Have you ever heard of the quote, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them?” Everyone lies. Sorry to be blunt, but it is true. Whether it was in your past or is still in your day-today life, you’ve lied. People cover their situations and twist their story to benefit themselves. By all means, who is ever gonna know except for me, right? Wrong.
For this devotional I’m using text from Acts 5:1-11:
“1 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2 He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” 5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. 6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” 9 And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” 10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.”
After reading this, does it remind you of someone you know? Does it remind you of yourself? Every day Satan is at work, filling peoples’ hearts just as he filled the hearts of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. Ananias and Sapphira were not thinking about God, but were thinking about money.
Believers and non-believers all know earthly life does not last forever (All part of God’s design). Know that if you are trying to hide something from just one person or from a whole classroom of people, God knows! Why risk your salvation for temporary earthly pleasure (lying to get: money, girls, guys, etc.)?
Last thing I want to mention is from the last sentence from the reading (Acts 5:11):
“Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.”
God’s mercy is beyond what anyone could ever imagine. He is patient and He is just. He knows your heart and He is willing to forgive no matter where you are in life, but don’t wait. Don’t be the one who waits until you stand before your Creator, continuing to lie to cover things up – the time is now.
God Bless
Bobby C.
About Me
- shannonlynn
- I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!
Our Value to God = PRICELESS!
"Allow God to place His own values." - A.W. Tozer
Saturday, December 11, 2010
One Ear Toward Heaven
Isaiah 30:21
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
Today while traveling to Fort Myers, Florida to visit my dad and stepmom, I had the opportunity to hear from God through the sweetest elderly couple, Bill and Phyllis. Once I was sitting down and reading Bill Hybel’s “The Power of a Whisper,” the older man asked me if I knew Bill, the Christian author. Apparently he knew a number of Christian authors and was a retired pastor for a Baptist church.
After talking for a short time, Bill (the older man sitting next to me) spoke some great Truths into my life that I feel are worth sharing. The first thing he said was, “Forgiveness is giving up all hope of changing the past.” He then continued to remind me of the famous quote that says, “Love like you have never been hurt.” Bill went on to say that this is how the Lord loves us. No matter how many times we hurt Him or turn our backs and walk away from Him, He is always faithful and His love never changes.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 reminds us of this unconditional and sacrificial love:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
I am still in awe of this God-orchestrated meeting!! It came at just the perfect time! God seems to do that – always putting the right people in our lives at the right time! :) I had just been reading about shutting out the distractions in life so we can hear the Lord’s still small voice and then this couple came into my life!
“Live in every circumstance of life with one ear toward Heaven.” – Billy Hybels, The Power of a Whisper
As Bill Hybels writes in his book, God did not just speak during creation and throughout the course of biblical days, but He also speaks to us today. My experience of meeting Bill and Phyllis is evidence of this Truth. So this week I challenge us to open our hearts to the Lord and turn one ear toward Heaven. And once we hear from Him, I dare us to have the guts to respond.
God Bless!
<3 Shannon
“Take My Hand” – Shawn McDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kg-ZJ1n0AU
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”
Today while traveling to Fort Myers, Florida to visit my dad and stepmom, I had the opportunity to hear from God through the sweetest elderly couple, Bill and Phyllis. Once I was sitting down and reading Bill Hybel’s “The Power of a Whisper,” the older man asked me if I knew Bill, the Christian author. Apparently he knew a number of Christian authors and was a retired pastor for a Baptist church.
After talking for a short time, Bill (the older man sitting next to me) spoke some great Truths into my life that I feel are worth sharing. The first thing he said was, “Forgiveness is giving up all hope of changing the past.” He then continued to remind me of the famous quote that says, “Love like you have never been hurt.” Bill went on to say that this is how the Lord loves us. No matter how many times we hurt Him or turn our backs and walk away from Him, He is always faithful and His love never changes.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 reminds us of this unconditional and sacrificial love:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
I am still in awe of this God-orchestrated meeting!! It came at just the perfect time! God seems to do that – always putting the right people in our lives at the right time! :) I had just been reading about shutting out the distractions in life so we can hear the Lord’s still small voice and then this couple came into my life!
“Live in every circumstance of life with one ear toward Heaven.” – Billy Hybels, The Power of a Whisper
As Bill Hybels writes in his book, God did not just speak during creation and throughout the course of biblical days, but He also speaks to us today. My experience of meeting Bill and Phyllis is evidence of this Truth. So this week I challenge us to open our hearts to the Lord and turn one ear toward Heaven. And once we hear from Him, I dare us to have the guts to respond.
God Bless!
