In The Beginning

 

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

He was in the beginning with God.

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

In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

John 1:1-5

What is so powerful about this scripture is that even a child can read it and experience the power of God’s Word. 

We gain sense of the vastness of God’s plan for us.  He planned from the beginning for us to know Him.  God reveals Himself through His word, and His Son, Jesus, redeems us and reclaims us as God’s own children. 

 

In the beginning God already knew you, get to know Him. 

The Harvest Is Plentiful

 

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.

Then 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 needed 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 direct people to those who can help them.  All this is the least we can do. 

 

Remember, Jesus calls us to help others. 

 

Wait Patiently

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay.

And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many will see and fear

And will trust in the Lord.

 

Psalm 40:1-3

God gives us courage to wait out the bad times.  We survive not by yelling, swearing and taking our anger out on the world, but by patiently waiting to see what God is going to do.  

 

It is when we come through tough times, still standing in our faith that others witness the power of God. 

 

Remember His Wonders

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name;

Make known His deeds among the peoples.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;

Speak of all His wonders.

Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek is face continually.

Remember His wonders which He has done….

Psalm 105:1-5

We need to do some bragging about what God has done for us.  Not to rub the noses of others in our blessings, but to give witness that God is with us and that He is with them, too.

The blessing just keep coming and we need to take time to recognize the blessings.  Do you have a car that always starts?  That is a blessing.  And, how about when you drive to work and every light along the way is green?  Or, when we are able to help someone out, and we bless them and we are blessed? We are blessed in hundreds of ways every day.  

Seek the Lord and His strength and remember the wonders He has done for you. 

What Are Our Motives?

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

Philippians 2:3-4

The Apostle Paul points out a common human flaw - we want what we want and to get what we want we may not act in the best interests of others.  

Paul encourages us to examine our motives; that is, are we merely working to achieve our financial and personal goals, or are we interested in achieving our goals while looking out for others and their interests? 

I think this comes down to asking:  What would Jesus do?  And, then doing it. 

 

Do Good Anyway

 

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

But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him?”

“And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

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

Luke 13:14-17

When someone is doing something good for people there are always critics. People can make you question if what you are doing is right, even though you know what you are doing is right.  You may be serving meals to poor people or giving shoes and coats to children or helping people pay their electric bills or any of a hundred other things that people do everyday to help needy people.  Then BANG!  There they are: The critics trying to discourage you.  

 

Jesus experienced this same thing when He was healing people on Sunday. 

Why should we expect less when we are doing the work God has given us to do?

Mother Teresa said, “… Do good anyway.” 

And we will. 

Sow Bountifully

 

Now this I say; he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

I think this is about more than giving money.  It is about giving of ourselves; speaking up when others are silent, taking care of those who others may not think deserve to be taken care of, and doing the right thing when everyone else is standing around with their hands in their pockets and saying, "It's not my problem."

Like it or not, as Christians, it is our problem.  Our job is to speak up and defend the defenseless and the not so defenseless, because we are not called to be judges, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus and do His work.

 

And, we cheerfully do this because we are changed. God has taken away our hearts of stone and replaced them with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19-20).

Sow bountifully.

A Little Too Much Pride

 

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

We all have a certain amount of pride, which is alright.  If we had no pride we would not bathe or take care of ourselves.  But we sometimes have a little too much pride in ourselves to the detriment of those around us. 

We need to step back and look at how we treat those who we think are not as good as we are or as well off as we are.  When we level our view of others to that of being our equals, we open more opportunities to minister and present the Gospel to people.

Under Grace

 

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

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

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

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

Romans 6:14-19

When we ask Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior, we are no longer under the law and we will not be judged by God according to the law. We are subject to the grace of God.

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

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

Say Something Kind

 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24

The best thing we can do for people when they are going through difficult times is to offer kind words.  Kind words cost us nothing and comfort those who are suffering. 

When you do not know what to say, say something kind.   

Harvest Time

 

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. 

  

Ecclesiastes 11:4

Every time a farmer plants a seed, he is taking a risk. He is relying on rain and sun and weather so that he can harvest a crop and make a profit.  If farmers did not have faith, they would not be farmers.

Life is a risky business.  Choices we make don’t always turn out the way we think they will.  Sometimes things are much better and sometimes they don’t go so well.   

Fear should not paralyze us.  We know God is on our side and no matter what happens God is with us. 

