Monthly Archives: June 2012

Your Heart’s Desire

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God wants good things for you. He really does. God wants what is best for you. Really.

God wants to give you, in your life, the good things that are going to bless you and make your life better and more whole.

God longs to do these things for you.

Listen to what Jesus tells us in Luke 12:32-34 today:

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

He says that it’s the Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. That’s pretty cool. It’s God’s good pleasure to this for us. It’s His desire. It’s His will. He wants to give us the kingdom.

But, before we run too far with this, let’s think about what that means. Look at what it says in verse 34. Where our treasure is, there will be our heart.

God wants to give us the kingdom. He wants to give us good things. But first, He wants to change our hearts.

Because what happens is that when He changes our hearts, we want different things. The reason that God will give us the kingdom, after He changes our hearts, is because at that point, what we want is what He wants.

So, today, what is your heart’s desire? Is it God? Is it His kingdom? Is it His life? If so, then today, you will be satisfied. Today, you will find life.

Is your heart’s desire something else. Then you can seek it and find it. But without God as the center of it, the center of your heart and life, you won’t be truly happy.

Today, God wants to change you heart and give you what you truly desire, and truly need.

Him. And His life.

Today, and each day, may God be our hearts desire.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

God’s Got This

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Sometimes in my life, I feel like the weight of the world is totally on my shoulders. I can sometimes think I’ve got do everything right. The fate of the free world, my family, the US economy, and Ole Miss football recruiting all hangs on my next move and decision.

Ever felt that way?

Ever felt paralyzed by a decision? Ever felt overwhelmed by something you are having to figure out? Ever felt like you didn’t know how/what/when to do it?

I think we’ve all felt that way sometimes. I think we have all been there not knowing what to do, how do it, when to do it.

We can think it’s all up to us. On our shoulders.

Listen to what Paul says today in Ephesians 1:3-10:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In this Paul writes about God’s will. God’s plan. How the plan for our salvation and the salvation for all that believe was made before the world was even created.

God has a plan and a will that’s bigger than any of us. God has a way that’s larger than any of us. God has a hope that goes beyond ours.

God’s got this. Really.

He’s God. Your not. Don’t worry about it.

Today, do your best. Be faithful. Do the best you can for your faith, your family, your friends. Be the person that God wants you to be. Or as best you can!

And know that He has this. He has a plan and He has a way. It’s not up to you to do and solve everything.

Listen to me. It’s not up to you. Really.
You aren’t God. He is God. Be faithful. That’s your task today. Love, serve, forgive. Shine His light. Be salt and light today.

And know that He’s got a plan for the rest. Let go, and let Him handle it.

God’s got this.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Not Satisfied

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One of the things that I know deep, deep down in my heart is this. We are all sinful. We are all broken. We are all frail. We are all weak.

That’s who we are. That’s who you are. That’s who I am. I am not big on judging others, because I know my weakness. We all have work to do in our lives.

I think this one fact is one of the things that draws people to Asbury, it’s a place where you can be loved on and not beat up on. It’s a place where we all admit that we are imperfect.

I know that, and I believe that.

Now, that said, there’s something else I believe. I know I’m sinful and broken.

And I’m not satisfied to stay that way. I know that there is more than my sin and my brokenness. I know that God has to have more than that.

I’m satisfied with staying the same. I want more.

Listen to what Paul says in Galatians 2:17-20 today:

But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We are sinners, yes, but Christ is not a servant to sin. We die to ourselves, and to our sin, so that we may live in Christ.

But it’s not really us living, but Christ living in us and through us.

If you are not satisfied this morning, this is the answer. It’s not about you (or me) or our frailties and sin. It’s about Jesus living in us and through us.

It’s about Jesus changing and transforming us. It’s about us getting out of the way, and devoting ourselves to Him. And knowing that life through Him.

Today, there is more. Today, you are more. There is more than life as you’ve always known it, more that life as it’s always been. There is hope, joy and peace.

Today, don’t be satisfied. Today, strive after something bigger and better. Today, life in and through Him.

Today, live!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

In the End

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I love the book of Ecclesiastes. It’s a great book. It was written, probably, by King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live.

And in this book, he goes through everything a person could every seek to know or achieve. He deals with work. Please. Even religion. Everything.

And he goes through all these things, and in the end, he find this – it’s all vanity.

It’s all not what it’s about. We spend our time chasing these things. We spend our time running after these things. We spend our time trying to achieve these things.

And then we get them! And then, well, what. We still feel empty. We still find something missing. We still are like, what’s wrong.

Listen to what he tell us today in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

In the end, it’s this. Be faithful. Love God. Love others. Do right.

It’s not complicated. It won’t make everything perfect or easy. But it’s where it starts. It’s where life is found. It’s what really matters. Not in all of this.

So, today, focus on what matters. Focus on what really counts. Focus on what will last. God. Faith. Family.

We will never be empty when this is our focus. May we spend our life on what truly counts.

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.

Worth Having

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What in your life is really worth having? I mean, really worth having?

We spend our time on lots of things. So are very important. Some, not so much. In our lives we only have so much time, so much money, so much energy, so much effort.

Today, in your life, are you spending these precious resources on what matters the most?

Are you spending it on things worth really having?

Listen to what Jesus says today in Matthew 13:44-46:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

He says that the kingdom of God is like a hidden treasure that man sells all he has to go and buy. It’s like a great pearl that a man sales everything to go and own.

The kingdom of heaven is life that is found in Jesus. It’s not just heaven, though that is part of it. It’s the life that is found in one’s daily walk with Him. That life that makes everything better. That life is that is truly worth having, over everything else in life.

And see, that’s it. This kingdom life, this life that’s found in Jesus, that’s worth having. That’s eternal, unending, and joyous. That’s the best and that’s what it’s all about.

And today, Jesus said that should come first and be first. And we should get rid of everything else and keep that.

Because when we’ve got that, we’ve got something truly worth having.

Today, may we remember in our lives what is truly worth having. Faith. Family. Friendships. And let’s focus on that.

Let’s focus on what really matters. And in that, we will find life!

Don’t forget, you can click here to download Asbury’s mobile app and read these devotionals, as well as listen to my sermons on your smart phones.