Bibliotaph (1 John 5.14-15)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “bibliotaph.”  I remember the first semester of my Masters program. I have never done so much reading in my life. In fact, up until that point I don't think I had ever read an entire book all the way through. Sure, I had read parts of books for school and for fun. But, I really did not have a love for reading. That's when I realized that if I was going to get through a full Masters degree program I was going to need to love reading… and fast. That was the only way I was going to be able to read 10 huge books a quarter. I prayed hard, and miraculously, God answered.

“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” ~1 Jn. 5:14-15

My question is: do you pray for the stuff that God would want for you? One of the main lessons I learned in the beginning of that program was if I prayed according to God's will, he would answer. And, I am absolutely positive that there is no way that I would have made such a miraculous jump from hating to read, to the other end of the pendulum and loving to read, unless it was by God's divine hand. Now, you may or may not believe that. But, I am a firm believer that if we ask according to God's will, he will answer us. My prayer is that you do just that… Pray according to what you believe God would want for your life. This is tough because we know that sometimes God may not want the things that we do. But, it works out when we trust him. Hey, how else would I have ended up one of the world's great bibliotaphs?

Praying for you,

MO

Penetralia (Colossians 3.15-17)

Good morning all, 

The word of the day is “penetralia.” I think what sets Christians apart, or is God's intention to do so, is the understanding that we are called to be a people of peace that love other Christians, and nonbelievers. Today's passage talks about being thankful, which is very appropriate considering the fact that Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This is a great time for each Christian to take a moment and evaluate his or her relationship with God.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” ~Col. 3:15-17

My question is: What are the parts of yourself that you set aside for God? I know that it is important for us to remember more often than not how God has bestowed his blessings upon us.  However, sometimes we fail to understand that as God’s people share an intimate connection with him.  My prayer is that you allow God into your life’s pentralia to be known and shaped by the Creator.  When he knows the innermost parts of us, we are more apt to move closer to him, building the relationship, and eventually living as a witness for his glory.

Praying for you,

MO

Splendiferous (Psalm 145.3-5)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “splendiferous.” This week marks the beginning of a pretty crazy season. It seems to me that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. Which means, along with that is the chaos and shopping and everything in between. The psalmist reminds us this morning that no matter what the season, we should always remember that God's greatness outweighs anything that may consume our minds and hearts at any given moment.

God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. ~Ps. 145:3-5

My question is: what are you most thankful for at this point in your life? As we enter this holiday season, my prayer is that you always put forth God's greatness, and remember that he is the reason for all that is good in your life. As he continues to guide you daily, allow his splendiferous nature to encompass your very being. Give God thanks for his mighty acts in your life today.

Praying for you,

MO

Penurious (Matthew 6.19-21)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is "penurious.” I read a great book some years ago about the rat race of life. Sometimes it seems that we are just trying to keep up, keep our heads above the water. However, at the same time that I read the book, I had been a Christian, and community leader for a number of years. I realized that of course we need to be productive in society, but if we do not have a relationship with God then it pretty much does not mean anything.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~Matt 6:19-21

My question is: where do you find your riches in life? One of my mentors used to often say, and still does, that we must add value to others each day if we want to make it worth anything. My prayer is that each of us searches the depths of our souls and find what drives us. I made it a point very early on to make sure to do my best at all times and, in every situation, to put God and his plan first. That is not always easy.  Because at the end of life, no matter how many material possessions we have, it is all penurious without the love and fellowship of God and his people.

Praying for you,

MO

Empyreal (John 3.13)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “empyreal.”  I think one of the most fascinating parts of being a Christian is knowing that some day we will be in Heaven with God and the rest of those who believed in this lifetime.  There a ton of shows and movies that give portrayals of what it will be like, or of people who have experienced Heaven in one way or another. But the reality of it all is that our Savior is unique in the fact that he has both ascended and descended from the place we will one day be.

“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” ~Jn 3:13

My question is: are you ready for the richness that God has in store for you and me? I know that's a little bit of a rhetorical question, because each of us has so much more to do in this lifetime. My prayer is that you keep the important matters important, and those that are not as important where they need to be. Keep your eyes focused on Heaven, knowing that Jesus has called you to be a part of that community following this lifetime. And then that which at one time seemed empyreal, will then become reality.

Praying for you,

MO

Slugabed (Mark 1.35)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “slugabed.”  What an awesome word!  I remember playing sports and doing a ton of extracurricular activities while I was in high school.  It seems that I never had enough time in the day.  And then something happened.  I accepted Jesus somewhere around my sophomore year.  I was pretty new in the faith and had a lot of good mentorship, pointing me in the right direction in a relationship with God.  Part of this was adding prayer to my routine.  It did not seem tough at first, but when I realized that I had to actually set some time aside to now and again, it caused me to have to rethink my schedule.  It’s taken me several years, and even now sometimes I struggle with getting away to spend some time with God.  I always lean on today’s verse in my quest to fit that time in, along with a busy schedule. 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ~Mark 1:35

My question is: how do you fit prayer into your routine?  JC was no slugabed by any means… he made sure to sneak away before the day started on this occasion to make sure he got some good time with his Father.  It’s not necessarily even that you have to get up early in the morning or stay up late at the end of the day to do so.  Spending time in prayer, and investing in your relationship with Jesus, must be a proactive piece of your life.  And, even though we are supposed to pray always, we do need to find time to set aside to allow God to speak to us.  My prayer is that you do just that; carve out a little bit of time for God today and allow him to speak to you.  You will be amazed with what he might have to say.

Praying for you,

MO

Panglossian (1 Corinthians 15.1-23)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “Panglossian.” The Apostle Paul had a pretty rough time individually after he was changed on that road to Damascus.  We see in today’s passage that he understood the responsibility put on him as an ambassador for JC, knowing his past life.  His belief and trust in God was very focused, and Paul realized that others should share in his passion; but to do so they would have to first put their faith in Christ and his ultimate return.

My friends, I want you to remember the message that I preached and that you believed and trusted. You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don’t, your faith was all for nothing.” ~1 Cor 15:1-2

My question is:  are you putting your faith in JC, both on a daily basis as well as hope for eternity? Living a Christian life is not about having an absurd Panglossian belief that Jesus might return.  It is having true faith in the fact that our optimism is healthy and real, knowing the God will do what it says in the scriptures. My prayer is that you take a moment to reassure yourself about the promise in which you believe. Allow God to strengthen your belief and resolve, both for this life and in the next.

Praying for you,

MO