Offering...

Magnificent Holy Father

I stand in awe of all I see

Of all the things You have created

But still You choose to think of me

Who am I that You should suffer

Your very life to set me free

The only thing that I can give You

Is the life You gave to me

This is my offering, dear Lord

This is my offering to You, God

And I will give You my life

For it’s all I have to give

Because You gave Your life for me

I stand before You at this altar

So many have given You more

I may not have much I can offer

Yet what I have is truly Yours

This is my offering

I absolutely love this song. Maybe it's for personal reasons - as this song was played in our wedding baptism video or maybes its a perfect description of how I try to live everyday. Some days are harder than others and bog us down and it's hard to stand in our faith or rely on Him who gives us strength. It's those days that I am reminded that it's not always going to be roses and daisies but we still have to Praise Him who made us. We still have to give Him glory and remember the beautiful blessings that we have in our everyday lives. Tonight's post is short but sweet. I want you to ponder the words above. They are from a song titled Offering by Third Day.

I will give you MY life for it's all I have to give, Because YOU gave your life FOR ME.

Such power behind those words. Jesus laid Himself down to be beaten, torn, ripped apart, spit upon, screamed at, defiled in torment, hung from a cross, and stabbed and yet did it for love and KNOWINGLY did it.

THIS IS WHY I GIVE HIM MY LIFE - Its all I have to give - It is my offering.

Maybe you want to do the same thing - and if that's the case - feel free to comment or send me a message - and I will pray for you, with you, around you, and help you to Understand and Know Jesus. I don't have every answer but HE does - Let me pray with you!

The Bible says - "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:10)

So if you decide to come into the Kingdom - Know that He is throwing a party for you in heaven - Know that you are loved and celebrated no matter your answer!

Jesus loves you and So do I!

Proselytize Part 2

PROSELYTIZE means: Convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

So last night you read my post about how an atheist is basically calling us out as believers - and if you didn't catch it, here is the link to it... Proselytize Part 1, and I will share exactly what I am talking about. Penn Jillette says - "how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that..."

Such strong words from a Non believer and to use the word Hate. Do you hate your neighbor enough to not share the gospel of Jesus with them? Do you hate the person at the grocery store that you can't share the gospel of Jesus with them? Do you HATE anyone enough to not share the Gospel Of Jesus with them?

Let me put this into a different perspective for you...

Let's say that you were going to the mall and you had your Jesus T-shirt on and your key chain hanging out that said WWJD - and someone walked by and said to you...OH WOW...another Holy Roller...another Jesus Believer...THERE IS NO GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and starts to walk off......

And you said nothing and turned and walked away and carried on with what you were doing...and then it was time to go and as you walk outside the mall you see ambulances and cops everywhere. Curiosity grabs you by the heart...what if they didn't know Jesus. What if they went to hell today??? And as you walk by the ambulance you see them put the sheet over the head over the very person who told you inside.........
Question is answered right there....you know this person just went to hell....you HATED them enough to keep your Jesus breathmints in your pocket and not share HIM WHO SAVED YOU, with THIS person! 

This brings tears to my eyes...how many opportunities do we miss everyday to share the gospel....Francis Chan uses an amazing illustration using a rope....

IMAGINE with me that there is a rope that wraps around the world INFINITELY and never ends...and you have about four inches in your hands....Wrap some tape around that four inches and look at the rope...The four inches represents what you do here on earth and the rest of the rope is ETERNAL LIFE in Heaven. Everything you do in that four inches affects lives here for the ETERNITY of the rest of the rope...I hope this makes sense.

So tonight I leave you with one of my favorite groups of scriptures - Matthew 5: 43-48

 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

I love this group of scriptures as Jesus is specifically calling us out to LOVE OUR ENEMIES and Pray for those who persecute you. I challenge you to love someone who might seem unlovable...Remember the person from my story - who knows if you stopped and loved this person and showed them Jesus...you might have stopped the accident from happening and given him the second chance he needed!

Jesus loves you and so do I!!

Proselytize Part 1...

Today has just been a pretty good day of refreshing. I took the couple hours of kiddos napping and spent it listening to my wife read some devotionals and also we listened to some small sermon samples online from some of our favorites.

We saw some awesome videos from Matt Chandler and Francis Chan. We listened to a few worship tunes from David Crowder and Lacey Sturm, but tonight I just felt something hit me while watching another Matt Chandler sermon Jam.

