"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."
-- Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

These words of Jesus illustrate His infinite desire to be available for all who would open the door and receive Him. If you are lonely, or discouraged, or sad, or sick, or unhappy, or hungry, or angry, or grieving; no matter what, He stands behind the door waiting, and YOU have the key. Jesus desires to fellowship with all of us, yet many will not open the door to their hearts and let Him in. And great blessings are lost, not the least of which is eternal life in endless fellowship with God. The things of this life, including ALL that you are dealing with right now, are temporary and they pale in comparison to the hope of eternal life. Answering that knock gives you access to great promises like asking and receiving, seeking and finding, and knocking and having the doors opened. 

It is way too often that I have found that I, like most other humans, seem to have God living in an imaginary guest house out back rather than in my heart; where He rightfully belongs. Oh sure, I invite the Lord in to bless a few meals and to comfort me when I am sick, or tired, or troubled, or sad. But oft times, I find it easy to relegate Him back to a close but "safe" distance away (I'll call You when I need You Lord). After all, I might not want Him around when some of my friends visit (He is so conservative!). And He just doesn't understand how busy I am these days. You see I have all that work related stuff, plus the kids, the wife, the scheduling challenges, and the ever erratic and unpredictable "on the fly" taxi service! STOP the violence! If ever I could use God in my house(hold) and in my heart it is now and forevermore. Today, when I hear Him knock, I will choose door number 1!

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
-- Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)

Be encouraged, be hopeful, have a blessed day!

And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."
-- Luke 12:15 (NKJV)

I want to start this message by saying God wants us to live life abundantly, and for some that "includes" great material blessing. However, abundant living as defined by God is not measured in terms of dollars and cents. Solomon was the wealthiest person of his time, but it was his attitude towards and his stewardship of his wealth that brought glory to God and to the message of God's promises and truth. Though I do not consider myself to be "wealthy", my life has been richly blessed by God. It is my responsibility to manage all that God has given me for His good and His glory. Yet, it is such an easy trap to allow affluence to cloud ones priorities and to artificially inflate one's power to control their own destiny.

Jesus went on (from the scripture above) to tell the parable of the rich fool. A man so rich with so much who wanted so much more. The rich man became arrogant to the point of planning to build larger buildings to store all his wealth. But God was in control of his life and he would die that very night. As I see great material blessings on many today, two things sadden me greatly. First, many make much money and give a mere pittance to charity or to their church. According to the IRS, people in my income range gave AN AVERAGE of less than 2% of their income to charity in 2002. Secondly, many are obsessed with either spending foolishly for material possession or to sock away for their "future" retirement (the rich fool died). The point is this, if you are richly blessed of God, you should help the needy and then take and enjoy some of the blessing God has provided. If you glorify God through faithful giving, then it is okay to buy that new couch or take that nice vacation. May your life be richly blessed. 

But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
-- Luke 12:20-21(NKJV)

Be encouraged, be hopeful, have a blessed day!

"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials."
-- James 1:2 (NKJV)

When we are in the midst of storms in our lives (personal, physical, or spiritual), it is very difficult for most people to find joy. From a purely human perspective, it is counter intuitive. You see, we have this tendency to tie joy and happiness together, whereby, if we are not happy then we cannot have joy. The truth is that happiness and joy coexist rather nicely together, but one can still have joy absent of any happiness. Once this is understood, it is truly profound.

Our circumstances are what our circumstances are (peat and repeat)! Without exception, all of them WILL pass, and sometimes through death. And one need not be happy with one's circumstances to "count it all joy." For example, a believer who is dying of a painful terminal disease like cancer will certainly not be happy in the suffering, but can take GREAT joy in the promise of eternal life after death. Someone may not be happy struggling with a demanding job, but can take GREAT joy in the fact that they are employed. Someone may not be happy when faced with unexpected financial expenses, but can take GREAT joy in the fact that God will never leave them, nor forsake them. And you may not have a good hair day today, but you can take GREAT joy in the fact that you are alive and well!

Today, may you first find joy in WHATEVER trials you face, and secondly, know that "this too, shall pass!"

"...in everything give THANKS..."
-- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Be encouraged, be hopeful, have a blessed day!

"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered."
-- Proverbs 17:27 (NIV)

I am convinced about what the Scriptures say concerning the tongue. Truly a powerful and potentially destructive "little member". Words wrongly said are bad enough, but we hear so many intentionally evil things these days. And let us not forget the things that are said behind a person's back. Add a little sarcasm and proper inflection and we have the makings of an audible "scud" missile. And they rarely miss the target when inflicting damage. Throw in a little brilliant "spin" and deceit can master a multitude. You see dictators and the media have long ago learned the power of a "sound bite" as a means to influence the masses.

But the truth is, the wisest people spare their words while remaining calm in spirit. And if you never say anything mean, or disparaging, or evil, or unkind, or inconsiderate, or insensitive; then it cannot be used against you...ever! There is probably not a single person who hasn't wished they hadn't said something or another a time or two in their lives. The best advice (and it is oh so difficult to follow) is this: THINK before you speak and if you are compelled to intentionally lash out at or about somebody, then may God have mercy on you. Today may you seek to follow the age old adage which is this, "If you can't say something nice about someone, say nothing at all."

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."
-- Proverbs 17:28 (NIV)

Be encouraged, be hopeful, have a blessed day!