(Devotion for Thursday 31 March 2011 sent early)
Two days ago I was alone in an Asian restaurant for lunch and in my fortune cookie was the following "Soon someone new coming into your life will be a best friend." Wow. Well I do not believe fortunes but this made me think of the value of friendship. For anyone who has ever been hurt by a friend you know how important friends are. Friendship is one of God's biggest blessings! The person who has a close trusted friend is very blessed indeed.
I have been blessed to move about 12 times in my 33 years of married life thanks to the US Army. It has been a joy because my friends across the US in my military family and some civilians in towns we lived in without a base or post were like my regular family. We had holiday meals with them just as you would your relatives. Military folks develop a special sort of camaraderie with the friends they make. In 28 years of military service we never got assigned overseas but I understand the US Forces overseas even have a closer bond. I have a picture up on my wall at home in the hallway that says "Home is anywhere the Army sends us." How true!
The saying goes, 'If you want to be a friend you have to show yourself friendly.' Do not be friends with someone only if they can help you get ahead. But be a true friend that is there through thick or thin, in good times and no so good. If you have been hurt or betrayed the Bible says in Luke 6:28 to "Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." It is hard to not like someone when you pray for them. Even if they do not like you or want to hang out with you nothing says you can not still pray. God does not want us to harbor resentment and grudges. Even if the other person is ugly to you keep on praying. Do not stoop to their level. Be Christlike and ask God for the ability to love them with God's love.
I always say to try to be nice when someone is being mean. An appropriate Bible verse for that would be Romans 12:21 which says "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
You may be in a strained relationship with a friend now over something you said or did. Proverbs 15:1 says "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Sometimes you may try and try and try to make someone like you and it just isn't happening. You give it to the Lord and trust him to work it out. You blew it maybe and want this person to like you or maybe you did nothing and they just do not want to be your friend anymore. It hurts. Begging someone to like you will not work and may work the opposite effect.
An offended friend is hard to win back. Proverbs 18:19 says "An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars." So you say why wouldn't a believer just forgive someone and move on? I do not have the answer to that. But through struggles of all sorts in this life down here we learn to face up to things and grow as a result. We learn from experiences good or bad.
The good news here is that God loves you and he is your ultimate friend. He does not want you having pity parties but he wants you to think about all the wonderful things you have in your life and the friends you do have who do love and appreciate you. We can not make everyone like us. Getting angry does no good either.
God is your best friend. Run to him and let him comfort you. The enemy will want you to have self pity and anger towards the person who hurt you but Gods' word says to pray for those who have hurt you. That is certainly not the worlds' way. The world would say, 'just call them up and tell them off '. That would not be a good idea nor a Christian thing to do.
Be thankful for the friends you do have who love you and thank the Lord too for the problems you have in your life with former friends who no longer want to hang around with you because it is through the bad and the good that we learn and grow closer to the Lord.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus I thank you so much for my friends. I thank you when friends want to do things and when they send notes of encouragement. Help me always try to be the best kind of friend to those you have placed in my life. If I have unknowingly ever hurt anyone I ask you Lord to forgive me and heal that broken relationship now in Jesus name. Amen.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
HOPE IN GOD
There is much uncertainty about life in general and also in our world today. Seemingly some of our own leaders want to walk us into socialism or even communism. But we know what the Bible says about who is really in control anyway. There is much human fear if we focus on the news. Just keep praying and pray for Christians in America to take heed to signs of loss of freedoms.
Traditional marriage is under attack as is life in the womb. Seemingly a panda bear is safer in America than a human baby. The family breakdown has contributed to many of our problems and taking the Bible out of everything has also been a major player in the slide away from morality, truth and freedom. We can not keep burying our head in the sand. Freedom and the Christian way of life are under attack.
We further are protecting a religious sect who is out to destroy 'the infidel'. Crazy times, utter nonsense. Who would have seen it coming? Many are still deceived just like God's word talks about and are believing a lie. But thankfully Jesus is still Lord and God is still on the throne. Satan is the 'great deceiver' and has put blinders on many who can not see the dangers.
