Novitiate (2 Peter 3:9)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is " novitiate.”  I remember pretty vividly my first few days of high school.  In fact, I was so nervous for my first day as a freshman that I had my mom drive me to the school the day before it started, I hopped the fence, and found out where all of my classes were.  I guess the reason I remember this is because I was moving out of my comfort zone into something new.  I think sometimes as Christians we forget that others who do not share the same beliefs as us should be up to par and figure stuff out quick.  This is the exact opposite of what we should be thinking.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

~2 Pet 3:9

My question is: are you the kind of person that others want to be like?  I know that we hear this all the time, but maybe we need to take a hard look at whether or not we are an example of what other people should emulate.  My prayer is that each of us take a deep look at the way that we respond to people who are not like us, mainly those who are not Christians.  For some reading this, you might not even call yourself a Christian, and that's okay too.  In fact, my favorite part about being a pastor is that I get to speak with people who are not of my faith beliefs.  Either way, I hope that God takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to put your faith into practice, whether you are new believer in the novitiate of the kingdom, or if you are a seasoned veteran.  God wants to use you to speak to others.

Praying for you,

Mo

Clepe (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “clepe.”  Jeremiah was a pretty special dude.  He was called to do great things for God.  He was given the reins of leadership in a time where very few people, if anyone, would want to have the responsibility for what was going on in God's kingdom.  The Bible is very specific about the way that he was called to lead…

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

~Jer. 1:5

My question is: what are some of the things in your life that point to a divine calling?  Like Jeremiah, God wants to use you for something specific.  And the cool thing is, there is no such thing as something small in God's eyes.  What you are called to do is very important for you to the story.  Each of us have a specific role to play, and should take seriously the effects of our actions, as God has cleped you his own.

Praying for you,

Mo

Adscititious (Ephesians 3:1-21)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “adscititious.”  The following verse is one of my favorite long sentences in the New Testament.  Every time I read this sentence, I feel as though God's power is moving through me and strengthening me in my desire and will follow him:

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

~Eph 3:14-19

My question is: when is the last time you asked God to give you strength beyond what you are capable of attaining?  I know that our God gives us the opportunity to become wiser as we get to know him.  My prayer is that you seek to be filled with all of the fullness of God.  As his glory shines upon you, and through you, you will be the adscititious extension of God's greatness.

Counterpoise (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “counterpoise.” The writer of Ecclesiastes was said to be the wisest man ever to live. Wow… that takes in some folks!  He reminded his readers that life is full of changes… ups and downs.  He understood, as king, that there was a ton of stuff that would happen both good and bad. In fact, he knew that there was a time for everything in life…

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…

~Ecc. 3:1-6

My question is: what season of life are you and right now?  My mentor spoke to me years ago about seasons of life.  He knew that I would have the chance to make decisions that would affect others positively.  I know that as you ask God to be with you through this season of life, he will help you to be effective in the relationships that you have, and the impact that you on others. Remember the influence you have on others will only increase, as you understand where you are in life, and with God.

Praying for you,

mo

Counterpoise (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “counterpoise.” The writer of Ecclesiastes was said to be the wisest man ever to live. Wow… that takes in some folks!  He reminded his readers that life is full of changes… ups and downs.  He understood, as king, that there was a ton of stuff that would happen both good and bad. In fact, he knew that there was a time for everything in life…

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing…

~Ecc. 3:1-6

My question is: what season of life are you and right now?  My mentor spoke to me years ago about seasons of life.  He knew that I would have the chance to make decisions that would affect others positively.  I know that as you ask God to be with you through this season of life, he will help you to be effective in the relationships that you have, and the impact that you on others. Remember the influence you have on others will only increase, as you understand where you are in life, and with God.

Praying for you,

mo

Skeigh (Galatians 6:14)

Good morning all, 

The word of the day is "skeigh." The Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about boasting.  In his prior life, before he was a Xtian, he led quite a different life than the one that he now lived.  Knowing this, he made sure that when people saw that he had pride, it was a boasting in the Lord and the power given.

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

~Gal. 6:14

My question is: in what do you put your trust and hope?  Much of the time we try to do things the way we think they should be done.  When really, the moment we realize that it is not us who cause the good in our lives but the Son, only then can we experience true understanding of the meaning of the cross. My prayer is that each of your take a moment to thank God for giving us the ability to conquer death, and all that is working against the Lord.

