If you are like me, you  know how easy it is to get distracted by things in life. In fact, I have written a detailed article about 10 such things, titled “10 Things that Distract Us from God“. What we really need to help us is a “heart checker”. Something much like a spell check when writing. The longer we go without the spell check, the more likely we have misspelled a word…or several. And the whole point of the spell check is to see if we have gone off track, and help us correct it. Well in the same way, we need to have our heart checked…and checked often.

That is where one of my favorite psalms comes to mind; Psalm 139. And particularly verses 23 and 24:

  Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

-Psalm 139:23-24

You see, the only accurate way of checking our heart, or spirit, is to look at God…and the life example he has given us; Jesus. We need to turn to Him daily to check our heart, and listen to where we have gone off track, and then make the corrections that are necessary.

I encourage you to commit these verses to memory, that they might continually remind you to go to the heart checker.

In God’s Love and Grace

-Colton

Hey everyone. I want to thank all of you for the wonderful support you have given me and this blog. I want to apologize for how little I have been posting the past year. It is crazy how one can get busy.

But I want to get back into consistently posting on here. I know I owe you all that, as well as God since he has definitely given me this opportunity.

So I am starting with this post…

The past year has been a full one for me. With starting up classes again at my local JC, doing my best to get adjusted to my new area (been here almost 2 years now!), as well as finding a good church home. My beautiful niece was born, and many other big things.

I had a wonderful summer; I had the amazing experience of leading worship with a dear friend of mine, Maggie Quiroz. She had a voice like an angel, and a heart like a saint, and was my biggest role model in learning how to worship God, not just in song, but with a Life. I say “had” because Maggie has since gone home to be with the Lord…she had been battling breast cancer since late 2006.

My heart was definitely broken by the loss all who knew had…but was also left with the encouragement of knowing that she is at the throne of God, worshiping him like she was created for.

Now I am sharing this with you because of the stirring in my heart that was prompted by Maggie’s life. At the young age of 31, she did leave this world, but she did not leave it unchanged. With her LIFE she worshiped God. She genuinely impacted the life of everyone who met her. Even when she was in the hospital the week before she passed, she was praying for the doctors who she came in contact with…

So this my conviction:

When I look at Maggie, I do see a glimpse of Jesus. When people look at me…do they see a glimpse of Jesus? If my life were to end at 31 years of age, will I have made a difference in peoples lives?

This is my resolve:

The life I live in the body, I will strive to no longer live for me. I will live it for the one who loved me and gave Himself for me. I will press on toward the goal to win the prize in which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. I will do my best to remember that everything is a loss compared to knowing Christ. I Will Live For Jesus.

I pray that you may be encouraged by Maggie. She has shown me that it is possible to live how we are all called to live. May we all strive to live a life that leaves a glimpse of Jesus in it’s wake.

In God’s Love and Grace,

Colton

p.s.

Here is a wonderful worship song that Maggie wrote in late 2009:

I know in my life there are times where I get confused with what the purpose of prayer is. Lord, help me with this, help me with that…but God is not an order taker. It is not wrong to pray for these things, but more often than not, prayer should spark action. Yes there are some things that are completely out of our hands, and those we need to give to God…but there are other prayers that should prompt action from us. Like one I used to pray for was “God, give me a desire to read your Word”…but what I really need to do after the prayer is read the Word, not wait on God to change something inside of me first.

Remember these quotes regarding prayer:

“Prayer is not the key to move God…it is the key to move us”

“Prayer is not for God’s benefit, it is for ours”

Prayer, just like reading the Bible, is a huge part of the process of the renewing of our minds, which is mentioned in Romans 12:2. Both prayer and reading the Bible though require action for the full effect to take place.

In God’s Love and Grace,

Colton

I too often find it easy to compromise what God is leading me to do because of the circumstances I am in. Instead of fighting for what God wants, I just lay down and accept what the world is telling me to do…that isn’t what Daniel (and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) did in Daniel Ch. 1.

The setting for this time is that king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had besieged Jerusalem. Though this seemed like such an awful thing, God used these circumstances as a means to bring the hearts of the Israelites back to Him. During this time, king Nebuchadnezzer ordered to bring back with them to Babylon some of the young Israelites from the royal family and nobility…Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednego) happened to be some of these young men. All that were chosen had to be without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. They were to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians.

