Isaiah’s Blog

7 Years ago… 9/11

Take time today to pray for the families of those lost that day, and for those that continue to fight to keep us safe…

In Christ,

Isaiah

1 Peter 2:1-3
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.(ESV)

Negativity is such an easy snare to fall into… a few careless words and before you know it you’re in a cycle of negative comments that practically becomes self-sustaining. Your negativity fuels another persons, who fuels yours… Its a sick cycle, and hard to stop.
So what can we do to stop it? The first verse here says put it away… the second verse says drink pure spiritual milk, and the third asks if you’ve tasted that the Lord is good…

Put it away
Let go of the negativity… stop complaining right now

Drink Pure Spiritual Milk
Get into the word, study, pray and grow… Do you crave His Word?

Have you tasted that the Lord is good?

In Christ,

Isaiah

We will never be truly happy until what God wants is more important than what we want…

In Christ,

Isaiah

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (ESV)

Prepare for action… be sober-minded… set your hope on the grace from Jesus Christ

What do you need to prepare for today?

In Christ,

Isaiah

1 Peter 1:6-9
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (ESV)

Peter writes to us, telling us that the trials we see in our lives test the genuineness of our faith… Which I can see… but then he writes something that hit me very hard… he says that faith which is being tested is more precious than gold.
Why did that hit me so hard? Because I have to ask myself, how much is my faith worth?
Am I treating faith like something precious… like gold?

Maybe I need more of what is said in verse 8 - joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory

So, the question… How much is your faith worth?

In Christ,

Isaiah

1 Peter 1:3, 4 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you

We have an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading in Christ.
How does this compare to the inheritances we usually receive?
Ah, but that begs the real question… which inheritance are you focusing on?

In Christ,

Isaiah

from nakedpastor.com
There are many ways to take this cartoon…
Do you leave Jesus on the cross?
or am I asking God, what can I do with this cross I have to carry all the time?
What do you think?

In Christ,

Isaiah

Lately I’ve been listening to the Daily Audio Bible podcast every day.
As you might expect it is a podcast for every day that goes through the Bible, in spoken word, in a year.  It is a well done resource and I’ve been enjoying listening to the Word as I walk to work. 

Today this scripture hit home:

Why did that hit home?  Because I’ve been going through Philippians 4 and even posted about it yesterday, but I continued to get frustrated and stressed at the stupid things.

Here I hold in my hand the Word of God, yet I do not open it, just like the fool who will not spend it, in order to gain wisdom.  I have the ability to pray to God with all my prayer requests, yet I stay silent.  Anyone else felt like this?

Lord, may I seek you in all that I am, in the stressful and the peaceful…
In Christ,

Isaiah