Recently, I've heard nightmares of people experiencing problems at the DMV when it's time to renew their license, or even replace a lost card. This year I have to renew my license by my birthday. In case you live outside of FL, as of January 1st, our state has made it a requirement that in order to renew your license, you need to visit the drivers license office, show proof of ID, proof of social security #, and show 2 proofs of residency(ie utility bill or some forms of mail addressed to you) in addition to the much higher fees enacted just to balance the budget. The point is, I think renewals should be smoother and not all these over the top measures that could make one go crazy. Thankfully for me, I know this ahead of time and don't need to renew until July! But lately, my thoughts have been about a spiritual renewal as I am seeking for God to renew both my life and ministry. We all go through the ups and downs of life, and I think it's great that God takes us through everything, no matter what it is, and makes it good for us (Rom. 8:28, 31)
I love how Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 - be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed (HOW?) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Certainly, our spiritual renewals are a much smoother time when we allow God to renew our minds, to make them new again - or even to have our minds refreshed and refilled by Him. God offers us FREE REFILLS! He will empty us of our old mind and refill it with the mind of Christ. This ultimately leads to a clear understanding of God's will for our lives, during which time He enables us with the ability to prove or demonstrate in our lives so that we can live acceptably in His perfect will.
Praise God for the renewing times he brings in our lives...and we can especially be thankful that he's not like the government and that when He gets done renewing us we will definitely look better than the pictures on our licenses. (we'll be transformed into the image of His Dear Son) Now that's something to PRAISE THE LORD about!
As I think about renewals, I wish to renew my desire to share my thoughts on a more regular basis and I, as always, invite your thoughts too.
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thursday, July 23, 2009
74 yrs: A LIFETIME LEGACY of LOVE
This week, I have been in Iowa visiting my wife's extended family. The main purpose for the trip up here is to celebrate Abby's grandparent's 74th wedding anniversary along with her grandpa's 94th birthday. During some free time this week, I pondered what an incredible and nearly unbelievable accomplishment it is to have been married for such a long time...literally, being married an entire lifetime. As a result of this accomplishment, I would like to dedicate this entry to Floyd and Beatrice Bridges as a way to celebrate their lifetime together and the legacy of love they have demonstrated to friends and family alike!
Grandpa was born July 21, 1915 and Grandma was born April 16, 1920. Their lives were joined together in Holy Matrimony on July 20, 1935. Through the past 74 years, they have lived through many things together. No doubt, they have faced many challenges, and they've had their fair share of difficulties along this amazing journey. However, no matter what circumstances they faced, it is obvious to me that they faced them together and faced them with an unending and unconditional love for each other and for God. It came as no surprise to me that when I asked Abby's Grandpa (Emma's Great Grandpa) what his favorite Bible verse was, he came back with two:
- John 3:16 "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"
- 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
The reason I wasn't surprised by these two selections, is that he has been married to the same woman for 74 years and in order to accomplish that there has to be 2 things present in the marriage: First, a Love that Gives (John 3:16) and secondly, A Love that Forgives (1 John 1:9).
Over these last 74 years, it is obvious that both Grandma and Grandpa have displayed this Godly love by giving to and forgiving each other and those around them.
I would like to share with you a little of the legacy that is the Bridges family.
Grandpa and Grandma Bridges have: 5 Children (4 boys and 1 girl), 14 Grandchildren (8 girls and 6 boys) and 24 Great Grandchildren (12 girls and 12 boys - ranging in age from 14 months to 22 years old - Emma is 19 months old).
Amazingly, there are over 400 years of marriage in this legacy. I find this particularly astounding, because in our society, families don't exist and last like they once did. The family unit and marriage (which were both designed by God) are both under assault like never before. Being in youth ministry, I see first hand the difficulties families go through. Husbands and wives just can't find it in them to make things work. Many times these struggles lead to decisions to split apart which adversely effects the children involved. Divorce has become so commonplace that the divorce rate is nearly the same in the church as outside the church. This is especially sad, because as believers, we have the Love of God in our lives. We ought to be leading the way in demonstrating God's Love (giving and forgiving) to the world by the way we live and by the love we show those near us - our families. In other words, because God has loved us, given to us and forgiven us, there should not be anything in our life that we can't give or forgive. Remember, God gave His all...and He forgave us ALL our sins! (A love that gives all and forgives all can withstand all!). Therefore, I believe each and every person can learn a lot from Grandma and Grandpa Bridges. The love they share with each other is Love given from God. As a result of their faithfulness to the Lord, their love of God and each other, God has blessed them with a Legacy that will most certainly last for many generations.
