It was good this weekend to learn about the stars and the mighty God who created them and cares for them. It seems so easy in the day by day routine called life to forget to lift up our eyes and behold Him who created all this. When we do we receive a new appreciation of the greatness, might, and awesomeness of God. It's amazing that this great God who created also cares. Such was the great nature lesson of the book of Job who, when it was over, said "I know You can do everything". So take a look at the stars tonight and remember the one who created them is mighty enough for any problems we may have and cares enough to bear them (Matthew 6). Wonderful, isn't it?

One of the blessings I have seen as a pastor is the truth that God works in and through us so that we can be doers. The list in 1 Thessalonians 5 would be impossible if it wasn't for the Lord. Just remember that so many times when we know God wants us "to do" and we say "I can't" it's really our self will coming through saying to our enabling God "I won't"! I hope this week you will come back to God's list and let God enable you to become a doer. You will be blessed, God will be glorified, and others will receive good. (Galatians 6:1-10)

The two words that caught my attention yesterday in 1 Thessalonians 5 were comfort and edify. As I thought about these things I began to realize that to do this isn't hard but it does take time and heart. If I really "come alongside" of someone I will be opening my heart to them to allow God's love to flow out to them and that would be good. So I need to pray that the Holy Spirit would open my eyes to the need around me and act before being asked. Yet the big issue is time. If I reach out in love I will have to part with some precious time (maybe a lot) and that is where we often hesitate. Maybe I should see time in the light of love and it would be easier to find to time to care. Agree??

During the message yesterday I used my pen to write down some notes. It is a good thing to do as I can go back now and review in my mind and in the Scriptures the things I learned from the Word. It is a good thing to do everything possible to sow the Word in our hearts and review is a good tool. The next step is to share it with someone else and let them be blessed too. What will you do with what you heard yesterday?

As I prepared and preached yesterday's message, I couldn't help but wonder just how much of my Christian life is "ought to" but seldom "roundtoit"??? Does anyone else have that problem in your Christian life?

Prayer is as simple as talking to God. It is so true, we know the Scriptures about prayer, we repeat the clichés about prayer, we gather weekly to pray, we hear of big and little answers to prayer, and know we ought to, need to, want to, could, and should pray but for so reason we don't. Is God wondering "why doesn't he just talk to me?" Let's stop making prayer so complicated and just have a little talk with Jesus.

"Take it or leave it" was a saying I heard when I was growing up. In yesterday's message we discovered that the believers as well as Paul, Silas, and Tim did things just a little differently. They received the Word in an attitude of "take it and live it". In last night's message we were reminded that this is the reason a life house doesn't fall down in the storms of life. Both builders had the materials for a solid foundation (they both heard the Word) but the successful builder was the one who "did" it, as we said had the life action motto "take it and live it". So as you got up this morning was it "take it or leave it" or "take it and live it"?
Don't comment (you can if you want), just let me know if you read this. You vote counts.