Praying for you,

mo

Obsequy (Romans 6:9-10)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "obsequy."  It is amazing how our entire spiritual lives as X-tians is built around the fact that a man died, and then three days later rose from the grave. When i first heard that i was like whaaaat!  But since i have moved through my journey as a believer Christ it continues to become more and more clear that our God is that big.  God is big enough that he sent his only son to die for our sins on the cross.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

~Rom. 6:9-10

My question is: are you living in the awesome conviction that JC's death brought now only him life with the Father, but also gave you eternal life in the same way?  My prayer is that you share your faith with someone else and explain why it is you chose to believe in the one who will never die.  We can be sure that as we live in the love of God that we will never experience a forever obsequy, or funeral... but only a temporary move from this world to the next.

Praying for you,

mo

Crepuscule (Psalm 113:1-9)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "crepuscule." One of my best experiences when I was in college was the ability to do ministry in Mexico during certain holidays and such.  I never really had the time to do it, but I made it a priority.  My freshman year I was at one of these international trips and the dude doing song worship played a song with the following verse:

"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord's  name is to be praised."

Ps. 113:3

Maybe it was the way the song sounded, or maybe it was the words.  But the point is that I still remember it a million years later.  My question is, what are the things that you do to keep God's name in your conscience on a continual basis?  I pray that you take time to think of how much time you spend praising God. And i don't mean necessarily in song, or church, or bible study or whatever.  Really, it's about being mindful of God all of the time, from sun-up... to the day's beautiful crepuscule, or sunset. Sooo, how are you doing?

Praying for you,

mo

Apposite (1 Corinthians 11:1-2)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “apposite.”  The Apostle Paul was always looking for reasons to give others hope.  He knew that if he emulated Jesus, others would remember him for being a servant.  He did not do this for his glory, but for that of the Savior.  His main goal was to help others see the importance of living a Christian life.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.

~1 Cor 11:1-2

My question is: for the people in your life that emulate Jesus?  My prayer is that others might be able to look at you and see the importance of living for God.  With a ton of stuff out there pulling at our time, we must remember that it is always a top priority to involve God in our daily lives.  It is up to us to keep the gospel a apposite, or appropriate and relevant, to both our lives and the lives of others.  Give somebody today a reason to imitate you, knowing that you imitate JC.

Praying for you,

mo

Ennoble (Psalm 34)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "ennoble."  The psalms are a collection of writings that give perspectives of those who walked with God.  They could be positive in nature, or even a cry for help.  The cool thing is that no matter what the feeling of the writer, we are always invited into the experience.

Come, let us tell of the LORD's greatness; let us exalt his name together.
~Ps. 34:3

My question is: who is someone in your life that has invited you into the God experience? I know that over the years I have had many people do just that for me.  I thank the Lord for those that God has placed in my life, especially in the hard times.  My prayer is that you look for people in your life that can be that influence, those who look out for your best interest and help you ennoble, or exalt, that name of God.

Praying for you,

mo

Bequeath (Pr 13:21-25)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "bequeath."  Back in the day it was customary for a man to make enough money and gain enough wealth to leave to his family and future generations.  Solomon tells us here that we should be focused on both taking care of people financially, but more importantly spiritually.  He knew that the way that people conducted themselves would influence future generations.  The importance of a relationship with God was key because even after someone died that relationship continued to minister to others.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.”

~Pr. 13:22

My question is: what you plan to leave behind, what is your legacy?  I know that when I began to do ministry with my first boss and mentor, the man who brought to Christ, he had a long-term perspective.  He brought me on staff as a youth pastor under his care.  He said something that I will always remember.  He told me that if he and I did ministry together for the next 5 to 10 years, that we could change a community through influence and service.  And, we did just that.  My prayer is that you find out what is important to you and that you put your whole heart into it, knowing that Jesus will bless your efforts and allow you to be a positive impact on those whom you serve.

Praying for you,

Mo

Chattel (Romans 6:18)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "chattel."  The Apostle Paul talked about being a slave to sin, as opposed to a slave to righteousness.  He knew that the people reading his letters were continually struggling with surrendering to God the stuff that hindered them from a better relationship with him.

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

~Rom. 6:18

My question is: what are the things in your life that are most important? That could sometimes be very different from what we tell others or display in our lives. Even when you hide your feelings from the rest of the world, God can still search your heart and knows you to the core. I pray today that you chat with God and set your thoughts and actions on what is important to him.  Take some time to give to God the stuff that controls you. Be no longer a slave to anything that is not of God.

