Count To Ten

A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression.

Proverbs 19:11

God loves us and treats us with love. If we are to do this to others, then we need to get the beast of anger under control. Grandma’s idea that we should count to ten before we say anything in anger is a good one. For some of us, counting to twenty or thirty is better yet.

And, as this scripture says, sometimes the best course of action is no action. When we ignore small things that irritate us, we open up the door to minister to those who bug us. Not everyone may be receptive to the Gospel, but everyone is receptive to a break. Just the fact that we do not snap at a person who offends us is a testimony of God’s love.

 

All Those Parties

 

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 and it encompasses all manner of sharing the love of Jesus and the message of salvation with everyone.

It is Christmas season and we may be invited to parties.  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 an 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.

Possible With God

 

But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

Luke 18:27

For centuries people have tried to explain away the miracle of Jesus’s birth and His ministry. The problem is how do you explain the unexplainable? No matter how deeply they delve into history or how much money is spent, in the end they are left with a choice of one of two things: Either Jesus was a great con man or He was who He said He was, The Son of God.

While we may get frustrated with all the questioning, we need to understand that the questioning has nothing to do with us. Our faith is based upon the truth that God cannot lie and that if God says Jesus is His Son, then Jesus is His Son.

The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.

Yielding the Celebration

 

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 Day 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.

Just so you know, we have done this for years - celebrated with the our children and grandchild on a day other than Christmas.  There is no better feeling than knowing the blessings of family gathering together. 

And, by doing this, we all will have a Merry Christmas.

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 doing 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.

Ask For Prayer

 

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me….

Romans 15:30

What do you do when something awful happens in your life? What do you do if it is embarrassing? What if it makes you feel ashamed of yourself and your family?

I will tell you what I did when this happened – I hid out. I did not show my face anywhere including at church. I was so worried about what people would say or think that I shortchanged my friends at church by assuming that they would accuse me or gossip about me or snub me, that I walked away from the very people who wanted to comfort me.

I denied myself the blessing of feeling loved and cared for and I denied my friends the opportunity to bless me and my family with their prayers. 

I was wrong. I left myself wallowing in self pity and shame.

We cannot control everything that happens in life, but we can trust God to send people to help us through the hard times. We just need to be open to receive the prayers and love that God will send our way.

God is there for us and God’s servants are there to minister to us. Be bold ask and receive prayers and comfort.

Truth Is Your Friend

 

… And you will know the truth and the truth will make you free….

John 8:31

The bad part about lies is that they are ever changing and evolving because we cannot remember the exact story we tell. When we live a lie, we spend way too much time trying to keep our story consistent. The hype and the spin and the conjecturing are exhausting for us and for those who hear us and try to make sense of our senseless explanation.

The truth, once said is the truth and nothing can change it. The truth brings light and understanding and freedom. When we speak the truth we take control. As much as gossiping lips may try, they cannot alter the truth.

So, what can we do when we are confronted by people who perhaps know things about us which we would rather not have known? We can do one of two things: We can tell the true story, own it and move on, or we can say nothing and let the past be the past. It is up to us. Either way, we choose not to lie.

Truth is your friend. Embrace it.

Wandering Donkey

 

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

Exodus 23:4

God gave the Israelites rules dealing with good human relations. With God it is always about doing what is right, not what is convenient.

I think the proof of our commitment to God is not how we treat those who we love, but how we treat those who we don’t like. It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but it is hard to do so to our enemies.

So, when the grouch down the street, who called the police because your kids were making too much noise, asks you for a ride, go pick him up. 

No Brinks Truck

 

Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich,

When the glory of his house is increased;

For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

His glory will not descend after him.

Psalm 49:16-17

I did not know the Bible said that. It is so true. When we leave this life for the other side, there will be no Brink’s truck following us to the cemetery.

Our best hedge is to be sure we have liberally distributed our wealth, no matter how great or how meager, where we want it to go.

Christmas is a giving time. What better time, to give a little away? Buy a toy for a needy child or give a few dollars to the Salvation Army or bake a pie for a free dinner.

Your gift will be gratefully received and your heart will sing.

So What!

 

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 compromising 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!

Chosen and Appointed

 

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.”

John 15:16-17

We are chosen, not because we are perfect but because God loves us. We are to go and do the will of God. What is the will of God? It is that we love one another. Once we embrace this truth, serving others becomes second nature and we freely offer prayer for the sick and the needy and for those who rejoice. We become willing to step out in faith and extend help to those around us.

