK YOU!  Thank you for reaching out and feeding! Thank you for reaching out and clothing!  Thank you for reaching out and treating a sick person!  THANK YOU for being the very image and person of Jesus Christ. 

Many choose to complain, many choose to be the negative, many choose to blame it on someone else... But Some! Some CHOOSE to be Christlike in the storm.  

"Be Like Mike"

2 Chronicles 30:7-8

And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever:and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

Remember the Gatorade commercial years ago about "Be Like Mike (Michael Jordan)"?  The children running down the road dribbling basketballs and singing "Like Mike, if I could be like Mike"? 

How many of us have said, "I will never be like that dad, or that mom". How many have said, "I can't believe that person would act like that!"?  Everyone of us are effected by the way others live.  It may have been a parent, sibling, friend, enemy, church member or co-worker. We see the way they live, wrong or right and we are effected.We become so concentrated on their wrongs that we could easily become the very thing we say we will never be. 

I've heard many say... "I'll never get a divorce", "I'll never do that to my child", "I'll never be like my dad or mom", "I'll never..." And we end up falling into the same struggles and sins. 

How about we say today, Lord help us to pray for our dads, moms, siblings, co-workers, church members and friends that are stiffnecked. Maybe would could say to our Lord, Help me not to be stiffnecked. Help me be submissive unto you Lord. Help me not to be like others who trespassed against you, but help me break those chains. Lord, help me not become the very ones that I feel are in the wrong, but help me Lord be like YOU and YOU ALONE. 

Thank you Lord for the dads and moms that were not stiffnecked. Thank you for those today who I can look to and learn how we must walk with you everyday. Thank you for those who have surrendered their lives totally unto you.  Thank you for Christ, who is the only one who lived a sinless life. Who is the only one who can teach us how to be Holy because He is Holy!  

Thank you to Mike for showing us how to play basketball. Thank you Christ Jesus for showing me how to live in Grace, Peace, Love, Holiness, Honesty, etc...  

Sing it with me... "Like Christ, if I could be like Christ!"