Continuing with my Visual Devotions Series. 

Today is Isaiah 44:3

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land,and streams on the dry ground;I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,and my blessing on your descendants."This is a reassurance to the Children of the Promise that their God would restore what had been destroyed. That God would cause life to return to what they thought was dry and desolate ground.Christ's return restored the ground. He restore a right relationship with God. He quenched a thirst in His people that nothing else could satisfy. Slow down and know that no matter the situation He is our greatest reward.

© gracewaymedia.com

6You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
7"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.
HERE’S AN IDEA - What has God Told You To Do?
Haggai illustrates something that is very consistent with who God is.  I have said and have herad it said that it is hard to know the will of God.  The truth is that God has been very clear.  He has given us His word and it gives us direction.  Sometimes, at least for me, I am looking for God to tell me what to do when He has given me the tools to get it done.  I posted earlier in the week, "God expects the farmer to pray with his ho in hand."  In this case God has a word for his people.

8Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Lord.
THINK ABOUT IT - What has your Current Action Gotten You?
God is about to remind them what life looks like outside of balance.  God has been clear that you need to seek His kingdom first.

9You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.
10Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.
11And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors."
WHAT WILL YOU DO? - How Do You Answer The Call?

12Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.
13Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, "I am with you, declares the Lord."
14And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,
15on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
GO AND DO
Will You Answer?

1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
2"Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say,
3"Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
DON’T WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE

4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts,
5according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
6For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.
7And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.
8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts.
9The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts."
I AM DOING SOMETHING

10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet,
11"Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law:
12"If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?" The priests answered and said, "No."
13Then Haggai said, "If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered and said, "It does become unclean."
14Then Haggai answered and said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

15Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord,
16how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.
17I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.
18Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider:
19Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you."
AM I ENOUGH?

20The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month,
I HAVE A PLAN…

21"Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth,
22and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.
23On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts."
… AND IT IS GLORIOUS**

God Gives Salvation

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)

God Gives Love

and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, (1 Thessalonians 3:12 ESV)

God Gives Faith

and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:14 ESV)

God Gives Wisdom

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, (Ephesians 1:17 ESV)

*God Gives Joy *

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Enjoy the gifts He has given you

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1. Decline of African American Theology - Thabiti A.
2. The Faithful Preacher - Thabiti A.
3. Pastor - Eugene Petersen
4. The Explict Gospel - Matt Chandler
5. Legend of Zelda and Theology
6. The Art of Neighboring - Dave Runyon, Jay Patnak
7. The 4-hour Body - Tim Ferris
8. The 4-hour Chef - Tim Ferris
9. Think and Grow Rich - Napolean Hill
10. Don't Waste Your Life - John Piper
11. The Meaning of Marriage - Tim Keller
12. Decision Making and the Will of God - Gary Friesen
13. The Art of War - Sun Tzu
14. The Yellow Submarine - Beatles
15. Going Public - David and Kelli Pritchard
16. The Hobbit - J. R. Tolkien
17. Thru The Bible - J. Vernon McGee
18. How Christians Should Relate to Government - Wayne Grudem
19. The Essays of Francis Bacon - Francis Bacon
20. The Selected Works of Jonathan Edwards - Jonathan Edwards
21. Family Worship - Joel Beeke
22. How To Be Black - Baratunde Thurston
23. Brothers, We Are Not Professionals - John Piper
24. Never Walk Away - Crawford Loritts
25. Excellence - Andreas Kostenberger
26. The Holiness of God - R.C. Sproul
27. Westminster Shorter Catechism
28. This Momentary Marriage - John Piper
29. Bloodlines - John Piper
30. What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter - Voddie Bachman
31. Why Men Hate Going To Church - David Murrow
32. Church Diversity - Scott Williams
33. APE: How To Publish A Book - Guy Kawasaki34. Good News of Great Joy - John Piper
34. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis
35. Stop Stealing Dreams - Seth Godin
36. The Republic - Plato
37. Tribes - Seth Godin
38. The Power of Story
39. 31 Days to Building a Better Blog - Darren Rowse
40. Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis
41. Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
42. DC - Trinity
43. Marvel 1602 Happy 2012

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Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (Psalm 1:1-6 ESV)-God's Man

This was a fun one too.

