Simmer Down Now, Ok?

You will keep in perfect peace him whose minds are steadfast, for they trust in you.Isaiah 26:3

There was a girl at my first church I attended here in Huntsville who used to jokingly say "Simmer down now" meaning I guess to calm down and smell the roses so to speak. Every time I utter that phrase I think of her and maybe she is reading this today.

Many things can make people agitated. In my travels I see an occasional disgruntled flyer. You see folks angry at store clerks. People who don't like to wait at a doctor's office may boil over. Just sit and think about things that can make people angry. The point is what does getting angry do about it? Nothing at all is the correct answer. Trial lawyers love angry people for that is how they make their living getting back at people.

Be still and be grateful for all God has blessed you with. If you encounter angry ill mannered people do not talk back to them but pray for them. In all cases remember you represent the Lord Jesus Christ so let you light shine in a positive way.

PRAYER: Today Lord I thank you for life. I thank you for your many blessings. I even thank you for opportunities to practice patience and to pray. Help me not fall into the trap of being a complainer or getting riled up. I turn my situations over to you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Nature of God

In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. Ephesians 2:2

Everyone is born with a sin nature. It is easy to sin. There are oodles of opportunities daily to sin. There are not good sins and bad sins as some like to classify them. All sin is sin whether is it hating your brother, lying,being a thief, committing adultery, gossiping, homosexuality, or yes murder to name but a few. When we accept Christ as our savior we are to become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  The nature of God is to live within us as believers.

We do not have to be stuck in our past. God offers forgiveness and grace. You stumble and fall and God picks you right back up again. When we intentionally sin it keeps us from having close fellowship with the Lord. Fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, liars, and murderers can all be forgiven, 1 Corinthians 6:11 says "and such were some of you". Jesus comes to heal and set free. It is only mere men who judge others. Jesus simply shows love.

PRAYER: Help me never be guilty of pointing the finger of judgment at someone when my own life is not perfect. I want to be a prayer, not a judger. Show me any areas in my own life that need to be redeemed. In Jesus' name. Amen.

LOVE, LAUGH, LIVE!!

The three L's in my title are very important. You see them turned around the other way in stores selling merchandise proclaiming this. I would like to depart from this order and declare that Love should always come first. As I write this I am listening to a lady laughing with her friend. It delights my soul.

To love is to be kind, forgiving, generous, gracious, and peaceful among other things. Love should be your ultimate goal. Not in the sense of necessarily romantic love, but instead, being a "loving" person. In the past few devotions love has been the theme. Take a moment and read the thirteen verses of 1 Corinthians 13 again. If each person practiced those characteristics we would have a much more loving world. Once you work on love it is easier to laugh and to live! Love will help you live!

This year why not make love your aim? Proverbs 10:12(NIV) is a good guide for loving others. 'Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.'

PRAYER: I choose to practice love Lord. The enemy will attempt to get me to stir up strife by my actions and words but with your help Lord I will conquer Satan's attempts to get me to be ugly to people. In Jesus' name. Amen.See More

IDENTITY THEFT

The world we live in unfortuantely is full of sinners. Some of these sinners like to steal people's identity. Hopefully none of you reading this have had your identity stolen. I have been the victim of my debit card being duplicated and used. Not fun!

Remember that if you name the name of Jesus your true identity is in Jesus. We are to be like Him in what we say and do. Ephesians 2:10(NIV) says 'For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'

Satan, the great liar and deceiver, will try to convince you in your mind that you have messed up so no way are you Christlike. You tell Satan that you are set free by the blood of Jesus and God is a forgiving God and you live for Him. Do not let the power of the devil's deception make you feel that you are not identified with Christ.

Acts 17:28(NIV) reminds us 'in Christ we live and move and have our being.' If you have asked Jesus into your heart then you are identifying with Him. He is your Father and you are His child. John 10:28-29(NIV) is a favorite and it says ' I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand."

Have you asked Jesus to be your Lord and savior? Do you identify with Him? One final verse I will leave you with today. Galatians 2:20 says "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.'

