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Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I shared this morning that there are over 7,000 promises in the Bible. Promises from God to us that we can put our faith in. The promise above is probably my favorite. God is saying, “Trust me. Put all your eggs in this basket. You can’t do it on your own. You’re only human. You don’t have perfect knowledge. I do. Your own understanding is incomplete. If you will trust me in whatever you do, I will make the way for you.” What a promise! Honestly, does it get any better than that? How can you lose with a promise like that? Who wouldn’t want a promise like this?

Trust God. Stop carrying the burden of running your life. No matter how successful you think you’ve been based on your own understanding and effort, acknowledging God will only improve things.

Read God’s word. Discover His promises. Put faith in them. See how God transforms your life.

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.” Psalm 67:1-2

I like to think of myself as a fairly unselfish person. If I enjoy something I typically want to share it. For example, have you ever heard of the bag of chips called Munchies? I discovered them my junior year of college and I became addicted. It’s basically like Chex Mix on steroids. You’ve got doritos, cheetos, sun chips, and pretzels all in one bag!! I would seriously down whole bags of munchies on sitting. I loved them that much. So, naturally, I shared them with people. I told people about munchies. I let people try my munchies. I even used Munchies in sermons! I told people about them because I was passionate about them.

Our vision for The Bridge is to be an outwardly focused church. When we accept Christ’s plan for our life and become a Christian we don’t simply vaporize or beam up into heaven. We’re left here and Psalm 67 tells us why: to make God known among the nations! I love Munchies. They taste great, but how much greater is God! He is the creator of the universe! He’s the author of all things! He’s our Redeemer and our Friend! It should be our passion to share God with the nations.

This morning, reflect on two thoughts?
1. How can you share your passion for God with others today?
2. People don’t share about something they aren’t passionate about. Are you sharing? Is God worth enough to you to share?

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice…” 1 Peter 1:3-6a

Tito’s funeral really got me thinking on Wednesday. Typically, most funeral’s contain some sort of eulogy where some friend or family member talks about the deceased and shares stories they remember from their lives. Tito’s funeral was no exception. In this case, Pastor Greg spent several minutes sharing stories of his interactions with Tito, stories of his son Blake’s friendship with Tito, and stories that the family had shared about Tito. One of the funnier moments was the time that Tito asked Pastor Greg, “Does it hurt to have to preach so long?” Tito and his brother made me laugh pretty hard once too. I was in the habit of always asking them how to say English words in Spanish. One day I said, “Come se dice en espanol, ‘pastor?’” They gave me a puzzling look and said in plain English and Spanish, “pastor.”

But, back to the more “devotional” thought. The passage above from 1 Peter says, “Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In the original greek language, the word translated praise comes from the Greek word, “eulogetos,” which, of course, is where we get our English word, “eulogy.” To eulogize someone is to praise their life. Tito’s funeral was a great praise and celebration of his life. Like I said yesterday, I wish Tito could have been there to hear it (though I’m hoping that God allowed Tito to hear it from heaven!). My point it this – everyday, and particularly on Sundays at church, should be a eulogy. Each day should be a day for us to eulogy God the Father, Son and Spirit – to celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died. And rose again. Our worship services, in a sense, are weekly funerals for Jesus. They are a chance to eulogize our God and Savior. What would you say at Jesus’ funeral? How would you remember the life of Jesus? However you answer that question, take the opportunity today and tomorrow and then on Sunday to celebrate the life of Jesus. Worship him. Eulogize him. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…Thanks Tito.

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

Romans 16:1-16

Yesterday I went to the funeral of Tito Chavez. He was 14 years old. In eighth grade. Tito collapsed while playing with friends on Saturday, and emergency services were unable to revive him. The funeral was great celebration of Tito’s life and an outpouring of affection for him from so many who’s lives Tito had impacted. As I sat and listened to this celebration of his life, I so wished Tito could have been there to hear it. Tito brought a lot of joy to people. I can’t imagine that he had any enemies. But I wished he could hear how much people loved him and how people viewed his life. And in made me think, why do we have to wait for a funeral to celebrate someone’s life? And, of course, we don’t have to. Instead of waiting for a funeral, why not celebrate life today? Who’s life has touched you? Can you go to them today, or call them, or email them, to express your love and appreciation for the gift that their life has been to you??? The scripture link above takes you to Romans 16 where the apostle Paul took time to encourage and thank people in his letter. God has blessed us with a lot of great people who love us, model Christ to us, encourage us, etc. Let’s take some time to celebrate them in life. Thanks Tito.

