Under His watch.

Psalm 95:6-7
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

He is our Jehova Rohi, our sheppard and he cares for us. He knows every one of us by name and stands watch over us to fend off the wolves.

The sheep fold is a place that is bound by a rock wall and has one entrance. It provides safety to the flock and at night, the sheppard will lay down at the entrance which is as wide as he is tall. By laying down in this way he serves as a door which the sheep will not cross.

Jesus said, "I am the door" and he not only provides us a way to safety but keeps us protected.

Knowing all the terrible things that can hurt us, aren't you glad we are under His watch?

God is building a home.

Ephesians 2:19
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household

This verse is the beginning of the end of one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Ephesians 2. In this chapter Paul makes a clear declaration of who we are as "Christians." He tells us that as Christians we are no longer walking in accordance to this world and the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience. He explains that we are now dead in our transgressions and alive in Christ. He clearly shows us what our lives should look like if we are REALLY saved. I studied and meditated on this chapter for at least six weeks last year and God showed me things I never seen.

In a nutshell his shows us that we are saved by grace through faith, that we are brought near to the Father by the blood of Jesus, that Christ is our peace and in his fitting ending he proclaims Christ as our cornerstone. The cornerstone of a temple God is building. Here is the ending of the chapter in the Message version:

That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

It's good to know that we are in His master plan. That we are significant and He is using us to build His great and mighty temple. One day, it will be finished. Jesus ill be there holding all of us in place glorifying the Father and praising Him who is the chief architect.

Diversity defined.

Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Its amazing how thousands of years and millions of converts have gone by and still today, many Christians don't live by this verse. The founders of this country certainly knew this verse and penned our constitution in the spirit of this verse to create a country where we are all allowed to be all one in Christ.

But the devil is a master at perverting truth. Take this verse for instance. Surely as he studied it and wrecked his puny little brain and to come up with the idea of "diversity" as we know it today. Like he does so often, all you have to do is remove a couple of words to totally perverse the truth. So the devil tell us: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one."

Leaving out "in Christ Jesus" will always put us in peril and lead us down a slippery slope. Without the blood, this verse is an unending excuse to justify all things that exalt themselves above God. Its an excuse to claim diversity as a licence to do everything that is selfish and self centered.

According to this verse, diversity is not defined as a right for anyone to run away from God doing whatever they want. Instead, diversity is defined as an invitation to all kinds of people, righteous or sinners to come to the throne of grace and obtain His great mercy.

So remember, you are invited!

Start right where you are.

John 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: To believe in the one he has sent."

In our faith walk, we tend to over complicate things. Our tendency is to make more out of "God's work" than it really is. Our pride gets in the way and we begin to believe that God's work is about building bigger buildings and programs.

It really is much simpler than that as this verse implies. Jesus also said "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

God's work should not always be a great burden. The enemy urges us to make more of God's work than it really is so that we get weary and give up. The work is simple: believe and tell other about it. We don't have to wait until big plans are fulfilled. We don't have to wait till the building is finished or until we have enough volunteers for the program.

I'm not saying we should not have big plans, but don't delay your work for God, just start right where you are.

Perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.

When we fall out of trusting God our lives become anything but steadfast. We begin to hiccup through life as we struggle to make things happen on our own and soon after that, we begin to blame God for our mishaps.

But why not go with the perfect piece instead? This is a time for us to trust God. I spent a few minutes watching the Democratic convention as the crowd was getting fired up. But it was the same old rhetoric you hear from either side. "We can do it better than they can."

This is a time when we can find perfect peace by holding on steadfastly to His truth and not the promises of men. His promises can certainly deliver a peace that surpasses your understanding.

So what controls you today?

Romans 12:4-5
Just as each of us has a one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Think about your hands. Two independent members yet they work in concert with each other to do great things. Maybe your hands can program the latest high tech application. Maybe they can safely drive a school bus full of children. Maybe they feed thousands of people. My point is that although they are separated, they work together to do God's work.

Likewise is you and I. Two separate independent people but controlled by the head, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now think about this: what if one of your hands really started to work on its own. Rebelling against you. Your brain tells it to go left, it goes right. While your left hand is trying to pick up something the right all the sudden starts striking it.

That's a very dysfunctional picture but as hands of God, you and I can behave in the same way. This is why its really not about us. It is about the body and how we want to be part of God's work.

