New Year"s Resolutions

 

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

I think this covers about every New Year’s resolution we could think of making. And, we know that as we resolve, God is on our side to help us make 2025 a year in which we love each other and serve Him.

Do It All

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:15-17

Get The Job Done

 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58

Yes, it is true that we sometimes get tired of trying to do the work of the Lord.  We get discouraged when we don't see the results we want to see, or if we are criticized by people as being foolish.  But that does not detract from the fact we are working for the Lord and following what He has directed us to do.  

Remember we are not working for the approval of people, but to accomplish that which God has called us to do.

So, when only two people show up for your Bible study group, keep teaching and when the church bus won't start, call some people to go pick up people.  

Don't give up.  Give in to God.  Get the job done.

Be Kind To Those Who Need It Most

 

Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:1-2

Let us be kind to those who most need it: the sad, the grieving, the social outcast, the stinky kid and the grouchy neighbor. It is in showing hospitality that we show God’s love to the world.

And, perhaps entertain angels.

God Is On Your Side

 

The Lord is good,

A stronghold in the day of trouble,

And He knows those who take refuge in Him.

Nahum 1:7

One time, when things were not going so well for me, I had a friend who suggested that perhaps it was because of something I did.  I thought, "No that's not it.  Stuff happens and it is not necessarily me causing it." Tough times are not pleasant, but God has not forgotten us. 

So, remember when the boss is yelling and the bills pile up and your kids act up, God is still on your side.

God wants us to turn to Him when things are not going well. In fact for some of us, we do a lot more turning to God in our days of trouble than we do in our days of blessings.

What is important to remember is that in good times and in bad times God is good and He loves us no matter what.

Always On Call

They cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress.

Psalm 107:13

We all know that troubles will come because we live in a world that is not perfect, but we can be sure that when we cry out to God for help, He will rescue us.

God does not sleep, nor does He take a day off. He is always there waiting to answer our calls.

 

Merry Christmas

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the City of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace among men, with whom He is pleased.”

When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about the Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

Luke 2:1-20

We Wait In Anticipation

 

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;

And the government will rest on His shoulders;

And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

We wait with anticipation the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus.

 

A Baby!

 

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14

It seems silly that God would chose to reveal Himself to the world as a baby. He sent men, like Isaiah, to tell the world about Himself, but people did not listen. Then, at the right time He sent a tiny baby called Immanuel, which means “God with us,” to prove that He intended to claim us as His own.

When we ask Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior, our sins are forgiven and God claims us as His own.

When We Are Faithless, God Is Faithful

Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal, but the word of God is not imprisoned.

For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

It is a trustworthy statement:

For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;

If we endure, we will also reign with Him;

If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

2 Timothy 2:7-13

An Anchor Of The Soul

 

In this same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:17-20

The promises of God never change. He is the one who brings us hope and cares for us. We are never abandoned or forgotten.

We have hope and this hope is the anchor of the soul.

Be brave. Be encouraged. God is with you.

The Christmas Peace Keeper

 

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:1-3

Sometimes, along with all the holiday parties and celebrating comes bickering among families regarding who will celebrate where and when. And, sadly, this often involves children.

Let us step back and take a look at what we can do to make all this better for our families. Rather than quibble about the celebration, let us declare our decision to forgo fighting for Christmas on Christmas and yield to the other side and have our party on another day so that the children get two or three or four celebrations filled with the love and joy that Christmas is all about.

And, we all will have a Merry Christmas.

So Much Christmas

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:1-5

Christmas is one big, free spending celebration in the United States. Almost everybody celebrates it; even people do not know what they are celebrating. For many people Christmas has no religious significance. It is all gifts and parties.

This loss of place causes a lot of finger pointing by Christians.

There are those who blame the Coca-Cola Company; after all Coca-Cola is responsible for modernizing Santa and making him an icon of the Season; hence the absence of Saint Nick at Church. Others think it is the over commercialization of Christmas by retail stores which put up the decorations in August and start pre-holiday, holiday sales in October, creating a greedy atmosphere for children and adults who want and want and want things for Christmas.

The commercial message is more, more, more and more stuff will make your Christmas a merry one.

That is why we Christians have such a big job to do at this time of year. We will be encountering seekers who are looking for the real reason for Christmas – Jesus. They will show up at church on Christmas Eve and take all the seats. They will hear the story of the baby born to poor teenage parents and the message of God’s love for man will settle deep within them. And, then they will leave.

