My brother...

...acting like a nerd??? 

Let Your Light So Shine

My pastor recently started preaching a series on Sunday mornings called "For God's Glory,By God's Grace."

 The messages have been really good. One of the verses that he used has been continually brought back to my mind. 

Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works,and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

One of the points in the first sermon in this series was this:

The Glory of God Includes Perception 

What kind of perception are you giving people of God? Is it drawing others to Him? Is it turning others away? 

This really challenged me...my response to circumstances can affect people's view of my God. Like at work. Sometimes there are problems that come up at work that I have to deal with. it would be extremely easy for me to just get frustrated and complain about it,but lately I have been watching how I respond to situations like these. I am constantly reminded of Matthew 5:16. Would I be setting an example that would draw others to Christ if I got upset just like the rest of them? 

During his second message in this series he made this point :

Your Righteous Fruit Will Plant the Gospel Seed 

He said that your life should be lived in such a way that others see it and want the same thing!! So again I am challenged this week to always be consciously aware of what kind of representation of my God I am making. I must be glorifying God even when the less-than-perfect circumstances come up. 

There is a quote and it goes like this:

Be careful how you live,you will be the only Bible some people will ever read. 

How are you representing your Saviour? 

Can others see Jesus in you? 

Shattered

You know the best thing that could happenend in your life would be your loving Heavenly Father to delightfully shatter your world with the incredible delight of His presence,His love,and His plan. In that moment, whatever has your attention would instantly fade in comparison to the captivating wonder of His greatness.

I truly wish you would stand at His feet- eyes wide, jaw dropped- and stare in wonder at His overwhelming goodness. I wish you would sense His incomparable care and His undeniable infatuation with you. I wish you would see that you have "caught His eye"- that you have "captivated His attention." I wish you would spin around and be delightfully surprised by His wonder and majesty.

In that moment,you would most certainly reach out to Him in total trust and surrender. You would be absolutely taken hostage by His kindness and grace. You would reach up in childlike innocence and say "I yuv you!" One true glimpse would cause you to quickly leave your petty plans behind to follow this "tall,gentle, Father" anywhere He would lead you. Your whole world would melt into HIs perfect love and grace,your whole future would take on a sacred delight unlike anything you've ever experienced. 

Discover Your Destiny- by Cary Schmidt

page 259

I would esteem one soul gained for Heaven worth a life of suffering. -J.O. Sanders

There is no greater honor than to be the instrument in God's hand of leading one person out of the kingdom of Satan into the glorious light of the Heaven.

~D.L. Moody