Won 2 Win

Strong Enough????

2012-01-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

I don't normally do what I am about to do, but this morning I felt compelled to. Lot of times I use quotes or one liners from favorite authors or spiritual hero's of mine but this morning I want to share a devotion with you that touched me. I have quoted from it before but this morning I felt it could really stand on its on. It is from "The Word For You Today"Devotional. I found this devotional several years ago and from time to time I turn to it as a supplement to my quiet time. Before reading this devotion this morning I could've find half a dozen reasons to be depressed, but for what good. My wife and I found ourselves having this conversation this morning and we came to the realization that our hand full of small problems are greatly outweighed by all the blessings God has sent our way and are no comparison to those who are really struggling, and it inspired me to share this with you.
Fact is, there are a great number of you out there that have lost loved ones to cancer, or are struggling with cancer, or taking care of a spouse that is. For some maybe your watching your once strong and vibrant parent or parents struggle with cancer or some other dreadful ailment that is taking the life out of them. There are a great number of people who have suffered the loss of a child, or are loosing them now. There are people standing on the roadside cold, hungry and hopeless while I'm driving in my warm car, on my way to work, wondering whats for lunch, while sipping on my coffee, and taking my children to an amazing private school. Maybe you've lost your job, and your finances seem out of control and your fighting to keep your home, or maybe your marriage is falling apart. Maybe your relationship with your children or parents are real bad right now, or maybe your feeling depressed and alone. Or maybe your struggling with something else I didn't mention. You may be like me and want to be "Mr. Fix-it" and you've always been able to handle pretty much anything that's been thrown your way. The truth is even overachievers get tired and exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This morning God reminded me why and He inspired me to share a portion of it with you.

“We stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God.”

2Co1:9 NLT

“Some of your most life-enriching experiences will come during your worst moments—when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when your pain levels go through the roof—and you turn to God. That’s when you learn to pray heartfelt, honest-to-God prayers. When you’re in pain you don’t have the energy for superficial ones. And that’s when you discover, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Ps 34:18 NLT). God could have kept Joseph out of prison, Daniel out of the lions’ den, Jeremiah out of the slimy pit, and Paul from being shipwrecked, but He didn’t. As a result, each one of them was drawn closer to God and impacted the world around them. Your problems force you to look to God and depend on Him instead of yourself. This is especially hard on superachievers like Paul. “We…saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us” (2Co 1:9 TLB). You’ll never know what God can do until God is all you’ve got. So place your needs into His capable, loving hands, and watch what happens.”

I don't care who you are but broken, abandoned, and out of options is the last place you want to find yourself. I believe it was Beth Moore who said it best, "When the world is looking at us they aren't necessarily looking for us to have it together, their looking to see how we act when we don't." Maybe you have something or some things you need to put in His hands today? I don't know if you know it or not but Matthew West has a song out entitled "Strong Enough" and I find myself listening to it from time to time, well maybe a lot sometimes,(lol). If you've not heard it I highly recommend you go find and purchase it...its a iPod must have. But here are a few of the lyrics...

"You must think I'm strong

 To give me what I'm going through 
Well, forgive me 

Forgive me if I'm wrong

 But this looks like more than I can do 

On my own 
I know I'm not strong enough to be everything that I'm supposed to be

 I give up 

I'm not strong enough 

Hands of mercy won't you cover me 

Lord right now I'm asking you to be 

Strong enough

 Strong enough For the both of us 
Well, maybe 

Maybe that's the point 

To reach the point of giving up 
Cause when I'm finally 

Finally at rock bottom 

Well, that's when I start looking up And reaching out"

 Hope this helps you, who ever you are this morning! God bless you all! 

