Inspiration for Today - 29 Feb 12

Have you praised God today?
Have you praised God for the green light that gained you a few minutes?
Have you praised Him for the red light that saved you from a fender bender?
Have you praised God for the sunny weather that allowed you to enjoy a few moments with your family, your children, and/or your friends?
Have you praised Him for the in-climate weather that slowed you down avoiding the vehicle accident?
Have you praises God for the joy and song in your heart?
Have you praised Him for the solemn and lonely day remembering all that God has done and given you?
Have you praised God for your laughing and cheerful child?
Have you praised Him for your screaming child who is alive and well?
Have you praised God for your good friends?
Have you praised Him for the enemy that you reached out to during their hour of need?
Have you praised God for your beautiful spouse?
Have you praised Him for the argumentative spouse that you comforted and sweetly consoled?
Have you praised God for your job or career?
Have you praised Him for the terrible, mundane, 14 hour job that provides the means to pay for your home, food, transportation, and communications device (ie cell phone, laptop, video games, movies/tv, etc)?
Have you praised God for being a Christian?
Have you praised God for sending Jesus to intervene for your sinful lusts, your petty covetness, your selfish greed, or stinging idolatry?

Permit me to ask you again; have you praised God today?

Inspiration for Today - 28 Feb 12

How goos are you at keeping promises? Mankind is stricken with keeping promises especially with God. That's why I trust in God to keep promises. He's far better at it than anyone on this earth.

I enjoy this hymn "Standing on the Promises" because it reminds me of this.


Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Inspiration for Today - 27 Feb 12

What kind of Christian are you? Do you advertise your faith? Do you share your testimony or perhaps your recent Sunday service experience with others? Or, do you hide your Christianity? Do you joke and cuss as your fellow co-workers do?

When Jesus preached in Matthew 5, He referred to Christians as being the salt and light of the earth. It truly defines how useful we are to furthering the Kingdom and saving others from hell.

In Matthew 5:13 (NKJV) He says that, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

How good are you as a Christian? Are you flavored or unflavored salt? He went on to use another analogy calling us the light of the world.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV), "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Are you a brightly lit light standing atop a hill or is your faith and your Christianity covered up from the world?

We all fall short but many times we need to be recharged in our faith. That's what church is suppose to be doing for you, but you also need a daily walk with God filled with reading His Word, prayer, and spreading the gospel to those that need it the most; the unbeliever.

The Inspiration for Today posts are here to help encourage you. They are here to provide a little bit of cheer and recharge through your day. I pray that they do.

I encourage you to not hide your light of faith or become a bland Christian. Rather, stay focused on Jesus and lead people along, saving them from eternal death.

Inspiration for Today - 25 Feb 12

Our God is an amazing God! Through personal trials, through mental anguish, through the slipping lips, and into beautiful days, sunny days, cherished moments, delightful dreams, and incredible truths...God is truly amazing.

As I look through my life at this moment, while I type, I think of how God has been with me through it all. He has protected me through the multiple vehicle wrecks, through the painful relationships, through dark moments in my life, and through the windy and stormy days of weather.

He has even been with me through the blessed and wonderful moments in my life. Living in a very beautiful rural town, having great friends while growing up, learning new experiences to include an awesome hobby with sound systems (including broadcasting, DJ, and engineering), my career and experiences throughout my Air Force career, to my truly beautiful and awesome wife, and to the future as we anticipate our first born child.

God you are amazing! Your love is amazing! You cover us with your blessings even though we fail you many times over, as long as I am a True Believing Christian who wholeheartedly believes that You sent Your Son Jesus to die for my sins, You continue to show Your mercies each day.

Thank You God!

Inspiration for Today - 24 Feb 12

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Gotta love God's promises!

Inspiration for Today - 23 Feb 12

This says it all! Praise His awesome name!

His name is Wonderful,
His name is Wonderful,
His name is Wonderful,
Jesus my Lord.
He is the mighty King,
Master of ev’rything,

His name is Wonderful,
Jesus, my Lord.
He’s the great Shepherd,
The Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him,
Love and adore Him,
His name is Wonderful,
Jesus my Lord.

Inspiration for Today - 22 Feb 12

What things make you smile? Is it your child's laugh? A familiar place?

