THE LAST WORD

THE LAST WORD

 

When you get into a situation with someone where angry words flare up do you feel it necessary to get the last word? It sometimes is so difficult to hold that tongue and keep quiet. Maybe you want to prove your point. Bible teacher Joyce Meyer often says to say to yourself  "Maybe I might just be wrong." It is better to try to defuse an argument before one starts up.

 

Proverbs 15:1 has a great scripture to commit to memory and it is " A soft answer turns away wrath". If someone is trying to pick a fight with you try to stay calm and remember this verse. Do not start into a yelling match or it will never end. Words can be spoken when angry that you do not even mean. So chill out and stay calm.

 

Fights sometimes start for the dumbest reasons. Do something one day when you have time. Get your Bible concordance and look up 'words', 'the mouth', 'danger of the tongue' and you will find a tremendous amount of verses on the little tongue of ours.

 

The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln said this about words.

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Well said Mr. President! Honest Abe was also wise Abe. Let me end with this. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."  Proverbs 10:8 says "The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces." Do not allow yourself to be a babbling fool. PRAYER: Lord you are  good and your mercies endure forever. You are there for me when I stumble with the words that come out of my mouth. Help me to think before I speak. Give me peace, wisdom, and discernment. In Jesus Name. Amen.

YOUR FACE IN THE MIRROR

YOUR FACE IN THE MIRROR

As I was in the drive thru of my local fast food restaurant recently I noted the looks of the peoples faces in their rear view mirrors. The lady behind me looked like she was having the  most terrible day. I was wondering how my face looked to others if they were to see my face in the rear view mirror. Is it happy, joyful with a smile on it? This is something you probably don't give much thought to. Do you appear content? If not, what is there to frown about?

Do you want your face to reflect the joy of the Lord even when you think no one may see you? I am not expecting you are going to smile all your waking hours  but it sure is more pleasant.

There was a song several years ago entitled 'Put On A Happy Face' and part of its' lyrics were as follows "Gray skies are going to clear up, put on a happy face,Brush off the clouds and cheer up, put on a happy face." When a problem consumes our every waking moment  it may be difficult to 'put on a happy face' and the remedy for this is trying to focus on your blessings. Believe it or not, everyone has things to be thankful for. Get out a sheet of paper and start listing some things you ate thankful for. It might surprise you.

Make an effort each day to focus on the good and not the bad in your life. Satan will do what he can to keep your thoughts off God and joy by causing you fear , worry, and doubt. Phillipians 4:8 says " Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable think on these things."  It sure is easier to have a happy face in the mirror when you let Jesus lift you higher than your problems.

Don't spend your time worrying about things down here it says. Once you have developed this spiritual discipline of thinking good thoughts that smile will naturally follow.

PRAYER: I thank you Jesus that the joy of the Lord gives me strength. I thank you that the enemy has no power over me and I will not allow him to cause me a lack of contentment. In Jesus name. Amen.

THE ACORN

THE ACORN

 

Recently on a hike in a nearby state park I could hear the sounds of acorns dropping to the ground all around me. I picked one up and brought it home. It  got me to thinking about this  and how this little nut of sorts produces a mighty sturdy oak tree. 

 

When you read the word of God it plants a 'seed' of sorts in your heart. There is a passage of scripture that talks about the kind of 'soil' it may drop into. Mark 4:15-20 tells us about this 'soil'. It reads as follows "

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

What kind of 'soil' is the word of God falling into in your life. Do weeds choke it out? Start today asking God to help cultivate the soil in your heart so the word of God grows and makes a difference in your life.

 1 Corinthians 3:7 says "So neither he that plants or he that water is anything but God gives the increase."   Make sure the soil of your heart is prepared properly so the word of God is able to take root in your life.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the word of God. Thank you Lord that I can freely read the Bible each and every day without hiding in a basement with a flashlight worried about being arrested. I want the 'soil' of my heart to always be ready to let the word grow and flourish. In Jesus name. Amen.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?

A sports hero, parent, military person, political figure, actor, teacher, scout leader? What about Jesus? He should be the ultimate role model for anyone who says they are a Christian. Why try to mold your life after a rock star, sports celebrity, or movie star? Parents, teachers, scout leaders, and military members are certainly great choices but still mere men can fail and mess up and disappoint us. Not Jesus. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is the Alpha and The Omega. He is Almighty, Ever Present, All Knowing. He is Abba Father. He is better than wizards, sorcerers, kings, fortune tellers, genies or a magic spell. Only through Jesus do we live and move and have our being. He alone brings comfort and joy.

 

I am not saying your parents are not super role models and hopefully they indeed are but we are to try to be like Jesus in everything we say and do. Hopefully your parents have done a good job raising you for the Lord but if not forgive them and move on in life.

 

Do you desire to be Christlike? I am not saying a holier than thou type of appearance but do you want people to know you are a Christian by the love you display and your words and actions?

 

1 Peter 1:14-16 reminds us  "So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

 

If you get up each day and read the word of God and start following it soon you will start to be more Christlike and want to be with Him.

 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I love my parents and they did a super job raising me and for that I am grateful. Lord I love to be like them but I know it is more important to try to be like you .Help me Lord to do things to represent your name in a good way just like I would my earthly parents. I do not want to shame them and I certainly do not want to bring shame on you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

GOD FOCUSED OR PEOPLE FOCUSED?

