The Known God

 

So Paul stood in the midst of the Council of Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects.  For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.  Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.”

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath, and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are His children.’”

“Being the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.”

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has raised from the dead.”

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”

So Paul went out of their midst.

But some men joined him and believed….

Acts17:22-34

 

I think this is one of the Apostle Paul's greatest sermons.  His description of God is powerful and persuasive and rings true today.

People are still seeking the Unknown God.  He is the God we know who loves them, and requires no silver or gold but only their worship.  

God is right there with those who seek Him, waiting to be invited into their lives.  All we have to do is what The Apostle Paul did, tell them that God “…is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist….”  And, we are His children.

 

We know the Known God and we can introduce Him to those who are seeking.  Be bold like Paul, when you see an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, do it.   

Meal Time Is Happy Time

Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting with strife.

Proverbs 17:1 

Meal time is happy time.  It is not the time to discipline children or argue with our spouses or our guests. 

Meal time should be a time of sharing about the day's happenings.  A time for congratulations and for fostering a feeling of safety in the family.  If meal time at your house is rowdy, perhaps you can set a few rules and share them with your family before meal time so they have time to think about them.

God is all about loving one another and we can bring love to the dinner table.

Love One Another

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.    

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

 

By this the love of God was manifested in us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  

 

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

 

1 John 4:7-11

In the comic strip Peanuts Linus once said, “I love humanity.  It is people I can’t stand.” 

 

Human nature is a lot like that.  It is difficult for us to love people who are not lovable, but those are the people who need love the most. 

Once we have experienced God’s love, His love begins to work in us.  We see people not as they are on the outside, but as people who God loves and we begin to love them.  

 

We offer kindness and understanding and love to others, because when we are filled with God's love it is bound to spill out. 

 

So, remember God loved us, so we ought to love one another. 

  

While We Were Helpless

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for a good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8

God does not limit His love to only good people or people with small sins.  God's love is for everyone. He dares to do what no one else ever has done.  He loves us when we are sinners, when we are not good.  

Jesus came for all men, women and children.  And, He is waiting for you.

This is possible, not because we are good, but because God is good.  

Invite Jesus into your life today, be forgiven and feel God's love. 

God Is On Your Side

 

The Lord sustains all who fall

And raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to You.

And You give them their food in due time.

You open Your hand

And satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways

And kind in all His deeds.

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

He will fulfill the desires of those who fear Him;

He will also hear their cry and will save them.

Psalm 145:14-19

God completely cares for us.  When we are down He lifts us up.  He meets our needs.  And, He is kind to us.

When we call on God, He hears and answers.

We are never left alone, because God is always with us.  

Trust God, He is on your side. 

Speak Up

 

Open your mouth for the mute,

For the rights of the unfortunate.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Did you ever see something happen that you thought was unfair and did not say anything?  I have.  Afterwards I got a double whammy of discomfort caused by witnessing an injustice and doing nothing to stop it. 

Why don’t we speak up?  Are afraid of being told to “mind your own business” or being ridiculed?  If we think about what Jesus would do, there is no doubt that He would intervene.   

Speak up.  It is the right thing to do.

Comfort Those Who Are Suffering

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

God’s comfort brings us peace in the worst of times. Because we have this great gift from God, we are able to comfort those who are suffering.

Comfort, like all the gifts we receive from God, is ours to give away.

A Place of Forgiveness and Grace

 

And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 

Romans 11:23

How far from the grace of God can someone fall? 

Atheists say there is no God and agnostics are unsure if there is a God.  Yet, for atheists and agnostics even in their state of unbelief and uncertainty, God is waiting to restore them to the place He has for them – a place of forgiveness and grace. God never stops loving anyone.

We are His and He is waiting.

Be Kind To Seekers

 

So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 

 

Luke 11:9-10

 

Seekers are everywhere. 

Jesus knows that people take all sorts of routes to find Him.  Some come to God after exploring other religions and some have a lifetime of struggling with different ideas and beliefs before they reach out to Jesus.  Some come because they want more out of life, but they are not sure what that more is. 

Our call is not to trample these people because of their ideas, but to lead them with kindness to knock on the door where Jesus waits.

 

Be kind to seekers.

Now Is The Time

 

And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.”  

 

Behold now is “the acceptable time,” behold now is “the day of salvation." 

 

2 Corinthians 6:1-2

We are spiritual beings.  God made us this way.  To be all that we can be we need a relationship with God.  God made it easy for us.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to cleanse us of our sin and make us into new people in Him.  All we need to do is acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior, and we are redeemed and we rest in God’s favor.

