What Am or Was I Thinking?

Scripture

Matthew 9:1-4 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. ²Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

³At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!"

⁴Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?

Observation
Jesus has been healing people on both sides of the lake. The Religious men of the day did not like what Jesus said to the paralytic....that his sins were forgiven. Jesus did not hear them say this, but he knew their thoughts. Then he asked some rather direct questions of "these religious men". Why their hearts are evil, but on the outside they are "very religious, maybe what we would call today "Do Gooders".

Application
The question today is am I the same as the religious men? Do I look good on the outside but think evil thoughts in my heart? Evil seems like a strong word so what does that word mean. A few definitions are anger, irritability, immoral, harmful, mischief, misfortune, bad. Yep, I've thought that way. Angry about something that seems unfair to me, thinking about how I could speed up and cut that person off like they just did to me, irritable because of.....life and stuff. That is NOT the way Jesus wants me to live. Romans 12:1-2 tells me to offer my body as a living sacrifice to God, to have mind renewed by transforming the way I think and act. How is that going to happen? Exactly the way it says. I have to offer myself up to the the Father and His ways and live a pleasing life to God. Doing that will transform the way I think. Is this being a "Do-Gooder"? No, far from it. A Do-Gooder is doing things because he thinks he is supposed to be good, ie.."I just want to be a good person". But rather if I transform my mind so I think more in line with God and His Ways, then I will "do things" (whatever they are) so there is Glory given to the Father. Jesus healed to give glory to His Father, not to heap praise on himself, that is why he told people not to go around telling everyone what had just happened, BUT rather to go to the temple and give praise to God for the miracle.

So what will I be thinking about today? Because Jesus knows my thoughts, so will my thoughts bring glory to his name and kingdom, or will they be evil in nature?

Prayer
Father, You have told me that if I offer myself to you as a walking, working, living sacrifice to you wanting to please you, that that would transform and renew my mind. You know my thoughts, and I want them to display your good, pleasing and perfect will through me, instead of any evil, worthless thoughts which only shows my sin. Thank you that you care enough for me to walk with me and change me. Amen.

What Do I Believe In Today?

Scripture
Matthew 8:13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would". And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Observation
Jesus has just been approached by a centurion leader who had a sick servant, and Jesus said he would "go and heal him". But the centurion told Jesus that he knew the power of Jesus's words as he was a man of authority and that his men HAD to do what he said, and that he believed that if Jesus would just say the healing word, that the servant would be healed. Jesus recognized he strong belief, agreed with him and it was done. Jesus also used this moment as a teaching moment to demonstrate that many people will come to the table of Abraham, Issac and Jacob but in the end be thrown out into darkness because they did not really believe.

Application
So what does this mean for me? It means that through the FAITH that GOD gave me, I am capable of believing for things and Jesus honoring that belief. God is the same yesterday, today and forever so the things demonstrated in the Bible are for me today. So what should I believe for today, like the centurion? Should it be a bigger this or that, will it be something that helps me, or do I follow what the Bible says and NOT be BUILD more barns to hold "my own stuff". So today the application is for me to believe for God to work in me, through me to display HIS Glory to a hard-hearted, stuff necked generation. So today I believe that God is watching out for me, for my good, to walk in his plan so there will be glory given to him. How will that work out? It's going to be GREAT! ( As Tony the Tiger would say about Frosted Flakes)

Prayer
Father, You have given me the faith to believe for things. Thank you for such a wonderful gift. I pray that my belief's would display your ways. That the things I believe in and for, would not bring any recognition to me, but to show how greatly you care for me. Amen.

GIVE A GOAT for CHRISTMAS

GIVE A GOAT for CHRISTMAS

As many of you may recall, last year I contributed and gathered funds from all of you, to buy Goats for the Needy around the world, through World Vision. Reading in James this morning, James 2:22 "You see that his(Abraham) faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did".

So with that in mind, I would like to be the store house for anyone who would like to exercise their faith with actions and care for the needy. These are very challenging, earthly, economic times. But I believe we live in a different economy-Gods economy. There are Godly principles that will take us past the 10.2 unemployment and concern about tomorrow. I'm unemployed for more than a year along with millions of others, but I consider myself RICH compared to the rest of the world, so I need to take action and be an advocate for those who have little. Each goat is only $75.00. Goats are given to families in twos. Goats are such a blessing for the needy, as they can breed them-sell them for more money for the family, milk, fertilizer for their gardens, etc. I understand that many people may find $75.00 a real stretch. AND that is completely understood. But here is the power in coming together as a large group. If you can not buy a whole goat, then maybe you can do a little and contribute 1/2 or 1/4. That's what we did last year. With lots of people contributing a little, we raised enough money to buy 32 goats. Way to go! I will do the same as last year, as all the contributions will be made in your name so you get the tax deduction. I am just submitting them all together so we can maximize our buying by coming together.

My address is:
Warren Watson
10716 Sierra Dr. E.
Puyallup, WA 98374

So whatever you can send....THANK YOU. We can change a person, a family and maybe even a community, by blessing a family with a goat.

God Bless,
Warren

Here is some information from the World Vision Website.... about giving a Goat.

Goat

Give a goat. Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market.

A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens.

Teopista, an AIDS orphan and World Vision-sponsored child in Uganda, is proud of her first gift ever — two donated goats that will help provide her with a brighter future. “I was very happy when I got the goats,” says the 10-year-old. “They will be of use to us. We will get money from them. I thank World Vision for thinking about me, too.”

Her aunt Restetuta feels the same way. “When the goats give birth again, we will sell off some of the younger [goats],” says Restetuta. “We will use the money to buy Teopista a school uniform, books, and beddings. We can also buy food with some of the money. I thank World Vision so much for all the help they have given us … we know that those goats will be of benefit to us in future.”