So, our work for God begins. We need to warmly greet these seekers, get their names and where they live and write it down before we forget who they are. We need to pray for them and in January take them some cookies with a note saying we hope they will visit our church again.

We are the hands of Jesus on earth, and it is our job to help the seekers comprehend who He is: Our Lord Master and Savior.

What better time to do it than Christmas?

A Way Out

 

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Sometimes our inner alert system fails us and we find ourselves facing almost overwhelming temptation to do something which we would not normally consider doing.  

This type of situation leaves us feeling confused and maybe even questioning what we consider to be right and wrong.  We know we need to step back and take time to think.  But all these people seem to be enjoying themselves, and maybe we should, too.

My experiences like this involved alcohol consumption.  I do not drink, at all.  My solution was to sneak out and go home and hope nobody noticed.  I usually drove myself so the quick exit was easy. 

To this end I say, when you feel overwhelmed by temptation, look for a way out... God will provide one.

Welcome Those Who Welcome You

 

He who receives you receives Me, and He who receives Me receives Him who sent me.

Matthew 10:40

Jesus makes it clear that God goes with us when we set out to preach the Gospel. I use the word preach to encompass all manner of sharing the love of Jesus and the message of salvation with everyone.

We should not shy away from accepting invitations from those who are not Christians and even those who openly proclaim their unbelief, because we can’t bring them to Jesus if we don’t talk to them. And, if the invitation appears to be for some type of event which we find objectionable, we can counter with, “Well, I can’t make it, but how about if we have coffee on Tuesday? I’ll buy.”

When we are welcomed by unbelievers, we have an opportunity to share the love of God.

Error On The Side Of Love

 

So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or stumbling block in a brother’s way.

Romans 14:12-13

This is a novel idea. Instead of second guessing each other’s decisions, let’s cut each other some slack allowing for the fact we do not know all the circumstances of each other’s lives.

To do so is to error on the side of love.

Be Kind To Everyone

If you meet your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him.

Exodus 23:4

‘Tis the season to do something kind.

Go and do it.

Who Do We Trust?

 

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

Who can we trust? How do we maintain our faith in God when things are not looking so good to us? We believe God; yet, we are plagued by uneasiness.

We cannot control what others do or the choices they make which seem contrary to all rational thinking or at least to our thinking. We can be eaten alive physically and spiritually by things we cannot control but we don’t have to be.

We trust God to manage the affairs of the world, our families, our friends, and our lives. We can confidently take our concerns to God, release our worries to Him and watch what God will do.

In God we must trust.

Shine A Light On It

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

God does not leave us to fumble through life alone. He gave us His Word, the Bible, to use as a guide. We can read it, meditate on it and apply its principles to our actions.

The Word of God lights our way.

High Voltage Love

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven or on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to His be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generation forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

If you aren’t charged up for God, after reading this prayer you should be.

God welcomes our prayers, in whatever words we chose to use. However, He also provides us prayers we can pray. This prayer is powerful in that it opens us up to receive from God the knowledge of His great love for us.

God’s love is high voltage and it is in us.

God Does The Rest

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

The early Christians had a magnificent revelation from God that salvation through Jesus was for everyone. Jesus, the Messiah, did not come as a political leader as the Jews expected, but as a spiritual leader who broke the barrier of sin which separated man from God.

The power of the Gospel is that through Jesus, God extends His forgiveness and love to everyone. No one is too good or too bad. We are all candidates for forgiveness.

All we have to do is ask Jesus to come into our lives, forgive us and to declare Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior and we are forgiven.

When we have faith, God does the rest.

Getting Things Right

 

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

I think the first step in getting things right, is getting ourselves right with God and humanity.  

Applying all diligence, we can do this.

 

Everybody Is Doing It

 

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

When we are questioned about things we are doing which may be legal, but not necessarily reflective of being a Christian, a standard reply is, “Everybody is doing it.”

If everybody is doing, we probably should not be doing it. This can be a hard lesson. Peer pressure is everywhere. Little temptations can grow up into big ones, like gambling or excessive alcohol use or cheating on our spouse.

All of it has the same ugly result – destruction of our good life.

Jesus loves us so much that He is willing to offend us by pointing out our wayward ways and leaving the narrow gate open.

God Will Not Abandon Us

 

I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;

Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.

I have set the Lord continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;

My flesh will dwell securely.

For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol;

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16:7-11

Not The Plan

When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta. The natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold; they kindled a fire and received us all. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”

But they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Acts 28:1-6

The Apostle Paul wanted to go Rome to preach the Gospel. He did not plan to go as a prisoner. Nor did he anticipate that he would be shipwrecked, rescued, bitten by a snake, accused of being a murder and then called a god. However, Paul took what we would consider to be a horrible trip and turned it into a mission trip.

