![]() “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me…” Philippians 4:13 is a great reminder for you and I that we don’t have to “go it alone!” Sometimes, I can have a tendency to share only my victories and praise reports, and hide my struggles and weaknesses. You see, it is so important to me that I be accepted and liked, that if I am not careful I will present a glossy, airbrushed version of myself, instead of being truly authentic. I am continually challenged by the Holy Spirit to lower the veil, share the wounds and expose the shame. I am convinced that one of the biggest tools the enemy uses to keep us in shackles is shame, which often results to isolation. The Apostle Paul understood that through his weaknesses he was made strong in Christ. That His grace, (God’s grace) is sufficient for you and I!”( 2nd Corinthians 12:9) Paul didn’t allow shame to take root…instead he actually “boasted” about his weaknesses, as to expose them and rely all the more on Christ to deliver him…which is where his victory came from. Tonight during these Quiet Moments, no matter what you are going through, remember you are not alone, call out to Jesus. You may have experienced a horrible setback or suffered a catastrophic loss…remember, you are not alone. Maybe you find yourself living out of harmony with God’s will for your life…like I was for years and years… as a result, you feel lost, alone, in the dark and in the pits, tonight you can be set free! Christ came to pay our penalty and liberate us from the shackles of sin and death and now we can experience the Good Life… a life in Him! Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young
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![]() “Gentleness…” I didn’t see it displayed much by the male influences in my life growing up. Yet, I believe it is one of Christ’s greatest attributes. I believe there are some who mistakenly associate “gentleness” with “weakness,” nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, a gentleman is just that…gentle. He moves through the world with an eye out for others and is keenly aware of his own mistakes. Practically speaking, he opens a door for others to walk through first, he offers his umbrella to another for shelter from rain, he respects the rules and authority wherever he is, he is the first to offer his seat to those standing, and shows respect and honor to those his senior. Moreover, he gives a voice to the voiceless, and administers justice in an equitable way. However, this gentleman is not above his own standards…in fact, he leads by example. Even in conflict, he shows respect to whoever is contrary, he is quick to listen and slow to anger. This gentleman is so keenly aware of his surroundings, his own condition, and shortcomings… that he responds to those around him with gentleness and empathy. How? He is captured by God’s grace and mercy in his own life, Hebrews 5:2 “ …and is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. “When I find myself impatient, frustrated and mad at someone who has let me down…may I remember my own frail condition so that my first response will be gentleness to others. Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() If life is a journey…which I believe we can all agree that it is…where are you in that journey tonight? What scenery do you gaze upon out your window? As a well-traveled soul, I can say most certainly I would much rather be looking out at the Pacific Ocean traveling down Highway 1 in California than the Ohio Turnpike this time of year… for obvious reasons. The question for us tonight is how we find joy in the journey, even if the scenery isn’t exactly “glorious?” Perhaps there are some tonight that have sunk to an all new low and find themselves uninspired and even lost on their journey. Maybe you wandered off the road and found yourself in a dead-end slum. Believe me, this life will take us down roads that have hills, and valleys, turns, and dips, sometimes we might feel lost and in the middle of nowhere! Friends, we can find joy in the midst of any journey even if the scenery is barren, flat and bleak. Actually, I believe if the scenery is too nice we can get distracted and not stay the course, if it is too barren we might get discouraged and lose heart…what is the answer? To keep our eyes fixed ahead…we are not on the road to nowhere, we are living each day fixed on the prize, not looking back, not second guessing, but following our Heavenly Father down the straight and narrow road, to the pearly gates, our destination! Matthew 7: 14 "But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" No matter where you are on that journey tonight, don’t lose heart, you are not alone! If you find yourself in a bad relationship, or addicted to alcohol or drugs, it’s not too late! Don’t look out your window for hope, call on Jesus Christ! He will get you back on the pathway, out of the slums of life and back to a safe place. Call on the name of Jesus Christ and he will recalibrate your GPS to get you back on track. Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() Every great victory looked at first like defeat. I love that…I remember reading that on a student Bible I had as a kid. I liked it then and now I really love the beauty of it. You see it is a picture of an underdog, or a mighty comeback story! It reminds me of how limited I am and how limitless my God is. We can look back at great battles in the Bible where defeat appeared inevitable, and then at the last possible moment, God showed up and changed the odds! You see when we come to that place in our own life where we realize we are lost, alone and helpless, that is when we actually are perfectly positioned for an amazing comeback! Imagine that for a moment tonight, maybe you have been losing the battle in some area of your life. Oh you might have been giving it all you got, but you appear to be beaten. Think you have something more to give? Stop your futile effort! Our pride in our own abilities can thwart the victory. We can’t win this war in our own might, and God will allow us to realize that. Why does it take us to be on the brink of defeat or death before we finally surrender to Him? He waits so patiently for us to exhaust all our feeble efforts in our own strength, then right when we resign ourselves to defeat and finally have to let go, He says “thank you, I got this! Then like an old Batman episode…”BOOM, ZONK! SMACK! He steps on the neck of the accuser and breaks the shackles of shame to free us from the grips of death! I am like a little boy who when faced with trouble says… “yes, but my daddy is much stronger than you!” Dear Heavenly Father, we call on your name tonight… free us, cleanse us, do a mighty work in each of us for your glory! We love you Jesus! Amen. Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() “The regrets…” Have you ever experience them? It’s a condition I used to wake up with in my former way of life quite often. You know, that moment when you open your eyes in the morning after a night of partying and heavy drinking, the night before. It’s that first few moments the day after, when you collect yourself and have to mentally reboot. At first you are happy to be safe and sound, then you start to try and get your bearings, until…presto ! What did I do the night before!!! It’s not a question, it’s an exclamation point…because all of a sudden your mind is racing and retracing back, your interactions, conversations, situations, etc. You look over your phone to see who you called, texted, what friend you posted something about, etc. until…. ouch! There it is… your disgraceful behavior, you embarrassed yourself, family, friends and you stepped in it big time! You were out of line, improper, or worse yet, something you might of done, that you can’t take back…etc. Those my friends are the “REGRETS!” I lived many years seeking happiness, fun and excitement by buying the “Good Lie,” thinking that if I had more money, more friends, more expensive toys, fancy cars and exclusive bars.. that I would be content and happy. The truth is that all that led me to what a daily dose of the “regrets!” I am so grateful that God opened my eyes in my darkest hour and revealed to me that I was living the Good Lie…not the Good Life that He has promised us all. He and only He can bring us peace, joy, fulfillment, happiness and contentment. Everything else is counterfeit and leaves us empty, lost, and full of regrets. Dear Heavenly Father, tonight during these Quiet Moments please free all those who hear my voice, who are living in shackles of addiction, who also have bought the Good Lie and have many regrets. Thank you that your mercy is new every morning and that you are willing to take the Good Lie and exchange it for The Good Life in each of our lives. Send the shame away! In Jesus precious name, amen. Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() Have you ever opened your eyes first thing in the morning and had something made perfectly clear to you in your mind? An answer to a question you might have gone to bed with the night before... now settled, or a perfect solution to a complex concern? It’s an interesting thing, it gives me pause and also reminds me how willing our Heavenly Father is to guide us, and provide us with wisdom and solutions for our life, that we so desperately need. The only caveat, is that I need to be able to hear Him. Did you catch that? We have to HEAR Him! Think about it, is it a coincidence that we hear from our Heavenly Father when we are quieted down, nestled in bed, resting? I don’t think so; it is because we have turned down everything that distracts us and competes for our attention. The truth is that sometimes when I am asleep I hear Him better than when I am awake! Moreover, I have come to realize that our Heavenly Father is so respectful and won't scream, yell or demand my attention. I think the greatest gift He has ever given us besides His own Son, is the freedom of choice. Tonight, let’s make the right choice to quiet ourselves down, open our hearts and ears and seek his guidance for our self, our family, and our nation. Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young. ![]() Who do you look up to? Did you have a hero as a child? A famous person you aspired to be like? I wanted to be a pro baseball player. As I have gotten a bit older and have seen the work of my Lord and Savior in my own life, I am wanting nothing more than to be like Jesus…Jesus is my role model and hero. Why? Let me tell you why! Jesus is kind, compassionate, just, strong, powerful, persuasive, present, understanding, self-controlled, direct, purposeful, measured, and vital. Jesus is alive, tangible, authentic, transparent, tempered, creative, compelling, considerate, and constant. Jesus is accessible, intuitive, inspirational, caring, peaceful, honorable and joyous. Jesus is organized, expressive, mindful, watching, intimate, generous, playful, detailed, and aware. Jesus is truthful, driven, determined, selfless and oh so patient! His love is unfailing and endures forever for you and me. Help me to love you more Jesus! Thanks for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() Have you ever thought to yourself… it would be better off if I was dead? Usually we don’t vocalize such thoughts. Why? We don’t want people to get the wrong idea. In Philippians Chapter 1, verse 21 Paul says: “ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Was Paul real or what? He didn’t have an issue discussing his innermost thoughts! Have you ever felt like to die would be gain for you? Maybe that sounds absurd and morbid to you? Perhaps right now you are going through difficulties, challenges, you are being hard pressed on every side like Paul was? Consider the Apostle Paul who stood in a jail cell wanting nothing more than to glorify Christ Jesus when he wrote this letter to the church at Philippi. He was in a dilemma of sorts… part of him was ready to depart and go be with Jesus and stop the suffering, and the other part of him knew that his work was not yet complete. Friends we don’t get to choose the time when we leave this life. Yet, we can look forward to that day, and have a healthy perspective that as Paul says, “ to die and be with Jesus is better by far!” I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to spending eternity with Jesus Christ in heaven! I can’t even imagine how amazing it will be! I get excited to even think about it! No more pain, no more sadness, no more disease, peace and joy and fellowship with Jesus in person!!!!! I need to remind myself of this…and stay focused on the goal! Recently I visited the Hearst Castle in California with my wife and youngest kids. I stood and marveled at the amazing landscape, ocean views, swimming pools, statues, tapestries, and all the imported art from all over Europe, etc. This place is incredible. Think about this a man spent his whole life collecting, creating, and designing this amazing retreat, it cost a fortune to build and the treasures all around are priceless. That man was William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper mogul, and he was nowhere to be found! Of course, he has been gone for over 60 years. Yet there I was in "his" mansion, his "custom castle," I sat in the same chairs as he did! Lounged by his pools and guess what, he wasn't anywhere to be found! We can't take any of it with us when we get called home. Let's devote our time on earth building up treasures in heaven! We must remind ourselves regularly that this life on earth is for just a moment, a flash, compared to eternity! Thank you for letting me share. Randy Young ![]() Clear…. Zap!” Have you seen a paramedic rub the two leads together then place on the heart? Defibrillation consists of delivering a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the affected heart with a device called a defibrillator. The heart needs this stimulation to restart and reset if the heart has stopped or is beating out of rhythm. This process is a matter of life and death and is very serious. Tonight during these Quiet Moments, let’s take a closer look at each of our own heart’s condition to see if it is in the right rhythm with God . I will admit here and now my heart needs a good zapping from time to time! If I am not careful I can become calloused and complacent with the monotony of my routines. I can lose the passion, the fire, and get caught up in my own schedules, duties, etc. Before long I find myself less concerned for others, less loving, more impatient and out of His peace. What happened? My heart is out of sync with my Heavenly Father’s rhythm! Friends, we can’t fight this good fight, live a passionate, spirit filled life, being about our father’s business, in our own strength. I spent close to thirty years having a faith in Christ, yet living out of rhythm with Him. You see for me... it was a “religion” not a personal “relationship.” I accepted Jesus as my Savior, yet still filled my heart and mind with the lies of the world. Imagine, there I was, a so called “Christian” that was doing more harm to God’s kingdom than any non-believer. Remember it is the Devil's plan to keep us shackled in darkness, to keep us out of rhythm with God! John 10: 10 says, " The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: Jesus says.."I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly!" What is an abundant life? When we are alive! Filled up, fueled up, and fired up in Jesus name! He doesn’t want us lukewarm! The Bible reminds us in Revelations 3 :15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Lord Jesus, ignite our hearts on fire for you! Thank you for letting me share. Randy Young |
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Randy YoungQuiet Moments Archives
March 2014
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