“Choose Your Life’s Priorities” “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”” ~ Luke 10:40 NIV There are some important lessons to be learned from this story, read Luke 10:38-42. For us to have a priority fellowship with Jesus, we may have to leave some things in our daily life undone. Jesus knew how hard the women had been working to get things prepared for His visit, but their greatest need was to spend time with Him. If we don't continually choose to make that a priority in our life, we will miss something essential He wants to teach us. Jesus invites Martha (and us) to put aside temporary concerns and choose what matters most. "Life is about choices, Some we regret, some we're proud of. Some will haunt us forever. The message: we are what we chose to be." ~Graham Brown ““Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”” ~ Luke 10:41-42 NIV Amen…

“Obeying Gods Teachings” “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform 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.” ~ Romans 12:1-2 NIV Life is full of options, and many decisions come down to a choice between God's way and ours. Since a righteous life is characterized by a focusing on the written words of our Heavenly Father, maturing and embracing His will. Though we won't live perfectly, our goal should be to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ. Obeying God's teachings is presented in scripture as a sincere expression of love, trust, and worship that brings blessings, freedom, and spiritual maturity. Today's verse outlines the commitment and steps necessary for us to develop a godly lifestyle. The Apostle Paul was teaching believers not to be conformed to the patterns of the world. We're always being influenced by other people, some of whom are not following God's ways. Our society tells us to put self first, take what we want, and promote our own interests above others! In contrast, Biblical Scripture says that our heavenly Father will provide what we truly need (Philippians 4:19), we are to deny ourselves and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23), and the humble not the proud shall receive honor (James 4:10). At the same time, Paul urged us to pursue godly transformation of our mind, to set our thoughts on things above (Colossians 3:2), and to focus on what is true, right, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8). We must also protect our mind with biblical truth and surround ourselves with daily prayer that can warn us when we start to stray. Ask yourself, Am I focusing on what is important to the God? Let the Holy Spirit empower you to make the changes necessary to be more like Christ every moment of each gifted day.

“Stop And Look For His Beauty” “I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:10-12 NIV Stop for a moment and think about if you could go anywhere in the world to see something spectacular, it probably wouldn’t be a palace or temple, which humans built. But it would most likely be a beautiful spot God has created in nature. Condé Nast Traveler frequently posts articles on the most beautiful places on earth, and the pictures are stunning, like the Zhangye National Geopark in China, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Angel Falls in Venezuela. Most of us can’t visit those spots, but we can look out our windows everyday at the sky and see the marshalling of the clouds, the formation of a flock of birds, and the green variations in the grass and trees. We need to stop and be still to understand ourselves in the context of the vast universe our Heavenly Father has made for us. We can’t truly know who we are and why we’re here until we know God’s creation. He has made everything beautiful in its time, and He wants us to appreciate His artistry. We can know God better through His majestic creation. So this coming weekend try to spend some of your prayer time in nature or with a view of it, giving thanks to God for the beauty around you. “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone, alone with the heavens, nature, and God.” ~ Anne Frank “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” ~Isaiah 40:26 NIV Amen…

The LORD is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! (NLT) -Exodus 15:3 "Sometimes we are afraid to fight because we don't believe God wants any fighting to occur. However, there is a time and place to fight. A crucial role of a warrior is knowing when to fight, when not to, and who not to fight (such as fellow believers). The Lord is a warrior and we were designed to fight alongside Him against our fears, our addictions, protecting the poor and needy, bringing justice, or sharing freedom in Christ. What battles are you fighting? Are you bringing the Lord with you to fight your battles?"

“Shaken Once More” “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”” ~ Hebrews 12:25-29 NIV We must begin everyday by acknowledging that everything, all our earthly possessions and all that we are belongs to our Creator God. The dawning of each new day is a gift from our Heavenly Father, not to be taken for granted. This earth is vibrantly alive with His blessings, giving vivid testimony to His holy Presence. If we slow down our daily pace of busy life, we can find God through His written words. Being "shaken" by God's Word is often refers to a profound, and transformative experience when His divine truth disrupts our personal complacency, shakes foundations to remove what is weak, and brings profound spiritual awakening. Shaken is viewed as a spiritual refining process to anchor believers in God's unshakable truth. Shaking is not necessarily destruction, but often an awakening designed to move us all away from false broken foundations and onto the secure, eternal foundation of God's Word not Man’s. “THE SHAKING ISN'T TO DESTROY YOU, IT'S TO REMOVE WHAT CAN'T GO WHERE GOD IS TAKING YOU.” ~UNKNOWN “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” ~Psalms 62:6 NIV Amen…