Thursday, February 15, 2018

Thoughts: Florida School Shooting

For Christians, this shooting is not another time for you to get hyped up on the gun control debate, this is not about politics. Let the politicians do what they do, Christians, this is a TRAGIC and SAD reminder of where we have once again failed. 

In the lives of young people like Nikolas Cruz, described as a weird, creepy, a loner, once again, where was the church, where were we? He was a troubled kid, his adoptive father had died, single adoptive mother left two raise him, expelled from school, on his own, and where is the church, where are those who are showing him and his family Love, Compassion, Service, Forgiveness, Prayer, Gentleness, Commitment, Patience, Guidance, Humility, where has the church been all this time? 

If we want to get hyped up about something as believers, let's get hyped up about answering our calling to go to the outcasts, the samaritans, the loners, the people that NOBODY else is reaching. You want to make a difference? Start in your own community and allow God to utilize you and have an impact on someone in a dark place, someone struggling with great hurt and pain, be a friend to somebody that has nobody and watch what the Lord will do in that person as well as you. 

If you think I sound stupid or passive, look up the name Nicky Cruz (similar, but not the shooter in Florida,) he was the leader of a New York City gang, he slapped David Wilkerson in the face on more than one occasion when he told him about Jesus, ultimately through the dedication and compassion of Wilkerson, Cruz came to know the Lord, attended Bible College, became an evangelist, converted gang members to Christ, served as the Director of Teen Challenge and continues to reach thousands of people for Christ! Do not discount the impact you can have on a life, get hyped about reaching those who others consider unreachable. 

“Then he said to his disciples, “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.” 
- Matthew 9:37-38

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Blessings After the Struggle

I know each of us go through difficult and trying times, tragedy, frustration, anger, confusion and much more, these circumstances though should not get us down, cling to these verses from Romans 5

“3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
-Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

He's Been God A Long Time

Did you know that God has been God a lot longer than we’ve been “know it alls” - sometimes I forget that He really does know it all, and that there isn’t a place I’m headed that he isn’t already there waiting on me. Trust the Lord with each and every decision in your life and He will take care of it and you. 

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- Revelation 1:8 (NIV)