O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am till with you.
Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
As awesome and amazing as that is. It scares me. I got to be honest, it truly scares me. I know each of us at some point in life has thought that someone else was being a snoop, or trying to spy on you and you didn't like it. Well... the God of the universe, the most mighty and terrific Being who has ever existed, or ever will exist is watching us every second of every day.
Lord, may Your ways be my ways, and Your thoughts, my thoughts. Bring me closer to You.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Giving?
Mark 12:41-44
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.
And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.
And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.
For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
Should I give all I have? Or should I save and use it when I need it? Does God really want me to give up everything? Or is He happy when I simply tithe? What IS giving?
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.
And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.
And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.
For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
Should I give all I have? Or should I save and use it when I need it? Does God really want me to give up everything? Or is He happy when I simply tithe? What IS giving?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
If Today Was Your Last Day...
(Actual Song) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maINUv2H8A0
Truly one of the best music videos out there.
Song Lyrics –
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, today was your last day?
Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life
And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?
And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?
I’m sure we have all heard the question, or been asked a question like this before. “If you had one week to live what would you do?”
“If you had one year to live what would you do?”
Or, like in the song, “If today was your last day... what would you do?”
So on the outset it may seem rather cliché to bring it up, however, I bring it up because it is cliché. In general I like to think outside the box, I like to do the same thing multiple times but with trying different ways of getting there. So when I thought of doing this song in a post, I thought, “It’s perfect”. Because we have all heard of the idea of what we’d do if it was our last day, we don’t THINK about it anymore. It is a cliché, we simply don’t care.
I don’t believe much analysis of the song is needed because is quite self-explanatory. Rather, I’d like to use these amazing lyrics as a starting point for this discussion, not really the discussion in this post, but the discussion in your mind. I don't have all the answers, but God does, Lord willing you will turn to Him.
Question, in history, who is your hero? George Washington? Louis Pasteur? Now, once you have him or her in your mind, think about their life. I can guarantee you that the person you are thinking of didn’t spend his life doing nothing and just died in the end. I’m positive that the person you are thinking of spent his life, maybe not all, but a good portion of it working to better something, save people, create something that was needed.
Now picture this, imagine if the entire world consisted of people like that. People who were willing to always help each other, always be there for each other, and always willing to step up to the plate. This of course is impossible, but it is a nice thought. My main point is this, the only way you truly can change the world, or change someone’s heart, is if you have God on your side, and if you are actually trying. Living as if today was your last day.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
God commands us to follow Him. We are to “take up His cross”. If you are already a believer than this really is the first step to being a disciple of Christ. We must follow Him without question, without wondering, simply do it.
Of course we all know that it simply isn’t easy to just live as if it was your last day. It’s one of those, “Easier said than done” examples. That doesn’t mean we can’t try though. Anyway, if you really think about it, if we started right now, at this very minute living like it was our last day, and kept trying, and continued living like it was our last day, and we didn’t die for say, 20 years? That’s roughly 7,300 days of us doing that. And chances are, at least for me, that I’ll live longer than that. But if I don’t, I think by that 7,300th day, I’d been doing it pretty close to right.
I hope this post has got you thinking, remember, what's the harm in trying?
Good luck, and God bless,
-Your brother in Christ
Truly one of the best music videos out there.
Song Lyrics –
My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, today was your last day?
Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life
And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?
If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?
And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?
I’m sure we have all heard the question, or been asked a question like this before. “If you had one week to live what would you do?”
“If you had one year to live what would you do?”
Or, like in the song, “If today was your last day... what would you do?”
So on the outset it may seem rather cliché to bring it up, however, I bring it up because it is cliché. In general I like to think outside the box, I like to do the same thing multiple times but with trying different ways of getting there. So when I thought of doing this song in a post, I thought, “It’s perfect”. Because we have all heard of the idea of what we’d do if it was our last day, we don’t THINK about it anymore. It is a cliché, we simply don’t care.
I don’t believe much analysis of the song is needed because is quite self-explanatory. Rather, I’d like to use these amazing lyrics as a starting point for this discussion, not really the discussion in this post, but the discussion in your mind. I don't have all the answers, but God does, Lord willing you will turn to Him.
Question, in history, who is your hero? George Washington? Louis Pasteur? Now, once you have him or her in your mind, think about their life. I can guarantee you that the person you are thinking of didn’t spend his life doing nothing and just died in the end. I’m positive that the person you are thinking of spent his life, maybe not all, but a good portion of it working to better something, save people, create something that was needed.
Now picture this, imagine if the entire world consisted of people like that. People who were willing to always help each other, always be there for each other, and always willing to step up to the plate. This of course is impossible, but it is a nice thought. My main point is this, the only way you truly can change the world, or change someone’s heart, is if you have God on your side, and if you are actually trying. Living as if today was your last day.
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”
God commands us to follow Him. We are to “take up His cross”. If you are already a believer than this really is the first step to being a disciple of Christ. We must follow Him without question, without wondering, simply do it.
Of course we all know that it simply isn’t easy to just live as if it was your last day. It’s one of those, “Easier said than done” examples. That doesn’t mean we can’t try though. Anyway, if you really think about it, if we started right now, at this very minute living like it was our last day, and kept trying, and continued living like it was our last day, and we didn’t die for say, 20 years? That’s roughly 7,300 days of us doing that. And chances are, at least for me, that I’ll live longer than that. But if I don’t, I think by that 7,300th day, I’d been doing it pretty close to right.
I hope this post has got you thinking, remember, what's the harm in trying?
Good luck, and God bless,
-Your brother in Christ
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