Today’s Reading: Luke 6:17-19 (NIV, emphasis mine)
“He [Jesus] went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.”
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I usually hang out at the PSU (the student union on MSU’s campus). Often, I’ll stop in and annoy my campus pastor, who makes his home in the PSU on those days. Today, I decided that I would not be annoying, so I stayed away the best I could. I pulled out my journal and I wrote. After a while, a random thought/concern crossed my mind, so I sent my pastor a text. Instead of texting back a normal response, like “ok” or “:-)” he replied with, “Come chat.”
Now, I am certainly not saying that my campus pastor is Jesus. BUT…he did remind me of what Jesus does each and every moment. Jesus says, “Here I am. Come chat. Come spend time with Me. Come be healed.” We need to chat with Him. We too need to be healed. Healed of the hatred we store in our hearts. To be healed of the pain we have when we try to live without a relationship with Him. By having this relationship with Him, we are changed. We begin to be able to see the good in this world, in the midst of the pain.
I could have stayed right where I was. I could have ignored my pastor’s text and never talked about my concern. I could have stayed at my own table, in my own little world, and never received the advice that I got from the conversation. I was presented with a choice. We all are presented with a choice. We can choose to answer God’s call to “Come chat” with Him. All we have to do is walk across the room, dust off our Bibles, spend a bit of time with God, and let Him take our breath away with His words.
What are you going to choose now that you have the message, “Come chat”???
________________________________
© Copyright 2010, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
I WILL, I WILL!!!
Today’s Reading:
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired men and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20 (NIV, bolded mine)
“I will, I will,” Jacob called when I said that I was going to make cookies! He jumped out of the chair, while leaving his favorite movie, and ran into the kitchen. Jacob is four years old, and he is more than willing to do just about anything! Before we had all of the stuff gathered to make the cookies, he was already asking to help beat the cookie batter. Not only is he willing to help with the wonderful things, he’ll also help with the “not-so-wonderful” things.
Can we play a game later? I have to clean up the house…“I will help!”
I have to let the dog inside. “I will, I will!”
I have vacuum up the floor. “I will, I will!”
I need to take the trash outside. “I will, I will!”
Often, Jacob’s excitement overwhelms me. I just can’t seem to get to the part where he can help fast enough! I have always loved this story of Jesus calling the disciples, especially the part where He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” That’s the part where we get the song…”I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.” I loved to sing that song anytime when my dad, brother, and I would go fishing in our lake…but today, and as the New Year approaches, I saw something different in this small piece of Scripture – I saw the willingness of the new disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus.
I’m never sure whether my campus minister is joking around when he says, “I want to quit my job, and go serve Jesus,” but in reality, that’s exactly what these men did. Something about Jesus caught their eye, and they left everything for it…and they didn’t take all day to do it or make up their minds and contemplate the meaning of life. Jesus called them, and “at once they left their nets and followed him!”
Just as Jacob is willing to do the wonderful things as well as the not-so-wonderful, these men were willing to leave their comfort zone (their job – it’s what they knew best – fishing) and follow Jesus. You don’t have to be an expert. (Jacob is certainly not an expert at baking cookies, nor vacuuming.) You just have to be willing.
Are you willing to go all out to serve Jesus in 2010? Can’t say it was always easy for these men to give up everything, but in the end…it was worth it!
God doesn’t ask for the experts…He only asks that you be willing. Will you respond like Jacob, and following ‘at once’ like the disciples? “I WILL, I WILL!!!”
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in a boat with the hired men and followed him.” – Mark 1:16-20 (NIV, bolded mine)
“I will, I will,” Jacob called when I said that I was going to make cookies! He jumped out of the chair, while leaving his favorite movie, and ran into the kitchen. Jacob is four years old, and he is more than willing to do just about anything! Before we had all of the stuff gathered to make the cookies, he was already asking to help beat the cookie batter. Not only is he willing to help with the wonderful things, he’ll also help with the “not-so-wonderful” things.
Can we play a game later? I have to clean up the house…“I will help!”
I have to let the dog inside. “I will, I will!”
I have vacuum up the floor. “I will, I will!”
I need to take the trash outside. “I will, I will!”