We are chosen and we will bear the fruit of God’s love spread to those around us.

Everyone Is Welcome

 

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.

Get Holy, Get A Better Life

 

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix all your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be Holy, for I am Holy.”

1 Peter 1:14-1

People sometimes say they don’t want to be Christians because they will have to give up too much – meaning give up their sinful lifestyles which they know are sinful, even if those lifestyles cause pain to them.  What they don’t realize is that there is so much to gain from becoming a Christian, that the old lifestyle is not missed. Once we make up our minds to change, the rest comes easy.

It is easier to be holy than to be sinful.

Jesus Came For Everyone

 

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.

Not Exactly What We Plan

 

When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.”

Acts 28:16-17

The Apostle Paul traveled all over the Mediterranean area preaching the gospel, but what he really wanted was to go to Rome. He did get to go to Rome, but not as he had planned – he went as a prisoner, arrested for preaching the gospel. It was not smooth sailing; the journey included a shipwreck. Paul got his wish. He preached as a prisoner. He was released when his jailers could find no grounds to hold him, and he preached to large crowds in Rome.

Sometimes God’s plan for our success is not exactly what we plan. We need not lose heart, but to be confident that the best plan is God’s plan.

Happy, Happy

 

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

For some unknown reason, happy people are out of style. I first observed this several years ago when I worked at a small business populated by sad people. I do not know why they were sad. They had good paying jobs in nice offices, nice families, boats, houses and leisure time to enjoy all their stuff. Yet, everyday they arrived at work looking like their world had collapsed.

I tend to lean the other way. I am generally happy and when things are really awful, I get funny. I say things which make people laugh. So, even if things are crappy, all this joy tumbles out. I do not know why. All I can think is that my faith in God, keeps the blues away. He has said, “… I will not leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

How can we be anything but confident and happy, knowing that?

The Calling Of God

 

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29

We all know someone who has fell away from God. There are famous people and there are ordinary people who for some earthly reason, walk away from God. And, we may be the one of them.

But God does not let us just walk away, He stands, ready and waiting for us because He has called us and He has plans for us, and although we may think our ministry is over, with God nothing is ever over. Those who God calls are His and He will not relinquish them.

If you are standing at a distance from God, come back to Him. He is waiting. His gifts and call for you are irrevocable. God has work for you to do.

God Holds Things Together

 

For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions, or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1: 16-17

Man in his finite wisdom tosses around all sorts of theories about the creation of earth, mankind and the universe. Some scientist would have us believe that theories are truth. The truth is theories are theories and although man has searched and searched, there is not concrete proof of any one theory of creation.

What I see is that things seem to work pretty good together. I don’t think gravity just happened, neither do I think that we just happened. I think that God planned it all. I don’t know whether or not it was literally a seven day project. What I do know is what the Bible says: “all things have been created through Him.”

No matter how hard man tries to mess things up, in the end, God will hold things together.

Walk Away

 

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 what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13

Temptation comes all dressed up and looking good.  It may come from our own family and friends.  It may be something as innocent looking as spending money to go out with friends, when we know we have a car payment due and rationalizing it can be late and will be OK.

Or, it may mean we do things which hurt those who love and care about us.  

In the end yielding to temptation can put a world of hurt on us and others.   

God promises us that there is no temptation so great that we cannot resist it.  The power to walk away is a super power God has endowed us with, and we can use it.   

God is faithful and will provide a way of escape. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100

 

Neighbors: We All Have Them And We Are Them

 

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 who just blew leaves all over your yard.

God Holds Us Blameless

 

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

Colossians 1:21-23

This puts the kibosh on thinking we are not good enough to serve God.  No one is perfect and everyone has done wrong things.  Yet, in spite of this, God loves us and sent His Son, Jesus to reconcile us to Him.  God holds us blameless.  

We are freed from our pasts, and are party to the promises of God and are to continue steadfast in the hope of the gospel. 

A Honeycomb For The Soul

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

There is nothing better we can do for people when they are going through hard times than to offer kind words to them.  Kind words cost us nothing and comfort those who are suffering.

So, go a head and say something kind.   

 

Give And Get Blessed

 

In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord, Jesus, that He Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Acts 20:35

We are all born selfish. We come into this world wanting what we want and wanting it now. It is a giant spiritual step to give to others. And, it is a step which changes our hearts.

