Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise ? the fruit of lips that confess his name.

-Hebrews 13:15 NIV

Through Jesus, the crucified one. Continually, meaning without pause or ceasing. A sacrifice. I don?t remember praise being a sacrifice until I realized how often continually really is. It?s all the time, no matter what you are doing. Hanging out with friends at home, a bar, church, the mall, anywhere! Spending family time. Going to school. Going to church. Going to work. In all those places we are supposed to praise God. I don?t know about you, but I royally suck at this sometimes. Times when I should keep quiet, times when I should speak up, and times when the spirit needs to move and I ignore it. So what do we sacrifice? Well, ourselves, time, energy, and everything.

I do think that this is definitely a good note to end the year on, and start a new year with. At first I found it ironic that this verse ended up being planned for today. Then I realized how much a work of God it was, and for that, I am ever thankful. So as a challenge and encouragement I send this to you. God bless.

And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

-2nd Corinthians 3:11 NIV

I stumbled across this verse while looking for another one. Which is significant, because it has seemingly nothing to do with the verse I was looking for. Which is in and of itself a work of God. And that?s just the point! God?s glory is here, and there, and then, and will be. Whatever has come before in your life is nothing compared to the glory of God. Good things fade away, other good things take their place sometimes. But the glory of the Lord God Almighty doesn?t fade. It?s here to stay. And that my dear friends, is an encouraging thought.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.

- Galatians 2:20 NIV

Not only is this an awesome song, but an awesome revelation. Paul found something truly amazing here! It is not we that live, we’re spiritually dead. When we do the things which we don’t want to, it’s the sin in us (Romans 7:20 paraphrased). So, when we do that which God wants us to do, we’re alive. Those that are followers of the Son of God who is also the Son of Man live by faith. Not by that which can be seen with the naked eye, but that which cannot be seen. Faith, ya just gotta have faith. Delve a few words latter, and we see that God is God, for God loves us enough to die and deliver Himself up for us. Not a select few, but all of us. I pray that this will be en encouragement to give to God what is flesh, let it be crucified with Him, and let yourself live by faith in Jesus. He knows what He’s doing better than the rest of us. And I pray that God shows you what you need to see, and that your faith will multiply from this tiny encouragement.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

- james 2:17 NIV

No guilt trip needed. That’s not the point. But God wants us to go out and show the world what He’s like. I was sitting in church and this was actually part of the message. And actually, it was a great encouragement. As long as you use what God has given you, you will be alive. Our abilities are like muscles, as long as we use them, they’re great! But if you stop using them, then try to use them just as you had before, there’s a change that they won’t be there in a way. So be obedient to the Lord, and share in the joy of His love. Have faith, and just go do what the spirit of the Lord leads you to.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father?s house?”

-luke 2:48-49

Ok, so, Jesus is like 12. And he?s schooling the old teachers in what they?ve been studying all their lives. He might have just a slight advantage in the fact that He wrote it an all, but still. It?s just another passage that reminds that Jesus was 100% man, and 100% God. He was the Son of Man as Mark likes to point out, and the Song of God, as everyone likes to point out so much. Jesus was doing something that we can all learn from greatly at any age. The Father?s house is more important than the father?s house. Seek first the kingdom of Heaven, then God will show you how to survive here on earth. Jesus is 12 and He?s seeking the Father, he?s being a good son. The main point is that Jesus was born a man, but He was still God. At least that?s my main point for the day. God bless!