Thoughts for the day.... PSALM 46:10 says "be still and know that I am God"
BE STILL! Now that is a concept I think we know very little about, but I want you to make a decision. Below I am going to list some of the latest statistics that I found and then I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions. First, when is the last time you were still? Second, what do you need to do, or not do that would allow you to be still.
So here are some of the statistics.....
*There are an estimated 329 million t.v.'s owned in America which is greater than the entire US
population.
*The average young person spends 3.5 hours watching t.v.
2.5 hours on the internet
1.7 hours listening to music
2.5 hours gaming
*Most teenagers use at least one form of media 77% of the time
*Young people send between 2,000 and 4,000 text per month.
* Of students who have social network sites, 51% check it more than once a day.
22% check more than ten times a day
*9 out of 10 young people multitask while watching t.v. and the other forms of media
are surfing web, using cell phones or emailing.
Pretty alarming statistics wouldn't you say. This means that 77% of the time we are watching, playing or listening to something while we are talking or texting. If I understand the statistics the correctly we basically have NO TIME TO BE STILL!!!
So you ask, why be still? Well, I believe it is for several reasons. First of all, scripture says that most often God speaks in the stillness. I mean, how can you ever hear the voice of God if the only voices you can hear are over the ipod, cell phone or T.V. Many of you have said yes to the icount challenge, saying "Yes" I want to follow Christ and make a difference. Well let me ask you this, how will you know where to follow Christ or how to follow Christ if you can't ever hear him tell you? God says he wants us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. He says to be still and Know that He is God, because it is in the stillness that he can get our attention.
So that brings me to my second reason for believing we need to be still. Stillness brings reflection. Most of us stay so busy in life and so filled up with media that we take no time to think about who we are, who we should be and what we should be doing with our lives. Stillness causes us to take a long look at ourselves. Stillness leads us to being better people. We have to be still to evaluate our lives. We have to be still for God to speak to us. We have to be still to get filled up. If my life is suppose to count, then it needs to be full of something worth counting for. If all I have is t.v. cell phones and computers then my life can only count for technology. But if I am full of Christ then my life can count for Him. It is true I believe, what goes in is what comes out. Well, if we have no Christ going in, then how can Christ come out? It is my hope for each of you that you will create a new statistic for your life. Create the statistic of time spent being STILL.
God wants to speak to you. He wants to Guide you. He wants to work in you and through you.... will you BE STILL long enough to let Him?
So I end with the same questions I started with. When is the last time you have been still? What do you need to do, or not do to make stillness happen in your life? My prayer is that what ever it is you will BE STILL!!!!
MAKE IT COUNT!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
BELIEVE
Well, here is my thought for the day..... Matthew 14:22-32 (Please get your Bible and read)
Webster's dictionary defines the word BELIEVE in this way...to credit with veracity; have confidence in; trust.
The scripture above is about BELIEVING, but maybe not about belief in God, but God's belief in you. The question is do you trust God's belief in you not do you believe in God.
So the story goes something like this.... Peter and the other disciples are out in the boat. Jesus told them that he would meet them later and in fact he did. Scripture says that the disciples were in the boat when it was getting late and after a rest Jesus walked out on the water to meet them. Of course they were a little freaked out because who would not be. I mean, have you ever watched anyone walk on the water?.... I didn't think so. So anyway, the disciples are thinking they are all seeing things, I can only imagine their conversation.... hey do you see that, see what, that person walking on the water,,,, dude you are crazy, you are seeing things,... no dude someone is walking on the water, wow, maybe we are seeing ghost.... Ghost, are you crazy there are no ghost.... anyway, you get the picture. The fact is, it was Jesus and Peter suspected it. Peter even tested it. Peter says, hey Jesus if that is you then call me and I will come to you.... and then it happens.... Jesus says "it is me, come" and without hesitation scripture says that Peter tore off his robe and jumped over the side of the boat.... AND WALKED!!!!!
Peter was walking on the water. Now of course scripture says that once Peter took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves he began to sink, but truly that is not the point of this story. I mean think about it. Peter says to Jesus (who is walking on the water) if it is you tell me to come and Jesus did. Jesus said come on Peter, join me. Now do you think Jesus would have ever suggested to Peter to do something that Jesus did not BELIEVE Peter could do? Jesus called Peter to him because He knew that Peter could do it, if for no other reason, because Jesus called him to. Jesus BELIEVED in Peter, because He BELIEVED in the power of his own presence. Jesus knows that anything he calls us to do we can do or he would not call us at all.
