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. 

God Is Near To Us

 

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

It is never the wrong time to come to God. As long as we have life in our bodies, we can come. It does not matter what our sins are or if we are rich or poor or if we are bad or think we are good, God is waiting for us to return to Him.

God is the court of final appeal and He will pardon us.

Come to God and be forgiven. Begin a new life.

All May Go Well With You

 

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

3 John 1:12

John, the Beloved, the youngest Disciple, brings us words of comfort.  And, we can bring words of comfort to those who are doing well and those who may be suffering.  

God loves us and is on our side and wants the best for us.  

We Are Forgiven

 

But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

1 Peter 4:16

People love to gossip and create a sense of wrong where there is no wrong. Past sins, which are forgiven and forgotten by God, make great conversation. It happens in the world and in the church. Those who specialize in delivering guilt and shame use it as a wicked weapon to try to destroy the confidence we have in Christ.

We are not ashamed, we are forgiven. We belong to God and He loves us. Nothing man can say or do can change that.

Take The Gospel

 

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.  And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.  When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms.

But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!”

And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.  But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk.”

And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.  With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit by the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 3:1-10

With death of Jesus the Sadducees thought they were rid of Jesus and all the nonsense about God dealing with people as individuals, then came Peter and John who healed a lame man and commenced preaching the Gospel to the crowd at the temple. 

Did the Sadducees see that they were wrong about Jesus and the power of God?  No, they were angry and arrested Peter and John and put them in jail.

Even the Apostles had critics and faced opposition for doing the work of God and preaching the Gospel.  So, why do we think that when we are ministering in the name of Jesus we should escape criticism by those who have no idea what it is to act on the basis of showing God’s love to the world?

Keep giving clothes to the poor, and feeding the poor, and buying school supplies for children.  Donate books to children who have none and  find jobs for the jobless.  Build houses for the homeless.  Preach the Gospel to those who do not know God and those who think they know God but show no evidence of it.  Do all it in the name of Jesus.  

Be fearless.  Take the Gospel to the people next door and to people around the world. 

We Care

 

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

What do we do when we encounter someone who is suffering? Do we run away or do we stand beside them and pray?

We care. We pray and we share words of encouragement. Even if they reject our words and make light of our prayers, we know that God hears and will answer. Sometimes it is God’s answer which turns a hurting lost soul to Him.

If you are suffering, I pray God will shower you with His mercy.

We Are Welcome

 

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

We are fortunate to worship God who is not counting our errors or requiring us to do penitence for our sins or dismissing us because of what we look like or where we come from or how we talk. God embraces us all as His sons and daughters; we say “We believe” and He says, “Welcome.”

Be Kind To Those Who Need It Most

 

Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Hebrews 13:1-2

Let us be kind to those who most need it: the sad, the grieving, the social outcast, the stinky kid and the grouchy neighbor. It is in showing hospitality that we show God’s love to the world.

And, perhaps entertain angels.

When We Do Not Know What To Pray

 

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:26-27

Sometimes, when it seems that things are going especially bad for us or for those who we are close to, we don’t know what to pray. We may sit silently before God, or we may cry in our frustration. God assures us; even in these times He hears and answers our hearts’ prayers. His will will not go undone.

Doing A Good Deed Is Never A Waste

 

While He was in Bethany at the home of Simon, the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard, and she broke the vial and poured it over His head. But some were indignantly remarking to one another, “Why has this perfume been wasted? For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they were scolding her.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me. She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.”

Mark 14:3-8

Jesus appreciated the actions of the woman who anointed Him with the perfume. It is hard for us to imagine that the Son of God was in need of comfort. Yet, Jesus quieted critics and proclaimed that the woman had done a “good deed for Him.”

We need to keep this in mind when we hear people criticizing programs which help needy people. It is not their place to judge needy people or to judge the people who offer help. Giving is the business of the giver and the receiver and nobody else.

Those who fail to understand this need to think about being more merciful.

Doing a good deed is never a waste.

Do Your Best

 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

 

The Only Confession You Need

 

…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.

Romans 10:9-10

Our confession is Jesus as Lord. We are righteous not of our own doing, but because Jesus took our sin and died once and for all. No prayerful repetition of our unworthiness can atone any further for our sins. All that is required of us is the true confession – Jesus is our Lord, Master and Savior.

Singing With Thankfulness

 

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

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:15-17

There is nothing that compares happy children. They chatter and laugh and dance around with total joy. They live in the moment.

Perhaps we should spend more time living in the moment. We can allow our existence to be blackened by worry or circumstances, to the point that we fail to rejoice in the good things that happen. We may not have great victories to celebrate, but we do have things in which we can take joy.

That is why the Apostle Paul reminds us to worship with joy and thankfulness. We are uplifted when we sing praises to God for His goodness and love. So, stand up, clap your hands and sing and bask in the joy of the love of God.

We Cannot Lose

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Colossians 2:6-7.

