Monthly Archives: June 2009

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Don’t Give Up!

During the past weekend I have been trying to update this blog!  I am trying to change the theme and I have to upload a file on-line and I am messing in an area that I have very little knowledge of.  I have read a lot about programming, file transfer protocol and I am – more lost now than when I started, but I will not give up, because I want to make this site better, so that it might be more of a blessing to more people!

While working on and through this challenge, I thought about how many times, so many of us give up and fail to follow through, when things get difficult!  Life is not easy and anything in life that is really worth anything is usually hard, but it is always worth the effort, if we will just follow through, stick with it and stay faithful!

Think for a moment about the calling that God has placed upon each of our lives!  Luke 4:18 puts it this way:  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

You don’t have to do this thing called life by yourself!  God is with you!  His Spirit is on you and in you!  You have His anointing and power flowing to and through your life so that you might preach the good news that there is hope and a future.  Our job is to proclaim that freedom is available for every man, woman, boy and girl – through a relationship with our amazing God, Who has an incredible plan for each of our lives.  Open your eyes and encourage others to open their eyes and see all that God has done, is doing and is going to do!

Don’t give up and don’t give in!  God has freedom and He wants this freedom to release you – so that you might tell everyone about the Lord’s favor and blessings!

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Tempted!

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Are you ever tempted?  That is really a crazy question, because the answer is obvious!  We are all tempted in many ways, on just about everyday of our lives!  

It starts in the morning when you need to get up and get going – you are tempted to just stay in the warm and cozy bed.  You get up and you are tempted to take shortcuts in getting ready, but your looks and smells are to important to mess that one up.  You are tempted to skip breakfast or to just grab a Snickers, instead of taking the time to eat something that is good for you.  When you get in your car, you are tempted to not wear you seat belt and you are tempted to speed to work, because you are running late!  (In fact – some of us have already given into a few at this point!)

When you get to work you are tempted to clean some body’s clock, because they looked at you funny or said the wrong thing!  You are tempted to get on Facebook and day dream a little, but there is just way to much to do.  You are tempted to really blow it at lunch, but you know – you won’t be fit for the afternoon if you really eat all of that food at the Chinese Buffet!  You are tempted to leave early – who would know and would that really be stealing?

When you get home you are tempted to crash on the couch with a glass of milk and eat all of the Oreo cookies!  You are tempted to watch a lot of different shows, but instead you give into the temptation to just flip from channel to channel to channel for over an hour.  You think:  Why did I just waste so much time watching a bunch of nothing?

Finally, tired of it all – you fall into bed and remember that you forgot to brush your teeth – you are tempted to say skip it, until you lean over to kiss your spouse and they say:  “No way Oreo breath!”  You fall a sleep and dream about temptation and actually wake up feeling guilty because you gave into the temptation in your dreams!

I hope you will join me this coming Sunday morning at Northwood as we learn from Jesus about how to face and overcome some of the more serious and threatening  temptations of life!  Hope to see ya Sunday at one of our two campuses!