ashtonfish

[ashtonfish]

The star of hope

2013 years ago a star appeared in the eastern sky (2 BC). The star represented hope and judgment. This star pointed to the birth of Jesus Christ, Gods son of truth and grace. Many people had the hope that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would be a political leader and over-through the Roman government who was plaguing them at this time. Many saw the Messiah as their magic jenie who would make all their wildest dreams come true. But Jesus didn’t perform how man wanted him to. He decided to give up his life instead of taking the Romans lives by the sword. He decided to love when everyone said to hate. In the courts he decided to remain quiet because God was his judge. God had a greater plan and Jesus was aware of this. Jesus saw the big picture of redemption. Man saw the small window of there own desires. Jesus came to establish a Kingdom that went beyond our worldly politics and government. He established the never ending magnificent Kingdom of God. This Kingdom would not be shaken by what human courts decided or be moved by mans false views of God. This Kingdom was established by selfless love, obedience to the Father and sacrifice. Our king, Jesus, came to give justice to the poor (widow and orphan) and redemption for the sinner.

 My dear friends. Lets focus on what the Kingdom of God is all about. Lets not try to fit God into our box. You can try to put Jesus in a box, but he will always get out. I remain fascinated from a story I heard about a professor at Moody Bible Institute. Every year in his first class he would have the freshmen Bible College students take a survey. He asked in summery two basic questions: 1) What are you like? 2) What is Jesus like? The professor found that 9 times out of 10 the students described themselves the same way they described Jesus. Like my good friend Jennifer Thigpenn said once, “We so often make God into our iown mage instead of being made in his image.” I wonder if today we are still trying to make Jesus like us?? I wonder if today we want him to be our political leader and destroy all the evil people in the world? I think the best question we can ask is this: who is Jesus? Because he is our King and he should be the focus. We should be like him. There are 7 “I Am” statements in the gospel of John where Jesus says these 7 specific things:  

 1  And Jesus said to them, “I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

2  Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

3  “I AM the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

4  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

5  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

7. “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).

 https://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/spiritual-life/the-seven-i-am-statements-in-john/

 May we be people of the Kingdom and trust that God sees the big picture. May we be people like Jesus who are doors of salvation to our community. May we make a way for others who have no way in their minds to God. May we be good shepherds who love and cherish people because they are Gods loved creation. May we love the least of these and treat people with dignity despite their sexual orientation or behaviors. May we be like Jesus, the one who sacrificed his life for people to find abundant life in him.  

[ashtonfish]

It's the little things in life that count the most. Because little things make big things that last forever. It's the little things in life that fear cannot touch. Little things show me you love me so much. Elijah was a little man that made a Big difference. So can you!!!

#Elijah #Bible #sermon #preaching #little #big

[ashtonfish]

Failure

#failure #nasa #fall #Fail #Jesus #Grace

[ashtonfish]

"For the law was given through Moses; grace AND truth came through Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:17

#and livealifeofAND both truth grace deep wide being doing

[ashtonfish]

Full of it!!!

What are you full of? Grace, power and glory Acts 6:8, "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people." Acts 6:15,"All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel." Stephen was one of the 7 people the apostles choose to expand the ministry when the early church was rapidly expanding. In fact he was the first and best of the "new" apostles/leaders. He was FULL of grace and power!! I think that is key. He wasn't FULL of himself and just performing miracles for people. He was FULL of Gods grace and power and out of that miracles flowed. I didn't think that grace and power can live by themselves. Notice grace comes before power. You must learn grace before God gives you great power. You must understand power before you perform miracles. Also his face was like the face of angel. They saw the glory of God on his life!! He exuded Gods glory. You could see it not just hear it in his words!! Jesus was seen in his life by all who knew him. What are you full of?? Because Stephen was about to put on trial and eventually stoned. When you are shaken in life what you are full of will spill out. What spilled out of Stephen life: 1. Grace 2. Power 3. Gods glory He was FULL of all of this!!! Prayer: God let me be full of your grace, power and Glory. All for you Lord!!

[ashtonfish]

Jesus is the BIG deal

You are not that big of a deal. (Was that hard for you to read?) Too often we make ourselves the most important thing. It's all about me, me, me. But isn't life more about we? Or actually isn't it about HE? I am not saying that you are not important. You are important enough for God to send his one and only son to die for you. Why? Because He loves you. You are a big deal to God. But what's sad is that our human nature doesn't want to make God the big deal, we want to make ourselves the big deal. Sunday's become about us and we find churches where we feel most comfortable to attend. We want a church that serves us best. We take events like Easter and Christmas and turn them into consumer holidays where Jesus is a distant thought. It's time to make God and his son Jesus the Big deal again. Maybe that means stopping today and remembering him. Remembering the reason for the season. Remembering that without him coming as a Bebe in a manger we would not be able to come bodily before the throne of grace. To lift God up often means we have to lower something or someone in our own lives. Worship takes sacrifice and should cost you something. I mean what more can we give for the one who gave it all? It's really not about us during this Christmas season. It's about him. Jesus is a big deal. "How quickly self rises to the surface, and the instrument is ready to believe he or she is something more than an instrument. How sadly easy it is to make of the very service God entrusts us with a pedestal on which to display ourselves" -A.W. Pink