And, sometimes when we think things have gone terribly wrong, it turns out that it was for the better in the long run. 

Have faith and take action. 

God Has Revealed Himself

 

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

Psalms 14:1

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 has 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

King David said it well, only a fool would say there is no God.

We are not left to wonder about God’s existence, we are presented with the evidence of His existence. 

Paul in his letter to the Romans explains that God has revealed Himself to all men.  God created the universe and all that is in it.  If man simply looks at a new baby, he can see that only the hand of a divine God could create something so wonderful.  

Only a fool having seen the universe could deny the creator of it all - the strong, powerful, true God.

 

God has revealed Himself.  Look and you will see Him. 

We Are Not Called To Be Grouchy

 

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 5:22-23, 25

When we examine ourselves, we can look at what it is we take out into the world with us.  How do we approach life?  If we are grouchy, we need to consider that we are not called to be grouchy. 

The fruits of the Spirit remind us that we are more than our circumstances - we are chosen and we have been gifted much from God and we can show it by allowing the fruits of the Spirit to fill us. 

Spread some joy and kindness. 

We Love Because God Loves Us

 

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 loves us.

Your Plans Will Be Established

 

Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

We all make plans, which we believe will improve our lives.  We plan for vacations, for getting married, for having a family, for buying a house and for a hundred more things.  Planning helps us focus our lives and gives us direction.  

Along with this planning, God gives us a formula for success: Put God’s work first and the rest will follow.

So, while we are planning, we need to consider how our plans fit into God's work and proceed accordingly, because God promises if we commit our works to Him, our plans will be established.   

We Are Blessed

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. 

Ephesians 1:3-4

Think about this:  God chose you before the foundation of the world.  He knew you before you were born and He knew that you would be blessed with every spiritual blessing.

God knew that you would respond to the call of Jesus to come and be redeemed.  

And, because of this, we are holy and blameless before God.  

We are thankful.

Hallelujah! 

Acquire 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 know nothing about and have no idea what we should do.  When this happens I think. "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. 

Justice For All

 

Justice is turned back,

And righteousness stands far away,

For truth has stumbled in the street,

And uprightness cannot enter.

Isaiah 59:14

Who cares about all the people who get locked up in prison?  Who cares if they are guilty or innocent?

In the United States the plea bargain is the tool of choice to make sure suspected criminals are locked up, without a trial and regardless of whether or not they are guilty.  Most defendants are charged with multiple crimes, whether there is evidence of their guilt or not, and then the prosecutor suggests that if the defendant pleads guilty to a few of the charges, the rest will go away. The prosecutors’ logic is that plea bargains save money because the government does not have to pay the cost of a trial.  I am not sure what a trial costs, but it costs about $30,000 a year to lock a person up in a state prison. 

As rampant as injustice is in the United States, it is worse in other parts of the world.

We pray that uprightness will enter into the justice system around the world, and those men and women who face prosecution and persecution will receive justice.

The Lord Surrounds His People

 

Those who trust the Lord

Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

So the Lord surrounds His people

From this time forth and forever.

Psalm 125:1-2

God does not call us to abandon us.  He is always with us and cares intimately for us.  His care goes beyond anything we might expect from mankind.

We trust the Lord and the Lord surrounds us and protects us.  We are His and He is on our side.

Redemption Is Ours

 

But what does it say?  “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.  

 

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

Romans 10:8-11

God’s plan for man’s salvation is a simple one.  We do not have to do penitence or give a million dollars or shave our heads. 

All we need to do is to confess Jesus is Lord and believe God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Redemption is ours for the asking and it is free.

We Are Good Enough

 

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

 

1 Timothy 1:15-16

Paul, the apostle, wrote this.  He was previously known as Saul and his occupation was persecuting Christians.  In fact he held the coats of the people who stoned Stephen (Acts 7:58).  Saul was an evil person.  Right up to his conversion, he terrorized Christians (Acts 9).  He was so evil that he had a tough time selling himself as Christian after accepting Jesus as his Savior.   

Paul preached that if God would save a man as evil as him, then God would save anyone who asked. 

When we ask Jesus into our heart and lives, we are forgiven.  And, that settles it for eternity.  We are all good enough.

 

And, all of this is because God loves us. 

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.

 

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 holds things together.

A Gift From God

 

I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

There is nothing wrong with treating yourself and your family to a little fun.  It does not have to cost a lot of money; it can be as simple as a picnic at a park and playing with your children or relaxing with friends. 