Happy New Year Part 1

2012-01-04T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. A New Year brings new possibilities and opportunities. Many will make resolutions, set goals and start out on fire. But unfortunately many will fall short. Have you ever wondered why? With an over 80% failure rate on New Year resolutions, it is little wonder why so many people walk around feeling defeated. Well, for those of you in Christ I have some encouraging words found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

God doesn’t want you to have an ordinary year this upcoming year – He wants you to have an extraordinary year, one with a future and a hope, in which He intends on being a major part. But this is a time of year we make different commitments in our own lives. We call them commitments, resolutions, goals, plans or whatever, and we talk about commitment a lot. The reason we have so much trouble in our personal lives and in the life of the church is we put the blame on the lack of commitment. I’m guilty of this! I pose to you the problem with commitment.

The word commitment connotes we are in control. Since we are the ones making or setting the bonds of the commitment. When we say we will commit to read the Bible through in a year, we will commit to tithe… serve… memorize scripture…lose weight… establish a greater relationship with our kids or parents and we fail, we say… “Well, I have to put forth more effort, make a greater commitment.” Dr. Keith Alred, a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team said, “ Flatly resolving to achieve something ignores one central fact: You are the person who has been running your life while you gained weight or disregarded your spouse or fell short as a father or mother. And since you’re still the one in control, it’s unlikely you will be able to chart a better course and arrive at your intended destination without examining yourself – the inner set of emotions and beliefs that truly, elementally define your self-concept and the way you experience and understand the world around you.” When God is in control we need not commit, but rather we should surrender all. The reasons much of what – not all – but much of what we commit to fails, is because we lack the ability to complete the mission. We must remember that this is God’s plan for our life… when we surrender, God is in control and we allow Him to put us in a place of victory. Does He want you to have great relationships? Sure He does. Does He want you to have have good health? Sure He does. He wants you to be happy for His name sake.

The problem with commitment often times, is that we think it is the surrendering of something or a part of ourselves, but with the retention of authority over it. I heard it illustrated like this... If we are held up by gun point, we don’t commence to telling the gunman what we are committed to. NO, we throw our hands up in a motion of surrender.

We don’t tell the man – I’ll commit to giving you my wallet, but you’re not getting my cash or credit cards. Commitment without surrender leaves room for negotiation. We don’t tell the man, I commit my watch and $100, but that is it. Because of what he has in his hands he has established control and we surrender what is desired by the one in control, often times the gunman has a plan and if we try to alter it, it can be devastating.

Therefore, might I ask you this New Year to surrender, which is committing without retention of authority. Due to His purchasing you on the Cross of Calvary, He has the power over you and you will never be over those things that God has given you authority over, until you get under the authority God has over you. God doesn’t give authority to rebels. When we commit we retain control. That’s why we have a hard time receiving the strength from God to overcome the things of this world we are suppose to have dominion over.

I leave you with the prayer of A.W. Tozer… “Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Don’t just commit this year, try going a step farther and realize the fact that God has a plan for life and surrendering to the Lord your complete being will enable Him to bring it about in your life thus making you successful.

There's no better time than today to start!

Could You Give Me Some Direction Please?

