Cell Phone vs. Bible

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:2

“I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it when we traveled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?”
This is something to make you go hmmmm, “Where is my Bible?”

So remember this- You’ll never have dropped calls, and unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

But most important of all…you’ll never have to ask Him, “Can you hear me now?”

Makes you stop and think, Where are my priorities?”

Because of Him,

Chris

Never Give Up!

I read the other day about the miracle of the bamboo trees that grow in Malaysia. I believe it serves as a terrific reminder of the importance of perseverance.

The first year after he plants the bamboo, the Malaysian farmer waters, fertilizes, and cultivates his crop.

Nothing happens.

The next year, he carefully waters, fertilizes, and cultivates again.

Nothing happens.

The third year? You guessed it. More water and more fertilizer. But again, nothing happens.

I don’t know about you, I think I would have given up right about then. The farmer has absolutely nothing to show for three years of hard work.

Yet he goes out a fourth year and does it again. With the same results.

Undaunted, as a fifth anniversary of the planting rolls around, he goes back out and starts the routine all over again.

And in the next thirty days, the bamboo shoots ninety feet into the sky. Yes! Not nine feet or ninety inches – but ninety feet.

You see, you just never know what’s going to happen if you refuse to give up.

Because of Him,

Chris

When Will We Take Worship Seriously?

We have a growing problem in churches among the so-called saints. Few bring their Bibles, and many have no intention of actively engaging. They are nothing more than spectators, waiting for the musicians and preacher to perform.

How’s your worship? Do you take it seriously? Let me ask a few questions, and you answer them for yourself.

Do you find yourself always running late? Would you do that for school or your job? If not, then your school or job means more to you than worshiping the Lord.

Do you look for ways to miss church? A quick trip to the beach or the lake? Company at the house? A few chores that you just have to get done? Isn’t that taking worship lightly?

Do you find yourself coming to church and never opening your Bible?

When you follow along with the preacher, you are hearing and reading the Word for yourself. Your eyes and ears are engaged, and you double your chances of seeing and hearing from God.

Do you ever think about the personal application of the songs you sing? Do you just sing words, or do you allow the words to penetrate your heart?

Are you prayed up when you come? Do you expect to hear from God? Do you ask God to speak to you before you ever walk in the room? If you expect little, you’ll receive little.

Do you stand around outside and talk as long as possible and then slip in, or do you get in and give yourself a few minutes to take a deep breath and get ready for worship?

Do you allow the offering plate to go by without ever putting anything in the plate? Do you repeatedly come to church and offer God that which costs you nothing?

Does the thought of prioritizing Sunday around the Lord hit your radar screen? Is one hour on Sunday enough for you? Is that all your faith means to you?

Are you ever tempted to leave early because you want to beat the crowd to lunch? Is worship something you are trying to get out of, or are you like Joshua who found a way to linger at the tent of meeting even after Moses left?

Are you like David, glad, rejoicing and celebrating when someone talks about going to church? I can’t wait for Sundays. They are the best day of the week. I get my spiritual love tank filled on Sunday. How about you?

One last word for all of us. We better take worship seriously. God is so serious about it that He’s planning on us doing it for eternity.

Are you thinking about skipping out early, giving half-hearted praise or lip service in glory? If so, you might want to see if you even want to be there or if you are going.

Why would anyone want to go to heaven and do for eternity what they have no desire to do a couple of times a week?

Think about it and show up ready to worship this Sunday. No, I mean really worship—on time, engaged, focused and yielded.

Because of Him,

Chris

Don’t Worry

A 90-year-old man was asked to what he attributed his longevity. “I reckon.” he said, with a twinkle in his eye, “it’s because most nights I went to bed and slept when I should have sat up and worried.”

Matthew 6:25 ‘’Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.’’

“Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.”

–Swedish Proverb

Don’t Worry – Trust!

Because of Him,

Chris

Knowing God

Psalm 25:4-5 ”Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”

In these two verses we learn:

1] David has a teachable heart.

”Make me to know Your ways.”

”Teach me Your paths.”

”Lead me in Your truth and teach me.”

If we are ever to grow in our relationship with God we must have a teachable heart.

A] David wanted to know God’s ”ways.”

How does He operate? How does God work?

B] David wanted to know God’s paths.

David obviously needed some guidance, some direction and so he turned to the Lord.

God is our true source for guidance. Always turn to God for direction in your life.

C] David also wanted to know God’s truth. (v.5 ”lead me in Your truth.”)

This is the great need of our day – a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word.

David realized that understanding God’s truth will not come apart from God’s help. The Holy Spirit will teach you the truth of God’s Word.

1] David not only had a Teachable Heart:

2] He also had a Patient Heart.

V.5 For You I wait all the day long.”

Remember, If you want to grow in your relationship with God you must first have a teachable heart and be patient as He does His marvelous work in your life.

Because of Him,

Chris

Wake Up!

“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” Prov 29:23

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. The next week, the man realized that he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 a.m. for an early morning business flight to Chicago. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and lose), he wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me at 5:00 a.m.”

The next morning the man woke up only to discover it was 9:00 a.m., and that he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn’t wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

The paper said. “It is 5:00am. Wake up!” -Men just aren’t equipped for these sort of contests.
Don’t let your pride keep you from having a wonderful day, remember “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”James 4:6

Because of Him,

Chris

Becoming Wise

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Proverbs 1:7

The verse centers on how we receive the instruction of the Lord in our lives.

1.  A wise man who fears God will “listen and hear” what counsel God would share with him.  This is the beginning of wisdom, for who can become wise without receiving wisdom?  And why would we receive?  Because we know that our lives are limited and useless apart from the works and words of God.  We fear being at odds with God because we understand the consequences.  And that is the foundation for being wise.

2.  A fool, on the other hand, despises wisdom.  He hates to be instructed in anything, for he either believes he already knows what he needs to know, or else he is simply too lazy to receive it.  Of course, one of the main emphases of this passage is the fact that the fool does not fear God.  He has no respect for Him, and he who scorns God will also scorn God’s word.

It is easy to spot a fool according to this passage.  It is equally easy for us to see our own foolishness at times.  God help us to walk as wise men and not as fools.

Because of Him,

Chris