Tuesday... We don't always get it on our own.

Tuesday... We don't always get it on our own. It seems we need help.

Over in chapter 1 in the book of Acts of the Apostles in verse 6 (NLT) it says, "So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?'" And so many of us still haven't got what Jesus taught. Here these Apostles had spent three years with Jesus, they had heard what he taught, they saw him die on a cross and be resurrected from the grave and they were now with him just before he was going to ascend to heaven and they still thought that he was going to physically free Israel and set up a kingdom with him at the head. And still many of us think that is why he came.

But Jesus didn't condemn them. He told them in verse 8 that he was sending them a helper who was going to change them and use them to extend what Jesus had come to do which was to restore his kingdom in people. Here is what he said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Sumaria, and to the ends of the earth."

This does not come through political leaders but through individuals who are filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus came to not change nations but individuals and to use them to change the world. Yes, we need his Spirit to show the way that God has for us. We need his help.

Now right after this, verse 9 says, "After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no long see him."

And as we read the book of the Acts of the Apostles we see that they finally got the message right. And they started sharing the message of Jesus and of how he makes a total difference in and through us. Yes, we need help, we need his Spirit in us to really change the world one individual at at time. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo...

Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do

Psalm 8:3-4 (NLT), "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers - the moon and the stars you set in place - what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" Friday... Yes, we need them. We really do. No, not the fact that I can go out my front door and look out at night at the marvels of the sky. I can do that and it is amazing and it takes my breath away each time I see it. Yes, that is a fact but the reality of who did that and the wisdom and the faith that I have to believe that and to marvel that the one who did that cares about me makes such a difference in how I live my life. Yes, God really does. That is so wonderful for us to believe. And that is why faith and wisdom are so important. Now whatever belief you have at how that marvel happened must also be believed through faith. And the sad thing to me is that more and more people have been taught that there is no God and therefore he did not have a h...

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together!

Monday... Three ifs and two thens. They go together! They really do. And this is what caught my attention this morning as I was reading Proverbs 2. Verse 1 (NRSVUE) says, "My child, if you accept my words and treasure my commands within you." Verse 3 (NIV), "Indeed i f you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, Verse 4, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, Verse 5, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." And verses 9-11, " Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." There will always be some effort we must do, some ifs for the thens to be realized in our lives. So many of us want to understand without the ifs. But the thens are so worth, so very worth the effort. Verses 5-6 in the Ampli...

Todays Beginning

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