I remember the story of a man with large, empty fish aquarium. The man had some large rocks, smaller pebbles, and some very fine sand to fill this aquarium. In order to get fit everything into the aquarium, the larger rocks had to go in first, followed by the smaller pebbles, and finally the sand. The point of the story is that we need to focus on the big, important things in our lives. Jesus will becomes the biggest rock in your life, if you let Him! It is imperative that you place Him first in everything. There are Christians who fail to do this everyday! They pay dearly for it. How do they pay? Ask them about their marriages, their children, their jobs, their lives, and the troubles that fill up their lives like sand.
Taking up our cross daily does not seem fun. We ask ourselves, “What must I give up for this menacing God who created this universe?” Maybe the questions we ask ourselves are scarier than that. “What if there is no God?” we ask ourselves. Who or what can we turn to then? I have seen man treat his fellow man in most horrible ways. I have seen wars and rumors of war. I have seen men riot and destroy property and people. I have seen children mistreated and abused. Did they not even kill Jesus, the Son of God? Yet, I have seen the Amish community come together and raise a barn for their neighbor. I have seen people come from different states to help victims of natural disasters who have lost everything. I have seen people give to telethons to help people attend college. I have seen people who jump into the water to save people who are drowning.
God is telling us to trust in Him and he will protect us. God will deal with all of your enemies, if you let Him. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you! When we forgive and pray for our enemies, we are clean, we are set free, and we have God's forgiveness. God said He would forgive us as we forgive others. Forgiveness, prayer, and love for our enemies are radical ways of living!
Prayer and fasting will produce incredible results in your life. It will produce incredible results for this nation, for your city, for your friends, and for your family. Fasting is a restriction of food for a spiritual purpose; however, there are many ways of restricting food and several books on the subject. God will lead you to the one that is appropriate for you. If you have a medical condition that prevents you from fasting, then I am sure God will show you an alternative if you seek Him.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his "I have a Dream Speech", but Dr. King also wrote a famous letter from jail called, "Letter from Birmingham Jail". This letter is in response to white religious leaders criticism of his nonviolent objection to the segregation in Birmingham. After reading the letter, a person of common understanding and common sense would have to agree that even though Dr. King was in jail, jail was not in Dr. King.
Imagine that you are entering an air-conditioned restaurant after being outside on one of the hottest days of the summer, and the first thing you reach for is a glass of ice cold water. Do you feel that water satisfying your thirst? Water quenches our thirst better than any other liquid could. Now imagine you are in the desert without the wonderful substance known as water. You are feeling the intense heat of the sun with no shade to be seen. At some point you will not be able to continue without water. Why am I talking about water? It might be because my family wants me to start drinking more of it! Water is necessary in the natural realm, but the "living water" Jesus spoke about is necessary in the spiritual realm. When we are experiencing this thing called life, sometimes it feels too much for us and we become stressed, depressed, disgusted, and downcast.
Paul was serious about his race. Are we as serious about our race? You might tell me that you have too many things in your life to be serious about anything. You might tell me you are just too busy. Well, let me tell you what Jesus said when summarizing life on this planet Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”(The Message) Jesus was very clear that nothing should take precedence over your relationship with God the Father.
Is your walk with Jesus vital? Were you more excited about Him and His word in the past? Perhaps you have grown weary in well doing? Perhaps the business of life has captured your attention and you have departed from the "better part"? Martha was caught up in doing good things that needed to be done. People need to eat and the day Jesus visited there was certainly a crowd to feed. Martha saw Mary as wasting her time instead of helping. Mary was at the feet of Jesus listening intently to every word he uttered. Mary knew that life was in Jesus words. In fact, everything was in His words.
The disciples are following Jesus’s instructions and enter a boat to cross to the other side. On their journey suddenly a mighty storm arises and waves begin to beat against the boat. How many times in our own lives as we follow Jesus do sudden storms arise? There are storms that you can see and seek shelter, but this was not that kind of storm. This storm was sudden and serious. Even though the disciples had been with Jesus and seen the miraculous, this storm brought fear. Fear is not the opposite of faith. Fear is faith in the circumstances. In addition remember some of these men were fishermen by trade and were well aware of what this kind of storm. As a side note it is amazing how many people are experts in your storm. These experts can tell you all about the storm, yet they have no answers to address the storm. If you have ever been on the water in a boat, then you can attest to the impact if a storm arises, and you are not close to shore. The waves beat the boat and the rain cuts right through your body. What about the storms of life we go through? You might be going through one right now. Whether a natural storm or a storm of life, your body will take a beating, however, the greatest attack comes against your thoughts.
Finish Strong Never Quit 
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