This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Fan or Follower?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Mark Shields

A new series has started at the church I attend called “Not a Fan”. The first message is titled “Fan or Follower?” All sermons are available by clicking on Pastor’s Podcast at this link: First United Methodist Church Waco.

One part of the message made note of was the change in both Joseph and Nicodemus. I heard this song on the radio recently: Changed – Rascal Flatts. I thought it fit right in with the message as we change from being a fan of Jesus to a follower.

Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus and Nicodemus brought very expensive embalming ointment for the burial of Jesus. They were both fans before He was crucified but were changed into followers when they went public. We also go from being a fan to a follower when we go public and follow Jesus one faith step at a time.

Below is an outline of last Sunday’s message.

1. FOLLOWING IS ONE FAITH STEP AT A TIME.
“When Jesus was leaving, He saw a man named Matthew sitting in
the tax collector’s booth. Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me,’ and he
stood up and followed Jesus.” – Matthew 9:9 (NCV)

2. BEING A FAN IS BELIEVING.
“After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named
Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to speak with Jesus, “Teacher,” he
said, ‘We all know that God has sent You to teach us. Your
miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with You.” – John 3:1 (NLT)

3. BELIEVING IS NOT FOLLOWING.
“When Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, many people
believed in Him because they saw the miracles He did.” – John 2:23 (NCV)

4. FOLLOWING IS GOING PUBLIC.
“Nicodemus, the leader who met with Jesus earlier, then spoke up.
‘Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?’ he asked.
They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee, too? Search the scriptures and
see for yourself – no prophet ever comes from Galilee!’ ” – John 7:50-52 (NLT)

5. GOING PUBLIC CHANGES EVERYTHING.
“Afterwards Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of
Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for
permission to take Jesus’ body down…. Nicodemus, the man who
had come to Jesus at night, also came, bringing about seventy-five
pounds of embalming ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Together
they wrapped Jesus’ body in a long, linen cloth with the spices, as is
the Jewish custom of burial.” John 19:38-40 (NLT)

LISTEN: Nicodemus: Another Secret Saint Who Came Through for Jesus in the End (The Unsung Heroes of Easter #7) (blackchristiannews.com)
Nicodemus, the mystery man of Holy Week (religionnews.com)
The Impact of Fear (mandylynncarpenter.wordpress.com)
The Public Burial of Jesus (truthmattersblog.wordpress.com)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christianity, Crucifixion, Faith, Fan, first united methodist, first united methodist church, Follower, Jerusalem, Jesus, jesus and nicodemus, Joseph, Nicodemus, passover feast, Pastor’s Podcast, Pharisee, Rascal Flatts, religion | 19 Comments

The Champion Within

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Mark Shields

A thought from my previous post “Victory Assured” is that within each of us is a champion. All we have to do is release that champion within called the Holy Spirit. We were born to win but we have to believe we are worthy of being a champion. Jesus makes us worthy and to keep winning we should plan, prepare, and expect to win life’s next big challenge.

I found this video clip. It’s from the movie “Miracle” and the clip is the pre-game pep talk by Coach Brooks who coached the USA hockey team to win the 1980 gold medal. It’s an uplifting speech that gives confidence and builds up the team before the game. Here’s the video: Miracle – Coach Brooks Addresses Team.

This day with God will be amazing because the Bible gives us great advice and because victory is assured through Jesus Christ.

The Way When Your Situation Says No Way (carloruiz.wordpress.com)

Posted in Psalm | Tagged Advice, Bible, Challenges, Champion, Christianity, coach brooks, Confidence, God, Holy Spirit, HolySpirit, Jesus Christ, pep talk, Religion and Spirituality, Sports, usa hockey team, victory | Leave a comment

Victory Assured

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Mark Shields

Part of the passage presented in Psalm 108 is also presented in Psalm 57:7-11 and in Psalm 60:5-12 to emphasize the main points and to present them in a little different way. The main emphasis of today’s passage is that we should praise the Lord in song for He will deliver us from whatever troubles we go through. He will accomplish His plans and take care of us in spite of our failures.

Faith triumphs limitations, hope triumphs difficulty, and love triumphs over hate. “For nothing is impossible with God”. – Luke 1:37

Last week was Easter but that’s just the beginning not the end. Jesus would be seen alive many times in the days after that first Easter and this victory gives us momentum because a weight has been lifted.

