Be Kind, 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 kind to those who are mean to us, to defend those who are unfairly attacked, to speak out when lies are told. to be merciful to those who are poor and those who least deserve it, and to show the love of God to the world in hundreds of ways. 

It is this unconventional, unexpected response by us that makes nonconformist.    

Shake things up, be kind. 

The Real Reality

 

Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored….  

 

Lamentations 5:21

Reality television is full of stories of extreme makeovers.  Old dilapidated houses are restored to contemporary dwellings.  Old cars are primed, painted, rebuilt and rolling down the road looking like the day they rolled off the assembly line.  People get haircuts, shaves, waxes, weaves, hairdos, made up, dressed up or down and transformed before our eyes.  It is all done in the name of entertainment, and in the end that is what it is nothing real just Hollywood entertaining us. 

The most extreme makeover we can make is to turn our lives around by asking Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior.  He alone can remove the stain of sin from our lives and restore us to the spiritual beings we are designed to be.   We are new inside and out and that is not reality television that is real reality.

 

Bear With One Another

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

Ephesians4:1-4

The Apostle Paul was often arrested and put in prison for preaching the Gospel, but this did not deter him from ministering to others which he did by writing letters.

Paul urges us to to live life worthy of the calling we received and to treat one another with respect and dignity.  He is not injecting a lot of rules for us to follow only urging that we get along with each other in a bond of peace.  

This peace is possible because we share the common faith and baptism and worship one God and Father who is over us all.  

Not Just For Funerals

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:1-6

A month ago, while my husband, Chuck, was gravely ill, he recited this scripture.  It scared me because this scripture is frequently read at funerals. I did not realize that he was talking about hope, not death.  Through it all he remained a trooper.  

It was a long journey from the hospital to the care center.  His improvement has been slow but steady.  Every day, he is a little better.  We have learned to celebrate every victory.   

This being said, I now read this scripture not looking at death, but looking at life  and knowing that God is with us.  God comforts and blesses us, even when we are at our worst.   

I believe that the prayers of many have helped Chuck and me through this time and we are thankful.

Remember pray for those who are ill and pray for those in need and pray constantly. God hears and answers.   

 

 

Say Something Nice

 

Let us not loose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  

  

Galatians 6:9.

Several years ago, my children attended a community Bible School.  They had a great time.  The last day I saw the Bible School director standing in the hallway with a trash bag. The woman looked disheveled and tired.  I stopped and thanked her for all her work and told her I thought she did a great job.  She looked surprised and said, “You know, I have heard complaints all week and you are the only person who told me I did a good job.” 

Nothing snuffs out a joyful worker like criticism.  When we are thinking of critiquing another Christian’s work, we need to use our brains before opening our mouths.  As Christians, we need to be sensitive to those people who are doing the work of Christ and encourage and thank them for their work.  A kind word to a weary worker is like big pay raise. 

It is always the right time to say something nice. 

God Has Boots On The Ground

When the king saw Esther, the queen, standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

Then the king said to Esther, “What is troubling you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be given to you.”

Esther 5:2-3

God always has boots on the ground to do His work. Sometimes it is surprising who is wearing them. Esther was a surprise.

Queen Esther saved the Israelites from sure destruction by bringing their fate to the attention of King Ahasuerus. She did this not by badgering the king or by creating disturbances, but by being a Godly woman who the King respected.

Keep the faith. God has boots on the ground looking after His people, including you.

 

Try a Little Tenderness

 

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.

Proverbs 15:1-2

We all know them. The people who think they know everything and let us know it. Sometimes they are totally wrong. It is then that we have some choices. We can publicly confront them and risk making them mad, or let them go on making an idiot of themselves, or follow the Biblical model and quietly speak to them about their error. Using gentle words might save us from getting beat up.

Try a little tenderness.

Listen and Learn

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me, Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

For you I wait all the day.

Psalm 25:4-5

The great part of serving a living God is that He expects us to ask Him for help and guidance. We don’t have to muddle through life without a clue of what to do. When we ask God, He answers. All we have to do is listen and learn.

 

Lord, Revive Me

 

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.

Feeling Lost

 

Jesus said: 

“What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 

Luke 15:8-10.

