APRIL 14, 2017

“In the thoughtlessness of my incessant hurry, I have made God an ‘addendum in’ my life verses the ‘agenda of’ my life. And what I need to hurry up and realize is that with these priorities positioned as such, what I am hurrying to is my own demise.” 
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

1 SAMUEL 15-16

7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lordlooks at the heart.”(16:7)

LUKE 14:25-35

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

JOURNAL 

Again God looks at the heart. God considers the motives, not the outward appearance or performance. Ultimately actions will follow pure motives and as Jesus says you will know a person by their fruit ( by the actions and the results of those actions ). 

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

as much as in obeying the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

1 SAMUEL 15: 22

APRIL 13, 2017

“It is not blindly pushing your own agenda that will enrich the world. It’s is your ability and willingness to understand, appreciate, anticipate, address, serve and support the lives of others that will.” 
― Rasheed Ogunlaru

1 SAMUEL 13-14

    8Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”(13:8-14)

LUKE 14:1-24

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

JOURNAL 

Saul's faith was not in God. Saul's faith was in what he could control. This is the reason he is cursed and punished. God had in mind David...because of David's heart. 

Jesus addresses this when he warns the people to count the cost of being a disciple. His question here is "where is your heart and what is your true devotion".  To truly function at our best we must be fully surrendered to God, realizing that in doing so our agenda and objectives will be altered. Our natural agendas and objectives will be for immediate gratification and self-preservation. Pursuing these in and of themselves will pull us away from God, counting the cost realizes that what may "feel" right, might not be following God, and rather what "feels wrong" may actually be "right".

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2

APRIL 9-10, 2017

“In between yesterday's regret and tomorrow's dream is today's opportunity. Seize the chance!” 
― Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha, Overcoming the Challenges of Life

1 SAMUEL 1-6

6“The Lord brings death and makes alive;

he brings down to the grave and raises up.

7The Lord sends poverty and wealth;

he humbles and he exalts.

8He raises the poor from the dust

and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

he seats them with princes

and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;

on them he has set the world.

9He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,

but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;

10those who oppose the Lord will be broken.

The Most High will thunder from heaven;

the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.(2:6-10)

LUKE 12

13Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

14Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

16And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

18“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’

20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

21“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

22Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^b ?26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

JOURNAL 

Yesterday was a great day. It was my birthday and I felt celebrated and loved. This morning I found out about the death of a freshman who played this fall with Graham at Pearl River. As I looked at his instagram page and saw the evidence of a life with all its blessings, opportunities, hopes and dreams...I was overcome with the reality that life in all its entirety is such a gift. The very breath I take this morning is a gift. The fact that I have an opportunity to live this day is an incredible blessing. 

Far too often I forget the blessings of today. Far too often I get hung up hoping and wishing for tomorrow. Days like today are reminders that life is brief, our time here is not guaranteed but it is such a gift. No matter the circumstances, it is a gift and one that should be cherished and lived with intention, passion and purpose. It really should be lived with the reality that it could be my last. 

That doesn't mean to live the day in reckless indulgence. It means to live the day knowing that today is a day that writes my eulogy. Today is a day that will define the effect of my life on others. I don't have the time to spend it wishing it were different. I will embrace it in joy as a precious gift and share that joy with others. To not do so is to waste a day, a moment, a gift, one that billions of people no longer have.

Father I pray that this thought is the most present in my heart and mind. I pray that all my actions are done in ways that honor you and the gift of life. I pray that you use my actions to bring encouragement, love and hope to a world that is starving for your grace and often is blinded by fear and anger. Thank you for today, Thank you for 46 amazing years on this earth. Thank you for all the blessings, the lessons, the triumphs, the heartaches, the relationships, the opportunities...all of it. 

33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,^g your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,^h your body also is full of darkness. 35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

LUKE 11:33-36

APRIL 8, 2017

“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

RUTH 1-4

16But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.(1:16-18)

LUKE 11:29-54

37When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. 38But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

39Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.

42“Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

43“Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.

44“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which people walk over without knowing it.”

45One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.

JOURNAL 

Ruth's dedication is sacrificial and life-giving. She stayed because of her oath and refused to take advantage of Naomi's release. Jesus is confronting the Pharisees because on the outside they look good and are respected yet their motivations are not out of love, their motivations are selfish.

God has given us a brain, a free will and an ability to choose our actions. How we respond in moments of choice is key to who we really honor and serve. If our actions are done out of love and obedience to God, then they will be giving and sacrificial. If not then they may have the appearance of being acceptable yet ultimately may be done out of a selfish and wicked motive.

33“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,^g your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,^h your body also is full of darkness. 35See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”

LUKE 11:33-36

APRIL 7, 2017

“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” 
― Émile Zola

JUDGES 20-21

25In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.(21:25)

LUKE 11:1-28

9“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

11“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^f a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

JOURNAL 

Again the stories in Judges are just bizarre. The Benjamites go to war after they rape and kill the wife of a Levite...all because the all the Israelite tribes wanted to discipline the men responsible. In the end thousands are killed on each side as well as all the Benjamite women. These are some of the stories in the Bible that are not talked about or preached about. They are disturbing and makes me wonder why...yet I go back to the fact that Israel was without a king and this was the result. 

The gift of God is the Holy Spirit...when we ask for things God will grant something greater than anything we ask and that is his presence within our heart and mind. 

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-6