What can we learn? I believe Grandpa Bridges summed it up in his verses: We need to have a giving and forgiving love! God first displayed this love and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to marry into this family and see it displayed again by Grandma and Grandpa Bridges!
Congratulations Grandma and Grandpa on a LIFETIME LEGACY of LOVE!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
DEATH OF A CELEBRITY LIFE
The recent barrage of celebrity deaths certainly has members of the media running around trying to find the latest rumors and celebrity gossip about what killed who... and how they lived their final moments...and who gets their stuff... custody of Jackson's children was even questioned... all of which is certain to lead to long, drawn out legal cases and bitter disputes between surviving family members over the estates of these celebrities. These are my thoughts on celebrities, the lives they live, the deaths they die and the celebration they receive.
According to www.dictionary.com (my preferred online dictionary), the word celebrity means famous one, fame, renown and derives from the word celebration, like a festival. We as a society have elevated these "celebrities" to lives that we feel should be celebrated. Many people grow up seeking the fame, fortune and star power of having their names flashing in lights outside theaters and stadiums. If you don't believe me, watch the next season of American Idol or most any other reality show. Hollywood has generated a lifestyle that many millions would love to live. It is this lifestyle, the lifestyle of the rich and famous, that many seek after in throngs on these TV shows which provide an opportunity, regardless of how slim a chance, to become the next big star, act, dancer, whatever. [Let the record be clear: I am an avid viewer of Idol & America's Got Talent and believe them to be wildly entertaining-my DVR doesn't miss an episode of either] That being said, I see the need to point out that while society idolizes, worships and celebrates these stars as some type of super human personalities, we must remember they are humans...Besides the lifestyle they live and the $$$ they have, they are just like each of us. They were born, they breathe the same air and as the last 2 weeks have served to remind us, they also die. All people will face death one day(Heb. 9:27).
The following question was posed by Jesus: For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, also ref. Matt. 16:26) So, while we may seek after the glamor and wealth that our celebrities have attained here on earth,-when life is over for us, does any of it even matter? I'm just like you and while I never thought about such a comparison before, I'm also like Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon and all human beings on this earth. None of us know the eternal destiny of any of these stars. However, one thing is sure: they are experiencing eternity right now (2 Cor. 5:8). Regardless of how Michael Jackson lived his life, he is in eternity and He knows the truth now. As someone said, "Even the 'King of Pop' must bow to the King of Kings" The Bible says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father(Phil. 2:9-11). You see, Christ is higher than all, He is above all things and all people, including celebrities of this world.
Each of these celebrities was talented and entertaining. Truth is, if you were to break down their life into chapters, we'd find that their life was full of choices - just like ours. Due to the nature of their lives being followed by the media and paparazzi, their choices were on full display to the world, and the results of those choices were magnified. Sadly, some of their choices resulted in tragic chapters of their lives and in some instances, shorter lives. All people have many different choices to make in life. My daily choices may be different from yours and are certainly different from most Hollywood celebrities'. However, everyone, yes even Hollywood's celebrities, must make a choice about Christ in this life. The entire human race finds him or her self in one of two categories. While ethnically, culturally, geographically and religiously diverse in many different ways, scenarios, lifestyles and circumstances, we are each one of 2 kind of people: Believers or unbelievers in Christ. We've either accepted Christ as our Savior, or we haven't. That's it! If you haven't, your soul is lost and without Christ. If you die with your own soul lost, there is no profit. That's why Jesus asked rhetorically, For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? He's basically saying when we go to the grave, we will take nothing with us from this earth. We will meet our Maker and only one thing will determine our destiny: What we chose to do with Christ! I know this much, I'd much rather miss out on the riches and profit of this world in exchange for the riches of Christ for all eternity. Choose today, right now, to settle your eternal destiny so you can know for sure that even after physical death you can have eternal life with God through Christ.
How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain no matter when death comes, we will live in the presence of God forever. How can we know this for sure?
