Blog Archives

How BIG is your Picture? by Randy Young

2/27/2014

How big is your picture? The greater it is...the easier it is to see clearly! Tonight, I am not talking about your Samsung or LG HDTV! I'm talking about your picture of life, and how important it is for believers in Christ to think "big picture!" You see it's necessary that we first "think" big picture before we can live it! Let me explain, living each day experiencing the challenges of life, this world, frustrations, temptations, setbacks, etc. can cause us to get really down and without joy, hope or even faith )which is power!) If we're not careful our tendency will be to focus entirely on the immediate struggle and thereby lose sight of the "bigger work!" It's important to remember that we need to step back and get an eternal perspective so we have proper context! How do we "step back?" We surrender to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit empowers us as our great counselor to consider the "bigger implication," the greater good, and impresses these Biblical truths into our heart as we allow Him. His light of revelation sends the dark thoughts of doom and despair running. Friend , as He transports us from our tired, even dire physical or mental predicament we enter to a glorious, wonderful spiritual rest filled with peace, and hope (all without leaving the house!) The power of His Spirit reminds us that our heart belongs to Jesus and not bitterness! He reminds us that our real enemies are not those who insult or hurt us! He reminds us that we are sojourners, not home yet! He reminds us to keep short accounts and keep our hearts pure! Friend, with the working of our Heavenly Father in our lives and the assurance of a future we have the power to think much bigger than our present circumstances! I love how loving, full of genuine mercy, and total compassion Joseph was when his jealous brothers (who had left him for dead, then sold him into slavery) stood desperate before him accused. Joseph had the power of life or death literally given to him by Pharaoh, and rather than inflict personal permanent retribution and retaliation -he ultimately embraced his brothers with tears and forgave them! That is big picture thinking! That is a man that is surrendered to the will of his Heavenly Father! Joseph understood that God had allowed everything to take place for such a time as this! I pray in our life we all will by His power, be able to see these little "stumbling blocks" (trials, struggles) as spiritual "stepping stones" (of maturity in Him) and keep on keeping on with hope and a blessed assurance to a "big picture life!" 1st Peter 1:3 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, amen! Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

"No Grow...No Go!"

2/23/2014

Have you heard the expression “no pain no gain?” As a child I grew up hearing that gentle reminder whenever I needed extra encouragement to keep going and not give up. The gist of the quote is that once you start “feeling” the pain of your exertion and efforts, you are finally making progress…so whatever you do don’t give up. I think the point is that pain is to be expected if you want to go anywhere good in life…it takes hard (painful) work! The bottom line is we shouldn’t be afraid of a little pain! Yet, despite this common truth, it seems that there are many today that will do almost anything they can to avoid the necessary “pain” that is required to grow… This is flawed thinking and it is prevalent even in the church today. Believers want the security of salvation and the liberty from “grace” so long as it doesn’t require personal sacrifice. Let’s get this straight, nobody likes pain…yet, we endure it for a little while with His power and focus on what the “pain” is producing in us! Consider this, physiologically we experienced growing pains as a child that were quite painful…only to experience a growth spurt soon after! Now let me ask you what child would rather stay short to avoid the growing pain? As believers in Christ we also are being stretched, shaped, and molded into Christ’s likeness, as we choose to follow Him down the narrow road. Sometimes it can be downright painful, challenging, and even discouraging! This is a journey and depending where we are the scenery can change! There can be mountaintops and there can be valleys on this narrow road. There will be times we can feel lost or like giving up, and want to stop! This metaphoric illustration of the “road” is also sometimes thought of as seasons of life. There are times we experience the “closeness” of His hand as blessings pour down from Heaven, then there can seem to be a drought! Friend, I don’t much like the drought or the valleys! In fact, I have been known to ask my Lord to please take them away! Thankfully, He knows that although I don’t like the momentary pain (trial) I do want to be more like Him and want to grow! You see, I made Him the Lord of my Life! Lordship means I really want His best will for my life and I sacrifice my own for His! Therefore I shouldn’t be surprised when He stretches me…! Guess what? He also is stretching you as you pray for His will for your life. We would never pray a prayer like, “Dear Father God, please help me to become complacent, help me to stop where I am and stagnate.” That is absurd and ridiculous to even consider right? Yet, we must never forget the pain and trial we are experiencing can have a necessary purpose in growing us. The alternative to growing is stagnation! How can we experience joy in the midst of trials? We know what it is producing in us, we know that we’re growing, and friends if we’re not growing… we’re not going…(down the narrow road)! 1 Peter 1:6-8 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

A Picture is Worth...

