Interosculate (Jeremiah 23:20-30)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “interosculate.”  I have had several mentors over the years.  Probably one of my favorite was a gentleman by the name of Dr. Tucker.  I think the reason he and I got along so long was that we were complete opposites.  I loved the way that he preached, related with others, and did ministry in general.  He was, and still is, a true stalwart in the faith.  But, with all of the awesome qualities that he possesses, my favorite memories of him are the way that he could connect people to the Gospel and help them understand and see themselves in the story of Jesus.

Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? ~Jer 23:29

My question is: where do you see yourself in the story Jesus?  Just like Dr. Tucker was able to help each of the people who were seeking after something different understand what it meant to live with Jesus, so should we be able to interosculate a direct line of understanding of what it means to accept and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.  My prayer is that you take a moment and ask God to be a part of your story this year.  The more you ask of God to do great things in your life, I believe you will respond.

Praying for you,

MO

Fritter (Luke 15.11-32)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “fritter.”  One of the more prominent stories in the Bible is that of the prodigal son.  This tale of two brothers gives us perspective on how they respond to a relationship with their father.  There are quite a few things that we can learn from this story, depending on where we stand in our relationship with God the father at any given moment in our lives.  I remember reading it for the first time when I was pretty young, and related to the younger brother.  And now, because I have moved along in my faith over these years I sometimes relate also with the older brother.

“So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.” ~Luk 15.12-16

My question is: where is your standing with God in the beginning of this New Year?  As we see in the above passage, the younger son caused quite the fiasco for this father. Later on in the story is when the older brother gives his thoughts on the matter, not understanding why the father would eventually take the younger son back in, after he had just frittered away his portion of the inheritance.  There is so much going on in this parable that I have continued to study it over the years. My prayer is that you take some time to gain perspective on where you are in relationship to God.  Whether you are doing awesome, horrible, or somewhere in between, it’s always good to know so that God might be able to guide you through each season of life.

Praying for you,

MO 

Cogitation (Luke 14.25-35)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “cogitation.”  One of the best parts of putting my goals together each year is to reflect on those from the previous year.  Because I have mentors and other people in my life who continually keep me accountable, I have to make sure that I am on point when it comes to striving for my goals.  I don't always hit all of my goals from year-to-year, and that is probably because I make them pretty difficult to attain.  This gives me the satisfaction of either making those goals, or the momentary disappointment of missing them.  Either way, I am able to look at the tangible parts of the goals that I have set forth.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it…” ~Lk 14:28

My question is: how committed to your goals are you this year?  For us to be able to attain the goals we have each year, we must continually keep them in our sights.  My prayer is that you put specific people in your path to walk with you, and practice the proper cogitation and reflection on the specifics of what you desire to accomplish.  I hope that you dream big this year and put up some crazy goals that will take God’s favor and help to make possible.

Praying for you,

MO

Sororal (Luke 10.38-42)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “sororal.”  We are only about a week in to the New Year and if you are like me, life is probably already getting a little bit hectic.  Or, for some of you it never really stopped.  Sometimes it just feels like the old year rolls right into the next.  That's why I love today's passage.  We see that Mary and Martha both had good intentions and their decisions to respond to the Savior.

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.” The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” ~Luk 10:38-42

My question is: what are the items on your agenda for this year?  Sometimes we get so busy doing stuff that we forget to slow down and remember the reasons behind doing them.  My prayer this morning is that you begin to understand a real sense of Jesus’ calling in your life.  What are the parts of your agenda that are important to both you and him?  If you don't really know the answer to this, I would challenge you to ask someone close to you… a person who knows you best.  Just as in this sororal exchange between Mary and Martha, we can sometimes see the value and knowing God's will for our intentions and life.  Give God your best this year.

Praying for you,

MO

Niveous (Isaiah 1.1-20)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “niveous.”  There are some verses in the Bible that most of us can probably recall, even if we do not exactly know the Scripture reference.  Although the book of Isaiah is pretty tough to read during parts or sections, I love the symbolism and the way that God uses his words to penetrate our hearts.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like woo.” ~Is 1:18

My question is: what are the parts of your life that you need to give over to Jesus this year?  It’s pretty clear here in the Old Testament, as it is throughout the entire Bible, that we must look to God as the one to cleanse us from sin.  My prayer is that you remember that the awesome power that God possesses allows us to thrive even in spite of all of the bad stuff that in our lives.  Even though we all have dark places, God can restore us to the niveous and blameless state of the heart that he longs for each of us to possess.

Praying for you,

MO

Vinous (John 2:1-11)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “vinous.”  Each New Year I am reminded of the celebrations that people have.  It’s good to see so much hope and optimism.  It seems that no matter how good or bad ones year has been, the beginning of the next year always brings hope and excitement.  I am reminded of Jesus first miracle.  As he was at the wedding and people were in celebration, he was actually probably trying to lay low a bit.  Like most of us, he was there with family and was probably obligated to be a part of the festivities.  And then, he is called upon to take care of a problem that most all of us know, including those who are not Christian.  The famous incident of him turning water into wine.

“What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” ~John 2:11

My question is: what are the miraculous signs that you’re looking God to give you this year?  I’m not necessarily saying that God is going to do something crazy and out of this world like he did at this wedding, but I know for a fact that when you ask God to do good things in your life, he will respond and come to your aid.  One of my buddies was asking me what my New Year’s resolutions were this year.  I promptly told him two or three of them.  He was pretty amazed that I had resolutions.  My prayer is that you do have resolutions this year, and that God are a part of all of them. Just as back then the water mysteriously became vinous in color and nature – which was totally insane – God can change your life in an instant.  Make this year special.

Praying for you,

Mo

Incunabula (Mark 1.29-39)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “incunabula.”  The New Year is always fun and exciting.  There is a freshness of spirit and understanding that you have the chance to be better.  Resolutions, decisions, and all that comes with each year puts you in a position to do the unexpected.  I think that is one of my favorite parts about having a relationship with God.  There is always something to challenge me, to be a better person and

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” ~Mark 1:35

My question is: What are your goals for this year? When you take this first day of the New Year, are you ready and willing to make JC a part of your year-long commitments?  My prayer is that you take the time to use this first day with God and give him the best of your year, right from the start.  Do it today.  When you add God to this beginning equation, the incunabula, I can confidently say that you will have a great year.  Not saying it is going to be easy… but worth the time and effort it will take to live according to God’s will.

Praying for you,

MO