A Mixed Up Crazy Day

“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval”

John 6:27

Right after Jesus amazes everyone by feeding 5,000+ people with five of loaves of bread and a couple of fish, the Savior of the World says these words in John 6:27. What truly is amazing is how these words were placed in my heart one crazy, mixed up day at work. You know the kind of day I’m talking about..nothing is going right, boss is yelling, orders aren’t being filled. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore I grab the Book, open randomly to page 971 and these 34 words hit me over the head like a ton of bricks. See it’s one thing for you to know that I actually labor for a “food” company and have for 21 years but it’s a whole other thing that these words would be right there reminding me of what really matters..(my salvation and unending realization that I belong to Him no matter what.).just when I needed it most. Our God is truly (stop me if you’ve heard this before) amazing!!! 

Okay you ask..what else?..well how about the fact that in this scripture it reminds each of us not only that we should be working for the eternity that awaits us but also that the Son of Man has simply GIVEN it to us..yeah..that’s right. just flat out given us the right to be called His children and an opportunity to be with Him someday in heaven forever. We certainly don’t do a thing to deserve it..in fact I would argue that I spend more time deserving a lifetime away from Him..but that doesn’t matter to our King. He simply loves us so much and desires a relationship with us so much that He was willing to die for you and me and then give us eternal life..no strings attached..Now you have to accept that gift by answering His call but to me that’s pretty easy..a whole lot easier than the boss’s yelling..orders not being filled.. etc…Men, Fathers, Sons..don’t just work for food that spoils..work for Him and the everlasting life He has for you and your family..

A Downpayment...

“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come”

2 Corinthians 5:5

I’ve been hanging out a lot, as you can tell, in Paul’s two letters to the Church in Corinth. It’s interesting how He places things in front of you when you are charged with a task.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Paul is reminding us of all that we have to look forward to even when things in this world seem hopeless or at the very least, “less than appealing”. What’s really cool according to Paul is that God guarantees each of us, who believe in Him, awesome things to come in heaven by giving us a down payment..a deposit of the Holy Sprit. The very Spirit that came upon the first church at Pentecost and the very Spirit that is guiding each of us right now so that we desire to do the things that His Word calls us to do.

I mean think about verse 5 for a moment…God loves us so much that He sends His one and only Son down onto this Earth, to teach and to reach and then die, so that we can be in Heaven someday forever and THEN.. comes back to life to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who He is and THEN.. gives us His Sprit as a down payment to the unbelievable eternal life in Heaven that awaits us…Wow!! Where on earth do I sign up for that??!! What on Earth would you want more for your kids than that???!!

Listen guys, Never stop praying, never stop reading His Word, never stop teaching your kids about who Jesus is, what He’s done and what is in store for them when they believe. Be as excited for that deposit..as excited for that guarantee as you would be for a Straight A in Math or the winning goal in what ever sport they may play..Be the Dad that shares “what is to come”….

What a gift!

What we have received is not the Spirit of the world, but the Sprit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us

1 Corinthians 2:12

The person with the Sprit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments for “who has the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:15-16

WOW!! What a gift. A gift of the Holy Spirit placed into each and every one of us who believe (Romans 10:9). But also, what an incredible responsibility, especially for us as men, as husbands to our wives, as fathers to our children and leaders of our families. Paul reminds us that we have received, not the Spirit of this world and all the selfishness that goes with it but the Spirit who is from God. The Spirit that was given to each of us who believe so we can live our lives in such a way that will bring Glory to His name and to lead our families in a way that can be a bright light to those who are living for the world. But how?? How can I continue to do what His Word says when there is so much temptation, so much greed, so much envy in this world?? It begins by praying. Praying that this Spirit that our God has so generously poured into you, is a spirit that will continue to instruct, lead and fill you with the incomparable understanding that we have the mind of Christ. A mind that will discern what you know to be true in your heart and that will allow all of us, as men, to put God first in all we do everyday..to be the one who recognizes and then shares with those we love, what God has freely given us.

Step up and share what He has freely given you!

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17