Joshua 1:9 tells us "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
This is a great promise and a great hope. Our hope is not in a man or a government institution but in the Lord God almighty maker of heaven and earth.
Zechariah 14:9 says , " The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name." The Lord will ultimately deal with the liars, cheaters and those who are hurting his people.
Keep praying!!
PRAYER: Lord we thank you for the freedoms we enjoy in these wonderful United States. Evil forces never like freedom and do not like the word of God. Help us stand strong and stand up for the truth under all circumstances. Protect us from evil forces that try to take us captive. We do not take freedom for granted. In Jesus name. Amen.
Traditional marriage is under attack as is life in the womb. Seemingly a panda bear is safer in America than a human baby. The family breakdown has contributed to many of our problems and taking the Bible out of everything has also been a major player in the slide away from morality, truth and freedom. We can not keep burying our head in the sand. Freedom and the Christian way of life are under attack.
We further are protecting a religious sect who is out to destroy 'the infidel'. Crazy times, utter nonsense. Who would have seen it coming? Many are still deceived just like God's word talks about and are believing a lie. But thankfully Jesus is still Lord and God is still on the throne. Satan is the 'great deceiver' and has put blinders on many who can not see the dangers.
Joshua 1:9 tells us "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
This is a great promise and a great hope. Our hope is not in a man or a government institution but in the Lord God almighty maker of heaven and earth.
Zechariah 14:9 says , " The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name." The Lord will ultimately deal with the liars, cheaters and those who are hurting his people.
Keep praying!!
PRAYER: Lord we thank you for the freedoms we enjoy in these wonderful United States. Evil forces never like freedom and do not like the word of God. Help us stand strong and stand up for the truth under all circumstances. Protect us from evil forces that try to take us captive. We do not take freedom for granted. In Jesus name. Amen.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
NO MORE MANIPULATION OF GOD
How many of us may say a prayer such as 'if you do such and such I will do this." God is not a 'Deal or No Deal' God. And he has a big plan and you should not be working behind the scenes against that plan. Sometimes earthly situations do not seem to make sense and we may want to try to work behind the scenes to help move God along. Do not scheme as it will do no good. It will only cause you stress. Our good intentions oft times backfire.
Instead of orchestrating and trying to manipulate things or being 'holy spirit junior' as Bible teacher Joyce Meyer calls it ,try praying. Manipulating, prying and the like only bring pain but if you have issues and want to see changes sincerely cry out to God. James 5:16 has the formula to use and it says "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
In the book of Jonah we find Jonah running and hiding from God because he did not want to do what he said. We all know what happens there. Feel like being swallowed by a giant fish today?Sometimes we just do not want to listen to God. Psalm 81:11 says "But no, my people wouldn't listen. Israel did not want me around." In Psalm 106:25 it says "They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord." Humans sometimes think we know more than God. 1 Peter 2:25 says "Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls." The Shepherd will take care of you if only you trust him and follow him.
Patience is required. We humans do not like to wait. In the Bible a disastrous story of not waiting was Abraham his wife Sarah and their handmaid Hagar. God told them they would have a son and being past child bearing age Sarah did not trust God to fulfill this promise and took matters into her own hands. The ultimate soap opera unfolded right here in the Bible. Their impatience had disastrous results for mankind.The custom then was to use handmaids to speed things up. Sarah told Abraham to take her handmaid, Hagar and sire a son by her, since she could not wait on God to fulfill his promise, which Abraham did. The son born was named Ishmael but he was not the promised Son. Sarah eventually did conceive and have a son, Issac, which was the promised son. Sarah became jealous of Hagar. Issac went on to father Jacob and Jacob was to father twelve sons, some of these to were by handmaids. These twelve sons were the twelve patriarchs, siring the twelve tribes of Israel or the nation of Israel. Ishmael also sired twelve sons that became large tribes but these were always the enemy of Israel and gave Israel much trouble over time. We can see the trouble going on today in the Middle East as a direct result of this and not waiting on God for the promise he had in store.