Every day, God is looking for you.  He does not take a day off or a vacation.  God wants to be in your life and for you to know that He loves you.  You are important to God.  He values you.

So, if you are feeling lost or lonely or far from God, know this: No sin is too big for God to forgive and no person is too bad too be forgiven.

Jesus came once and for all.  There are no conditions of forgiveness, only a willingness to acknowledge our sin and ask and receive God's forgiveness through Jesus.  

Come ask Jesus into your heart today and know that you are welcome and forgiven.   

No Bragging

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

The Apostle Paul preached this same message over and over again because it was the truth. We cannot work our way into heaven. The only path to God is faith in Jesus. Salvation is a gift from God; all we have to do is receive it.

 

Who Are They Going To Call?

 

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

Under appreciated.  Made fun of.  Punchline of a joke.  Left out.  

As Christians we sometimes get no respect by those outside of the faith, but when things get tough, who are they going to call?  Who do they ask for help?  Who offers hope that perhaps things are not as bad as they seem?  

We are not called to judge others, but to help others.  When those outside the faith are in need of encouragement, we are to offer it.  

When things get tough, even those farthest from God, warm to the idea of a God who cares for them.

Don't underestimate the power of your testimony and the calling of God to do something.  Be ready.

Prayer changes things.

The Easy Way Or The Right Way

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.  And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.

And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Luke 4:1-4

 

Jesus faced temptation just like we do.  He was hungry and He was taunted by Satan to perform a miracle for His own benefit - and He declined to do so.

When we are having a tough time, taking the easy way out looks good.  Easy does not mean right and we need to consider whether the easy way will make things better or worse, and whether the easy way lines up with the teachings of the Bible.  Doing the easy thing to avoid the consequences of doing the right thing is not right.   

Doing what is right is not a matter of us being comfortable.  It is a matter of following the teachings of Jesus and trusting God.  

Jesus Came For Everyone

 

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:11-13

The Bible is clear on this point: Jesus came for everyone. God does not refuse anyone who comes to Him.  

Ask Jesus to come into your life today. He is waiting for you.

Minister First

 

When they (Jesus and His disciples) had crossed over they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.

When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, and ran about that whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick to the place they heard He was.

Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.

Mark 6:53-56

Is this a picture of how Christians should be perceived or what?

Jesus and the disciples were not seen as hypocrites or judgmental or holier than thou. The people of Gennesaret saw them as being sent by God to minister to their needs and to heal the sick. And, Jesus and the disciples did just that.

When we minister first to the needs of people, we open their hearts to hear the Gospel.

God Reveals Himself To All

 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

Our God is not some scrap of metal or rock which can be hidden in a secret place. Our God is everywhere, and He says, “Look at Me and all I have done and all I am doing.”

God has liberally made His power and presence known to man since the beginning of time through His creations in the natural world. God not only made the trees and flowers, He also made lightening. He so shaped humans that they have the capacity to learn and understand and feel compassion for one another. Even the worst humans, have these innate qualities. And because of these qualities, all men and women are exposed to the truth of God, which they may embrace or deny.

The denial of the truth does not make the truth any less the truth.

And therefore, God is right in His judgment that those who deny His existence are without excuse.

Praying and Believing

 

And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. Therefore, I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

Mark 11:22-24

Some people see this scripture as name it and claim it faith - that is God is a vending machine that we put our prayer into and out pops the answer we want.  But I don't think that is what this is saying.  I believe God is saying that what we ask we will receive - but He is not promising us that it will be what we expect. 

We are assured that God hears and answers our prayers.  God will answer us.  Sometimes the answer we receive may not be what we think we prayed for, but God reads our prayers and needs differently than what we do.  

God is continuously looking out for us.  He sees beyond our needs at the moment to what will happen next.  While we are impatient, He is patiently weighing what is best for us.  

We pray believing God will answer and we are sure the answer will be that which is the best outcome.

Keep praying, keep believing, God is on your side. 

Just What We Need Is a Blessing

 

But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

The Apostles suffered for their faith and ministry.  They were jailed and all but John, the Beloved, were martyred.

