– Scripture:

“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.

                                Matthew 5:33–37 MSG

– Reflection:

                 Empty Promises

When speaking in the neighborhood with others and friends, it makes sense to try and embellish a little on what you did on your high school team or even at another level of sport now that you are done. Time seems to have a way of making something we did long ago that was small, making it sound huge. In our walk with Christ, though, when we tell someone that we will pray for them, take the time right at that moment to do just that. When I first started my walk, we had Life Groups at our Church that happened through our weeks throughout the year. Each Life Group leader I have had in my Men’s group has stated that if you don’t have the time, don’t say anything; that is better than giving out an Empty Promise. People who truly believe will be hoping for what you stated and will get nothing because you were only trying to be nice. The Kingdom is nothing to play loosely with. 

Where do we go from here?

Honor your word; make happen what you speak. If I tell someone I am praying for them, I will, at that moment, type up something in a note or a text and send it to them. I am working on the piece where I just ask them over while out and pray with them in the parking lot. My spirit isn’t there yet. Remember, small steps will eventually turn into big steps. I hope this helps each one of you who read this small reflection of the words I read in the Bible and how I commit them to use in my day. It is a blessing to give out a piece of what GOD has placed in my heart to share with everyone.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for the many blessings you have given us and the acceptance of the many that are to come. Help us to wish all the moms that this makes it to a Happy Mother’s Day. Thank you for honoring us with your presence in our lives, and allowing us to follow your lead as we lead others. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

 – Scripture:

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

                         Matthew 5:13–16 MSG 

 – Reflection:

             Salt and Light

The passage above talks about being salty and light. What I get from that is that we need to be who we were created to be and stop trying to follow others who don’t or haven’t accepted what God placed in them. We must honor the spaces we are allowed to be in while walking with Christ. Be the people we are called to be; that’s it. Whenever we try to be anything else, we mess it up. I tried to be a cool guy instead of who I am, but it didn’t work. I tried to be a workaholic, but that, too, failed. Now I am being who I am destined to be and it fits me perfectly. I love my family, my work, and my community; the salt is back, and my light is shining bright. Let yours shine as soon as you get your assignment from Jesus. It is important, as believers, that we take these assignments seriously. Everyone may not, but for those of us who do, watch how your life changes.

Where do we go from here?

Find the space where you can gain community with Jesus. It may be on the car ride home, it could be on a walk around the neighborhood, wherever it is find it. He is waiting to hear from all of us each and every day.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for the spaces you operate in to have conversations, show visions, and speak to our hearts. It is in these moments that we are able to gain focus on the work we are to do in our communities, families, and our homes. It is a blessing to be able to honor you daily, Jesus. Amen.

– Scripture:

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
14–16  “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

                          Matthew 5:13–16 (MSG): 13

– Reflection:

              Light It Up Right Where You Are

The strongest evidence that we are where God wants us in our jobs, careers, and cities is simply that we’re there. God knows where we are. He sees us. He is with us. There is a plan. King David sang to God, “in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them”. So, where we are right now is no accident. And until further notice, which may come, we’ve got to assume that where we are is where he wants us to be for specific reasons, for his specific purposes.

Where do we go from here?

Jesus tells us not to hide the light that radiates from us when we follow him: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Our lights dim, however, when we get too comfortable with the cultures of the places where we find ourselves in our jobs, in our careers, and our cities. We must, therefore, resist adoption, whether conscious or subconscious, of the prevailing beliefs, codes, or values of those places. We follow Christ. We believe him. That’s our code. Our values are his values.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank You for not creating me to hide my sins and weaknesses from You. Thank You that we can come to You and unload all the condemnation, fear, and feelings of unworthiness. We believe You have washed away our sins and poured out Your goodness upon us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

– Scripture:

Three days later, there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.” Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.” She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim. “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did. When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!” This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.