Tonight as we got everyone settled, I knew that I needed to come up with a post tonight and wasn't really sure where to start.

A while back a friend sent me a video of Penn Jillette talking about a guy he met. Penn goes on to explain to the camera that he is an atheist in case we didn't know and then goes on bragging about this man he met. He tells all about how the man had talk to him and was Very Sincere in saying that he liked his show and how good this man was. He explains how the man was Sane and looked him in the eye when talking to him. He then explains that this man hands him a small pocket Gideon Bible that has the New Testament and Psalms. He is just blown away at how kind the man SINCERELY is to him and keeps talking about it.

He then goes on to later say "I don't respect people who DON'T Proselytize, I don't respect that at all, If you believe that there is a Heaven and a Hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think that, uh, well it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward, and atheist's that think that people shouldn't proselytize - just leave me alone, keep your religion to yourself....UH, How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize, how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that... i mean If I believe that without a shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe it and that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where i tackle you and this is MORE IMPORTANT than that...."

PROSELYTIZE means: Convert or attempt to convert (someone) from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

What Penn is saying here is very easy to understand. If you yourself believe that Jesus is real and there is a heaven and hell, why would you NOT share your Jesus with the world....Why would you not want to share his love with others. Why would you NOT want to save them and give them this gift. I want to elaborate a little more on Penn Jillette and how awesome of an individual he seems and how this man may have changed his outlook on some Christians...but that is for tomorrow night in part 2 of this series!

Jesus loves you and so do I!

Masterpiece...part 2...

This video is so amazing and gives us such an awesome description of God again. I love the video on the original post from the Skit Guys, but I have to say that this gives a beautiful look into God.

Allow yourself to look at the question being presented here as well...

Who is the Greatest Artist of All Time?

I have to step back and look at this question as well. Have you ever stopped to soak up the environment around us... Have you ever stopped to see what beauty is in the Mirror... Have you ever stopped to look at the beauty in the world... Have you ever stopped to look at the beauty in your children. Most of the answers to these questions will be yes. Of course we have stopped to look at our children and how beautiful they are... That is God's artwork. That right there, is His paint cues and canvas.

What about the fall season in Tennessee...If you haven't been to Tennessee during the fall, it's like God placed a little piece of heaven right there for us. The beautiful leaves and the many different colors you see just by walking outside every day in Tennessee.

So let's turn back to our original question...Who is the Greatest Artist of All time...

I love his description in this poem and how he shares how even the greatest artists of all time had to have someone behind the strings...Mozart...Age 5 writes his first composition... He brings up Beethoven and how he wrote music and was a master on the keys...I want to take this a step further...Did you know later in life he became deaf? There are so many beautiful artists in the world...for example...using music artists you can look at some of the greatest musicians of all time. The point with all of this is that God has them in His hands molding them into who He wants them to be.

So I ask you to look in the mirror....Go Ahead...Right now...look into the mirror and look at another masterpiece by God. One of His favorites. One that He says He knows the very hairs on your head...(Luke 12:7)...One that is not any less important than the rich or princes of this world...(Job 34:19)...and One who has a Future and a Hope...(Jeremiah 29:11)...and One who is Good and Perfect - (James 1:17)

Here is the biggest point in these small things I write...you are ALL HIS MASTERPIECE and HE LOVES YOU ALL THE SAME! He wants nothing but the best for you and wants you to enjoy His many blessings!

Again I Say....The enemy is a LIAR and you are GOD's CHOSEN MASTERPIECE!!!

So Who Is the Greatest Artist of all Time???

Withholding evidence...

Mark Twain states in his essay, "On the Decay of the Art of Living"

"Among other common lies, we have the silent lie -- the deception which one conveys by simply keeping still and concealing the truth. Many obstinate truth-mongers indulge in this dissipation, imagining that if they speak no lie, they lie not at all."

At the time of this quote he is actually sitting with a few people when a lady at the table and him start to have a discussion about how everyone is in fact a liar...

She goes on to say that he needs to stop because the children are present...so he does...and later they pick up the conversation and she states,  "I have made it the rule of my life to never tell a lie; and I have never departed from it in a single instance," and even again he calls her out....