I think that is why Timothy wrote this, because he came to realize that the best of times were those times when he had just what he needed to survive - food and clothing and shelter.  It was in these times that they were able to go about ministering, healing the sick and preaching the Gospel.  They were not looking to become wealthy, but to live holy lives and serve God.

I think that we too can aspire to this - not that we will be poor - but to realize having what we need is a true blessing from God.   

Scary Times

 

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

It is scary when we are confronted by evil. It might be a corrupt boss who wants us to go along with his or her scheme. It might be people who taunt us because of we are Christians. Evil people work hard to make us miserable and try to destroy our faith. Some are sneaky and others come right out and say their goal is to destroy us. Our best defense is to resist the urge to go along to get along. Eventually the bad guys will give up and move on. Or, as the Bible says, they will run away from us.

Have faith – God is on your side.

We May Not Want To Do The Right Thing, But...

Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:1-7

Sometimes the right thing is not what we want to do. Maybe it is because it is not convenient or maybe it is because we are lazy or maybe it is because it will benefit someone we don’t particularly like. It does not matter why we don’t want to do the right thing, what matters is that in spite of our personal feelings that we do the right thing.

While the Bible tells we are subject to rulers and authorities, sometimes doing the right thing involves being resistant to things which violate the laws of God and man, and God makes allowance for this in that we are to "malign no one...showing consideration for all men." 

We were not very likable, and yet, Jesus saved us, regenerated us, and renewed us. This being said, is it too much to expect that we show consideration for all men and women by doing the right thing?

 

We Are Better Off Than We Think

 

When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.  He opened His mouth and began to teach them saying,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

“Rejoice and be glad for your reward in is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:1-12

You may have figured out, that Jesus saw things differently than most people do, and that as Christians we are to approach everyday life happenings with a different attitude than non-believers. 

In this scripture, commonly known as “The Beatitudes,” Jesus gives us an insight into how the Kingdom of God works.  We are not exempt from trials or tribulations or heartbreak, but we are comforted by God through it all.  When we strive to overcome difficulties and to make peace, we are living out the Gospel. 

We are to embrace our life and to live as Jesus did, not in fear but in confidence that we are blessed to be.

We are better off than we think.

Angels on Guard

 

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways….

Psalm 91:11

God's angels are on duty and every day they intervene to keep us safe and we are not even aware of their work.

Even now as my husband, Chuck, is seriously ill, I know that God's angels are guarding him.  Please pray for him. 

Thank you. 

God Is Waiting To Welcome You

“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

The overriding theme of the Bible is that it is never too late to come to God and ask forgiveness.  God is not keeping a score card of our sins, He is keeping watch over us.  No matter what we have done, God still loves us and will forgive us.  

God invites us to return to Him, and He is waiting to welcome us.  

Do not fear God, know that He is on your side and that He loves you. 

We Are The Messengers

 

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:18

There are people who will try to silence us when we talk about the love of God and Jesus. They may taunt and ridicule us.  They are not interested in faith or the Bible.  Some think it is all a myth. 

But I have found that some of those who routinely tried to silence me, came to a point where they recognized that there was truth to what I was saying.  Often it was when they were experiencing some sort of upset to their life.  

When we are approached by these people for assurance, we can embrace them with God's love and God's words of comfort.    

It is not us, but the power of God that changes the hearts of men and women.  We are just the messengers. 

God Will Heal You

 

For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal….

Jeremiah 30:17

When we or our family is suffering with illness or injury, we can stand on this promise from God - He will restore our health.

We know God is true to His word.

And, we are thankful. 

Our Owners Manual

 

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

My Uncle Al was not a church going man, but he read the Bible.  He said, "It's really heavy."  

The Bible is heavy - the words of the prophets and Jesus call us to repentance - the Psalms sooth our hurting souls - and all through the Bible we are challenged to think about how we live our lives.  

The Bible tells us that we are only required to do two things:  Love God and love our neighbors.  All the rest is to instruct us how to do this and that is where it gets heavy.  

The Bible is our owners manual. Read and learn.

Rejoice In Hope

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

Joyce Meyers says if your going to get patience, your going to have to go through some stuff.  

This is true, but we also have hope and prayer to get us through, and for this I am grateful.