Now is the time.

The Apostles Did It, We Can, Too

 

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ, we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

1 Corinthians 4:9-13

So, you think you are having a bad day? The Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse of what every day was like for the apostles. Yes, they had their church friends, but they also had a world full of enemies who killed all of them except John the Beloved.

What does this teach us? It teaches us that it is not always easy to be a Christian and to act in a Christ like manner. It teaches us that even when we do what is right, there will be people who will criticize and torment us for doing the right thing.

And, should we do something wrong, there will be people who know nothing of the forgiveness of God, who will yell at us and gossip about our shortcomings.

All this stuff happens, but we know our faith rests in God and that we are called by God to do His work. Therefore, we keep on working for God and sharing the Gospel.

If Paul and the apostles did it, we can, too.

Sing For Joy

 

But let all who take refuge in You be glad,

Let them ever sing for joy;

And may you shelter them,

That those who love your name may exult in You.

For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,

You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:11-12

Every now and then, we get something going that is not good.  Maybe our spouse or our kids are mad at us.  Maybe we are falsely accused.  Or, it might be, through no fault of our own, we end up alone.  All these things can cause us to feel hopeless. 

But we are not hopeless because God promises us that we can take refuge in Him and He will restore our joy and He will bless us.  And, He will surround us with favor like a shield.  

We sing for joy because God is on our side.

Filled Up

 

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

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

Ephesians 3:14-21 

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

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

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

More Than Words

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. 

 "You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.  

The good person brings out of his good treasure good things; and the evil person brings out of his evil treasure evil things.  

But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. 

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Matthew 12:33-37

My Uncle Al was not a religious man and he rarely went to church, but he did read his Bible and when he talked about the Bible he said, "It's heavy," meaning it had deep meaning which made him think.

That describes this passage in which Jesus was addressing the Pharisees, and which we too can take to heart.

Jesus warns us to not be careless with our words and to think before we speak because when we stand before God we will either be justified or condemned by our words.

Remember, when we are talking, it's more than words, it is a revelation of our hearts, and we want our words to reveal the good in our hearts. 

Keep Going For God

 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

James 1:2-4

Nobody likes trials and tribulations.  They can be heart wrenching and heart breaking and at the very least frustrating, but they also make us stronger because we gain confidence by overcoming the problems we face.  Overcoming may mean victory, or it may mean that we go on serving God, even if things do not workout according to our plans and wishes. 

I won’t say shake it off, but I will say keep going for God.  Things will get better and you will get stronger. 

No Fish, No Problem

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 

And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the land. And He sat down and continued teaching the crowds from the boat. 

Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”   

Simon responded and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to tear;  so they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, to the point that they were sinking.

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”  For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. 

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Luke 5:1-11 

If you know anything about fishermen, you know they like to brag about the fish they catch, so this for Simon was a humbling moment when he confessed they had caught no fish. Yet, here he was, face to face with Jesus and he did as he was told and caught so many fish, that he had to call for help to bring them in.  

I look at this and think how sometimes when we are ready to quit some failing venture, that something happens that brings us enough success that we decide to carry on. That is the way it is with God, when are down to nothing, God is up to something.   

And, for Simon, James and John that is exactly what happened - Jesus called them to be His Disciples and they left everything and followed Him.

So, when you think you are not successful, remember that God's plans are bigger than our plans, and, He will open doors for you to find success. 

Today Is For You

 

Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Mark 2:27

It's Sunday and it's your day.  Relax and do something you want to do.

Jesus said it and we believe it.

Have a good day. 

 

No Sin Is Too Big For God To Forgive

 

“Come now, and let us reason together,”

Says the Lord,

“Though your sins are as scarlet,

They will be as white as snow;

Though they are red like crimson,

They will be like wool.”

Isaiah1:18

Do you think your sin is too big for God to forgive? 

Think again. God says He will forgive you.  Jesus came to forgive all sins, not just the small ones. When we confess our sins, repent and ask Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior, we are new in the eyes of God. As far as God is concerned, there is nothing that prohibits us from ministering in His name.

However, we still may face the problem of people and what they think. The barriers caused by our previous sins might not so easily be reconciled with humans.  What then can we do?

We can find places to minister where others are not ministering. We can serve the homeless, we can work with refugees, or we can provide lawn care to those who need help.  We can create an awareness of the needs in our community.  When we seek God's direction, He will provide us with more opportunities to minister than we can do alone, and God will send people to help us. 