So, when we are trying to do something for God and things are not going the way we planned, we need to consider that perhaps things are going according to God’s plan and go with the flow. And, we might be surprised how well things work out.

Put The Merry In Christmas

 

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains.

James 5:7

I know this verse has to do with the second coming of Christ, but it can also be applied to us as Christmas approaches because we are sometimes so anxious in our preparation that we forget what we are preparing for and the merry is missing.

Perhaps, we could do a little less preparing a little more celebrating. We could visit a live Nativity scene or go for cookies and caroling or go to a Children’s Christmas pageant. Doing something different can help us focus on what Christmas is about: the arrival of the baby Jesus – our Lord, Master and Savior.

And, put the merry back in Christmas.

Braver Than You Think

Then Gideon said to God, “If you will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.”

And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.”

God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and the dew was on all the ground.

Judges 6:36-40

Gideon was the greatest warrior of all time. He was brave and strong and fearless and he led the army of God to victory after victory.

However, Gideon was surprised when God selected him for the job and that is why he put God’s call to the test – twice. God proved to Gideon that His call was real and His promises were true.

When we feel the nudge of God to do something, we have two choices. We can jump to it and get it done or wait to see if God persists in His nudging. God is faithful and when we answer His call, He will use our work to His glory.

And, like Gideon we may prove to be braver than we think.

Always On Call

 

They cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distress.

Psalm 107:13

We all know that troubles will come because we live in a world that is not perfect, but we can be sure that when we cry out to God for help, He will rescue us.

God is always on call.

Our GPS

 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

Why do we read the Bible?

We read the Bible because it is God’s Word to us and by reading it we better understand how we are to live our lives.

There are people who say that they do not like what the Bible has to say about some things. Well, we do not have to agree but we need to consider that the Bible is a road map for how we are to live our lives.

When we examine our intentions and our actions and consider what the Bible instructs us to do, we become better people.

Use God’s road map for your journey and see what happens.

When Plans Go Sideways

As Jesus was approaching Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road begging. Now hearing a crowd going by, he began to inquire what this was. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he called out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Those who led the way were sternly telling him to be quiet; but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

And Jesus stopped and commanded that he be brought to Him; and when he came near, He questioned him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

And he said, “Lord I want to regain my sight!”

And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Luke 18:35-43

Here was a blind man crying out to Jesus and here were Jesus’ followers telling him to be quiet because he was messing up the parade. But what did Jesus do? Jesus stopped and healed the man because the purpose of the parade was to glorify God and what would glorify God more than healing the blind man?

When we are planning events this Christmas season let us keep in mind that that the purpose of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus so that people will come to know Him. What we might consider as interfering with our plans, might be just what God has ordered so that He will be glorified.

We are mankind. He is God. Let’s see what He will do.

 

Big Plans

 

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and those whom He predestined, He also called and those whom He called, He also justified, and those whom He justified, He also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30

Wow! Knowing this is God’s plan and promise for us, how can we doubt that God is on our side? He not only promises to take care of us, He explains His plan for us.

We are not mere blips on God’s creation radar. We, being each and every one of us, are major players in God’s plan. God knew us from the beginning and He wants all of us to come to know Him as He knows us.

God has big plans for us.

God Is Waiting For You

 

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;

Whoever is discerning, let him know them.

For the ways of the Lord are right,

And the righteous will walk in them.

Hosea 14:9

Hosea again and again preached doom and gloom to the Israelites. And, the Israelites had it coming because they refused to give up idolatry and return to the one true God.

In all this there is the undercurrent that in spite of the Israelites unfaithfulness, God was ready to welcome them back if they would repent of their sin and come to Him.

No matter how far we stray from God, He is still there waiting to welcome us back. God is merciful and all we have to do is ask forgiveness for our sin and accept His mercy.

Things Not Seen

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

It is hard when we are watching others or we ourselves are going through tough times, to remember that everything here on earth is temporary.  Things change and things will change.

God is at work even in the worst times.  He is there for us and for others. 

We hold this confidence, though we are suffering at the moment, God is working for us and He will renew our spirit so that we can continue serving Him.

Have faith, God is at work.  

We Are Thankful

 

So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly, and David said, “Blessed are You, O Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.

“Both riches and honor come from You and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone.

“Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise Your glorious name.”