The only way we can be coordinated as a body is to plug into the command center of life that is our Lord Jesus. He is the brain that can sort through the incredible array of organs in his body. If we willfully submit to his commands, then we are comforted by the graceful movements of the body.

So what controls you today?

Are you in love with God's law?

Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.

Did the Pharisees love the law? On the surface, it seems so. They seem to be all about the law. They seem to love the law to the point of self sacrifice and went through great lengths to comply with it.

But what we have to know is that the law they loved was not really God's law. Jesus clarified it for us when he said: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:36-40

This is where they missed the essence of our verse today. They got hung up in the preversion of the law, corrupted by men and lost the purity of God's love in his law. Think about how you can go about today, in love with God's law?

On Sunday, it was an extremely busy day at church. After quite a few minutes of looking I found a parking space and as I pulled up to back into the space someone pulled into it. Now I know they saw my back up lights as I had already put it in reverse. The devil wanted me to get out and let him have it, "I had a right to get mad!" But instead I said to myself, God bless him and thank you for the better parking space you are going to give me! And sure enough, I ended up much closer to the church.

I had a chance to either hate God's law or love it. The law told me to love him and not harbor ill feelings, the counter response would have been to hate the law and go against it and get ugly. As a result, I loved it, I didn't stumble, praise God!

Does He hear you?

Psalm 116:1-2
I love the Lord, he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

Do you know that the Lord hears you? He knows your pleas, he knows your problems, he knows your sins, he is the Lord Jehovah Shammah, the one who is present.

This verse reminds me of several debates I've had about the Lord hearing prayers. Does he hear ALL our prayers? What if your cry for mercy is not for something that is according to His will. For example, does he hear your cry to Him to win the lottery?

I think he hears my voice, as long I pick up the right phone!

Is your foot slipping?

Psalm 94:18-19
When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

This verse makes me think of the wonderful song "Your Love Oh Lord" by Third Day which is based on Psalm 36:5-7:

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings

So let us give praise to our God who is there to support us and bring us joy anytime we feel like we are "slipping!"

Resist the enemy and he will flee!

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Do you have doubts? Everyone can relate to doubting Thomas. For some reason, despite the Lord's greatness and the truth of His love for us we continue to fall pray to doubtful thoughts.

I've been reading a book by C.S. Lewis called the Screwtape Letters which is a clever expose of how the enemy works. Uncle Screwtape is an experienced demon who is writing his young nephew Wormwood who just started his demonic career.

In the first few chapters Screwtape is guiding Wormwood after learning that Wormwood's "patient" just converted to a Christian. Screwtape told Wormwood not to dispair because they had plenty of "converts" end up back with the "father below." About this time, war broke out in Europe and Screwtape learned that with the patient's age it was possible for him to be called up to service. This is what Screwtape told his young apprentice:

"We want him (the patient) to be in the maximum uncertainty, so that his mind will be filled with contradictory pictures of the future, everyone of which arouses hope and fear. There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy (God). He wants men to be concerned with what they do; Our business is to keep thinking about what will happen to
them."

So, as I read today's verse it is telling me, "why worry?" But we have to understand that we have an enemy who is hell bent on filling our thoughts with doubts and despair. If we learn more how this enemy operates, we can resist him and he will flee!

A song for you.

Psalm 42:8
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me -- a prayer to the God of my life.

I remember when my oldest child was a baby. When he was cranky at night I would sing "Mary had a little lamb" and that would instantly make him feel better with a smile.

Had a rough day? Nothing like God's words in a song to calm you down and give you assurance that his hands are holding you and protecting you.

Take a seat please.

Psalm 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

I was riding the bus the other day and it was standing room only. Shortly before getting on the bus I was thinking a could do some reading.
But as I entered the door, I almost didn't fit and there was hardly any handlebar to grab. I think of the uncomfortable feeling it was every time the bus changed speed or moved side to side.

This verse tells an opposite story of how God's mighty hand holds us strong and we cannot be shaken. Lots of people go through life like a bus rider with nothing to hold onto. The smallest change of speed or direction gives them that uneasy feeling of insecurity.

The same is for our spiritual ride, you can relax and take a seat on the mighty secure hand of our Lord or you can stand and try to balance yourself without His help.

Take a seat please.

The truth is black and white

1 John 5:12
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Simple and clear, that's the message of the cross. It doesn't have to get all complicated, it's black and white, no gray areas. You are either with him or your not, either you have life or you don't.