Often, Jacob’s excitement overwhelms me. I just can’t seem to get to the part where he can help fast enough! I have always loved this story of Jesus calling the disciples, especially the part where He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” That’s the part where we get the song…”I will make you fishers of men, fishers of men, fishers of men…I will make you fishers of men, if you follow me.” I loved to sing that song anytime when my dad, brother, and I would go fishing in our lake…but today, and as the New Year approaches, I saw something different in this small piece of Scripture – I saw the willingness of the new disciples to leave everything and follow Jesus.
I’m never sure whether my campus minister is joking around when he says, “I want to quit my job, and go serve Jesus,” but in reality, that’s exactly what these men did. Something about Jesus caught their eye, and they left everything for it…and they didn’t take all day to do it or make up their minds and contemplate the meaning of life. Jesus called them, and “at once they left their nets and followed him!”
Just as Jacob is willing to do the wonderful things as well as the not-so-wonderful, these men were willing to leave their comfort zone (their job – it’s what they knew best – fishing) and follow Jesus. You don’t have to be an expert. (Jacob is certainly not an expert at baking cookies, nor vacuuming.) You just have to be willing.
Are you willing to go all out to serve Jesus in 2010? Can’t say it was always easy for these men to give up everything, but in the end…it was worth it!
God doesn’t ask for the experts…He only asks that you be willing. Will you respond like Jacob, and following ‘at once’ like the disciples? “I WILL, I WILL!!!”
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Voluntarily Locked Out???
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (NIV)
The very first day I pulled into the parking lot of Missouri State University, I was sure that I was going to be great at college. I had come from church that morning, and I was ready to go!!! I decided that I didn’t want to go into the band camp week in my nice dress clothes, so I slipped on some jeans in the car. I went into the temporary dorm, where I would make my home for the next couple days before I could move into my permanent dorm, and registered. I decided to go upstairs to the room to dump my first load of stuff, my purse, laptop, and umbrella. (It hadn’t been raining, so I have no idea why I had one with me!)
As I headed up the stairs, I started to panic. I couldn’t find my car keys! I dumped out my purse all over the bed…I searched through my laptop case, hoping I had stashed them inside, but they were nowhere to be found! I seriously freaked out!!! Here I was, a college freshman, locked out of my car! I was locked out of the only thing that was familiar to me!
Have you ever felt that way? As Christians, I think we need to feel this way more often than not – we need to voluntarily lock ourselves out of what’s familiar and GO! I was forced to talk to unfamiliar people to see how I could get my car unlocked when Mom, with the spare key, was 246 miles away, and I had band within an hour!!!
Jesus tells us in Acts, that we are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, as well as ‘to the ends of the earth.’ Jerusalem, for His disciples, was a familiar place. That’s where they all grew up. It’s what they know. However, He calls them to go to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to spread this message that they have! That’s not exactly familiar to them! Remember, most of these people are traveling on foot. To be called to go that far out of their comfort zone is a huge step.
I was forced out of my comfort zone! I had to get to know people and trust them quickly to help me get my clothes, my flute, and, of course, my keys, out of my car! I had never met any of these people ever in my entire life! I was locked out of what was familiar…Jesus asks us to go outside of what is familiar and share His message to the world!
Will you stay in what’s familiar, or will you voluntarily go out of your comfort zone to share His grace?
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
The very first day I pulled into the parking lot of Missouri State University, I was sure that I was going to be great at college. I had come from church that morning, and I was ready to go!!! I decided that I didn’t want to go into the band camp week in my nice dress clothes, so I slipped on some jeans in the car. I went into the temporary dorm, where I would make my home for the next couple days before I could move into my permanent dorm, and registered. I decided to go upstairs to the room to dump my first load of stuff, my purse, laptop, and umbrella. (It hadn’t been raining, so I have no idea why I had one with me!)
As I headed up the stairs, I started to panic. I couldn’t find my car keys! I dumped out my purse all over the bed…I searched through my laptop case, hoping I had stashed them inside, but they were nowhere to be found! I seriously freaked out!!! Here I was, a college freshman, locked out of my car! I was locked out of the only thing that was familiar to me!
Have you ever felt that way? As Christians, I think we need to feel this way more often than not – we need to voluntarily lock ourselves out of what’s familiar and GO! I was forced to talk to unfamiliar people to see how I could get my car unlocked when Mom, with the spare key, was 246 miles away, and I had band within an hour!!!