Some people make it to adulthood without ever taking the step of generosity. The good news is that it is never too late to be generous. The act of giving to others helps others and it gives us joy.

When we give, we get blessed.

Inconvenient, But Worth It

 

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them.

And they came bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him, and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.

And, Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

… “I say to you, get up pick up your pallet and go home.”

And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.

Mark 2:1-5, 12-13

We all some times have things which hinder us from going to church.

Then we read this account of the lengths that people would go to in order to be in the presence of Jesus. For most of us the only inconvenience we experience when we get to church is having to park far from the building. Yet, these people had to find a way into the building and they went so far as to take the roof off and lower their friend down so that he could be touched by Jesus and healed. Jesus did not disappoint the paralytic, He healed him.

When we find it difficult to get to church, we can look forward to getting there because we know Jesus will make it worth our while.

Abound In Hope

 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Hope, joy and peace: seek God, find these.

A New Spirit

And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. They will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Ezekiel 11:19-20

This promise was given to the people of Israel, and it is still for us today.

When we come to Jesus, God creates in us a new spirit. He softens the hardness of our hearts, and leads us in His ways. We become God’s people and He becomes our God.

 

The Greatest

 

… A lawyer asked Jesus a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

And, He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and foremost commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:35-39

Jesus did not recite a hundred laws or even ten laws. Jesus gave two commandments. The first, was regarding man’s relationship with God. God loves us, therefore we love God.

The second was regarding man’s relationship with man. We are to love one another like we love ourselves. That is, we are to treat others in a manner that reflects love and respect.

When we love God, the love is bound to spill over onto those who surround us. Let us let this love show in our lives.

Be Patient With Everyone

 

We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

The Apostle Paul instructs us that we are not just to go along to get along when we see Christians behaving badly, but that we should in kindness correct those who need correcting and help those who are struggling in the faith. And, that we should expect the same from other Christians.

We are not being a friend to other Christians, if we do not help them when they need help, be it correction or encouragement.

Say something and help a brother or sister in the Lord.

Walk In Love

 

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, in an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Ephesians 5:1-2.

What does it mean to walk in love? Does it mean we have to let other people walk all over us? No. It means that whatever we do, we do it in a spirit of love. It does not mean we will be popular or that we have to be nice to those who really don’t need being nice to.

As Christians, we must speak out against wrong, but we are to do it in a manner that addresses the problem as a problem, and offers the perpetrator an opportunity to correct the error of his ways. This is what God did for us. He called us from our lives of sin, to a new life forgiven by Jesus. 

We love because God first loved us.

You Are Precious To God

 

Jesus said, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders rejoicing.”

Luke 15:4-5

All of us are precious to God. He seeks us, He woos us, and when he finds us He rejoices. It does not matter to God if we are rich or poor. The ground at the foot of the cross is level, and Jesus finds joy in knowing every one of us.

You are loved by God.

Run Away

 

Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.

1 Corinthians 15:33

This Bible verse seems almost too simple to be taken as serious advice from the Apostle Paul. Yet, when we consider how often we are tempted and enticed to do things which we know are wrong, it is clear that this is true.

It is not the big things which drag Christians away from the faith, but a mass of small sins which lead the way and make it easier and easier to stray from the Word of God. Once we stray, there is an army of people who will remind us that we are “not very Christian” or that we “had fun” engaging in sinful behavior.

Then we have to fight our way back to a place where we believe we are saved. God is ready, willing and able to forgive us, it is the scars of sin that make it difficult for us to turn our lives around, and back to Christ.

Take the easy way out. Run away from those who would corrupt you.

Your Ten Stringed Instruments

It is good to give thanks to the Lord

And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;

To declare Your loving-kindness in the morning

And Your faithfulness by night,

With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,

With resounding music upon the lyre.

For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,

I will sing for joy for the works of Your hands.

Psalms 92:1-4

Many years ago, I attended a church where the worship leader encouraged us to get out our ten-stringed instruments – our hands – and give the Lord a round of applause for all He does for us.

It sounded corny, but the act of applauding God brought a spirit of joy into the worship service.

Give God a round of applause and raise your hands to heaven and thank Him for all He has done in your life.  When we thank God, we release His power into our lives, and He blesses us with joy. 

 

 

Always A Critic

 

Some of the people therefore, when they heard these words, were saying, “This certainly is the Prophet.”

Others were saying, “This is the Christ.” Still others were saying, “Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee, is He?”

