The joy of watching something grow is not appreciated by many people. You are not likely to see lines of people outside the botanical gardens waiting to see flowers bloom or grass grow.
Most people associate waiting with boredom and inconvenience, there are even socially acceptable amounts of time to wait for people, depending on the situation.
As a very young boy I spent countless days with my Grandfather in a small backyard in Elmhurst, NY tending to a garden of Green and Red Peppers, Eggplant and Tomatoes. My Grandfather was Sicilian, raised during the depression by very strict parents, he had a difficult life. Nothing was given to him, what he had he earned, one way or another. The garden was a bit of a sanctuary for him, a place to relax and laugh.
It was not till I was much older that I realized how special my relationship with my Grandfather was.
In that small garden, all I ever wanted to do was what my Grandfather was doing. He would tell me not to touch the plants, but I would see him snipping and staking and I would try to help. I thought he was growing tomatoes, I realize now he was growing a grandson. I thought he was tending to the plants, but he was tending to the delicate task of raising a grandson.
My grandfather was a regular guy, but in that regular guy I saw God for the first time. I saw patience and I experienced the love of a Father.
You are God to someone in your world.
You have a divine purpose.
If you have any doubt about how God sees you, read the first chapter of Ephesians.
The most important job on the planet is not being the President, a CEO of a large company or even a King.
The most important job is being a parent.
To take the responsibility for the life of another is an awesome thing and the most honorable.
Look around your world and see all the broken lives; you can make a difference in someone’s life. Maybe it is your Son or Daughter or maybe a complete stranger.
Grow something.
Have an awesome weekend!!
Steve
Friday, November 16, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Hidden Treasure
Have you ever noticed that following God is not at all what it first appears to be? Walking with God is not the kind of thing a sprinter would find appealing, although at first it seems like a sprint is all that is required to keep up with God.
Walking with God is more like training for a triathlon. (It should be called training with God)
It is an undertaking that few would ever enter into if they knew beforehand all that would be required of them in order to reach the finish line.
Training for a triathlon is grueling and you never really feel like you're ready. If you do feel like you are ready then for sure you are not! Running, Swimming and Biking at this level of intensity is something that could consume every moment of your life. Pushing your body to the point of exhaustion, not to mention the time away from your family.
Walking with God is much the same. You can never find enough time to pray, fasting is no fun and there is always something else you could be doing. Our focus MUST be on the prize at all times. If we doubt the success of our race we will fail!
During a triathlon, water stations are set up along the race route, and along our walk with God there are strategically positioned treasures. The difference here is these treasures are hidden from us, they're for us to discover as we travel with God.
Our relationship with God and our current posture towards Him at certain times in our life will cause us to Dig for these treasures. It is most likely that you will find the greatest treasures in places you thought you had looked before, and usually in places you would rather not be digging, Today, this time, you are looking for a different reason.
In most cases, it is a trial that gets us to dig deeper and with a greater passion. We arrive at a point where we no longer care about what others think; we don’t care how we look digging up our front yard. Our focus is completely on finding what God has prepared for us to discover.
Stress, Pain, Anguish and complete loss of self, are all positions that few people ever want to experience and yet, they are the very places where ordinary men and women of God grow into extraordinary, powerful, faith filled disciples of God.
A place where our understanding of who God is grows to a new level.
Who we are in God becomes clearer.
The plans of God are revealed,
Revelation is birthed.
Most importantly it is where we discover how awesome Our God truly is!
It is in our darkest days that Gods light shines its brightest, we just have to have our eyes open to see Him.
Matthew 13:43-45 (NIV)
43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
Pace yourself for the long race and finish strong with your eyes fixed on the Prize.
Friday, November 2, 2007
You are Special
Have you ever noticed that all the mentally imbalanced individuals populating the mental health institutions throughout the world think they are God or the devil, some say they have super powers. Some of these poor folks think they can fly or have superman like strength. None ever think they are the Milkman or the Garbage man or how about a Farmer?