When we claim Jesus as our Savior, Jesus claims us as His own. He delivers us, nurtures us and fills us with the Holy Spirit. We are prepared for life, like a race car is for the Indy 500. The difference is that we cannot lose. 

For this, we are grateful and it spills out into our lives.

 

No Payment Required

 

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.

Do not hesitate to ask God for His greatest gift - salvation through Jesus. 

When God Calls

 

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

From the beginning, God chose some of the most unlikely people to do His work. There was Moses the reluctant leader. There was Jacob who was a mama’s boy. There was the Apostle Peter who shot his mouth off at all the wrong times. There were the Apostles James and John who wanted to call the fire of heaven down on the Samaritans (Luke 9:54).

God took ordinary people, and used them to proclaim His message to the world. And, He still uses unlikely people today to do His work.

If you think that not being smart, or lacking a good education or having a messy life, excludes you from being of service to God, think again. You are just the one He is looking for.

When God calls, answer Him.

You Are Loved

 

Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

God loves us. We are the apple of His eye. All through the scriptures God again and again speaks of His love for us. So valuable are we that He has numbered the hairs on our heads.

How much does God love us? God loves every inch of us.

All That Chatter

 

For we all stumble in many ways, if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

James 3:2-5

What is so terrible about the mouth is that once the words jump out, we can’t get them back. I was shopping with my children one day when a woman who had been on Public Television for pledge week walked by. The woman had hair that looked like a bird’s nest, built by a bird on steroids. My son in a loud voice said, “Look Mom the lady who is on TV, the one with the MMMMMMM.” I put my hand over his mouth before he could get “messy hair” out.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if God could put His hand over our mouths before we say things which are mean or hurtful or stupid?

We need to be aware of this giant human flaw of running our mouths without engaging our brains. It takes effort on our part to monitor our words. But we have an additional resource, we can pray for God’s help, like David did when he prayed:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

With God's Help We Shall Overcome

 

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men into prisons.

Acts 22:4

This is what the Apostle Paul said about himself. He was the enemy of the church, God and mankind but when He met Jesus on the road, this changed. God revealed Himself to him and His purpose for his life. Paul was a changed man.

Yet, did this radical transformation change people’s perception of Paul? No, initially people were still afraid of him and did not trust him. It was through hard work and consistently living to serve Jesus that Paul was able to win the confidence of Christians and become one of the greatest evangelists on earth. Paul gained a status equal to that of the Twelve Disciples chosen by Jesus.

So, why then are we surprised that it takes a lot of hard work to overcome people’s perceptions of us if we made terrible mistakes in our past? We are redeemed by Jesus but we must transform our actions, thoughts and lives to reflect that transformation. If we were thieves before we became Christians and we continue to steal, then it will difficult for others to accept us as changed people.

So, what then can I say? When we become new people in Christ, we must leave behind the old things which we know are things that we should not be doing. If we need help with this, we need to seek and accept help.

It may not be easy, but we have God’s promise, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)”

Our God is the God of the do over. There is nothing you have done that you cannot overcome with God’s help.

I am praying for you.

Angels On Guard

The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Psalm 34:7

When we are afraid we need to remember that God has given His angels charge over us. God promises to deliver us and that promise is good enough for me.

Fear not, God’s angels are standing guard.

 

Manna, Again?

 “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”

…When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Numbers 11:5-6, 9

When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom, God provided everything they needed. He gave them free food, manna. The manna fell from heaven every day and all the people had to do was gather it, prepare it and eat.

However, the people complained about the food and lamented that they had better food in Egypt, all the while forgetting that they were slaves and brutally treated and nearly worked to death. They lost sight of what their journey was really about – getting to the Promised Land, the land of milk and honey.

When we set out on a journey at God’s direction, we need to remember what the big purpose is and be willing to sacrifice a little comfort to get there. It is not until we are at the end of our journey that we can see the whole picture of God’s plan.

And, there is not a better place to be than the Promised Land.

God Does So Much For Us

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion,

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

This scripture recites the many blessings that God bestows on us, not because we are good but because He is good.  

We being imperfect may suffer from imperfect things in our lives, but God is there to make things right - to pardon our sins, to heal our diseases, to redeem us from the pit, and give us good things.  And, all of this is done with kindness and compassion.

How can we not celebrate this?   And, be thankful. 

Treat Others With Kindness

 

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

Luke 31:6

Sometimes we are tempted to treat people the way they treat us.  The natural person says, "They are mean to me, I will be mean to them."  But that is not what Jesus tells us to do.  He tells us we are better than that.  

Sometimes it is an act of kindness, where it is not due that can win a person to Jesus.  

Let's try to be kind in the new year. 

Happy New Year 2026

 

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

Happy New Year!

We are ready for a new start and we are blessed by God to have Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior. We do not stand far off from God, but stand with God ever near to us.

We approach the New Year with the goal of doing our best to answer the call of God every day in everything we do.

Hallelujah!