Why then is it so easy for the world to blur these absolutes in our lives? While the truth is black and white, the lie seduces us with multi colors and grades where we find ourselves trying to paint our own picture which always ends up as a technicolor mess.

In the Book of James it says "count it all joy when you fall into various trials." In the original greek language the word "various" or "pokilos" (poy-kee'-los) can be translated as "various colors."

So as you see, we are best to stay aligned with the black and white reality of the thruth.

The blood of our solidiers.

Philippians 1:21
To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Who do you live for? Who will you die for? This verse makes me think of the thousands of young Americans who are in our military. I'm sure that many of them know this verse well, and they live and die by it.

They submit their lives for their country, "one nation under God." Every time they go out on patrol they go against the grain of self preservation and are willing to be in harms way for a cause much greater than them.

For those of us back in the mother land, we should think about this when we step out of our homes every day. We should think not only how we honor God but how do we make sure the blood of our soldiers is not shed in vein?

The freedom they secure is not freedom to do whatever the hell we want but the freedom to worship God with all our hearts, our minds, our souls and our strength.

Boasting belongs to Him.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18
Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

How many times do we have to be told? It's not about us! Even when we work really hard to achieve something, it is the Lord who empowers us and he is worthy of your boasting.

But in our world self boasting has become a staple of our daily diet. Day in and day out we scheme for ways to get the recognition we think we need to survive or get ahead in life. And this verse tells us that activities like that wont get us anywhere.

So look at everything you have accomplished in your life and realize that as Paul said, while we were yet sinners he gave his life for us. Therefore boasting belongs to Him.

Got empty?

2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out reverence for God.

If you were promised pure drinkable water would extend out a dirty glass? Of course not! You would clean your glass before someone started to pour the water in it.

What about when you want God to pour the Holy Spirit in you? Do you offer him a clean glass? Or have you even thought about it this way? I think this is what this verse is talking about.

It's like the woman in the old testament story where she received the miracle of vessels full of oil. Enough to pay all her debts and give enough to live her life. Her miracle relied on her ability to have EMPTY vessels.

We are often looking for a miracle ourselves but how often are we so full of the world's junk we leave no room for God's miracles? It's about time we ask ourselves a simple question.

Got empty?

OK Lord, less of me, more of you.

Romans 14:8
If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

It's pretty clear, it's all about denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him. But the world wants you to do the exact opposite. We are in a world that celebrates selfish ambition. We live in a world that teaches self preservation and indulgence as our primary need.

This is why Jesus confronted the rich young ruler. He didn't tell him to sell everything he owned because owning things is evil. He said it because he knew the young man's heart and he knew that the he was not willing to die to the Lord and give himself up.

Jesus doesn't come to our door every day telling us to sell everything we have. Instead he knocks to get into our hearts, souls and mind. When we reach the point when we can say, "OK Lord, less of me and more of you" that's when we find ourselves knowing that we belong to the Lord which comes with great benefit.

I love Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." but the message version really brings it to light:

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less.
That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be
bought.

Is He welcomed at your dinner table?

Revelation 3:14,20
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

It's important to consider the context of this verse. This is addressed to "saved" people in a church that's was neither hot nor cold. Meaning, they were people that had become lackadaisical in their faith. These were the people that Jesus said if they did not change, he would spit them out!

Given that info, then we know this message is for believers. Not to say it is not applicable to unbelievers but i believe it is specifically addressed to those who say "I believe in Him."

So Jesus comes in to our hearts when we accept him, but the way I look at this verse gives me some impression that we can actually kick him out. Now He is faithful and begins to knock on our door immediately, wanting to get back in and have fellowship with us. But the people of the Church of Laodicea prove that our free will can actually limit God's access to us.

Our disobedience and willful rejection of God drowns the steady knocking at the door. While he is faithful and will continue to knock, it is really up to us to quiet the rumblings of chaos so that we can hear His yearning to come back in. t is up to us to hear, open the door and let him to eat at our table.

Consider your life right now, is He welcomed at your dinner table?

The Cross holds you together.

Ephesians 2:10
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Most of us are amazed when we find ourselves out in a remote area and we look at the night sky on a clear moonless night. Millions of brilliant stars, the occasional shooting star and the milky way are such great examples of God's workmanship.

But how about the human body? Some sources say we have up to 100 trillion cells in our bodies! These cells are constantly reproducing and replacing themselves. Our bodies are a highly advanced a self contained fuel processing machine that not even the smartest most well funded scientists can get anywhere close to reproducing!