2/20/2014

"A picture is worth a thousand words." A classic phrase that illustrates the power of a snapshot to define or characterize an opinion or standing on a matter or person. In advertising we see this principle played out constantly in ads in print, TV and other digital media platforms. Ad companies are hired by businesses to build positive pictures and associations with their brands, so you as a consumer hold them in your mind in a good light, etc. In life it also rings true in the way we hold people in our memory. We "see them" when we think of them, i.e.; we recall a past sum of experiences. (What that picture looks like determines their standing with us.) For example, if a person has hurt us, or been vicious in any way we would have a negative picture of them in our mind. Conversely, if a person has been kind, generous, etc. we would have a favorable picture in our mind, right? These pictures are worth a thousand words, so the quote says. These pictures are the summarization of our personal experiences and feelings. Friend, this got me to thinking about how people hold God in their mind and what that picture looks like? Why? Because how we paint that picture determines so much in our relationship to Him. You see some people have a picture of an aloof, distant, punitive creator who isn't tangible or loving painted! They see God as impossible to please, unrealistic or even uncaring. Perhaps these pictures were formed because of disappointments in life, hurt relationships, loss of loved ones, etc? Friend how do you see God in your mind? This picture needs to be accurate! My hope for tonight is to help you see God in the light of His full character and not a distortion painted by lies from the enemy! Perhaps you had a legalistic experience at a church? Maybe you were shunned or shamed by "believers?" Maybe your dad left you or rejected you or was abusive? Don't associate the perfect, pure love of our Heavenly Father with wicked deeds of sinful flesh! When we take the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation and learn about our Holy Father Jehovah God we can definitely paint a picture of Him! Here is my portrait (only some of my thousand words) He is love, He is slow to anger, He is faithful, He is gracious, He cares, He is compassionate, He desires relationship with us, He is present, He is our protector, He understands, He disciplines His children, He restores His children, He loves to bless us, He knows us intimately, He created us and all creation, everything good came from Him! He rewards faith! He is generous, He opposes the haughty, arrogant and proud! He never shames, manipulates, extorts, or leaves us. He forgives and forgets our sins when we confess and repent! He is our rock, our hope! He empowers us to be holy, pure and full of His love, thanks to our personal relationship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! There you go that's only part of my picture! That beautiful picture is with me always! It is alive in me because He is alive working through me! Tonight how do you see God? It will determine much about your relationship with Him! I love Matthew 7:7-12 it paints a wonderful portrait of how accessible our Heavenly Father is to us! Ask Him to help you have the right picture of Him! He will! 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

Only the "Strong" Survive?