Jesus tells us in Acts, that we are to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, as well as ‘to the ends of the earth.’ Jerusalem, for His disciples, was a familiar place. That’s where they all grew up. It’s what they know. However, He calls them to go to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth to spread this message that they have! That’s not exactly familiar to them! Remember, most of these people are traveling on foot. To be called to go that far out of their comfort zone is a huge step.
I was forced out of my comfort zone! I had to get to know people and trust them quickly to help me get my clothes, my flute, and, of course, my keys, out of my car! I had never met any of these people ever in my entire life! I was locked out of what was familiar…Jesus asks us to go outside of what is familiar and share His message to the world!
Will you stay in what’s familiar, or will you voluntarily go out of your comfort zone to share His grace?
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Beautiful Mistake
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
HELLO!!!!
On Saturday, my family loaded up the van and left on vacation! We were going all the way down to Alabama, so it ended up being a two day trip. On Sunday, we loaded up the hotel room and left again. When we were almost there, after hours of driving, Mom missed the turn to take us straight there!!! Instead we had to go about TEN MILES up the road and take a different way that would take us longer to get there! Nothin' like makin' a mistake that would take us out of our way!!!
After missing the turn, we went across a bridge after bridge....which soon became a very long bridge...we were going over many rivers! We could see over the tops of the trees. It was a beautiful sight! The clouds were perfect in the sky and it was a breath-taking view! When we came to a river, we could see the way the river twisted throughout the land! There were FIVE rivers we went across, each with their own spectacular view!!! If Mom wouldn't have made a mistake, we wouldn't have had the blessing of seeing the magnificent view!
Sometimes, i feel like i make one mistake after another which leads into life being hard! Sometimes, I feel like nothing can go right in my life! And every so often, I feel like nothing can come out good! But God can take the times that I am feeling rough on the edges and feeling like nothing is going right, and use them to make me stronger in Him and help me realize that something beautiful can come out of those hard times when nothing is going my way!
I am confident that there are times in your life when you feel like nothing is going right and that God is "out to gete you!" But...Remember that God only has the best in mind for His children...and you never know what God might show you along the way! Look for the beauty in life as you cross the bridges along the way! (Even if it is from a wrong turn!) ~
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
HELLO!!!!
On Saturday, my family loaded up the van and left on vacation! We were going all the way down to Alabama, so it ended up being a two day trip. On Sunday, we loaded up the hotel room and left again. When we were almost there, after hours of driving, Mom missed the turn to take us straight there!!! Instead we had to go about TEN MILES up the road and take a different way that would take us longer to get there! Nothin' like makin' a mistake that would take us out of our way!!!
After missing the turn, we went across a bridge after bridge....which soon became a very long bridge...we were going over many rivers! We could see over the tops of the trees. It was a beautiful sight! The clouds were perfect in the sky and it was a breath-taking view! When we came to a river, we could see the way the river twisted throughout the land! There were FIVE rivers we went across, each with their own spectacular view!!! If Mom wouldn't have made a mistake, we wouldn't have had the blessing of seeing the magnificent view!
Sometimes, i feel like i make one mistake after another which leads into life being hard! Sometimes, I feel like nothing can go right in my life! And every so often, I feel like nothing can come out good! But God can take the times that I am feeling rough on the edges and feeling like nothing is going right, and use them to make me stronger in Him and help me realize that something beautiful can come out of those hard times when nothing is going my way!
I am confident that there are times in your life when you feel like nothing is going right and that God is "out to gete you!" But...Remember that God only has the best in mind for His children...and you never know what God might show you along the way! Look for the beauty in life as you cross the bridges along the way! (Even if it is from a wrong turn!) ~
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Part of the Master's Plan
1 Chronicles 29:1-9.
“Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God – gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?’
“Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, to give you a clue as to what is going on here…THIS IS A HUGE POINT IN ISRAELITE HISTORY!!!!! David has wanted to build a temple so that the people would have a place to worship God. Up until this point, the Israelite people have been moving around and the Ark of the Covenant has not had a stable, set place for it to rest. And after wanting to build the temple that God was to rest upon, he was told that he would not be the one to do it! Solomon would be the one to do the building. So, instead of building…David had collected all of the materials necessary to build it. And he dedicated them all to the building of the Temple and made them holy unto the Lord.