John 7:40-42

There will always be critics who will line up to question our Christian faith and commitment. Sometimes they will point out character flaws or mistakes or dredge up our past, to try to dilute our Christianity.

Jesus faced this same kind of criticism but none of it mattered because He was who He was – the Son of God.

So, hold your head up high and ignore the critics. You are redeemed by Christ and you are a child of God.

We Are Blessed

 

How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

Psalm 128:1

When I have a terrible day and everything goes wrong, I raise my hand to heaven and say, “I am blessed.”

When someone asks me how I am, I say, “I am blessed.”

Just saying I am blessed, lifts my spirits so that I can see beyond what is happening at the moment, and that God has blessed me in many ways. The greatest blessing is that Jesus is my Lord, Master and Savior.

The Wise Seek Knowledge

 

The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18:15

Every now and then we find ourselves in a situation which we no nothing about and have not idea what we should do.  When this happens I say, "I am in a foreign country. I don't know the language or the customs. And, I have no clue what to do."  

But, you know what?  God sends people into my life that can help guide me through and who don't judge, but just care for me in my time of need.   

God puts people in our path who will help us. We just need to be humble enough to accept help and be grateful. 

Do What Needs To Be Done

 

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.

God Has Big Plans For Us

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.

Not To Please Ourselves

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Romans 15:1-2

Every now and then we see someone who has taken on a job that is too big for them to do.  It may be putting a new roof on their house, with a pile of shingles sitting in the front yard for weeks on end.  Sometimes it is poor financial decisions that leave people broke.  Still others need help because of an addiction.

We as Christians have an obligation to offer help.  The roof might not be too hard - if we can find people willing to do the job out of the goodness of their hearts.  Other things like financial or addiction problems or other problems that require more help than we are capable of giving, mean we can direct people to those agencies equipped to help solve those problems, and at the same time, we can extend our support through prayer and kindness.

God does not expect us to sit on the sidelines, He expects us to take action.  So, do something. 

 

 

God Is On Our Side

 

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

Everyday life can grind us down if we only look at things that are happening at the moment.  Everybody has problems and sometimes suffer because of things beyond their control.  

But we are encouraged to look beyond the moment and to God for renewal of our spirit.  When we look to God we see that what is happening right now, is not reflective of our relationship with God and our salvation.

God's plans for us are eternal and He renews us every day.  God is on our side. 

Love Mankind

 

This commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

1 John 4:21

Being a Christian is all about loving mankind. We are to love those who are the least lovable and extend a hand of fellowship to them.

How else will they come to know Jesus if we do not show them the way by first loving them and second, by sharing the Gospel?

Serving Others

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in…

Mathew 25:35

My Mother's family was very poor.  She often talked about having nothing to eat but corn meal mush - porridge for breakfast and fried for supper.  But, she said they never went hungry.

One year at Thanksgiving time, the local doctor came to visit and gave them a bushel of apples and a turkey.  It was such a great treat for the family.  My Uncle Bill said they he thought he had died and gone to heaven to have such food.  

For many of us, food is not a problem, but we need to remember for many people around the world and maybe even the people next door, that food is scarce.  Jesus reminds us one way to serve him is to care for others and providing food to others is a way to do this.  

So, when we go to the store, we can buy a few extra things and donate them to the local food pantry or even just leave them on the door step of someone who we think is in need.   

By serving others, we serve God. 

 

In All Things

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

The Apostles faced many difficulties.  They knew what it was like to be rejected, to be hungry and to be ill.  In all these things they trusted God and found strength to keep going.

We too sometimes face difficult times and we can take comfort knowing that in all things God is with us and will see us through.

Our strength is not in ourselves, but in God's love and care for us.

Be brave, keep going.   

 

Try A Little Kindness

 

To the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:20-21

This is a tall order and completely contrary to our human nature.  But it goes to heart of the Gospel.

We are servants of God and it is our assignment to do our best to represent the love of God in the world.  This means that sometimes we have to go out of our way to be kind to people who we think do not deserve kindness.  

It is, after all, more important to do the right thing than to be right.

Be kind. 

A Touchy Subject

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

 

James 5:19-20

Talking to someone about their sin is a touchy subject.  They may get mad or they may say that we are not so hot ourselves.  The problem is the Bible does not say we are to be perfect, the Bible says we are to love one another.  We do not demonstrate the love of God by watching someone destroy their life. 