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Today we thank God for all His blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not Your Proudest Moment, But...

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

John 18:2 

The Apostle Peter was famous for messing up. He was the guy who cut the Roman soldier’s ear off in the garden and who denied Christ three times in one day. Peter was not perfect, but he was forgiven and he became one of the most dynamic evangelists in the world, bringing thousands to know Jesus. So, awe inspiring was Peter’s ministry that he is the model for the Pope of the Catholic Church.

We all mess up. We all sin. We can beat ourselves up for our shortcomings and have a regular pity party. Or, we can ask God’s forgiveness and get on with the mission God has assigned us – to take the Gospel to the world.

Forget your sin because God has forgiven you, and get busy on the rest of the story.

 

Love Your Neighbor

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Some of the simplest commandments from Jesus prove to be the toughest. All of us are neighbors and all of us have neighbors and all of us can be downright unlovable at times. You know what I mean.

This scripture urges us to look beyond petty and not so petty annoyances and to look to God’s unconditional love for us so that we can love our neighbors.

Now go say something nice to your neighbor. 

 

God Does Not Ration His Grace

 

Opening his mouth Peter said, “I most certainly understand that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.”

Acts 10:34-35.

The disciples of Jesus were all Jews, and had been taught that they alone were the people of God. They believed that by obeying the laws of the Old Testament they were working their way to heaven. Jesus taught the disciples that the old rules no long applied, because everyone was under a new covenant; the covenant of grace.

Today, there is civil and religious unrest around the world. We need not to label those embroiled in conflicts as enemies of the faith, but rather to pray that they will come to a place where they recognize Jesus as their savior. Peace comes when the hearts of men are changed, both ours and theirs.

God does not ration His grace.

It's About The Delivery

 

Greet one another with a holy kiss. 

1 Galatians 13:12

Well maybe not a kiss, but at least a smile and a “Hey, how are you doing?” And, for the grumpy ones who reply, “&%D#*@%,” we can say, “I hear you.” Then run away. 

It's about the delivery, not the reception. 

Spread a little kindness.  

Be A Nonconformist

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

Christians are the ultimate nonconformist. Our transformation allows us to be merciful to those who are tossed about by changing social norms and to show them the one who is good and acceptable and perfect, Jesus. And, because of Jesus, that God sees them as perfect.

Be a nonconformist.

Not Punishment, Forgiveness

 

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. 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.

Hebrews 4:15-16.

When I was a child I worried about getting in trouble at school because my parents promised that if I got in trouble at school, I would be in more trouble when I got home. Needless to say, I worried about my every misstep.

God is not like that. He does not give us a double whammy of punishment; He gives forgiveness. Jesus paid the full price for our sins. If we don’t feel forgiven, maybe it is because we are short changing ourselves when it comes to God’s mercy.

Now, ask forgiveness, be forgiven and loose the guilt.

God Is At His Best

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord;

And in the midst of many I will praise Him.

For He stands at the right hand of the needy,

To save him from those who judge his soul.

Psalms 109:30-31.

We all know them: Needy people. They may be the victims of situations beyond their control or they may be victims of their own stupidity. They may be us. 

It is easy to beat up on ourselves and other people when things go wrong. God does the opposite. When everyone else is running away from us, He stands with us. When things are at their worst, God is at His best.

We are so blessed that God cares for us.

 

Who Will Separate Us From The Love Of Christ?

 

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35, 37-39.

If there is a Bible verse which gives us the courage to say, “So what.” when things go wrong, this is it. Great or small, there is nothing in life that can remove us from the love of God. 

The Bible is full of stories of people who made mistakes, who God loved and redeemed. From Moses who argued with God that he could not lead the people of Israel to the promised land (Exodus 3-4) to the Apostle Paul who held the coats of the men who stoned Stephen (Acts 8:54-60) God has revealed His unchanging and uncompromising love. 

His desire is for us to declare Jesus to be Lord, Master and Savior of our lives, and to bask in His unconditional love.

Hallelujah!

God Set The World

He raises up the poor from the dust; He lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and on them He has set the world.

1 Samuel 2:8

How can it be that some people who are born having nothing going for them, can accomplish great things for God?

The secret is the power of God which does more in our lives than we can even imagine. When we think we will give up and quit, just then something happens to change our minds and inspire us to continue with the work God has given us to do. 

Remember, God set the world, and He set you.

 

God Never Gives Up On You

 

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,

“Return to me, with all your heart,

And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

And rend your heart and not your garments.”

