Do you have the joy of Jesus in your heart? If not why not? JOY equals Jesus 1st, Others 2nd, Yourself last. That is not the worlds' plan. The world says 'take care of me first' and go for the gusto. It goes against the grain of a self saturated society to put yourself behind other people. When you do things for other people you just feel better. Taking care of number one leads to a selfish unfulfilled life.This is not to say you should never have fun but do not let your life be consumed with me, me, me.
In 1 Peter 1:8 it says, "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy." Nehemiah 8:10 tells us "the joy of the Lord is my strength."
In telling of the Christmas story in Luke 2:10 it reads "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Jesus was that great joy.
Are you joyful? How do you get that way? Definitions of joy are feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind ,something that brings happiness, or to enjoy and delight in something. What do you delight in?
Sometimes a person may need a 'heart transplant' in order to have the kind of joy mentioned in God's word and that is the joy unspeakable and full of glory. By this I mean simply asking Jesus to be Lord of your life and stop doing things your own way and ask God to be on the throne and in the drivers seat. Your heart will be changed and your life will be changed. Ezekiel 36:26 in the Old Testament says "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
As you go about your day today try to find ways you can bring joy into someones life. "Be Jesus" to those he places in your path. Let your joy be overflowing. Some of you may not humanly feel you have much to be joyful about but remember it is the enemy who comes in and tries to get your down, depressed and defeated. Do not allow him to do this. Say 'Satan in the name of Jesus I will not listen to your lies and I will walk victorious today with Jesus and follow him'. Thinking about others and helping others sometimes takes your mind off your own problems and eventually that despair will be replaced with joy.
PRAYER: Give us this day Lord a heart to want to serve you through serving those around us. Lift us from the pit of despair and hopelessness and help us place our trust and hope only in you. We thank you for the joy that comes only from you Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyo8BZ8T0s
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
MISCOMMUNICATION
There can never be enough written about the mouth, the pen, the email keyboard and communication. Sometimes we may mean for something to come out sounding one way when it is misunderstood or miscommunicated. This can happen lots these days of texting and emailing. The text may not have been 'spell checked' and thus comes up totally different than it's writers' intent. But these miscommunications can hurt or wound people depending on how they handle rejection. We say things, often times without thinking, and wound others. We never meant to hurt anyone but it just happens. It depends on how you were raised and how you handle being left out and things like that.
God understands. He is our security. We can run to him when we have messed up and say "lord help me, there I did it again. I wounded someone and did not mean to." If we have been hurt by someone who said the wrong thing we have to learn to forgive even if they did not seek forgiveness, blow it off, and move on.
Words,emails, and text messages can come out confusing, hurtful, braggy, sarcastic but on the positive side they can be encouraging, loving,helpful, kind, and motivating. We just need to be aware of what we are writing or saying and how it will be perceived by the hearers or receivers. Ephesians 4:29 tells us to " do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Psalm 19:14 says 'May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight oh Lord my rock and my redeemer."
PRAYER: Help me this day and every day to be careful what I say and how I say it. Forgive me if I have unknowingly hurt anyone with my words and help me to forgive others who have hurt me. in Jesus name, amen!!
God understands. He is our security. We can run to him when we have messed up and say "lord help me, there I did it again. I wounded someone and did not mean to." If we have been hurt by someone who said the wrong thing we have to learn to forgive even if they did not seek forgiveness, blow it off, and move on.
Words,emails, and text messages can come out confusing, hurtful, braggy, sarcastic but on the positive side they can be encouraging, loving,helpful, kind, and motivating. We just need to be aware of what we are writing or saying and how it will be perceived by the hearers or receivers. Ephesians 4:29 tells us to " do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Psalm 19:14 says 'May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight oh Lord my rock and my redeemer."
