Love From Above

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:2

The post “Undivided Devotion” was about Paul’s warnings to the Corinthian church about being separated from full devotion to God.  Marriage can cause this to happen because the things of this world become much more important when we are trying to pay the bills, raise children, do chores around the house, or put time into other concerns of life.

At the same time though, marriage and family relationships can give us opportunities to make an impact on our world in amazing ways. But it takes putting our attention on God and His presence. By putting Him first, the rest of our challenges in life work out.

Our Creator has unlimited resources and can handle our yesterdays and our tomorrows so we can simply concentrate on today. When we worship, we are giving God the one thing He can’t give us; our time.

During worship, we are expressing how valuable He is in our life. So give Him four minutes of your time today. Take in the information given in the song Fix My Eyes by King & Country. Keep your eyes on the ONE who can make all things possible. Be focused today on the main thing … what matters most and realize how you’ve been blessed with the gift of love from above.

Index of devotionals

Focus

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

As pointed out in the post “Attention on the Principles Taught”, we all have one thing in common. God is maker of us all so let us put our attention on the principles taught by His Son and we will have what we need to succeed. Let us fix our eyes on what is unseen; never changing and eternal. Earthly struggles last a short time compared to God’s path that leads to eternal peace and eternal bliss.

In the book Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald, an idea is given to develop a series of codes (keywords) that will help organize your thoughts and ideas. As we read, listen to music, watch movies, or talk with people throughout life, document thoughts and ideas by organizing according to these keywords. For example from the song Fix My Eyes by King & Country, below are some thoughts we can document for the key word focus (Focus on God):

Love like I’m not scared

Give when it’s not fair

Live life for another

Take time for a brother

Fight for the weak ones

Speak out for freedom

Find faith in the battle

Stand tall and above it all

Index of devotionals

Putting God First

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:2

One of the main questions I tried to answer within the post “Responsible To Each Other” was how do we put God first in the future? After reading the passage and giving it some thought, the best way to answer the question is by putting God FIRST in our finances, our interests, our relationships, and in our time.  Like the song Fix My Eyes by King & Country, we should fix our eyes on the things of God.

I remember a while back when I drove to work and saw a double rainbow in the sky. I got out of my truck and started walking up the hill to the office when I realized that I left my badge in my truck so I walked back to my truck and noticed the rainbow again.

This time, I took a few seconds to aim my smart phone to get a picture of the rainbow. If we focus on God’s beauty, we are able to make it through anything and realize that at the end of the rainbow of life, there is a pot of gold because those who give up what’s in the world and follow Christ, receive eternal riches in the kingdom of God.

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ONE True God

I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from …the place of your slavery. You must not have any other god but me. - Exodus 20:2-3

The first battle at Ai was not a success because Joshua and the Israelites were not in sync with God. They lacked gratefulness and they lacked focus. Sometimes we do not appreciated what we have as much when things are going good and we lose our focus.

In our technological world today, all the systems must be in sync to operate correctly. It’s the same with our spiritual life. Sometimes we just need to be synced up to the ONE that provides what we need; the ONE True God.

I hope today’s song I Am by Mark Schultz will get you synced up with our Creator and I hope the victories will keep coming your way today.

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Acknowledge Greatness

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. - Hosea 6:3

Technology has been developed so that we can communicate with each other on the other side of the world but at the same time, humanity can be a fool in not acknowledging God’s part in making the world amazing. Such was the case when I shared in the post “Evidence of His Existence”.

When God is present, we have purpose, teamwork, and integrity. Without a focus on God, there is corruption and failure. This day with God, let us see Him around us and acknowledge His greatness. As we go throughout the day, let us give thanks.

To gain momentum to an amazing day, receive inspiration from this video highlighting God’s amazing world: God’s Beautiful Creation, Awesome Scenery – Creation Calls by Brian Doerksen.

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Choose Good News

In the post Creating Order, some thoughts were shared about the Ten Commandments. God wants the best for us but history tells us that humanity focuses more on the things of the world rather than the “Good News” of God. When we pay attention to the world, disorder expands to fill the void of human failure. When we pay attention to God, order fills the void with greatness.