We are here on this earth to serve God and to be molded in his image. Earthly situations sometimes frustrate us but we need to 'let go and let God' and not try to do things our own way. Pray and trust God for the outcome. Philippians 4:19 is one of my favorite verses and it says "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Be patient and allow him to work things out in your life.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus help us to learn to wait on you and trust you have our best interests at heart. You alone are the almighty God and you know the 'big picture'. Help me not mess up your plan by trying to do my own thing. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Instead of orchestrating and trying to manipulate things or being 'holy spirit junior' as Bible teacher Joyce Meyer calls it ,try praying. Manipulating, prying and the like only bring pain but if you have issues and want to see changes sincerely cry out to God. James 5:16 has the formula to use and it says "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
In the book of Jonah we find Jonah running and hiding from God because he did not want to do what he said. We all know what happens there. Feel like being swallowed by a giant fish today?Sometimes we just do not want to listen to God. Psalm 81:11 says "But no, my people wouldn't listen. Israel did not want me around." In Psalm 106:25 it says "They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord." Humans sometimes think we know more than God. 1 Peter 2:25 says "Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls." The Shepherd will take care of you if only you trust him and follow him.
Patience is required. We humans do not like to wait. In the Bible a disastrous story of not waiting was Abraham his wife Sarah and their handmaid Hagar. God told them they would have a son and being past child bearing age Sarah did not trust God to fulfill this promise and took matters into her own hands. The ultimate soap opera unfolded right here in the Bible. Their impatience had disastrous results for mankind.The custom then was to use handmaids to speed things up. Sarah told Abraham to take her handmaid, Hagar and sire a son by her, since she could not wait on God to fulfill his promise, which Abraham did. The son born was named Ishmael but he was not the promised Son. Sarah eventually did conceive and have a son, Issac, which was the promised son. Sarah became jealous of Hagar. Issac went on to father Jacob and Jacob was to father twelve sons, some of these to were by handmaids. These twelve sons were the twelve patriarchs, siring the twelve tribes of Israel or the nation of Israel. Ishmael also sired twelve sons that became large tribes but these were always the enemy of Israel and gave Israel much trouble over time. We can see the trouble going on today in the Middle East as a direct result of this and not waiting on God for the promise he had in store.
We are here on this earth to serve God and to be molded in his image. Earthly situations sometimes frustrate us but we need to 'let go and let God' and not try to do things our own way. Pray and trust God for the outcome. Philippians 4:19 is one of my favorite verses and it says "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." Be patient and allow him to work things out in your life.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus help us to learn to wait on you and trust you have our best interests at heart. You alone are the almighty God and you know the 'big picture'. Help me not mess up your plan by trying to do my own thing. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Monday, March 28, 2011
LAUGH ON
A church sign I passed by recently said ' Laughing, God's Best Gift'. That statement is more true than we realize. Scripture even says " a merry heart does good like medicine" (Proverbs 17:22). When you smile you feel better and you bring joy to people around you. Try this experiment. While shopping and passing many frowning faces, which is pretty typical, make it your goal to make people smile. Just walk around and smile and maybe even say hi. Some people will wonder what you are up to.
I just can never understand why there are so many gloomy looks out there. Your smile may change someones whole entire day. You can even smile with your eyes. Just have a good attitude and the smile should follow.
When I was a reservations agent for a major airline no customers could see me because they called our toll free number and got customer service. We were taught to 'smile' with our voice. I loved doing that. You can tell when you get an agent at a call center who is not happy to be there because their voice and attitude giveaway their gloomy heart. There may be real issues promoting sadness but if not then it is time for a smile makeover.
Go one step further and brighten someones day with a funny greeting card for no reason. A friend of mine recovering from cancer was appreciative of the humorous line of cards Hallmark has for cancer patients because she said it made her smile. Laughter is the best medicine.Flowery somber cards are fine but sometimes we need a real belly laugh.