Take time to have fun.  It is a gift from God to enjoy the profits of your work.

Treasures In Heaven

 

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

 

We all like nice things - cars, clothes, jewelry, fancy cell phones, computers and all the wonderful things money can buy. That is why we own lots of stuff. 

 

But more important than the things money can buy is that we live our lives in a Christian manner - showing kindness and generosity and caring for others.   

 

And, that we treasurer that which cannot be replaced—our faith, our family and friends.

All The Promises Of God

 

But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel,

“Do no fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name; you are Mine!

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,

Nor will the flame burn you.”

“For I am the Lord Your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

 

Isaiah 43:1-3 

 

When Jesus came, He abolished the Old Testament Laws, and what remained were all the promises of God and these are ours to claim.

 

God says He calls us by name and we belong to Him and He is not going to allow trials and temptations to destroy us.  

 

God says He is the Lord Your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.  And, that promise covers everything.

 

Hallelujah!

When I Am Weak

 

For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

Because of the extraordinary greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!

Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:6-10

The Apostle Paul was an evangelist.  He was famous and hundreds of people would come to hear him speak and seek to have fellowship with him.  

But Paul faced a challenge that he called "a thorn in the flesh" which tormented him and which he believed was allowed by God to keep him humble. There are a number of theories regarding what this thorn was.  Some think that Paul had a difficult marriage, others think he had failing vision, or a painful disease which interfered with his ministry.  

What did Paul do about this thorn?  He said he prayed for relief.  It did not come, but God gave Paul the strength to continue his ministry through the power of Christ.  Paul discovered that when he was weak, God made him strong.  

We too may face personal difficulties which can impact our ability to serve God and share the Gospel, but like Paul we can persevere and minister to others.

When we are weak, then we are strong. 

  

The Truth Of Salvation

 

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 1:8-10

 

I heard someone dismiss their need for the church or God or Jesus by saying, "I know I am a good person and when I die, I will go wherever it is that good people go."  

 

Wow!   I thought, well I know I am not a good person and that without God's mercy, my end would not be good.  

 

I listened to what she had to say regarding all the laws in the Bible and that they did not make sense because nobody can follow them all.  So religion is pointless, and she was satisfied as she is.  

 

I tried to point out that we are no longer under the Old Testament laws.  We are under grace, that is the mercy of God brought to us through Jesus.  This all went right over her head, so I am left to pray for her, knowing that no matter how far anyone is from the truth of salvation through Jesus, that God never stops looking for them, and that sometime, somewhere, she will encounter the truth of God's grace.   

 

 

God's Promises Are Good Forever

The works of His hands are truth and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

They are upheld forever and ever;

They are performed in truth and uprightness.

He has sent redemption to His people;

He has ordained His covenant forever;

Holy and awesome is His name.

Psalm 111:7-9

What a wonderful description of God's care for us.  

And, we are thankful for His mercy and love.   

 

By Faith

 

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it men of old gained approval. …

By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

Hebrews 11:1-2, 31

When we are jumping to judge people, we need to consider that we do not judge as God judges. God sees the hearts of men and women.

Rahab was a prostitute living in Jericho. She knew God parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and she believed that He was the True God. When two Israelite spies ask Rahab to help them and promised her that she and her family would be safe when Jericho was overrun by the Israelites, she trusted them. 

The spies escaped from Jericho, and when the City was destroyed by the Israelites, only Rahab and her family were saved. Of all the people God could have saved, He saved Rahab, not because of her personal merits, but because she had faith in Him as the One True God. (Joshua 2)

That is the way it is with God, no one is saved because they are good, they are saved by faith in God and His Son, Jesus.

And, so it is with us, also. 

Not Intimidated, Blessed

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be trouble, but sanctify Christ the Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior will be put to shame.

1 Peter 3:14-16

Sometimes we suffer for our righteousness.  While we are busy doing the right thing, others are busy trying to vandalize our actions.  

Peter tells us not to fear intimidation, but to be ready to defend our actions and the hope that is in us.  We are not to jump up and down and swear and scream, but to respond with gentleness and reverence so that those who seek to destroy us are humiliated by their own bad behavior. 

Our good works speak louder than the actions of our critics. 

Peace Will Be With You

 

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

2 Corinthians 13:11

Paul’s encouragement still applies today.  We all want to live in peace.  How do we do it?

