gifts

Make It A Great Day

“The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” – Proverbs 4:18 In today’s busy world, days can overflow with tasks, chores, and activities that must be accomplished. A significant piece of wisdom I learned from my grandpa Schuller was, “Don’t get through the day; get from the day.” He meant that each day contains interesting people, opportunities to behold, beauty, and unique experiences. Sometimes, a lazy day is needed, but don’t waste too many days sleeping in, watching hours of television, or overdosing on social media. Don’t bypass a day not committing time to become who you want to be.  At my grandpa Schuller’s house, the kitchen was the center of activity. You always entered and exited the house through the kitchen. Whenever I left the house, I’d always make the same mistake. I would say, “Bye, grandpa, have

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The Ones Who Seek Christ

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ “ – Matthew 2:1,2 What would the Christmas season be without the story of the famous Magi? Tradition builds into this idea that there were three kings, but this is not stated in the Bible. It was possibly a caravan, a host of individuals. The Magi obviously came from the east and could have traveled as far as 2,000 miles. I think they’re Jewish from Babylonia and remnants of Jews from Daniel’s era returning to Israel. They would have been experienced in those days as representatives from the great empire to the east, and they would have been looked upon as scientists

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The Value of a Heart

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.” – James 3:13,14 In yesterday’s Positive Minute, we were encouraged to store up intangible treasures such as God’s favor, doors opened for us, and being a trustworthy person. Receiving these gifts begins with the value of a heart that’s like an empty cup. This heart is ready to learn and receive from others. It’s not a heart that is arrogant or prideful. It’s a heart that reflects the Lord’s prayer by asking for forgiveness. This reflection of God’s heart was less common in the Roman culture of Jesus’ day. Rome was known for promoting and boasting of its glory and accomplishments at any cost.

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Called to Be a Blessing to Others

“For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.” – 2 Corinthians 9:2 Today I want to share a lesson from the city of Caesarea Philippi, which is shared in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. Jesus was trying to teach His disciples that as believers, we are called for a purpose, and we’re called to be a blessing to others. When Hannah and I visited the Dead Sea, I remember reading a comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. The Sea of Galilee is fresh and full of life, and that’s because the water flows in and the water flows out. It’s a symbol of the soul, which receives teaching; we also receive gifts from

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In His Time

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” – Hebrews 10:36 A few days ago, we talked about how twists and turns in the course of our life can frustrate us. We may feel like we are moving further away from our destiny instead of closer to it. However, because God has gone before us and He is sovereign, we can rest assured that we will ultimately get to where we need to be. We will be stronger, wiser, and tougher for having endured the long road!  Speaking of this, it’s interesting how the younger you are, the harder it is for you to understand that for every great dream, there’s a great price to pay. You see this a lot in Disney films and in other fairy tales. Every story has a villain and every great

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The Goodness of God

“I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.” – Lule 4:25,26 God is faithful and longsuffering; He never lets anyone’s wrong choices go unchallenged and He always provides ample opportunity to change course. This was certainly the case for Ahab, to whom He sent the prophet Elijah to confront his wickedness and remind him of another way. Since the king refused to listen to his counsel, the Lord brought a horrible drought on the land of Israel that lasted for three and a half years. During that time, there wasn’t even a drop of rain! As you can imagine, the consequences of this were disastrous

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You are Rewarded in His Likeness

“The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs.” – Proverbs 14:14 What do you want in life? What would you say if we were sitting by a lake together, staring at the water and being contemplative, and I asked you that question? Do you think it’s money? Maybe. Do you think it’s glory? Maybe. Given enough time to think and contemplate, I believe you would say something along the lines of wanting to live a life that matters, wanting to belong, or wanting your friends and family to be healthy and happy. These things are your life and reward in the Kingdom of God, which is the wonderful news I want to share with you right now!  These gifts — purpose, health, peace, and passion — come as a result of the power that comes from exercising specific aspects of our walk with

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The Blessings in Secrecy

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:5,6 Today, let’s dive into the importance of rewards. The notion of doing good with the desire of being rewarded appears throughout Scripture, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount. Unlike modern Western culture, Jews at the time of the Bible’s authoring fully embraced the power of receiving gifts from God as motivation to do the right thing, especially when it came to relating to Him and doing things in His name.  Surprisingly, secrecy is consistently

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Making a Multitude

“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” – John 6:8-13 Today, I want to empower you with this thought: Jesus can create a multitude out of anything

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God’s Greatest Blessings Are Beside You

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 When Hannah and I began to lead the college ministry at the Crystal Cathedral years ago, we did it as a team. However, as the months went by, she got busy pursuing a graphic design business, and our career paths drifted in different directions. In those days, I would attend conferences with various pastors and ministry leaders, and I would hear story after story from men whose wives — who were never there — were dealing with infertility, anxiety, or depression. I remember at the time thinking that this was strange, especially considering these men’s call to guide their families to God’s abundant life. Fortunately for me, a

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