Can You See Him In Your Blessings?

I have often wondered how much people notice God in their lives when things are going great. If I am honest with myself, I would say I don’t notice God in my life enough when life is good and my problems seem few. If you are honest with yourself, you probably would admit the same thing. When life is good we tend to notice God less. It’s as if we don’t see God in our blessings.

The sad part of this is that the reason our life appears so good is because of God. It was James who said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). Every blessing that we enjoy in life comes not from our own hand, but from the hand of Almighty God. With Thanksgiving Day only hours away, consider some of the blessings in our lives that we often forget come from God.

Think about your health for a moment. Yes, some people have better health than others, but we all have a great deal of health to enjoy. If you’re still breathing, and you must be because you are reading this, then you have a degree of health that some people will no longer have after today. Have you ever taken time to stop and see God in the blessing of your health? He’s there. In fact, we enjoy the measure of health that we do because God has blessed us. When Hezekiah became sick even to the point of death, he prayed, “O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!” (Isaiah 38:16). Hezekiah knew that the blessing of health was from God. Every day that you wake up healthy and enjoy all that this life has to offer, remember to thank God for the blessing of health that you enjoy.  

What about your children if you have any? Aren’t they a blessing from God? The Psalmist said, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5). Here the Psalmist tells us that our children are a heritage from the Lord, and we are blessed to have them. The children that we have in our lives are given to us by God. Every day that you look at your children, you should see the blessing of the Lord.

As I think about blessings that I take for granted, I can’t help but think about the job that I have. I am working with the Karns church of Christ, not because I have accomplished so much on my own, but because God has blessed me with certain talents and abilities that I am able to use for His glory. I am where I am today, not because of who I am or what I have done, but because of who HE is and what HE has done. If you have a job or career in which you are doing well, take time to say a prayer of thanks to God for blessing you with that talent or ability.

I could go on and on about all the blessings in my life, everything from my life to my wife and my family to my friends. God has given me so much in my life that I consider a blessing, as He has blessed you. Let us never lose sight of God in our blessings. We are what we are and we have what we have because of Him!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Someday!

There are just some things that I don’t like to do and want to put off as long as possible.  One of those things is going to the doctor. When I begin to feel sick the first thing I do is go to the nearest market and buy some medicine. If that doesn’t work, I will normally go back to the market a second time and try to find some different medicine that might help to make me feel better. If the second medicine doesn’t work, then I will usually start thinking about going to the doctor. There is nothing pleasant about going to the doctor’s office and waiting for several hours for him to see me and then giving me two or three different kinds of medicine that are going to cost me a lot of money. I want to put that visit off as long as possible.

I am sure that you can think of a few things that you have put off a lot longer than you really needed to as well. Maybe it’s going to the doctor, the dentist, the hospital, the graveyard, apologizing, etc. It can be a host of different things that we put off. However, I’m afraid that a lot of us are guilty of putting off the Lord Jesus Christ. Most people in our society seem to find the time for all the less important things in life and very little if any time for Jesus.

Felix is a great example of putting off the Lord. In the book of Acts, we read, “But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, when Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.  Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound”            (Acts 24:22-27).

In this particular passage we see Felix almost make time for the Lord, but in the end he was too busy. Felix, like some sinners, had a “more perfect knowledge” of the truth (Acts 24:22). Felix was the governor of Judea and Samaria. There is very little chance that he could have done this without becoming familiar with the place and activities of the Christians. Paul even came in and reasoned with Felix concerning righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. Felix heard about sin and the consequences. He was told the importance of self-control. Paul even tried to teach him about the judgment that comes to all men (Heb. 9:27). When Felix heard these words from Paul, he became afraid.

At this point it would seem that Felix is going to change his life and make Jesus a part of it. But then we read one of the most disheartening passages in the Bible. Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” (v. 25).

After hearing Paul preach a sermon on sin and the judgment to come, Felix decided to ask Paul to leave until another time. He wanted to wait for a more convenient season. His whole thinking was centered around, “Someday.” Someday, I will obey the Gospel. Someday, I will live my life for the Lord. The sad thing about this whole passage is that we never read about Felix finding that more convenient season, “Someday.” He left office and left Paul bound behind in prison (Acts 24:27).                                                                                                                   Edward Young said, “Procrastination is the thief of time.” I have often heard it said, “Why put off tomorrow what you can do today?” Folks, a lot of us are just like Felix. We spend way too much time procrastinating, especially when it comes to God and our relationship with Him. We need to forget about “Someday” and get our life right “TODAY.” We need to stop and realize that life is short and the worst thing we can do is put off God until tomorrow because there might not be a tomorrow for us.

