So many people know about God, but not as many know God. There is a big difference.

Knowing about:

I know some things about Michael Jordan, but I don’t know him. I have never met him, talked to him, hung out with him. I can give you a few facts about him: he played basketball, one of the greatest (arguably the greatest) to ever play the game. But it doesn’t mean I know him. That’s how too many people are with God. They know some things about Him, but they don’t really know Him.

Knowing Him:

Once we get born again, saved, we should begin to pursue God, and really get to know Him. Too many believe the ultimate goal is to get saved. That is just the beginning of our relationship with God. The ultimate goal should be to know Him. How do we do that? One way is by doing His word, reading His word and then acting on it. You can’t get to know God outside of knowing His word. We need to get to know Him as our healer, as our provider. We do that by reading what He says about those things.

The ultimate goal:

Getting to know Him is our ultimate goal. Philippians 3:8 NLT — Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Knowing Christ is the greatest accomplishment in any of our lives. It’s what will cause us to live an abundant, everlasting life. Jesus says in John 17:3, And this is the way to have eternal life — to know you, the only true God.

It’s our call what we seek. If we seek to know God, we will experience abundant, everlasting, eternal, life.

Just a thought,

PSS

At some point in our lives we will all have to deal with disappointment. Disappointment is defined as: sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations; unhappiness from the failure of something hoped for or expected to happen.

Low expectations:

At times, if we are not careful when we experience disappointment, we will be tempted to lower our expectations. People might even tell you that you need to lower your expectations, or that you expect too much. This is not a solution: it’s just an avoidance technique. There are better ways of dealing with it.

Unreal expectations:

In a day and age when we expect things to happen fast, we are seeing more and more people dealing with disappointment. Sometimes people do set unrealistic goals that cannot be met. Then there is disappointment that comes from unspoken expectations. We expect someone to do something that we have never spoken about.

Managing disappointment:

There are times when we set ourselves up for disappointment. No matter how it comes, we need to manage this emotion of disappointment. We can do this by having a backup plan if whatever we desire to happen does not happen. We can also realize that failure is not permanent, and that not everything will work out in our timing. We need to learn from our failures and grow from them. So, don’t allow setbacks to keep you from your dreams and desires.

We can overcome disappointment with faith — believing God’s word is true, and that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.

Just a thought,

PSS

People know so little about the Bible, that they live by what they think it says or what they think it should say, instead of learning what it actually says. Because of that, we spend so much time trying to get comfortable that we have no time to be obedient to God’s word or His ways.

Doers of the word:

God didn’t send Jesus so we could be saved, born-again, saved from eternal death, to make us comfortable. So many believe the word of God is optional. It causes people to say things like, I’m just not comfortable doing what the Bible says. I’m not comfortable lifting my hands during worship (Ps. 134:2) and prayer (1 Tim. 2:8). I’m not comfortable serving in a church (1 Cor. 12:28). I’m not comfortable talking to people (2 Cor. 5:18). God has called all to worship, all to help, all to tell people about Jesus. He never followed any of these with, if you are comfortable doing them. He just gives us His word and tells us to be doers of it (James 1:22-25).

Change:

We are called by God to His family to do His will, not to be comfortable. In fact, change in our lives will make us uncomfortable, at least for a season, then it will become normal to us. If we want to grow, to change, we will have to leave the false teaching or thought that serving God is about our comfort. It is about doing the word of God.

You choose which path you will journey.

Just a thought,

PSS

In order to achieve anything in this life, we must be determined. Being determined is: having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it; having made up your mind that you are going to do something and that you will not allow anyone or anything to stop you; not being weak or uncertain.

Purposefulness:

The only way to see your dreams and desires come to pass is to be determined. It’s making up your mind about something and sticking to it. When you are determined, it increases your chances of being successful. If you stay focused and keep a good attitude, you will eventually see your hopes and dreams come to pass.

Persistence:

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent (Calvin Coolidge).

Passion:

Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion, and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best results. It’s the determined people who succeed and get ahead in this life.

Let’s all be more decisive with our lives, and watch what God can do.

Just a thought,

PSS

As we come into another Easter-Resurrection season, let us remember what it is all about.

It’s about Jesus:

It’s about the Jesus we need, not the Jesus we want. It’s about the Savior of the world — the only One Who can save us from the penalty of sin, that which separates from God, Himself. Jesus came and died and was raised again so that we may have eternal life. Too many make Easter about family and eggs, instead of a time of reflection and remembrance of an incredible moment for all humanity. No other man has affected human life, human history, more than Jesus has.

Let us:

Let us remember and be thankful for what He has done. Let us reflect and serve Him — His way, not our way. Let us remember His sacrifice by purposing to serve Him the way His word teaches us to serve Him. Let us show the world that we are so grateful for what He did for us that we would worship in His house not just this Sunday, but every Sunday. Let us learn His ways so we can serve Him properly. Let us repent for our sins in honor of His sacrifice, and purpose to live out His will, not our will. It’s about His desires, not ours. Let’s truly honor Him as we remember and are thankful for all He has done for us.

May God be glorified in our lives.

Just a thought,

PSS