One Life to Live... One heart to give... MAKE IT COUNT!!!

Open your eyes....and be still

2009-10-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

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!

BELIEVE

2009-10-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

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.

iCOUNT FBCBR

2009-09-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is. The very first First Baptist Blowing Rock Student Ministry iCOUNT Blog....

So where should I begin. I think I will begin with YOU!!! YOU are the reason that I am writing this blog in the first place. YOU are the reason that Jesus died. YOU are the reason that I continue in ministry. YOU are the reason that I love my job. YOU are the reason that the sun comes up. YOU are the reason that God shows his love and grace. YOU.... COUNT!!!! YOU....YOU....YOU...

So what about YOU? WHO ARE YOU? I recently read a paper that my son wrote in class that answered this very question. The top of his paper reads... WHO AM I.... and the rest of the paper answers the question. He says first, I AM A BELIEVER. He states who he is and then follows with who he wants to be. He wants to be a leader, he wants to be the best at everything he tries, he wants to be led by God and he wants to make a difference in others' lives. How about you, WHO ARE YOU?.....

Let me answer that for YOU!!!! YOU are a child of God!! You are a person that is deeply loved by the father. You are a person that is God's greatest treasure. You are a person with a purpose in life. YOU are special and unique. YOU are beautiful in the eyes of God. YOU are a vessel for God's work. YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made. YOU are known by God. YOU are thought of every minute of every day. YOU are heard by God. YOU are protected by God. YOU are believed in by GOD. YOU COUNT.

and so..... the purpose of this blog is for YOU to be challenged to be the YOU that God intended YOU to be. The wonderful YOU that COUNTS..... The YOU that was created to know HIM and Make HIM known... YOU!!!!

So, this blog will be for YOU!!! It will be a challenge for your life to make it count. It will be a blog that will make you laugh, learn and reflect. It will be a blog that will make you think and act. It will be a blog to give you comfort and make you uncomfortable. It will be a blog for you to receive the word and for you to ask questions and respond. Together we will make it count.... but really.... it is all up to YOU!!!