God Can't Love Me

Romans 5:9-11

I have heard this phrase "God can't love me." way to many times. Many youth say it as well as adults. For some reason they believe that they are to far 'gone' for God to love them. They have sinned to much or have done way to much wrong. I mean, they know what's in their heart and the corruption within; consequently, with justification, they believe God and his love is not an option for them. Its time for me to be blunt on this, this is a complete lie.

God loves you so much, but instead of just saying that, I can prove it to you logically. Everyone (though few as it may be) who reads this, knows that Jesus came and died on this earth for us. This gives us the opportunity and ability to connect with God on a personal level. This sacrifice was made to give us a clean slate. Thus, all of our wrongs and mishaps have been wiped clean. Jesus did this when we were at our worst. He died for us when we could of cared less about him. He died for us while we were rebellious in our heart and doing whatever our flesh desired. He died for us at OUR WORST. Jesus knows how bad you are and that darkness that lies within. He knew it all along and he is beckoning you to come and embrace him and his love forever.

We as Christians are considered his adopted children (Gal 4:5-6). Adopted parents love their children just  like their own. They accept their flaws and work with them through their problems. My challenge to you today is stop going around sulking and complaining about how your not good enough or how you can't be loved. It is time for you to embrace this gift that was put in front of you.

Its time for you to recognize your son ship. 

Why do Bad things Happen

This question is probably one of the oldest challenges to religion. It used to scare and intimidate me; however, I have grown to almost enjoy answering this question. It is a question that springs up all throughout the Bible as well. It entails the questioning of why suffering, death, murder, rape, and all the other evil things in our world occur.

I'm going to take you back to the time of the Judges of Israel. This is before King David, King Saul, Jesus, and even Jerusalem. The people of Israel were just beginning to put their roots in the promised land. However, there was a problem; the Israelites used to be faithful and follow only one God, but this all began to change. They started following numerous other gods like Baal and Molech. They forgot how their God delivered them from Egypt and their other enemies. Pretty soon, Israel started to get attacked and the country was constantly under siege. In one point of history, they were hiding in caves and farming in the dark because when ever they had a harvest, their enemies would kill them and steal all of it. Consequently, poverty and sickness ran rampant in the Israelite camp. The people were hurting so bad that God decided to step in…

This is when he approaches a man Named Gideon. When Gideon found out who it was (after this angel figure told him) the first question he asked was "If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracles and wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The Fact is, God has nothing to do with us…"

This is a great question that people have. You might have this question as well. If God is so great and mighty why does all this suffering happen around us? I mean where is he when kids are dying and people are starving? To the people with this question, I hate to say it but you might not get the response your looking for. Gideon didn't. Gideon did not get an apology or even a good reason. On the contrary God told him an answer that he was probally not expecting to hear. God told him that He(Gideon) was going to fix things. God was going to give him the power to change the fate of the world.

That leaves us with this final point. God doesn't have to explain himself away. Yes there is suffering, hurting, death, poverty, pain, sickness, etc. Yes children die of starvation and malnutrition almost every minute. There are young girls that are sold into sex slaves. Asking about what  is God doing is the wrong question. You should ask about what YOU are doing. We are God's hands and feet. HE uses us to spread his love an joy. Our purpose is meant to stop all this suffering and heart ache. The real question then is this "Are you doing anything about all this evil in the world?"

My challenge is to find a cause on your heart and fight for it. Gideon's heart was for his people that were suffering. He changed all that. What is the thing that you see that needs to be changed. Stop sitting around and do something. God has given you the power and ability to do just that.

Lol I did not realize how long this devotion was. I hope you got through it all and it  challenged you. All this comes from mostly Judges chapter 6

Who would you serve?

Mathew 4:1-11

I find it interesting that Jesus was offered the kingdoms of the world and he denied them. We question many times if Jesus really struggled with the same things we did. Did he struggle with lust, envy, pride, etc? I would have to say yes. Here we see Jesus looking out at the kingdoms of the world and having an opportunity to have it all. It wasn't just the kingdoms, but everything in them. It was the money, fame, power, wealth, women, etc. It was everything that this world has to offer; this was Jesus' real temptation. What was his response? "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

I must admit, if I was proposed that offer, I don't know if I would have the same response. The reason I say this is because I struggle with this same temptation but on a much smaller scale. I struggle with wanting the new gadget, car, or even video game. In other words, I really do wrestle with desiring the pleasures of this world and what they bring.  Sometimes my thoughts become consumed with them; consequently, I don't even think about God or who he is. So, it is honestly hard for me to imagine being in Jesus' shoes and giving the same answer as him.

My challenge to you this morning is more of a question. Looking at this story and this temptation, what would you say? Would you say that you need to to serve God only or would you jump at the opportunity to have it all. I just want you to check your heart and be honest with yourself. If you do this, then whatever answer you have will empower you with the ability to work on yourself. All I ask is to be honest with your self.

The Worthless Servant

  Mathew 25:14-30

Have you ever been called worthless or useless? Has someone ever told you that you were good for nothing in this world? Comments like that hurt and can bring a person down to a major low in life. Now imagine if God was to tell you that? Imagine seeing God face to face, this all powerful and absolute being tell you that you were a wicked and worthless servant. Now talk about demeaning. This type of comment would be a major blow to someone's self esteem.  