<3 Shannon
“Take My Hand” – Shawn McDonald
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kg-ZJ1n0AU
I Believe
I believe in a God that is faithful and just. Whose presence I long to remain in. His love everlasting and grace that reaches the Heavens. He can't help but love and nurture His children. Like an earthly father, our Heavenly Father cares enough to discipline us when we need correction, guide us when we are lost, and protect us when we seek shelter. He is a tree that cannot wither and a voice that cannot be shaken. Our different types of laughs, personalities, and sense of humors all express our Lord's creative and diverse nature. When the storms come He remains strong, willing and able to rescue us when we seek Him. Let us praise God for He is good!
The Role of The Church
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 18:10
The other day I listened to a great sermon on LifeChurch.tv. It was called, “Stop Acting Like a Christian and Be One.” The speaker made some great points about God’s intent for His Church.
“When The Church stops BEING The Church, and The Church just starts DOING Church on a Sunday…when we just start going through the motions of some boring, religious ritual or obligation…and stop being engaged in what Jesus is passionate about, then we’ve just become a dead, empty, monument – nothing more than just a ritualistic kind of building that someone goes to and just goes through the motions.”
She went on to say that we need to make sure our heart beats for the same thing that God’s heart beats for and that is for a lost and a broken world. Luke 18:10 (the Bible verse posted above) emphasizes this point. John 3:16 also shows us who God is passionate about. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Since God’s heart is for the lost and broken, we should also tune our hearts to the needs of the least of these. In Matthew 25:40, God says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” May we humble ourselves before the Lord, start BEING The Church, and love the “whosoevers.”
God bless,
Shannon
“Your Love” – Brandon Heath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfc9y7X3zog
The other day I listened to a great sermon on LifeChurch.tv. It was called, “Stop Acting Like a Christian and Be One.” The speaker made some great points about God’s intent for His Church.
“When The Church stops BEING The Church, and The Church just starts DOING Church on a Sunday…when we just start going through the motions of some boring, religious ritual or obligation…and stop being engaged in what Jesus is passionate about, then we’ve just become a dead, empty, monument – nothing more than just a ritualistic kind of building that someone goes to and just goes through the motions.”
She went on to say that we need to make sure our heart beats for the same thing that God’s heart beats for and that is for a lost and a broken world. Luke 18:10 (the Bible verse posted above) emphasizes this point. John 3:16 also shows us who God is passionate about. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Since God’s heart is for the lost and broken, we should also tune our hearts to the needs of the least of these. In Matthew 25:40, God says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” May we humble ourselves before the Lord, start BEING The Church, and love the “whosoevers.”
God bless,
Shannon
“Your Love” – Brandon Heath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfc9y7X3zog
God's Plan - written by Bobby
I read through Jeremiah 1 and I was blown away! It really hit the spot if you ever feel your life is like living on a roller coaster. Something very important that everyone needs to realize is that we serve the same God that Jeremiah served, We are praying to the same God as Jeremiah, and most of all our God that walks with us each and every day is the same God that walked with Jeremiah. In this message it talks about Jeremiah thinking he was too young to speak the word of God. A lot of people think the very same thing. Society does have it as the older are much wiser and have lived longer so why would they take advise from younger individuals. Why? because thats the norm. Its not written in any text that older individuals are always right and younger individuals are always wrong.
The Holy Bible is Gods word. It prophesies so many things long before we were even born. Even way before Jeremiah was born. In this message it talks about trusting our God completely with all of our heart, all of our mind, and all of our soul. God’s word says that all throughout the Bible old/new testament and He promises He will be with you and protect you for He will fulfill his plan.
We are Gods plan. Let me repeat this.... We are God’s plan. God knows everyone who he puts in and out of life. He knows every struggle there has ever been. He knows every move you are taking and will take in the future. He knows your heart. For it was in his plan for you to be alive right where you are at. He knew he was going to send Jesus into the world for his plan was to have you alive right now, to spread the Good News of hope. To Glorify His name. To boast about the everlasting God.
One day you are going to give account for your life. Are you going to tell God you were to young or not wise enough to talk to people about the One who put you into this world, or are you going to take the leap out of any comfort zone and know that God has a hold of you?
God Bless
Bobby C.
Jeremiah 1-15
Jeremiah son of Hilkiah.
The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. The Lords messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son.
The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in you mother’s womb. Before you were born i set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nation.”
-”O Sovereign Lord,” I said,” I cant speak for you! I’m too young.!”
The Lord replied,”Don’t say i’m too young, for you must go wherever i send you and say whatever I tell you and don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,” Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.
- Then the Lord said to me “ Look Jeremiah! what do you see? And I replied,” I see a branch from an almond tree.” and the Lord said,” that’s right, and it means that I am watching, and i will certainly carry out all my plans. Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked,”What do you see now? And i replied,” I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.” “Yes,” the Lord said,”for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdom of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord have spoken.