           A preacher once commented that, “Someday is not on the calendar.” The longer we put something off the better chance there is that we will never get around to doing it. The wise man said, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Pro. 27:1). Friends, take time today to make your life right with God and don’t put Him off any longer.

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Can You See Him?

I love youth retreats. Each time I have the opportunity to go off with a group of kids and adult volunteers for a weekend of worship, praise and study, I always come back spiritually uplifted. This past weekend we had the opportunity to take our middle school and high school students away for such a weekend. What an awesome event it was. We spent the weekend studying the theme, “Can You See Him?”

We talked about seeing the Lord in several different aspects of our lives.

First, we discussed seeing Him in our blessings. Many of us are guilty of failing to see the Lord in our lives when everything is going great. It’s almost as if things are so good we have no need for God. James said, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17). Our lives are as good as they are, because God is as good as He is. Every blessing we enjoy is because of Him.

The second aspect of seeing Him in our lives that we discussed was seeing Him in our struggles. When life is good we generally forget about God. When life is bad we generally ask the question, “Where is God?” Friends, God never leaves us. The Hebrew writer reminded us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6). When our lives are filled with sorrow, pain, struggles and burdens, God is there. He is waiting for us to turn to Him. Peter wrote, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you”     (I Peter 5:7).

Not only is the Lord in our blessings and struggles, but He should also be found in our friends. Some people spend more time with their friends than they do with their own families. If we are going to spend a large amount of time around a certain person, that person needs to be someone who exemplifies Christ. Paul said, “Do not be deceived: bad company ruins good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33). The people we are friends with influence us. That’s why it is important that we spend time with friends who help us see Jesus.  Their positive influence will have an impact on our spiritual life.

Of all the places for people to see the Lord, perhaps the greatest place of all would be in our own lives. When people see us they need to see Jesus living in us. Our behavior and actions need to be like those of Jesus. In fact, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). When people watch our conduct or hear us speak, they need to see actions and hear words that bring our Father in heaven glory. Your life may be the only sermon some people ever hear or read. Make sure it’s a sermon that will glorify God and make Him proud.

This past weekend was very special. It was the first of what I hope is many more youth retreats with the Karns congregation.  We had a great retreat. The kids and adults who attended made it better than I even imagined. We even had one of our girls respond to the invitation on Sunday night when we returned home. My hope and prayer is that all the students were as blessed by the retreat as I was. I hope all those who attended look for opportunities every day to see Him.  

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Honor To Whom Honor Is Owed

Today is Veterans Day; a day in which we pay tribute to the many men and women who have put their lives on the line for this great country that we live in. Like you, I know many men and women who have served in some capacity. Both of my grandfathers are veterans. Many men in the congregation I work with are veterans. Each of these individuals were willing to leave their families and friends behind in order to serve and protect the people of this country. For some who have served, they eventually returned home and tried to readjust to life as a civilian. Others however, paid the ultimate price by sacrificing their lives in battle. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Words cannot express my sincere gratitude to all the men and women who have and still do serve in the United States Armed Forces. What they have done for us and continue to do for us is nothing short of heroic. They have experienced things that most of us will never experience. They have found themselves in places that most of us will never be in. They have had to make decisions that most of us will never have to make. They have done what most people would never be willing to do. They have served the United States of America proudly.

As I think about all that these men and women have done for this country and everyone who calls themselves Americans, I am reminded of the words of the apostle Paul. He wrote, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:7).

Today, we honor all these men and women. We pay tribute to all those who have fought for our continued freedom. Today, we simply say thank you! Thank you for your willingness to defend and protect our country. Thank you for your willingness to leave the comforts of this country behind in order to fight for us and other countries as well. Thank you for your willingness to leave those you love for such long periods of time in order to serve. Thank you for your willingness to sacrifice, even if that meant giving your life. Those who have and do serve in the United States Armed Forces are the real heroes and heroines of this nation. You don’t hear it enough, but, “Thank you!” Thank you for your contributions to this blessed country that we live in. May God continue to bless America!

