IT'S FRIDAY....WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SHOW FOR YOURSELF

John 15: ⁵I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Good morning!  Happy FRIDAY to you all!  I just want you to look at this picture.  What sticks out to you?  Is it the dullness of these vines that jump out at you, or is it the popping green lively foliage in the backdrop?  Whichever it is you can't help but notice there is life and death in this picture.   Christ wanted to encourage His disciples that HE IS THEIR SOURCE, and as long as they are connected to Him, they will experience abundant living even during the worst situations...but they have to stay connected to Him.  Because without that connection, that union with Him, you/we can't do nothing.   These vines branches clingling to this tree clearly have been cut off, and are dead.  The can't produce nothing.

What can be said about  your week?  If you say that you have stayed CONNECTED to the SON, surely you should be able to look back and see what it was GOD did through you that blessed others.  This is not about you tooting your horn, but rather in thanksgiving PRAISING GOD for using you to_____________________. 

Nothing means nothing, and life is so much sweeter when we are connected to the very giver of life.   If you haven't taken time this week to really spend time with the Father.....if you are reading this.....there's still time.  SO GO AND LGLP and experience the sweetness of such living connected to HIM!  HAVE A BLESSED WEEKEND, and thank you for following me, as I devoted my mornings to follow Him.

DOING NOTHING.......& LOVE DON'T GO TOGETHER

1 John 3:16
This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

NEWS FLASH!!!!! This isn't John 3:16 but rather it's 1John 3:16, but they share some things in common:

1) They both talk about the demonstrated love of GOD.

2) They both talk about a GREAT sacrifice being made.

3) They both are an addressing of an immediate need.

In the book CRAZY LOVE by Francis Chan, we are challenged chapter after chaper to do something, instead of sitting on our faith.  It's a book built on a call to action regarding the needs & needs of salvation of the world.  How do people at your job experience the Love of GOD, through you?  How do or how have the people in your neighborhood experienced the love of GOD, through you?  Pictured is society (faces blurred) while the homeless is sleeping on the streets they walk....are the blurred faces yours....cause you really DO NOTHING to promote the LOVE OF GOD.  I get it, I've been to Africa...and while my heart aches for their deep need.....I can't forget about the deep needs right here in my own neighborhood, my own city, and even my church. I can't do everything, nor will I try, but I'm called to encourage others to get in this GAME called LIFE, and actually give of THEMSELVES so that we can make sure.......SOMETHING IS DONE, before CHRIST RETURNS and says...WE WERE THE CAUSE for the dissapearance of the LOVE OF GOD in the world!  LGLP

Discouraged.....then DO NOTHING?

^{Phillipians 2:3} Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

It's hump day, or technically speaking Wednesday...and we've had a few days making many decisions and the question is are you encouraged or discouraged to go on with (_fill in the blank )when you look in the mirror ? 

Depending on your answer you may need to really take a deep look into your motives.   The scripture says DO NOTHING, that's right...DO ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NOTHING out of selfish ambition or so that Y-O-U get noticed.  That's right people......it's not about you.  Right now many of you are preparing for or had your evaluations and this is a very timely devotion, as it points to the fact that we may have strayed away as to WHY we are working where we work.   We may have even forgot why are we married to____________________, or committed to doing ____________________.  But WHY can't we DO SOMETHING or SOMETHINGS so that we can some recognition or to make ourselves look good........?

Because if we remember that the way to TRUE HAPPINESS & Contentment is found in the scriptures before verses 3-4:  Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.   See our daily goal should be MAKING HIS JOY COMPLETE....OUR DOINGS of promoting UNITY....SHOULD BE TO GLORIFY GOD'S MISSION for US BEING @ our jobs, IN OUR MARRIAGES, @ Our Churches, in OUR RELATIONSHIPS.....you name it.  Now let us pray, regain our focus, and make His JOY Complete TODAY!  LGLP

OUR PLANS COME TO NOTHING

Psalms 146:3-5 ³ Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. ⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. ⁵ Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.

Have you ever planned a meeting, a wedding or a birthday party or any event for that matter that actual worked without any difficulties? I talking started on time, ended on time...everyone showed up...no one was late, had the exact amount of food....etc?  Chances are the answer is NO, nothing was perfect.  Someone was late.   Some didn't RSVP.  Everyone didn't bring a dish, or a wrapped gift.  You know the reason why we can't put our full trust in the President or Pastor or People......?  Because they are just that, imperfect people.  We are all inherently selfish to some degree, some more than others, and often times at the end of the day we make decisions that are in OUR OWN PERSONAL BEST INTERESTS, but as the scripture says when our spirits depart (when we die) whatever plans we thought we had, come to a serious screeching halt.   So really we need to put OUR FULL TRUST in GOD, the ONE who can save us, who can see (in every decision) the beginning and the end.  Who has promised us HIS PLANS are to prosper us,  not to harm us, to give us a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11)

SO, not in the current President, Pastor, CEO......., or the new one you are campaigning for......but rather we can do our part, and make our plans....but let's make sure we TRUST that GOD's plan super cedes ours, and the only way we can wake up happy (blessed, positively content) is if WE PLACE OUR HOPE IN THE LORD, KNOWING FATHER KNOWS BEST!  LGLP

NOTHING w/TODAY

Matthew 25:29
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.

Good morning, and HAPPY MONDAY! ( I know some of you are like " REALLY RAY!!!! HAPPY MONDAY??!?!!??? If you knew how much work I have to do........)  No but really serious happy MONDAY!  This is all about perspective.   The scripture today is Jesus talking to us....if you desks looks like this cartoon's guy desk....look at it through the lens of this scripture.   If you were the lazy one on the job, the one that shucked and jived all day....do you actually think they would entrust more to you?  HECK NO....you know the person that they given little to no work to, WHY?  Because they know they will DO NOTHING...but you.....well you churn it out, and while doing other things.

Now I know from first hand experience.....this can also be deflating and defeating, if you let it!   WE have to constantly look to GOD, cause if we don't, we will become OVERWHELMED.  Evaluations are coming up...and if you feel like you are overworked, under payed...and under-appreciated...I challenge you really think about WHY your company trusts you with so much work.  Then call upon your help!  GOD is trying to set you up for a promotion, don't let your attitude & emotions get you overlooked, instead of looked over because of your response to the workload.   Understand you are one person, but you SERVE A INCREDIBLE GOD, that is able to DO EXCEEDINGLY (NOT DO NOTHING), ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK AND THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS IN YOU! (Eph. 3:20)   SO LETS FACE THE DAY, THIS MONDAY....with courage...knowing GOD IS WITH US, and HAS EQUIPPED US and doing nothing, isn't an option for CHRIST FOLLOWERS! LGLP