Your Children Are Watching You!

In Genesis 11 we are given the genealogy of Abraham and told his father, Terah, intended to lead his family from Ur to the land of Canaan. The journey to Canaan was embarked upon but for some reason, a reason we are not given in Scripture, he stopped in Haran and never completed the journey. Had God called Terah to go to Canaan? Did his disobedience mean some part of God's purpose for Terah's life went unfulfilled? Did Terah's failure to complete the journey teach Abraham the consequences of a life in which one does not follow a call or vision given from God? Or was Terah being obedient to God when he stopped in Haran? Was God stopping Terah because God wanted Abraham himself to have the faith building journey to Canaan? It is interesting to consider such questions as we "read between the lines" and meditate upon the Scriptures.

We know Abraham was watching his father's life and learning important life lessons as he did. Terah's decision not to follow through on his plans would certainly have been on the mind of Abraham when he received his call from God to head to Canaan. How fortunate to learn from the mistakes and shortcomings of those who go before us! How much more fortunate to learn from the faithfulness, righteousness and good decisions of those who go before us!

Your children are watching you today and learning important life lessons as they do. Consider your words, actions and decisions carefully. How much better for your children to learn from those things you do right rather than from those which you do wrong!

James

Remember...Remember...Remember

A great take on Scripture memory found here. I am convicted to begin memorizing Scripture in 2011 and am praying about what to work on right now. Hope you will make a plan to do the same!

James

Monumental: A Documentary with Kirk Cameron

Keep an eye out for this movie and please pray it has great impact on our country!

Click Here

James

God-Size Events Require Extraordinary People

Recently, Kim and I began a reading program which breaks the Bible down into 365 daily snippets. The program is found on a iPhone application called Youversion (youversion.com for you non Apple folks) if you are interested in joining us. During one of our readings this week we encountered the story of Noah and God has convicted me of a few things I would like to share with you today.

Have you ever considered what Noah must have felt or thought when he received the order from God to build an ark? The undertaken must have seemed absurd on many levels. We see no evidence Noah was ever a fisherman or sailor of any kind; by all accounts his knowledge of seafaring was likely very limited. Scripture doesn't give us an enormous amount of information about Noah but we do know he was a man who knew quite a bit about farming and the planting of vineyards! Seafaring doesn't seem to be a notable attribute of the man called to build an ark and captain mankind's greatest seagoing adventure.

The building of an ark the size of which Noah was told to build must have seemed a daunting task to the ancient mind. God had obviously blessed Noah with financial means to acquire the materials necessary to build the great ark but the manpower needed to construct something of such a scope must have left Noah completely overwhelmed. The ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high! Such an undertaking would overwhelm anyone of any age but especially one not privy to the tools and machinery we enjoy in the modern world!

Noah may have been overwhelmed or in awe of the task before him but he was prepared for God's extraordinary call; Noah was a righteous man. Noah was already God's kind of man, living God's kind of way, so when God approached him with a God sized task he was prepared. Noah was ready for the extraordinary because he himself had been living a life beyond the ordinary all along! The ark was just another "God event" in the life of a man who enjoyed God's way of doing things.

Are you prepared for God's extraordinary presence and activity in your life? If you are a righteous man or woman then the answer is yes. Those living in right relationship with God are ready to join Him as He does God sized things in 2011!

James

Fear Not...2011 Is In God's Hands!

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -- John 16:33b

Life can be fun, exciting, sad, depressing, hopeful, inspiring, gloom and doom. Life has many wonderful, and not so wonderful facets, the whole of which makes for an interesting roller coaster ride. What 2011 holds for each of us is anybody's guess but one thing we can be assured of is the "topsy-turvy" ride it will hold for each of us.

Jesus told His disciples they would have trouble in this world. Those preaching a health and wealth gospel in which everyone is meant to become perpetually healthy, wealthy and happy are misguided at best and liars at worst. At one time or another life is hard for all of us but the difficulties of life don't have to derail and defeat us. Believers in Christ can choose to trust in the One who has overcome the world and loves us with incomprehensible love.

Jesus told the disciples not to fear the trouble which lies ahead but to instead take comfort in the fact He has overcome the world. Jesus is always in control, regardless of how unfair or difficult the journey may seem at times. As we look ahead to 2011 let us hold fast to the faith we confess! Let us trust the God who created all things and holds each of us in the palm of His hand!

James

How You Can Keep Your Resolutions This Year

"The key to success is found under the alarm clock" -- Benjamin Franklin

Most of us approach the New Year hoping for some type of change in our life. For some this hope finds expression in a thinner waistline, healthier lifestyle or more time in the gym. Many others hope to read more, go back to school or learn a new language. Believers in Christ might express their hope for change by resolving to have a closer walk with God or greater faith in Him. Whatever the change, be assured, the realization of our dreams will always require faith, discipline and hard work. Success comes to those willing to pay the price for its attainment.

As Christians we have a leg up on the rest of the world when it comes to changing things in our life. From the very first moment we become a follower of Christ, God's Spirit begins to work in us to mold our will and actions. God does this so we might become the kind of person He wants us to be (Phil 2:13). The desire and "tools" necessary for the change we need in our life are found in Christ; we have the Spirit of Christ within us! God's Holy Spirit gives believers the self-control needed to follow through on our New Year Resolutions. In 2 Timothy 2:7 God assures us that the Holy Spirit gives each of us the discipline to exercise the kind of moderation necessary for success. It is when we decide to live outside of the boundaries and plans of our Lord that we fail in the plans (and change) He intends for our life.

God is creating a whole new and improved version of you in 2011! Put your faith, hope and hard work in the hands of Christ so you might realize all of the changes you seek in 2011!

James

You Can Make a Difference in 2011!

I was going to open the week with a devotional I have been working on but after reading this article I felt I needed to share it today. This is really, really good and I hope you will take the time to read it and be inspired!

Click Here

James