The Holy Bible is Gods word. It prophesies so many things long before we were even born. Even way before Jeremiah was born. In this message it talks about trusting our God completely with all of our heart, all of our mind, and all of our soul. God’s word says that all throughout the Bible old/new testament and He promises He will be with you and protect you for He will fulfill his plan.
We are Gods plan. Let me repeat this.... We are God’s plan. God knows everyone who he puts in and out of life. He knows every struggle there has ever been. He knows every move you are taking and will take in the future. He knows your heart. For it was in his plan for you to be alive right where you are at. He knew he was going to send Jesus into the world for his plan was to have you alive right now, to spread the Good News of hope. To Glorify His name. To boast about the everlasting God.
One day you are going to give account for your life. Are you going to tell God you were to young or not wise enough to talk to people about the One who put you into this world, or are you going to take the leap out of any comfort zone and know that God has a hold of you?
God Bless
Bobby C.
Jeremiah 1-15
Jeremiah son of Hilkiah.
The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. The Lords messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son.
The Lord gave me this message: “I knew you before I formed you in you mother’s womb. Before you were born i set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nation.”
-”O Sovereign Lord,” I said,” I cant speak for you! I’m too young.!”
The Lord replied,”Don’t say i’m too young, for you must go wherever i send you and say whatever I tell you and don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,” Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.
- Then the Lord said to me “ Look Jeremiah! what do you see? And I replied,” I see a branch from an almond tree.” and the Lord said,” that’s right, and it means that I am watching, and i will certainly carry out all my plans. Then the Lord spoke to me again and asked,”What do you see now? And i replied,” I see a pot of boiling water, spilling from the north.” “Yes,” the Lord said,”for terror from the north will boil out on the people of this land. Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdom of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord have spoken.
Warnings from Paul
Here is a devotional written by my amazing boyfriend :)
Have you ever took the time to research all the different religions there are in the world? The number is growing everyday. Reasons for this range from following in parent/relatives footsteps to even popularity. On top of all the religions in the world there are many people that don’t even believe in a God and claim to rely on science itself. I could go on and talk about all the different denominations and what they believe in, but that isn’t the point. The point is that a lot of people lose sight of who God is. Have you ever been in a conversation with a person who thinks he/she has it all together and tells you how things run in the world? I know I can relate to that personally.
Biblically speaking so did Paul as he warns the Churches of Galatia.
Galatians 1:6-10: I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: Of anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Paul, an apostle was not appointed an apostle by any group of people or any human authority. Paul was called by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.( Galatians1:1)
What was then is still today. There are places you can go today where pleasing the people instead of God is the only reason why they stay open. There are places that twist the Truth, not only twisting the Holy Bible around, but also their own religion around to fit their needs. It is also true for many non-Christ followers that focus on science, yet it was early scientist such as:Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, and Galileo who thought their belief in God made it easier to do science. All these different practices constantly change. Playing the favoritism card and changing their own beliefs day by day. I agree that today is not the same as yesterday, but God’s word always stays the same. He knows every situation you have been in and will be in the future. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.(Revelation 22:13)
No matter where you are in your life know that God is waiting on you to call upon him alone. No human can say or do what God has already done for you.
God Bless
Bobby C.
Have you ever took the time to research all the different religions there are in the world? The number is growing everyday. Reasons for this range from following in parent/relatives footsteps to even popularity. On top of all the religions in the world there are many people that don’t even believe in a God and claim to rely on science itself. I could go on and talk about all the different denominations and what they believe in, but that isn’t the point. The point is that a lot of people lose sight of who God is. Have you ever been in a conversation with a person who thinks he/she has it all together and tells you how things run in the world? I know I can relate to that personally.
Biblically speaking so did Paul as he warns the Churches of Galatia.
Galatians 1:6-10: I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ. Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: Of anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed. Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Paul, an apostle was not appointed an apostle by any group of people or any human authority. Paul was called by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.( Galatians1:1)
What was then is still today. There are places you can go today where pleasing the people instead of God is the only reason why they stay open. There are places that twist the Truth, not only twisting the Holy Bible around, but also their own religion around to fit their needs. It is also true for many non-Christ followers that focus on science, yet it was early scientist such as:Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, and Galileo who thought their belief in God made it easier to do science. All these different practices constantly change. Playing the favoritism card and changing their own beliefs day by day. I agree that today is not the same as yesterday, but God’s word always stays the same. He knows every situation you have been in and will be in the future. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.(Revelation 22:13)
No matter where you are in your life know that God is waiting on you to call upon him alone. No human can say or do what God has already done for you.