Prayer: Father, today I pause in remembrance of all the men and women who have fought for my freedom. I thank you for their willingness to do what very few of us are willing to do, serve. I ask you to bless them and their families on this special day. Father, I also pause in remembrance of the ones who lost their lives in battle. I thank you for the bravery that each of these displayed by the sacrifices they were willing to make. I pray that you bless their families as they continue to feel the effects of such a loss. Please continue to be with our service men and women and protect them and bring them back home safely. Dear Lord, as I close this prayer, please continue to bless this great country in the future as you have in the past. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

God Is All Around

I love this time of year: the warm days and cool nights, the leaves changing colors, and the early morning fog rising from the mountains around us. Fall is a beautiful time of year.

During this time of year  I am reminded of the fact that God is all around. David said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psa. 19:1; see also Psa. 8:1-4). When we open our eyes and look around, we are able to see God in the beauty that surrounds us during this time of year. Friends, God is all around!

The apostle Paul tells us that no one has an excuse when it comes to believing in God because His existence is seen all around. He wrote, “Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20).

No one, not even those who have never heard of Jesus or the Bible, has an excuse for not honoring God, because all of creation reveals Him. The next time you go outside, take time to stop and look around. You will see God in the beauty of His creation. Friends, God is all around!

Get Out of the Boat

Often times we are afraid to do so many things because we are afraid to get outside our comfort zones. For instance, I debated for months whether or not to start a blog. My main hesitation was, “Who am I to start blogging? What do I really have to say? Why would anyone read what I wrote?”

 The other night I was reading, and the author made a point that I was able to relate to. He said, “Sometimes I feel inadequate.” My first thought was, “What? You feel inadequate? Why?” He went on to explain several reasons for feeling this way. The more I read what he was saying, the more I found myself feeling just like him. There are so many times that I feel inadequate. This is the main reason I hesitated to start blogging. I felt inadequate, and blogging would be way outside my comfort zone.

There is an occasion in the Bible where one of the apostles got out of his comfort zone. In Matthew 14:22-33, we have the account of Jesus walking on the water. As He is walking, His disciples are in a boat.  Not realizing it was Him, the Bible says, “When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear” (v. 26).  The disciples didn’t know what to think. After all, no human can actually walk on water, right? “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus” (vs. 27-29).

If the story ended there it would be a feel good story. Peter had enough faith and trust in Jesus to get out of the boat and walk on the water to where Jesus was. However, the story doesn’t end there. The next two verses tell us what happened next, “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord save me.’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ “(vs. 30-31).

This is the part of the story that we all remember. Peter walking on the water, then taking his eyes off Jesus and noticing the winds and the waves around him, thus, beginning to sink. For this we often criticize Peter. How could you doubt? You were actually walking on water. Although Peter does deserve our criticism to some degree, think about this for a moment. Where were the other disciples while Peter was walking on the water? They were in the boat. Peter was walking on water and the other disciples were sitting in the boat. My question is, “Why didn’t the others get out of the boat too?” Once they saw Peter walking on the water, why not join him? After all, that would be a really cool thing to do, right?

We may often want to criticize Peter for beginning to doubt while walking on the water, but at least Peter was willing to get out of the boat. None of the other disciples were willing. Perhaps they were scared. Maybe they had their doubts. Whatever their reasons, they trusted in the boat more than in Jesus. Peter step out of the boat, most likely way out of his comfort zone, and did something none of the others were willing to do. What a great lesson that is for us.  We would accomplish so much more if we were more willing to get out of the boat.

I never would have started this blog if I was not willing to step out of the boat and take a chance. I never would have ended up working with such a great congregation as Karns had I not been willing to get out of the boat and leave a place I was so comfortable. Some of the sweetest and most caring people in the world I know would not be Christians today had someone not been willing to get out of the boat and teach them the Gospel of Jesus. Sadly, some people may end up spending eternity away from the presence of God, because so many of us are afraid to get out of the boat. Maybe it’s time for us to learn from Peter. Perhaps it’s time for you to get out of the boat, even if everyone else stays in it.

Now that’s Something to Think About! Justin 

Learning from the Election!