Never give up hope. 

 

Find Another Way Around

When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went to enter a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem.

When His disciples, James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 

But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

And, they went on to another village.

Luke 9:51-53 

Wow!

Look what Jesus said, "...the Son of Man did not come to destroy lives, but to save them."

May we take this lesson to heart and remember when people interfere with our plans that we need to hold our temper and find another way around. 

If it was good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for us. 

God Has Got Your Back.

Blessed be the Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusts in Him and I am helped;

Therefore my heart exults,

And with my song I shall thank Him.

Psalm 28:6-7

In good times, in bad times and at all times God watches over us. When we cannot see the end, God is already there waiting for us.

And, we are thankful.

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, God is running to us. 

When things are at their worst, God is at His best.

Snatch Them From The Fire

 

And have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

Jude 1:22-23

When I was young and on fire for the Lord, I ran into a friend who proceeded to tell me about his new found faith. The more I listened the more I realized that he was being manipulated by a cult. He had shreds of Bible truths, but the bulk of what he spoke was far outside the truth of Christianity.

I felt panicky about what I should say. I said the first thing that popped into my head; I said, “Hey, why don’t you come to the church I go to on Sunday?”

At first he balked, but then he agreed to come. The next Sunday, he and his family came to church and he and his wife accepted Jesus as their Lord, Master and Savior. Over the next few weeks they discovered that they were not judged by their past mistakes, but were accepted and loved as part of the church family.

This is the mercy we are to have; mercy that extends the love of God and the truth of the Gospel to everyone.

Be brave; snatch someone out of the fire.

Look For God And He Will Find You

 

Seek the Lord while He may be found;

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 55:6-7

God does not view humans as humans view humans. God desires that we come to Him, not because we are good, but because God is good. As long as we have a breath in our bodies we are candidates for God’s forgiveness.

Easy Does It

 

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

These characteristics are big goals. Our human nature causes us to respond to the grating of everyday aggravations with irritability and grouchiness.

Yet, here we are given what we are to aspire to – love, joy, peace and the rest, all of which roundly defeat our natural tendencies to be angry.

And, how do we do this? We do this through prayer, reading the Bible and most of all through the grace of God.

God did not create us to be miserable, angry people. God created us to be filled with love and joy. Let us work to be all we can be with God’s help.

God Is Kind

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:4-7

No Matter What, God Loves Us

 

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God.

We have come to know and believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in the world.

We love, because He first loved us.

1 John 4:15-17, 19

No matter what happens in life, God loves us. He does not love us because we are good. He loves us because He is good.

God’s love is unconditional and does not vary because of our success or failure. God sees each one of us as belonging to Him and loves us just as we are. When we realize this truth, it shakes us to the core and produces in us an amazing reaction.

We love, because He first loved us.

Jesus Calls You By Name

 

I am the good shepherd and I know my own and my own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep.

John 10:14-15

In the film The Apostle, the character Sonny is a down, but not out, preacher who is running from the law, but not from God.  When speaking of his relationship to Jesus, he said, "I call Him Jesus and He calls me Sonny.”

The words are true. Jesus knows our names. Jesus is intimately acquainted with us and He loves us. No matter how messy our lives are, Jesus watches over us like a shepherd watches over his sheep, and He will never leave us or forget us.

Jesus calls you by your name.

_______________

Robert Duvall, director, The Apostle, October Films, 1997, DVD.

Pray and Pray Again

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?”

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus was as close to God as anyone could be. He is in fact God in the form of man. When Jesus instructs us to pray and pray again and to have faith that God hears us and will answer us, He is speaking the truth. We as humans want instant results, but God has His timetable for all things and we need to understand that all things happen at the time which is best.

Keep praying and asking. God is listening.

 

Do More Than No Wrong, Do Right

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10

We can go one step further than doing no wrong to a neighbor; we can do right by them. At the 2014 Olympics a Russian cross country skier broke a ski during a race and a coach from the Canadian team gave the skier a new ski so he could finish the race. I would say that is about as right as things can get.

Love your neighbors.

 

How We Treat Ourselves

 

Do you not know you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

We are a temple of God and we need to be mindful of how we treat ourselves.  

