Thought of the Day !!

As they sat down to eat, [Jesus] took the bread and blessed it.  Then he broke it and gave it to them.  Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.
                                                                      Luke 24:30-31 (NLT)

This is the night following the morning of the Resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus has been walking with two believers on the way to Emmaus, but they didn't recognize him.  God had closed their eyes.  As their time together came to an end though, their eyes were opened to the Truth...to Jesus. 

Having our eyes opened to some truth can be exciting, scary and enlightening all at one time.  It might be some sin in our lives.  It might be someone who is in need.  It might be that we've been wrong in our thinking about something.  It might be an opportunity to make a difference.  It could be a number of things.

I wonder what my eyes need to be opened to today?  What might you need God to open your eyes to?  Are we willing to ask?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
                                                                    Psalms 94:19 (NLT)

We all have doubts at some point in our lives (possibly many points).  It might be a doubt about the existence of God.  Or it might be doubting our own ability to do something.  Possibly the doubt is whether or not someone can pull through.  And often times we doubt others.  

When doubt begins to take control of your mind, what do you do?  Do you let depression set in?  Are you a take charge kind of person who tries to alleviate the doubts by your own power (for instance, doing something you doubt someone else can or will do)?  Or do you turn to God to find your peace in anxious and overwhelming situations?

Is there anything in your life that's causing turmoil now?  Do you think there will be in the future?  God wants you to know that no matter the burden, He can help you through it.  No matter what it is you doubt about life, He already has the answer.  Come to Him and let Him renew your hope.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.
                                                                             Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

As Christians we are people who are free.  But we also have not been given a license to sin either.  We are free to choose.  And those of us who are Christians will choose to love God and each other.  That is the true nature of a Christian.  If we don't have this, how can we honestly call ourselves by that name?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

     Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

     “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

                               Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

Like Peter we want to limit the amount of forgiveness that we will give to someone.  Personally, I think Peter was probably thinking to himself that seven times was a pretty good number of times.  It actually seems like a lot of forgiveness and is more than most anyone else would bother to forgive someone.  But this was still limited forgiveness. 

How many of us don’t want to go as far as Peter did?  How often is forgiveness not even an option?  Or maybe you’re willing to give a person a second chance.  But a second failure would mean absolutely no more forgiveness of the offense…whatever it might be?

Jesus answered Peter; “…not seven times…but seventy times seven”.  What he means is that we are to continue to forgive, no matter what. 

Forgiveness is not approving or excusing or even pardoning what someone has done.  What forgiveness does is this.  It chooses not to keep a record of the wrongs done to one self.  It refuses to punish someone for what they did…unless it was a crime and there is legal punishment involved.

Forgiveness is an inner condition where we rid ourselves of bitterness instead of holding on to it and allowing it to pull us down.  So take Jesus’ advice / teaching / command, and forgive.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.

                                                                Matthew 5:48 (NLT)

Be perfect?  Did Jesus really suggest that we be perfect?  Yes.  He even went as far as to say to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.  How are we supposed to be sinless?  Is Jesus not demanding something that is impossible for us imperfect humans? 

Of course not.  Jesus wouldn’t burden us with something we could not do.  To understand this better, let’s look at this verse in its context.  Jesus is teaching about love.  He goes as far as telling us that we must love our enemies.  That would take some pretty radical love.  God the Father has this kind of love.  In the his letter to the Romans Paul writes that we were all enemies of God at one time.  Yet while we were still sinful enemies, God sent His Son to die for us (who were enemies).

Jesus teaches that we are to have perfect love.  And this is obtainable in this lifetime, otherwise Jesus wouldn’t have commanded us to love our enemies or love each other as He loves us.  When we love like Jesus, we put others before ourselves.  When we perfect love, we sacrifice ourselves for others.  When we’ve reached perfection, we have the love of God in us.

Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
                                                                                  Romans 6:1 (NIV)

Some people believe that after they're saved and baptized that they can do whatever they wish. Now this may sound ludicrous to you.  But the fact is that there are those who,though not claiming this belief, go on living the same sinful life after they have accepted Jesus.  Or maybe they change for a month or a year or so.  Then after a short while they go back to being the same old person they once were.  They are the rocky soil that the seed of God's Word was placed in, the soil where it could not take root. 

By no means are we expected to be perfect.  And by know means are we expected to keep to a rigid law feeling guilty for every sin we commit.  Jesus came and died to end both of these things.  What He wants from us is to believe and accept the salvation He has for us, while also changing our lives to the best of our ability to be more like His.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.

                                Matthew 7:24 (NLT)

Jesus teaches two things here.  One is to listen, and the other is to do.

Many people in our churches today are great biblical scholars.  But sadly, many are not.  These have not listened to what Jesus has taught in the bible or what the Church has taught through the years.  Also, they’ve taken bits and pieces here and there to form their own belief system.  So often I find myself having conversations with people who tell me this or that truth and inform me that it’s in the bible but cannot tell me where.  In reality, this so-called truth is more likely something someone told them or something that they want to believe.  Jesus says we must listen, or else we will be in trouble. 

Knowledge is good.  We must know what Jesus and the Church teaches.  But knowledge is only relevant when it’s translated into action.  We must learn to put what we learn into action and not simply sit and enjoy a devotion or listen to a sermon and say to ourselves, “good thoughts” or “good sermon”.  They are not “good” unless we put them into practice.

In the love of Christ,
greg