spotless, blameless and at peace with him

That I am not. But I must do my best to be that. For I call myself a follower of Jesus Christ.

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Now that I’m excited for eternity, I must prepare myself for it. My time on earth is short and I must make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
God be with me today.

eternal

Isaiah 65:17-18
Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

I’m truly excited now about what eternal life means to me now. One day, I’ll start my new life and live forever and ever with my King.

Earlier today, I was frustrated about something so small. Then I read this chapter and was quickly shown how much time I was wasting being so focused on it. The thing was really unimportant to be mad about. One day, I won’t even remember it

Considering My Challenges Pure Joy

^{James 1:12}Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

I’m in a long meeting right now with a testing challenge. A matter that is no laughing matter. One that I’ve realized is the base of who Jesus is. Real Love. The challenge is to deny myself of everything I can think of (besides life’s necessities) so I can see past myself and see others. The truth is, if I don’t stick this out, I’m going to live a lonely life. Plus, several individuals that I have known, or still know, have been brought to my attention that selfishness has destroyed either their whole life or a big part of it. It’s scary!

God, your Word says that I should consider it pure joy to have this challenge. Well, I do. I can see that I must go through this (as much as I am hurting because of my path leading here) to experience your love. Your Real Love.

James 4: 1-5

Yesterday, Pastor James (haha, not the auther of the Bible Book of James) casually posted on his Twitter that he was reading James 4: 1-5.

Yesterday, Chris Smith (me) realized how much his life sucked ’cause of his strong selfishness and blatant ignoring of his Father. He got fed up with his current life and decided that he needed to climb out of the bottom of the barrel towards the heavens.

I’m thinking that P. James didn’t read my post. In fact, I think I saw his Twitter post, then I read the Bible verses. What I’m getting at is that I just witnessed God using P. James (probably unknowingly to him) to show me what I needed to read. How awesome!?

So I just Googled James 4: 1-5 to find it quick and the first link was actually a small study on the verses.

The fact of the matter is that I have been such a worldly person. When your personal desires for fulfillment and satisfaction take precedent over your loyalty to God and love for the brethren, it is war. I need peace not war. I want to be on God’s side, not the world’s. He has much better for me.

I haven’t read the first 3 chapters of James yet, but this fourth chapter really is speaking to my soul.

James 4:1-5 (The Message)

^1-2Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.

God, I truly have only wanted my own way. Now I realize that ultimate selfishness leads to lonliness. It hurts. I have risked nearly losing my closest friend over getting what I want. But no more! Help me live selfless.

^2-3You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

^4-6You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”

Your love is far better than anything else? This I must have.
God, I vow to find You and to read and know Your Word. Teach me to love and live selfless.

The study says that in verses 6-10 he’ll give us his prescription explaining the solution to this problem. I can’t wait to read up on that tomorrow.

-Chris

Ignoring God leads to a downward spiral…

is the bold header above Romans 1.18. So yeah… that’s me lately; a downward spiral. Not that everything sucks. I’m really blessed to have all that I have in my life. But the downward spiral just represents the void that keeps getting bigger the longer I ignore God. It leaves me empty. Well, in verse 17 (just before the depressing bold header, lol), it reads: “The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives”! I love how God doesn’t have to be difficult to understand. “Right standing” doesn’t mean wait until you’re clean to come back to Him. He wants you at any point. I think it just means to acknowledge Him as my God and that my heart belongs to Him and nothing or no one else. But once I do that then I just trust him and I will “really live”!  Thanks, God, for showing me this verse this morning.

Bill! I saw Bill again!… Matthew 4

In a previous post, I had mentioned how I believe God is putting the homeless in my heart. Well A few weeks back, I met a homeless man at the corner of Fletcher and I-275 (on the off-ramp). His name is Bill.

I was stopped at the light and I offered him a few dollars. Then he said God bless you and asked if I would pray for him. I said of course and the light turned green. So on my way home I prayed for him and ever since, he has been on my heart. But I haven’t seen him around in awhile. Until…

Yesterday on my way home I was stopping at the corner of MLK and Nebraska at the light and I noticed a homeless man walking around the building. As I approached the light I noticed it was Bill! His crutch was an immediate give away and I think he was wearing the same clothes as before
I was sad because he was out of sight and I couldn’t give him anything now. But I believe God told him to turn around ’cause about 10 seconds later, he appeared from the other side of the building with his “hungry” sign. So I nodded at him to come over and I said, “you’re Bill, right?” He was so happy that I remembered his name. I told him I had been praying for him and I was able to give him 2 dollars before having to drive off.

I hope I get to meet Bill again. God keep him safe and I pray that somehow he finds you. If I’m that way then I let you use me however you need.

Ok. Matthew 4. The infamous temptation of Jesus by the devil. In verses 2-4, Jesus had not eaten in 40 days and was tempted to turn a rock into bread. I don’t know about you but that rock would sound pretty tasty after 40 days of no food.

Verse 4 says: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” I’m going to pretty much stop right there and concentrate on that verse today. Nothing I can humanly do will allow me to live the way God intended for me to live. Only by what God has instructed of me shall I truly live. Wow. I know that God will provide for me. I do not have to worry about it. That is awesome.