Following God's word is the road to true happiness.John 13:17 says 'if we know these things' meaning the things in the Bible "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them". In the Bible it even talks about being a 'hilarious' giver when referring to tithing.(See 2 Corinthians 9:7) How many of us are truly happy when giving our money away? We need to be able to smile when we are able to bless others and smile because of being thankful for the bounty of God we have to share with others.1 Timothy 6:6 says "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment."
Here is a good clean church joke to get your day started. "One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle.
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out.
Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
There you have it. Hope that made you chuckle. Laughing is good. Doctors will tell you it is good for healing. There are even laughter classes in some hospitals.I actually googled that subject and came up with all sorts of stuff.
You can choose to be happy and if someone in your day is trying to steal your joy do not respond ugly but pray for them and keep smiling. God loves you and he loves a merry heart.
PRAYER: This is the day you have made Lord and I will rejoice and be glad in it. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I want to be joyful. Help me spread your joy and laughter to those I come in contact with today. In Jesus Name. Amen.
I just can never understand why there are so many gloomy looks out there. Your smile may change someones whole entire day. You can even smile with your eyes. Just have a good attitude and the smile should follow.
When I was a reservations agent for a major airline no customers could see me because they called our toll free number and got customer service. We were taught to 'smile' with our voice. I loved doing that. You can tell when you get an agent at a call center who is not happy to be there because their voice and attitude giveaway their gloomy heart. There may be real issues promoting sadness but if not then it is time for a smile makeover.
Go one step further and brighten someones day with a funny greeting card for no reason. A friend of mine recovering from cancer was appreciative of the humorous line of cards Hallmark has for cancer patients because she said it made her smile. Laughter is the best medicine.Flowery somber cards are fine but sometimes we need a real belly laugh.
Following God's word is the road to true happiness.John 13:17 says 'if we know these things' meaning the things in the Bible "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them". In the Bible it even talks about being a 'hilarious' giver when referring to tithing.(See 2 Corinthians 9:7) How many of us are truly happy when giving our money away? We need to be able to smile when we are able to bless others and smile because of being thankful for the bounty of God we have to share with others.1 Timothy 6:6 says "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment."
Here is a good clean church joke to get your day started. "One Sunday in a Midwest City, a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle.
Finally, the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out.
Just before reaching the safety of the foyer, the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
There you have it. Hope that made you chuckle. Laughing is good. Doctors will tell you it is good for healing. There are even laughter classes in some hospitals.I actually googled that subject and came up with all sorts of stuff.
You can choose to be happy and if someone in your day is trying to steal your joy do not respond ugly but pray for them and keep smiling. God loves you and he loves a merry heart.
PRAYER: This is the day you have made Lord and I will rejoice and be glad in it. The joy of the Lord is my strength. I want to be joyful. Help me spread your joy and laughter to those I come in contact with today. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
START PRAYING AND STAY REAL
Want to walk victoriously and see change in the life of yourself and those you pray for then start being sincere in your prayers. Not just the kind where you say "now I lay me down to sleep" or 'bless the little children in Africa' and 'take care of Grandma and Grandpa' but get real with the Lord and take time to pray. Sure there are times for what I call 'popcorn prayers' where you send a quick prayer to the Lord when it comes to mind but it is awesome to go to a quiet place and get on your knees if you can and cry out to God for all sorts of stuff.
There is something introduced through Moms in Touch called a DAWG day or 'day alone with God'. If you are able to schedule this it is a wonderful get away from distractions of your home and where your sole purpose is devoted to prayer and studying the Bible. When you pray, be authentic. Prayer is simply talking to God. So many have said to me in past, "will you pray for me as you seem to have a hotline to God." News flash. I am honored and humbled but I have no hotline more than the next person. Each of us is capable of praying. Matthew 6:7 says, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." Just simply talk. That is all that is required. You do not need to say a bunch of 'thee's and thou's' either.