GOD FOCUSED OR PEOPLE FOCUSED?

Are you more concerned about what God thinks of you or concerned more about your image in front of people? First of all God loves you and he is waiting for you to fully, completely love Him back. This does not mean token attendance at church each Sunday. Check the block and done for another week. No  but He wants you to love Him with all your heart, soul, and mind. If all you ever do is just attend church out of obligation with no real love behind it what good is that? Sure you are exposed to the true word of God by your attendance at  a Bible teaching church.But being God focused is way more than Sunday morning.

Are you ashamed of God? I hope not for it says in Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamedwhen he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” I take note of the recent decision in the Democratic National Convention to try to oust God from their platform. During the televised vote there were way more' nays' than there were 'ayes' but never the less the ayes took it against the wish of the screaming delegates. This saddened me a great deal. Wonder what God was thinking during all this. We can not keep shoving him out of our lives and expect to keep being blessed as a nation.

 

So is your delight more in what man thinks of you or about God? in John 12:43 there is a verse that says "for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." There may be people in churches today who think it is a little overboard to do more than Sunday. Sure you can have socials and picnics and bazaars but where is the time during the week you are encouraged to read  your Bible and focus on Jesus?

 

God does not like to be second place, or third place or not in your life at all. People can not save you. Only God can save you. In Proverbs 29:25  it says "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." Who do you trust in today? Have you truly asked Jesus to be Lord of your life? The time is now to put him first!

 

PRAYER:Forgive me Lord when I have cared more about the opinions of others than of pleasing you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

IS GOD MOLDING YOU?

Disappointments, problems, hurt, being ignored or overlooked, rejection, fear. Who or what is shaping you? Are you being squeezed into the worlds' mold or are you trying to be molded by the spirit into a vessel for the Lord? Oftentimes the 'world' with its images of success confuse us and make us feel discontent. God created each person for a purpose and it was not to covet other peoples' things or desire to be like a Hollywood Star, Wall Street Mogul, or NY Model. Each of us has a place where God wants us to be. If you are in a certain place in life others look up to and which you no doubt worked hard for, stay humble and stay pliable for God. The main thing is we should desire to be formed and molded into a Christlike image. It should be our all consuming desire.

It says in Isaiah 64:8 that "He is The potter and we are the clay." Think about that for anyone who has ever done pottery. You take a big chunk of clay and start slapping it around to form the image you want before you put it in a kiln to fire it. So it is slapped and kneaded and then set in a very hot oven. Our trials we go through in life may not seem pleasant but they are used to conform us to His image.

Are you able to praise God through hardships of life? Death, illness, job loss, rejection by peers, and many other devastating things? These are all things occurring on the 'potter's wheel' of life. In the end all that matters is our relationship with the Lord.

PRAYER: Lord sometimes it hurts to be shaped and molded on your Potters' Wheel but I am thankful for everything in my life for it is making me into the person you want me to be. Help me Lord keep on the track of life that molds me into your image and not the worlds'. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Click on the link below and worship the Lord in song.

http://youtu.be/0ojULQaVoaw

Reading assignment: In the Old Testament Jeremiah Chapter 18

LET GOD BE FIRST IN AMERICA AGAIN

 

We are blessed to be founded as a Christian nation. It was very unique how the founders looked to scripture to mold our nation and write our laws. There will always be enemies of God and the Bible that will try to get them removed. The good news is we still have the ability to openly worship in public and own a Bible. Many countries with dictators outlaw anything Christian. We in this country do not need to be so naive to think it can not happen here.(Remember the vote at the recent Democratic Convention to remove God from platform?). Do not take your freedom or your Bible for granted. Evil is always running around trying to destroy any mention of the name of God.

Even some main stream denominations have twisted the word of God to suit their needs. God will have the final say in the end. Church should be about growing in Christ and knowing him better. Our national motto is 'One Nation Under God' yet enemies of Christianity even have tried to remove that. There are atheistic groups who try to ban prayer at football games and other events. Jesus name holds power and perhaps these non believers know that.

2 Peter 3:9 tells us "The Lord is not slow concerning His promise not wishing any to perish but for all to come to repentance." In Proverbs 18:10 it says "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe."

Much chaos is going on in the United States today and in Middle Eastern nations. Many think the end is near. We are not to fear. In Mark 13:7 it says "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars do not be alarmed. Such things must happen but the end is still to come."

I always like to pray this verse from Psalm 68:1 which says " Let God arise and His enemies be scattered."

We in America who call ourselves Christians should memorize and do what it says in 2 Chronicles 7:14. It says " if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land."

Psalm 33:12 reminds us "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." Galatians 6:7 says "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that I can read my Bible without armed guards coming in and locking me up and shooting me. Forgive me when I have neglected daily prayer or reading your word. In it we find eternal life and strength to face everything. Help our leaders get into the Word of God. Thank you for freedom. Protect it Lord. In Jesus name.Amen.

Click on link for a good song of freedom.

http://youtu.be/U_uIKRCbrzo

Note: If you have not yet seen it already, go see the movie playing now in most states, Last Ounce Of Courage. You will not be sorry.