One life to live.

Today was a crazy day, but I wouldn't have spent it doing anything else.  A wise man once told me, "I've got one life to live, and I'm going to give it all to God." 

The simplicity of that statement amazes me.  It is so simple, yet so life changing.  We do only have one life to live.  For some of us, we are extremely lucky to literally get a second chance at life, but most of us have one life to live, and one life to give.  Ya see, I feel like we get so caught up in the day to day drag of everyday life that we forget to focus on the things in life that truly matter.  We almost treat each day as a "trial run" of life, and then when it starts to count, then I'll start to give everything to God, but for now- I am too busy...how many have said that? We say, for now, I'm going to do it my way...and eventually we will get around to God's way.  

I want to encourage you, as you read this, remember, no one is promised tomorrow, no one is promised their next breath, and so do not take it for granted! Remember, we truly do only have ONE life to live...and ONE life to give to God. What is holding you back from giving everything you have to God? The Bible says in John 10:10, "the Devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus says, "I have come to give YOU LIFE, and life to the FULL."  Jesus wants you to take the one life you have been given and return it back to Him as an offering to Him, and He promises us that in return, He will give us life to the FULL.  It's the promise of God. 

The next breath you are about to take is sacred, treat it that way.  The next day you are about to live is precious, treat it that way.  The ONLY life you have is precious and sacred, treat it that way. Praying for you. 

Be Blessed,

Toe's 

Wherever He leads...I'll Go!

Today is a strange day...but I know God is in total control- This past weekend we took 11 junior high students to CIY'S Believe Conference in Anderson. It was amazing- God showed up and in the lives of many- One of the songs that they sang, I had never heard before, and it hit me right where I am. Isn't it awesome how God always seems to meet us right where we are at! I wanted to share the song, and lyrics with you because they are so powerful. The Song is Wherever He Leads...

"Take up thy cross and follow Me," I heard my Master say;"I gave My life to ransom thee, Surrender your all today."Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go,I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know,And in that will I now abide, Wherever He leads I'll go.Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go,I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.It may be thru' the shadows dim, Or o'er the stormy sea,I take my cross and follow Him, Wherever He leadeth me.Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go,I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.My heart, my life, my all I bring To Christ who loves me so;he is my Master, Lord, and King, Wherever He leads I'll go.Wherever He leads I'll go, Wherever He leads I'll go,I'll follow my Christ who loves me so, Wherever He leads I'll go.

They added a bridge to the song that says, "Take up my cross and follow Me"

Will you take up HIS cross today?

Be Blessed,
Toe's

God is so good.

It is such a simple sentence with magnitudes of power.  God is so good. How often have you said that just because it was the "nice, or right" thing to say.  What a sentence that unfortinately, we, as His children throw around like its no big deal.  But the truth of that statement holds an unbelievable amount of power and truth.  

I am probably going through one of the hardest things I have ever faced in my life and it has never hit me more at how good God is.  He gives us strength that we do not deserve.  In our biggest hurts, Christ shows up the most.  In our biggest fears, Christ shows up the most.  A song that has really hit me lately is by Chris Tomlin, it is called "This is Our God" check out these lyrics... 

This is the One we have waited for
This is the One we have waited for
This is the One we have waited for
Oh mmm this is our God

A refuge for the poor
A shelter from the storm
This is our God
He will wipe away your tears
And return your wasted years
This is our God
Oh mmm this is our God
Oh mmm this is our God

A Father to the orphan
A healer to the broken
This is our God
He brings peace to our madness
And comfort in our sadness
This is our God
Oh mmm this is our God
Oh mmm this is our God

A fountain for the thirsty
A lover for the lonely
This our God
He brings glory to the humble
And crowns for the faithful
This is our God
Oh mmm this is our God
Oh mmm this is our God

THIS IS OUR GOD. WHAT A GOOD GOD HE IS!! :) Praying for you. 

Be Blessed,

Toe's 

Passion Week...

This week, in the church is more formally known as Holy Week. However, recently I heard something that made so much more sense to me and that was "Passion Week." It's not that I do not believe this week isn't Holy, it is just that I believe that this week was all about the Passion Jesus had for us. Ya know, we as followers of Jesus, want others to characterize us as passionate. Well during this week, we see an amazing example of Jesus' passion for us. This week is characterized by a few major events, if you do not already know this. Maundy Thursday is the night before Jesus' crucifixion, and He provides the Last Supper for His disciples. Obviously, on Friday, Jesus carries His cross and is crucified and three days later, He defeated the grave and rose into His rightful place in Heaven.

Now these events are all good and well, but do you really understand the passion that Jesus showed for us through these events? Jesus did not want to lose all of His friends, He did not want to be beaten and bruised. He did not want to be crucified. I mean really, who would want to be crucified? This was an amazingly hard time at the end of His life, however He knew it was the will of His father. The tricky part in all of this is we often miscontrue this and believe Jesus was only thinking of God and Himself. Y'all, if He was thinking of Himself, He would have taken Himself out of all this pain before it even started. He was 100% divine, He could have gotten Himself out of this, and logically, if it was one of us, that is probably what we have done. Indeed, He was thinking of His father, and God's will, but it is clear, in all of this Jesu's passion for US came through. HE THOUGHT OF YOU.