Be brave. 

When God calls answer Him. 

Need A Break?

Then he came to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

1 Kings 19:9-10.

Elijah called the fire down from heaven. I would call that a roaring success, but Elijah was discouraged and hid in a cave.  He was exhausted.  

We all have times when we feel like we have been beaten up when all we were trying to do was the right thing.  We need to take a break and take time to pray and study the scriptures and to rest.  

That’s OK, but don’t lose heart.  God will come looking for you, and when He does say, “Here Am I.” 

Read I Kings 18 and 19 to get the whole story of Elijah calling the fire down from heaven. 

The Right Time

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:17

Sometimes it takes a life time of bad choices to figure this out, but I say, "Why wait?" 

Think before you act. 

As Martin Luther King said, "The time is always right do do what is right." 

 

Everything Will Be Alright

 

Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity?  Curse God and die!”

But Job said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks.  Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?”  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job 2:9-10

Did you ever notice when bad things happen to Christians there are always people who say they must have done something wrong?

I should know because I have felt at times like I was melting in the midst of purgatory with accusations from those who I thought would support me in the worst five minutes of my life.  I was driven to the point of questioning my faith. 

Then I discovered my accusers were wrong.  If your spouse cheated on you or your child got arrested or your house burnt down or if you were laid off from your job, it was not because you sinned.  It is because God has some bigger plan He is working on and you just happen to be right in the middle of it. 

It may be rough going, but we need to praise God for our circumstances and with great anticipation wait to see what He has planned next. 

Raise your hands up and say, “Thank you God for everything.  I trust you.  Hallelujah!  Amen.”

Take A Walk

Therefore I, a 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, and 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 in your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 

Ephesians 4:1-6

Paul wrote to the Ehesians to encourage them to maintain their Christian faith in his absence.

Paul points out that we, as Christians, have a higher calling than our own personal agendas, that being serving God by acting with humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, and striving for unity in the Church.

All of this is possible because the one God and Father is over all and through all and in all.  All includes us!

So, take a walk and find the bond of peace. 

 

 

 

We Are More Alike Than Different

 

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Romans 15:5-8

The Apostle Paul wanted Christians to present a united front against those who opposed the church.  There is still some discord between various Christian denominations because they do not agree on the same interpretation of all the scriptures.  While we may not all understand the scriptures in the same way, we all share the common confession of Jesus Christ, Lord, Master and Savior.

We are different denominations, but we all serve the same God, and we should act like it because we are more alike than different.  Our Christian unity enables us to better present the Gospel to the World.  

 

So, with one voice glorify God.  

 

Amen. 

Not Karma - Mercy

 

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, shaken together, and running over.  For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.

Luke 6:36-38

One of principles of Christianity is that we received mercy from God and, therefore, we are to be merciful to mankind.

 

Did you ever notice that mean people sometimes stay mean?   We are nice to them and they return our kindness with meanness. 

 

This may make us think that the Bible got it wrong about getting back what we give. But then someone who we hardly know will do something kind for us, and there it is: Pressed down, shaken together, and running over - the mercy we gave coming back to us.

 

It’s not karma.  It’s mercy.

Equipped For Battle

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 

Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 

and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:13-17

The full armor of God includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the Word of God.  

When we choose to live our lives with these gifts from God, we are equipped to withstand the forces of evil which attack us and our testimony.  And, sometimes, just being known for these characteristics is enough to warn off those who would want to mess with us.

Get equipped for battle - pray and study God's Word. 

 

Enrolled In Heaven

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.  For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain it will be stoned.”

And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.”

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to the general assemble and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Able.

See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking….

Hebrews 12:18-25

Before Jesus came, only the High Priest could enter the inner area in the Temple known as the Holy of Holies where the Spirit of God resided.  It was so sacred that the Priest's robe had bells and pomegranates sewn along the bottom, so that those on the outside could hear the tinkling bells and know that the Priest was alive.  And, just in case something went wrong, there was a rope tied around the Priest's foot so they could pull him out.  No one ever entered the Holy of Holies for fear for being struck dead by God.  

Then God sent Jesus to us so that we could enter into fellowship with Him.  

Jesus came and died for our sins and arose from the grave and ascended into heaven.  Jesus was the ultimate and final sacrifice, once and for all so that everyone could come to God without fear.   

This scripture paints a picture of how God views us and welcomes us into fellowship with Him.  We are part of the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven.  

And, this is why we should not refuse Jesus when He calls us.   