PRAYER: Help me this day and every day to be careful what I say and how I say it. Forgive me if I have unknowingly hurt anyone with my words and help me to forgive others who have hurt me. in Jesus name, amen!!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
GOD AND COUNTRY
The Bible has much to say about freedom and leaders.Yes my friend, 'politics' are in the Bible. God has particularly blessed these United States of America simply because of the way we were founded. Psalm 33:12 tells us that "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Forces come in and try to manipulate minds and rewrite history to take out any reference to it being a "Christian nation' but in fact that was the founding fathers intent. There will always be evil trying to take away good and it will come in deceptive ways to trick us. That is why we need to be on our guard. Isaiah 5:20 tells us "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Peoples' minds can be deceived and blinded and they can start believing lies. In Hitlers' day minds were manipulated through 'reeduation camps' among other things, and everything they heard was being controlled by the government. If you keep hearing something over and over you believe it and then the enemy creeps in and destruction begins. The devil is the 'father of lies". (See John 8:44). The enemy does not like truth or freedom.
If we do not follow God's ways he will judge us. Whether we want to believe it or not we are long overdue this judgment. Look at what is happening in our land today. Our own government says it is OK for two men or two women to marry each other. My Bible does not say that. Hebrews 13:4 says "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." There is no room in this verse for political correctness. If we do not follow God's laws then naturally we may think anything goes. It is sort of difficult for two men to be able to procreate as was intended by God. Genesis 1:27-28 clearly states what he wanted man and woman to do when it says "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. " Read the entire chapter for some real enlightenment. It will only take you about 5 minutes. There are laws to follow and if they are not followed judgement will come. Proverbs 14:34 tells us "Godliness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 11:11 says "The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill." Further in Proverbs 29:18 says "Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild, but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws."
What are you doing to help save this land from destruction? We can not keep going like we are and expect God to keep blessing us. If we forget God and bow to other gods it will not be long before our nation will be destroyed. You can not keep trying to 'play god' and expect to survive as a nation. We are to pray for our leaders but be on guard for tyrants who try to manipulate us and control us for their own good. God allows leaders to be elected but that does not necessarily mean they are good. The Lord has his purposes and plans in all things he allows to happen. Proverbs 16:12 says "It is a horrible thing for a king to do evil. His right to rule depends upon his fairness." In Proverbs 28:15-16 it says "A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a lion or bear attacking them. Only a stupid prince will oppress his people, but a king will have a long reign if he hates dishonesty and bribes." And Proverbs 29:2 says "with good men in authority the people rejoice but with the wicked in power, they groan."
God is loving and patient but we can not keep ignoring his voice. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says' ...we are to humble ourselves and pray and seek his face and he will hear from heaven and heal our land." If we are going about our day and acting like nothing is wrong then beware. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." He can even blind the mind of some believers too if they listen to deceiving spirits and wrong voices. That is why it is important to stay in God's word daily and find a Bible teaching church that does not pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe and say the other parts are not 'with the times'.
Romans 1:24-32 tells us what happens when we fail to listen to God and go our own way. "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."
Keep your mind focused on God by staying in his word and pray for this land on a daily basis and its' leaders. God does hear and he does care.
(For help in praying for the leaders and this country go to http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/.)
PRAYER: Dear Lord we need you. I pray for men and women who love you to wake up from slumber and see the path of destruction we are on in this nation if we do not speak up for the truth and get on our knees and pray. Wake us up and 'fire us up" to protect the freedoms we enjoy in America. Thank you for blessing us Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLSKSlJ0-2s
If we do not follow God's ways he will judge us. Whether we want to believe it or not we are long overdue this judgment. Look at what is happening in our land today. Our own government says it is OK for two men or two women to marry each other. My Bible does not say that. Hebrews 13:4 says "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." There is no room in this verse for political correctness. If we do not follow God's laws then naturally we may think anything goes. It is sort of difficult for two men to be able to procreate as was intended by God. Genesis 1:27-28 clearly states what he wanted man and woman to do when it says "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. " Read the entire chapter for some real enlightenment. It will only take you about 5 minutes. There are laws to follow and if they are not followed judgement will come. Proverbs 14:34 tells us "Godliness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 11:11 says "The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill." Further in Proverbs 29:18 says "Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild, but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws."
