Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Beyond Heaven's Door (p. 16). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Jesus while here on earth tells a story of a king and a wedding.   There were invitations and people came but there must have been a dress code because there was a certain man who wasn’t wearing the right wedding attire and he was thrown outside. Max says, “Jesus loved surprise endings, and this one surprises . . . and frightens. Here is a man who was at the right place, surrounded by the right people, but because he wore the wrong clothing, he was cast from the presence of the king. “‘Wrong clothes? Max, are you telling me that Jesus cares what clothes we wear?’ “Apparently so. In fact, the Bible tells us exactly the wardrobe God desires.” “But clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and forget about satisfying your sinful self ” (Rom. 13:14). “You were all baptized into Christ, and so you

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Beyond Heaven's Door (p. 9). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Max had an opportunity to go to the Masters Golf Tournament.   If you love golf you understand the excitement he had.   It was a great opportunity.   And h e wanted to experience it all. He said, “I was a kid in a candy store. And like a kid, I couldn’t get enough. It wasn’t enough to see the course and walk the grounds; I wanted to see the locker room. That’s where the clubs of Hogan and Azinger are displayed. That’s where the players hang out. And that’s where I wanted to be. ” But he said, “A guard stopped me at the entrance. I showed him my pass, but he shook his head. I told him I knew Scott, but that didn’t matter. I promised to send his eldest child through college, but he didn’t budge. ‘Only caddies and players,’ he explained. Well, he knew I wasn’t a player or a caddie. Caddies at the Masters are re

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Hope in the Dark: Believing God Is Good When Life Is Not (p. 146). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I remember where I was when I heard the news of those planes hitting those buildings in NYC back on 9/11.   We lived on Long Island for three years and we spent time down where it happened and we listened to people who had stories of how the horrible attack impacted them.  And I know that so many people on that day lost hope.  Their  life would never be the same. Craig says, “Hope is a funny thing. When you truly trust God, you have something to look forward to, a kind of divine anticipation for where he’s taking you. You also have a security you can rest in, the certainty that no matter how bad things seem, he’s still in control and on your side. And you have a desire for change—probably in your circumstances, but more important, in your heart. You want to be closer to God. W