That is where  Daniel 1:5-14 picks up:

⁵ The king assigned them [the young men from Israel] a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.⁶ Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. ⁷ The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

As you can see, it would have been really easy for Daniel and the others to just eat the food offered to them…to me, it would seem like such a small compromise…but I believe Daniel knew that if he compromised there, where would he stop? So instead, He (and the others) had faith that if they did their part, God would do His…and as we can see in the rest of Ch. 1, that is exactly what God did:

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they [Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego] looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

We need to learn to follow God, despite the circumstances. Whether the compromise is big or small, we need to stand firm, and have faith in God’s provision. Just like Daniel, we need to go out on the limb and do our part, and have the faith that God will do His.

In God’s Love and Grace,

Colton

The following is a revised entry is from one of my old journals. I have felt that I should be going through these scripture journals to reflect on what God has brought me through and taught me over the past few years. My hope is that they may bring you all some form of encouragement, or at the least, inspire you to look through your own journals to see what God has brought you through. It is great to reflect on the past, but we must always be striving to be better today!

Here is my old entry, which came from reading the passage of Romans 14:1-23, 15:1-13:

Love For One Another

It is really easy to look at a person’s actions and begin to make our own judgments about them, but really, we are called to focus on our own intentions and heart, and leave other peoples to be judged by God.

In the passage of Romans 14 and 15, this problem of people eating food that others thought were “unclean” had arised. Both sides of the problem began judging the others hearts and actions. But Paul states in Romans 14: 7-8, that we are to ultimately live our lives for Jesus;

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. -Romans 14:7-8

It is our duty to only worry about the heart of ourselves, and let God do the judging of the hearts of others. Instead of judging each other, we are called to love one another. We also have an obligation to help remove stumbling blocks from our fellow brothers and sisters paths if we can (Romans 14:13).

To solve the problem of the “Unclean Food”, Paul told the people that eating the food was fine for themselves, but since it was causing others to stumble, they were in the wrong (Romans 14:15). We should not let these things get in the way of loving one another, which is such an important part of living for Jesus.

Are there any things that you do that you know in your heart are completely OK for you, but might be causing others to stumble? I encourage you all, and even myself, to start examining these actions, and see if we are causing someone else to stumble from continuing to do these things.

In God’s Love and Grace

Colton

During a time of such great economic crisis, natural disasters, and a world that just seems to be coming apart at the seams, it doesn’t take long at all to find people looking for hope. But what is trustworthy enough to earn our hope? What can we turn to and know it will come through for us?…Wealth?….Strength and power?….Where can we turn?….

I find my answer in Psalm 33:

⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

-Psalm 33:4-15

The first part of this psalm shows why God is worthy of our hope;  “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.” Who better to turn to then the creator of all things, who loves righteousness and justice.

In verses 16-19 of Psalm 33, it shows the futility of putting our hope in the things of this world, rather than in God:

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

-Psalm 33:16-19

Where can we turn but to the Lord and His unfailing love?! The things of this world pass away, yet God stands firm forever. I encourage you all to find hope and assurance in your creator; the Lord of all things, in the unfailing love of Jesus, and in what was done on the Cross.

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance…that is why we need to turn to the Lord.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

-Psalm 33:20-22

May the last three verses of Psalm 33 be a true prayer from our hearts.

In God’s Love and Grace,

-Colton

Lets start this out right; My name is Colton. I am a sinner. I fall short of the glory of God. God is just, and because I have sinned, I must pay the penalty; eternal separation from God (God cannot/will not be with sin)…death.

But then there is Jesus; God’s one and only Son. He came into the world and lived a perfect life, free from sin, and paid my debt…my penalty…my death….on the cross, so that if I believe in Him, I will not perish and will be re-united with God in eternal life (John 3:16).

That is why I owe Jesus my life. The death I deserved to die was paid for with Jesus’ death on the cross. So now, the life I live should no longer be for myself, but for my savior, Jesus Christ:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

- 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

We all owe Jesus our lives. Without His sacrifice, we are all dead people walking. But due to what He did, we now can have life…and living that life for Jesus is the least we can do, for it still doesn’t even compare to the sacrifice Jesus made.

We still will all make mistakes, still we will fall, but living for Jesus is a day-to-day thing, and we should be continually pressing in to the savior, moving forward. If we press on through our struggles and hardships, we will start to notice that we are being transformed to the likeness of Christ.

Let us take the stand, and be the ones who are living for Jesus.

Jesus died for me. So I will live for Him.