In Mathew 25:14-30 Jesus tells a parable about 3 people getting a measure of money (called a talent) from their boss. Now the amount given is not important, but the importance lies in what the people did with the money. Two of these individuals took the money and invested it. It was a risky task but it paid off because they doubled the money for their boss. The other individual was full of fear for doing something wrong, instead of investing the money he hid it to keep it safe. The reason why he was afraid was because his boss was known to be a hard person. He didn't want to screw anything up. So long story short, when the boss called the three people back he was pleased with the first two people who invested and made a profit. He actually rewarded them for what they did; however, the last individual was not as lucky. He was punished because he did absolutely nothing with what he was given. He was called wicked and lazy; as a result the boss fired him. Can you see the picture that I'm beginning to draw? 

In this specific parable Jesus was not talking about mere money. He was trying to teach us a lesson. What was that lesson? It was that God gives us these abilities or "talents". Everyone has them; some are teachers, comedians, cooks, etc. Everyone is good at something and this is what God gives us. GOd does not want us to do nothing with these gifts. He doesn't want to sit around and waste them by either not using them, or by applying them for our own selfish needs. On the contrary, there is a purpose for our gifts and talents: it is to further the kingdom of God. It is to help people and empower them to either seek God out or realize that he is there. Talents like laughter can literally save a person's life. One smile can convince a person thinking of suicided that there is more meaning to life. It can help them see the significance or even the value of their own existence. Sometimes we fall into the character of the third man in the parable. We get scared and fearful that if we put ourselves out there and use our talents for GOd we will mess up and ruin everything. Other times we are just scared to even try. Its not wrong to be afraid, but it Is wrong to let that fear control us. If we fall into this, we end up wasting our lives and doing nothing productive for it. We have gifts for a reason: gifts are meant to give to others. Now imagine God saying to you 'You are wicked and lazy because you wasted what I gave you'. That is something no one wants to hear. 

On the other hand, if we do use our gifts for God, we take a risk that tends to work out. No where in this parable does anyone try and fail. They always try and succeed. The two individuals doubled their earnings and they were given more as a reward. Likewise, when we give our talents to God and use them he blesses us immensely. I think of one girl in particular who has a great personality and heart. Her talent is making little pens and art products. She is also a good sales person. She is using these gifts to sell little products so she can build a well in Haiti. While in the process of doing this, she was contacted by other organizations that will double the money she makes.  

Using your talents is risky and fearful, but God is not going to leave you hanging. He is going to help you and while you are doing it, he is going to blow you away with how he is going to multiply it. 

So the question remains, will you be the wicked and lazy servant or will you be the individual who does something with his/her life?

Tired of reading my thoughts?

Challenge for today: Don't read what I have to say. Pick up your Bible and read on your own. Gather your own thoughts on some Scripture and write them down. Pray and ask God for guidance; see where he will bring you. God will interact with your heart and if you are seeking him, he will reveal something pretty cool to you. 

Good Luck 

Time to Check your Reasons

“For I have told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (Philippians 2:18)

            Today, I want to challenge you to look at yourself. I want to put your intentions and motivations under the microscope. Why are you a Christian or why do you hold fast to any particular belief. For the Christian, what is your reason for carrying that identity? Some might say that they are a Christian because Jesus changed them. Others might reply that they have purpose or meaning. My challenge to you is a tough one to comprehend. Do you follow Jesus to serve him or do you follow Jesus in order to please the Almighty God of your Stomach? Is your faith in Christ about getting what pleases you or is it about giving it all for Jesus? Is it about getting peace and happiness for your life or is it about pleasing God and giving him the glory? In layman terms, are you a Christian for your own selfish desires?

            This is a tough question to contemplate.  This applies to all religions and faiths. Sometimes we are so enraptured and entangled in religious jargon (teachings and traditions) that we don’t see the real reason we believe. For many people are caught in the same trap as the Pharisees found themselves in. They were religious not for the glory of God but for the glory of themselves.  It is a trap that many do not even realize they are in. I became a Christian in order to save myself  from hell and destruction. Almost every aspect of my salvation stemmed from a selfishness; however, almost immediately after, I realized that it was not about me. My purpose became God. I just want to love him and others. I want to better the world and change it.

            So I ask again, are you a believer for your own betterment or is there something more? What is your motivation? Check yourself today and see what is revealed.

Kick it into Gear

“ In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you have received from us.”     – 2 Thessalonians 2:16

            Have you ever seen a car in idle? Japanese sports cars tend to sound high pitched while American muscle cars have this roar like noise to them. Some of these cars can get so loud that you can almost feel the power and speed they have. The vibrations of their rumbles can almost pierce the body. However, the thing about being in idle is that it’s just noise. You don’t see the speed or the power, you just hear it. There is no movement in an idle vehicle. An individual can have the fastest race car in the world, but if it stays in idle it is useless in a race or even in getting to places. In order to be useful the car needs to kick it into gear. Are you an individual that is sitting idle?

            In this verse Paul has a pretty intense command. He tells the Thessalonian church to stay away from idle people. If you substitute the word idle with the term lazy, then you have the concept of this verse down. I have been serving in church for a long time and I see many people fall into this idle category. I am not excluded from this group. In idle they will praise God and tell everyone how they want to change the world. They are going to feed the hungry, be bold among the world, and even grow spiritually; however, like the idle car, they make just a bunch of noise. The idle person doesn’t do anything; he just spews out empty words that carry no weight. He is virtually useless. Paul tells us to avoid these people. Are you one of these idle people?

            Today I want to challenge you to kick it into gear. Instead of sitting around all day being lazy, do something. Back up your talk and be a doer; put your words into actions. You might sing about giving your all to God, or you might pray how you want to be a world changer. It’s time today to stop revving your engine and kick it into gear. Stop being useless and let’s get this done. God speed!

p.s. God speed means good luck…. lol