Be patient and allow God to work. And keep a clean heart. Psalm 66:18 says "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." So you see you can not be harboring resentment and ill will in your heart and expect God to answer your prayers. Let's say you just get out of church and then about one half hour later you are gossiping about someone or talking about someone being an 'idiot'. Did you really learn the lesson of God's love or was your heart closed and you were just occupying a seat for church? It does no good to simply go into a church building if your heart is not changed when you depart. If you are around people like this in your life it somehow does no good to point it out but the Holy Spirit has to convict them of their wrong attitude. Ask God to help you keep a watch over your lips and allow the conviction of wrong to come from the Lord not you.
If you say 'Lord I love you' and then claim to not like someone or do not choose to forgive anyone then I doubt your prayers will get very far. 1 John 4:20 tells us "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." John 13:35 says"By this they will know you are my disciples if you have love one for another." How many people are out there in churches today who will walk out and be no different? You have to desire to be more like Jesus and not just be a Sunday Christian. Sunday is important but you have to live out what you learned all week.
Have you called anyone an ugly name? Do you find it hard to love some people? Do you resent anyone? Is there bitterness in your heart toward a friend or co worker? Do you find it hard to forgive an offense? All these things are blocking the answers to prayer in your life because they do not please God. Ask God to help you love the unlovable. He can do it. Say "Lord I want to love people like you love them. Help me to do this."
Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." God wants to hear from you. You should pray and never lose heart. (See Luke 18:1).Finally Colossians 4:2 says "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Always have a thankful heart for what the Lord has done in your life. "Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Be a part of the 'US Prayer Force' and cry out to God for your family, your country, and anything that crosses your mind. Big fancy words are not necessary. God just wants you to come to him and humble yourselves and pray.
PRAYER: Thank you father for the privilege of coming to you in prayer. What a tremendous gift to talk to you each day. I thank you for hearing my prayer and answering according to your will. Cleanse any area in my life that does not please you and help me be convicted of when I do something that displeases you so my prayers are not hindered. In Jesus Name. Amen.
There is something introduced through Moms in Touch called a DAWG day or 'day alone with God'. If you are able to schedule this it is a wonderful get away from distractions of your home and where your sole purpose is devoted to prayer and studying the Bible. When you pray, be authentic. Prayer is simply talking to God. So many have said to me in past, "will you pray for me as you seem to have a hotline to God." News flash. I am honored and humbled but I have no hotline more than the next person. Each of us is capable of praying. Matthew 6:7 says, "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words." Just simply talk. That is all that is required. You do not need to say a bunch of 'thee's and thou's' either.
Be patient and allow God to work. And keep a clean heart. Psalm 66:18 says "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened." So you see you can not be harboring resentment and ill will in your heart and expect God to answer your prayers. Let's say you just get out of church and then about one half hour later you are gossiping about someone or talking about someone being an 'idiot'. Did you really learn the lesson of God's love or was your heart closed and you were just occupying a seat for church? It does no good to simply go into a church building if your heart is not changed when you depart. If you are around people like this in your life it somehow does no good to point it out but the Holy Spirit has to convict them of their wrong attitude. Ask God to help you keep a watch over your lips and allow the conviction of wrong to come from the Lord not you.
If you say 'Lord I love you' and then claim to not like someone or do not choose to forgive anyone then I doubt your prayers will get very far. 1 John 4:20 tells us "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." John 13:35 says"By this they will know you are my disciples if you have love one for another." How many people are out there in churches today who will walk out and be no different? You have to desire to be more like Jesus and not just be a Sunday Christian. Sunday is important but you have to live out what you learned all week.
Have you called anyone an ugly name? Do you find it hard to love some people? Do you resent anyone? Is there bitterness in your heart toward a friend or co worker? Do you find it hard to forgive an offense? All these things are blocking the answers to prayer in your life because they do not please God. Ask God to help you love the unlovable. He can do it. Say "Lord I want to love people like you love them. Help me to do this."
Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." God wants to hear from you. You should pray and never lose heart. (See Luke 18:1).Finally Colossians 4:2 says "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Always have a thankful heart for what the Lord has done in your life. "Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Be a part of the 'US Prayer Force' and cry out to God for your family, your country, and anything that crosses your mind. Big fancy words are not necessary. God just wants you to come to him and humble yourselves and pray.
PRAYER: Thank you father for the privilege of coming to you in prayer. What a tremendous gift to talk to you each day. I thank you for hearing my prayer and answering according to your will. Cleanse any area in my life that does not please you and help me be convicted of when I do something that displeases you so my prayers are not hindered. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
TURN ON THE POWER
You can enter a dark room but will be in total darkness unless you know to flip the switch to illuminate the room and be able to see. Many so called Christians are sort of powerless. They do all the 'right' things by going to church on Sunday, not being bad, paying taxes, being kind and putting offering in the plate but they lack the spiritual zeal and fire and sometimes it may be hard to tell they really love the Lord. I have heard the term 'frozen chosen' referring to some denominations who maybe are timid about raising their hands in the air to praise Jesus. Some people may say, 'now don't you go overboard with that religious stuff' or you act like a 'Jesus freak' and I say to them, "What is wrong with being a Jesus freak?" We are here on earth to serve him not just occupy space.
If you want to shine for Jesus your spiritual fire has to be lit. Just going to church on Sunday then having no desire for prayer or other Christian growth such as Bible reading or listening to praise and worship music all week keeps you sort of only a flicker of a candle. If you do not feed your spirit it will die out.Satan loves complacency in Christians. He wants you to just be 'churched' and that is all. For when you start to hunger and thirst for growing in Christ and getting into the Bible Satan is scared. It is then you start to have power to defeat the enemy and win victories in your life.
Many Christians are what we call 'carnal' where they do nice things but Christ is sort of outside their life. They do not include him or think of him. It is not about going to a church building but it is about accepting Christ and dusting off your Bible and knowing him through his word. Many of us have more desire to watch secular TV than we do to open the Bible. Many will pay good money to go see a rock band but no money for a Christian movie or concert. I guess those folks are undercover Christians right? Wrong.
Satan loves this type of people. The ones who are not excited about loving the Lord and barely know how to find the books in the Bible. We can not be effective for him unless we know the word for it is there we find the things we need to help ourselves and other people. Or Satan's lie is "You are so heavenly minded you are no earthly good."
The desire has to be there and that is part of problem. Many have no desire at all to pick up the word except when told to in church on Sunday. This to me then sounds like a heart transformation is needed. You can not just go to church one day a week and say you love Jesus. It takes getting to know him. Sometimes 'religion' has turned people off and what they need is a church where Jesus is alive and their is a non judgmental attitude and where you can come as you are and feel accepted, warts and all. No special clothing is needed to get in the door only a desire to praise and worship the Lord. A 'relationship' is needed where Jesus is Lord of your life and you want to talk about him and want to please him in your actions. Don't fit Jesus into your day, fit your day around Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 says to "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Is Jesus really first in your life? Are you ashamed to identify yourself as a Christian in some settings? The Bible says "If you are ashamed of me I will be ashamed of you"(see Mark 8:38). Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled."
I will close with Psalm 63:1-8. Meditate on what it says and pray if you do not feel excited to be a Christian ask God to change that. Prayer changes things. " You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me."
PRAYER: Father there may be those reading this today who fit the category of a carnal Christian. One who says he is a Christian simply because of baptism or that he goes to church or is a 'member' but has no desire for you in his life except on Sunday. A Christian life is to be a 24/7 life for the Lord. Lord you are to be in every aspect of our life. Help anyone who struggles to ask themselves if they really have asked you to be Lord of their life and if not to do it now. In Jesus Name, Amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qQm8283qsg
If you want to shine for Jesus your spiritual fire has to be lit. Just going to church on Sunday then having no desire for prayer or other Christian growth such as Bible reading or listening to praise and worship music all week keeps you sort of only a flicker of a candle. If you do not feed your spirit it will die out.Satan loves complacency in Christians. He wants you to just be 'churched' and that is all. For when you start to hunger and thirst for growing in Christ and getting into the Bible Satan is scared. It is then you start to have power to defeat the enemy and win victories in your life.
