What A Beautiful Name

There is a song called "What a Beautiful Name" by Hillsong Worship. There is one verse in it that makes me pause every time I hear it. It is

You didn't want heaven without us
So Jesus, You brought heaven down
My sin was great, Your love was greater
What could separate us now.

I especially get hung up on You didn't want heaven without us and My sin was great, your love was greater. Every single time I hear it I think about the love that Jesus has for us. A love so great that he left Heaven to live here because his love was greater than my sin.

There is a Bible verse that says the same thing.

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT)

Truly, what a Beautiful Name is the Name of Jesus.

Right Where You Are Supposed To Be

Your road led through the sea,
    your pathway through the mighty waters—
    a pathway no one knew was there!
Psalm 77:19 (NLT)

Last night in the U.S. the Super Bowl was on. While I really like football, most of the times I don't find the game super exciting. But last night was different. It was a great game! There was something though that really impressed me.  It was the story of the Eagles' Quarterback, Nick Foles.

In his career he'd not always done so well as a quarterback. He was traded from regime to regime. At one point he was considering retirement because he was so discouraged. He decided it to give it one more try and ended up back with the Eagles (which is where he started in the first place). After an injury of the Eagles' starting quarterback, Foles was tapped. And the rest is history.

After the game, one of the first things he said was "To God be the glory." Amen.

We never know where our path will lead. Only God does. What we need to do is keep going. Don't give up. And watch as God unfolds his glory in our lives.

A Minute In It - Fighting Back

A minute in God's word will change your life. Take a minute to read the passages below and ask yourself the questions at the bottom of the post.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:13-18 (MSG)

What are some of the weapons in the arsenal of God?
Why do you need them?
Why is Truth important?
Why is Christ's righteousness important?
Peace? Faith and Salvation?
What do you do with God's Word?
And why is prayer essential?
What about encouraging one another? What does that have to do with the battle we face?

Praying for you that God will guide you and keep you as you serve him.

Imitate Me

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In those days ten men from different nations and languages of the world will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.  Zechariah 8:23 (NLT)

WOW!! Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were all Christians like this? If we lived our life in such a way that people came up to us and said "I can see Jesus in you" or "Your life reflects God and I want to know him." Can you just imagine it?

This is what I want in my life. I want to live my life in such a way that even if I say nothing about him, people know who I follow.  One of my favorite sayings is:

Preach the Gospel to all the world and if necessary use words.

What would our world be like if we loved with our actions and didn't lead with our words? What about your world? How would your world change if people could see God in your life?

Father God, Holy Spirit, please change me so I live my life like this. Amen.

Refocus

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

Lately, I’ve been repeating that verse a lot.  And it suddenly dawned on me that maybe I don’t fully grasp what it means. Is it possible that when we repeat that verse we are focusing more on the “I can do all things” part and not the “through Christ” part?

I’m pretty sure the intent of this verse isn’t that we pick something we want to do and because it says "I can do all things", that we can just do it.  For example, if I decided I wanted to be a famous singer I am pretty sure that wouldn’t happen. You’d agree if you ever heard me sing. It’s not about picking some amazing goal and then believing hard enough so it happens.

The focus is really on “through Christ.” In other words, learning to lean on him, turning my eyes to him every day to get through the “all things” that cloud my view.

Maybe a paraphrase will help.

I can handle whatever life throws at me; whether it be losing it all or gaining everything because each and every day I turn my focus on Jesus who provides the strength, courage and stick-to-it frame of mind I need to sort through my crazy days.

Now, I just need to focus more on Jesus and less on the “all things” part. Easier said than done......

Yes! Jesus Loves Me!

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me still today,
Walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
Light and love to all who live.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
--Lyrics by Anna Warner

Sometimes it's just good to remember that we are loved.

How Many Hearts Do You Have?

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.  Proverbs 4:23 (NLT)

Friday was a bad day. I was rushing. I was making mistakes. I was missing things I should have caught. When I left work I was discouraged.  As I drove home, I thought about a conversation I had with a co-worker earlier in the day.

She was telling me about something she had to do that was hard. And she said "I had to put on my second heart to do it." When I asked her about the saying she explained that it was a Creole expression that her mom used as she was growing up. 

Made me wonder....after a day like Friday...what second heart would I put on?

A Heart of Trust:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:6

A Heart of Strength: My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Proverbs 73:26

A Heart of Courage: Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

A Heart of Praise: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. Psalm 9:1

A Heart of Love and Patience: May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Yes. Next time I have a bad day, I am going to take my friend's Mom's advice. I am going to put on my second heart.

Stop Trying So Hard

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

If asked, I would have to admit I am a Type A personality.  Even though I believe that as I get closer to Jesus, that A inches more toward an A- or B+ because I am learning to let the Holy Spirit lead in my thoughts, my decisions and my reactions.

This is solely the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Nothing I do saves me. Nothing I accomplish helps me be Heaven-Bound. This is all the gift of God through Jesus. Imagine if getting to heaven were accomplished because of the tasks we did. Heaven would be filled with a bunch of competitive, over-achievers.  That might be a little annoying.  (Smile)

Today’s verse was summed up best by a paragraph in The Voice (a translation of the Bible):

The relationship between faith and works is often misunderstood. Some think that salvation is God’s reward for good deeds. If that’s true, then it can’t possibly be a gift. If it were a reward, then heaven would be a place where people might compare notes on what they did to make it through the gates. But Paul is confident in the truth of the gospel. The truth is that salvation is God’s gift through Jesus. Grace and faith make salvation real in us. When we are transformed by grace, then we become His new creation and begin to live out the good works He has planned for us. Works, then, aren’t the cause of salvation; they are its result. To put it another way, works aren’t the means of salvation; they are its presence. 

If you are working to be saved; if you think that you have to check the box to be “right” with God; stop. What he wants is a relationship with you.  He wants your heart, not your deeds. When you give him that, he’ll do the rest.  He already has a plan.