2011-11-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

   Two elderly women were out driving in a large car - both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went right on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself, "I must be losing it, but I could have sworn we just went through a red light." After a few more minutes they came to another intersection, and the light was red again, and again they just went right through. This time the woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really very concerned that she was losing her mind. She was getting nervous and decided to pay very close attention to the road and the next intersection to see what was going on.
   At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely red, and they did go right through it! She turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Oh, am I driving?"
   Boy have I been there a time or two. It is so easy to lose our focus. To get so consumed with day to day struggles and day to day activities that we lose our way. I heard of a Detroit bus driver who finished his shift on the route 21 bus and headed for the terminal. Somehow, he took a wrong turn. He didn't arrive at the terminal at the scheduled time of 7:19 PM, and a short time later his supervisors started looking for him. Meanwhile, the driver's wife called the terminal and reported her husband might be disoriented from medication he was taking.
   For six hours, the 40-foot city bus and it's driver could not be found. Finally the state police found the bus and driver - 200 miles NW of Detroit. The bus was motoring slowly down a rural 2-lane road, weaving slightly from side to side. The police pulled the driver over, and the driver said he was lost.
   The police later said, "The driver had no idea where he was and agreed he had made a wrong turn somewhere. I think we have all been there, or are currently there now. We have been so consumed with things that we have lost our way. We are disoriented and confused about our purpose.
   Oh, how our adversary loves to divert our attention and overwhelm us to the point we lose our focus. I, like so many of you have struggled at times with trying to determine what God's will is for my life, and at other times I've seem to have taken a wrong turn "somewhere" and was unsure how to get back on course. I don't want you to feel alone. Sometimes, while doing and searching for the "right" things, Satan finds a way to blur our vision and take our focus off of whats important.
   I have found three simple principles of Scripture to keep me focused. I find that if I can keep my simple little mind focused on these three things the rest falls into place and my life finds purpose and meaning. Its when I get off doing and flirting, and trying to find new ways and things, "In the name of Jesus" mind you, that I get lost.
   Step 1 - Spread the Gospel: We are instructed in (Mark 16:15), "And He said to them, Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to all creation." Don't read so much into this that you miss the point. He is instructing all of us that are followers of Christ to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. We all have areas of influence that becomes our platform and it is our responsibility to share the impact He has made on our lives. He wants us to be proud enough of Him and what He's done for us that we share our experience with those we come in contact with. Satan wants to busy us to the point that this goes undone and left for those with more knowledge then we have.
   Step 2 - Love Others: (Matt. 22:39) says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." You love yourself enough to not want to go to Hell...don't you? You love yourself enough to want whats best...don't you? You love your family, your friends enough that you want what's best for them...don't you? Sure you do! Jesus said in (John 13:34-35), "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you... That adds another dimension to love doesn't it. He loved you and me enough to lay down His life for us, enough to share with us the way, the truth and the life. He came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly, (Jn.10:10). In turn He wants us to love people we have influence with enough that we share that good news with them. He goes on to say... "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." We are instructed to love people in such a way it draws them to the Christ we follow.
   Satan, on the other hand wants us to be so overwhelmed that we act in such a way as to repel others from Christ. He's perfectly OK with doing this through all sorts of means, even "religiously good stuff." If we can be so consumed with doing church stuff that we neglect the commanded stuff we can be in danger of turning people away.
   Step 3 - Make Disciples: We are instructed in the Great Commission found in (Matt. 28:19) to, "Make disciples of all nations...teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded." Well, He commanded us all to share Him... to love others...are we doing that? It may be we are having a hard time getting God to show us "our way" because He wants us to find "His way" first?? If we will share Him, love others and the word "make disciples" literally means "to attach one's self to someone, to come along side of," then God can open our eyes to who we are in Him.
   Tim Tebow is taking a pounding in the media right now for his faith, and for trying to find who he is in the Denver Bronco's organization. But he said something in his book that's worth mentioning here, "My parents always told me, from an early age that we all have the ability to influence others, whether through our words or actions, or both. They always added that, besides possessing the ability, we also have the responsibility to use it in a positive, encouraging, and uplifting way - a platform. I am responsible for how I use my platform. We all have stories to share. We all have life experiences that can bless the lives of others. Whoever we are, wherever we find ourselves, whatever we are involved in, no matter our age or situation in life. We all have stories that when shared with others, can make a positive difference in the world."
   Do you get it... Mildred? Yes, you are driving! The question is are you so focused on the journey that you fail to realize what your missing? How many opportunities have been passed because you were so consumed with God "showing you the way," or with things that don't really matter, and you failed to realize the difference you could have made? Your spouse needs you to follow these steps, your children need this kind of attention, your co-workers, your friends, those people who in some way have been brought into your realm of influence need you. People are watching and wondering.
   I have a rule that governs my life. I strongly encourage you to set down and develop one for yourself, or adopt this one. This was given to me years ago when I first entered the ministry and it sets in a frame on my book self and is read often to keep me on course. It goes like this...The Rule That Governs My Life: "Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I MUST, as a Christian turn away from it."
   God has a plan for you and He is going to use you, or He wouldn't leave you here. He wants you, loves you and is proud of you. He wants you stay on course and if you'll follow these simple, easy steps I feel confident along the way you'll find meaning and purpose. God bless!!