We can become more resilient by changing our attitude about how we respond to life’s little aggravations.  Getting into a frame of mind where we can say  “So what,” when little things go wrong, can change our whole outlook on life.  It might not be easy at first, but given a little time the habit of letting the small stuff slide, becomes easier.  And, we will find a more peaceful existence. 

So, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

 

Save Us, Jesus

 

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

 

Psalm 107:13

One night I was driving home with my teenage daughter.  I was clipping along at 50 mph.  Then on the road right in front of us, I saw a three foot high pile of dirt.  I screamed, “Save us, Jesus.” 

I swerved and missed the pile of dirt.  When I regained my composure, I said to my daughter, “Don’t scream in the car.”

She said, “Mom, you were the one who screamed.” 

That’s the way God is, even when we are not really paying attention to Him, He is paying attention to us.   When we cry out to Him, He saves us. 

 

When you are distressed, call out to God.  He is waiting to help you. 

Born Again

 

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8

It was not too many years ago that the media and even some mainline Christian church leaders tried to dismiss talk about being born again as being too simple  and indicated that an intellectualized faith was the right way to approach Christianity.

While intellectualized faith fosters much good doing, it can miss the heart of the Gospel, that being that Jesus calls on each of us to have a personal relationship with Him, which begins with making a personal commitment to Him. This personal commitment contains an element of recognizing that we can do better and confessing and repenting of our sin. This is a spiritual experience or, as Jesus said, it is like being born again.

Being born again is not just Evangelical lingo; it is the foundation upon which our salvation is built. It is the key to the kingdom of God.

Jesus calls us to come to Him, to repent, to be forgiven and to be born again.

Mercy, Peace And Love.

 

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

Jude 2-3 

If you know someone whose life is in turmoil, these are the perfect words of comfort. We cannot solve their problems, but we can offer the salve of mercy, peace and love. 

And, maybe we can buy them a coffee and sit with them.  It is when we give our time to be with those who are hurting, that they can see the love of God.  We come seeking nothing, but giving mercy, peace and love.  

Let us be open to opportunities to share God's love. 

Pray For Those Who Would Lead Us

 

First of all, the, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

I Timothy 2:1-3

It is political campaign season here in the United States and this year’s political advertisements are devoid of godliness and dignity.  Accusations, complaints, ugly photographs, and lies are rampant.  It makes me wonder if these people will be able to kiss and make up when it’s over so they can work together for the good of the nation.  

If anybody needs prayer these candidates do. Therefore, we might do well to follow Timothy’s directive. We serve a living God who hears our prayers, and making mention of our leaders and potential leaders before God is honorable.

Now, let’s pray for those irritating politicians and all the world's leaders.

The Omnipresence of God

 

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Psalm 139:7

Omnipresence is a fancy word for everywhere.

God is everywhere. To believers it is a great comfort knowing that God is with us no matter what we are going through. He rejoices with us when we are happy and He comforts us in our sorrows.

To non-believers God’s omnipresence is uncomfortable because it is the unseen hand of God which helps keep sin in check.

God is present with us all, believers and non-believers, because He loves and cares for us all.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

Be Kind To One Another

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

I think one of the keys to good human relations is the ability to overlook and forgive those things which rub us the wrong way. It is easy to get mad because we are snubbed or slighted or not invited. What is more difficult is to understand is that we have all done this to someone sometime, either intentionally or unintentionally, and if we allow these things to rule our emotions and relationships, we will be too busy being sorry sacks to do anything else.

Therefore, I propose, if we think we have been slighted or that we have slighted someone, we overlook the former and apologize for the latter, so that we can get on with working together for the Kingdom of God.

Go on now; say something kind.

 

Master Of The Controlled Crash

 

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

Psalm 37:23-24.

We serve a God who is intimately acquainted with us and infinitely more patient with us than we can comprehend. When we mess up and things are not going well, we do a good job of beating up on ourselves. On our own, we are a sorry lot.

The good news is that we are not on our own. God promises to hold onto us no matter what. He is the master of the controlled crash. Everyone walks away knowing things are going to be okay.

Remember, God is holding on to you. 

Prayer Can Accomplish Much

 

Is anyone among you suffering?  Then he must pray.  Is anyone cheerful?  He is to sing praises.