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:8-10

A great theologian once said, “Attitude is everything.” Okay, actually, I believe Andre Aggasi use to say that in his Nikon camera commercials. But I think it’s a great principle. Make sure you read the Scripture above. It’s from the “Faith” chapter of the Bible. I’ve been thinking about a couple of different attitudes with which I can approach everyday – fear or faith. God called Abraham to do some pretty scary things. He wanted him to uproot his family and go somewhere – but didn’t tell him where. Abraham had a nice, settled, comfortable life. But he also believed God. He apparently believed that obeying (believing) God was greater than fearing what might happen if God didn’t come through on His promise.

Being a Christ-follower is a life of faith. I can wake up everyday and worry and fear about what is going to happen. I can fear about what it is going to cost me to follow after God – to go where he sends me. And, if you’ve lived that life of fear (I do occasionally), you know it is no fun. Fear is crippling. Or, we can embrace faith. We can believe God when He says something. Faith is freeing. It’s positive. It’s uplifting. We can get out of bed and face the day head on. We can say, “God has promised. He is going to take care of me. I reject fear and embrace faith.” And then, we jump into the day with hope and a desire to see what God is going to do.

If fear is crippling you, take a step of faith. Look at what God has promised you in His Word. Believe it. Embrace it. Free yourself!

See ya tomorrow.

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46

I could be totally wrong here. I’ve just been thinking about the verse above the last couple of days. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. Not just any treasure. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure no one has ever seen or heard of. It is a treasure beyond our wildest imagination. It’s a treasure so valuable, you could never afford it. But there it is. You’ve found this treasure. No one else knows where it is or how to find it. But, you’ve got to find a way to make it yours. You don’t possess it. But you know you’ve got to have it. What do you do? How can you obtain it? It’s nothing you could ever afford. But you would do anything for it. But would you? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to possess this treasure? Will you sell all you have? Will you sacrifice anything to obtain it? What will people think? What will they say when they see you abandoning everything else that once seemed so important? Is the treasure really worth that kind of sacrifice?

Yet how many of us have “sold all he had” to obtain treasure that wasn’t worth it? How many of us have sold our souls for treasure that hasn’t lasted? We’ve sold out to the idea that a relationship will satisfy our souls. We’ve sold out to the idea that wealth will satisfy our souls. We’ve sold out to the idea that some measure of hedonism will satisfy our souls. We’ve put all our eggs in one of these baskets. We’ve sold out. But, we won’t sell out for the one treasure of treasures that will truly satisfy.

Am I making any sense? The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. It’s a renewed relationship with God. It’s a fresh start. It’s a new life. It’s a life worth living. It’s a life worth selling everything we have to possess.

Have you sold all you have to go and buy that field? Are you still willing to sacrifice any and everything to possess that field? I hope you will. It is absolutely worth it.

Good morning friends! I hope your week is off to a good start. There is no better way for us to begin each week then to connect with God and others through worship each Sunday morning. I love being in church every Sunday – whether I’m home or away. Anyway…

Let’s hopefully keep our lives moving in the right direction as we connect with the Lord each day by listening to Him through reading His word, talking to Him through prayer, and by being encouraged through our daily devotional.

Let’s pray – Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

“If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you can ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.” John 15:7

Yesterday, the message in church was about the 5 conditions for answered prayers. God gives us these principles that we can apply to our prayer lives to help us be more effective in our prayers.

The first of the five principles is “You must have an honest relationship with God.” Part of having an honest relationship with God is maintaining a constant connection with Him. The verse above speaks of “remaining” in Him, and His word (The Bible) remaining in us. In order to maintain our honest relationship with God, we have to have a regular intake of God’s word (translation – Bible study). In God’s word, we learn more about who God is and how we can honor Him with our lives. The more we know about God and how to live, the more effective our prayer lives will be. We will know how to pray better. I hope you have challenged yourself over this 30 or so day period to have a regular intake of Scripture. I’ve challenged you to read the New Testament through in these 30 days. If that’s too much, challenge yourself to amount of daily reading that you can manage. As you intake His word, pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, speak me.” Listen to God as you read His word! And then turn your heart to a time of connecting with God through prayer.

