Saturday, June 2, 2018

June 2

Jesus trained His disciples and sent them out on their own. Bible study is good for you, and it increases your faith and strengthens your character, but at some point it needs to be used to glorify God. All the knowledge you are getting shouldn’t go to the grave with you, it needs to be used. Every church has a few people who do all the work, that’s why you know who they are because they are used in every capacity. I’ll bet if you asked, you would find out that your services are needed and that you can put all the tools to work that you’ve learned through your diligent study. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us in His kingdom, and I’ll bet if all of us volunteered to help in our church, we would find that we may only need to jump in once or twice a month. To serve God is to serve in your church. I challenge each of you to ask God what He would have you do and then step outside your comfort zone and do it! Jesus sacrificed His life you, why not sacrifice a little time for Him.


And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Luke 10:2

Friday, June 1, 2018

June 1

On a little island in South Florida there are no streets, however, there is a path that runs the length of the island. It is there to help the utility company and other services reach the homeowners in need. The homeowners like to use it to explore and visit friends. This path cuts through private property. One homeowner decided to fence off his property which cuts off the path. Word spread through the power of Facebook, and the whole island was up in arms. Even though it was known to be true, some needed to see it for themselves to believe. Those same people had to turn around and go back home. Because of their unbelief, their path was cut off! Had they just believed the testimony of friends, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and could have chosen a different way to reach their destination. Take power out of the hands of Satan and believe what the Bible tells you. There is only one path to the Kingdom of Heaven and that is through Jesus! 


Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Thursday, May 31, 2018

May 31

When I look for treasures on the beach, seashells are the main thing I seek. However, many things wash up, like fishing gear, bobbers, lures, chunks of wood, seeds, sharks teeth, bones, and much more. I collect all of it! Some things are very old, like the sharks teeth - I know this because they are black; some of the shells are old because they are very white and considered fossilized. Other things like the bobbers and lures are brand new, the fisherman probably lost them just a few days before. When you read my post, you realize that I give you a mix. The stories I tell gives you a little old with the new. The old is the Bible verse and my story is a new way to look at it to help you understand how it fits into todays lifestyle. It makes you realize that even though the Bible is ancient, it is living and sharper than a double edged sword. Train your mind to begin seeing things through the lens of the Bible.


And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” Matthew 13:52

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

May 30

My hope was that being on the island during a storm would give me the first opportunity to gather the treasures left on the shore. So last night I went out during the first low tide we’ve had in nearly a week. It was dark and I was the only one out there with my little red headlamp scanning the shore. I made a beeline about a mile down to the place that will have shells if there are any to be found, and found nothing! I didn’t even get to see a turtle coming up to nest! It ended up that the only treasure I found was some alone time without human interference. With no one to distract me, my heart poured out to the Lord of how grateful I am for all He has done for me. I needed to be reset, and ready for the next challenge. Though I had set out to find gifts from the sea, I walked away with so much more, a treasure that can only be found by reaching out to the Father - peace, comfort, and a feeling of being loved.


“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

May 29

It’s day five of my beach vacation. Even though the weather has been less than perfect, I’ve still been able to get out on the beach and walk every day. There is something special about the place where the sand meets the sea. The gulf is full of living things that unless you explore, would never know they’re there. The same goes for spiritual beings, just because you can’t see them, doesn’t mean they are not there. Like the seashells that wash ashore is evidence of their existence, there is also evidence of spiritual existence. Like when someone shows up at just the right time to encourage you when you need it the most, or you hear the same message two or three times from different sources confirming that you’ve heard from God. Maybe something stopped you from going through the intersection just before a huge truck blew through the red light. Whether it’s the Holy Spirit or ministering angels, watch for the subtle clues and you will see that we are not alone.


Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. He’s 13:2

Monday, May 28, 2018

May 28

How many times have you wanted to speak your mind and then after doing so, regretted it? We all have moments like this, where we are bothered by something someone does or says and want to lash out and give them a piece of our mind. What good did it do? Most of the time we’ve just thrown fuel on the fire and brought more hardship upon ourselves. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! When Jesus said these words, He was talking to the Pharisees who had just said He was doing His miracles by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. He reminded them that a house divided cannot stand. Is your house divided? Are you divided within yourself? Do you say you love Jesus and then speak badly of someone? Immerse yourself in God’s word and follow the example that Jesus sets in order to change your heart, then maybe what comes out will reflect Jesus rather than Beelzebul!


Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. Matthew 12:25

Sunday, May 27, 2018

May 27

As the storms come in from the gulf, you get a mix of wind and rain, the sea is stirred causing the water to be rough, and the dark clouds are rushing by. By this you can see why the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind. You can’t see the wind, but you can feel and see the effects of it. The Holy Spirit is more like a breeze or a breath of air, not like a tropical storm. However, His movement can feel like you’ve been hit by the force of a hurricane because of the change that is brought about. A good comparison might be when you accepted Jesus as your Savior. Some had a quiet transformation like a breath of air, but others had an immediate life altering experience like a hurricane; both being life changing and transforming. Pay close attention to the things happening in your life, and don’t respond like it’s business as usual. The Holy Spirit is with you at all times and His work is a daily occurrence.


The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8