We are not to jump on people with accusations.  We are to help turn them around.  We act in love by offering the salvation message of Jesus.  Then we let God do the rest.

 

Be A Cheerleader

 

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. “For the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?”

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:1-5

Jesus was serious when it came to teaching good human relations. He wanted us to know that we cannot win people to the Gospel, if we beat them up by pointing out all their character flaws. And, that the truth is that we all have plenty of flaws which need fixing because people are not perfect.

Jesus wants us to love others unconditionally. And, generously share the Gospel message with everyone.

It is when people receive Jesus as their Lord, Master and Savior that the life transforming work of God begins. And, our part in it is to be there as their cheerleaders.

When Everythiing is Wacky

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5

When things do not make sense and seem to be all out of wack, we can be confident that God is about to do something.  

Come what may God is in charge and He has everything under control. 

We sometimes need to spend less time trying to figure out what is going on, and trust the Lord that everything will be alright.

Relax, trust God. 

Liberty

 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Many years ago, I was a very conservative Christian, with many ideas of what was right and what was wrong and very vocal regarding these.

However, as time went on, I was frequently persuaded that some of my views were wrong and I modified my words and actions to reflect these views.  I became much more merciful in my view of mankind's shortcomings.   

This change came as a surprise to some of my friends, one of whom said to me, "I am surprised that you being so conservative, have some views that are so liberal."  

My answer was, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

May we all be sensitive to the direction of the Spirit of the Lord and know when to change direction.   

God is a God of Peace

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace….

1 Corinthians 14:33

There are people who try to distract from the truth of the Gospel with confusion.  They distort the Word of God for their own purposes.  They may make the free gift of salvation through Jesus into something which requires a cash payment, and like wise for the blessings of God.  

In all this we need to take warning that any time anyone distorts the Word of God or adds to it, that it is not from God but from the corrupt hearts of men or women.

The truth of the Gospel and God's promises bring peace.   

 

 

Look Forward

 

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Sometimes we are weighted down by our past experiences and this keeps us from doing new things.  A failure is a failure and is not a life sentence.  Just the same as a success, does not mean we stop working to do what God has called us to do.

God has big plans for us.  Even if we think something is insignificant, if it furthers the work of the Gospel and reveals the mercy of God, it is a big deal.  

God wants us to stop looking backward and start looking forward and to Him for new things that He is calling us to do.  

Look forward for what God has planned for you.   

Be Ready

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

2 Timothy 2:4

Several years ago, I attended a small rural church and one Sunday, one of the visitors was a minister from another denomination.  The pastor seeing him in the congregation, greeted him and asked him if he would like to give the sermon.  The man nodded and came forward.  He took a piece of paper from his pocket and in my opinion proceeded to give a good sermon.  It was relevant, had some humor and was  encouraging. 

How could that be?  I think that was because he took this scripture to heart - to be ready in season and out of season.   

We may not be called on to preach, but everyday we have opportunities to share the love of Christ with others.  To be ready we can equip ourselves with some tools - like the Roman's Road to Salvation, and scriptures that speak of the love of God for everyone.  Doing this we can bring hope and mercy to the world.  

Be ready in season and out. 

 

Try To Be A Little Friendlier

 

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Romans 12:16

A few years ago, my husband and I were looking for a church to attend. At several of the churches we visited, we were invisible. No one came up and introduced themselves, no one asked us to stay for coffee and cookies after church and no one called us to say they hoped we would come back again. We were not one time visitors, but several times visitors, all with no response. We signed the attendance list in the pew and we gave our offering in a check, yet we were invisible.

Why did no one respond?

I think perhaps because the regular attenders had a club mentality, that is they viewed the church as a club for members, and they were members and we were not. Although we enjoyed the worship services, after a few weeks, we went somewhere else.

The church is not a club; it is an association of real people with real needs. I might add, that this applies to other groups to which we belong and which might not be too welcoming to visitors.

Let’s try to be a little friendlier.

Overwhelm Our Enemies

 

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.

Wow! All this is ours for the taking! Just think how peaceful our homes would be if we just strive for the fruits of the Spirit in our families. And, should this spill out into the world, we might overwhelm our enemies with God’s love.

God of the Second, Third, and Fourth Chance

 

…Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Romans 2:4

God operates from love to show everyone His kindness and tolerance and patience so that we, being dense when it comes to spiritual things, will come to understand that He is working in our best interests both in terms of earthly matters and in terms of our coming to know Him.

