Well Built

"They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built"- Luke 6:48 (NIV).

Believers build their foundation on the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. That applies to every area of our lives that we build upon: relationships, activities, jobs, finances, and our health. Another way to say it: We are to be Christ-centered. That certainty is followed by this one: Floods will come. The Scripture doesn't say "if" a flood came, it says "when" a flood came. Floods can shake your entire world, but you will be sustained, unshaken, if your life is centered around the Rock. Building on Christ is not a passive activity. Notice the man dug down deep. Any scrupulous contractor will tell you that you have to dig down to the hard surface before laying the foundation. That hard surface, "rock," keeps the foundation in place. As believers, our digging is accomplished by prayerfully digging into the Word. Anything built on top of such will survive any flood that comes. Dig deep and be "well built" brothers and sisters.    

Branded

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ"- Colossians 2:8 (NIV). 

All Christians face deceptive worldly forces; especially students their freshman year of college. Some will falter, while some will fall. My freshman year battle was in my Philosophy class. Our professor attacked religions, especially Christianity. He had Christians raise their hands and then ask us how we could put our faith in a belief system that had no proof. As youngsters, we weren't as well-equipped to answer every question the professor threw at us, especially deep theological questions. He was adamant. Finally, unable to make us change our minds, he shook his chair, pointed at us, and called us monotheists. That's what he called us the remainder of the term. We were branded. There were even a few students who called us monotheists. We lost a few of the faith that term. These battles have been going on for generations and they're alive and well today. The tactics change, but the desired results are the same...to take you captive. The long thin fingers of worldly deception try to grasp you and pull you into the abyss. That is a place you don't want to be near, nor in, full of lost souls, who, if they aren't miserable now, will be later. If Christ is not at the center, flee. You may be a minority; you may be marginalized; but, you want to get used to wearing the brand. After all, we are promised to wear His brand one day: "They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads" (Revelation 22:4 ). Branded as His for eternal life.

Making Music

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms"- 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV).

Would a painter be happy if canvas and paint were denied him? Or a writer, refused the implements necessary to set his thoughts into written words? Will a musician remain satisfied with silence from his hands? My husband is a musician...a very talented musician...who has searched for years for a venue to serve the Lord. My husband's joy was, and still is, evident when he shares how God has removed the silence, replacing it with praise and worship, by opening a door where he can serve God through using his gift of playing music. God gives gifts to be used in His service and He puts the drive, the yearning, into the hearts of the recipients of those gifts. Their joy is found in using those God-given gifts to serve the Lord. Maybe the gift is teaching, or preaching, or caring for those who are weak, but we all have gifts. Remember the parable of the talents? Found in Matthew 25:14-30: The master left three of his stewards with talents; one with five, one with two, and the last with one. The first two used their talents in service to their master. The last buried his and it was not used. The master was angry with him; calling him a wicked, lazy steward (v 26). As believers, we are called to serve, and God gives us the gift(s) we need to do so. Then, instead of being called wicked and lazy, we will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness!" (v 23). Oh what joy in sharing in our Master's happiness!

Fully Armored

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"- John 14:27 (NIV).

Our great-niece says she was anxious throughout her pregnancy and, now that her daughter has been born, she has a whole new set of worries. She says one worry stops and another worry replaces it. You and I both know God doesn't want us to worry. There are so many Scriptures about anxiety and worry. Believers know the solution: Trust God. When a person learns to trust God they experience peace; and peace is freeing. Surrendering all our concerns, releasing them into His arms, is the key. One woman spoke of writing down all her anxious thoughts on a piece of paper, then she got down on her knees and prayed each one into God's hands; then she ceremonially burned the paper. Writing them down was clever, but prayer was the foundation of her being able to release them. If you remember, Jesus prayed three times asking God to take the cup from Him. Many think Jesus was asking God to keep Him from the cross, so He wouldn't have to suffer. Maybe Jesus was asking His Father to remove His anxiety. We will all have times of extreme circumstances, but it's how we handle them that sets us apart from nonbelievers. I pray the Father removes my anxieties and gives me the peace and freedom that follows. Then, like a fully armored warrior, I'm ready to face whatever held me fearful. 

The Glory is His

"Not to us, Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness"- Psalm 115:1 (NIV).

God deserves all glory and praise, but the devil tries to steal it away. There's been a couple of instances lately, where people had the opportunity to give glory, that I'd like to share. Christian Bale, who won a Golden Globe Award for his performance in "Vice," thanked Satan for helping him prepare for the part. (There's irony in that actor's name.) That was actually part of his acceptance speech. Mercy! However, if your a Clemson fan, you're celebrating heartily this morning. They won the national championship 44-16 over Alabama. Lots of happy fans were celebrating into the night. Even now, there's a group of fans huddled in the office kitchen talking about the game. The point I want to make...other than the South has risen again!...is in regards to the comments following the game by Dabo Swinney. He always, always, gives all the credit to God. What a wonderful platform to reach so many people and God has certainly blessed him in his career. Another one: I had a tweet this morning, that a man who was brain dead, revived and left the hospital a healthy man. His children were making the decision to remove all life support when he recovered miraculously. The daughter's comment was, "I don't want to make this into a big religious thing." In all fairness, knowing the media the way I do, she may have been misquoted. Regardless, my brothers and sisters, God deserves all the glory, all the praise, because of who He is. I'm preaching to the choir :). I'd like to hear more Christians, especially on social media, giving God the glory, because of His love and faithfulness.