Tag: Scriptures

Let’s Go

As I go from hospital to hospital people are hurting.

As I travel from one meeting to another people are hurting.

As I walk through the grocery store people are hurting.

As I travel to these different places, I am overwhelmed by how many people are eager to hear the word of God. The Living Water. It’s as if the Holy Spirit went before me to prepare their hearts.

My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, the world is truly hurting. This hurting world needs to hear the message of Love, Grace, Forgiveness and Salvation.

You may get some of these hurting people to church to hear the beautiful message of Jesus, but as disciples of the Living King we need to take this amazing message to where they are and let the Holy Spirit do what He does best.

So my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s hit the streets and speak to whoever He brings our way. The world is hurting. The Harvest is ready. Let’s go! ~OC

0

Lead Us Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit in us should not only encourage us, but It should compel us to be more committed to Jesus and our communities.

Christians who are willing to sacrifice all for Jesus realize community/fellowship is a necessity for all and not a luxury for a few.

We cannot have truly connected communities if we are unwilling to forsake everything for Jesus. Are we ready to make that commitment?

Are we truly willing to reach out to others in time of need? Even when it’s not comfortable. When it forces us out of our neatly constructed lives.

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to draw us into a place of total surrender to our Savior. A place of surrender, that produces a greater love for Him and a greater need to truly embrace community. To truly serve others. To truly be the Church. ~OC

0

How Bright Is Your Light?

Today’s a new day!! The brightness of our light is not determined by how loud we talk, how big our platform is or how famous we are. No, the brightness of our light is determined by how loud our behavior speaks. The consistency of the decisions we make. Our commitment to truly follow Jesus and serve others. The decision to do the right thing regardless of what the world thinks. How bright is your light? ~OC

0

It’s About Love

Today’s a new day! Life is about people. Loving and serving others with the love of Jesus. It’s not all about the big gatherings at church or some other big gathering. No, it’s about truly loving our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors or the stranger at the store. ~OC

0

Come Home

Today is Easter. I love Resurrection Sunday. A day to celebrate the Risen King. This year for the first time in many years, I will not be at church celebrating this beautiful day. No, because of the effects of Covid and double pneumonia, I will be watching Easter service online at home. I know a lot of people are also walking through their own storms on this Easter Sunday. So I want to try and encourage you this morning with a few thoughts.

I know it can be hard to find rest when you cannot find peace. I know it can be hard to find rest when there is so much turmoil raging in your life. The weight of those storms make you feel like you are drowning. The pain from those storms are breaking your heart and spirit. Life seems overwhelming. The stress feels overwhelming. The anxiety feels overwhelming. The pain feels overwhelming. The emptiness feels overwhelming. The depression feels overwhelming. The struggle is real. Life is hard. But there is Hope.

During the times when life seems overwhelming, I want to encourage you to run to Jesus. The One who hung on a Cross and laid in a tomb for three days. The One who died for all of those storms and struggles we face. The One who is patiently waiting for us to come to him and lay all our burdens down at his feet. Today is Easter. The day Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of the One who gave it all for us. I can think of no better day to come home to The One who is waiting with open arms.

Let me be honest before I finish. Just because you lay all your junk at the feet of Jesus, does not mean all that junk immediately goes away. Sorry for that truth. But I can guarantee you, when you decide to turn over all that junk to Him, your life will be filled with a beautiful Peace. Your life will be filled with new Hope. New Purpose. You will still have days filled with raging storms, but you will not be walking through those storms alone. No, you will have a risen King walking with you. A risen King holding your hand. A risen King guiding your steps. A risen King making a way for you during those storms of life. So I encourage you to come home today. To find rest in the Risen King. ~OC

0

Living Out God’s Journey

Today’s a new day! Becoming a Christian is more than a one time decision. It’s more than waiting to die with a ticket to Heaven in our hand. No, becoming a believer in Christ is about experiencing Him here and now. To live out a beautiful creative journey.

Living out this God journey actually means believing and truly living out the scriptures. Not just the scriptures we like.

Living out this God journey actually means loving our neighbors. All of our neighbors.

Living this God journey actually means serving all people. Not just the people we deem worthy.

Living out this God journey actually means living in God’s love and unity. Not being separated by the color of our skin, denominations, political parties or anything else that tries to separate us.

Living out this God journey actually means we can have opposing opinions without having division. Being able to listen without judgment or prejudice.

God never said this beautiful journey would be easy. It will take a lot of patience, constructive conversations, listening, wisdom, love, healing and grace. But I personally believe God wants us to experience him in a beautiful creative way, right here on planet earth. ~OC

0

Endure the Trials

Life is full of trials. My life has been marked by health issues. I have walked a 18 year journey of multiple life threatening health issues. But I have endured.

During these trials, I have been helped by the truth that Jesus endured his own suffering and trials. Scripture tells us that great joy gripped Jesus when he looked ahead to what his suffering on the Cross would accomplish. Jesus endured all that suffering knowing he was completing the will of his Father. Jesus endured the suffering on the Cross, knowing the joy his resurrection would bring for generations to come. We are still living in the joy of His resurrection in 2021. And most importantly, Jesus endured the pain of the Cross for the joy of one day being able to present his redeemed sons and daughters before his Father.

The suffering Jesus endured on the Cross was not a joyful experience. As we read in scripture, the pain was excruciating. But Jesus was able to endure. When we walk through the trials of life, we can lean into the promises of Jesus and endure. ~OC

0

Reach Out

Good Morning! God put this on my heart this morning. ~OC

By its very nature, adversity brings uncertainty, confusion and isolation.  It is difficult to talk about these things, and so many who suffer feel they need to bear their burdens alone. 
 
When we are walking through the storms of life, we need our brothers and sisters in Christ. Through our own suffering we have witnessed in the lives of others, how profoundly we need one another as followers of Christ.

Since the beginning of time, we see the importance of family, friends and groups coming together to serve and love each other.

And let us not neglect our meeting together,
as some people do,
but encourage one another,
especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25

0

Amazing Grace

Today’s a new day! Remember hearing the word Grace after becoming a follower of Jesus? Oh how it stirred my emotions. Do you remember how sweet it was to sing about God’s Amazing Grace? Does God’s Grace still move you to truly love your neighbors? Does God’s Amazing Grace still move you to thankfulness? Does God’s Amazing Grace still lead you to tears? Are your emotions still moved when you sing that beautiful song Amazing Grace and reflect on God’s beautiful promises? ~OC

1

God’s Tears

As I continue to pray for America, I imagine God bowing his head in sadness. His tears flowing as so many people who call themselves Christians, act with such hatred and meanness. They seem to have forgotten the beautiful scriptures about loving their neighbors. All Neighbors! The Liberal Neighbor. The Conservative Neighbor. The Homeless Neighbor. The Addicted Neighbor. The LGBTQ Neighbor. The Incarcerated Neighbor. The Immigrant Neighbor. The Depressed Neighbor. The Disabled Neighbor. The Atheist Neighbor. The Black Neighbor. The White Neighbor. The Hispanic Neighbor. The Asian Neighbor. The Middle-Eastern Neighbor. The Native-American Neighbor. The Neighbor of a Different Faith. The..,,, Neighbor.

Think about the sadness God feels looking down on America and seeing all the hatred and division. His heart breaks. Does your heart break? Mine does. So, I will continue to share love. Speak out against hate and violence. I will continue to pray. ~OC

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