It never ceases to amaze me how passionate some people are about politics. These people go to great lengths to promote their party, views or the candidate they are backing. For the last six months, I have seen and heard more about politics and this election than I ever could have imagined. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with politics and voicing your opinions and concerns. In fact, although another election has come and gone, there are a couple of lasting lessons that we can learn from this election that we can use in our Christian walks.

First, if we Christians were as vocal and passionate about Jesus Christ as we are about our party or candidate, we would be sharing the message of Jesus with our friends and neighbors whether they wanted to hear about it or not. I love the passion that some people have for politics. All they want to do is talk politics. They want to tell you why you should vote for their candidate whether you want to hear it or not. They are passionate about politics and elections. I just wish they had the same passion about sharing the love of their Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). In order to do this, the disciples had to share or vocalize their feelings and the message of Jesus to others. They literally had to be witnesses for Jesus. Jesus did say, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). As Christians (followers of Christ), we should be going around sharing the love and message of Jesus with others. We should have a great amount of passion and be very vocal about the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. If some Christians had the same passion about Jesus as they do about politics, they would be sharing the message of the Savior even if people did not want to listen.

Second, if we Christians paid as much attention to the people we hang around as we do to the candidates we endorse, we would have more positive, encouraging influences in our lives. When election time rolls around, a lot of Christians (at least I would hope) research their candidate so they know his or her views and what he or she stands for. This way they are able to make an informed opinion as to whether or not this person deserves their vote.

When it comes to the people we hang around we should be doing the same thing. We should get to know (research) them. We should learn about their views, what they stand for, etc. We should want to know how they live their lives. In the process if we find out they are not people who are going to help build us up, then maybe we should walk away. Paul said, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals” (I Cor. 15:33).

In politics, an informed voter will walk away from voting for a candidate when they realize this candidate is not the best choice for our country because of his views. Why don’t we do the same thing with the people we hang around? If a person is not positive, encouraging, and exemplary of Christian values, perhaps we should turn and walk away. If this person isn’t going to help me be a better child of God, stop endorsing them by hanging around with them. After all, their bad influence can corrupt our good morals and values.

Even though another election has come and gone, the lasting lessons we can learn from it can carry over into our Christian walk. Just as people who are passionate about politics are willing to talk about their candidate and research his views and values, we Christians should be willing to do the same when it comes to our friends and their relationship to Jesus Christ. After all, it just might affect not only their eternal destiny, but our eternal destiny as well.  

Now that’s Something to Think About! Justin

Is Your Christianity A Costume?

This past weekend many children went out and trick or treated around their neighborhood. Most all those who did this dressed up in a costume or put on a mask and pretended to be something they are not. Some of the costumes were cute, some were funny, some were scary, while others were flat out hideous.  Yet, it does not matter how different each costume may have appeared, they all had one thing in common; they all were used so people could pretend to be someone they are not.

            Many times I’m afraid people do the same thing with their Christianity that children do during Halloween. They dress up in a costume and pretend to be something they are not. Each Sunday they put on their best clothes, grab their Bibles (if they can remember them), put a smile on their faces and attend worship service. They try to trick people into believing they are devoted followers of Christ although the kind of life that they live during the week is anything, but one that is devoted to following Christ. They say things they shouldn’t say, do things they shouldn’t do and neglect things they should be doing. Then they come to church on Sunday and pretend to be someone different than they really are the rest of the week, someone who is holy, hoping no one will notice that their Christianity is nothing more than a costume that they put on that morning.  

When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse to anoint one of his sons as king, Samuel was sure God was going to anoint Eliab as king. However, God told Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Sam. 16:7).

God passed on Eliab and chose David, the youngest son of Jesse to be the next king because God saw in David what Samuel could not see, his heart. When we come to church on Sunday we must remember, we may be able to trick most of the people that we see, but we can never trick or fool God. For He does not see as man sees, because God can see our hearts!

Friends, God knows whether our Christianity is genuine or simply a costume. Let’s make sure the kind of lives that we are living during the week match the kind of lives we live on Sundays.  

Now that's Something to Think About! Justin

             

Giving It A Try!

I have gone back and forth now for several months as to whether or not I should start blogging. After all, who would really want to read what I write? After much consideration, I decided that I would be blogging mostly for myself anyways so I decided to give it a try. The purpose of this blog will be for me to have a means to express my thoughts in writing. It is my hope and prayer that in the process of this, the things which I write will be helpful in some way to someone else. So...I'm giving it a try!