Distraction steals our heart from God. Worry and the senseless noise of the phone, television, and the bad news of the world can get us down. Each of us could use more of God’s “Good News”. Here’s an uplifting video that inspires this thought: Stop the World – Matthew West

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. – Colossians 3:2

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Sharing Our Experiences Along The Journey

A lesson from the post He is with Us Along this Journey is that there are interesting and amazing events to witness as we walk with the Lord daily. May we all be excited to tell others about our experiences along this journey!

Keep looking for Christ. Each book you read; each movie/show you see; each conversation you have; each song you hear can have a lesson that God wants you to learn and in turn share with others.

Today’s video is about opening our eyes and seeing Christ at work around us: Jesus in Disguise – Brandon Heath.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. - Psalm 16:8

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Be A Believer In The Redeemer

In the post Total Attention on the Mission, written about was that Pilate and Herod did not find a reason to crucify Jesus. Pilate did what was politically correct in his day and time. In order to keep his job as a politician, he took the easy way out by doing what the people wanted.

In present times, we face the same situations. The world wants to convince us that God is not who He says He is but as we go through each day; taking walks and feeling the fresh breeze hitting our face and hearing the sounds of night that sooths our soul, we know the world is telling a lie and the ONE who created the breeze and unique music of the night is telling us the truth.

As we go through life, things can get messy but God is there to help us pick up the messes. The Redeemer makes everything new and provides for our final victory. This day with God, celebrate with this inspiring video: The Redeemer – Sanctus Real.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. - Psalm 16:8

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God Cares For You

Even under tough times, we can look forward to brighter days ahead. What we need to do is continue to get prepared, be confident, and have inner peace because the kingdom of God is within our hearts.

No one is too young or old; too weak or strong; Start now to do the thing that you are really good at and don’t believe the lie when others want to discourage. Every day has a lesson or a piece of history that can be used to learn and share with others.

Gain your edge for the day by getting your thinking toward the things of God. Think of what good things are going your way, build momentum, and focus on one task at a time. Most of all as the video All the People Said Amen – Matt Maher explains, give thanks to the Lord! Amen.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

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Focus on the Lessons Taught by Jesus

The lessons taught by Jesus never change and are applicable today just as they were during the time He walked in the flesh on earth. The way to get to heaven is to accept Jesus as Savior; to be connected to and internalize these guiding principles taught by Christ. Then noticing those in need; being the hands and feet of God to assist with their needs. Here’s a video that inspires these qualities: Fix My Eyes – King & Country.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrew 12:1-2

Index of devotionals

Seal the Deal by Obeying His Way

There is a cost to being a Disciple as I explained in the post Being Disciplined to Follow. The key is to determine if you’re willing to pay the price. Remember, there is freedom in obeying God’s way because He cares for us and understands our needs.

Stay focused on the ultimate victory. Taking action will seal the deal by using the high quality principles of faith, hope, and love.  Ultimately, our life will be lost unless we surrender all to Jesus which brings the ultimate victory of eternal life. Here’s a video that highlights this plan God has for us: I Surrender All – Oslo Gospel Choir.

 

But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold. – Job 23:10

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Feeding the Soul with Thoughts of a Believer

In the post Ready for His Return at all Times I wrote about the need to pay attention to our spiritual health; getting ready for each day by feeding our souls with healthy thoughts and using our abilities to glorify God. At the end of each day, we should reflect on the good or bad things of the day to draw lessons from which to share with others.

We should pay attention to get things in order, get pride out of the way, admit our faults, and accept Jesus as Savior. Like predicting the weather, use discernment to see what God is doing. Get ready, get settled with the Lord, and prepared for the battle ahead. Here is a video to feed our soul with thoughts of a believer: Fix My Eyes on You – King and Country.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. - Psalm 16:8

You Can Keep The “F” and I’ll Keep My Dream

In anything we do, there should be a purpose. I once heard a story about a grammar lesson in eighth grade. The teacher said, "Paul, give me a sentence with a direct object." Paul replied, "Everyone thinks you are the best teacher in the school." "Thank you, Paul," responded the teacher, "but what is the object?" "To get the best mark possible," said Paul”.