Many of my friends could probably name a number of things from the 1980s to my expectant son. Though those items may be true, none of them compares to the yearning to be in heaven where the only thing I have to worry about is loosing my voice from singing praises to My God and my King!

Do you know where you'll be spending your days after this life is over? I pray that you'll be along side me.

Inspiration for Today - 21 Feb 12

Christian brothers and sisters, I have another question for you. When you sing the hymns or chorus', are you going along with the rest of the group? Do you belt it out? Are you trying to blend in? Do you really sing to God?

I ask because I find myself, when not running a sound system, singing at the level of everyone else. There are times that a really awesome song is presented and rather than being bold in my faith and truly expressing my love for God, I succumb to being neutral and comforming.

All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. Are you giving Him you all?

Inspiration for Today - 20 Feb 12

Facebook is quite a comical venue for people to express themselves. I have seen complaints, desires, delights, locations, comedies, drama, adventure, and so forth. The one thing that I see quite prominent is their master.

How often do you read, especially in the morning, someone needing a coffee to aid in waking up? How often do you read how someone cannot wait until next week's episode of a TV show?

Paul wrote a compelling verse that has far more application than one would think. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (NASB), "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything."

What is mastering or controlling you? Sit back and examine what is mastering you right now. Ask yourself honestly, "is this item mastering me and hindering my witness for Christ?"

Some of the most innocent things that we don't even think of can be the most controlling masters of our lives. Examine yourself...I know I am!

Inspiration for Today - 18 Feb 12

Spent today at my first mens conference at MD Church on the Rock. It was a very enlightening to learn about the Old Testament Tabernacle, the one described in Exodus during the time of Moses and Aaron. We learned about every piece within it: the lampstand, the table of shewbread, the altar of incense, the Ark of the Covenant, the laver, the high priest, and the golden alter.

Then, what all of these Old Testament components now represent upon the new covenant with Jesus as our High Priest. Each piece had its purpose, yet it was all a physical substitute to become righteous before God whereas after Jesus freeing the world of sin, substituting Himself, He has become our Light, our Food, our intercessor of prayer, He cleansed us, became the sacrifice, and is our High Priest!

It is truly amazing how nearly everything in the Old Testament points to our Savior. What He did for us is incomparable. All I can say is thank you Jesus and thank you for using MD Church on the Rock to be a vessel to sharpen us that much more.

Inspiration for Today - 17 Feb 12

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV), "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Inspiration for Today - 16 Feb 12

Lots of people, right now, are in need of prayer. I'm sure that you know of at least 1 person that is in need of prayer and God's divine intervention. Many underestimate the power of prayer. Some have too little faith when they pray. They pray yet they are either realistic in their mindset or are even doubtful that though the request has been made that God will answer our request. I know I face that challenge sometimes, more so of my personal prayers than prayers for others.

However, remember that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" - 1 John 1:9, "If you have faith as a mustard seed," - Luke 17:6, "And whatever you ask in My (Jesus) name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it," - John 14:13-14 and "let your requests be made known to God;" - Philippians 4:6 God will hear us and answer our prayers!

Confess your mistakes that you've made, this cleanses you to come before the Father. Have the faith that the request will be done. Make the request known to God in the name of your Savior, Jesus. Your prayer will be heard and answered. The answer may be wait, it may be no, since God's plan is greater than our own, but it also may actually be yes.

Take the time to make your prayer requests known to God tonight!

Inspiration for Today - 15 Feb 12

What is your favorite food? Is it pizza, steak, fried chicken, etc?

I got to thinking about what heaven would be like. We are told in the Bible that we'll be able to eat in heaven but what will the food be like? A few Bible scholars believe that we'll eat manna. Some have suggested that we'll be vegetarians, like in the Garden of Eden.

Whatever our food will be in heaven, it will most certainly be incredible...in my opinion.

Inspiration for Today - 14 Feb 12

When you sign up to be on a sports team in high school or maybe at work, what kind of commitment do you give? How about when you volunteer for a fundraiser, are you fully committed? Today marks Valentine's Day and another pointed question, are you fully committed to your spouse?

Being fully committed takes effort and it doesn't mean we foul up. The biggest question came up tonight during a weekly Bible study group and it struck me. Are we Christians committed to God? And with that, how committed are we? Where do we draw the line?

