My Thoughts and Reflections

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised.”  – Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) On what or in whom are we placing our trust?  As Christians, our trust can be confidently placed in the Lord.  Why can we have this hope?  We can have this hope because not only is scripture littered with promises about God’s faithfulness and reliability, but there are countless witnesses over the course of world history who could give testimony to this truth.  However, it isn’t always easy to trust in God and to rely on his provision for our lives physically, mentally, and spiritually.  When our confidence in God waivers, we open ourselves to placing our trust in things or people who do not have the ability to follow through for us!  What reward is the writer talking abou...

“Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children.  Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us.”  – Ephesians 5:1-2a (CEB) Who or what are you patterning your life after?  Are you living your life in a way that is mirroring God’s example for us, or are you living your life in a way that is not congruent with God’s example?  God’s example for how he desires us to live is Jesus Christ.  Jesus lived his life by following what he called the greatest commandment, “ You must love the Lord with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind ” (Matthew 22:37, CEB).  He also lived by the second most important commandment, “ You must love your neighbor as you love yourself ” (Matthew 22:39, CEB).  Our Father in heaven has set an example for us to follow.  Just as little children learn how to talk and behave by observing their parents, we are expected to learn how to live and act b...

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.  I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  – Isaiah 46:4 (NIV) What an amazing set of promises from the God of the universe!  He is the creator of all things and is in perfect control of such an amazing expanse of space, that we cannot even begin to comprehend its size and magnitude!  Yet, he reminds us, here in Isaiah, that he not only made us, but he continues to carry, sustain, and rescue us throughout our lives to the very end.  I like how Eugene Peterson puts it in his translation of this verse in “The Message,” “I’ll be there bearing you when you’re old and gray.  I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you.”  God has already carried us, sustained us, and rescued us up to this very point in our lives and he promises that he will keep on doing it!  God is running on a perfect record, a ...

“Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.  Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.””  – Matthew 28:18-20 (CEB) It has been a common misconception in the church today that evangelism is meant to be left for the “professionals,” i.e., pastors, missionaries, and professional evangelists.  What a sad misconception!  This command recorded at the end of Matthew’s gospel is Jesus’ last command to his disciples.  At that time, those who were present at Jesus' ascension were the church.  Therefore, Christ’s command wasn’t just for those who are in church ministry, but for the entire church!  Did you notice Jesus saying to, “go and make disciples?”  He isn’t just intere...

"I always put the LORD in front of me; I will not stumble because he is on my right side."  - Psalm  16:8 (CEB) A popular memory verse in my church growing up was Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (NIV1984).  Our verse for the week is a similar recognition of the truth of God's guidance in our lives.  As long as we put God first in our lives, we cannot fail and we will not stumble and fall because he will be right there at our side to keep us on the "straight and narrow."   How good is it to know that it is impossible to fail in life when we place God at the front of our lives?  I believe that it is great news!  However, d o not be deceived into thinking that this is a promise for an easy life or for a life absent of roadblocks, failures, and sin, but it is a promise that we can take hold of when we take the daily initiative to place Christ at the forefront of our lives.  This is why it is so import...

‎"Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD GOD you have an everlasting rock." —Isaiah 26:4 (NRSV) What have you put your trust in recently? Have you placed your trust in your job? Your home? Your money? Your family? Your friends? Your things? What one of these things provides the assurance, the blessing, and the peace of mind that trusting in God does? Isaiah tells us where we need to place our trust; in the LORD GOD who is an everlasting rock! Earlier in Israel's history, Samuel placed a stone in a field following a military victory in order to remind Israel that it was the LORD who helped us to this very point! That stone was named "Ebenezer," the "stone of help." Later, Jesus refers to himself as the rejected stone that became the cornerstone. "As God's household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20, CEB).  How good it is to know t...

“Instead, we are God's accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.”  - Ephesians 2:10 (CEB) Our salvation is not a result of anything we have accomplished. Our salvation is God's accomplishment. It was accomplished because of God's love and by Jesus' willingness to die on the cross for our sins. Because we have accepted the free gift of salvation, we also accepted the change in our lives that salvation brings. Jeremiah reminded his listeners that God has a good plan for our lives and Paul reemphasizes this reminder. God has planned good things for our lives and good things for us to accomplish in our new lives as Christians. This new way of life, though not always easy, is the surefire way of living a life of joy. Our joy comes from knowing that we are honoring our father in heaven and showing him gratitude for the great mercy that he has bestowed on us, the fact that we ...