 

Those Lost Sheep

 

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

And so He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance." 

Luke 15:1-7

The lesson here is that we should never underestimate the power of God.

When we look at people we only see the exterior; we do not see the heart.  We may think some people are so far from God that there is no hope for them and what's more we may think, "Well, they are not the people we want in our church."

But Jesus does not see what we see.  He sees people who are hungry for the love of God and who are ready for a life change.  And, then He pours His love on them and welcomes them into the family of God.  

We are a part of this when we extend the hand of Christian fellowship to others.  Some may show up at our church, others may be at the supermarket or park or where we work.  Everyone is the same with God, He loves and cares for everyone. 

So, look for lost sheep and tell them about the love of God. 

Be At Peace

 

When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Proverbs 16:7

Wow!  This sounds impossible, but here it is.  We are called to make peace with our enemies.  

I am thinking we do this by ignoring much of what our enemies try to do to us.  And, we can try peace offerings like treats or offering to help them out with some project they are working on.  

We may not be friends, but we can work on a peaceful co-existence. 

God Is Not Partial

 

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

There you go.  How is it that Christians are labelled as intolerant, when the Bible clearly states that everyone is welcomed by God?  God is not partial; He does not favor anyone group of people over another.  He loves all humanity. 

I think where the conflict comes is that some people read the Bible and do not like what it says and decide that God is against them.  The truth is God is for all of us, what He is against is life destroying sin and evil.  Christians who embrace the teachings of the Bible should not be labelled as intolerant any more than Hindus or Buddhist who embrace those teachings. 

So, it is a case of “don’t blame the messenger.”  We come carrying the love of God for all humanity and our beliefs that are based upon the Bible.  If people do not like what the Bible says then they do not have to join us.

But, because we embrace and believe the teachings of the Bible, we will continue to share the message of one way to God, through His Son, Jesus, and we will continue to love and pray for all people.

Minister Yes Mingle No

 

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?  Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?  Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

        “I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

        “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.  “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.  And I will be a father to you.  And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The people of God face the question of what relationships they should have with unbelievers.  When the Apostle Paul spoke to the Corinthians about this he quoted the message to “be separate” which God gave to the Old Testament Prophets Isaiah and Hosea.

This is good advice for Christians.  There are those who want to stop us from speaking about Jesus, those who want to lure us into sin, those who would like us to fall from grace and even some who would like to kill us. 

We know that the best defense is a good offense.  A good offense is to keep our distance.  We can be friendly, but not necessarily friends.

 

We can share the Gospel with unbelievers and invite them to church and see what happens.  And, perhaps they will become believers because God’s arms are wide open and waiting to receive them.

Inspired By God

 

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness so that the man (and woman) of God may be adequately equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16

One thing I suggested my children do to help them make better decisions was to ask themselves, “Do I want people to see this on the news?”

Once when my daughter made an error in judgement I asked her if she asked herself the question. She replied, “Yes, but I didn’t answer it.”

That is the way we can sometimes be with God’s word. We might not particularly like what it says, but that does not detract from the fact that it is the truth and it is in our best interest to do that which God has commanded us to do.

God’s Word, the Bible, provides us with advice to equip us for good works and a good life.

Nothing Is Too Difficult For God

"Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"

Jeremiah 32:27

When we face big challenges, we can count on God to help us. 

No matter where we go or what we do, God is with us.  

So, be brave.  Do what you need to do and know that the Lord, God of all flesh, is working for you.

God said it, believe it: Nothing is too difficult for God.  

Nobody Is Perfect

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 wanted us to know that we cannot win people to the Gospel by pointing out 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.

 

 

Show Hospitality

 

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

Hebrews 13:1-3

Hospitality and compassion never go out of style.  Jesus showed hospitality when He miraculously feed the five thousand, and He showed compassion when He forgave the thief who hung by His side at His crucifixion.

 

Christianity is a fellowship which is open to all and we as Christians are charged to make the first move when we meet people.  Showing hospitality costs us nothing and opens doors for us to share the Gospel.  

 

So, be brave.  Say "Hello." 

On Some We Have Mercy With Fear

 

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

Did you ever make a new friend, and then discover that they have some big sin issues?  So, what do you do?

Well, I don’t just jilt them, but I have some rules.  First, I don’t go over to their house and they don’t come to my house.  I meet them in a public place.  Second, I make clear to them that I am a Christian and that I believe Jesus Christ changes lives, and that He can change their life, too.  Sometimes this ends the relationship because they think their life is fine, which is OK, because I am just the messenger and I know that God will send another and another and another with His message so they will have ample opportunities to get it.