He Cares...He Really Cares

2011-11-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

   Isn't it funny how we can study Scripture for years and not notice how certain verses link together with verses we grew up learning? It just goes to show that God's Word is as someone once said, " Deep enough scholars can drown and yet shallow enough a baby can wade."
   The verse that many of us all know by heart is 1 Peter 5:8, "Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." But it wasn't until recently that my simple mind acknowledged the fact that another favorite verse of mine, one that for the last couple of years I have used as a signature verse on my emails, 1 Peter 5:7... and how these two verses go hand in hand. Let me put them together for you... "Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." I find it interesting how our anxieties are directly linked to Satan's quest to devour someone. I have to wonder if Peter is warning of the fact that anxiety is a diversionary tactic that Satan uses to divert our attention off of him while he licks his chops and prepares to pounce? Or is it that Peter is telling us that anxiety to Satan is like blood to a Great White shark invoking him to come and attack? Either way, it is evident that the two are linked.
    I don't know about you, but from time to time I find myself going through tough times. I am the type of person who takes on the weight of my situation solely upon my shoulders until I can hardly function...that is a man's way of saying..."I worry about things." This passage reminds me that God not only knows my situation, but He cares about it. Sometimes I am diverted to think that no one cares. When my attention is on self, Satan can easily devour me. When my attention is diverted on the fact that I am in a tough spot and I don't know how to get out, Satan can easily devour me. Satan uses anxiety to divert our attention causing us to venture off course. And isn't it interesting that Peter say's to cast all of our anxiety on God, and follows it up with, "be sober in our spirit," which means to be mentally self-controlled? Anxiety is psychological, brought on by day to day stress and many experts say it is brought on by "negative self-talk." Many of us are our own critics, and put too much pressure on ourselves. He also tells us to "be alert" or "be vigilant" which means literally be awake and be watchful.
   What this tells me is when times get strenuous and the situation at hand gets out of hand and starts to consume me the the point I start experiencing anxiety...I better realize that Satan must be near by. Satan uses anxiety as a diversion, and suffering as intimidation. When we face these situations in our life many times we end up the victim, but instead we need to realize we can be the victor. Verses 6-7 tells us how... "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." It takes us humbling ourselves in order for us to give it to God and realize that our anxiety is just playing into the hands of Satan.

I like to read the devotion "The Word for Today" as a supplemental quiet time from time to time. After having gone through a rough spell I turned to it and what I read is a great conclusion to this thought." When God wants to make you a bigger person, He does it through “distress.” The way to build stronger muscle is to lift more weight. Now when a muscle is put under stress, you groan. But if you persist, that muscle grows stronger and what you were groaning about last week you are smiling about this week. Who said the Christian life was supposed to be easy? Not God! His Word compares it to a battlefield, not a bed of roses. “Endure hardness, as a good soldier” (2Ti 2:3). Satan’s number one target is your faith! In the same way you separate wheat from chaff, Satan wants to separate you from your faith. Satan may attack your health, but he’s after your faith. He may attack your finances, but he’s after your faith. If he can destroy your confidence in God and His Word, he wins and you lose. So the word for you today is Strengthen your faith.” Not only is it a battlefield, but it can be a scary jungle. If Satan can divert us from learning this, it makes us easier prey.

