Appearances are Deceiving

Looks like the statue made a great shot huh?

Appearances can be deceiving, sometimes we even fool ourselves.

Revelation 3 1-3
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.

We have all had time in our life where our walk with God is struggling. We may have justified sins and we don't know it. there could be a million reasons why we are dying spiritually and falling away from God. The sad fact is that often when we are in that state and we don't even see it. It is pretty evident in this passage, as Jesus is talking to the church in Sardis that Jesus is not happy with them. They don't know that Jesus isn't happy with them, they think they are doing great.

My freshman year of college I was making all d's and went to see my advisor. He said "How are you doing this semester?" I smiled big and said "Great." He looked at my grades looked puzzled and then chewed me out. I was happy with d's and figured I was passing. I realized I wasn't doing as great as I thought I was. I realized I needed to raise the bar of my expectations. We all need people in our lives like that who will tell us the truth and hold us accountable. We also need to quit lying to ourselves and look at the truth. We need to quit justifying ourselves and blaming every one else.

I encourage you to evaluate Your life and see if Jesus is really happy with you or not. Remember when you evaluate yourself that you are to measure yourself by Jesus life and the standards of the bible not by what other people are doing.

Dear God, please remove the blinders from our eyes and help us to view our selves through Your eyes. May we be convicted of where we are failing You and say we are sorry and turn the other way.

FIRST LOVE

Do you remeber the feeling of when you first fell in love? I remeber when Vanessa and I first started dating. I was on cloud nine. It was an adrenaline rush of excitement and feelings that I had never felt. We wanted to be together all the time and were on the phone when we were apart. Although I love my wife more now then I did then it is not the same. I can't say that I have all those warm fuzzy feeling all the time so what does that mean? I had a preacher say that if were closer to God when you first got saved then you are now then you need to rededicate your life to God. That always bothered me because much like dating my wife when I first got saved it was an adrenaline rush and surge of new emotions at first. I don't have those feelings in the same way all the time any more so whats up with that? Does that mean I am no longer as close to God as I once was?

Revelations 2
4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

As I think about this verse for my marriage and for my relationship with God, have I forsaken my first love. Not at all because true relationship is not about how they make you feel or about whether you get warm fuzzy feelings. Love is about commitment and it is a choice one makes every day. We choose to sacrifice our life daily to love God. We choose daily die to ourself and follow God. My relationship with my wife is the best it has ever been and yet it can be really hard sometimes and sometimes I still get warm fuzzies. My relationship with God has been tested lately and yet I feel closer to God than ever before. Again it is different but it is closer.

My question to you is have you fallen from your first love with God. I am not asking have you quit having the warm fuzzies or is it easy. I am asking if there is sin in your life that has hurt your relationship. Have you quit dieing to self daily and made yourself god again. If so repent (Turn form your sin and go the other way), put God on the throne again and fall in love again.

Secondly Have you ever fell in love with God to begin with. God is not a church, a builing, a religion, or good works. God is the creator of the universe and through Him alone can we be saved from our sin. he longs to have a real, life changing,
passionate relationship with every person but our sin tainted that and so He sent Jesus to die and take away our sin. The price has been paid for your sin but you do have to accept it and choose to follow Him and make Him master of your life. Simply cry out to Jesus and ask forgivenees and ask Him to take over your life.

TURKEY DAY

Well it is my favorite holiday tomorrow. Although I love Christmas it turns out once you’re not a kid any more it is very stressful and a lot of work and can be expensive. On thanksgiving you relax cook and eat and take a nap and relax some more. That is my kind of holiday. And also the Cowboys are always on. I am not sure how they got the monopoly for playing on Thanksgiving but that is always cool.
Things I am thankful for this year.
As many of you know it has been an interesting few years for the Sheppard bunch but we are truly, truly blessed. I have the greatest wife and mom for my kids ever. I have kids who are healthy and the highlight of my day every day. I have a place to stay and food to eat. It is so funny how we worry or get down about thing and forget all that we have. We have all that we need and then some and I am truly happy. And of course the greatest thing of all I am thankful for my salvation.
Colossians 2:6-7 (New International Version)
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I don’t know about you but I often forget how amazing it is that God chose to die for me so I could have a relationship with Him. I don’t know why He chose to love me, forgive me of my sins and change my heart. I don’t know why He sent His only son to die in our place. I don’t know why He didn’t destroy this planet and start over. For some reason he loved us so much that He sent His only Son so that we could believe in Him and not perish and have everlasting life. Any one reading this who has not asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins and take over your life that gift is the greatest gift of all. I am most thankful for that as I am reminded how amazing that gift really is. Let us not lose the joy and thankfulness we had when we were first saved. That love is the same today as it was when we were saved. If it is not then we have moved because God is still there with open arms.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

No TV for a Week

1 Thessalonians 2:13
13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

You know when it comes to christianity we can feel like a lot of things are from God. We can claim God tells us a lot of things. We can experience things that we believe are from God. Unfortunately we are human and we can be wrong but there is one thing that is for certain and cannot be wrong and that is the Word of God. Paul said that it is not the words of men but the very words of God.