Enjoy your weekend

• God's Man

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”

“All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”

See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?

Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing. To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it.

A man too poor to present such an offeringselects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

“To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:1-31 NIV84) As we continue to Jump this month I want you to know that no matter where you are or the circumstances of your life there is a God in heaven that is real and who desire all He has called.

• God's Man

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-God's Man

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, today is the 1st day of MY New Year so the theme fits. Since this is the 1st post of 30 I will not overdo it.  I am just going to list the things that I am jumping into during the month of June.

Physical

• Commute by Bike After many challenges with my bike(Schwinn) I am committing to riding to work 2-3 days a week.
  Mental

• Complete Reading ListI will tackling these books this month.Spirtual

• Attend the 2 remaining Marriage Family Alliance Prayer Sessions

• Bible Reading, Journaling and Praying Through this Journey

• Complete my Small Group Curriculum on Decision Making Social

• Prepare 2 b-day Parties for P.Mighty P.Mighty is having a pool party in the 1st week of June and a sleepover one night during the last week.

• Go on 4 Date Nights The Queen and I have not been as diligent about these as we have in the past.  We have got to get back on track.So this is what I am jumping int during June?  Drop me a comment below and let me know what you are doing this month.

-God's Man

Time is a valuable asset that attracts many robbers.Today is May 31. The last day of the year for me. I know, I know. I can hear you saying, "You do know that there are 6 more months left in the year right?" While that is true on your calendar, MY calendar reads differently. A lot of this, looking back on it, has to do with the fact that I am/was incredibly egotistical as a kid. The year for me starts in the month of June for 2 reasons that are important to me.

1. June is my Birth Month My birthday is in June and so, for me, that makes June a special month. It is why I have always counted June as the beginning of my year. Now I keep up appearances for the rest of the world but my internal calender says today is the end of year.

 2. Summer Begins in June As most kids will agree Summer is the best time of the year. It is what we wait. It is what we dream about. Time to just be, do whatever we want, sleep as long as we like, play ALL day. To a kid, at least to this kid, Summer is the pinnacle of the year. Winter is great with snow and Christmastime but nothing beats the heat and excitement of Summer. Colorful leaves and Thanksgiving are refreshing but hitting the pool or a beach in Summer is the best. Spings renewal has got nothing on the revival of our baseball team. Summer, Summer Summertime FTW!

The Point When I started this post I had a point but I am not sure if I still do. As I look at the close of my year and look towards a new one I wonder if I used my moments to their fullest potential? How much time was left on the table? The answer to that is none. That is the difference between time and every other asset. You will spend, waste, or invest your time. It cannot be stored. It cannot be saved. You can't generate any more of it. When it is gone, it is gone. For those of you using the regular calendar you have 6 more months in your year. What are you going to do with it? Each new day is a gift you might not get another one so you better use this one. What plans/projects/milestones can you complete?
Like the quote above says there are many who want you use your gift of time. They will steal it if you are not diligent in how you use it. Choose this day...

*Remember the Days Might be Longer but Time is Short *

"We’re so young. We’re so young. We’re twenty-two years old. We have so much time." - Marina KeeganThis quote was taken from an essay written by a graduating student from Yale. She died in a car accident last weekend. She was 22. How will you use the time that you have been given in a way that will have a lasting impact?

 -God's Man

Right now I am listening to the princesses in their praise dance class. I say listening instead of watching because the door to the studio is closed too keep the people who walk by can't see them in their leotards. I told my bride, the queen, that dance class was her thing and that I would not be taking them. I wanted them in martial arts or swim class. I knew better though. Secretly I love seeing my girls do new things. I love seeing them grow through new experiences.

So I shared on the FaceBooks that I was taking them to dance class. One of my friends commented that I was a great dad.
I have never been good with compliments. Not that I don't like them. Recognition is great! I just don't feel comfortable be called a great Dad. For me what I do for and with my kids is what I am supposed to be doing. Recognition is for when you go above and beyond. Great is when you have done something extra. That is my opinion though.
The other side of this is that I enjoy being a Dad. I don't think that I am a great Dad. I think that being a Dad is Great!
Being a Dad is a Great
Being a Dad is a Great Responsibility
Being a Dad is a Great Joy

-Always chasing His Glory