What are you doing to help save this land from destruction? We can not keep going like we are and expect God to keep blessing us. If we forget God and bow to other gods it will not be long before our nation will be destroyed. You can not keep trying to 'play god' and expect to survive as a nation. We are to pray for our leaders but be on guard for tyrants who try to manipulate us and control us for their own good. God allows leaders to be elected but that does not necessarily mean they are good. The Lord has his purposes and plans in all things he allows to happen. Proverbs 16:12 says "It is a horrible thing for a king to do evil. His right to rule depends upon his fairness." In Proverbs 28:15-16 it says "A wicked ruler is as dangerous to the poor as a lion or bear attacking them. Only a stupid prince will oppress his people, but a king will have a long reign if he hates dishonesty and bribes." And Proverbs 29:2 says "with good men in authority the people rejoice but with the wicked in power, they groan."
God is loving and patient but we can not keep ignoring his voice. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says' ...we are to humble ourselves and pray and seek his face and he will hear from heaven and heal our land." If we are going about our day and acting like nothing is wrong then beware. 2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." He can even blind the mind of some believers too if they listen to deceiving spirits and wrong voices. That is why it is important to stay in God's word daily and find a Bible teaching church that does not pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe and say the other parts are not 'with the times'.
Romans 1:24-32 tells us what happens when we fail to listen to God and go our own way. "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them."
Keep your mind focused on God by staying in his word and pray for this land on a daily basis and its' leaders. God does hear and he does care.
(For help in praying for the leaders and this country go to http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/.)
PRAYER: Dear Lord we need you. I pray for men and women who love you to wake up from slumber and see the path of destruction we are on in this nation if we do not speak up for the truth and get on our knees and pray. Wake us up and 'fire us up" to protect the freedoms we enjoy in America. Thank you for blessing us Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLSKSlJ0-2s
Friday, March 11, 2011
GOD IS THERE WHEN THE WORLD RUNS OUT ON YOU
When we have upsets in life and we feel all hope is lost God is still there. He has not gone anywhere. God does not care if you are moody or depressed or crying. When you feel hopeless, God can restore your hope. He has not abandoned us. Matthew 28:20 tells us "he is with us even to the end of the world." Psalm 146:3 says "Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save." When you are overwhelmed he can give you peace. The world today has much to make us fret but we are to trust God has a plan and pray.
People can reject us, hurt us, ignore us and disappoint us but God is always there for us too. When we trust in man sometimes man can betray us or let us down. God would never let us down. He is our ultimate friend. Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us " Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence,The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”"
When the world around us is crumbling, God is still there. We want to depend on people and even with all their best intentions people may not be there for us 100%. "When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you." (Deuteronomy 20:1).
Jesus friends ran out on him too and denied they knew him. He was despised and rejected. You may walk through a valley alone but God will eventually have you back on the mountaintop if you only trust him. Psalm 23:4 says "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.".
"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea". (Psalm 46:2). Job 13:15 says " Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face."
PRAYER: I am so thankful Lord that you are the almighty one, maker of heaven and earth and our ultimate friend. Thanks for being here for us 24-7 and never tiring of our companionship. With your help I can make it through tough times. In Jesus name, amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y83-vMeWc9E
People can reject us, hurt us, ignore us and disappoint us but God is always there for us too. When we trust in man sometimes man can betray us or let us down. God would never let us down. He is our ultimate friend. Hebrews 13:5-6 tells us " Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence,The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”"
When the world around us is crumbling, God is still there. We want to depend on people and even with all their best intentions people may not be there for us 100%. "When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you." (Deuteronomy 20:1).
Jesus friends ran out on him too and denied they knew him. He was despised and rejected. You may walk through a valley alone but God will eventually have you back on the mountaintop if you only trust him. Psalm 23:4 says "Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.".
"Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea". (Psalm 46:2). Job 13:15 says " Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face."
PRAYER: I am so thankful Lord that you are the almighty one, maker of heaven and earth and our ultimate friend. Thanks for being here for us 24-7 and never tiring of our companionship. With your help I can make it through tough times. In Jesus name, amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y83-vMeWc9E
Thursday, March 10, 2011
THANKFUL, YOU BETCHA!!