Is anyone among you sick?  Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.  The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 

James 5:13-16 

We are doing this wrong. If we are suffering, we whine or complain or say nothing. If we are sick, we go around looking tortured. The right thing to do is to pray. And, we should have no qualms about calling on our Christian friends to come pray for our recovery and they should have no qualms about praying for us.

We are not islands, we are continents of Christian compassion and we need to act like it. So, the next time one of your friends is whining about oppression, rotten kids or a stomach ache, say, “Let me pray with you.” Then do it.

Prayer should not be our last resort.  Prayer should be our first choice.

Prayer can accomplish much.

Amen

 

Rain, Floods and Wind

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”

“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell – and great was the fall.”

When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teachings; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Matthew 7:24-29

Jesus' teachings prepare us to live our best life.  We are equipped to love one another and treat one another with respect.  We are taught how to manage our business affairs.  And, most of all we are taught to care for and minister to each other.  We can rely on our brothers and sisters in the Lord to help us and to offer good advice when we face difficult times.  We are also given wisdom so we can  evaluate life's sticky situations.  

And, we have the power of prayer backing us up.  We pray and God hears us.  

When the rain, the floods and the winds of life come, we are prepared thanks be to God. 

 

Time, Time. Where Does It Go?

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Nobody has enough time. We run from one thing to another. We rush our kids. We rush our spouse. We rush our parents. We rush through dinner, if we have time for dinner. Everything thing is hurry, hurry, hurry. Why is this?

I think the key to this scripture is the word “walk.” Careful walking means that we consider what is important and make time for those things, and avoid being over scheduled with activities which pay us back with excessive stress and fatigue, and leave us cranky for the ones we love the best.

Slow things down, think about what serves you and your family best.  And, make some time to rest and sit around with your family and just be together.

What Is Good

 

“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 

"For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” 

Luke 6:43-45

Jesus said some things which can be hard for people to take, especially when what He said points out a fault they possess.

We also can read this as advice to us regarding how we are to evaluate those who we come into contact with.  Jesus is telling us that regardless how people may act, the true measure of whether or not they are good or evil is the words that come out of their mouths and their actions.

Jesus wants us to be aware that bad people do and say bad things and good people do and say good things.

Therefore, we should strive to do what is good.

Look For Opportunities To Show God's Love

 

But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?

1 John 3:17

In his writings John is affectionate toward us but he is also a tough task master.  He lets us know that if we say we are Christians, we need to behave in a Christ like manner and do what Jesus commanded us to do – love one another.  

One day in the 1960's, when I was a child, my mother sent me to the grocery store to buy a loaf of bread.  I saw Mike who was 7 years old and wearing a dirty undershirt, torn pants and no shoes; he was one of the poor kids.  His father died and he lived in a shack with his mother and siblings.  Mike was paying for a loaf of bread with deposit money from pop bottles he salvaged from an overgrown lot next to the store.  Mike was short six cents and the cashier sent him back outside to find three more bottles.  Bread was twenty cents a loaf then.  

 

Don’t you think someone standing in line could have paid the six cents?   Nobody did. 

It could be argued that it did not hurt Mike to dig through the weeds for pop bottles, but if someone would have said, “Let me get that for you,” and paid that six cents, Mike might have seen God’s love.

Look for opportunities to show God's love.

Sin Is A Sticky Trap

 

For we know that the Law is spiritual but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing that which I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is in my flesh, for the willing is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

For I joyfully concur with the law of God, in the inner man, but

I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other with my flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:14-25

The Apostle Paul said it well, “I do not understand; for I am not practicing that which I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.”

Sin is a sticky trap which even the most devout and serious Christian cannot escape. Every day we face hundreds of temptations to do evil and every day we succumb to some of them. We cannot say we do not sin because if we even think evil things about others we have sinned.

So, what is the solution? The answer is in Jesus Christ who once and for all cleansed us from our sin. We sin, but we still serve God.

The ruler by which we measure our sin is far shorter than that of God. We say we are bad, God says we are forgiven.

So, let us strive to clean up our lives and to sin less, but let us remember that sin is sticky and it is only the swipe of forgiveness of God that can cleanse us.

When we ask, God forgives us. 

What Does The Lord Require?

 

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

 

Micah 6:8

This verse models Jesus’ ministry on earth.  When Jesus spoke or acted, He did so to show justice or kindness.  He was above all else, a humble man whose ambition was to please God, His Father. 

If we want to be Christ like, then we need to consider how we can live our lives to reflect justice, kindness and humility.

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.