Category Archives: God

bible, Blogroll, Discipleship, faith, God, grace, Growing, journey, scripture

Why Your Bible Matters!

I think a lot about the Scriptures and what they say. I learned about the Scripture when I was just a little boy attending Mrs. Dora Williams’ Sunday School Class at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamston, South Caroline. She taught me the stories of the Bible and even helped me learn my first Bible Verse: “Jesus Wept!”

Most folks now a days, know just about enough Scripture to be dangerous. Some people think that the Scriptures is a bunch of rules, do’s and don’ts designed to keep us from enjoying ourselves here on this earth, but that is very far from the truth.

The Scriptures are actually designed by God to help us have the very best and most blessed life here upon this earth. The key is reading them, understanding them, applying them and living them. The more we do this, the better we get and the more real and powerful the Christian life becomes.

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. -James 2:15-17

The reality is that talk is cheap. Most anyone can learn to talk a good game, but very few actually take the time to learn how to live it according to God’s Word. If God’s Word says do it, then we should do it. If God’s Word says not to do it, then we shouldn’t do it. When we mess it up, and we will mess it up, we should admit it, learn from it and grow on. To deny it or ignore it is to rob ourself of the growth opportunity it presents us.

The Scripture reminds us over and over again that God our Creator is interested in much more than lip service. He is looking for life submission and surrender to Him and His will, with the promise that His blessings will flow as we grow to become all He has called, created and gifted us to be.

Take some time to read the Word and also to live the Word, you will be glad you did!

Blogroll, Expectation, God, Gratitude, Growing, Personal, positive, Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Is Just Around The Corner!

I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner. You know that time when once a year we are supposed to focus on being thankful for our many blessing, while stuffing ourselves with turkey, dressing and all the fixings. I try my best to express my thankfulness everyday, because I really do believe that everyday is a gift. I call it practicing gratitude, because I believe to get good at something, we must continually practice.

I’ve discovered that living a life of thanksgiving seems to open the door for me to experience the fullness of life. I honestly cannot think of anything I need and I am even more hard pressed to come up with something I want. I’ve learned through my thankfulness to accept things as they are, to embrace chaos as a friend and this has moved me out of an almost continual state of confusion into a place of crystal clear clarity that allows me to learn from my past, while living in the blessing of today and looking forward to whatever tomorrow chooses to bring my way.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Living a life of thanksgiving is spiritual work. It is not always easy and it requires us to take our eyes off of self, so that we can see all around us at how the hand of God is moving and working on our behalf. Being thankful is a natural part of life, it’s the way we were supposed to do it, before we were corrupted by the world and the selfishness of our flesh.

Take a moment after you read this blog to think about at least three things that you are thankful for. Write them down and tape that note where you will see it multiple times through out the day. Also post your three things on social media to encourage others to think about what they are thankful for and you might just be surprised at how it makes a difference in someone else’s day and life too.

affirmation, Blogroll, Control, Enlightenment, God, Growing, Healing, paradoxical

Paradoxical Unity!

Some say that to appreciate someone or something as beautiful, then someone or something else must be identified as ugly. This also works in the reverse: To see something as ugly, then we must identify something else as beautiful. This comparison is based on duality of two or more things being opposite from one another and one being better or worse than the other.

We practice the idea of duality in all of our life and living. There is living and dying. Dying is what makes living so precious, while dying makes us think twice about wasting our living. Other examples include fat and skinny, short and tall, love and hate, male and female, young and old, up and down, black and white, good and evil. You get the idea, right?

The world we live in has trained us to judge everything in the realm of duality, but what if instead, we viewed it all as a big part of the Master Plan? The real problem with duality is that it requires us to make a judgment and it is usually the judgment that messes us up, breaks our relationships and moves us away from the life of blessing we were created for.

We like to say: “Well everyone is entitled to their opinion!” Really – who says? Why do we have to have an option? Why do we feel so compelled to make a judgment? While there is clearly duality in the things we have mentioned, it’s not the duality we need to concern ourselves with. We need instead to be looking for the unity, because in the unity is where we find freedom, purpose and peace.

Life and death are different, but the same. Good and evil are judgments, but one cannot be made without the other, so both are necessary. You are a paradox in unity yourself, because you are human, but spiritual at the same time, meaning that part of you has limits and another part of you is unlimited.

You are not any one thing, instead you are billions of pieces, a mixture of divinity and humanity, spirit and flesh, heaven and earth. You are powerful and powerless, so what’s your choice? How will you live? You can live as a jumbled up mixture of criticism, emotions and judgment or you can live a blessed, fulfilled and inspirational life that goes with the flow of the One who brought you to the dance…