   I know that there are as many different difficult situations as there are readers of this blog...but the remedy is the same...Cast all, ( "All" in the Greek means "All," every little bit), of your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. One of Satan's many tactics is to convince us that we are to insignificant for God to care about, and our burdens are to insignificant for God to be concerned with... Do you smell smoke?? I do, and its because that is a lie straight from the pits of Hell. God loved us so much that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I know He cares, and because I know, I can... But resist Satan, firm in my faith, know that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by my brethren who are in the world. After I have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called me to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish me...1 Pet. 5:9-10. Hang in there and know He loves you and will see you through it. Keep your head up and keep your eyes open...its a jungle out there.    

When My Back is Against the Wall...

2011-10-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

   I "accidentally" stumbled upon this scripture this morning while having my quiet time... well I really don't think it was an accident simply because I've been guilty of what I am about to address to many times. Truth is, I feel like I'm not alone, in fact you have probably been in this place before and was unsure what to do or where you could turn.
   King David was in the midst of a storm. He was facing a difficult situation, and his back was against the wall. Feeling all alone with no one to help can be a very depressing time. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." The word the New American Standard translates "strengthened," can also be translated "encouraged." If you were to back up a couple of verses you would find that King David's home base had been attacked and destroyed by the Amalekites. They came in while David and the rest of his men were gone and burnt down the city, captured all his warrior's wives and children and even took the kings wives. The scripture tells us that upon the men returning and seeing this devastation they wept till the point of exhaustion. Can you imagine the sorrow these men must have felt? For these mighty men of war to weep to the point of exhaustion? The sorrow turned to bitterness and raging anger that was eventually turned toward David himself adding to his feeling of helplessness.
   Have you ever been in a situation where you felt your life was spinning out of control? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt you were responsible but didn't know how you were going to handle it? Have you ever been in a situation where you felt all eyes were on you and your back was against the wall, and no one was there to help? Sure you have! I have! David was in a place where he couldn't rely on anyone, or anything. His family was gone, his warriors were angry towards him, and his usual support wasn't there.
   My wife and I were given a wall sign a few years back by a member of our church when we were going through a extremely difficult time and our backs were against the wall. We now have it in our bedroom to remind us every night and every morning of the difficulty of life, and it reads, " God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, nor sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."
    There are days when the feeling sorry for myself attitude reigns supreme in my life. There are days when it seems most appropriate...but it has never been productive! I am entrusted by those who love me most to be productive. How do you suppose David's family and the families of his men would have fared if he would have allowed this situation to push him into hiding and caused him to get the feel sorry for himself blues and not react? How do you suppose they would have fared if he had gotten mad at God and turned his sorrow and frustration toward God? Instead, the scripture says David kept his composure and encouraged...or strengthened himself in the Lord. He didn't call around and see how many others felt the same way he did, he didn't seek out those to feel sorry for him, he didn't join a victim of the month club...he trusted in his relationship with God. Sometimes I feel God has to remove all we can find comfort in, in order for us to rely more solely upon Him and strengthen our relationship.
   Dear reader, there are going to be times when you have to motivate yourself, God's going to block those comfort zones. There are going to be those times when God wants us to strengthen ourselves in Him. Paul said it this way, " I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me," Phil. 4:13. That's self-motivation...that's trusting and knowing that God is there and He cares, He's just wanting you to trust Him. When no one else is there - He is!! Will you encourage yourself... that is strengthen yourself in Him today?
   David immediately inquired of God in verse 8 and in the same verse God told him what needed to be done. I'm not sure what it is you are going through today, or this week, or month, but I'm confident God knows, and He's waiting. My wife says we shouldn't waist these difficult times by letting them devour us, instead we should allow them to empower us. Don't know about you...but I think I will! Thanks for taking the time to read, and God bless...