Just think about the careful engineering and workmanship he endeavoured into to create the marvel of our own inner universe. And one of the most interesting things about this workmanship is what holds everything together. Think about it!!! 100 trillion cells! What is the glue that protects us from just melting into a puddle of biological goo?

Ever heard of Laminin protein? See what it look likes:

The Cross holds you together! Praise God!

To obey is better than sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

In my opinion, this is one of the greatest verses to memorize if you need the Holy Spirit's help with honoring God with your obedience. Think about it, just memorize the first sentence and repeat it to yourself every time you begin to light up a cigarette. Not a smoker? Repeat it when you are about to stuff that third Krispy Kreme donut in your face. Think of whatever challenges your free will and say this verse first and you will find that the Holy Spirit will assert himself and help you honor God.

King Saul lost his place as king because he was always looking for a way to offer a sacrifice to God that would make him look good. Samuel set the record straight by telling him, "To obey is better than sacrifice" 1 Samuel 15:22

So forget all those failed resolutions and promises to give up things and just fix your mind on the word that can help you. When tempted, just pray: "Thank you Lord that you have made my body a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in me, whom I have received from you my father in Heaven through you son Jesus Christ."

A great reason to rejoice!

Psalm 119:14
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.

This verse makes me think of the countless people who turn out worse off after winning the lottery. They come to great riches yet they fail to recognize the responsibility behind it and soon find themselves completely bankrupt.

We know that God's grace is unending and that our salvation is secured when believe in Jesus in our hearts and confess that he is our Lord. But once we receive such saving gift what do we do with the riches in glory?

If we have a get-out-of-jail card attitude then our spiritual bank dwindles and we would soon be bankrupt just like many lottery winners. But as we follow his ways, and we have a zeal for his righteousness, our joy will surpass any natural riches which are temporary and we will be continually filled with the glory of God which is a great reason to rejoice!

He is always with me.

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

The real question is what do we consider to be our trouble? We may think we are in trouble but relatively, it might not be so much trouble. Or what we might think as trouble could be keeping you from real trouble.

I remember one day in the seventies when my mom was in the Dominican Republic. She was coming home but missed her plane. I was troubled because I missed her but she told me that she would be home the next day. She was so late she didn't even go to the airport.

Little did I know that her flight was doomed minutes later. The plane crash landed in the shark infested ocean and there were no survivors.

Today, I write this frustated because God won't help me with my trouble! You see, I have the flu and for the last three days, I've felt miserable.

Then I think, what if he is keeping me from much bigger trouble. Maybe I don't need to be on the road today!

So this is a good time to remember, he is always with me, no mater what!

You ARE special to Him!

Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The context of today's verse is not just Jesus telling us how special we are to God. He is giving us this verse as a word to remember that when we suffer while doing the work of the Father, he is there for us.

It goes right along with the words given to God's people in the wilderness: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8

In Matthew 6:26 Jesus also said "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

So remember, in a moment of despair, when you think all odds are stacked against you, he accounts for every single hair on your head and he will not forsake you. You ARE special to Him! He WILL empower you to do His work, just follow His guidance.

Let's get dirty!

Psalm 149:4
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

The Pharisees had trouble with this verse. They didn't see tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers and other sinners as "his people." If Jesus was God, how could he possibly get his hands so filthy?

But fast forward to the 21st century... Aren't we still like the Pharisees? How would we deal with a slutty prostitute walking into our church? How about two guys holding hands and kissing? What about a smelly drunk hobo? That's too messy for us to deal with. We immediately think, "those are not my people!" But what does God say?

In Matthew 9:11-13 the Pharisees asked the disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" Then Jesus responded, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (a reference to Hosea 6:6)

The work we are put here on earth to do can be messy. We have to love one another, this means any other not just the safe ones you choose. We continue to be selective with our love, being careful not to get to close to "messy" people. When will we figure out that God's will is for us to get our hands dirty?

Audio Adrenaline has a song called "Dirty", now I understand it!

"Let's get dirty! let's get used, no matter where you come from, if your beatten up or brused, let's get foolish, let's get free, free to be the one thing, you were meant to be, Let's get dirty!"

You blew it!

Isaiah 33:32
For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.

Imagine getting a huge speeding ticket. I mean, you are BUSTED! You were running late going to church, doing 40 miles over the speed limit. You are guilty, you know it, and no lame excuse will do! The minister of justice hands you the piece of paper and as you look in the back you begin to count the cost. You will be in for hundreds of dollars and you have to go see the judge because 40 miles over the speed limit is WRECKLESS! You blew it!