2/15/2014

EVER HEARD THE EXPRESSION "ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE?" A QUOTE USED IN MANY CONTEXTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY TO ENCOURAGE ONE TO HOLD ON, TO PERSEVERE AND NOT GIVE UP. IT'S WELL INTENTIONED AND TRUE...AT LEAST MOST OF IT. I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT CLASSIC QUOTE AND SLIGHTLY MODIFY IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE COMPLETELY TRUE. "ONLY THE STRONG IN THE LORD...SURVIVE AND THRIVE!" NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY SINK OUR TEETH INTO! YOU SEE, ALL THIS "PULL YOURSELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS" MENTALITY DOES IS DELAY OUR INEVITABLE CONCLUSIONS AND THWART THE IMMEDIATE DISPENSATION OF GRACE IN OUR LIVES. MOST OF US HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT "GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WORK HARD, EARN IT AND ACHIEVE IT! THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR THE MOST PART. YET, THE BEST THING, THE MOST CHERISHED THING COMES FROM FREELY RECEIVING IT. THIS OF COURSE IS THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO EARN IT, WORK FOR IT, OR ACQUIRE IT BY OUR OWN INGENUITY, GRIT OR WHEREWITHAL! THEN HOW DO WE RECEIVE IT? WE RECEIVE IT BY DOING THE OPPOSITE OF "PULLING UP OUR BOOTSTRAPS" AND INSTEAD FALL PROSTRATE ON OUR FACE IN TOTAL UNDERSTANDING AND RECOGNITION THAT WE CANNOT SAVE OURSELVES! WE MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND OUR DESPERATE NEED OF HIS GRACE AND THEN HUMBLY ASK FOR IT. SOME PEOPLE MISTAKENLY THINK THEIR SIN IS SOMEHOW BENIGN TO THE NEED OF GRACE? OR FALSELY ASSUME THAT SINCE THEY HAVEN'T COMMITTED ANY "MAJOR" SINS THAT THEY ARE "HOLDING THEIR OWN!" FRIEND, DON'T BE DECEIVED! WHAT'S WORSE THAN A BIG SIN CONFESSED? A LITTLE SIN THAT IS RATIONALIZED AND ARROGANTLY JUSTIFIED! ROMANS 3:23 REMINDS US THAT "WE HAVE ALL SINNED AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD." THE GATEWAY TO A GRACEFUL LIFE BEGINS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS WITH A BENT KNEE AND BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART! JOEL 2:11 "FOR STRONG IS HE WHO CARRIES OUT HIS WORD!" THE STRONG IN THE LORD SURVIVE AND THRIVE ! READ PHILIPPIANS 4:13. THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE, RANDY YOUNG

Hunting for Treasure???

2/13/2014

Ready to go on a treasure hunt? No, it's not what you think. This treasure is everlasting treasure! Often times when we think of treasure we fix our hopes on certain "things," or that special "person" or even a title or position, or a state of being. Another words, we have a perfect picture in our mind of what it should all look like to be happy and content. This list of "treasures" vary with each individual, yet there are some similarities we all share. I used to believe that once I made a certain amount of money, had a certain business title, etc. got married and kids, homes, cars, etc. that I would be content and happy! Then what happened when I reached those goals and was still not content? Imagine the crisis of life! What a mirage I thought! You spend years on your treasure hunt only to find "it" and then it doesn't satisfy...it's like eating a cheese puff! No substance, artificial, hollow and leaves you more hungry! Friend, why is that? Why is it that so many people who seem to have every "treasure" in the world are the ones we see self-destructing on TV? It's the cruel reality that the treasure they spent so much time hunting for...doesn't fulfill, doesn't satisfy, and leaves us empty inside! That realization can leave many with a sense of hopelessness and reckless abandon! I found myself demoralized and hurt, drinking more and more, to cover that emptiness and pain. Tonight, I hope by sharing my own testimony to maybe serve as a WRONG WAY sign for anyone who is searching for treasure and going about it by heading down that "dead end road!" "Stop and turn around!"Tonight, true treasure is waiting for you! If you search, you will find! In Jeremiah 29:13 our Heavenly Father says: you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares The Lord ! You want treasure? Search with all your heart and you will find! Our Father God in Heaven created in us a deep desire to have fellowship with Him and nothing else can fill that void in our life! He has cleared every obstacle that stood in the way when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be our redeemer and sacrificial lamb! Tonight, when you ask God to forgive you of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you will have uncovered the greatest, most amazing treasure...peace and eternal life! I would love to send you a Bible and New Believers Guide to help you on the exciting journey of following Christ! Message me your mailing address and we will send it without obligation. Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

Help To Endure!

