Today’s Thought “Young, Gifted and…” G. Ward

Proverbs 1:2-4 “To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion.”

Heaven has been so generous to me. My God has given me the blessing of recall. He knew grief best in His Son’s sacrifice for mankind as extreme, but gave so lovingly anyhow.

Recently, I had a best friend go to heaven. Her long term sickness that ended had so many confounded because Holy God granted her great endurance in the presence of many. I’m reminded on this morning of an email exchange I had with her whereby her expressive transparency with me as her Brother/Pastor shared tremendous grief over such a bleak prognosis rendered. My encouragement for her sought to extinguish anticipating death, but to more foresee a future hope promised based on our confession of the Savior as Sufficient (*Ro.8:18).

I was so elated to view her 21 year old only son attend worship service on yesterday. If my grief remains great… I encouraged him to never shun her voice within (cf. Deut.6:4-7). Vigilance is the compelling that remains central to obliterating the depression component of grief. While so many tears will continue to flow, it never precludes my trust in God’s sovereign will.

Today’s Thought “That A Boy!” G. Ward

1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?”

Awaiting accolades from the next seemingly successful generally extends hearty congratulations unto their accomplishments until it reaches into mine own pocketbook. The echoes in sympathetic sentiment placating with seven words or less concerning the storms of life plaguing others, along with numerous hurricanes of recent times, won’t ever substitute an ongoing care that witnesses the storm passing over in the lives of the less fortunate. Find a legitimate, benevolent organization whereby your contribution hits lethargy upside the head. While Holy God created us to be wholly/holy dependent on HIM, He also proposed interdependence unto conformity…

Today’s Thought “Three Days Without A…” G. Ward

2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

The essence of cleaning up that to which I’ve destroyed is the elephant in the room too heavy warranting removal. There is however a spiritual way provided man where rest from impossibility thinking exists. It involves recognition in why the Savior of the world arrived (in earth) on His own volition in the first place. Mankind’s efforts in unsanctified remorse always demands ongoing recapitulation, whereas surrender (of every deficiency) unto God’s Sufficiency through Christ will soon experience HIS loving care that washes permanently and regret can’t exist. Who then is “Great” particularly as that same term contrasts the original composition (*Ge.2:7) of man? Cast your honorarium towards heaven’s rule and be guarded from a generation seeking to be esteemed among men by admitting how without Holy God my ship on the seas of life will soon sink.

Today’s Thought “Mid-Term Elections” G. Ward

Hebrews 8:1-2

Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

Among the many responsibilities I share with fellow Pastors, there’s one seemingly with great opportunity to pervade faith in Christ unto those attendees; it’s the illustrious INVOCATION. The minister is invited to recite an inspirational discourse or prayer to help govern the event’s peace. I’ve been invited to do so at this year’s Georgia Gubernatorial rally within the county to which I reside. Political rallies now involve big names purporting great offensive measures, along with tremendous media coverage that minuscules this preacher boy’s message and while some prepare by asking Holy God to allow HIS servant’s eloquence to shine through, I choose to just pray that no matter the partisan politics, or lack in continuity in social advocacy, our LORD be recognized in HIS marvelous transcendence of man’s objective to conquer what seemingly is so entirely oppressive for society, without examination of the ONE who desires granting peace while those of us in earth are exposed (cf. Jer.17:9) to the constant bombardment of man’s impropriety (*Ro.8:18).

Today’s Thought “Skeleton In My Closet” G. Ward

Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

 

Why dust, the equivalent of dirt? One shower before leaving for the gym, another after the workout and finally the one before bedtime. Perhaps extreme for some, but necessary for most. The composition of man rarely contemplates the “why” in Holy God’s decision to use dust vs. something more foundational. Moreover, boasts of being created in His image is not solely our physical existence in earth, but embraces the awesome love of the Father who breathed in us that established real life (eternal presence – cf. Heb.13:5), ensuring every generation hope beyond the measurement of all we can see or touch. I choose to worship HIM.

On my way to purchase more soap…

Today’s Thought “Collapsing Under Stress” G. Ward

Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

I’ve heard it a million times, “Gregory, you’re a man first, then a Pastor.” Must I accept permission to lean further to mine own understanding, or quickly recapitulate towards directives from the All-Wise Savior? People of faith, particularly in Christ, experience spiritual transformation that embraces the entirety of what “new life” represents.  Formulatively and interrogatively, their new found quest should insist on becoming who their Redeemer proposes (*Mt.16:24). While it may sound prudent to accept notions of ordinary personage, we must never forget that exercise is exacerbating futility that never instructs after my demise that sends others to an eternal separation from the LORD who loves them the most and echoes of R.I.H., along with the newly celebrated posturing that wishes those who have died, “Happy Heavenly Birthday” although prevalent on the obituary and social network’s paging won’t guarantee (*Lk.6:46-49)…

Today’s Thought “Suicide On the Rise” G. Ward

Romans 2: ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Currently, I’m on my way to the gym. It’s become routine, particularly as I endeavor senior-hood. I’m more determining that emotional conditioning outweighs physical in that, varied aches, along with prognosis of sorts may disallow rigorous physical exercise, whereas the mind can undergo greater conditioning. Moreover, there are blessings in that soulful training that should reflect on how I’ve been spared from past insatiable ideas in materialism, along with desire to be esteemed by man (cf. Mt.10:28).

The day given me more understands the insufficiency of pursuits outside of the solace my Lord provides when I hide behind His eternal presence.