Many Christians are what we call 'carnal' where they do nice things but Christ is sort of outside their life. They do not include him or think of him. It is not about going to a church building but it is about accepting Christ and dusting off your Bible and knowing him through his word. Many of us have more desire to watch secular TV than we do to open the Bible. Many will pay good money to go see a rock band but no money for a Christian movie or concert. I guess those folks are undercover Christians right? Wrong.
Satan loves this type of people. The ones who are not excited about loving the Lord and barely know how to find the books in the Bible. We can not be effective for him unless we know the word for it is there we find the things we need to help ourselves and other people. Or Satan's lie is "You are so heavenly minded you are no earthly good."
The desire has to be there and that is part of problem. Many have no desire at all to pick up the word except when told to in church on Sunday. This to me then sounds like a heart transformation is needed. You can not just go to church one day a week and say you love Jesus. It takes getting to know him. Sometimes 'religion' has turned people off and what they need is a church where Jesus is alive and their is a non judgmental attitude and where you can come as you are and feel accepted, warts and all. No special clothing is needed to get in the door only a desire to praise and worship the Lord. A 'relationship' is needed where Jesus is Lord of your life and you want to talk about him and want to please him in your actions. Don't fit Jesus into your day, fit your day around Jesus.
Matthew 6:33 says to "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Is Jesus really first in your life? Are you ashamed to identify yourself as a Christian in some settings? The Bible says "If you are ashamed of me I will be ashamed of you"(see Mark 8:38). Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled."
I will close with Psalm 63:1-8. Meditate on what it says and pray if you do not feel excited to be a Christian ask God to change that. Prayer changes things. " You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me."
PRAYER: Father there may be those reading this today who fit the category of a carnal Christian. One who says he is a Christian simply because of baptism or that he goes to church or is a 'member' but has no desire for you in his life except on Sunday. A Christian life is to be a 24/7 life for the Lord. Lord you are to be in every aspect of our life. Help anyone who struggles to ask themselves if they really have asked you to be Lord of their life and if not to do it now. In Jesus Name, Amen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qQm8283qsg
Friday, March 25, 2011
THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY ALWAYS SEEM
It is easy to look at a situation and think we know why something is happening the way it is or why someone is acting the way they are but we do not know 'the rest of the story' as the late radio announcer Paul Harvey used to say. For instance, you see an American flag torn and shredded like it was shot out of a cannon and assume the people who own it do not care about America when in fact maybe they do not notice it because of other pressing things going on in their lives. A phone rings in church or a movie theater and you angrily glare at the person who was so rude to bring their phone to the theater, and then have the audacity to leave it on, when in fact it may be a total accident that they had it with them in first place.You are driving home from Sunday church and see children playing in a front yard and may think to yourself, 'can you believe the parents of those small children do not care enough about them to get them into church?' when in fact maybe they were there Saturday night or went to an early service because not every church is on an 11 a.m. time table these days. Driving down the highway you observe a bunch of litter in one place and think to yourself that some disrespectful young people or drunks the night before threw it out their car windows, but maybe it was garbage that fell out of the bed of a pickup trick or even out of a garbage truck. There is a pretty young looking girl who is on heavy set side and you may be thinking, why can't she get out and take care of herself and the 'temple' God gave her when in fact maybe a medical condition is preventing her from even moving without pain.
These are just a few scenarios where we can get in a complaint or judging mode when in fact some of these situations may have truly been an accident or not the fault of the person. True, there are those on the opposite spectrum of these examples such as the litterbugs and things like that but why not for our own sakes give the people the benefit of the doubt? The point is we need to keep our mind not thinking bad unmerciful thoughts or it will be hard to develop a spirit of compassion for those around us.