Today, I found this video and it gives me a lift because I’m amazed at how God gives victory. I hope it gives you a lift for your day. Just click at this link: I’m Amazed – Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir or on the video below. God Bless!

Be thankful in prayer because we are God’s people and we are on His side. This day with God will be amazing because we can do anything through Him who gives us strength. Praise Him, trust Him, Love Him, and have faith in Him.

Questions for Reflection – Psalm 107 – 109 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
The message of the cross … (faithfuldailyread.wordpress.com)
The Good Thing About Death – Psalm 116:15 (stevesbiblemeditations.com)
Back to the Heart of Worship (jsubers.wordpress.com)
Day 33 – What Should We Do When God Answers Prayer? (herchristianhome.com)

Posted in Psalm | Tagged brooklyn tabernacle choir, Christianity, Deliverance, Easter, Faith, faith triumphs, God, God Bless, Hope, Jesus, Lord, Love, Momentum, Praise, Prayer, Psalm, psalm 108, Song, Thankful, Trust, victory | 5 Comments

Lessons of Courage

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Mark Shields

When we read about the courage demonstrated by the characters of the Bible, we are inspired to step ahead with courage. As suggested one time in our First United Methodist Newsletter, imagine you lived like Daniel. As he faced the lions, the only weapon he had was prayer. That was enough for him because of his self-discipline to live boldly and courageously for God.

Photo Credit – Smalltales4.blogspot.com

In Daniel 3:1-30, three men stood up to king Nebuchadnezzar and refused to worship the gold statue the king had commanded everyone to worship. The men courageously refused to worship any other gods. The king put them in a furnace but they had faith that God would save them and He did. The lesson learned is to take courage and know that God loves His people. He teaches through lessons and kindly provides for our needs. Work with Him in faith, wait for Him in hope, and fulfill your purpose with a passion. Our hearts can be protected by positive influences and His great love.

Courage enables people to face difficulty, danger, or pain with firmness and without fear. How can you have the courage to stand up against those that oppose everything that is right? One idea is to be filled with faith and assured that the Holy Spirit is actively working with you. Then others will begin to believe and join with you.

During times of worry or fear, believe that God is for you. Be encouraged by what He has done for you in Christ. For with God is love and with love is purpose and with purpose is courage. God, like a mountain; stands rock solid over time and protects us in our time of need. We can take courage, for God is there for us. In the battle of good against evil, the weapon for good is the double-edged sword or God’s Word.

As mentioned another time in the First United Methodist of Waco Newsletter, when we truly believe that Jesus Christ is continually with us, then we can take risk and step ahead to obey God in new and adventurous ways. To read more about this topic, here is a link to a post titled Standing up to Fear.

Courage to Carry Out His Purpose (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
Book of Daniel (altruistico.wordpress.com)
A.W. Tozer : Armed With Courage (thechristiangazette.wordpress.com)
We Will Take Courage and Wait on the Lord (jacobjuncker.wordpress.com)
A Little Reflection On Christ’s Passion (catholicjules.net)

Posted in Courage | Tagged Adventure, Bible, Boldness, characters of the bible, Christ, Courage, Daniel, double edged sword, Encouragement, Faith, first united methodist, God, God’s Word, gold statue, Holy Spirit, HolySpirit, Inspiration, king nebuchadnezzar, Lessons, Love, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar II, Passion, Prayer, Purpose, Self Discipline, travel, Worship | 7 Comments

Consider His Great Love and Call Out for Help

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Mark Shields

In reading Psalm 107 and writing about it in the previous post, what was observed is that the Word brings strength and should be the food for our souls on a daily basis. We face difficulties in life with things like our health, our relationships, or in our jobs but if we consider the great love of the Lord and call out for help, He will provide what we need to overcome. We can trust that God is with us to always provide what we need.

Everyone faces trials in life but God is more powerful than our problems. Pray every day, trust every minute, always have hope, and believe God is at work in your life. With one word, Jesus calmed the sea and with one word can turn a walk in the desert into a vacation on the beach. Here’s a video to give a little hope for our day: Held – Natalie Grant.