I have been to several weddings in the past three years and only about half the brides wrote me a thank you note after the wedding. The ones I did get made me smile and they came pretty quickly after the wedding. Seems like to some this act of appreciation is not necessary or important. I mean months go by and no thank you notes arrive. It is sad to me apparently in some of these families courtesy and etiquette were not emphasized nor was a grateful spirit. I am not upset at these young couples for forgetting me but when a person goes out of their way to buy a costly gift you would hope that you would get an acknowledgment. You sort of feel used in a way. You may have to put this out of your mind or it can make you angry. Now granted you do not give gifts just to get thanked but it should be common courtesy for the recipient to show their gratitude by writing a hand written note and sticking it in the mail. You should never use the excuse of being too busy to write. And even with email, people should still use a stamp and snail mail for some things just as a matter of courtesy. It is still there in etiquette books as the right thing to do.
The point in this devotion is not to guilt anyone but to make you think about what you do when you get a gift. Do you have a thankful heart or an unthankful heart that could care less? Is your heart cold and hard or do you have a grateful spirit and show it? If you are not thankful ask yourself why not. Do you say thanks to people when they do acts of kindness to or for you? Perhaps the key is to think less of self and your wants and more of other people. Delight yourself in the Lord and look for ways to say thanks.
How do you think God feels when we do not say thanks to him for all the gifts and blessings he bestows on us? Do we act like bratty ungrateful children or do we stop and say "thank you Lord!" Do we just take his gifts for granted too?
Many today feel like we are living in the last days just because of things going on around us. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it says "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." Maybe in this generation of busyness, twittering, texting, face booking, and constant motion there is not time for this vital skill. I urge parents of young children reading this to teach their children to be grateful by not only saying thanks with a grateful heart but by writing notes to people who have given them gifts. It should never go out of style,
In Moms in Touch we have the four steps of prayer and the 3rd step is called 'thanksgiving' time. It is during this time we specifically concentrate on thanking God to answers to our prayers from the previous weeks. It is a time to take the focus off self and put it on to the Lord and all his goodness to us. (http://www.momsintouch.org/). My mom taught me to be thankful and I taught my sons, but this ministry emphasizes it in our spiritual life.
What about you? Do you have a grateful heart and show it or are you lazy about sitting down and writing out a note of thanks for things people give to you? It makes the person feel appreciated in a huge way when you do this. It could even be a thank you for an act of kindness too. Get in the habit of being thankful.
I suggest sitting down and writing out things that you're thankful for to get your mind focused in that area. This is a good mental practice to recall just all the wonderful blessings we have. Never get to the point in life where you act ungrateful. Even job seekers need to get in a habit of writing thank you notes after an interview. You will stand out among the other candidates when you do this simple act.
Colossians 3:15 says " Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 4:2 tells us to "Devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Psalm 95:2 says to "come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."
PRAYER: Thank you Jesus for my friends and family. Thanks for the times people give me nice gifts. Help me never to forget to write a note of thanks. Give me a grateful heart. In Jesus name amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1WmzRxBGFY&tracker=False
The point in this devotion is not to guilt anyone but to make you think about what you do when you get a gift. Do you have a thankful heart or an unthankful heart that could care less? Is your heart cold and hard or do you have a grateful spirit and show it? If you are not thankful ask yourself why not. Do you say thanks to people when they do acts of kindness to or for you? Perhaps the key is to think less of self and your wants and more of other people. Delight yourself in the Lord and look for ways to say thanks.
How do you think God feels when we do not say thanks to him for all the gifts and blessings he bestows on us? Do we act like bratty ungrateful children or do we stop and say "thank you Lord!" Do we just take his gifts for granted too?
Many today feel like we are living in the last days just because of things going on around us. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it says "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." Maybe in this generation of busyness, twittering, texting, face booking, and constant motion there is not time for this vital skill. I urge parents of young children reading this to teach their children to be grateful by not only saying thanks with a grateful heart but by writing notes to people who have given them gifts. It should never go out of style,
In Moms in Touch we have the four steps of prayer and the 3rd step is called 'thanksgiving' time. It is during this time we specifically concentrate on thanking God to answers to our prayers from the previous weeks. It is a time to take the focus off self and put it on to the Lord and all his goodness to us. (http://www.momsintouch.org/). My mom taught me to be thankful and I taught my sons, but this ministry emphasizes it in our spiritual life.
What about you? Do you have a grateful heart and show it or are you lazy about sitting down and writing out a note of thanks for things people give to you? It makes the person feel appreciated in a huge way when you do this. It could even be a thank you for an act of kindness too. Get in the habit of being thankful.