Let me ask you this, when you go through a tough time, when you have to ENDURE something, who do you think of? Do you think of yourself? Do you think of God? Usually we think, aw crap, why is this happening to me? Where are you in this God? Some of us might even curse God, turn away, forget Him. Let me share with you a verse that describes how Jesus felt during this Passion Week...and especially on Passion Friday...

Hebrews 12:2 says, Hebrews 12:2 “ Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him ENDURED the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Okay, so follow me here...Jesus ENDURED...he didn't enjoy the pain or the crucifixion, obviously, who would? He despised the shame. This was not an easy situation for Jesus!! He was in a really tough spot, and what we need to remember is that HE THOUGHT OF US.

And then what a glorious thing to know the power of the Resurrection of Jesus CHrist!! Without the resurrection, the cross is dead but thanks be to GOD for the SAVING power through the RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

This is an amazing weekend of events in the life of our Savior...events that radically transformed time, and our life. As you attend services this upcoming weekend remember that this week was about how passionate Jesus is about YOU. :)

Be Blessed,
Toes

The Iniquity of Us All

I was feeling a bit burdened by my sin as I was reading the Word tonight and thinking of how often I let down my Savior, and every time I feel that way it is quickly the Lord who encourages me through His Word. We truly serve a God who meets us directly where we are at! I love this passage in Isaiah where he writes...

Isaiah 53:5-6 (New International Version)

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

There is so much truth and good stuff in this scripture! It presents the beauty of what Christ did for us in a way that is redeeming!! It just really captures what Christ did for us, HIs children. Think about these words in the way we use them today- first the word pierce: we use that to describe something painful, for example if there was a piercing noise- it is a painfully scratchy or screechy noise! Or we say, "he pierced her ears" which describes the event of puncturing or creating a hole in the flesh which is exactly what happened to Christ! He had painfully taken punishment for our transgressions!! The second word- crushed: we say crushed if someone got dominated in athletics, or crushed if something got trampled on or something...once again the punishment Christ took upon Himself for us was to be crushed for our sin, for our iniquities. WoW.

Then it continues to say the punishment that brought US peace was upon Him, He provided peace for us by taking our punishment that we rightfully deserve and because of HIS wounds, his scars, his bruises....WE ARE HEALED!!!!

Verse 6 is great as well! It reinforces the first part of verse 5, but first it makes it very clear to us that we ALL, like sheep, have gone astray meaning we have strayed from the way of Christ into our own perverse lifestyles...each of us has turned to our own way forgetting Christ, and God says...the Lord has laid upon Him, the iniquity of us all...He has laid upon Himself the punishment we deserve, the sin we commit is deserving of death, but because of Christ, we are forgiven and receive by the Grace of God eternal life!!!

What a great God we serve, what an encouraging verse, what a beautiful picture of Salvation!!! Praise the Lord!!

Be Blessed,
Toes

The Motions...

I do not want to live my life going through the motions wondering what If I had given everything! I want to live everyday, giving everything I have for the Lord. There is a new song out by Matthew West, and it is called "The Motions," and I want to post the lyrics, and challenge you to truly think about them. Enjoy!

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way

I don't wanna go through the motions

Consider Jacob...

God really placed the story of Jacob and Rachel on my heart this morning as I got into my office, and almost felt like burdened today to do work, to love God. I know it is a sinful thought to feel burdened to love God, but sometimes in full time ministry, you get so worked up, it turns into a job, in stead of a passion, and for a few brief moments it was that for me this morning. However, as I opened my devotionals, and my Word, God quickly changed that.

He pointed me to Genesis where it talks about Jacob, and his desperate love for Rachel. He would do anything to have her hand in marriage and he worked for 7 years straight, but the Word tells us to Jacob, those years seemed like a few days. You remember the first time you fell in love with your spouse, it is a joyful time you would do anything for him or her, and it did not matter how long it would take. I would encourage you to consider the attitude of Jacob with your spouse daily, as well as your children!

The most important to love the way Jacob loved Rachel is Jesus!! It is not a burden to do ministry, it is not a burden to love God!! IT is a blessing!!! It is a complete Joy to be in a relationship with the REAL, LOVING GOD who showed His love for us on the cross some 2000 years ago!! Do not treat God as something that takes up your time, ENJOY LOVING THE LORD every second of everyday!!!

His yoke is Easy, and His Burden is light. Take this truth with you today- Love God as Jacob Loved Rachel. Desire God as Jacob Desired Rachel...so much so that He would do anything joyfully for her...go today, and do everything joyfully for Him!!! Praying for you!

Be Blessed,
Toe's