“Now return to the Lord your God,

For He is gracious and compassionate,

Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness….”

Joel 2:12-13

God never gave up on getting the Israelites back from the evil that overtook them. Again and again He sent Prophets to warn the Israelites of impending doom and to call them back to Him.

And, God never gives up on us. He wants us back and He sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us. Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and He is the only way to God. Invite Jesus into your life today, and experience God’s love and forgiveness.

God's Grace Has You Covered

 

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

Romans 6:14-19

When we ask Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior, we are no longer under the law and we will not be judged by God according to the law. We are subject to the grace of God.  The grace of God means we are forgiven by God and no longer need to fear punishment by God.  However, the forgiveness of God does not eliminate the civil punishment for wrong doing.  If you engage in criminal behavior, you are still subject to government laws and punishment.  For some, this becomes a good time to repent and turn to God.

The Apostle Paul points out that this does not mean that we can sin with impunity. On contrary, it means that we are now the servants of the living God and as such are bound to live in a manner which brings glory to Him. This is not to say that we will never sin, but that if we mess up, we need to repent and not repeat the offense.

Grace means we have a much easier go of it in life because we are no longer burdened with and subject to the consequences of willing sin. We are covered by the grace of God who will direct the paths of our feet so that we can enjoy the good life of a redeemed believer in Christ.

Stop Stewing, Start Cooking

 

Jesus said, “And who of you by being worried can add a single day to his life?”

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:27, 34

Anxiety is paralyzing. It destroys our ability to do the things we need to do. It creates a barrier between us and those we care about, and us and God, who cares for us.

Worry does not solve anything, and can make things much worse because when we are worrying we are not working on anything positive.

The cure for worry is activity – prayer, thanksgiving and doing what needs to be done.

Stop stewing and start cooking.

Keeping Each Other In Check

 

Take care brethren, that there not be in anyone of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginnings of our assurance firm until the end….

Hebrews 3:12-14

How does a person fall away from God? I don’t think it usually is in one big leap into a life of sin. I think it is by the slow chipping away of their faith.

That is why the Apostle Paul cautions us to keep an eye on our brothers and sisters in the Lord, so that they do not slip away from the living God. And, like wise for ourselves. We know that we look upon ourselves as being pretty good. However, it is the eyes of others who can see those things which may indicate we are moving away from God.

We need not jump all over each other to keep ourselves in check, but rather encourage one another with fellowship and the Word of God, so that we remain faithful until the end.

Sometimes We Get Beat Up

 

If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

1 Peter 4:14.

Every Christian has or will experience it. It is never pleasant. Yet, every one of us at some point will be hated because we are Christians. I had a philosophy class in college and the instructor publicly called me out. He said, “You’re the only Christian in here.” I replied, “No, there are others. They are stealth.” I was an old lady who was working on an associate’s degree, and I had the gall to ask him questions, while all the children sat silent, and this irritated him. I never once mentioned my Christianity, yet he knew I was a Christian and hated me for it.

After that I wore my “What Would Jesus Do” t-shirt to class every day. Day after day the instructor insulted the Christian Church. I didn’t say anything because lots of people don’t like organized religion. Then one day he insulted Jesus, and I stood up and walked out. After that he kept his insults directed at the church and I tortured through and finished the class.

Several months later, I was dropping my teenage daughter off at a youth meeting when a young woman came up to me and asked, “Were you in that philosophy class at Owens?” I nodded. Then she said, “Remember that day when you walked out? Well, I walked out too.”

I knew the Spirit of God rested on me. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

It Is The Right Time

 

And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all.

When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”

And He laid hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God.

But the synagogue official, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days in which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

As He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him.

Luke 13:10-17

When we set out to do good, there will always be critics arguing against the good we are doing. Just look at the never ending debate in the United States Congress about the school lunch program that provides low cost and/or free lunches to poor children. There are those who have the warped notion that we should not feed hungry kids. Where does that come from?

Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Find Some Joy

 A joyful heart is good medicine,

But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22 

This is so true.  When things are going terribly wrong and we are frustrated and angry, we can feel ourselves drying up.  We are grouchy and irritable and just don't have anything to offer that anyone wants.  

Need I say, this is not pleasant?

So, my cure for this is to find something to be happy about or to laugh about.  Read the funny papers or call your grand child and ask for a joke.  

Have faith in God that things will get better, one way or another.  Stop stewing and get moving.  Go for a walk or for a ride.  Find people to laugh with and hangout.  

No matter what, God loves you and cares for you.  

May you find joy.  

