Inspiration for Today - 31 Dec 11

As the clock winds down on 2011, I would like to wish you a Happy New Year.

For the Believer: I earnestly pray that you continue to grow in your faith. Take time to pray and listen to Him speak. Take the time to read His Word, a chapter a day, and seek to serve Him and further His Kingdom.

For the unbeliever: You question things, you question your life, you question your purpose, you question, question, question. Questions are great and you should ask questions, Jesus even said to "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." (Luke 11:9-10) Speak with a Christian friend or visit a local church and speak with the pastor and ask those questions that you have. Or, please feel free to contact me at wyatt.bloom@yahoo.com

Ultimately, I ask that your goal this year as you have questioned things, that this year to find the answers and that it leads you to the one and only way to eternal life by believing and accepting Jesus as your Savior.

Have a happy, blessed, and joy filled New Year!

Inspiration for Today - 30 Dec 11

Recently, I began reading the "Our Daily Bread" booklet. For years I have praised and recommended both it and "Guideposts" but never took the time to read it except on rare occasions. Nonetheless, I was reading a post that was encouraging to me especially with New Years coming up.

In the Dec 11 post, King Solomon found joy in ordinary things. Many of us don't consider everyday things to be joyful occasions. For instance: eating, sleeping, walking, drinking, even breathing we in the US would consider ordinary things. These are all gifts from God.

King Solomon said this in Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NKJV), "So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun."

God is so wonderful that we should pause, not just to say grace for our meals, rather pause at different times to acknowledge what our Father has done for us and simply say, "thank you for what You have provided me today."

Inspiration for Today - 29 Dec 11

What's your goal in the New Year?

Many people set resolutions or goals they would like to accomplish in the new year. Most of them fall flat, where some are crippled goals where they are partially achieved a week here, a day there, etc. Some however are actually successful.

When it comes to goals, I am reminded of promises...which leads me to this portion of Jesus' sermon on the mount...

Matthew 5:33-37 (NKJV), "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one."

Speak the truth. Don't make promises you know you can't keep. Simply set a goal and do your absolute best, seeking God's help and guidance, to achieve it.

Inspiration for Today - 28 Dec 11

Very recently I had the privilege of briefly speaking with MTV original VJ Martha Quinn. Here is our brief chat via Twitter:

@MarthaQuinnMartha Quinn
Just watched little boy say "thank you" to camo-wearing Air Force soldier in airport. Soldier hugged him. #chokingbacktears

infamouswbWyatt Bloom
@MarthaQuinn - It chokes me up when people thank me 4 my service in the USAF. Means so very much to us.

@MarthaQuinnMartha Quinn
@infamouswb omg that is so good to know! Sometimes I worry I'm being intrusive. Thank you!!!

infamouswbWyatt Bloom
@MarthaQuinn - It isn't intrusive to anyone in the military. All of us in some way go thru a lot. A thank you more than makes our day! Thx

Many of us support the US military, but many of us also seem to forgot the other uniformed servants out there: police, fire, and EMTs. Though not many people follow this blog, currently, I still wanted to express my gratitude for all the men and women that serve and protect us. Thank you all!

Inspiration for Today - 26 Dec 11

VERY well before 2500 BC, God's second, most impressive, amazing, and gracious miracle-plan began. His first was the 6 days of Creation. The second was the fact that He would need to have something or someone that would have to pay for the mistakes that mankind made beginning in Genesis 3:6.

Throughout the Bible, sacrifices had to be made to pay for the mistakes. After several thousands of years and many, many prophecies, God's miracle-plan was to be born. Yes, we already celebrated Jesus' birthday, but this is how awe-inspiring and real this is!

As His Creation was beginning to discover their home, an estimated 5,000-10,000 years before Christ's birth, Satan tempted Eve to disobey her Creator - and she did. Later, Eve tempted Adam to disobey his Creator - and he did. Instead of God completely destroying His Creation, eradicating everything He had made, He chose mercy and grace.

God loved and continues to love us that much.

Happy Birthday Jesus

Happy Birthday Jesus! We are tremendously thankful for you coming into our lives. We cannot express how grateful that God sent His only Son to give us a chance to live in heaven.

Happy Birthday Jesus and thank you Mighty Father God!!!

Inspiration for Today - 23 Dec 11

Mother Mary's Song to God after experience 2 miracles...the miracle of conception to be carrying God's Son and the miracle of her cousin Elizabeth, who was barren, is 6 months pregnant with John the Baptist. The joy and excitement moved her to sing this to the Lord...

Luke 1:46-55 (NKJV), "46 And Mary said:

“ My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

Share your Inspiration for Christmas

What inspires you during this Christmas season? It's time to share your inspiration with us!