PRAYER: Today Lord I am grateful to say I get my identity in you and Satan can not steal it. I praise your name Lord for in you I indeed live and move and have my being. Thanks for all you have done for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link and worship the Lord with this awesome song.

http://youtu.be/ss3OQ9I1RHk

CHANGE YOUR WORLD

Look around you. Are you happy with the way things are going in our world? Do you realize you can complain about things or you can be instrumental in trying to change things?

 First of all pray and ask God what He would have you do to impact your world in a positive way. For instance, if things are happening in our government that are against the word of God, and there are many, then take a stand for what is true and right or suffer the consequences. One example is the marriage battle raging now. Marriage is between one man and one woman.  God designed men and women to help each other and also reproduce to keep life going. No way can two men produce a baby. Satan has deceived many into believing the world's lies but it is crystal clear in the Bible what marriage is. Many Christians have bought into this lie and there are some caught in the trap of same sex attraction. When we disagree we are told we "hate them". That is pretty strong language for simply following the word of God. No one hates anyone.

There are many other examples of how you can positively change your world. Do not always wait for someone else to do something. Pray and get going. Above all, do things in the spirit of love and be kind and compassionate in whatever you do. Be Christlike in other words.Colossians 3:17(NIV) says '

Wherever we go try to be at peace. Praise  God regardless of what is happening. Keep praying and never give up as it says in Luke 18:1.
 Romans 12:12(NIV) says 'Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.' Often times the road is long and time consuming trying to bring about changes. Think of the battle to end abortion which has been going on for 40 years.  Don't give up. Keep running your race to win. 

 You indeed can have a positive impact on your world. Never think you do not matter. Above all show kindness, trust not fear, keep running and looking ahead. Always remember what it says in Romans 8:31(NIV) and that is 'what shall we say in response to these things? If God is for me who can be against me.'

PRAYER:Lord I want to impact my world for Christ. Whether it is on the mission field in a far off land or the mission field in my own back yard. Convict my heart of how I can serve you and make a change in my world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

FORGETTING AN OFFENSE

Has something occurred in your life you can not seem to let go of and
it is driving a wedge of hurt or anger towards the offender? Maybe it
is a friend,a spouse, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a family member, or a
co worker? Perhaps you think they were heartless and cruel and you

deserve to feel the way you do, but does harboring this anger or ill

feeling towards someone get you anywhere? The answer is NO!

So what do you do about it when you feel left out, hurt, betrayed, or
forgotten? Do you "pick the scab" so to speak causing you to feel
anger and be offended even more or do you do what God would want and
turn the other cheek and let it go? Maybe you have already said
something to the person or someone else and wish you had not. It is

never too late to start again and mend your heart and the

relationship. Maybe the other person is not even aware that they hurt

or offended you. It is always a good time to try again.

Taking offense against others is not a God given thing. This is not a
trait you should want to possess. It is easy to become offended and
consequently bitter as a result, when focused on yourself. Give up
your right to be angry or hostile. God does not want His children to
be bickering and having bad feelings about each other. Especially
married couples need to learn their spouses "love language" and need

to be willing to say they messed up and ask forgiveness. If your

spouse is unaware he or she hurt you then just drop it and move on as
to not keep the offense alive. We are supposed to be God's children
and act like Christ. Harboring a bad attitude or a grudge has you

working on Satan's team,not God's! (Note:If it is something deeper in
a marriage perhaps counseling should be sought).

What do you do if you are caught up in this trap Satan likes to lay
for Christians? You know you cannot very well focus on your "love
walk" and getting closer to God if bad feelings exist. Ephesians
4:31(NIV) says to 'Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger,
brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.' Try to let go
and let God do a work in your heart and life and do not always try to
win your battles.

PRAYER: Lord I love you and I do not want to break your heart by
harboring bad feelings in my heart towards those who might have hurt
me in some way. Help me start this new year making an effort with your
help to be different regardless of a situation around me. In Jesus'
name. Amen.