Now…we have all these things to build the temple –all the materials…so who are we going to put
in charge of keeping all this stuff!?!?! If you remember in the Scripture, it was a weird name—Jehiel the Gershonite!
So, how did HE get chosen? We really don’t know much about this Jehiel. His name is only mentioned in a line of lineage and here in this story. He is a Gershonite, which means that he is a part of the Levites-which are a people provided for by the Israelites. So…he is an ordinary guy – not much claim to fame! He may have had some experience, but really…he was probably chosen just because he was willing. He was willing to take a risk and do something that is a hard job knowing that God would be there with him.
We are chosen too! We are ordinary people…we aren’t the president! We have normal clothes and we work in normal places with other ordinary people. HOWEVER…we have been called to share the good news of Jesus Christ! You may have some experience. But are you willing to take a risk, even if you don’t know what you are doing? Are you willing to use the gifts and talents that God has given you to share the news of Jesus – who went around teaching others about the kingdom of God, who never sinned, who always had His mind toward God, who was willing to do whatever the Father asked of Him even if it meant dying on a cross for the wrong He never committed! Are you willing to share the news that on that third day, Jesus rose from the grave alive more than ever! And that He is coming back!
I live out in the country. This time of year, I see a lot of turtles crossing the road. Actually, I don’t really see them moving. They always seem to hide in their shell. I did see one turtle a long time ago that was actually moving around!!! AND…even when I passed him driving, he didn’t hide! I was very excited, though that was only one turtle out of how many that I passed??? I was curious on why turtles are always in their shell when I pass them on the highway. And it is because they are scared or sleeping!!!
Are you a turtle? Are you one who likes to hide in your shell? You may be saying, “Well, Samantha, I am not a turtle, so therefore I don’t have a shell!” But, then I would reply, “Yes, you do.” What is your shell? Where do you make yourself comfortable? Is it in the pew at church? (because I find those things very uncomfortable!) Is it inside your home? Is it behind your desk at work? Is it in your bed?
Won’t you take a risk and get out of your shell? Don’t be ashamed of who God made you to be! God wants you to help Him share the gospel! But to do that, you’ll need to get out of your shell. God doesn’t call us to stay in our shells; a turtle that stays in its shell isn’t accomplishing much. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but I guarantee that you will be able to make a difference in this world. And most importantly, don’t be ashamed of the gospel! There is no reason to be. It truly is the power of God that can save the people of this world!
The one turtle that I saw not hiding in its shell took a risk! Are you willing to take a risk and share the gospel today? Don’t worry…God will be there every moment!
Why did the turtle cross the road? We may never know…but he was willing to take the risk!
When David told Solomon the news that he would be building the temple, he said “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” (1 Chronicles 28:10) That’s the call.
We are called not to build a temple, but to build the kingdom of God! We are all different and we all have different roles. Charles Swindoll said, “You are you. There will never be another You. And You are important!” Who you are has never lived before, and will NEVER live again! No matter how different we are, we are all looking toward one thing…the return of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. You are part of His plan! YOU are part of the Master’s plan to build the kingdom of God here on earth!
“Then King David said to the whole assembly: ‘My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God – gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities. Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?’
“Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, to give you a clue as to what is going on here…THIS IS A HUGE POINT IN ISRAELITE HISTORY!!!!! David has wanted to build a temple so that the people would have a place to worship God. Up until this point, the Israelite people have been moving around and the Ark of the Covenant has not had a stable, set place for it to rest. And after wanting to build the temple that God was to rest upon, he was told that he would not be the one to do it! Solomon would be the one to do the building. So, instead of building…David had collected all of the materials necessary to build it. And he dedicated them all to the building of the Temple and made them holy unto the Lord.
Now…we have all these things to build the temple –all the materials…so who are we going to put
in charge of keeping all this stuff!?!?! If you remember in the Scripture, it was a weird name—Jehiel the Gershonite!
So, how did HE get chosen? We really don’t know much about this Jehiel. His name is only mentioned in a line of lineage and here in this story. He is a Gershonite, which means that he is a part of the Levites-which are a people provided for by the Israelites. So…he is an ordinary guy – not much claim to fame! He may have had some experience, but really…he was probably chosen just because he was willing. He was willing to take a risk and do something that is a hard job knowing that God would be there with him.
