All This Waiting Around

 

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:8-9

We are by nature impatient.  We do not like to wait. Waiting makes us worry.  Worrying makes us uneasy and sometimes crabby and sometimes sick to our stomach.  But what do we know about what God says about His time line?  

We know this.  God's time line is designed for the best for all of us.  Not just you or me - but for all of us.

So, while we wait, we can trust that God's plan is in action and it will result in a good outcome for us and others.   

Top Two Commandments

 

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing and recognizing that He (Jesus) had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is foremost of all?”

Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”

“The second is, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-31

Imagine that, we are to love God and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Two simple commandments.  The first is easy but the second is difficult for us.  We all have people we do not like, yet God commands us to love them.  

I think what God has in mind is that good human relations result in a better world.  It is a tall order, but as we strive to love those who we don't like, we show those people and those around us the true meaning of being a Christian - not being right, but being humble and acknowledging that all people deserve to be loved and cared for.  

So, when someone rubs us the wrong way, instead of lashing out we can choose to say nothing or simply acknowledge their feeling and move on with hurling mean words.  

 

Palm Sunday

They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the king of Israel!"

John 12:13

Jesus did not hide from His enemies; He boldly came into the city and was received with joy and honor by those who had heard of His mercy and love and good works.

Jesus did this knowing that in only a few days everything would change and He would be charged, convicted and crucified for our sins.

Let us remember today that being a Christian is not about being comfortable, it is about doing what we are called to do by God. We may think that God requires a lot from us, but it is nothing compared to what He did for us when He sent His Son, Jesus, to deliver us from our sins.

Celebrate the love of God and boldly proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the world.

 

The Best Fringe Benefits Package

 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not 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 restored like the eagle.

Psalm 103:1-5

When we go looking for a job, we look for good fringe benefits - health insurance, vacation time, a retirement plan and other goodies - that can make our life easier.  Good as these sound, they can not compare to the benefits God offers us.

We are blessed hundreds and hundreds of times by God.  Psalm 103's declaration of the benefits of serving God just touches the surface of all the things God does for us. The writer recognizes that even though our sins have been pardoned by God, we sometimes fall into sin and declares that it is God who “redeems us from the pit.”

And, when we are feeling tired and worn God will restore us.

God's offers us the best fringe benefits package, think about that.

The Greatest Among Us

 

But the greatest among you shall be your servant.  

Matthew 23:11

We see many people working to be number one, the best of the best, smarter than anyone else, rich and powerful, believing that these things will result in them being the GOAT - Greatest of All Time.  And, these people will not hesitate to tell you that this is their ambition and that anyone settling for less is just not working hard enough at life.

But I will tell you what I am seeing.  I have a family member who is recovering from a serious illness at a nursing home.  The people who work there are the hardest working people we have ever seen and they do their work with kindness and without complaint.  They are affectionate and caring.  They will not ever become rich or famous - but they are clearly the greatest among us.

When we encounter people who are serving us, be it the custodian who sweeps the halls or a fast food worker who brings our food or a cashier or a bus driver or any of a hundred others whose service makes our life easier, we should thank them for helping us because Jesus says they are the greatest. 

   

 

God Is With You

 

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.

When we face the unknown, it is only natural that we have some fear.  But God promises us that He is with us to encourage us and strengthen us.  God holds on to us.  

Be brave, God is with you.

Not Guity, Forgiven

 

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:12-13

We are a guilty people.  From the day we are old enough to understand, guilt is heaped upon us.  We are guilty of being selfish for not sharing.  We are guilty of talking out of turn.  We are guilty of running when we should walk.  We are guilty of calling in sick when we are not ill.  Even if we apologize and try to make things right, in the eyes of the many people, we are still guilty.

 

And, probably the worst guilt is the guilt we heap on ourselves because of our shortcomings of which we are all too aware. 

But when we come to God, He looks at us and says, “Not guilty, forgiven.”  God forgives our sins and He forgets them.  Our sins are gone forever, because God is compassionate. 

What we cannot get from man, God freely gives us through His Son, Jesus.  When we ask Jesus to forgive us and be our Lord, Master and Savior, God washes us clean of our sin and we are forgiven. 

Say Thank You

 

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

Hebrews 13:15

One of the first things we teach children is to say “Thank-you.” Yet, as we grow up the words escape us and we take things more and more for granted.

We sometimes get on this same bent with our worship. We pray for the world, our family, more money, and our problems, but we forget to take time to thank God for all our blessings.

Take a little time and raise your hands toward heaven and thank God for His mercy, His love, and all you have been blessed with. And, even thank God for your problems because problems give us an opportunity to watch God work in surprising ways.

Praise the Lord!

Get Over It

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

Can you picture a world where there is no road rage, no yelling at store cashiers, and no arguing about tooth paste tube lids?  Every day we are faced with petty annoyances, and every day we pop off at people because we think it will make things better.  And, what is the result?  We are angry, they are angry, feelings are hurt, and in the end all we have done is make stuff worse. 

 

We need to get over it and stop letting petty annoyances dictate how we react. 

The fruits of the Holy Spirit seem simplistic but they are packed full of life changing, life improving characteristics.  When we have the fruits of the Spirit we are less belligerent and more in control of our actions which translates into healthier personal relationships with others.    

Seek the fruits of the Spirit.

Be Kind, Be A Nonconformist

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Romans 12:1-2

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

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

Shake things up, be kind. 

The Real Reality

 

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

 

Lamentations 5:21

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

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

 

Bear With One Another

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

Ephesians4:1-4

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

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

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

Not Just For Funerals

 

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

Psalm 23:1-6

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Say Something Nice

 

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

  

Galatians 6:9.

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

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

It is always the right time to say something nice. 

God Has Boots On The Ground

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

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

Esther 5:2-3

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

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

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

 

Try a Little Tenderness

 

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

Proverbs 15:1-2

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

Try a little tenderness.

Listen and Learn

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me, Your paths.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

For you I wait all the day.

Psalm 25:4-5

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

 

Lord, Revive Me

 

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

2 Thessalonians 3:13

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

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

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

Get revived and get busy doing good.

Feeling Lost

 

Jesus said: 

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

Luke 15:8-10.

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

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

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

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

No Bragging

 

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

Ephesians 2:8-9

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

 

Who Are They Going To Call?

 

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

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

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

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

Jonah 1:3-6

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

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

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

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

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

Prayer changes things.

The Easy Way Or The Right Way

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

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

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

Luke 4:1-4

 

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

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

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

Jesus Came For Everyone

 

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

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

Romans 10:11-13

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

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

Minister First

 

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

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

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

Mark 6:53-56

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

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

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

God Reveals Himself To All

 

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

Romans 1:18-20

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

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

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

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

Praying and Believing

 

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

Mark 11:22-24

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

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

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

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

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

Just What We Need Is a Blessing

 

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

1 Timothy 6:6-8

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

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

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

Scary Times

 

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

James 4:7

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

Have faith – God is on your side.

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

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

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

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

Titus 3:1-7

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

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

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

 

We Are Better Off Than We Think

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew 5:1-12

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

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

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

We are better off than we think.

Angels on Guard

 

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

Psalm 91:11

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

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

Thank you.