2/11/2014

What one word best sums up our responsibility when we face difficult times? Here's a hint, a word used dozens of times in the Bible! Give up? The answer is "endure!" Friend, let's examine this word "endure" more closely. The word literally means to "suffer through," to "last" to "abide," finish" even "survive!" Now why in the world would we be told to "endure" so many times in the Bible? The answer is that our Heavenly Father knows that, despite what some may say, this life isn't easy, and as we choose to follow Him, some of us will even be persecuted for our faith, and all of us will suffer through many heart aches, physical ailments, loss of loved ones, and many, many more hardships and trials! There will be times we will feel desperate, alone, discouraged and like just giving up! Yet, we must not! Instead, we are called to endure! Ready for the good news? Our Father doesn't just say "endure!" He is with us right where we are bearing our pain and readily available to strengthen our weary hearts, with His amazing love and grace, which is the vital sustenance to "endure!" You see it isn't enough just to go through a trial... we are called to go through it with faith and hope! We endure through Him by standing on His promises! Let's read 2 Timothy 4:5 "but you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." Paul is writing this letter from a prison cell to encourage Timothy, reminding him that the one who perseveres will be richly rewarded! In verse 7 Paul says:" I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;" (Paul had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, etc. yet he remained faithful to his call from Christ) now here come the hope for all who faithfully endure, verse 8:" in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." Friend tonight may we endure through our trials, pain and/or difficulties with the grace and mercy of our loving Father, who will send us the Comforter! Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

From baby food to solids!

2/10/2014

Ever heard the expression "slow and steady wins the race?" The idea is If you work slowly but constantly, you will succeed better than if you work fast for a short while and do not continue. (Aesop's fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare.")
As believers in Christ when we are born again, we are new creations...another words when we become saved we are babes in Christ! It is not uncommon as "babes" to start off this new found "walk" like a baby just learning to walk; excited, fearless, with a zeal and zest for life... running and falling! Our former darkened way is made alive all over by His transforming power, and we are given a new zeal for evangelism, a passion for the lost, bold faith and a Holy fire in our belly! It's exciting, yet, much like a newborn we also run fearlessly and can fall fast! You see as babes we are needing to be coddled and handled oh so carefully and constantly at first! We need our milk and our Father's affirmation routinely! Yes, our Father in Heaven is so faithful to increase our faith, to bring us along by revealing Himself in faith-building ways! However, as we grow up we must move off the baby milk and onto solids, if we are going to continue to develop. It is most necessary that as we grow we learn to feed ourselves in the Word and learn how to exercise our faith in the midst of trials, by standing on His promises! This maturation process is important and can be painful! We cry out in adversity, and it feels like no response! Where is He? Why is He silent? You see, just like a loving parent who watches their child learn to ride a bike, we at some point have to let go of the back of the bike and let them ride by themselves with the knowledge of what they learned! Does that mean we don't care? No, we never leave them or stop caring, we just need to pull back some so they can grow! What happens? Well, inevitably a bike crash or two! Yet, these are necessary lessons for maturity! Strong faith that is deeply rooted comes from those times of trial and adversity! We don't ever like trials or adversity, yet we do pray that our Father's will be done! Guess what? It is His will that we mature in our faith and follow Him down the straight and narrow road! He wants a deeper relationship with us! Friend, this road is a long road and It's a road full of pot holes, snares, land mines, etc. Yet as we make Jesus Christ not just our personal Savior but also grow in spiritual maturity and make Him Lord of our life, He will guide and provide every step of the way! Soon we will arrive at the pearly gates! Amen! 1Corinthians 3:2-5 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? Let's continue to grow up in our faith and trust Him every step of the way! Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

He can relate!

2/6/2014

He can relate and sympathize! Have you ever shared your heart, your innermost pain with another person? Why? Perhaps you were looking for understanding, compassion, someone who cared? It is important that we share our pain, hurt and struggles with someone we can trust, someone who can sympathize, and someone who can take it all and return grace and mercy! Now, thankfully I can tell you who that person is... Our High Priest, Jesus Christ. It would be a mistake if you think for one moment that Jesus is too busy to care, too perfect to understand, or that He isn't accessible , etc. Let me dispel this immediately! Friend, nothing could be farther from the truth! Let's look at Hebrews 4:15 "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin! This means Jesus understands and has compassion for what you and I are going through right this moment! Now what are we going to do with that knowledge? Do we continue to go it all alone in shackles of sin, despair and shame? No! Do we commiserate with others who are in the same boat? No! Do we try and try in our own power to muster up our own strength to pull ourselves up by our own boot straps? No!
Let's read verse 16 of the same chapter of Hebrews for what to do; "therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Friend no matter what hurt, pain, sorrow, struggle or trial we are enduring, He endured it and conquered it! Now He has the power for us if we will draw near to Him! Let's spend these quiet moments sharing our innermost thoughts with our Lord and Savior who cares!
Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

"Just do it!" and be Blessed!

