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

What would it look like if, as leaders, we focused less on the things that make our churches entertaining and more on making disciples? What if church looked like this…

(This video was shown by Kelly Tshibaka at Foursquare Connection 2011.)

In God’s Love and Grace,

Colton

Often we, like the prodigal son, turn away from Jesus for the things of this world…sooner or later we find that this path leads to emptiness…but Jesus is waiting with open arms to save us…all we have to do is turn and run to him.

Here is a skit, done at Winterfest in Knoxville TN. 2006, that does an amazing job showing us this:

I hope you were touched by the video, it is one of my absolute favorites. It had been far too long since I myself had watched it, and felt it was necessary to share it with all of you as well.

Remember, if you have fallen away from Jesus, or maybe have never had a relationship with him, it isn’t too late. Jesus is waiting with open arms to save you from the mess you are in…just run to Him.

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

Today is the day we celebrate the most important event in the history of the existence of man; the day a sinless man took on our iniquities, and bore the penalty we were destined to pay for our sin. It is the day that Jesus died for us on the cross, so we could be made perfect in Him. Today is Good Friday.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:2

Reflecting on today, I can’t help but be filled with awe, wonder, tears of joy and amazement, hope, faith, and liberation as I think of the amazing Love of Jesus. I find it completely appropriate to present this event as found in the Bible. The following is from the 27th chapter of the book of Matthew:

²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. ³⁰ They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. ³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

³² As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). ³⁴ There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸ Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵ From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi,^[c] lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. ⁵² The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

⁵⁴ When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

There are no words that can express what this day truly means. The sacrifice Jesus made is completely beyond our comprehension, and yet he did it. We are all loved by the King; We, lowly peasants, are loved by the King.

I don’t know what you are going through, or where you are, but just know you are loved by Jesus. He came to this earth to die for you, that you could be made perfect in/through  Him. It is because of His love for you, for us, that we can boast in the cross!

Jesus counts you His priceless treasure. Know it. Believe it. Live in it.

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

If someone were to ask you how to be saved, what would you tell them? As followers of Christ, we need to be prepared to share the message of the Gospel. Or maybe you have landed here and have never learned how and why we need to be saved. The following seven principles are the very basics of the plan of salvation:

1. God loves the whole world and wants to have a personal relationship with each person.
2. But all people are eternally separated from God because of sin and can do nothing to restore their relationship with God
3. Although God loves everyone, He is a just and Holy God. Because of sin, all are condemned to eternal separation from God in hell.
4. But God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to pay the price for sin by dying on the cross in our place. He arose from the dead and ascended to heaven. He is the only way to God
5. The person who puts his faith in Christ receives forgiveness of sin and is reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
6. To follow Christ means to turn away from sin in repentance and to surrender one’s life to Him as Lord and Savior.
7. When someone receives Christ, the Spirit of God comes to live in that person. And then he/she is able to live a life pleasing to God.

Those seven principles form the very basics of the skeleton of the Gospel. God loves us, but we are separated from God because of our sin. God is perfect and just, and sin is contrary to his nature, so we are condemned to be separated from him eternally. But God sent Jesus, his only son, to the world to die for us and take the penalty of our sin upon himself so we could be seen as holy in the eyes of God. Whoever puts his faith in Jesus Christ receives the forgiveness of God and is reconciled to him through the blood of Christ. To follow Christ means to turn away from sin in repentance and to surrender one’s life to Him as the Lord and Savior of their life. When someone receives Christ, the Spirit of God comes to live in that person, and they are now able to live a life that is pleasing to God.

This is a great guideline to use in explaining the Gospel. The following is a list of some scriptures that support the principles:

As it is written:”There is no one righteous, not even one.” -Romans 3:10

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. -Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. -John 3:16

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. -John 3:17-18

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:1

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. -Titus 3:4-5a

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -John 1:12

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. -1 Peter 3:15

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. -Galations 2:20

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. -James 2:10

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. -Isaiah 53:6

We love because he first loved us. -John 4:19

I pray this short post is helpful to you in sharing the Gospel. And if this is the first time you have heard of our need for Jesus, all you need to do is realize how we have all fallen short of God, and that we need Jesus to be redeemed. Accept Jesus and put your faith in Him, and you will receive God’s forgiveness. Then I would encourage you to find a local church and get plugged into one so you can be built up in the body of Christ.

(I would also like to thank INSTE Discipleship I as the resource for how the principles were phrased in this post)

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

The following is a scripture we should always keep present in our hearts and minds. Whenever we face difficulties, or things that are greater than ourselves, we need just to remember the God we serve, and how, through HIM, we can do anything:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13 NKJV

I hope this scripture will stick with you not only today, but also that it would stay with you throughout the whole new year, and forever more. There is nothing impossible with God (Luke 1:37), and through Him and HIS strength, there is nothing impossible for us.

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

I was reading through some of the psalms today, and the following verse jumped out at me, and not only because I had highlighted it in years past.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.   -Psalm 73:26

It is such a short verse, yet it manages to capture within it how inadequate we are, and how much we need God! We need to come to God with this attitude in our hearts; humility.

I pray that we all can begin to approach God in this manner, and that we will continually be teachable.

In God’s perfect Love and Grace,

Colton