MANY Christians, including myself, make variations to what is "acceptable" and what is not to get away with. We think it's ok to do one thing yet oppose another. Where is the line, in the Bible, that says it's ok for us to have a vice or to do one sinful thing but be obedient otherwise? Sometimes we use Paul's thorn in our side as a crutch. Yes, we do have faults, some many more faults than others, but when we use excuses to argue our way rather than God's divine ways, are we truly showing our best, 100% commitment to God?

Take a few moments alone and sincerely ask yourself, how committed am I to God? Am I 50%, 75%, etc? Am I 100% only when it's convenient?

Pray and meditate on this...I know I will!

Inspiration for Today - 13 Feb 12

Putting together a lesson for our Mens Conference this Saturday and the topic is understanding the lampstand and the light.

There are lots of powerful verses stating, more importantly, the light.

Psalm 119:105: Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path
Luke 8:16: No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.
1 John 1:5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
John 8:12: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Jesus is our light. And we reflect that light when we live our lives and share with others what He has done for us.

Inspiration for Today - 11 Feb 12

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV

Inspiration for Today - 10 Feb 12

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV), "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Inspiration for Today - 9 Feb 12

“[Thanksgiving and Prayer] We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV

Inspiration for Today - 6 Feb 12

What do you think of when you hear or read the word pursue? I'll be quite honest, my inner 80s child beacons Rosco P. Coltrane shouting, "I love it, I love it. Hot Pursuit!" Or Michael Knight belting out to KITT, "Super Pursuit mode!"

In life, however, are there things that you pursue? Do you pursue wealth, fame, love, friendships, or obsessions? God reminds us that we need to pursue after Him. In that pursuit, Solomon gave this piece of wisdom in Proverbs 21:21 (NIV), "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor."

Did you catch that? If you pursue after righteousness (doing your best to obey God) and love (agape love, to love one another as Christ loved us) the result will be that we will find life (a well rounded and fulfilled life), prosperity (not just in money but with friends and family), and honor (we will be well respected).

God wants us to always seek Him. We will stumble, we will still make mistakes, we will still miss that mark of perfection, however if we willingly and diligently ask for forgiveness, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

Inspiration for Today - 4 Feb 12

Many of you know that our soon to be son has been moving a little bit. It has been a continued astonishment to both my wife and I. Recently, he's been very active. He has been pushing and squirming around and it's fascinating to see and feel him. My wife goes through a mix of feelings; it's cool, it feels weird to her, at times can be painful, and comically it looks like there's an alien in there. :)

We are first time parents so all of this is fascinating, however it cannot compared to how heaven will be when we first enter into the pearl laden gates. The Bible describes it with having streets of gold and all types of precious stones (emeralds, sapphires, onyx, etc) and no matter how it is described, no matter what mankind may have painted or portrayed, it will be 1 million times more than what we can imagine.

But, we must be reminded that before we can get there, we must be true believers, actually believing not just saying it, of Jesus Christ as our Savior. Accepting that we do not deserve it because we are born sinners (admitting we've lied, or stolen, or lusted, or have been angry at someone, etc) and that we need to ask for forgiveness. If we believe and trust that Jesus died for our sins, believe that He is real, asking for forgiveness, and realize that He is the only way to heaven...we will be saved and be able to be in that gorgeous city.

Inspiration for Today - 3 Feb 12

I apologize to you for not being as faithful in my posts this week as I should. This week has been filled with trying to finish a paper for a college course as well as 2 late evening church events.

Something I heard today on a Christian radio station was a song I've heard several times but it inspired me to share it with you.

SonicFlood sings a song entitled "I want to see you (in the secret)."

The chorus is what hit me... "I want to know You (God) more." How many times do we yearn to know God more but still shrug Him away from our busy days?

In our relationships, do we want to know our spouses more yet find a detour? Ask yourself how important is God and your spouse? Do you really want to know them more? Then I urge you to make the time and show them your love.

Inspiration for Today - 1 Feb 12

Oh how God loves you and me! Blessed Redeemer you ransomed our filthy lives with your pure, holy blood.

God loved us enough to send His Son to cleanse us and allow us access and acceptance into heaven by Jesus' death and the only thing we have to do is believe in Him, confessing our failures to Him, and He will set us free. Giving us the ability to have eternal life.