Good morning faithful devotional readers. Thanks for reading. God bless your time with Him today.

Lord Jesus Christ, speak to me.

“Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.” – Job 9:33 (KJV)
“If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both.” – Job 9:33 (NIV)

My favorite candy bar is probably a Twix. For me, there is just nothing better than that mixture of caramel and chocolate, with a little cookie added in. I don’t know where they got the name “twix,” but I’m glad they did. Because the word “twix” reminds me of a Scripture verse that I learned when I was in seminary. The verse above, in the King James Version, talks about a “betwixt” man and there is a great lesson to go with it. In context, the Biblical character, Job, is dealing with all the losses he has faced in his life, despite the fact that he was a fairly righteous man. He was suffering a great deal from grief and pain. On top of that, his friends were trying to console him but were basically accusing him of some act of sin for which God must surely be punishing him. Job knew his own heart, and apart from the fact that we are all “sinners,” Job knew his suffering was not normal. In his anguish and grief, he was crying out and longing for someone who could stand between he and God and argue his case. He longed for someone to come between them and close the gap between God and man. He wanted a “betwixt” man. Someone who could lay their hand on both them. Someone who could touch God, and touch man.

Job’s cry is our cry, and a foreshadowing of God’s response. Job saw his need for someone to come between he and God and set things right. We need someone who can come betwixt us and God, and set things right again. We can’t arbitrate for ourselves. If we do, we will lose. We need someone who can touch God and touch us. Someone to come between the two of us and bring us together again. Job saw the need. God saw the need. And He sent His only Son, Jesus, to be the betwixt man. He sent Jesus to be our arbitrator. Jesus stands between us and God and pleads our case based on His righteousness. Jesus died for the sins of the world so that He could stand between His Father and us and plead our case. He is our betwixt man. He is my ‘twix” man. Every time I eat a Twix I am reminded that Jesus died for me and stands between me and God. I hope you’ll be reminded each and every day, whether you eat a Twix or not, that God sent His Son to be your Twix Man.

Exodus 15:22-27 (New International Version)

“Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the LORD made a decree and a law for them, and there he tested them. He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.’
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.”

After the Israelites miraculously crossed the Red Sea, they were led into the desert. How strange that God would lead them from a place of revelation and power to a place of disappointment and dire need. But God wanted to show them that life is a combination of bitter and sweet, triumph and defeat. When the Israelites arrived at Marah, they complained because the water was bitter (Ex. 15:23). After Moses interceded (v.25), God reminded them to keep His commandments (v.26). Then He brought them to the abundance and refreshment of Elim (v.27).

The Lord wanted to teach them that each experience on their journey would reveal their hearts. This test showed they were living by sight and not by faith.
They also learned that God was involved in their daily affairs. He wanted them to know that He not only could part the sea, but He would also supply water for His people. He knew their needs because He planned their way. If you are being led into a wilderness of disappointment and bitterness right now, trust God, for He knows exactly where you are and what you need. As you obey His commands, He will lead you out of the desert and into a place of spiritual abundance, healing, and refreshment.

The Pursuit of Happyness

My wife and I went to the movies the other night and saw “The Pursuit of Happyness.” (If you have seen the movie you know why that is misspelled) It is a great story of a Father and his desire to make life better for his son. This true story is based on the life of Chris Gardner, a not so good salesman who makes it big as a stock broker. If you have not seen the movie, you should, it is well made and just may challenge you some too.

After watching the movie I started to think about myself and what it means to “Pursue Happiness.” As a Christ-follower we are not supposed to pursue happiness. We are supposed to pursue Joy. Happiness comes and goes. If I have a good day a work, I’m happy. If I get a hole in one, I’m happy. If I get to play with my son, I’m happy. But, if I am running late, I’m not happy. If I get a speeding ticket, I’m not happy. If I get beat by Mike or Matt in ping-pong, I’m not happy.

The problem with happiness is that it is based on what happens to us and often those are things that we cannot control. But Joy is different. James 1:2-4 say that we are to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” True Joy comes from God. True Joy will not disappear when we have a bad day.

I want to encourage you to find your Joy in God, don’t base it on what happens to you, base it what God has already done for you. That Joy is worth pursuing.