It is much better to look on situations with compassion and grace to be able to have a good attitude instead of always trying to find fault with something. What do we gain by nitpicking something apart anyway? As a believer it makes us look really bad. Try to operate in a spirit of compassion and not judgment. It does take some work especially if you grew up around a flurry of judgmental comments.
In the volunteer counseling I do for a pro life center I can not be looking with judgment and condemnation on the young unmarried ladies who come to see us. I have to share Christ's love with them. You do not win people by judging them. John 8:10-11 says when speaking to the woman caught in adultery, "Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Jesus told her to go and sin no more. He did not say, "you stupid idiot, didn't you know better?"
It seems it is easier to be negative than positive sometimes. How many of us have hung around negative people who drag us down or try to gossip and fault find? It is very tiring on our spirits to constantly hear griping and negativity. Let us instead not get caught up doing this but instead think of good things. Purposely go through your day looking for the good and not the bad. Sure the bad is still there but let us try to find good things around us.Try to maintain a positive outlook and attitude. We are not here to 'fix' everyone anyway. If you have a problem with this area then pray about it and ask for God to help deliver you from a condemning spirit.
Philippians 2:5 tells us "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." This is good to start practicing on a regular basis in daily life. Reach out to others with the love of Christ. Further on in Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 it says " Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." The more we practice thinking positive the easier it will get. Do not let negative people drag you down in their pit. Jesus wants you to be his 'hands and feet'. It is hard to do this when condemning others.
PRAYER: Lord we know none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness and thank you for being patient with us in our imperfect condition. Lord we want to be like you. Take out that part of us that is not Christlike and replace it with the love and compassion of Christ. Help our hearts break with the things that break your heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.
These are just a few scenarios where we can get in a complaint or judging mode when in fact some of these situations may have truly been an accident or not the fault of the person. True, there are those on the opposite spectrum of these examples such as the litterbugs and things like that but why not for our own sakes give the people the benefit of the doubt? The point is we need to keep our mind not thinking bad unmerciful thoughts or it will be hard to develop a spirit of compassion for those around us.
It is much better to look on situations with compassion and grace to be able to have a good attitude instead of always trying to find fault with something. What do we gain by nitpicking something apart anyway? As a believer it makes us look really bad. Try to operate in a spirit of compassion and not judgment. It does take some work especially if you grew up around a flurry of judgmental comments.
In the volunteer counseling I do for a pro life center I can not be looking with judgment and condemnation on the young unmarried ladies who come to see us. I have to share Christ's love with them. You do not win people by judging them. John 8:10-11 says when speaking to the woman caught in adultery, "Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Jesus told her to go and sin no more. He did not say, "you stupid idiot, didn't you know better?"
It seems it is easier to be negative than positive sometimes. How many of us have hung around negative people who drag us down or try to gossip and fault find? It is very tiring on our spirits to constantly hear griping and negativity. Let us instead not get caught up doing this but instead think of good things. Purposely go through your day looking for the good and not the bad. Sure the bad is still there but let us try to find good things around us.Try to maintain a positive outlook and attitude. We are not here to 'fix' everyone anyway. If you have a problem with this area then pray about it and ask for God to help deliver you from a condemning spirit.
Philippians 2:5 tells us "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." This is good to start practicing on a regular basis in daily life. Reach out to others with the love of Christ. Further on in Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 it says " Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." The more we practice thinking positive the easier it will get. Do not let negative people drag you down in their pit. Jesus wants you to be his 'hands and feet'. It is hard to do this when condemning others.
PRAYER: Lord we know none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness and thank you for being patient with us in our imperfect condition. Lord we want to be like you. Take out that part of us that is not Christlike and replace it with the love and compassion of Christ. Help our hearts break with the things that break your heart. In Jesus Name, Amen.
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