Everything we feel and experience and think must align with the word of God. I have seen Christians say that God told them to leave their spouse for another person in the church. Direct conflict with the word of God yet they allow their feelings to define what God is saying even though its wrong. Oh that we would evealuate every decision by the word of God with no justification. It would radically shape our lives.

Paul then says "which is at work in you who believe." Here is something that is so beutiful. The word of God is at work in us. It is more then words that we use to look up verses to win an argument. It is the word of God that speaks to our hearts and transforms and shapes our soul. Yet many rarely read it. If we read the bible half as much as we watched TV it would radically change our lives.

I was in a period a while back where I wasn't reading my bible and a friend told me, "I challenge you to read your bible for five minutes every day this week and if it doesn't make you life better than fine, but if it does you have to keep reading it." I did and I have been reading it almost every day since then. It has blessed my life more than I can explain. Sometimes I can't wait to read it and some times I have to force my self but it is always worth it.

I challenge you to turn off you tv for a week and replace it with reading the bible. It will rock your world. Be prepared , satan does not want you reading your bible. That is my challenge. One week of fasting from TV and when you desire to watch tv read the bible instead. It will be better than any show ever made.

God I pray that people would take this challenge this week and that Your word will change their lives. Reveal the things that they need to repent of and that don't align with your word. Bring transformation in our lives through Your Holy Word.

Join Me in Suffering

2 Tim 1:8-9

8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.

In a society of health and wealth gospel where becoming a Christian means having a perfect life we some times need to be reminded that accepting Christ was about much more than feeling good.

Although accepting Christ changes our life in many good ways such as peace and joy, it also makes our life harder. We are called to a life of purpose, sacrifice, and working hard for the Lord. We are called to serve God with all of our hearts and take huge steps of faith. Although it is cool that God calls us to be on a mission with Him. The mision is often hard and involves being persecuted. Paul was in prison being persecuted for the gospel of Christ. He ask Timothy to join him in suffering for Christ.

We often forget that this earth is a temporary dwelling place. It is an extended camping trip that is often uncomfortable. Many have abandoned the faith to set up a home here and become comfortable rather than serve Christ with all of their hearts.

Although we have freedom in America to share our faith it is not a popular message as we preach Jesus Christ as the only way to Heaven. So stand firm in your faith serve Christ with all of your heart. You may suffer and be uncomfortable but do not be discouraged you treasure is in Heaven.

So Easily Distracted

I have spent a lot of time with the Lord today as I get ready to preach Sunday and dedicate my little man to the Lord. I have been so convicted today at my lack of faith in the Lord. Events in the last few years have dramatically hurt my faith and I have become so focussed on doing it on my own. I am so sick of thinking about my seld and how to make maoney in the future. The more I think about myself the more depreseed and stressed I become and the more I focus on praying for others and helping people the more I am filled with joy and the more things just works out and God provides. God reminded me today of so many things I already know but fail to live

SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THEESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO you

Wow how easy it is to forget this and give God our leftovers in every area of our life. Forgive me Lord.

FAITH


God will provide for my needs and will not leave me without. I my not get all of my wants but most of my wants are wordly garbage that will be eaten by moths and desinigrate. Why do I trust a green peice of paper and have trouble trusting the King who created the world out of nothing. I apologize Lord help me in my unbelief.

LOVE OF MONEY

You cannot serve both God and money. One or the other. As much as I would love to say I don't love money it sure takes up a lot of my thoght and I sure can think of a lot of thinks I want. Forgive me Lord.

I am sorry I am so easily distracted. Help me to daily take up my cross and follow You with al of my heart and soul and mind.

Question and Answer

A young lady had and issue with Christianity. In Chritianity it seems unfair that you can just kill some one and ask forgiveness and be saved. Why does it work like that?

Good question. The answer is the same problem she has with Christianity is the beuty of Christianity. In God's eyes ALL sin is disgusting so whether we told one little lie or killed someone we are dispicable and disgusting and unacceptable. God's love is bigger than our actions whether they seem big or small to us. They key to repentance is it has to be true heartfelt repentance. Its not sweet I will do wahtever I want and kill people because I know God will forgive me. It is realizing how filthy we are and then begging God to forgive us. Grace is not earned it is a gift and it is available to all that ask. That is the power of the cross. That power, love, extreeme forgiveness and extreeme grace is available to all that ask. That is beutiful.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life



We have all fallen short and all deserve death but God is wanting and willing to forgive us all.