Do You Love People?

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

Think about this for a moment. Can you truly really love ALL people? Jesus did. He did not agree with what they did or how they treated Him but He still loved them.

Love is how you win people, not judgment or hatred. Turning the other cheek. Loving people who you would rather get angry at. Asking God to help you love people who you humanly maybe can’t stand cause they have hurt you, rejected you, or you may not even know them but they are hateful people and not out for the goodness of God and truth. 

God says to love, period. Tall order but not impossible. God can transform anybody and He can transform your hate or anger to love, peace, and joy. Give it a try. You waste lots of energy hating and being mad. Try the opposite. You don’t have to agree with a person but you are simply called to love. 

PRAYER: Help me love like you Jesus. Some people do things that aggravate me but maybe they don’t know you as their savior and they need you to transform them. I will continue to not allow the enemy to make me ‘hate’ anyone but pray for the Holy Spirit transforming power to enter the hearts of people who desperately need a transformation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Keep Circling Jericho

So when the trumpets sounded, the people shouted. When they heard the blast of the trumpet, the people gave a great shout, and the wall collapsed. The people charged into the city, each man straight ahead, and captured the city. Joshua 6:20

What ‘walls’ are you waiting to fall down in your life or the life of a loved one? Joshua and his army were persistent in circling and circling the city of Jericho until they had victory. (Read Joshua 1:1-6:25).

Are you only looking at giants and seemingly feel there will never be victory or are you believing you serve a God of miracles and impossibilities when it comes to the victory you are waiting for? In faith are you believing for what the world would call crazy and never gonna happen? Well press in and press on my friend. God is on your side. 

Keep running your race to win throwing off anything that hinders you from reaching your goal. Cast down wrong thinking and lies of the enemy or hurtful comments of ‘well meaning friends’ and keep seeking to knock down the wall you are praying about  through consistent prayer and praise to the most high God. 

PRAYER: Father God I thank you that even though I wonder at times when things are going to change and I will see a ‘wall fall down’ in the situation I have been praying for I know you are there beside me and know when I will see victory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Note:Title idea is from page 41 of a book entitled ‘The Circle Maker’ by Mark Batterson, Pastor, National Community Church DC. A great read. 

Foolish? Sometimes Maybe.

 “A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul." Proverbs 18:7

If you and I could control our mouths and teach others how to do it a miracle would occur because depending on our state of mind on any particular day is sometimes what makes you say certain things, sometimes without much forethought of how it will affect the hearer. This writer has to be on her guard to share a loving message and not one beating up my readers.

Saying this I will say to be able to get to write daily and share the love of God is a true blessing. At times I may have slipped up and ‘shook my finger’ so to speak and that is never my intent so if I have done that or you took offense accept my apology.

How about you? How are you in the sharing God’s love department on a daily basis with neighbors, co workers, your spouse, your children, driving on the highway, strangers in a store, people at the gym you go to. Think about that for a moment. If you love Jesus you should want to be gentle, kind, and loving to represent out savior well. But humanity creeps in and there may be a slip up on the road to pursuing righteousness. God has your back and he loves you even through the little slip ups so just remember that. Second chances are always available.

PRAYER: Father God I am so thankful you love me even when I mess up with my mouth. My heart is always in the right place but sometimes I allow ugliness to creep in. Help me love everyone you place in my path by a simple smile. Some people may be harder to love so give me an extra measure of strength and grace to be kind and let you do the work through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Don’t Dwell On It

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

To dwell means to remain and when it comes to wrong thinking that is one place you don’t want to camp at. Wrong thinking is a tool used by the enemy to get you off your purpose and to keep you from praising Jesus.

You literally have to ‘capture’ every wrong thought and tell the devil you will not believe his lies and that you know his tricks. You might be a on real spiritual high from an event you participated in such as a retreat or revival, and in creeps the enemy trying to get you down in the dumps.

Right then and there stop and start singing praises to the God most high. Tell Satan you are God’s child covered by Jesus’ blood so to leave you alone. Get out your Bible and just start reading the Psalms. None of Satans garbage is ever going to come against you. Stand in faith!

PRAYER:Thank you for the word of God which is a strong tower I can run to at all times. I know no weapon formed against me will prosper according to Isaiah 54:17. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I Keep Asking

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength. Ephesians 1:17-19

Are you one who perseveres in prayer and believe sometime you will in fact have the answer? It is hard to wait isn’t it? 

You may have prayed the verse above as a prayer for loved ones to come to know Jesus better and want a close relationship with him. Never give up crying out to God. The voices of the world we live in may clamor for your attention to distract you from your heavenly goal of walking and living for Jesus.

Seek to be close to Jesus when you spring out of bed each day. Don’t go run for the remote and saturate yourself with worldly news and shows but set time aside to worship and adore God and have prayer.

As you make Christ a daily priority you will more and more have little desire for earthly things. As the song lyrics of the 80’s praise song ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus’ says “and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” Give it a try.

PRAYER:You are marvelous above all else Lord and I desire that those I love and am close to to want more of you in their lives. Make the attractions and lure of this present world less and you become greater. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I Bungle And I Ramble

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Are you perfect? I know I certainly am not. When you start to get puffed up and self sufficient that is a dangerous area to tread. Everyone has issues of some sort and not everyone is going to like you as much as you want them to.

I don’t know about you but I am glad God loves me warts and all. He is my creator. He knew exactly what he was doing with you too when he made your personality. Everyone has different abilities too so when you put yourself down and beat yourself up that is because you have allowed Satan freedom to trample on your heart and mind.

You are covered with the blood of Jesus and God gifted you and has a reason you exist. No matter how you came into being or who your birth parents are you are a blessing and NOT an accident. Do not even ‘go there’. Even those conceived by rape are creations of God. James Robison, well known worldwide Bible teacher is a product of rape. Just relax in who you are not comparing yourself to others with different gifts.

 If Satan starts dragging you down tell him you are bought with a price and covered with the blood of Jesus and that is that.

PRAYER: I am very thankful for the gifts you have given me and help me not to put myself down or on the other spectrum to think I am a hot shot. Keep me working for your kingdom purposes knowing I am here for a reason. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Do You Display Softness In Your Speech?

“A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

How are you with the words that come out of your mouth? Do you think before you speak, text, tweet, or email? Once words are out that’s it you can’t  take them back.

The ‘high road’ is the road Christians should seek to take and to stay on in life. By this I mean not trashing anything on social media. If people know you represent Jesus, or you should be trying to, then what you say and do speaks volumes.

Many people have been hurt by careless words. Relationships have been broken. Wars have been started. Secrets have been shared that should have remained confidential.

Are you guilty of publicly saying ugly things about others or an organization? Perhaps pray before you say something. At times, in anger,  it is easy to fly off the handle and let someone have it then afterwards you may regret it. Whatever you do or say do it as a representative of the most high God. If you love Jesus then represent him well.

 PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank you for my mouth, my tongue, my vocal cords and the ability to speak, laugh, sing, shout and everything else. It is a blessing so help me remember that and use it as such. Forgive me when I have hurt someone with what I say and help me be able to forgive those who have hurt me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.