Do Unto Others...

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you….

Matthew 7:12

Kindness costs us nothing.  Sometimes when someone is going through something, they do not behave well toward others.  We may not know what their problem is, but we can tell something is clearly not right with them.

It is these times when our ability to cut people some slack and be kind is tested.  So, what then are we to do with their bad karma?  Stand their and take it?  Yep.  We can give them space, or just leave them alone, or if we dare, offer sympathy and kindness.

Jesus commands us to treat people the way you want them to treat you, and sometimes, it is no treat for us, but is serves to show the love of God for all people.  

God Will Strengthen You

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10.

Fear and anxiety can grip us at the most unexpected times. We may be doing something we have done a hundred times with success, when we begin to question our competence. This may be brought on by a boss who micro manages us at work or by critics who take delight in under minding our efforts.

We are not left alone to face conjured up fears. God is with us and He will help us overcome all obstacles.

God will strengthen you.

 

Being Thankful

Let the glory of the Lord endure forever;

Let the Lord be glad in His works;

He looks at the earth, and it trembles;

He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

Let my meditations be pleasing to Him;

As for me I shall be glad in the Lord….

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 104:31-35

The power of God cannot be disputed.  We see it in nature and we see it in our lives.  

The God who can make the earth tremble cares for us and He has the power to change our lives and circumstance.

And, we are thankful and say, "Praise the Lord."

 

 

What's It To You?

 

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4 

Did you ever notice that some people do not understand the concept of being charitable and kind to others?

A few months ago there was an article in the local paper about a 90 year-old, retired school teacher who donated school supplies so that all the children at the local elementary school would have the things they needed.  And, would you believe that the comments included people who questioned why people would have children if they could not provide for them?  And others, who said "let the kids do without." 

How unmerciful!  First, it was not their money being spent and second, since when was it any other their business if children received a gift of school supplies?  Could they not be happy for the kids?

Yes, we are all self-interested to a point, but God has given us the ability to look beyond ourselves to the interest of others.  When we do a small kindness, like giving a child school supplies, it goes to heart of this scripture.

Let the critics criticize, and do good anyway.

Like A Newborn Baby

Therefore putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

1 Peter 2:1-3

If you feel hate or malice, if you have a bent to deceit, or if you recognize hypocrisy in your life, give it up.

God is kind to us, and we should be kind to our fellow human beings. Our goal is to grow in the love of God and in knowledge of His ways and be reinvented as one who not only follows God, but strives to be godly.

Because God is kind to us, we are kind to others.

Amen.

 

The Fruits of the Spirit Are Good For You

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

Can you picture a world where there is no road rage, no yelling at store cashiers, and no arguing about tooth paste tube lids? Every day we are faced with petty annoyances, and every day we pop off at people because we think it will make things better. And, what is the result? We are angry, they are angry, feelings are hurt, and in the end all we have done is make stuff worse.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit seem simplistic but they are packed full of life changing, life improving characteristics. When we have the fruits of the Spirit we are less belligerent and more in control of our actions which translates into healthier personal relationships with others.

Seek the fruits of the Spirit.

No Condemnation

 

Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather He who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Romans 8:33-34

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Accepting Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior washes us clean of all our sins. We need not spend our lives defending ourselves against our past sins, because we are forgiven.

Likewise, we are to view other Christians without condemnation because Jesus died once for all, including those whom we would like to judge as unworthy. We need to be mindful that new Christians are new and may take a while to sort those things out in their lives which do not measure up to God’s word. Rather than judge, it is better that we rejoice with them in their salvation and pray with and for them.

Do Good Anyway

 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10

As Christians we do good works because we have this irresistible urge to make the world a better place for everyone. We may be thanked and we may not; it really doesn’t matter. We do what we do, because this is what God made us for.

Mother Teresa said, “The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway.”

Every Inch

 

Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

God loves us. We are the apple of His eye. All through the scriptures God again and again speaks of His love for us. So valuable are we that He has numbered the hairs on our heads.

How much does God love us? God loves every inch of us.

Not A Rocket Scientist

 

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

Did you ever notice that some of the most unlikely people seem to consistently make good decisions? How can that be?

I think this scripture answers that question. We do not have to be rocket scientists to make wise decisions. Wisdom is the ability to understand and evaluate the options and act in accordance with the best one. The best one may not be our favorite one, but the best one will produce good results, and isn’t that what we want in life?

God did not create us to stumble through life. He created us to be victorious and that is why when we ask He will give us wisdom.

Worthy Of The Calling

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6