I suggest sitting down and writing out things that you're thankful for to get your mind focused in that area. This is a good mental practice to recall just all the wonderful blessings we have. Never get to the point in life where you act ungrateful. Even job seekers need to get in a habit of writing thank you notes after an interview. You will stand out among the other candidates when you do this simple act.
Colossians 3:15 says " Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 4:2 tells us to "Devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Psalm 95:2 says to "come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."
PRAYER: Thank you Jesus for my friends and family. Thanks for the times people give me nice gifts. Help me never to forget to write a note of thanks. Give me a grateful heart. In Jesus name amen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1WmzRxBGFY&tracker=False
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
EASTER IS UPON US
Yesterday was considered 'Fat Tuesday' or the celebration of Mardi Gras. To most this is one big spring break drunken party but it is supposed to be the celebration before the Lenten season begins, 40 days prior to Easter Sunday. This 'Fat Tuesday' is not exactly what I would recommend followers of Christ do as it is a way to eat like a glutton, drink alcohol and do all you want before having to give up stuff for lent. So a wild party atmosphere leads up to Ash Wednesday. Kind of bizarre where pagan and spiritual things are intermingled. Confusing to say the least.
The official definition of lent when I googled it was 'the period before Easter in Christian calendar: the period of 40 weekdays before Easter observed in some Christian churches as a period of prayer, penance, fasting, and self-denial."
In the Catholic church this is a very important day as today is Ash Wednesday is observed. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, some put ashes on their foreheads and observe a period of “fasting” ,abstaining from certain foods or physical pleasures, for 40 days. As I understand it this is done to imitate Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast in the wilderness (See Matthew 4:1-2). In addition to food some may give up smoking, eating chocolate, chewing gum, over eating, cussing or some other vice. People vow to give up anything, as long as it prepares them for Easter. We need to be careful to not let ceremonies and religious activities take the place of a real relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus. In Amos 5:21 it says ""I hate all your show and pretense--the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies." I see this as saying, have your ceremonies and rituals but do not let them take the place of Christ in your heart.
My own opinion is it would be good to fast other times as well as it is commanded in the Bible and not just at Easter. We should pray, give and fast.(See Matthew Chapter 6). It seems you hear more of giving and praying than fasting. Fasting is harder especially if it involves food and letting your stomach growl for a while. We give up food to focus on God. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 in regards to praying for our nation it speaks of humbling yourself and in some translations this means to fast. It reads "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Lent could be a time of looking at your life and changing things that are not pleasing to God. Taking a spiritual inventory of sorts. Perhaps fasting is part of that discipline. Matthew 17:21 says ""But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."We can choose to fast to accomplish certain purposes in life.
Now when it comes to Easter and getting all spiritual this time of year why not be spiritual all year long and not wait until Easter season? God wants our obedience and love all year long. Don't just be a 'lily Christian' as an Air Force Chaplain I know calls the droves of people who come out of the woodwork at Easter. Give Jesus a prominent place in your life 365 days a year. It is great to celebrate his resurrection and it is one of my favorite Christian holidays but let Easter continue in your hearts all year long.
So remember Easter is about celebrating Jesus. Let's skip the bunnies and focus on God and everlasting life.
PRAYER: This is a special time of year Lord when we focus on your death and resurrection. We thank you for the everlasting life we have when we accept you as our Lord and savior. Show us Lord what in our lives we need to set aside in order to get closer to you.
NOTE: In conjunction with the Lenten season there is pro life movement called "40 Days for Life". I have included a link for it below.
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1519
The official definition of lent when I googled it was 'the period before Easter in Christian calendar: the period of 40 weekdays before Easter observed in some Christian churches as a period of prayer, penance, fasting, and self-denial."
In the Catholic church this is a very important day as today is Ash Wednesday is observed. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, some put ashes on their foreheads and observe a period of “fasting” ,abstaining from certain foods or physical pleasures, for 40 days. As I understand it this is done to imitate Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast in the wilderness (See Matthew 4:1-2). In addition to food some may give up smoking, eating chocolate, chewing gum, over eating, cussing or some other vice. People vow to give up anything, as long as it prepares them for Easter. We need to be careful to not let ceremonies and religious activities take the place of a real relationship with our Lord and savior Jesus. In Amos 5:21 it says ""I hate all your show and pretense--the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies." I see this as saying, have your ceremonies and rituals but do not let them take the place of Christ in your heart.