#jesus #jesus christ #christmas #all #quotes about life #him #advent children

[ashtonfish]

Next year these 2 are getting married!! And I am so excited to be a part of their journey and to officiate the wedding. #fishsandwich #sohappyforthem #greatcouple

#greatcouple #fishsandwich #sohappyforthem

[ashtonfish]

Happy 1st Birthday Little o!!! It has been a joy to have you in our family. If you get a chance to meet Owen you know there is something special about this baby boy. I have never seen so many people dream to a baby. I know God has great things planned for this little man. I wrote this a year ago after Owen was born: "For to us a child is born.." Christmas is a season of celebrating Jesus, family and giving. But this Christmas hurt the most for me because my Family is not the same. The pain of not having Dads presence, person or prayers wrecked my heart today. I have never felt this kind of hurt. The hurt of a loss that you can never get back in this life. But "For to us a child is born.." Owen ROBERT Veague was born into our family this Christmas. He brought both joy and love to our family. A baby brings joy. I could not help parallel this to Jesus. The babe born in manger brought love and joy to a hurting world full of loss and grief. Jesus is truly our JOY. "Joy to the world The Lord is come". "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." -Isaiah 9:6 #Owen #achildisborn #1stbday #firstbirthday #babyo #prouduncle

#firstbirthday #prouduncle #owen #achildisborn #1stbday #babyo

[ashtonfish]

My latest sermon on HOPE.

#hope #sermon #jesus #character

[ashtonfish]

Are you Thermometer or Thermostat?

Thermometer vs Thermostat Martin Luther King once said this, “In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular option; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society (Rah Loc 735).” Jesus set the temperature wherever he went. He went against the religious standards and idioms of his day. He lived a life that didn't confirm to this world, but transformed this world. Where do you stand today? Have you been conforming or have you been transforming by his grace? Are you Thermometer or Thermostat?

[ashtonfish]

Delight IN and Meditate ON

Delight in the word mediate on the word Psalm 1:2-3, "but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers." What is the key to prospering??? What is the key to always being connected? What is the key to never withering away? What is the key to being fruitful? 1 BIG thing. Two little things. 1) Gods word 2) Delight IN Meditate ON Gods word should be the standard and what we look to. Too often we let social media, TV news, books and the Internet define our lives. We let the world become the word we are listening to. BUT Gods word is what shape our knowledge, attitude, and ethics of life. So what do we do... Delight in... Get IN the word more. Mediate on... That's means you need to stand on Gods word. When I hear other words I need to stand on Gods word over everything else. Prayer: Jesus help me to trust your word and let all other discouraging words fall off my heart. I delight in your word. I stand on your word and mediate on it. Then I know I will prosper in you. I will be rich in your word even through I may never be rich by the worlds standards. Jesus your word is enough for me. Amen.

#meditate #delight #godsword #prosperity #jesus #prayer #words #word

[ashtonfish]

Live in the grace of today

Luke 11:2-4, "And he said to them, “When you pray, say:“Father, hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.And lead us not into temptation.” "Give us each day our daily bread" As Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray he didn't focus on the past or the future. He focused on the PRESENT. He then talked about forgiveness. That we need to be forgiven and we need to forgive those who have wronged us. Then he talked about not leading us into temptation. Basically Jesus help keep me on the right path today. Let me not fall off the plan you have for my life. Application/prayer: God give me my daily bread and grace today. Lord forgive me and help me to forgive all those who have wronged me. Lord keep me on the right path today. Help me to live for you Jesus today, not myself.

#Grace Jesus Prayer forgive love

[ashtonfish]

Sun and Shield

Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withholdfrom those whose walk is blameless." Sun and shield- God is there to shine on us and give us light. However he is also there to shield us from the wrong things in this world. God shines but also protects us. God exposes us in the light to purify us but also covers is with his grace. He bestows/gives favor and honor - these two things really only come from God. Favor can't be bought or earned. It can only be graciously given. Honor - putting someone in a high position. We know that high positions only come from God. God does not withhold anything that is good from the BLAMELESS!!! Not one thing if you walk rightly!!! Now my question is than is the verse encouraging works??? It's all about what you do to earn favor, honor and goo things?? No!!! This verse is taking about someone who understands grace. Someone who knows that they cannot earn favor, honor and good things by themselves. To walk blameless and up rightly is to only walk by Gods strength. To me the key verses are the "sun and shield" he do you walk blameless? Only by Gods light shining on your life at ALL times!! And only when God is covering you with his shield. Notice the scripture says God is a sun and shield. There is nothing in us naturally that can keep us blameless. But it's Gods supernatural grace that makes us blameless. The Hebrew word for Blameless: Tamiym : with spot or blemish complete, whole, entire, sound complete, whole, entire whole, sound, healthful complete, entire (of time) sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact (neuter adj/subst) We can only be blameless by Gods light shinning on us. His truth penetrating our hearts. And only by being covered by his shield of Grace!!!! How can a man be blameless? Only by the sacrifice on the cross and blood of Jesus.