God Bless
Bobby C.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
It’s All About Him
Colossians 3:23,24 – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Last week I had the craziest dream! I will spare you the unimportant details, but I had a “Samuel moment” – I felt God speak to me through a dream (see 1 Samuel 3). My dream was about giving glory to God and how we should remember that the life that we are living should be a role in God’s story.
Since I woke up at 3am from my dream and the sermon I had fallen asleep to had somehow replayed itself in the middle of the night, I decided to stay up and listen to the entire sermon again. It was so neat, because God had revealed certain Truths and Bible verses in my dream that related to the sermon, but were not word for word what the pastor (Louie Giglio) said. I ended up writing 4 pages of notes on the sermon, but I will give you the main points that stuck out to me to keep this devotional short and sweet:
God created us on Day 6 of Creation. This shows that He already had His story up and running before we were even created. Therefore, we cannot think of life in terms of living our story and letting God be a part of it, but rather it is God’s story. Whether we choose to follow and obey Him, He is still going to fulfill His will as He planned long before we were born. [It’s all about Him.]
When considering what God’s will is for our lives, we must start with God. By putting God first, we see that God’s will for our lives is God’s will, period. We were created to bring Him glory, not ourselves, and live for Him. We were not on the first page of the story. God invites us into His story.
We need to understand God before we can start thinking about ourselves and our journey. We must lean into God’s story with everything we are if we want to get God’s best for our lives. God is not waiting for our vote to support His will. He is already committed to His will with or without our support. God is going somewhere – let’s be in on where He’s going.
There is no glory but God’s glory.
Go to where God’s story needs to be told and tell it! Stop trying to make a story for yourself. Let’s tell His story until the day we see Him. We don’t have to wait until we get out of school, get a job, or find a partner. We can join God’s story right now! And when we do join His story, lives will be changed!!
Let us move our glory aside and move our heart with His. Join His Church and serve it with everything you’ve got! Look up and consider most people do not know the Gospel – figure out what you can do about it today. Ask God to help you live a holy life. Open a bank account to “The Ultimate Party” (in Heaven) and start putting money into it.
And finally, let us ask ourselves, “What is God’s will,” and then start doing it! :)
I pray that today we will be like Samuel and make the commitment to say, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening,” and then obediently follow His calling. May we be so filled up with awe of all that God is doing and all that He is, that our relationships will be overflowing with love and compassion.
God bless!
<3 Shannon
“Glory to God Forever” – Fee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64opCwLZCw
1 Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Last week I had the craziest dream! I will spare you the unimportant details, but I had a “Samuel moment” – I felt God speak to me through a dream (see 1 Samuel 3). My dream was about giving glory to God and how we should remember that the life that we are living should be a role in God’s story.
Since I woke up at 3am from my dream and the sermon I had fallen asleep to had somehow replayed itself in the middle of the night, I decided to stay up and listen to the entire sermon again. It was so neat, because God had revealed certain Truths and Bible verses in my dream that related to the sermon, but were not word for word what the pastor (Louie Giglio) said. I ended up writing 4 pages of notes on the sermon, but I will give you the main points that stuck out to me to keep this devotional short and sweet:
God created us on Day 6 of Creation. This shows that He already had His story up and running before we were even created. Therefore, we cannot think of life in terms of living our story and letting God be a part of it, but rather it is God’s story. Whether we choose to follow and obey Him, He is still going to fulfill His will as He planned long before we were born. [It’s all about Him.]
When considering what God’s will is for our lives, we must start with God. By putting God first, we see that God’s will for our lives is God’s will, period. We were created to bring Him glory, not ourselves, and live for Him. We were not on the first page of the story. God invites us into His story.
We need to understand God before we can start thinking about ourselves and our journey. We must lean into God’s story with everything we are if we want to get God’s best for our lives. God is not waiting for our vote to support His will. He is already committed to His will with or without our support. God is going somewhere – let’s be in on where He’s going.
There is no glory but God’s glory.
Go to where God’s story needs to be told and tell it! Stop trying to make a story for yourself. Let’s tell His story until the day we see Him. We don’t have to wait until we get out of school, get a job, or find a partner. We can join God’s story right now! And when we do join His story, lives will be changed!!
Let us move our glory aside and move our heart with His. Join His Church and serve it with everything you’ve got! Look up and consider most people do not know the Gospel – figure out what you can do about it today. Ask God to help you live a holy life. Open a bank account to “The Ultimate Party” (in Heaven) and start putting money into it.
And finally, let us ask ourselves, “What is God’s will,” and then start doing it! :)
I pray that today we will be like Samuel and make the commitment to say, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening,” and then obediently follow His calling. May we be so filled up with awe of all that God is doing and all that He is, that our relationships will be overflowing with love and compassion.
God bless!
<3 Shannon
“Glory to God Forever” – Fee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64opCwLZCw
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