Keep Focus on Eternal

  ²⁹"But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 

  ³⁰but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' 

  ³¹"And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 

  ³²'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'"

Luke 15:29-32

As children of God we can sometimes become weary.  We make sacrifices (nothing compared to Jesus) every single day.  We abstain from the world's ways and choose to follow Christ in our hearts and actions.  But sometimes our vision gets cloudy, like driving through fog on a cold San Fransisco morning.  No matter how true and present God is around us our circumstances become distractions.  We fail to see what's really there.  God's ways are always best no matter the temporary emotion or struggles.

I tend to lose focus on God sometimes.  I make my temporary situation influence my eternal decisions.  Knowing this I need to keep my guardrails up so that I know when I'm going off track.  Like doing my devotions, it's a great way to keep my heart tuned in to God's.  It also helps my mind refocus on my purpose on earth.  

Thank You Father God for creating all things to glorify Your mighty name.  Help me to endure all challenges and I pray this for Michelle as well.  Continue to build Your kingdom through Your beloved.  In the precious name of Christ Jesus I pray, Amen!

Sin Kills, Period

And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate?

"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

"Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem?

"I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Luke 13:2-5

No matter what the severity or impact, sin is sin; and the result is death. This death is the eternal separation from God, not the physical or 1st death of this world. But what happens in this fallen world is that we try to gauge the levels of sin trying to make one more sinful than the next. Yes, it's true that different sins affect those around us in different ways but going to the root of sin means a simple separation from God or not. Are we doing life God's way or not?

It makes me appreciate God's grace more and more as I think about this scripture. Everything I do naturally is sinful in a lot of ways because it pulls me away from God's will. What I think of throughout the course of the day, the things I surround myself with, and the company I keep sometimes aren't the most edifying. I even allow myself to believe certain things are good even when they're bad. I start believing the lies that if it ends in good then that justifies the means... never! I cannot fall into the trap of believing that something the devil made was intended for good. Yes, God can redeem it for His works but it was never designed to be second best.

Father God, thank You for being my constant companion and friend. You know me through and through and know my weaknesses. I choose to allow You to make this vessel strong to glorify Your kingdom! Help me be steady and faithful in everything I do for You today. In the amazing love that is Your name, Jesus! Amen!

Worrying Consumes

"And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?

"If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?

"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

"But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!

"And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying.

"For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things.

"But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

Luke 12:25-31

God knows and has rule over all created things. He knows where we put our keys and He knows what will happen in our futures. So life isn't meant to worry about the things we can't control, it's about stewarding the things we can. It's like that quote by Reinhold Niebuhr, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." God has so much in store for us but if we focus our attention to the wrong things we will never work on the things He set aside for us.

I keep going back to Sunday's lost keys episode. I think about all the time I spent looking for Keola's keys. I think about what I could've been doing at that time instead of worrying about them. Did I just walk past an opportunity to minister and to love on another? Did I miss quiet time with Jesus? Did my heart go into worship unprepared for battle? This message is so clear to me but so hard to practice. I worry. I don't want that to be me but that's what happens through my default. I need to practice how to be still before Him before I can walk and stand.

Father God, thank You for showing me about anxiety and how it can consume my mind instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell there. There's only one spot in my soul and if I allow the world to make home there I won't have space for You. Help me to deny my worldly desires and patters and be born anew, refreshed. Thank You for all Your wonderful blessings! In the beautiful name of Christ Jesus I pray, Amen!

Attitude

"The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

"Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.

"If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays."

Luke 11:34-36

This passage makes attitude almost seem like a choice. Choosing whether or not we look at things through God's lenses or the dirty ones from the world. Do we let God's opportunity in or the world's obstacles? What we allow to enrich or infect our heart becomes our Lord. The question is, do we allow Jesus to be Lord or a created, lesser thing?

I allow many things not Jesus to be my Lord. Yes, shamefully so. Every time I allow problems to get the best of me or step into a situation where I don't seek the comfort and counsel of God I set myself up for failure. I set myself up for the devil to use and lord over me. Whenever I allow anxiety to set in and control my actions, that is my lord. Whenever I miss opportunities to go by without loving as Jesus does I may my selfish motives my lord. I must place Jesus, My Lord, above all else. Only then will I truly be able to call Him my Lord.

Father God, my Lord, forgive me for putting much lesser things in Your place in my heart. I allow stuff to get in the way. Even yesterday when Keola lost his keys and then Jun and I were talking about the anxiety and how we don't rest peacefully because of our out motives and insecurities. God's in charge! I pray that I get to that place where everything I think, breathe and do reflects what You're doing in our lives. Help me to get there. Love You, Mighty God! In the matchless name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

Relationship in the Task

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.

She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;

but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

The world is full of distractions from our relationship with Christ. Even the most godly intentions can miss the point ever so slightly. Martha got caught up in the task of serving God while Mary focused on the relationship with God. Even though serving is great we cannot miss the point of God's message: relationship.

Being a "Martha" myself I cannot help but justify her point of view. No, I'm not saying Jesus was wrong here, oh no never! My thoughts are just that we need both types of people, the ones who will labor to get the job done and others who are more free flowing who go with the flow. Jesus mentions this indirectly as well. By spending time with God in relationship, serving will come naturally as Jesus Himself served. Even His greatest commandment to love God and love others reflected that all the laws and commandments come from those 2 commands. Same with serving; it'll come as we learn to love God.

I think about Martha and her mindset while she was serving. It wasn't even the serving part that she went off track, it was serving for the sake of task. I wonder if Martha paused and reflected, "wow, I have the Son of God, the Messiah, in my home! I wonder what kind of lessens He has, what kind of foods He likes, what's on His mind? What's heaven like?" I wonder if Martha even thought about those things. In service today when Keola lost his keys and Jun talked about how anxiety comes into play when we don't trust God. I loved that message but at the same time was a little discouraged because that thought wasn't in my mind. Why is that? Was I so caught up in task again that I forgot about God's teachings in every part of my life? Yes! I need to pray more to set the tone for my correct servant hood.

Thank You Jesus for being a constant reminder, not only through the written word but through Your people. Help me to grow in faith and train my mind to keep You at the most obvious place in all my tasks. Help me to never lose opportunities to serve You correctly! In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!