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