                          John 2:1–12 MSG

Key Verse – She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

– Reflection:

              From Water To Wine

There have been several situations in my life where something was happening that needed my immediate attention. It wasn’t life or death or anything like that, but we were in a heightened situation, and something had to happen in order for us to come out on top. I have played a lot of basketball in my life, and in some of those moments, you have to be able to string together enough people to get the win or at least compete. In game and in life you have to know how to string together a moment to get it done. What I found interesting was that Mary was the one stringing things together. When she notices the lack of wine, she brings it to Jesus’ attention. Despite him trying to refuse her with an attitude that it’s not his problem, Mary instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus says. Jesus then gives instructions, and the servants carry them out. The resulting wine is even better than what was served at the beginning of the event. Mary can identify what needs to be done, set people up to do it, and then step aside to allow Jesus to lead. Her faith in Jesus is already on display!

Where do we go from here?

I wonder how we can meaningfully invite Jesus into our lives. How might we recognize when the Spirit is stirring around us? How can we participate in God’s story? I always say start small. If you have read any of these devotionals or reflective words I have up to this point, starting small is important. Trying to do something big without truly understanding what the ask is will cause you to stop or even fail, and no one wants to fail in God’s eyes.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for the moments of life when we can get something done because you said it could be done. We didn’t rest on our own thoughts or skills; it was us listening to what you said to our hearts that made that happen. Jesus, thank you for being the sacrifice for us and taking all our sin onto yourself. Thank you for all the grace and mercy of each day. Amen.

There are a lot of smooth-talking charlatans loose in the world who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ was truly human, a flesh-and-blood human being. Give them their true title: Deceiver! Antichrist! And be very careful around them so you don’t lose out on what we’ve worked so diligently in together; I want you to get every reward you have coming to you. Anyone who gets so progressive in his thinking that he walks out on the teaching of Christ, walks out on God. But whoever stays with the teaching, stays faithful to both the Father and the Son.
If anyone shows up who doesn’t hold to this teaching, don’t invite him in and give him the run of the place. That would just give him a platform to perpetuate his evil ways, making you his partner. I have a lot more things to tell you, but I’d rather not use paper and ink. I hope to be there soon in person and have a heart-to-heart talk. That will be far more satisfying to both you and me. Everyone here in your sister congregation sends greetings.

                            2 John 7–13 MSG

– Reflection:

              Don’t Walk Out on God

I was reading the bible this morning and found this entire passage about not walking out on GOD. It fits so well with where we are today in this world. We have adults allowing children the option to mangle themselves, we have men who want to be women, women who want to be me, and then there is the homosexual landscape. Everyone deserves to be loved in the truest capacity. I mean everyone, we are not judges or juries for how the world operates but don’t expect us all to walk toward something that hasn’t ever made sense to the father and son. They are the creators of this world, and we are the ones who are supposed to leave it better than we found it. I, as the writer of this content, do not know all there is to know about internal character or identity and don’t ever want to be an expert on something like that, but I do empathize with anyone who feels they are different than what they are created to be. Now, the groups that were started for the people of this community were private and almost hidden. You wouldn’t know about it if you weren’t a part of it. Now, the mainstream is pushing it hard. There are commercials, there are shows, there are movies, in the same vein as everything else. When this started a few years ago, I think it was a decision in this country to bring this to light by others externally, including the people who are living this lifestyle. No other country is as far into the lives of others as we are in the United States of America. To be this forward-thinking, the people making the decisions here in the U.S. have decided to walk away from GOD. This is my opinion and no one else’s.

Where do we go from here?

We must continue to follow GOD with the work he has given us. Each of us has something we are supposed to be doing, none of the work any of us should be doing for Christ includes hate, because GOD is love period. Hate is the opposite of that; we have to stand strong for our beliefs and what has stood the test of time till now. I am sure there have been campaigns in biblical times similar to the ones we are all facing now, but they no longer exist today. Let GOD do GOD things, and we will just work on the messages that have been placed in us since birth by him. My platform is small, and that is ok, but others have bigger platforms but are not doing the work that they know has been placed on their hearts. The world so far in my short time here on the planet, has been winning, the opposition has many different talents. There is money, which is at the top because of how things are right now, which works on so many levels. Then there are the secret perversion areas that are working behind the scenes, that want no light shed on it but are structuring many of the deals for solid people. The selling of souls is real people, not just something written about in the bible. Stay on the well-lit path and shine light into those dark corners to expose it for what it is. Let’s make this world better for our kids.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for having our backs while the world suffers; we know that you will show up in a big way for everyone who believes in you. We hope for this world that they turn to you for help, and that you bring them into the light with us. Thank you father. Amen.