It seems interesting that Jesus calls the people that make up the church, “a body”. He said some are like Ears some are like Eyes, some like Arms, Legs or Feet, and He goes on to explain how important each part is, and how vital it is that all the parts do their part. Jesus explained how all the parts need each other and that no one part is more important than any other
Everyone who will read this has had some point in their life when they have wished to be someone else, or at least possess what someone else had. We see others in a way that is different from the way we see ourselves. We look at others and we ask God why others have what we want. Instead we need to ask God to show us all that He has given us. If we spend all our time looking at others how can we ever see ourselves for who we really are?
If you ask the people you admire, how they do the things that you admire them for, most of them will not think much of the things they do well.
God is an amazing God, always creating new things. Power beyond our comprehension, Omnipresent and Omnipotent, The Beginning and the End! The list goes on, so is it safe to say that He knows what he is doing and that He doesn’t make mistakes.
The Bible says God breathe life into us; we are not some cosmic accident.
You and I are created with purpose, a very special purpose. We have been given a task and who we are is the perfect match for what God expects of us. No one else can do what you do the way you do it, you are special and unique.
Ephesians 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
You are an awesome creation of the most Incredible God.
This weekend call a friend and ask them what you do best, and what makes you special. I am sure you will be surprised by all the nice things people will have to say. Perhaps God will use some of your friends and family to open your eyes to His blessing in your life.
Have a great week and I’ll see you soon.
Be Blessed,
Steve
It seems interesting that Jesus calls the people that make up the church, “a body”. He said some are like Ears some are like Eyes, some like Arms, Legs or Feet, and He goes on to explain how important each part is, and how vital it is that all the parts do their part. Jesus explained how all the parts need each other and that no one part is more important than any other
Everyone who will read this has had some point in their life when they have wished to be someone else, or at least possess what someone else had. We see others in a way that is different from the way we see ourselves. We look at others and we ask God why others have what we want. Instead we need to ask God to show us all that He has given us. If we spend all our time looking at others how can we ever see ourselves for who we really are?
If you ask the people you admire, how they do the things that you admire them for, most of them will not think much of the things they do well.
God is an amazing God, always creating new things. Power beyond our comprehension, Omnipresent and Omnipotent, The Beginning and the End! The list goes on, so is it safe to say that He knows what he is doing and that He doesn’t make mistakes.
The Bible says God breathe life into us; we are not some cosmic accident.
You and I are created with purpose, a very special purpose. We have been given a task and who we are is the perfect match for what God expects of us. No one else can do what you do the way you do it, you are special and unique.
Ephesians 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
You are an awesome creation of the most Incredible God.
This weekend call a friend and ask them what you do best, and what makes you special. I am sure you will be surprised by all the nice things people will have to say. Perhaps God will use some of your friends and family to open your eyes to His blessing in your life.
Have a great week and I’ll see you soon.
Be Blessed,
Steve
Monday, October 22, 2007
Keys
Have you ever forgotten your keys?
You’re on your way home or to your car and you have a strange feeling. A little voice inside your head says something like; “Hey are you missing something?” You don’t want to hear this thought so you ignore it and hope it goes away. Moments later you arrive home or to your car and you are left standing outside unable to enter. That feeling was right, you forgot your keys.
Funny though, you are not suddenly without your keys, you have been without them all day long. However, you are suddenly aware of your loss and the consequence of that loss is now very apparent.
This is the same with our relationship with God. There are Keys to our relationship with God. Keys that open doors to our understanding of our purpose in God and the development of our relationship to Him.
The best part of these Keys is they will work for ANYONE who takes a hold of them, and uses them. So, if you are Super Mega-Church Pastor, or you just heard the name Jesus for the first time today, these Keys will work for you if you apply them.
Four Simple Keys:
1) Prayer – You must Pray to God. It is our life line to God. The Bible tells us that God's people will know Him by His voice. How can we know Gods voice if we don't talk to Him on a regular basis.
How often should you pray? It doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes or 1 hour, it makes no difference. This is a matter of quality over quantity. Pray from your heart, not with your mouth and you will be amazed by the result. Heaven will open over your life and God will step right into your life.