My own opinion is it would be good to fast other times as well as it is commanded in the Bible and not just at Easter. We should pray, give and fast.(See Matthew Chapter 6). It seems you hear more of giving and praying than fasting. Fasting is harder especially if it involves food and letting your stomach growl for a while. We give up food to focus on God. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 in regards to praying for our nation it speaks of humbling yourself and in some translations this means to fast. It reads "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
Lent could be a time of looking at your life and changing things that are not pleasing to God. Taking a spiritual inventory of sorts. Perhaps fasting is part of that discipline. Matthew 17:21 says ""But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."We can choose to fast to accomplish certain purposes in life.
Now when it comes to Easter and getting all spiritual this time of year why not be spiritual all year long and not wait until Easter season? God wants our obedience and love all year long. Don't just be a 'lily Christian' as an Air Force Chaplain I know calls the droves of people who come out of the woodwork at Easter. Give Jesus a prominent place in your life 365 days a year. It is great to celebrate his resurrection and it is one of my favorite Christian holidays but let Easter continue in your hearts all year long.
So remember Easter is about celebrating Jesus. Let's skip the bunnies and focus on God and everlasting life.
PRAYER: This is a special time of year Lord when we focus on your death and resurrection. We thank you for the everlasting life we have when we accept you as our Lord and savior. Show us Lord what in our lives we need to set aside in order to get closer to you.
NOTE: In conjunction with the Lenten season there is pro life movement called "40 Days for Life". I have included a link for it below.
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1519
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
ROADBLOCK AHEAD
A roadblock sign is one we do not like to see on our daily journey out on the highway. It usually means long delays or driving out of our way thus wasting lots of time. There are roadblocks in life too but it is how we deal with them that matters. Some of life's roadblocks are illnesses, death, loss of job, end of a marriage, loss of property, financial problems, career changes, school problems, life threatening accidents and a myriad of other things. When things happen at the time they do not seem so good but later on down the road we can see what purpose there was in them.
God can work through all situations. Things will work out if we only have faith. What can appear bad now can have a purpose. Romans 8:28 says "all things work together for the good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose." Sometimes roadblocks occur so that something else can happen in your life. There is a saying 'if God closes a door he opens a window." It often does not seem pleasant when we are in the middle of something but perseverance is what is needed. There have been stories about those who have been flat on their back after an accident then realized how precious their life was and when they were back on their feet vowed to serve the Lord. You sometimes do not realize how precious something or someone is til you nearly lose it. Often a bad thing turns into a ministry to serve others. Bible teacher Joyce Meyers' life is filled with a horrible past but God is using it to reach others and win many to Christ.
It is hard to talk about death as a roadblock, it is more of just a painful experience that the Lord can help you through. He does not cause the person to die but he can sustain you through the grief. It is more of a process to work through this but death is part of life and it will come to everyone. The saddest ones are when babies, children, or young people die. Although the Lord can work things through these situations too, that is not what you say to a grieving family member. Just give them a hug. No one can really explain these deaths so we only have to trust God will sustain them through the grief.
Sometimes a roadblock will cause you to take a different path in life that perhaps will be a better one. A career change to something more suited for the person perhaps.
John 11:4 is an interesting Bible verse. It reads "When he heard this, Jesus said, This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." I am not God so can not explain this verse but only to say, you must have faith God has a bigger plan. Jeremiah 29:11-12 says " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Revelation 3:8 says "I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name" . So God will open some doors and shut others. The way to look at set backs is to consider them 'God things" for they most likely lead to a plan he has for your life if you can only hang on and trust him.
PRAYER: This is the day you have made Lord and we shall rejoice and be glad in it. When a roadblock comes my way teach me how to react so that I get through it smoothly without blaming you or complaining. Help me to trust that you know the big picture and we know that things will work out. We thank you for that. In Jesus Name. Amen!
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