We can become callous and not appreciate that people who receive second chances in realm of earthly matters by earthly judges or bosses or family members are not receiving this mercy just from humans but from God who invests Himself in changing human hearts.

God is the God of second and third and fourth chances because as long as we have breath in our bodies we have the option of asking God’s Son, Jesus, to be our Lord, Master and Savior.

You Will Not Be Scorched

 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched.

Isaiah 43:2

Don't you just love it when people are going through tough times and people tell them to "suck it up?"  As if, by some great cosmic event, ignoring their problems will some how lead to people finding a way out.

I realize that sometimes when you get something going you have to roll with it, but at the same time I realize that no matter what is happening in our lives, God is caring for us and is with us.  

God promises when we walk through the fire, He is with us, and His promises are true. 

Cash Poor, Prayer Rich

 

But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!”

Acts 3:6

Did you ever think you should say something and then not speak? Well, when we are confronted by people who have problems or issues and we don’t have a clue what we can say to help them, we can take a hint from Peter. We can say, “Can I pray with you?” Or if we are not that bold, then we can say, “I hear what you are saying, and I will pray for you in this difficult time.”

We can bring the love of Christ to many people, just by being willing to offer what we have – faith in God, that no matter what He is looking after all of us. 

 

A Little Short

 

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:23-26

We know and God knows that we are not perfect.  As hard as we try and as much as we would like to believe that we are perfect, perfect is not attainable for us.  

But our lack of perfection does not keep us from God, but rather opens up the possibility for us to know the forgiveness of God.  It is by our acceptance of our shortcomings and the acceptance of the Jesus who came and died for our sins that we are made perfect in God's sight.   

Jesus is waiting to bring you to God.  Acknowledge your shortcomings and ask Him into your heart today. 

Get Revived

 

But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.

2 Thessalonians 3:13

When we are tired of working our prayer is: Lord, revive me!

Our work is more than making widgets or pouring coffee or crunching numbers, our work is taking the Gospel to the world. We do this by ministering to those around us through kindness, consideration and overlooking that which is annoying.

Jesus didn’t sit down on the job and neither should we.

Get revived and get busy doing good.

Pray For Someone In Need

 

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.

Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.

So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

Jonah 1:3-6

Jonah was running away from God. The captain and the crew did not know this. They believed that there were many different gods and that in to get things done; they needed to appeal to the right god. Since it was still storming they knew that they had not appealed to the right god.

Jonah was the only man on board who was not yelling to a god, and therefore, the captain thought perhaps that Jonah’s God was the right God.

In the end, Jonah was thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. But the other story is that “Then those men feared the Lord greatly….”

When we encounter people who have huge problems, our first instinct may be to run away from them. A more merciful course of action is to say: "I don't know what you should do, but I will pray with you."  Prayer calms and comforts, and heals the brokenhearted.  Prayer changes things and people like the sailors who were with Jonah.

Spare a prayer for someone in need. It may be all it takes to bring a soul to Jesus.

No Shortcut

 

This is the message we have heard from Him and announced to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

1 John 1:5-10

This is the answer to those who believe that being a good person will get people into heaven. No one is good enough because we all sin. Therefore, our only hope for eternal life is to confess our sins to Jesus, ask His forgiveness and accept Him as our Savior. When we are forgiven by Jesus we are cleansed of all our sins and are heaven ready.

There is no shortcut to heaven because the way out of darkness is lit up for all to see.

Out Of The Ash Heap

 

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.

Know The Love Of Christ

 

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and 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 know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

God’s loves us more than we can comprehend. His love overwhelms us and wraps us in the comfort of His presence. We cannot escape His all-encompassing love for us.

God even loves those who deny His existence. God sent us His Son, Jesus, because He wants everyone to experience His great love.

All God requires is that we acknowledge that Jesus is His Son and to invite Him to be our Lord, Master and Savior.

Be filled up with all the fullness of God. 

In God We Must 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.

Fear Not

 

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

Sometimes our fears are unfounded.  We approach a new experience worried that it will no not be good for us.  Yet, because God is with us, what we fear often does not come to pass. 

When we took our four year old grand-daughter to church for the first time and we left her in her classroom, she looked scared and had tears in her eyes. An hour later when we came back to pick her up, she was  happy. She had six church bucks to spend at the candy store, and said, “I got to sing and dance and praise Jesus.”

May your fears turn into an opportunity to sing and dance and praise Jesus.