It is as simple as A-B-C:
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-
Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
You can receive Christ as your Savior by praying something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin on my own. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I believe you rose Him from the dead. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. As best I know how, I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
In closing, society and this entire world system has things all backwards. We, like celebrities live and then die - the only things that matter are what we do with and for Christ. I submit to you that a life given to Christ is a greater cause for celebration. As a matter of fact, Luke 15:10 says, the angels rejoice when one repents. Truly, a celebrity is not one who gains much on this earth, but rather one who chose to make Christ Lord of his/her life!
According to www.dictionary.com (my preferred online dictionary), the word celebrity means famous one, fame, renown and derives from the word celebration, like a festival. We as a society have elevated these "celebrities" to lives that we feel should be celebrated. Many people grow up seeking the fame, fortune and star power of having their names flashing in lights outside theaters and stadiums. If you don't believe me, watch the next season of American Idol or most any other reality show. Hollywood has generated a lifestyle that many millions would love to live. It is this lifestyle, the lifestyle of the rich and famous, that many seek after in throngs on these TV shows which provide an opportunity, regardless of how slim a chance, to become the next big star, act, dancer, whatever. [Let the record be clear: I am an avid viewer of Idol & America's Got Talent and believe them to be wildly entertaining-my DVR doesn't miss an episode of either] That being said, I see the need to point out that while society idolizes, worships and celebrates these stars as some type of super human personalities, we must remember they are humans...Besides the lifestyle they live and the $$$ they have, they are just like each of us. They were born, they breathe the same air and as the last 2 weeks have served to remind us, they also die. All people will face death one day(Heb. 9:27).
The following question was posed by Jesus: For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, also ref. Matt. 16:26) So, while we may seek after the glamor and wealth that our celebrities have attained here on earth,-when life is over for us, does any of it even matter? I'm just like you and while I never thought about such a comparison before, I'm also like Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon and all human beings on this earth. None of us know the eternal destiny of any of these stars. However, one thing is sure: they are experiencing eternity right now (2 Cor. 5:8). Regardless of how Michael Jackson lived his life, he is in eternity and He knows the truth now. As someone said, "Even the 'King of Pop' must bow to the King of Kings" The Bible says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father(Phil. 2:9-11). You see, Christ is higher than all, He is above all things and all people, including celebrities of this world.
Each of these celebrities was talented and entertaining. Truth is, if you were to break down their life into chapters, we'd find that their life was full of choices - just like ours. Due to the nature of their lives being followed by the media and paparazzi, their choices were on full display to the world, and the results of those choices were magnified. Sadly, some of their choices resulted in tragic chapters of their lives and in some instances, shorter lives. All people have many different choices to make in life. My daily choices may be different from yours and are certainly different from most Hollywood celebrities'. However, everyone, yes even Hollywood's celebrities, must make a choice about Christ in this life. The entire human race finds him or her self in one of two categories. While ethnically, culturally, geographically and religiously diverse in many different ways, scenarios, lifestyles and circumstances, we are each one of 2 kind of people: Believers or unbelievers in Christ. We've either accepted Christ as our Savior, or we haven't. That's it! If you haven't, your soul is lost and without Christ. If you die with your own soul lost, there is no profit. That's why Jesus asked rhetorically, For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? He's basically saying when we go to the grave, we will take nothing with us from this earth. We will meet our Maker and only one thing will determine our destiny: What we chose to do with Christ! I know this much, I'd much rather miss out on the riches and profit of this world in exchange for the riches of Christ for all eternity. Choose today, right now, to settle your eternal destiny so you can know for sure that even after physical death you can have eternal life with God through Christ.
How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain no matter when death comes, we will live in the presence of God forever. How can we know this for sure?
It is as simple as A-B-C:
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-
Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
You can receive Christ as your Savior by praying something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin on my own. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I believe you rose Him from the dead. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. As best I know how, I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
In closing, society and this entire world system has things all backwards. We, like celebrities live and then die - the only things that matter are what we do with and for Christ. I submit to you that a life given to Christ is a greater cause for celebration. As a matter of fact, Luke 15:10 says, the angels rejoice when one repents. Truly, a celebrity is not one who gains much on this earth, but rather one who chose to make Christ Lord of his/her life!
Be a celebrity for Christ!
This is reason to celebrate in life and in death!
Click to check out this music video of "Lose My Soul" by Toby Mac, featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa
Click to check out this music video of "Lose My Soul" by Toby Mac, featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa
Friday, October 3, 2008
I'M A BLOGGER?!