Taking care of our bodies and minds, is taking care so that we can better serve God and be open to receiving His blessings.  We can take care of our bodies by doing what is health - eating health foods, exercising and in general avoiding things that are harmful.  We can take care of our minds by taking care regarding what we read, watch on TV and keeping our thoughts positive and centered on living a godly life.

God says His Spirit dwells in you, and all you have to do is keep the door open for Him.  

Before We Call

 

...Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear....

Isaiah 65:24

Sometimes, when things are not going well, we question if God is paying attention to us.  God promises that before we ask, His answer is on the way. 

So, do not think it is too late to ask for God's help.  Every day He is working to help you.

Remember, God never leaves us alone.  He is with us and for us. 

Not Fear, But Power, Love and Self-control

 

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Wow!  We all need this - self-control.  

I cannot count the times that my lack of self-control has caused me to behave badly when I don't know what to do in a difficult situation.  Yet, here it is - God will put the breaks on our fear response and help us operate from a place of power and love and self-control.

And, for this we are grateful. 

  

 

There Is 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 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.   

When We Cry For Help

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Psalm 34:17-20

What a good and tenderhearted God we serve.  He does not blame us for our troubles, but delivers us.  He tends our broken hearts and repairs our crushed spirits.

We know that even the righteous suffer pain and illness and hard to define bad times.  Yet, all the while God is there ministering and protecting and saving us over and over and over again from life's pitfalls.

God is with us, and for this we are grateful.  

 

Run Well

 

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

We do somethings for personal gain. We go to work get money to take care of our needs. We buy car insurance so if we have an accident we do not suffer a huge financial lost. Most of what we do is for our own benefit.

But the Apostle Paul points out that while we are doing these things we need to consider that we are children of God, and act like it. This means we operate with honesty, we treat people fairly and in some cases better than we think they deserve. We are generous and merciful. We treat others as we want to be treated.

And, we do not hesitate to share why we do this. We do this because Jesus is our Lord, Master and Savior, and we invite others to know Jesus, too.

Our purpose is not to gain great wealth, but to serve God.

Joy In Heaven

 

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7

God loves everyone and He seeks those who are lost.  It does not matter what sins a person has committed, God forgives all who repent and turn from sin and ask Jesus to be their Lord, Master and Savior.  Ask God to forgive you today, and experience His love and there will be joy in heaven for you.

God Cares For You

 

Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

For it is pleasant and praise is becoming.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

He gathers the outcasts of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

He counts the number of the stars;

He gives names to all of them.

Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;

His understanding is infinite.

Psalm 147:1-5

God cares for us. He not only cares about our physical health, He cares about our emotional health.  We should not loose sight of this.

No matter what, God is on our side and at our side to help and heals our broken bodies and our broken hearts.

God's promises are true, and so, are these.  He cares for you.

It Is Not About the Buffet

 

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

In the early church there was a lot of disagreement about what Christians should and should not eat.  There were converted Jews who still abstained from pork and there were Gentiles who ate everything.  

What the Apostle Paul told them was it did not matter what they ate or drank because they were redeemed by Jesus and and made right in the sight of God, and God would not judge them based on their diet.

We too can sometimes become encumber by man made rules that will cause us to question our salvation.  Let us be diligent in evaluating whether rules are from God or from man, and so act on them so that we can know the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. 

Good Medicine

 

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

Proverbs 17:22

How can we be healed of hurt and pain that come from disappointment?  

The answer is not to wallow in our disappointment, but to move on.  We may move slowly and we may have setbacks on our road to recovery, but God is with us every inch of of the way.  He does not want us to suffer, He wants to restore our joy. 

We can trust God because He has everything under control and know that everything will be alright.

May you experience the good medicine of a joyful heart.

 

God Rejoices Over You

 

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

God promises that He is with us and will save us.  God is glad to know us and His love will quiet our worries and anxious thoughts.  

When God says He will exalt us, He means He will glorify us - that is to offer praise for our faithfulness and our actions.

When everyone and everything indicates that maybe we are not right with God, remember these words - God rejoices over you with gladness.  