As Jude said sometimes it is as though we “snatch them out of the fire,” and on some we “have mercy with fear.” 

Lean On One Another

 

Take care brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:12-13

We are surrounded by sin. It tries to invade our lives with all manner of evil. We see wars and crime and hate and discouragement. Sometimes Christians are beaten up by the onslaught of evil and give up.

Paul tells us to stick together and encourage one another in the faith. When we speak words of kindness and encouragement to one another it is a two way street, as we give encouragement we are encouraged.

We are called to care for each other, let us do so without reserve. Lean on one another, encourage one another, believe the living God.

Delight Yourself In Abundance

 

Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

And You who have no money come, buy and eat.

Come buy wine and milk

Without money without cost.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance.

Incline your ear and come to Me.

Listen, that you may live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you….

Isaiah 55:1-3

All we accumulate on earth is temporary.  The new car we love will rust and fall apart.  The fancy restaurant dinner we enjoy, will be gone in an hour.  Our designer clothes will go out of style. We buy more and more and still are we are not satisfied because none of it lasts. 

So, what else is there?   There is the God's everlasting covenant with us - the promise of salvation through Jesus.  

Even if you feel far from God, He loves you and He has a plan for you.  God sent His Son, Jesus to give His life as a sacrifice once and for all for our salvation.  It is the free gift of God and it is yours for the asking.  All you have to do is pray and ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to be your Lord, Master and Savior.  That's it. 

Get to know God and delight in yourself in abundance. 

 

  

Get Moving

 

Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.

And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go, behold I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no money belt, no bag, no shoes, and greet no one on the way.”

Luke 10:2-3

When Jesus appointed the seventy, He chose ordinary people.

It was not about their education or the clothes they wore or the money they had, it was about the people believing He was the Son of God and the Savior of the World.  He even warned them they might encounter trouble, and still they went out from city to city, preparing the way for Jesus.  

The message for us today is that we may not be the best educated or wealthy or clever, but we too have a mission and that is the carry the message to people that God loves them and sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem them and forgive their sins, and that, with God's help, they can turn their lives around. 

The harvest is plentiful, get moving.  

Break Those Sterotypes

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  Let your speech always be with grace, and as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Colossians 4:5-6

First impressions are lasting.  The Apostle Paul knew this that is why he advises us to think about how we treat those who we meet. 

We do not have to fake being kind because we are kind or at least we should be kind to everyone.  We do not have to agree with their life style or their behavior.  But we are acting as Christ’s ambassadors and therefore, if we practice engaging our brains before our mouths, we will do much to further the Gospel.

The next thing we know we will be hearing things like, “Wow, I thought Christians were kind of stuck on themselves and their little groups, but you, you are different.” 

It is your job to break those stereotypes.  Do it well and do it with kindness.

 

Slow Down

 

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

James 1:19-20

For some of us, like me, we are quick to fire off our mouth when we hear something or see something we think is not right.  We get angry quickly and, sometimes this gets us in trouble.    

Knowing we are inclined to do this requires some extra effort on our part to remain silent and think before we speak. Mom's advice to count to ten before we speak is good advice.  For me, I count to 100, just to be safe.  This not to say we should not correct a wrong, but that we should choose our words wisely and stay on point.  

It is about recognizing that the righteous indignation of man does not produce the righteousness of God.  

When Christ Rules Our Hearts

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond in unity.

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

Colossians 3:12-15

 

Wow!  We can chose to abandoned our grouchy nature and put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  

When we let Christ rule in our hearts, things happen that turn us around and reshape our attitudes and make us nicer people.    

Doubting? Doubt No More

 

But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.   So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.”  Then He said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.”

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

John 20:24-29

We can understanding why some people have a difficult time believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world when we consider that Thomas, who was one of His disciples did not believe that the other Disciples had seen the resurrected Jesus.  

Thomas' doubts mirror what many people feel when the truth of the Gospel is presented.  They cannot see a purpose to it or a reason that they would want to ask Jesus to be their Lord, Master and Savior.  Their doubt is real. 

When I was a young adult, I had a friend who thought because I was "religious" I should become a nun.  I had shared the Gospel with her, but she did not get it and thought I was religious nut.  We lost contact and then years later, she called me and said that she had became a Christian and she knew what I meant about love of God.  

That being said, we should not put too much stock in those who reject our message because others will come along with the Gospel message and they may be receptive to it because those words we spoke to them have settled in their hearts.