Oh Happy Days

2011-10-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

What a day! It started off in the woods before daylight. I got to hear Gods orchestra... with the birds singing, the squirrels barking, acorns dropping, and the breeze blowing. Then I capped it off with a campfire in the back yard watching the kids roast hot dogs, and make smores.
   I wish more people could have the day I had yesterday, I wish they could experience the joys I did. It made me think about the fact that Atheist and Agnostics must not be hunters, and I cannot see how they can look at the miracles and privileges of watching their children, and still not acknowledge God's existence. Mac Brunson, pastor of 1st Baptist Jacksonville Fl. said, "Prayer is not so much me getting God's attention as it is me giving God my attention." That's exactly what He had yesterday! He had my attention from the time I awoke at 5 am til I went to bed last night. I found that when I approach my day with my attention deliberately upon Him, my day looks altogether different then when i just walk through it "expecting" God to pay attention to me. I know through God's Word that God will never leave me or forsake me, but that can cause me to take advantage of it. God's presence is always in my life but sometimes my presence is elsewhere. I found myself in a time of reflection, reflecting upon the blessings He has givin me in life, nature, and family. When I focus my attention on Him I tend to appreciate those things i usually take for granted.
   Resist the temptation to fall into Satan's trap of believing that the situations and circumstances you are going through right now, even if they are difficult, are because God's not paying attention. Satan would have you to believe God doesn't love you, or He isn't interested in you right now....don't you smell the smoke...you ought to, its a lie straight from the pits of Hell. God is concerned, He loves you!! He created you deliberately, and that means He had you in mind when He created the earth and He's not about to give up on you now. My lovely wife used these words to encourage me one time when I found myself in the midst of a difficult time. She reminded me that "God grows His most beautiful plants in the hot house." You may be in there yourself, just know that you are in the center of His attention. He is growing you and when He is done, you will be even more beautiful then you are now. It may just be that he is trying to get you to focus your attention on Him. We need not waste a difficult situation by not giving Him our undivided attention. Nor do we need to wait on a chaotic situation to focus on Him. Focus on Him before you are "forced to," it'll be so much more enjoyable.
   I hope you will take some time today and focus your attention on Him. He is waiting on you to acknowledge His existence today and not just when you feel you need Him. Want you just "want" Him today and enjoy the joy's and energy of just enjoying the small things you may take for granted. Take a minute to watch your children play, or watch your spouse do something they love to do, or try going outside and watch the clouds float, the breeze blow, or the bird's fly. Find you a small quit place and seek God's presence in your day...you'll enjoy it far more than usual! Pray prayers of praise and thanksgiving instead of waiting until you have to pray out of desperation and it just may revolutionize your prayer life and add confidence and validity to it.
God grant us a beautiful day and show us more of who You than ever before. God grant us all a day of reflection and show us your love for us. Amen

What Does Grace Mean To You

2011-10-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

Understand this: Grace is the power to excel, or license to just get by. Either way, you’re accepted and considered righteous in God’s eyes the moment you trust in Christ. Why would God arrange it that way? Because the love He gives us is unconditional, and only a response of love can satisfy Him. What an amazing truth; God makes Himself vulnerable to the rejection of people like us! Perhaps you’re wondering, “How can I prove that I truly love God?” That’s easy: you’ll love your brother and sister (See 1Jn 4:21). You’ll love God’s Word (See Ps 119:97). You’ll love spending time in prayer (See Jer 29:12). Grace, rightly understood, doesn’t prevent holiness, it produces it. “The grace of God that brings salvation…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives” (Tit 2:11-12 NIV). I read this the other day in the Word for Today devotional and thought you would enjoy it as well.

It invoked the following thought in me... I of all people was not and am not deserving of God's amazing grace. However, I am encouraged that He loves me and is committed to doing a work in and through me. I am reminded of the words of Paul found in 1 Tim. 1:12-17… I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. ^[1]

Those of us that have received this grace have a obligation to the One who extended it toward us. God has called each of us to do a specific task and we have the awesome privilege and responsibility to do as Paul instructed the Colossians in, Colossians 4:2-6… Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. ^[2]

So let us make the most of our opportunities this week and allow God’s grace to inspire us to excel and all put our best foot forward and let God’s grace shine through us as we make known the mystery of the gospel.

^[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (1 Ti 1:12–17). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Col 4:2–6). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.