Remember: Your first love

Remember: Your first love

      A man from my church took some time to give me this piece of advice: remember your first love. He wasn’t talking about a young woman who would become my wife, he was talking about Christ. He told me to persevere—that if I stumble and fall to get back up, not to fall down and stay down, and to do everything I can not to fall; yet to get up if I do. He related these things to the story of Marry and Martha. He told me that I must remember to sit and listen to Jesus and not always be “busy” like Martha. Martha was so busy that she cried out to God to have Marry help her, but she was supposed to sit and listen by putting everything else aside.

How can you remember your first love today?

Thought 263: Psalm 44 from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 263

Psalm 44

        We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger. All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

Psalm 44 KJV

Thought 237: 2009 Clarity. . . . 2010 Moving Forward from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 237

2009 Clarity…. 2010 Moving Forward

 A previous pastor at my church, Pastor Brock, preached a couple of sermons, each at the beginning of separate years in which he testified to what God had spoken to him about the coming year. God revealed to Pastor Brock that the year of 2009 would be a year of CLARITIY in our decisions, dreams, and desires; the truth was that it was a year of clarity for me. When I look back to 2009 I remember the joy of rededicating my life to the Lord, of being called into the ministry, of being told to write this book, of water baptism, of the birth of my second sister, and of much more. It was a year of clarity! Is all this a big coincidence? No, this is God simply using a servant of His to spread His word to His people and it was proved true over the course of that year!  Nothing happens by accident, because God reigns over all. God still speaks today, He is not silent and uninvolved!

In 2010, a few months before God moved him to a different state, Pastor Brock again had a message. This time the message was Moving Forward in faith, future, favor, and finances. Well, it is only September 9^th as I am writing this, but yet again this message has rung true in my life. This year hasn’t been as clear as last year was and I have had to exercise faith much more. Likewise, financially, God has blessed me with work and monetary gifts, my average income per year, based on a rough estimate will be doubled by the end of 2010.  In terms of favor (grace), God has been raining down many blessings this year: from completing my Gold Medal of Achievement (like Eagle Scout) to the blessing of being self-taught in 11^th Grade (except for Spanish and geometry)—I am also doing better and developing self-teaching skills that are bound to prove beneficial over the course of my life. In addition, God has helped me to realize that my work with young men isn’t about helping them earn a Gold Medal of Achievement that is simply a benefit. The ultimate goal is for me to continue to be faithful to Christ and mentor the young men that God allows me to serve. God also led me to start teaching a Young Adult Bible Study which has had some pretty neat results.

To keep this short, I won’t go on about the many other ways the Lord has blessed and helped me Move Forward this year, but I pray the Holy Spirit will reveal to you some of the things that He has done in your life over the course of a years’ time.

  I have found that writing a list or article about what God has taught me throughout a year to be a source of encouragement. Perhaps if you develop a similar compilation it will be an encouragement to you.

Thought 210: The Word from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 210

The Word

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:22-27 (NIV1984)

  Meditate on what this verse means in relation to your own life.

Thought 109: Standing on Those Promises from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 209

Standing on those Promises

  God has given me a few promises that will still come to pass one day. For example, I know that I will be alive tomorrow morning to fulfill the purposes that He has for me. Only after the Lord says that my purpose has been fulfilled and the last page of my life’s story has been written, will my live here on earth come to an end.  He has promised you things as well.

Times are getting worse and worse; only God’s Spirit of redemption and revival can change the direction in which the ship of the world is going. The Lord will be faithful to redeem us! In perfect timing, the Father will send the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ the ruler of all things, to set up His Kingdom on earth.

We have to continue to row against the flow, for while we wait the Lord draws near!

  The world is rowing downstream to the cliff of no return, but we, the Children of God, are rowing upstream against the residents of this world and trying to reach them with the message of The Source of Everlasting Life! This world is bound for chaos as it struggles to replace the Lord with their pride as their lord. But we have hope! Even though our world is chaotic, Christ walks every step of our trials with this age alongside us. We need to accept and spread the message of His saving hand clasp, and when we do, I think that He will smile the most beautiful smile possible as He thinks about us and faithfulness we have honored Him with by sharing Him with others.

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5b

Stand on that promise! He is your source, your promise of everlasting, the message of your life.

Thought 203: Learning? from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 203

Learning?

       Throughout our lives the Lord wants us to grow. The Holy Spirit has many things that He wants to teach us and review over and over again with us. But we have to listen to grow. It’s just like when you were a kid and your Mother told you not to touch the stove, but you did—without listening obediently we won’t grow. Not all of the Holy Spirit’s lessons for us will be profound, but they will get through each day of life.

          Read John 14:1-17:26  slowly and meditate on it. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and make your heart receptive before you begin.

Thought 194: The past.... from Ryan's devotional book series Thoughts

Thought 194

The past….

I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

1 John 2:12 NKJV

  Your past had a purpose. God allowed you to go through “stuff” for a reason. You are redeemed, forgiven, and a new creation now, but don’t think that your past doesn’t have power when you share it as a testimony. Paul (Saul of Tarsus) shared his testimony many times in his writings. He recounted how Christ had miraculously saved him. The pains of the past are really a blessing. Even though God forgets our sins that we remember many of them, we can remember where we came from and where we are going and can influence others to come with us.

Daily Devotion from Ryan's devotional book series, Thoughts

Thought 162

 Remember My Dad

       This day will be a description of my Dad and what he has taught me. The focus is to realize our parent(s) strengths, and discard their weaknesses. Boys need to learn to be men and fathers are a major part of that, second only to God.

Remember

My Dad

     “Diligence…Integrity…Don’t give up, son…Stick to what you committed to first do…honor… America is blessed, don’t forget it…commitment … follow God” – these are the things that my Dad has taught me.

       I realized tonight, June 27^th, 2010, the day after my sixteenth birthday; that I only achieved my Gold Medal of Achievement (equivalent to an Eagle Scout) because of what my Heavenly Father and earthly Father have taught me. DETERMINATION, INTEGRITY, and PERSERVERANCE (even though it is a struggle many times) my father’s example taught me, prepared me, encouraged me, cheered me on, and pulled me through. My Dad supports me even when I mess up. He reflects Christ in many ways.

       Dad … I love you! I thank you for praying for my future wife with me & telling me that you are proud of me just because I am your son. Thanks for telling me that even though I have accomplished a lot in my sixteen years that you are proud of me, even if I hadn’t accomplished all those things. Dad, thanks for putting up with my youthful vigor and excitement (at times). Dad thanks for letting me learn from other men to: Mr. Wassall, Mr. Newfield, Mr. Wenneker, Mr. Schnable, Mr. Williams, Mr. Sherrill, etc… Dad, without you allowing me to grow and learn from these and still other men, in addition to what I have learned from you, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. Surely God has blessed me with a Dad like you. HE knew that you’re the Dad for me!

Thought 139

Sometimes you have to say NO! to ‘good’ things

    At times, we have to turn down “good opportunities” in order to do the work that God has given us or has for us to do.