Are You A Person Pleaser Or A God Pleaser?

On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Each day we have choices to make. We can choose to do the things we do on a daily basis keeping in mind we are doing things for the glory of God, or scratch that, and do things to try to be popular. Kind of like some politicians who only say certain things not out of conviction in their heart but to win the approval of potential voters. 

When your time here on this Earth is up, and it will be one way or the other,  and you stand before God, will you be able to say you were pleasing Him or trying to fit in and be popular? The crowd is not right most of the time. There is a saying "what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right". Think on that statement awhile in light of things going on in the world. 

Whose voice do you listen to and who is it you serve? 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know the best thing in life is to always follow you and not get sucked into the crowd pleasing mentality.  Help me be strong and stand up for what is right and do the right thing. In Jesus' name. Amen.

YOUR WAY OR GOD'S WAY

Are you more concerned with going your own way and doing your own thing or trying to make sure things you do please the Lord or are God's way? 

Isaiah 55:8-9(KJV) says ' For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways.' What are His ways do you suppose? Perhaps things that are good, pure, perfect,kind, uplifting,wholesome, encouraging, good, and awe inspiring. 

To know God is to know His ways. Matthew 7:21-23(NKJV) says '“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’' His way is to not make it a practice and habit to sin. 

To know God's ways you have to get into the word of God. You have to commit to daily time with Him, praying and reading the Bible. The more you saturate yourself with the things of Christ the more deeply you will know and understand God.

PRAYER: My hearts  desire is to know you more and to do things pleasing unto you. It is also to run the race set before me looking to you to guide me. Help me Lord on this journey. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

UNDER THE RUG

How many of you out there are guilty of hiding things when unexpected company drops by? Maybe not under a rug but say underneath the bed, in a closet, or on a kitchen chair? You maybe are embarrassed by the clutter and not time to do anything with it so whisk it away till another time. The visitors probably could care less as everyone has a pile or two around their house but at times we feel a compulsion to hide it. Perhaps to create a different image. Not sure of everyones reasoning. It is not as bad of course as on the TV show "Hoarders" but still we hide it.

Are you guilty of treating sins in your life that way? You either make excuses for them and justify them or try to hide them from certain people. After all you have an image to live up to. Jesus is always at your house and everywhere you go so there is no hiding our sins from Him. Guess what? He knows them all. There is no sweeping your sins under the rug or putting them in a closet. You must deal with them.

In Romans 3:23(NIV) it reminds us 'for all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.' Think you are pretty good you say? Romans 3:10(NIV) says 'there is none that is righteous, no not one.' Actor Kirk Cameron on doing his man on the street interviews on Trinity Broadcasting will ask a passerby if they are a sinner. The response is usually something like 'oh I am pretty good.' Next he says 'well have you ever told a lie' and of course the answer is yes. Next he says 'do you look at someone with lust ever' and once again they have to say honestly yes. The next question may be 'Have you ever cheated on anything' and once again the honest answer for most is yes. So then Mr. Cameron says 'then by your own admission you are a liar, adulterer, and cheater.' Sort of puts it in a different light wouldn't you say? Most people think of adultery as divorcing someone or cheating on a spouse but in Matthew 5:28(NIV) it says 'But I tell you anyone who looks upon a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.' I did not say it, it is in the Bible. Our society sure gives plenty of opportunities for that sin doesn't it?

Let me leave you with a verse from the book of Numbers 32:23(NASB) which says 'But if you will not do so, for you have sinned against the Lord and behold your sins will find you out.' You can only hide so long. Eventually you will have to fess up and admit your faults and ask God to forgive you and cleanse you and give you the strength to stay on the path He has planned for you.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank you that you are a loving and forgiving God and nothing is hidden from you. Give me the strength to live a life pleasing to you. Convict my heart of wrong and keep me from secret sins or any sins. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord and get your heart filled with a song of praise.
http://youtu.be/Jv0C1gCuayI

JESUS WEPT

The title refers to the shortest verse in the Bible found in John 11:35. Do things you do bring tears to God's eyes? Sometimes do you sense that what you are engaging in will not help bring anyone to Jesus or glory to God? Do you participate in activities you know are wrong and certainly will not identify you as a believer?