2/4/2014

"Just do it!" The Nike slogan is quite apropos for tonight's quiet moments. Friend, I have seen in my own life an "over thinking" and even "second guessing" occur right after being led to do something for the Lord! It happens like clockwork, I get prompted by the Holy Spirit to share, give, do something and then there it comes! It's the doubting voice that tells you; "you don't want to do that!" Or maybe; "how is that going to make any difference in their life?" These little voices of discouragement need to be silenced! I figured out how! The best way to do it? Obey the leading of the Lord! Have you ever talked yourself out of helping a person who was needy because you couldn't verify if they really were needy? Have you ever bit your tongue and not defended your Savior when someone publicly defamed His name? Maybe you were led to share your testimony with a coworker and didn't speak up because you decided it would just be awkward? In each of these instances and dozens of others like them everyday we lose the blessing that comes from being used by God and we rob others of being blessed by not being the conduit for Him to use! Let me say this in closing, you and I are not responsible for the outcome of what God instructs us to do! We are responsible for being obedient when He leads! Sometimes we might be led to get the soil fertile, or plant seeds, other times to water the seeds, then maybe to prune, or pull weeds and sometimes even to harvest! You see God uses us in many different ways in different peoples lives! When we hear his leading..,"just do it!" Delayed obedience is really just the same as disobedience! Romans 8:14 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. May we obey and listen when He leads!
Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young

Honest Assessment

2/1/2014

At least realize you're not fooling anybody! What's worse than a back-slider? A back-slider who is in denial! I should know... that was me for years! Friend, may I say that it's time to own up to our shortcomings and not sweep them under the rug?! Grace from above is readily available to cleanse us as we bend our knee in honest recognition of our desperate need of a personal Savior! That amazing transforming grace is unlocked to the soul who wants it , needs it, and asks for it! We all need it, yet some don't seem to think they do, by mocking their Heavenly Father with their reckless and rebellious lifestyle. The worst part is they periodically give God a "shout out" as if they are doing Him a favor and then go back to their wicked and perverse ways! We say we love the Lord God and yet we live in open rebellion? If there is a love relationship, where is the faithfulness? If our daily routine of life is completely out of His harmony and will, and we just behave as if it's okay... that is a serious problem! Friend, I used to compartmentalize my faith and live one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the time! I actively disregarded my Father's will and silenced the voice of the Holy Spirit by ignoring Him and instead chased after sin! That life led me down the wrong way and ultimately to despair and shame! The momentary pleasure, the seductive lie, it is all a trap, I call it the "good lie!" The enemy is the father of lies and he tells believers that we can have it all, we don't need to sacrifice or follow Christ. Recognize these lies? We can't live like a hedonist, adorned with the spirit of worldliness and pride, and say God understands and it's all good because His "grace" is sufficient, etc. Consider this, truth that is distorted or out of context is worse than a complete fabrication! It's like adding a little poison to your healthy diet, it's all ruined! The enemy always uses enough truth to compel a believer to consider his lie! Think about that for a moment! Following Jesus Christ, down the long and narrow road of life requires our active participation. He leads and we follow, step by step, guiding and protecting. When we fall back or veer off the path we must recognize that we are no longer going in the right direction! We seize following our Good Shepherd and instead are following the crowd! If you feel like you have been buying the lie from the enemy, make it right tonight! Confess your sins and ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life! It's a designation where you place Him in your life! He isn't an afterthought, a Sunday ritual, or a historic figure in an old book! He is your navigator, protector, shepherd, friend, and counselor... Your Lord! (Your most significant relationship). He loves us and wants a deeper relationship with us! Hebrews 3:12 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. Thanks for letting me share, Randy Young