We are chosen too! We are ordinary people…we aren’t the president! We have normal clothes and we work in normal places with other ordinary people. HOWEVER…we have been called to share the good news of Jesus Christ! You may have some experience. But are you willing to take a risk, even if you don’t know what you are doing? Are you willing to use the gifts and talents that God has given you to share the news of Jesus – who went around teaching others about the kingdom of God, who never sinned, who always had His mind toward God, who was willing to do whatever the Father asked of Him even if it meant dying on a cross for the wrong He never committed! Are you willing to share the news that on that third day, Jesus rose from the grave alive more than ever! And that He is coming back!
I live out in the country. This time of year, I see a lot of turtles crossing the road. Actually, I don’t really see them moving. They always seem to hide in their shell. I did see one turtle a long time ago that was actually moving around!!! AND…even when I passed him driving, he didn’t hide! I was very excited, though that was only one turtle out of how many that I passed??? I was curious on why turtles are always in their shell when I pass them on the highway. And it is because they are scared or sleeping!!!
Are you a turtle? Are you one who likes to hide in your shell? You may be saying, “Well, Samantha, I am not a turtle, so therefore I don’t have a shell!” But, then I would reply, “Yes, you do.” What is your shell? Where do you make yourself comfortable? Is it in the pew at church? (because I find those things very uncomfortable!) Is it inside your home? Is it behind your desk at work? Is it in your bed?
Won’t you take a risk and get out of your shell? Don’t be ashamed of who God made you to be! God wants you to help Him share the gospel! But to do that, you’ll need to get out of your shell. God doesn’t call us to stay in our shells; a turtle that stays in its shell isn’t accomplishing much. It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but I guarantee that you will be able to make a difference in this world. And most importantly, don’t be ashamed of the gospel! There is no reason to be. It truly is the power of God that can save the people of this world!
The one turtle that I saw not hiding in its shell took a risk! Are you willing to take a risk and share the gospel today? Don’t worry…God will be there every moment!
Why did the turtle cross the road? We may never know…but he was willing to take the risk!
When David told Solomon the news that he would be building the temple, he said “Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” (1 Chronicles 28:10) That’s the call.
We are called not to build a temple, but to build the kingdom of God! We are all different and we all have different roles. Charles Swindoll said, “You are you. There will never be another You. And You are important!” Who you are has never lived before, and will NEVER live again! No matter how different we are, we are all looking toward one thing…the return of Jesus Christ and His kingdom. You are part of His plan! YOU are part of the Master’s plan to build the kingdom of God here on earth!
Monday, June 29, 2009
The Bonding Power of .....
Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
HELLO!!!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “We’re Twinkies!”? I hadn’t heard it until last night – and I am still not sure if anyone else actually says it other than my crazy friend! :D Apparently, it is said when two people have something in common! Whether it be the same clothes or liking the same thing…we’re Twinkies~ Last night…we were Twinkies because we have the same screen saver set on our computers! Can’t you see it! My friend and I dressed in Twinkie costumes on the side of the road! Or on the side of a bus – like an ad! Anyway…we had something in common – therefore…”we’re Twinkies!!!!”
My sister and I got some time with the house to ourselves last week. We did all sorts of fun things – grocery shopping, making a menu, reading at Dairy Queen, going to dance pictures…a lot of things!!! One day, we were randomly talking and she said that her stomach hurt. I asked her why and she said that it was because she had chewed gum. Now, this may seem really strange to all you readers, but I completely understood!!! Apparently, we are the only ones on the universe with this “thing” but when we chew gum, it makes our stomach hurt! Anytime, we tell anyone that, they think we are crazy! We determined that it was a “sister thing!”
We, as Christians, have a bond too! It may not be the same screensaver or stomach aches when we chew gum…Actually, it is a lot more important! We all have the love of Jesus! The love of God that surpasses all understanding! The love that gives us peace lives in each Christian all over the world.
The apostle Paul tells us to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Powerful words! Webster’s Dictionary defines unity as this: the state of being one, or united; oneness; something complete in itself; the quality of being one in spirit! Peace is the uniting force behind it all! Jesus Christ is the uniting force!
Jesus will unite all the people everywhere! We, as Christians, need to unite to tell the world about Jesus! We are like a box of Twinkies! We all have something in common – Jesus, but until we get out of our box, we do no good! So, jump out! And UNITE through the bonding power of JESUS CHRIST!!!