But I bet the homeless who don’t know Christ and his love would understand that if you just told them.

God allow me to be used by you in any fashion you desire. Let my hands be your hands and my feet be your feet. Give me the courage to step out of my comfort zone and reach out to the homeless because I know they need to know of Christ’s love for me. 

It appears to be jammed!… Matthew 3

So last night I had to go oil up my car for work the next day. It was low and I didn’t want to wake up earlier to put oil in the car. I should be waking up earlier though to do my devotion cause today I’m pretty busy and haven’t had the time to get to it like I have so far. SO I’m making time.

Oh, so back to the oil thing. After I put in the oil I went to close the driver door and BAM it rejected the door like it hit a brick wall. I check to see if anything was in the way like a seat belt or something, but there was nothing. Eventually, I figured out that the latch that catches the door to be shut had been shoved down and was now stuck. After about half an hour of trying to pry it open with my screwdriver, and stopped and said “Lord, I can’t do this. I need an idea from you.” Lo and behold an idea came to mind (difficult to explain) and I was able to shut my door again. It’s still broken but without His help, I wouldn’t have been able to close my door for the evening and I would’ve had to drive the car to work today while holding the door shut. Yay!

I can do all things through Christ!

My reading today was in Matthew 3. I have a secret. I have never followed through with being baptized. And reading this chapter where Jesus himself went through with it, really sparked me up and made me want to finally go through with it. Not that I’ve not wated to, just that I’ve never done it. My favorite part is verse 15. Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

So yeah, I should do that.

Saturday quiet time?!… Matthew 2

I think the big deal of this blog post is that I got up out of bed and the first thing I did was spend time with God. That hardly ever happens on weekends. But I’m trying to be disciplined and stick with my Word reading. So here I am.

Today I read Matthew 2. Go here and go there seemed to be the theme, haha. Twice Joseph was instructed by God to get up and go to where God knew it was safe. Bad guys wanted to kill baby Jesus so you know Joseph was definitely going to listen.

It’s easy to “listen to God” when it regards something that we want to happen. But what about the times when it isn’t something so desirable? Just a thought here.

God, my prayer today is that you would teach me to be in tuned with your voice. I want to hear you say, “Get up and go” so that I can have the chance to follow you no matter the situation. Amen.

another dbr attempt… Matthew 1

Before I had been apart of a Daily Bible Reading Accountability Group (or dBrag as it’s known) where each person in the group would read the same chapter of the Bible each day, then e-mail each other commenting on what they read. Thus keeping everyone to be in the Word. Well, I’m not very disciplined so that didn’t last too long. And now the need and want to be in the Word is returning (hopefully for good this time) and I am without accountability in this quest of discipline. But I’ve decided that it’s something I must do for my relationship with the Father to grow. So I’ am starting anew today (by myself in hope to maybe create another group) by beginning at the start of the New Testement in Matthew 1.

As soon as I pulled up the chapter, I remembered that it began with this long list of Jesus’ lineage….zzz zzz… boring! Yeah I was already discouraged, lol. So I stopped and I prayed for God to speak to me somehow during my reading no matter what the scripture may be. That helped because for once I found that part really interesting to see how Jesus is actually related to all those important people from the Old Testament. And for once the term “Son of David” made since! Isn’t it nice when you actually think about what something means, haha.

So we know that the angel came to Joseph and told him that it was ok. Mary was not in adultery and the baby was from the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine (forget that you know how Jesus was born unto a virgin) trying to understand that your so-to-be-wife is pregnant, but not from natural causes? I can understand why he wanted to divorce.

Then it says in verse 24, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” So did he actually do that as soon as he woke up? If so, man, that’s some obedience to God.

It really feels go to read the Word. Stay tuned cause Ima really try to make tis a daily habit. I just gotta. Someone jump on me if there’s no post tomorrow (and yes it’s Saturday, so that makes it double hard for me).

Icing on the cake

Mmm, Root Beer…

Yesterday was cool. It was my mother-in-law’s 50th birthday! Happy birthday, Karen. Naomi wanted to make her Zuppa Tuscana and a bake her a cake but realized her birthday was on Tuesday and not on Wednesday like she thought (this was on Monday…). So, me being the house-husband that I am (and desperatley seeking any approval from good works from her) volunteered to take on these two tasks while she was at work.

Gulp! What did I get myself in to? I can cook… a little. But a fancy-smancy soup and bake a cake?!!

Needly to say, I accomplished both tasks with flying colors and received the blessings of a job well done from my wife. I’m realizing how important her number one love language really is (which is “acts of service”). When I can do things that are important to her and for our family without having to be told to do so, then I am conquering a major trial of marriage. I beleive God honors that.

note to self: when baking a cake, don’t stick it back in the warm oven after applying icing…

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I’m once again trying to devote myself to daily Bible reading. It’s a hard task. Yesterday I read Hebrews 2, Genesis 46:28-47:31, and Psalms 37.

Today I read Hebrews 3:1-4:13, Genesis 48, and Psalms 38.