When we have a purpose, it reduces frustration and keeps us on a steady course. Our motivation is increased by making our life meaningful and giving us a hopeful future. We are able to concentrate on a target and teamwork is easier because there is cooperation to proceed in the same direction.

A baseball coach once made the statement that hitting is about 90% mental. I remember a story my high school baseball coach told our team the day before a tournament. He gave a talk to the team about a golfer that was sick. He would lay in his bed dreaming about playing golf. In his dreams he would always see himself hitting the perfect shot. This went on for several weeks as he played rounds of golf in his head. When he got over his sickness several weeks later, he was able to go out to the golf course and shoot his best round of golf ever.

Most athletes see in their mind the accomplishment of their dream. Have you ever seen a track athlete focus on the finish line as they warm up for the 100 meter sprint or a high jumper as they focus on clearing the bar? Just like a track and field athlete trying to win a race or jump far and high, we can see ourselves winning in our marriages, our professions, or our businesses. In the movie “Field of Dreams” there is a voice “If you build it, they will come”. The voice inspires the building of a baseball field.

From the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” By Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, revealed to us is the importance of having a dream and sticking to it. The story is about a group on a retreat at a horse ranch in Southern California. To start the activities, the owner of the ranch tells a story of a boy in high school who had to write a school paper. This boy’s family was always moving because his father was a horse trainer and they would move from ranch to ranch; wherever there was work. Since it was the boy’s senior year, the paper assigned by the teacher to all his students was on the topic, “What do you want to be when you grow up”. Many students were going their separate ways either off to college, to the military, or straight into a career so the teacher was wondering what their dreams were.

The boy began at once to write a seven page paper. Within the paper, he told of a dream of owning a 200-acre ranch where he would train horses. He was so excited about writing the paper that he took the extra time to draw sketches of the ranch, the buildings, and stables. He then drew detailed floor plans for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on the dream ranch.

He handed in the paper with confidence but two days later the teacher gave back the paper with a big fat “F”. The teacher explained to the boy that this was an unrealistic dream because he had come from an itinerant family who had no resources. The teacher explained that a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land and pay for the original breeding stock. The teacher told him to rewrite the paper with a more realistic dream and resubmit the paper.

The boy thought about it for a week before finally going to the teacher with these words, “You can keep the “F” and I’ll keep my dream.”

The owner and speaker then paused for a few seconds, looked at the assembled group, and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000 square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch”. He said, “I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two summers ago that teacher who gave me the “F” brought 30 kids just like you to this ranch.” When the teacher left to go home, he said, “look Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kid’s dreams. Fortunately you had enough guts not to give up on yours.”

What is a dream of yours? Let me know of past, present, or future dreams you have had. Do you have any dreams or ideas that would make your neighborhood, community, state or nation a better place?

What if small groups led by leaders within neighborhoods started gathering together to share ideas. There may be some concerned about family issues that could team up together. With both parents working in most families in today’s world, it is hard to find time for things like grocery shopping and helping with the kid’s homework. Could these neighborhoods unite with the purpose of sharing ideas and developing resources that could help? How about the culture fight families have to take on? Many entertainment goliaths with profit as the number one priority feed our kids minds with negative thoughts. Could neighborhood groups brainstorm to take on these Giants in entertainment and be our David in a culture of Goliaths? They could work together to filter out what’s bad but highlight the good.

One area that neighborhood groups could start talking about is the tremendous increase in cost of living. Food prices are on the rise, gas prices keep going up, and property taxes going up even while market value of homes go down. Will neighborhoods make a stand? The stories above tell me that dreams can come true. Never let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. Here is a video to inspire your day: Truly Inspiring - It'll Make You Smile -Kristina Rocco.



Thanks for reading this blog. I'd like to invite you to take a look at my other blogs at the links below:
This Day With God
Step Ahead