2) Word – Read your Bible, it is your user manual for life. The Bible is alive and active. The bible is spiritual food, feed on it daily and you will grow strong in your understanding of God and yourself. Read it, it's all good.
3) Faith – Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it’s impossible to please God.
Faith is spiritual exercise. Our bodies need to exercise if we want them to grow and perform at their greatest potential. Spiritually, we are confronted with challenges that seem impossible. If we exercise our faith it will grow. As we pray and move in obedience to the will of God our Faith grows, our revelation of the Greatness of God increases and gives birth to a greater Faith.
Our greatest challenge will be to get our heads out of the way to Believe God for bigger and better things.
Even with the smallest faith you can change the world.
4) Focus – This is a vital Key that magnifies the other keys. Focus is like a magnifing glass, it makes small things look bigger. If you use a magnifing glass to focus the power of the sun you can start a fire. If you focus your life on Praying, Reading the Word and Building Faith you will set the World on Fire!
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Four simple Keys, each open a new door in your Life long adventure of walking with God. Together these four keys can transport you to an amazing place with God.
Get your keys out! Get ready to enter into a new place in God.
Have an awesome week and I'll see you next week.
You’re on your way home or to your car and you have a strange feeling. A little voice inside your head says something like; “Hey are you missing something?” You don’t want to hear this thought so you ignore it and hope it goes away. Moments later you arrive home or to your car and you are left standing outside unable to enter. That feeling was right, you forgot your keys.
Funny though, you are not suddenly without your keys, you have been without them all day long. However, you are suddenly aware of your loss and the consequence of that loss is now very apparent.
This is the same with our relationship with God. There are Keys to our relationship with God. Keys that open doors to our understanding of our purpose in God and the development of our relationship to Him.
The best part of these Keys is they will work for ANYONE who takes a hold of them, and uses them. So, if you are Super Mega-Church Pastor, or you just heard the name Jesus for the first time today, these Keys will work for you if you apply them.
Four Simple Keys:
1) Prayer – You must Pray to God. It is our life line to God. The Bible tells us that God's people will know Him by His voice. How can we know Gods voice if we don't talk to Him on a regular basis.
How often should you pray? It doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes or 1 hour, it makes no difference. This is a matter of quality over quantity. Pray from your heart, not with your mouth and you will be amazed by the result. Heaven will open over your life and God will step right into your life.
2) Word – Read your Bible, it is your user manual for life. The Bible is alive and active. The bible is spiritual food, feed on it daily and you will grow strong in your understanding of God and yourself. Read it, it's all good.
3) Faith – Hebrews 11:6 Without faith it’s impossible to please God.
Faith is spiritual exercise. Our bodies need to exercise if we want them to grow and perform at their greatest potential. Spiritually, we are confronted with challenges that seem impossible. If we exercise our faith it will grow. As we pray and move in obedience to the will of God our Faith grows, our revelation of the Greatness of God increases and gives birth to a greater Faith.
Our greatest challenge will be to get our heads out of the way to Believe God for bigger and better things.
Even with the smallest faith you can change the world.
4) Focus – This is a vital Key that magnifies the other keys. Focus is like a magnifing glass, it makes small things look bigger. If you use a magnifing glass to focus the power of the sun you can start a fire. If you focus your life on Praying, Reading the Word and Building Faith you will set the World on Fire!
Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Four simple Keys, each open a new door in your Life long adventure of walking with God. Together these four keys can transport you to an amazing place with God.
Get your keys out! Get ready to enter into a new place in God.
Have an awesome week and I'll see you next week.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Who are you?
WHO ARE YOU? IT IS A SIMPLE ENOUGH QUESTION.
Can you answer the question in one paragraph, how about one sentence?
It sounds like a simple question, but the fact is that everyday it becomes more of a mystery to the world around us.
Most folks when asked this question respond by telling you what they do for employment. Ex. I'm a Chef, a Realtor, a Banker, a Welder, others explain their role in the family, I'm a Dad, Mom, Grand Father...
