How To Retire Rich

I received this from my friend, Steve Jones, from Vero Christian Church and I wanted to share it with you:

Luke 12:33 - "Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in Heaven!"

How much money have you saved for your retirement? Nothing? One thousand dollars? One-hundred thousand dollars? Are you worried that you won't have enough? Wait a minute...I wasn't referring to your retirement here on Earth. I was referring to the next life we will live in Heaven. We have "put away" a nest-egg in Heaven equal to the amount of money we have given away here on earth. "Steve, what good will that be?" I don't know...but Jesus, our portfolio manager, seems to think it's important.

I pray today that you will give it away. Please pray that for me.

Lessons Learned In a Ghetto In Guatemala

Lessons Learned In a Ghetto In Guatemala:
(Lalimonada Valley is pictured to the right / La Paz church is pictured below)

1. You can go to Heaven from anywhere on earth.
2. God’s Word will work in any situation if you put it forth.
3. My worship is anemic compared to their passion for our Jesus.
4. They love their children and want the best for them, as well.
5. This world is not my home.
6. Color, language, nationality do not matter - Revelation 7:9
   
7. Prayer, depending on God as your only source, still works amazingly well.
8. God’s spirit is everywhere that He is welcome.
9. Sin has done a number on people.
10. Jesus is still enough – Acts 4:12.

What Luis Taught Me

In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that we are saved by the blood of Jesus as we put our faith in His completed work. Yet, we read in Matthew 25:34-39 Jesus' words about judgment. Our works don't save us, they just reveal who we really are in Christ!

Luis (pictured to the right) recently became a follower of Jesus. He is 59 years old and has slept on the ground outside in the rain for 25 years. The photo below shows Luis in front of his new home, along with Mark White, John Ward, Gil Ward, and Chuck Strasser. Luis lives in LaLimonada, a ghetto in Guatemala City with 60,000 others that have been forgotten by most of the world. Jesus asks, "When did you see me in need?"

Prayers of a Child

I am inspired by the love for our Lord that I see in the youth at Tomoka Christian. Here is a heartfelt prayer from one of our elementary school students, Jenna.

Dear Heavenly Father, I just ask your blessings upon our family. Keep us safe and in Your presence, Lord. Spill out your Word in our hearts so that we will not sin against you, Lord, and that you will give us power to spread the Word of God. In your precious name we pray. Amen.

“And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

What's wrong with God's people?

When we read the first three verses of Deuteronomy 3, we see that Israel conquered a kingdom that was led by a giant name Og. There have been times, like in this story, when God's people talked to giants. Other times it’s just the opposite. It seems we sometimes hide from the giants in our life.

Being a giant slayer appeals to me! But what are our giants? They are unbelief, addiction, or unrepented sin. We need to recapture the spirit of God when Israel defeated Og, or when David conquered Goliath, or when the Church took on the known world. It is high time that we put our faith to the test!

Jesus told us in John 10:10 that He came to give us abundant life. Many are missing the abundant spiritual life because they will not face down and defeat the giants of their life.

Do you have giants in your life that you need to tackle? Well, what are you waiting for? They grow bigger with each day!

A Walk in the Woods

A hike is big adventure for girls who are age 3 and 9. The two set off with their Dad, not knowing what to expect.

Stopping at a couple of spots, we walked a little and saw the river — yet it was not what we were looking for in this particular adventure. We kept going and found another spot off Highbridge Road as we walked (I carried my youngest daughter) and we laughed and prayed. It was one of those special experiences in life that has to be created — but it is not hard to create them.

In the middle of our walk on the sand, half a mile from civilization was an old, rusting engine. I cannot imagine how it got there, yet I am certain someone put it there.

As I wondered about that engine, I was reminded about creation. As Christ followers, we celebrate the creation that we are certain was put here by the Almighty.

In the end, it seemed to my daughters that the best part was just being on an adventure with Dad. From my perspective, it was a memory and a teaching moment. It reminded me how much I enjoy being with my children — made even more special by their adoption into our family and for all of us to be with our eternal Father.