So as the story goes, Peter begins to sink and Jesus immediately saves him and ask the question, "Peter why do you doubt me". He is not asking Peter why he doubts Jesus, he is asking Peter why he doubts Jesus' decision to call him. Jesus really wants to know why it is that Peter doubts his own ability to walk when Jesus is the one to encourage him to walk on the water in the first place... He really wants to know, Peter, why do you not BELIEVE in yourself and what I can do through you if I BELIEVE in you.
That same question could be asked of us. Do you believe in yourself and what God has called you to do or be? Do you believe that Jesus only called you because He BELIEVES in you. When I consider the iCOUNT challenge... making a difference in the world, I know it can only happen if You believe in the You that Jesus believes in. I mean think about it, yes Peter got distracted and began to sink, but He is the only one to ever walk on the water. Yes the wind and the waves came while he was walking, but the hand of Jesus was there to save him. The other disciples, well they did not experience sinking, but they also didn't experience walking. Besides it is in the sinking that Peter felt the hand of Christ. So I say to you, wouldn't you rather experience water walking than boat sitting. What good is it to watch someone else make a difference when you yourself could be the one changing the world. Truly, you only have one life to live... and one heart to give... Make it count!!!
Jesus BELIEVES in you and what he can do through you. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? What do you BELIEVE about you? What do you BELIEVE about what he BELIEVES about you?
Jesus wants you to get out of the boat!!
Make it count.
Webster's dictionary defines the word BELIEVE in this way...to credit with veracity; have confidence in; trust.
The scripture above is about BELIEVING, but maybe not about belief in God, but God's belief in you. The question is do you trust God's belief in you not do you believe in God.
So the story goes something like this.... Peter and the other disciples are out in the boat. Jesus told them that he would meet them later and in fact he did. Scripture says that the disciples were in the boat when it was getting late and after a rest Jesus walked out on the water to meet them. Of course they were a little freaked out because who would not be. I mean, have you ever watched anyone walk on the water?.... I didn't think so. So anyway, the disciples are thinking they are all seeing things, I can only imagine their conversation.... hey do you see that, see what, that person walking on the water,,,, dude you are crazy, you are seeing things,... no dude someone is walking on the water, wow, maybe we are seeing ghost.... Ghost, are you crazy there are no ghost.... anyway, you get the picture. The fact is, it was Jesus and Peter suspected it. Peter even tested it. Peter says, hey Jesus if that is you then call me and I will come to you.... and then it happens.... Jesus says "it is me, come" and without hesitation scripture says that Peter tore off his robe and jumped over the side of the boat.... AND WALKED!!!!!
Peter was walking on the water. Now of course scripture says that once Peter took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves he began to sink, but truly that is not the point of this story. I mean think about it. Peter says to Jesus (who is walking on the water) if it is you tell me to come and Jesus did. Jesus said come on Peter, join me. Now do you think Jesus would have ever suggested to Peter to do something that Jesus did not BELIEVE Peter could do? Jesus called Peter to him because He knew that Peter could do it, if for no other reason, because Jesus called him to. Jesus BELIEVED in Peter, because He BELIEVED in the power of his own presence. Jesus knows that anything he calls us to do we can do or he would not call us at all.
So as the story goes, Peter begins to sink and Jesus immediately saves him and ask the question, "Peter why do you doubt me". He is not asking Peter why he doubts Jesus, he is asking Peter why he doubts Jesus' decision to call him. Jesus really wants to know why it is that Peter doubts his own ability to walk when Jesus is the one to encourage him to walk on the water in the first place... He really wants to know, Peter, why do you not BELIEVE in yourself and what I can do through you if I BELIEVE in you.
That same question could be asked of us. Do you believe in yourself and what God has called you to do or be? Do you believe that Jesus only called you because He BELIEVES in you. When I consider the iCOUNT challenge... making a difference in the world, I know it can only happen if You believe in the You that Jesus believes in. I mean think about it, yes Peter got distracted and began to sink, but He is the only one to ever walk on the water. Yes the wind and the waves came while he was walking, but the hand of Jesus was there to save him. The other disciples, well they did not experience sinking, but they also didn't experience walking. Besides it is in the sinking that Peter felt the hand of Christ. So I say to you, wouldn't you rather experience water walking than boat sitting. What good is it to watch someone else make a difference when you yourself could be the one changing the world. Truly, you only have one life to live... and one heart to give... Make it count!!!
Jesus BELIEVES in you and what he can do through you. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE? What do you BELIEVE about you? What do you BELIEVE about what he BELIEVES about you?
Jesus wants you to get out of the boat!!
Make it count.
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