Think for a second about the general message our society is broadcasting to us and our children.
In short the message is," Money can solve all your problems. "
OK , I know you're thinking about alot of other things you or your kids hear and see on TV and in the movies, but I am talking about the bottom line.
For example you may hear "You need to look a certain way", it's OK if you don't look that way, you can buy those clothes, that look or the Dentist can give you those white teeth and you can buy that cool new car or that big house.
Here is the interesting part, their is nothing wrong with money. Money is a form of currency, it could be gold or sugar or oil, just about anything people put a value on.
The problem is people are creating their self image and basing their self worth on how much money they have and that is a serious problem.
Money becomes the most important thing in their life, it becomes the answer to all their problems and in effect takes the place of God.
God needs to be the most important person in your life and your relationship with Him needs to be the most important relationship in your life. You should be looking to God for all your answers.
If you are the leader of your family, you need to shut off CNN and the TV and the computer and you need to hear from God.
Even more important then your relationship with your wife or husband and children. God should always be in between you and everything else.
God must be first!
Psalm 119: vs. 105 says "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
If we walk in the dark on a narrow path and we have our light behind us we are going to stumble and trip up and fall, because we will not see what is right in front of us, never mind what is coming at us from a distance.
Create a Spiritual Mirror to see yourself in.
A spiritual mirror is like an X-Ray, it sees through all the stuff on the outside and looks into your life, into your spirit to see what is going on, on the inside.
Proverbs 29:18a " Where there is no vision, the people perish";
We need to see the plans that God has for us. This should be our Vision.
God wants to bless your life. He wants you to prosper and succeed. He wants you to know how much He loves you. He wants you to know how awesome you are and all the wonders He has planned for your life. See your life through Gods eyes and you will see the power of God alive and working in your life. Then when you are asked , who are you? You can answer with confidence,
Can you answer the question in one paragraph, how about one sentence?
It sounds like a simple question, but the fact is that everyday it becomes more of a mystery to the world around us.
Most folks when asked this question respond by telling you what they do for employment. Ex. I'm a Chef, a Realtor, a Banker, a Welder, others explain their role in the family, I'm a Dad, Mom, Grand Father...
Think for a second about the general message our society is broadcasting to us and our children.
In short the message is," Money can solve all your problems. "
OK , I know you're thinking about alot of other things you or your kids hear and see on TV and in the movies, but I am talking about the bottom line.
For example you may hear "You need to look a certain way", it's OK if you don't look that way, you can buy those clothes, that look or the Dentist can give you those white teeth and you can buy that cool new car or that big house.
Here is the interesting part, their is nothing wrong with money. Money is a form of currency, it could be gold or sugar or oil, just about anything people put a value on.
The problem is people are creating their self image and basing their self worth on how much money they have and that is a serious problem.
Money becomes the most important thing in their life, it becomes the answer to all their problems and in effect takes the place of God.
God needs to be the most important person in your life and your relationship with Him needs to be the most important relationship in your life. You should be looking to God for all your answers.
If you are the leader of your family, you need to shut off CNN and the TV and the computer and you need to hear from God.
Even more important then your relationship with your wife or husband and children. God should always be in between you and everything else.
God must be first!
Psalm 119: vs. 105 says "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
If we walk in the dark on a narrow path and we have our light behind us we are going to stumble and trip up and fall, because we will not see what is right in front of us, never mind what is coming at us from a distance.
Create a Spiritual Mirror to see yourself in.
A spiritual mirror is like an X-Ray, it sees through all the stuff on the outside and looks into your life, into your spirit to see what is going on, on the inside.
Proverbs 29:18a " Where there is no vision, the people perish";
We need to see the plans that God has for us. This should be our Vision.
God wants to bless your life. He wants you to prosper and succeed. He wants you to know how much He loves you. He wants you to know how awesome you are and all the wonders He has planned for your life. See your life through Gods eyes and you will see the power of God alive and working in your life. Then when you are asked , who are you? You can answer with confidence,
"I am a child of God!"
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