#blameless #sun #shield #Grace #Jesus

[ashtonfish]

If God says it, He means it

Luke 1:37, “For no word from God will ever fail.”

In a world that falls short every day failure is a common outcome to most of our lives. We have learned to accept failure and almost expect it.

But God isn’t like man. God doesn’t fail. Even when he’s on the cross dying and everyone looses hope God doesn’t fail!!

The context of this scripture is that the angel Gabriel has just told the virgin Mary that she will conceive and give birth to a son (Jesus). Impossible!!! This angelic visit has failure written all over it. I am sure Mary could not of told anyone about this encounter or she would be laughed at and called a crazy woman. Another emotional young girl. But Mary his the word of God in her heart. She let her faith grow and all of a sudden a baby started to grow too.

This is the basic principle here: everything starts as a seed. Jesus started small. A woman had to have faith. She had to believe God with all her heart. Mary had to believe the impossible. Then that seed of faith grew. That word of hope became an every increasing reality. Jesus starts small in all of our hearts. But as we believe, trust God, and hold on to his word of hope something begins to be birthed in us. Salvation, joy and promise is born.

When God says something he means it. What he spoke over you as a child at a camp he still means it. As a teenager when your youth pastor spoke Gods calling over your life he still means it. As a young adult you felt Gods tug to come back to him and he would renew your life, well he still means it. The promises he has whispered in your heart are still true. Prophesies don’t die, but maybe it’s our faith that does. What God has said to you in the past he still means today. And if you will hold on to his word you will not fail in his plan. God has a plan for you that will not fail. God has a promise for you that will not fail. God has an impossible dream for you that will not fail.

Trust him today. Start small. And see how your baby of faith might just change the world.

#God Jesus word Godsword Promise Faith Mary

[ashtonfish]

Hell... You don't have to live in it any longer.

Have you ever wondered what hell would be like? Separation from God is hard to understand. Even in this world that is lost we still have God intervening daily in our lives. What if that stopped. What if grace stopped. What if second chances stopped? What if true pleasure and joy ceased to exist? This is hell. This is a life apart from God. This is why we need Jesus. He lived, died and was raised to life to show us that he is the Messiah and the one who is able to save us. He is not far, but close. Don't live separated from him. He loves you and wants to intervene in your life right now. Hell has no chance next to Jesus. You don't have to live in it any longer. Choose love. Choose Jesus.

“Here is the meaning of destruction: exclusion from the joys and pleasures of the presence of God in the kingdom (Ladd, 72)”

#hell #Jesus

[ashtonfish]

Fender Benders of GRACE

Today I was dropping some packages off for work at the post office and I had a run in with grace. I only saw one parking spot and it was between two cars on a crowded street. So I pulled up to Parallel Park and when I pulled next to a car in front of the parking spot a man opened his drivers door and slammed his door into my car. I hit reverse and I parked. I had two thoughts: 1) Oh my gosh I just hit a mans car. 2) Oh my gosh a man just rammed his door into my car. Whose fault is it?? I got out of the car and looked at my car and noticed my car suffered the damage. And the man told me, “I didn’t see you, I am so sorry.” I looked at him and said, “It’s ok life is about grace. Sorry that I hit your car. It's all about grace” At that moment God began to speak into my heart, “Ashton you wont escape fender benders in life, but you also won’t escape my grace.” You only learn grace from fender benders. I thought, “Well I could of got his insurance and I could get a new bumper if I wanted or I could of tried to bargain with him and got some money out of the accident. I should of yelled at the man and made him feel bad that my car is messed up because he didn’t look and slammed his door into my car. I am the victim. I didn’t deserve this. I was parking legally. I was right. I… I… I…” But God convicted my heart. I have made mistakes. When I was 16 I hit a truck that was crookedly parked in the church parking lot. The owner didn’t charge me and showed me grace. When I was 22 I slammed into the back of a truck that had collided with another car. I had no choice but to pray and brace for impact on the freeway. God saved my life and the lives of my three passengers. I have cheated, lied and hurt people. But yet God has given me grace. God has never held my mistakes against me because of his amazing love for me. So how can I hold peoples mistakes against them. All of the accusing thoughts and self-righteous justification only makes you less like love, less like Jesus. A man who doesn’t live in grace lives in himself, his dark and unsatisfied self. I don’t want to live in myself. I want to live in Christ. I want to live a life all about grace. But that means I can’t be afraid of fender benders. I have to embrace the reality of accidents, mistakes, and imperfection. I have to be open to grace. 

#grace #fenderbeder

[ashtonfish]

Sun Glasses

  Perspective. Every person on the planet has there own perspective. It’s like sunglasses. Sunglasses paint the world in a different color. The lenses give everything a different shade than the original. These  glasses of perspective represent how people were raised, their worldviews and core morals that is the guiding compass of there lives. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” (Anais Nin)

So remember everyone has there own unique perspective. Never assume people see things the way you see them.  As a wise man once said, "you only know a person after you walk a mile in there shoes". So as you will only see a new perspective when you wear someone else's glasses. 

#sunglasses #perspective #insight #AnalsNin #quote #Wisdom