For me...Christmas humbles me. It's not the gifts, it's not the lights, it's not the songs, rather I am humbled because the most powerful God sent His equally powerful Son who confined His Deity into a human body. That gift from God lived for about 33 years and gave us the ultimate gift, freedom from sin.

Jesus died for me so I can be free! That's what inspires me during Christmas.

Inspiration for Today - 19 Dec 11

Luke 1:37-38 (NKJV), "For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."

Inspiration for Today - 17 Dec 11

Luke 1:34-35, "Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

Inspiration for Today - 15 Dec 11

Luke 1:31-33 (NKJV) "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

Inspiration for Today - 13 Dec 11

Luke 1:29-30 (NKJV) "But when she saw him,[d] she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."

Inspiration for Today - 11 Dec 11

Luke 1:26-28 (NKJV) "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women"

Inspiration for Today - 10 Dec 11

A good friend posted this today on Facebook. A very large Amen!

Jesus is the true reason for Christmas. God granted us the ultimate gift for eternal life by sending us His only Son to be born in the lowest of places and to live the lowest among people. This gift walked along, asking, challenging people, and educating people about sin, hell, heaven, and ultimately, love.

That love was made more abundant, more real, more relevant, and most astoundingly evident when He followed through to sacrifice Himself, to pay the price for your sins and mine. All He asks in return is that you completely believe in Him. Believe that He died for you. Asking that he will forgive you of your sins.

Some wonder what sins they may have committed. The 10 Commandments is a great basis for seeing what has been committed. If you don't think you fall into any of those categories, that's ok! You can always ask to be forgiven of the sins you are not aware of.

John 14:6 (NKJV), "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Are you ready to be forgiven?

Inspiration for Today - 9 Dec 11

Another great song!

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning Our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons,
Blessed Trinity!

Holy, Holy, Holy!
All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim
Falling down before thee,
Who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Tho the darkness hide thee,
Tho the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only thou are holy;
There is none beside thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in
Love and purity.

Holy, Holy, Holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky,
and sea;
Holy, holy, holy;
Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons
Blessed Trinity!

Written by Reginal Heber & John B Dykes

Inspiration for Today - 8 Dec 11

What do you throw away and what do you keep? What memories/thoughts are valuable to you; what aren't?

It amazes me sometimes what we throw away during the course of our lives. Today, I had the opportunity to help dismantle some items from an old office location. It amazed me what was considered to be trash and what was considered worth keeping.

As many of you know, I recently moved to another base and during both the packing and unpacking, I too did this very same sorting.

Mentally, there are times we do the very same sorting, however there are times when certain memories cannot be simply thrown away. Though many of us would agree, we wish we could.

Isaiah 43:25 (NKJV), "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins."

Jeremiah 31:31 (NKJV), "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

Hebrews 8:12 (NKJV), "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Have you asked God to forgive you of your sins? Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV), "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Inspiration for Today - 6 Dec 11

A great hymnal and fitting!

Jesus Paid It All (Indeed He did!)

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He wash’d it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He wash’d it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He wash’d it white as snow.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save.”
My lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He wash’d it white as snow.

Authors - Elvina M Hall, John T Grape

Inspiration for Today - 4 Dec 11

Have you prayed today?

Many pastors, Sunday School teachers, and various other Bible Studies have taught about the Lord's Prayer. I am not sharing anything new or different. Simply put, some people honestly do not know how to understand. The Lord's Prayer was and is a simple example of how we can speak with our Creator. Does this mean that we should not pray this prayer? Absolutely not! Many times, I have found myself saying this meaningfully to God because it does encompass the basic heart felt requests.

Praise Him, Understand that everything is under His Control and Will, request and thank Him for our daily needs, ask for forgiveness while we forgive others, ask for God's protection especially from Satan and temptation, and closing with more praise - knowing that it is ALL His.

Matthew 6:5-15 (NKJV) "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.[c]

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Inspiration for Today - 3 Dec 11

Luke 11:9-13 (NKJV), "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Inspiration for Today - 2 Dec 11

What do you do with your unused items (clothes, electronics, furniture, etc)? This could be a controversial topic for me but please, bear with me.

How many of us have thrown our unused items away in the trash? Or, when do you call it quits on an item before getting rid of it?

With this economy, there are many people that are in need of some of the simplest things. How can you make someone happy and make a difference this Christmas?

Today, my wife and I were able to give a family our swimming pool. We had it for 2 years but only used it for the first year. Yet, we were able to give a family a present this year for their son. There have been other things that we've given away as we clean out our closet and such. Giving others well needed clothes.

In the end, it gives us great joy (Jesus, Others, You) to help others in Christ.