Fast forward a month later and your court date is upon you. There you are in the court room and the cop who gave you the ticket is there looking at you with what seems disgust. The prosecutor begins to rattle a convicting diatribe and all the sudden you feel hot flashes upon you and you begin to sweat.

Then you suddenly realize that you have a defense attorney. He looks over at the prosecutor and the cop and nods his head. He gets up very calmly, sharp looking, the whole courtroom is mesmerized. He approaches the bench and whispers to the judge as you suddenly see a smile on the judges face as he looks at you.

"Will the defendant please rise?" Now you are really nervous! "Sir, you may be guilty of this infraction, however, my son, ahem, the attorney here informs me that your penalty has already been paid. You are free to go!"

Thank you Jesus! You are our attorney, our advocate. We are undeserving of your service but thank you for having grace for us and not treating us in accordance to our actions!

Pursue with all you got.

Psalm 119:160
All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

The Bible is the most researched document in the world. Dead sea scrolls provided further evidence of its authenticity. It is the best selling book in the world. It holds nothing but the truth of God and His righteous eternal laws.

How would you feel if a friend gave you a Rolex and a couple months later it breaks? Come to find out, it was a counterfit!

In His word we find a treasure that is authentic. Just as Jesus told us of the man who found a treasure in a field, he hid it and sold all his possessions so he could buy the field.

Likewise, will you buy into the counterfit or will you pursue the truth and eternal righteous law with all you got?

From darkness to light.

Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

When looking at verses like this I always like to think of the opposite as a way to meditate on the word.

Mediate on this: the closing of God's word gives darkness; it gives confusion to the complex.

Isn't that the truth? When I close the word my world starts to become a dark confused mess. Opening the word brings light unto my path and clears the way to give me understanding that brings simplicity and beauty to my life.

What's your plan for life? If it is void of His word, then I would say to you that your plan will probably be riddled with confusion and darkness. The word gives us a clear simple and concise plan which brings forth understanding that ushers us into a path that God designed for us to be in.

Hiding go seek.

Jeremiah 33:2-3
This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it -- the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
In a game of poker God is like having a royal flush. Nothing can beat it, nothing brings more praise, ooohs and aaahs. He is the ultimate trump card in the game of life. No other name can match his great accomplishments. He is the creator of things we can't even begin to comprehend!

If we know this to be the truth why is it that we can believe we can hide from him? Adam thought he could hide from God in the garden but God knew exactly where he was. He was hiding between condemnation and shame.

But the bible says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower and we should run into it and be safe. If you have done something that makes you feel ashamed and convicted, the best place to hide is in his strong tower!

Watch your mouth!

1 Samuel 16:7
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

We live in a world that's all about outward appearances. Teenage girls become obsessed with their weight, middle aged men desire the red sports cars and Botox is a multi billion dollar business. These are just a few examples of how the world is in opposition to the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Think about that for a minute. Want to know what God sees in you? Just listen to yourself. Read some emails you've sent out in the past year.

I remember a conflict management class I took where they video taped us doing some scenarios of delivering bad news. It was a good learning experience watching yourself talk to someone else. It helped understanding that what seem to be perfectly normal to me, came across as somewhat arrogant when I viewed the tape.

So what comes out of your mouth is a good thermometer of what is in your heart and what God sees!

Are you a fan or a player?

James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Self deception abounds these days. Droves of people come out of church on Sundays and by the time they get home they are right back where they started before they confessed their sins at church.

When it comes to the word, how can we do the word when much of the world doesn't even know it well.

I've talked to regular church goers and after some conversation I've heard people say things like "well I don't know much about the Bible, I've been meaning to read more of it but I've been busy."

Let's consider this; you might be an avid football fan. You watch 10 hours of NFL and college football every weekend. Does that make you any good at playing football? Of course not! You have to train, eat right, study plays, listen to your coach and know your teamates.

Same goes for our Christian walk.

A good tip.

Psalm 112:5
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.

Are you a good tipper? The way I see it, this verse encourages us to tip well. Waiters and waitresses should know that Christians are good tippers.

What a terrible thing for a waiter to hear us talking about God and then get a stingy tip from us. Our purpose is to be generous and lend freely! Our generosity is a great witnessing tool.

I read this verse and the Holy Spirit tells me "its time to get out of the bondage of debt so you can give freely."