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Sensitivity

Scripture
Ephesians 4:18-19 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

Observation
When I read this verse I immediately had to ask myself if I have had any hardening of my heart and a loss of sensitivity towards......everything and anything. Life seems to have a way of grinding a person down, it is easy to get cynical about things...people, work, politicians, friends, church, etc. Sometimes it is easy to fall into thinking that things are all bad, there is no hope, what will I(we) do?

Application
So I do not want my understanding in the things of God to be darkened, and my life in God to be separated by even a 1/100,000,000 of an inch because I am acting ignorant, then what do I do? The bible tells me that I need to remain sensitive and not let my heart be hardened by this life. OK how to I do that? The bible tells me in verse 23-24 to put on my new self, with my new attitude of my mind, the bible also tells me in Romans 12:2 that I need to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. I would say then that to stay sensitive and to keep my heart from being hardened, I need to be in God's word, which will keep my heart and my life pliable to the ways of God, instead of my own stiff necked thinking.

Prayer
My prayer is that I would not let my heart grow insensitive in any area of my life. As I stay in you, I will be renewed each day and be a better son for your kingdom. Amen.

Been Lavished On Today?

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Do you ever feel that way that things are being stolen from you life, that life it not full? I do. But we know that is a lie, and so lets look at Ephesians 1 and see who the Bible says we are.

Scripture
Ephesians 1
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

¹¹In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Observation

The question I have is, has life lavished on you lately? Think about it. When was the last time you felt lavished. Your job probably doesn't lavish you, traffic doesn't lavish you, paying the bills doesn't lavish you, battling obstacles in this world doesn't lavish you. BUT the GOD of the universe, my GOD, lavished me and will keep on lavishing me because I am his child. Wow. Just in this small piece of scripture it shows what God has lavished me with; he chose me, I am holy, blameless, I'm adopted, he gave me Christ, I have redemption, forgiveness, the riches of God's grace, wisdom, understanding, I'm chosen, I'm marked with a seal.

Application

What does this mean to me? To me it represents what I read the other day in Psalms 25 that God wants and has provided everything for me to walk with him. He wants me to be humble and walks with him, not me out front and God coming along with me. He has lavished me with all things so we can walk together in richness, in fullness, in peace and have life to the FULL. Daily I need to come along side God and walk with him, and maybe it is semantics but when I pray, don't pray that God would be with as I does this and that, but that I WOULD be WITH GOD as I do this and that. I takes me out of the lead and puts God in control, where he should be. Because he is the one who has lavished all things on me. Praise Him

Prayer

Father, Thank you for opening up heavens doors and pouring out, lavishing me with all things. As you state in Ephesians 2:5, I was dead in transgression, but you poured out your grace on me, so I could join you, to see you wonder, your majesty, your greatness. Help me eyes to remain on you, rather than this present distracting world. Amen.

Psalms 25

Scripture
Psalms 25:4-5 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; ⁵ guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

⁹ He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.

Observation
It's not about me and what I know, but about God in me. Humbling myself and having the ways of the Lord guide me. I need to pray this frequently. God wants to take care of me, but many times I go off on my own "road trip" thinking that will be good, when in fact God is telling me, asking me, pleading with me to have me be humble, ask Him to show me the way, for Him to teach me which path to take in a landscape filled with paths that sometimes look just the same at the beginning, and once I am on the path to not just go on my merry way but continue to ask for guidance while on the path, and while I am walking to teach me about this path and walk because my hope is in Him. God has always wanted to walk with me.. Genesis 3:8 tells me that God was walking around the Garden of Eden looking for Adam and Eve, but they chose to make their own decision and not walk the path that God had established.

Application
How often do I do what Adam and Eve do? Decide to do this or that without following the voice of the Lord, or walk down this path because it looks right-feels good? The guidance in Psalms 25 must be loud in my life. There are many voices calling me here and there, and my own will wanting this or that, but if I humble myself, keep the ways of the Lord above my ways, keep God's instruction above mine and keep all my HOPE in the Lord, I will have refuge in the Lord.

Prayer
Father, forgive me when I do not humble myself before you and ask for your teachings. I repent of my own ways and ask that your ways are the ones I walk in. I cannot hope in anyone but you, so thank you for taking care of me and walking with me in the way you have chosen for me. Amen.

Do I Accept It?

Scripture
Mark 4:20
Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it and produce a crop-thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.

Observation
Through out this portion of scripture Jesus has told us about different types of seed being sown and what happens to it, but this specific verse is the only one where He says that we "accept" the seed(the word).

Application
When I hear the word, do I accept it? I have to ask myself that question, OR do I filter it with my own thoughts, societies thoughts and ways or persuasive arguments from others? Who am I listening to, and even more...who's words am I accepting as "truth" in my life? The Bible says clearly in John 1:1 that the Word was in the beginning, the Word is with God and the Word is God. Absolutely, the Word is the only truth I should accept into my life. But the "voices in my head"-my own selfish ways/my pride/me/me/me want to twist my mind and try to justify not accepting the whole Word as truth, etc. This acceptance is shown in reality in Romans 12:2-Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. Yes. That is my desire. So what do I need to do...1. Read and meditate on God's word to get it into me, 2.Accept what I am reading unfiltered, 3. Keep renewing my mind.....through the reading and acceptance of the word.

Prayer
Father, the Word is the only truth I should accept in my life. You have given me the words of life in it, so I will continue to see your Greatness. Your Holiness is on display throughout the Bible. Let your word penetrate my life unfiltered, so that the people who are deaf and blind in this world will see your Greatness. Amen.