Some like to poke fun of the 'WWJD' acronym, but really ask yourself before you do anything, 'What Would Jesus Do' and perhaps it might keep you from making a terrible mistake. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin. When you wonder how Jesus would react it may make you think twice before engaging in some activities.

Many things could make Jesus weep. When you sin and you know better it makes Him sad. Misusing your body, which is God's Holy temple, by joining it with a prostitute, committing adultery, defiling it with homosexual sex , or sexual relations before marriage all would seemingly make Jesus weep. He created us for a purpose and when we especially disregard our 'temple of God' it makes the Lord sad. Temptation may be strong but it says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that "No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear but when you are tempted will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it."

What in your life is not pleasing God right now? Judging others? Caught up in sexual sin? Looking at pornography? Drinking way too much and on the verge of a DUI or alcoholism? Talking about others behind their back? Lying? Stealing? Cheating? Adultery? (By the way the Bible says in Matthew 5:28 "That looking on a woman lustfully" is adultery).Gluttony? Men, speaking harshly to the wife of your youth? Not managing the resources God has blessed you with? Abortion? (You can be forgiven). Homosexual tendencies? Cursing?

Cry out to God today. He loves you and wants you to run to Him and leave sin behind. Do not allow Satan to lie to you making it sound like God will not ever love you. The enemy tricks,deceives, and tries his best to get Christians off the path God has prepared for them. Run away from the devil and I to the arms of a loving Saviour . He is waiting to forgive you.

PRAYER: Lord God I love you and I know at times my life brings sadness to you. Help me Lord resist the attacks of the enemy to dismantle my spiritual walk. I pray for family members who are caught up in Satan's web of deceit. Open their eyes to the truth. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord in song.
http://youtu.be/rtD-_q2kl-Q

PLEASING OTHERS

Are you the kind of person who wants to please and likes to be liked? For those of us suffering from this malady we have to really trust Jesus and give things over to Him. We can imagine things that aren't true at all. For those who like to be liked, Facebook can be particularly hard when someone unfriends you. Ouch! Many put too much stock in this social media anyway when we should be concentrating on developing one on one friendships and spending more time alone with the Lord each day. Not everyone is going to like you and it is not really necessary to know everything is it? The good news is God loves you. Try to be work on knowing God and not worry about people. Someone may like you one day and not the next or they could use you if you know certain people or have something they need.

If we really concentrated on Jesus and being more like him, this issue should not even have to surface but to some of us it is a real struggle. Maybe something from childhood causes it, I am not really certain. If you are troubled by this turn this over to the Lord. He cares for you and wants to comfort you and have you be victorious in this area. The Lord loves you with all your little quirks.  You do not drive Him nuts, exasperate Him, or bore Him. He made you and He loves you warts and all. Sometimes our sinful behavior doesn't please Him but he is still our 'daddy'.He is sad when you sin as it separates you from Him. But he won't reject you.

In John 12:42-43 it says "But many people believed in Jesus. Even many of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus. But they were afraid of the Pharisees. So they did not say openly that they believed. They were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue. These men loved praise from people more than praise from God." are you guilty of this? Are you one way with some people and totally different with others. The key is to be yourself and allow God's love to flow through you to those you meet each and every day.

Put Christ first and do not worry about trying to please mere man. Do you best and God will do the rest.

PRAYER: Lord I thank you for being my best friend. I thank you for loving me even when I have broken your heart. I thank you that you show unconditional love and I likewise need to show unconditional love to those around me. My strength and hope is in you and you alone.In Jesus Name. Amen.

Click on link below and enjoy a powerful worship song.

http://youtu.be/ENtL_li4GbE