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
HELLO!!!
Have you ever heard the phrase, “We’re Twinkies!”? I hadn’t heard it until last night – and I am still not sure if anyone else actually says it other than my crazy friend! :D Apparently, it is said when two people have something in common! Whether it be the same clothes or liking the same thing…we’re Twinkies~ Last night…we were Twinkies because we have the same screen saver set on our computers! Can’t you see it! My friend and I dressed in Twinkie costumes on the side of the road! Or on the side of a bus – like an ad! Anyway…we had something in common – therefore…”we’re Twinkies!!!!”
My sister and I got some time with the house to ourselves last week. We did all sorts of fun things – grocery shopping, making a menu, reading at Dairy Queen, going to dance pictures…a lot of things!!! One day, we were randomly talking and she said that her stomach hurt. I asked her why and she said that it was because she had chewed gum. Now, this may seem really strange to all you readers, but I completely understood!!! Apparently, we are the only ones on the universe with this “thing” but when we chew gum, it makes our stomach hurt! Anytime, we tell anyone that, they think we are crazy! We determined that it was a “sister thing!”
We, as Christians, have a bond too! It may not be the same screensaver or stomach aches when we chew gum…Actually, it is a lot more important! We all have the love of Jesus! The love of God that surpasses all understanding! The love that gives us peace lives in each Christian all over the world.
The apostle Paul tells us to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Powerful words! Webster’s Dictionary defines unity as this: the state of being one, or united; oneness; something complete in itself; the quality of being one in spirit! Peace is the uniting force behind it all! Jesus Christ is the uniting force!
Jesus will unite all the people everywhere! We, as Christians, need to unite to tell the world about Jesus! We are like a box of Twinkies! We all have something in common – Jesus, but until we get out of our box, we do no good! So, jump out! And UNITE through the bonding power of JESUS CHRIST!!!
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Early Out Days ~
Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Good Morning!!!
When I was still in high school, early out days were the BEST! Instead of the usual 2:53pm bell, it would ring at 1pm or 11:30am!!! The teachers knew not to plan too much on early out days. The mood was just different. It was happier…like all in the world was right because we woke up to an early out day. Students were excited for what might happen…it was almost as good as getting a snow day! The days when you would wake up and you couldn’t hold the excitement in because you knew the roads would be covered in snow and ice and that they would call off school!!! I wish that same mood was around every day. Early out days were NOT ordinary days!
How did you feel when you woke up this morning? Did you feel excited? Did you feel like jumping for joy that God woke you for another day? Or did you feel lousy like it is just another ordinary day?
If God has a purpose for everything, He has a purpose for bringing the sun this morning! That alone should make us excited!! Psalm 118 tells us to rejoice in the day!!! Rejoice that God woke you this morning and that the Lord has created this day! He created a day for us to be excited for what might come! He creates an extraordinary day everyday!
We should wake up knowing that we have an extraordinary day ahead of us and that should make us energized for whatever life puts in our path! May you find the extraordinary in what seems to be an ordinary day ahead of you! May you be blessed by what you find!
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Good Morning!!!
When I was still in high school, early out days were the BEST! Instead of the usual 2:53pm bell, it would ring at 1pm or 11:30am!!! The teachers knew not to plan too much on early out days. The mood was just different. It was happier…like all in the world was right because we woke up to an early out day. Students were excited for what might happen…it was almost as good as getting a snow day! The days when you would wake up and you couldn’t hold the excitement in because you knew the roads would be covered in snow and ice and that they would call off school!!! I wish that same mood was around every day. Early out days were NOT ordinary days!
How did you feel when you woke up this morning? Did you feel excited? Did you feel like jumping for joy that God woke you for another day? Or did you feel lousy like it is just another ordinary day?
If God has a purpose for everything, He has a purpose for bringing the sun this morning! That alone should make us excited!! Psalm 118 tells us to rejoice in the day!!! Rejoice that God woke you this morning and that the Lord has created this day! He created a day for us to be excited for what might come! He creates an extraordinary day everyday!
We should wake up knowing that we have an extraordinary day ahead of us and that should make us energized for whatever life puts in our path! May you find the extraordinary in what seems to be an ordinary day ahead of you! May you be blessed by what you find!
________________________________
© Copyright 2009, Samantha Fomera
All rights reserved
Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles.
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