Change

I would guess that you have heard as I, "the only thing that does not change is change". With so much change around us, it might be easy to believe that statement. However, that is not what my Bible says. While we are to change into the image of Christ, He does not change. Our target does not move or change. How close do others see us to Christ?

Malachi 3:6 (NIV)

6 "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do Over's

I first hear the term "do over" on the golf course. Don't get the wrong idea, I am not a golfer. However, I need do overs often. I need to start over as if I had never started before. The sin in my life needs to be removed as if it were never there. That is what Jesus provides for us if we will but ask.

Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Company Logo

I stopped in to my son's house for a visit this past week. As he works from home, I was surprised to see him wearing a company shirt with not only the company's logo on it, but also his name was embroidered on the shirt. He was issued the shirt to show people that he represented the company. As believers, we represent our Lord 24/7. A shirt is not issued, but our attitude should reflect that of our Savior's, whether we are at home or out and about.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

Taking Time For The Lost

When our time is short, who do we spend time with? Yes, our family and close friends are people that we first check on when our time is short. But how about that one? The lost need to know that we care!

James in this passage was the half brother of Jesus. At this time, he was lost. Because of the love of Christ, he accepted and became the pastor of the church of Jerusalem. The little things we do for the lost can make a big difference in the Kingdom work. Now is a great time to show your love with a phone call, text or whatever God lays on your heart.

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NIV)

5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,

8 and last of all he appeared to me

Yes, We Have Troubles

Have you received solicitations for extended warranties? My friend was able to buy a truck with a 100,000 mile or lifetime bumper to bumper warranty. I believe that he received a great deal with that truck purchase. As believers, we have the greatest warranty of all. Where ever we find ourselves; our God will deliver us from our troubles. Remember that His ways are greater and higher than ours, so lean on His understanding.

Psalm 34:17-19 (NIV)

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all

Persistence

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

Persistence is the quality of continuing steadily despite problems or difficulties. We are a called people!

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

Galatians 6:9-10

Eggs must be Cracked to Gain Value

Fried, scrambled or boiled eggs must be cracked open to have value to us. Like an egg, the heat we face in life can have value for the kingdom. If we give our lives and every situation to God, those things that are meant to break us can produce value.

1 Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

A Bigger Man

My dad taught me that it takes a bigger man to walk away from a fight than to engage in a fight. As a grade schooler I learned the difficulty in walking away. My Heavenly Father tells us to fight for faith. Faith is not about our desires and wants, which most earthy fights are all about; but about eternal issues. We are in spiritual warfare and we are to make a stand in order that the Kingdom and our God will be glorified. Strive to be a bigger man for others to see Christ in you.

1 Timothy 6:12-16 (NIV)

12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you

14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

Wall Outlet

When we moved into our house, the garage had only one wall outlet. There was not enough power to run all the needs I had. My refrigerator to keep my Dr. Peppers was a must. The radio, the drill press, the saws, the battery charger, the soldiering iron, just to mention a few needs would have to share the remaining outlet. Then how about the air compressor and welder which needed more power? Needless to say, I had to run more power to make my garage sufficient.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

More Gifts

In Jesus Christ, we find more gifts than our hearts can ever imagine. Take time to share not only this truth, but the love of Christ with others.

For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body. Colossians 2:9

Rearview Mirror

There is an insurance company that has a commercial running that speaks to accidents that come when looking into the rearview mirror. To many times we are distracted by things that are in our rearview mirrors. We need to learn from the past, but live in the present and move toward the future.

Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)

13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Listening

God’s desire is to communicate with us. He is so creative that He comes to us in so many ways. Do we see Him and listen to Him? His desire is to use us right where we find ourselves.

Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV)

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

OSHA

Many times, we will get close to the edge of something high if there is a safety rail. This morning I saw construction worker hanging on the side of a section of a freeway overpass. He had the freedom to work because of his safety harness. OSHA was formed to make our world a safer place. As believers, we have the ultimate safety harness. Are we willing to go to the edge to do the work that God has called us?

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Express Gratitude

Have you heard the story of the married man whose wife asked why he never said that he loved her after they were married? His reply was that he told her that when they got married, why did he need to repeat himself? I hope you know that did not go well. As we approach Thanksgiving, I urge you not to just think about what you are thankful for, but to express it. Can you imagine if tomorrow we awoke to only having the things that we expressed gratitude for on the previous day?

Psalm 107:8 (NIV)

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

Luke 17:11-19 (NIV)

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance

13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

16 He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

A Little Pressure

When flying a small plane, one needs to keep a little right foot pressure on the rudder or the plane will go in circles. Constant pressure on the right rudder will allow the plane to maintain a straight course. If we don’t keep a guard on our actions, we will fall to sin.

Proverbs 16:17 (NIV)

17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.

God's tremendous attention to details

I believe until we grasp God's infinite attention and care for the small things, we won't really appreciate how much God cares for us. If God cares that much for the fifth sparrow, how much more does he care for you and me. See, if we don't learn to share God's attitudes, we won't understand God's attitude toward us as His children. Show people you care by listening to them.

Matthew 10:29-30 (NIV)

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.

30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Foundation

There has been and is a lot of road work in our area. It is interesting to me, to see how the different foundations are being prepared. Without a solid foundation, the new road would soon crumble under normal usage. Our roads see much more than normal usage with sand pits located all around our area.

Our lives have a lot of similarities to roads. Without a firm foundation, we will have problems that can cause damage or even destroy us.

Isaiah 28:16 (NIV)

16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

God's Route, Not Mine

I use Google Maps when driving in unfamiliar areas. A number of times Karen will challenge my route with Waze, the app she uses. There may be a number of ways to get to a particular destination. Traffic and construction play a part in how the various apps give directions. In our lives, there may be various items that we don’t discern when planning our route. It is best to follow God’s route for our lives even when we don’t understand.

Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

I-10 Closed at The San Jacinto Bridge

A few weeks ago, commuters found themselves in a dilemma. The only way they had ever gone to work was now not available for travel. Many tried various routes only to find that their normal commute was now taking at least two hours longer. I know of a number of people who just did not make the trip into work.

Jesus said that "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the only way to eternal life with the Father. One can spend all their time looking for another route, but there is not one. We as believers need to share the way with our friends before the way is no longer available to them.

John 14:6 (NIV)

6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Those People

The book of Jonah ends with a piercing question: “Should I not have concern for the great city … ?”

This is a question for all of us. We all know some of “those people”—people who have made a mess of their lives, people who don’t deserve God’s love. Should we not be concerned about them? Remember we once were “those” people.

“Should I not have concern for the great city … ?”

Jonah 4:11

18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20