One God and Father Who Is Over All

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 4:1-4

The Apostle Paul had some difficult times in his ministry.  In this case, he was in prison, yet he still wrote words of encouragement to the Ephesians.

Paul reminds us that we are called to be kind and at peace with one another and others.  

And, this possible because we are called by the one God and Father who is over all.  

We are called, let us answer. 

 

 

Strong and Courageous

 

…the Lord spoke to Joshua…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Joshua was as a great warrior for God.  He was a man who we would think was not afraid of anyone or anything.  Yet, here he is being told by God "do not tremble or be dismayed."  How can that be?  

I think the message is that we are all afraid sometimes.  We can be spooked by things, like a mean co-worker at a new job or moving to a new town or an unexpected illness or any number of things that knock us off our game plan and shake our faith. 

God's message for us is that even if we are afraid, we should go do that to which we are called and not wallow in our fear.

Be strong and courageous, because God is with you.   

 

Be Kind

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned. Give and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down and shaken together and running over. For by your standard of measured it will be measured to you in return.

Luke 6:36-38

When we show kindness in the face of unkindness or ignore a wrong doing against us, we are setting the stage for God to pour out His blessings on us.

The kingdom of God is not built by harsh judgment and condemnation but by overlooking and forgiveness. We cannot minister those around us if we approach them with the same attitude which they display toward us. The big shock for unbelievers is when they received kindness.

Just as God is merciful to us, we are to be merciful. When we bless those who least deserve it, God blesses us.

 

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks

 

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18.

This is a tall order.  It is easy to be be thankful when things are going our way, but but when things are not going as we planned it is easy to whine and complain.  

That is not what we are to do.  We are to pray and give thanks in all things.  God wants us to know that no matter what He is on our side.    

Rejoice, pray and give thanks to God!

Free In Christ

 

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority….”

Colossians 2:8-10

Since the beginning of time there have been those who tried to deceive believers in God with false ideas. The first was the serpent in the Garden of Eden who deceived Eve and the last has yet to be born.

Those who spiel and wrap ideas in words which contradict the Word of God and what we know about God, are true enemies of salvation.

We know that God sent His Son, Jesus, and that the only way to God and salvation is through Him. We use this as our measuring stick to determine if what we hear is true.

Stay free in Christ.

Forgiven By God

 

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12

There are people who delight in digging up dirt regarding other people's lives, then broadcasting it to anyone who will listen.  They are not interesting in improving anything, only in destroying the lives of others.

Character assassins are not anyone's friend, because they are only interested in trying to make themselves look "good" at the expense of others.    

What does the Bible tell us?  It tells us that God has removed our transgressions and we are forgiven.  Therefore, should we not show this same mercy to others? 

So, the next time the gossip monger comes calling, cut them short.  Tell them you are forgiven by God and getting on with life.

Gifts From God

 

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Several years ago, I heard the testimony of woman who said at a young age she was a binge drinker and that at her lowest point she stopped at a church hoping to talk to the pastor. The pastor was not there, but the janitor was. She unloaded her burden on the janitor, who listened to her and assured her that God loved her and had a plan for her life. The janitor prayed with her.

The woman came to Christ and turned her life around. That woman is motivational speaker and author Becky Tirabassi (http://www.beckytirabassi.com/).

Was the janitor’s gift from God swinging a mop or was it compassion and evangelism?

We all have gifts from God; let us boldly use them to minister for Him.

Snowy Day Reminder

“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool.”

Isaiah 1:18

On this snowy day in Ohio, I am reminded that God loves us so much that He not only forgives our sins - He forgets them.   And, makes them white as snow.  

When we ask Jesus into our lives, God forgives us and sees us as perfect.  

And, we are grateful. 

 

 

Help Others

 

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.

They He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into this harvest.”

Matthew 9:35-38

 

Jesus saw many needy people and He ministered to everyone of them.  He understood that it was not only the physical bodies which had need of healing but also those who were suffering from distress.  

 

We need not be Doctors to minister to the needs of the sick or those who are distressed.  We can listen and show compassion and consideration and pray with those who are suffering.  We can offer a prayer or direct people to those who can help them, and this is the least we can do. 

 

Remember, Jesus calls us to help others.