In God’s Love and Grace,

-Colton

Psalm 119 is a wonderful piece of art. But beyond that, it manages to show us a heart that is completely focused on surrendering to God, and being obedient to Him; A true Heart of Worship. This heart realizes the true sovereignty of God. The power and truth that are in the Word He has given us. The following are just a few verses that jump out at me in the first quarter of Psalm 119 alone:

I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
- Psalm 119:11

Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.
-Psalm 119:18

I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
-Psalm 119:32

Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
-Psalm 119:36-37

Oh how we should all long to have a heart for God like that of the writer of this Psalm. I strongly encourage you to take time to read this Psalm in it’s entirety. We each need to pursue a heart of true surrender and obedience to God; a true heart of worship. Though I would love to pray to have this heart in myself tonight, and wake up with it tomorrow, it is not that simple…and it shouldn’t be.

To come to have this heart, we need to press through our own selfish desires. We need to study God’s Word when it’s the last thing we want to do. We need to pray when we have no energy left. We need to seek God with all that we are, even when we don’t feel like it, and along that journey, we will realize that our heart has begun to take this form; a true heart of worship.

Let us press into God, press on through our trials, and truly surrender our hearts to God.

In God’s Love and Grace,

Colton

Living in this day and age, there are so many things to distract us from giving any of our time to God. Of course, like in any age, many of us have to work…but after that, we have so many forms of media (TV, Internet, Magazines, Video Games, Etc.), that so often we can get from waking up in the morning, to climbing into bed without ever giving God a second of our day. I know I find myself falling into this pattern all too often.

But what we need to do is give God our time, no matter what, so HE can show us what really matters, and help us avoid those things that are just distractions and worthless. Here is a scripture that we should be aiming our hearts towards:

Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.

-Psalm 119:36-37

God’s desires should be what we are focusing our day around…not our own. By no means am I saying that watching TV, being on the internet, playing video games, or any other form of media is bad in and of itself (although there are many bad things on them)…but if they are stealing our time and focus away from God, then something needs to be done about that.

I pray that for this new year, that we could all make Psalm 119:36-37 one of our new years resolutions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

In God’s Love and Grace,

-Colton

It has been a while since I’ve made a post on L4J (sorry everyone), but God really smacked me upside the head with the following scripture, and I knew I HAD to share it with you all. I really hope each one of you really takes the time to soak it all in, and allow it to help you with your daily attitude.

Philippians 2:3-8 (NIV 1984, ©1984)

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵ Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷ but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Oh how easy it is to be selfish and prideful. I know I have insulted Jesus so many times by my actions….if He was willing to humble himself and do everything he did for me, how much more willing should I be to do anything he asks of me?!!?

I hope you found this scripture encouraging, and may it help us all to remember how our attitudes should be; the same as that of Christ Jesus.

-Colton

The following is a entry from one of my old journals. I have felt like I should share them with you all, hoping that you may be blessed by from them, but that I too would receive something by looking at what God has taken me through.

I hope you are blessed!

Living Sacrifices

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  -Romans 12:1-2

The previous passage is definitely one of my favorites. The verses really give us some great direction on what we need to do with our lives; be living sacrifices. In those times, a sacrifice was usually the death of one thing in place of another, but a LIVING sacrifice is a life a living for the one that was given in exchange for it. Romans 12:1-2 reminds us not to live by the world’s standards, but by God’s. And the only way we can do that is by being renewed in our minds.

The passage really ties into Galatians 2:20, which states: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”.  Since Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us, the best act of worship we can give back is by living our lives for Him…Living for Jesus.

Romans 12 ends with a short, simple, yet power command: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” -Romans 12:21

The world, sin, and the devil are the evil….The good is Jesus. He is our key to overcoming evil. So we need to allow him to live through us by simply living for Him. That is how we can be a Living Sacrifice.

It is so easy to get bogged down by life…(yes, I used the word “bogged”). There are so many things that can burden us in our lives. When we try to live life on our own…well, it really is futile, because we will fail, fail, and fail again. But the following scripture holds the key to solving this problem:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20

What is the key exactly? That we aren’t living as we normally would…that Christ is living in us. Jesus overcame the world, sin and flesh. Though we are not capable of doing this by ourselves, when Jesus Christ (or the Holy Spirit) is living in us/through us,  we can.

I hope you find encouragement in Galatians 2:20, and that you would check your life to see if Christ is living through you…if he is not, simply begin by asking for his forgiveness, and begin building that relationship with him through prayer and the reading of the Bible. As you get closer to Christ, you will start to notice that you are becoming more like Christ