Praying for you,

mo

Shoal (1 Timothy 6:12-16)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "shoal."  In preparation for the sermon that I preached this past Sunday, I was convicted by the Lord to move deeper into a relationship with him.  I know that might seem a little bit odd, figuring that he is always calling us to become closer, but it was just one of those moments that one has every now and again that remind them how important it is to continually get closer in relationship to him.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

~1 Tim 6:12-16

Talk about an awesome charge of encouragement from Paul to Timothy!  In these few verses, the apostle was telling this young man that he must continually fight to preserve what he accepted from Jesus.  My question for you is: what are the things in life that are keeping you from becoming closer to God?  Some of us like to sit on the shore, and sometimes wade into the shoal, when the Lord is calling us to go to the deep waters.  When we move from the familiar to the unfamiliar, God will move us further from what we have been and make us more of what we can become.  My prayer is that each of you understands that God is calling you to a deeper relationship with him each moment, and that we must not take for granted that calling.

Praying for you,

Mo

Solipsism (Proverbs 26:1-12)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "solipsism.”  The book of Proverbs continues to speak to me every time I read through them.  My mentor told me a long time ago that a good way to get these principles down was to read one a day and I would finish the book in a month.  I have since added this to my reading regiment.  Now I go through this book a few times a year.  Many of the lessons that it teaches are hard to heed and make a part of life because I know that I am far off from being able to live them out.

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

~Pr. 26:12

My question is: what are the principles you dedicate to learning on a continual basis.  Often we think that because we learn something that we do not have to revisit it.  But, sometimes it is better to reminded than instructed.  My prayer is that you find the important lessons of life and continue to relearn them throughout this year.  Take some time today and write down a couple of lessons that have helped you grow in your relationship with Jesus.  This exercise may help to keep those specific lessons at the forefront of your mind.

Praying for you,

Mo

Arraign (Mark 15:1-5)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “arraign.”  When Jesus was nearing the end of his ministry and life, he had it pretty rough.  He had given everything in the way that he lived, and was about to give even more in the way that he died.  At this point in the story, Jesus is brought in front of the most powerful people, those with all of the power to either put him to death, or let him live.

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “You have said so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

~Mk 15:1-5

My question is: how do you respond to Jesus, knowing that he chose to take a very difficult path for both your sake and mine?  My prayer is that you always remember that there is a ton of stuff going on in life, but most of it is not as important as the decision to make Jesus a part of your life a little bit more each day.  Although Jesus was arraigned and eventually put to death, he now sits in glory with the Father and awaits your day of acceptance into the kingdom.  Hold on and make a difference for the Savior!

Praying for you,

mo

Habiliments (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “habiliments.” The church in Ephesus dealt with many situations like we do today. In fact, there was a ton of stuff going on and beliefs were often hindered by the teachings of others who were not in accordance with God's law. Paul reminds this church that as they were made in God's likeness, they must act accordingly and clothe themselves in righteousness and holiness.

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

~Eph 4:22-24

My question for you is: what are the two or three main things in your life that hinder you from developing a close relationship with God? I know that sometimes the evil one would like to make us feel as though we were not deserving of God's love. But the funny thing is, we already know that. My prayer is that each of you takes God's righteousness and holiness to be your own. Continue to be renewed by God's spirit and let your mind throw off all habiliments, putting on the clothes of God. Let your life be a representation of Christ's love for others. I believe in you!

Praying for you,

mo

Sapient (Proverbs 12:15)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “sapient.” I love reading the book of Proverbs because when I do not know exactly what to read I open it up and get good stuff, every time!  To think of the wisdom that King Solomon had is incredible.  I feel like those proverbs speak into my life and give me great insight.  One of my most favrit verses in that book is this one on advice and wisdom.

“The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.”

~Pr. 12:15

My question is: who is it that you have given the ability to speak into your life? I know that I would not be where I am today, nor be the person I am without the advice of many people who have walked the road before me.  I give a lot of weight to certain peeps in my life to help me make decisions and move in positive directions. My prayer is that you find men and women that are seeking God daily, and give them permission to help you grow closer to God. 

Praying for you,

mo

Ineffectual (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “ineffectual.” The apostle Paul led a pretty crazy life. He went from being one of the most feared and respected men in the Jewish community to a controversial and complicated life for God. Because he was called, he gave up everything for Jesus. And even though he knew that he at one time had everything according to the world standards, now he knew that he was secure in his eternal relationship with Jesus. Through all of his trials and tough times, Paul never took his focus off the important things of life.

“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

~2 Cor 12:10

My question is: from where do you find your strength? Although this may seem like a rhetorical question, depending on the way that you are living at this point will give you an honest answer. Do you look toward Christ as the answer to your weakness? I think that too many times we try to fix our lives the way that we think it should be done. However, God would have us do things differently. My prayer is that each of you examines your own weaknesses. Know that in your weaknesses you are not ineffectual, but able to be used fully for God’s glory; ask that the strength of the Lord be your testimony during those times. We should not run from our weaknesses, but face them with the power of God. This will be our witness to others.

Praying for you,

mo