Lets go back to the original quote that I used for this post. He is talking about how we tend to leave out the truth. How sometimes we deceive people around us by withholding the truth... Maybe it's something not so outrageous like neglecting to tell your wife what you were going to do, or something really serious like not telling her you lost your wedding ring. Feel free to insert your own stories here, but I truly believe we are becoming a society that tends to use the silent lie to our advantage. I am guilty to and I can attest that not only does it bring pain to a loved ones heart, but it also opens the door for distrust. 

We have to stop....we have to learn to be better than the enemy. We have to learn to step up and step out in ALL that we do. Even if you think someone is going to get angry and its not going to hurt anyone...its just one drink...or just one time...It opens the door for the enemy to move in and place a rift between you and whoever you neglected.

Let's take a look at some things in the Bible that can help us better understand where we should stand in this...

Judas Iscariot...the man who betrayed Jesus...withheld the truth from Him...Jesus said that someone would betray him (John 13:21) and Yet He didn't say a word...The silent lie....

Did you know that Jesus stated "I tell you the truth" About 25 times in the Bible...as he was sharing many truths that people didn't want to hear...

Man's wickedness can suppress the truth and result in incurring the wrath of God (Romans 1:18-19)


Truth goes hand in hand with "wisdom, discipline and understanding" (Proverbs 23:23).

You should always tell the truth in a loving way (Ephesians 4:15).

Truth has the power to set you free from the bondage of sin (John 8:31).

The Bible says that some people were lead astray from God as a result of others distorting the truth (Acts 20:30).

All of these scriptures have a big thing in common...the word Truth...and yet there are many more....

Truth (True) is defined as - Accurate or exact.

Lie is defined as - used with reference to a situation involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression.

I think we can all find that the silent lie is just as bad as the blatant lie. Here is one last thing...

If I went to court and and was trying someone for murder...and I Withheld Evidence...My entire case would lose its validity. I would lose the trial because of my unintended falsehood....what is the difference between this and our everyday lives. Lets step up and step out and be different yet again and look the enemy straight in the face...and LIE NO MORE...NO MORE WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE...put it all on the table and allow the truth to set us free! (John 8:32)

Masterpiece?

So if you have taken the time to watch this video, I am proud of you. This video is such a great example of how each of us might see ourselves. This video allows us to evaluate who we have become, as well.

What do I mean by any of this?

How many times have you just felt like a failure, depressed, lonely, or just plain down and out? How many times have you looked in the mirror and said who am I? Who is this person that is looking back at me...

How many times have you looked to the sky asking God, Why?

Or, Maybe you look to the sky and pray God....why can't I just die....Why can't I stop here...

Or maybe you don't believe in God... Maybe you don't believe in Jesus... Maybe you don't understand why someone would die for you - why someone would WILLINGLY give His life for you? Maybe your questions are a little deeper...SCIENCE says your not real...but HISTORY AND OTHER PARTS OF SCIENCE point to your son as real and you as well... I am confused God... I need answers God. He will give them to you - He will show you and teach you and Love you - NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE DONE....

Ephesians 2:10 says We are God's Masterpiece.

That is such a profound scripture - and very simple...We ARE His Masterpiece....

Masterpiece is defined as - a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship.

But why would God ever describe us as His masterpiece? Why would God describe us as an outstanding work of art....

Because He made you from Love... Because He doesn't make Junk.

Matthew 6:26 says - "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Jesus is saying right here - Look to the sky - the birds do nothing for themselves and yet God takes care of them - and are you not worth more than them...are you not His creation as well... Do you not do work for furthering His kingdom - so wouldn't God place you above the animals and His Love pour out for you!

Psalm 139:17-18 says: "How amazing are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you”

Let me explain this scripture. David is writing this and is explaining how much God thinks about each of us. How often God thinks about how much He loves EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. What I think is amazing is the fact that God thinks about us as much as what would outnumber the grains of sand...HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SANDBOX - OR TO THE BEACH - That is mind boggling...if you were to really think about it - one could honestly sum it up in two words - MIND BLOWN... 

Know this - You are NEVER unworthy of being accepted into the Kingdom of God, but you have to allow Him to be in control and give Him glory in all you do. You have to call on the name of Jesus and recognize that you have made mistakes - and that you are a sinner...but here is the cool part - HE WILL WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN!!! All your past mistakes will no longer be part of who you are...You will be FREE from the old you and start anew! You will be CHISELED back into the Original...Masterpiece....