That's right, I've finally entered the world of blogging!! Look out bloggers, you have some new competition in the field! Well, there are many reasons I chose to begin a blog... I have been wanting to do so for a long time now, and I thought, it's about time I start a blog so I started the blog you are now reading... I've actually always had a desire to be an author, and have set as one of my life goals to get a book published. So, I figured I can be "honing my writing skills" in this blog! Meaning, you, the readers of my blog are test dummies! Not really, b/c there are actually other purposes for this blog. My primary focus is to Praise God for life and encourage others to do the same. Life is a gift that we have from God, and we should embrace it, thank God for giving us life and ALWAYS live our life knowing that God is the creator of life. I also started this blog to connect with others, friends of mine from my past, my present and maybe I'll meet some friends for my future! I want to be a blessing and help to people in need. This will also be a great way for my teens to keep up to date info about youth group, special events and just to share life with me. I believe we should be praising God for all His many blessings, not the least of which is LIFE!
I'm especially grateful for life today, and thinking more about life at this time in my life. As I type, my grandma is in a hospital room in Ohio fighting for her life. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night after not having any movement in her legs. As I understand it, she had a clog in her leg, which cut off circulation to other organs. The doctors have said she will not be alive for very long. Her kidneys have failed and if she does make it, she will be paralyzed. Please pray for her and my mom, cuz its her mom. I will be traveling up there later tongiht with my dad, brother and sister-in-law. Pray also for our safety while driving. This all came as a shock to me. We were definitely not expecting it, however, we take comfort in knowing that Grandma has accepted Christ as her Savior, and will be in Heaven soon! She will soon be with her husband, my grandfather whom I never knew. He died young (while my mom was still a teenager). What a reunion of two lives who fell in love on earth that will be in Heaven! Not to mention that Grandma will be with Jesus!!
One last thought to remember: Our life will come to an end at some point. It happens to everyone. Some people die young, some people last a long time, but all people will die one day and meet the Creator of Life. When you do, will you be ready? We don't know when it will be, but we know it will happen, so we should be ready for it to happen to us ANYtime. How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not die, but have everlasting life! By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain when death comes, we will live in the presence of God in heaven. How can we know for sure we will go to heaven?
It is as simple as A-B-C.
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
Jesus came on this earth to seek and to save those who were lost. Believe by praying and asking Jesus to be your Savior, and heaven will be your eternal home. You can pray something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin without your help. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
If you just prayed and trusted Chrsit as your Savior, please let me know! I would like to be in prayer for you and hope that you will be growing in Christ!
Keep on checking back, cuz I'll have more articles coming!!
In His Service,
Jared
I'm especially grateful for life today, and thinking more about life at this time in my life. As I type, my grandma is in a hospital room in Ohio fighting for her life. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night after not having any movement in her legs. As I understand it, she had a clog in her leg, which cut off circulation to other organs. The doctors have said she will not be alive for very long. Her kidneys have failed and if she does make it, she will be paralyzed. Please pray for her and my mom, cuz its her mom. I will be traveling up there later tongiht with my dad, brother and sister-in-law. Pray also for our safety while driving. This all came as a shock to me. We were definitely not expecting it, however, we take comfort in knowing that Grandma has accepted Christ as her Savior, and will be in Heaven soon! She will soon be with her husband, my grandfather whom I never knew. He died young (while my mom was still a teenager). What a reunion of two lives who fell in love on earth that will be in Heaven! Not to mention that Grandma will be with Jesus!!
One last thought to remember: Our life will come to an end at some point. It happens to everyone. Some people die young, some people last a long time, but all people will die one day and meet the Creator of Life. When you do, will you be ready? We don't know when it will be, but we know it will happen, so we should be ready for it to happen to us ANYtime. How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not die, but have everlasting life! By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain when death comes, we will live in the presence of God in heaven. How can we know for sure we will go to heaven?
It is as simple as A-B-C.
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
Jesus came on this earth to seek and to save those who were lost. Believe by praying and asking Jesus to be your Savior, and heaven will be your eternal home. You can pray something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin without your help. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
If you just prayed and trusted Chrsit as your Savior, please let me know! I would like to be in prayer for you and hope that you will be growing in Christ!
Keep on checking back, cuz I'll have more articles coming!!
In His Service,
Jared
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