Trust,.If you do not have it, what you have is, insecurity, doubt, and most always disappointment.Trust though, begins with you! Proverbs 3:5-6
It is not always the other person trust involves, most times, if we think about it, it begins right at home! Within ourselves, and our thinking. We may try and blame other people, yet most time we need to look at us.
When you put your trust in anyone and they let you down, you begin to doubt your decisions and choices you make. Primarily because you trusted someone, who you should have been able too, and they let you down. If you do that, even a couple of times, you tend to lose trust in yourself and your ability to make right choices.
Other ways we lose trust in ourselves, when we are in a relationship, or have had an abusive parent, or relative. This could even involve sexual abuse, verbal abuse, and even physical abuse! We get to a point we start believing the abusive put downs, and beat downs as our fault. Thus we begin the journey of doubt, not trusting or even being trusting because we have taken upon us the life that was abused into us.
That is a wall that needs to come down. A veil that needs to be torn from the top down. A veil that God wants to take care of, if you will trust him with everything you have in you. People make mistakes, but they are not mistakes! We need to relearn to trust others by trusting ourselves. Realizing we too have made mistakes in the past. We may we have hurt some one we love by lying to them, or cheating a friend, or worse.
We can only come to that kind of trust, when we can trust the One who is trustworthy. God cannot lie. Titus 1:2, God is always faithful. Hebrews 10:23, God will never leave us. Hebrews 13:5. Trust comes from deep within. To trust again in yourself, you actually have to put your trust in someone else. That someone is God, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path."
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
When losing is actually winning!
When you think you have won, because you got your way, is not a win, it just means you got your way! Phil. 2:4
Getting your own way never means winning, sometimes it just means you thought more highly of yourself. It could also mean you just wore someone down to the point they just gave in? Either way, it is a type of selfishness. A self centered way of saying, you are better than you opponent!
If winning is all you think about, life is going to just pass you by, with absolutely no joy in it. Losing is part of life, and not always in a way that you are actually losing anything, but gaining much! We tend to have the idea to achieve anything, to go anywhere we have to be the winner. This is not so, if we can handle loss at times we stand to gain more and understand more of life.
Winning is not all about sporting events, etc.. But about being humble in our relationships, even to the point where someone else's feeling become more important than your winning. Their success becomes as important as yours. Also when we lose, what we may think is a golden opportunity, and settle for the fact we have lost and give up, we may be missing out on the biggest win of our lives.It may mean it was just the others persons time.
Something better may be just around the corner.
So accepting what we think is a loss, becomes a certain win if we can look at loss, as not a loss. Maybe a jump start to something better. We just need to be a little more patient and maybe a little more humble. If we tend to look outside of our own little box, listen a little closer, go a little slower, more genuine wins are on the way.
They will be wins, that everyone will want to celebrate with you, because they are part of the win, and not an opponent, not an enemy! Philippians 2:4 says, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."
Jesus sacrifice at the cross, to most, looks like a loss, but He never felt that. His giving His life for us, losing His life on the cross of Calvary, was a decisive win for mankind.
Sometimes being willing to lose, is the most loving and winning thing we will ever experience. Especially when we learn that winning means losing, and losing means winning!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Character or character what are we really?
Want to be a great example to people, keep your character and integrity in tact, never compromise that! Luke 12:3
You may not think it, but what you say and do, whether in private or not, tends too come out in the open one way or another. We may not let the world know what we are doing, and most certainly, in our minds, we are getting away with something. That is dangerous, and wrong thinking that we trap ourselves into believing.
Jesus said, "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops." What Jesus is saying here, nothing we do, nothing we say, that goes against character, and integrity, will be hidden.
If we lie, it we tend to get caught, because once we start we have to continue fabricating our stories until we one day get tripped up. What happens then is, we have lost trust. Once trust is lost, it is harder to gain back, because to regain trust, we can never lie again. If lying has been our practice, it is a difficult habit to break! We will never gain trust if we cannot break the bad habit.
The worse trap we set for ourselves is, no one can see me, or no one has heard me. Yes someone has, and that someone is God! We forget He is everywhere we are. Whether lost or saved, God is everywhere! Not only that, we tend to brag, or tell someone we think we can trust, with information you don't want to get out. Because, when we do wrong, we feel guilty, or want to brag. We have to share that and when we do... get the picture?
Cheating, stealing, dishonesty, etc., are all traits of character and integrity breakdown. When we do these things, people, friends, and family, anyone in our circle of influence is affected! When we are a leader, a boss, a Christian, a Pastor, a mom, a dad, anyone with influence, people are watching and listening! And they should, because they need examples.
But when we choose to break the rules of integrity, and throw our character out the window for a moment of pleasure, something we feel we can get away with, and no body will know, somehow and someway we get caught. If not now maybe later down the road. The results are still tragic and have consequences. A loss of respect, a loss of trust, broken homes, loss of family and friends, the list can go on.
People's lives, our families, all those around us deserve better. They need to know there are still people who have morals. If not us then who? If we cannot do what is right in the eyes of God and those around us, why do we expect it from anyone else? If we truly sit and think about it, these are traits we do not like about others, yet we do them, why? Because we think we can get away with it! Wrong!
Everyone gets caught eventually. Is it worth it? You need to ask yourself, what would be the cost of my decision? Could I loose respect and trust of those around me? Will I be leading people astray, causing them to stumble, because they saw me as a person of integrity and character? Instead, what they saw was deceit, dishonesty, which resulted in disappointment and let down.
If we talk it, we need to walk it! if not, it may be best that we do not hold positions of leadership or responsibility. Until we can walk as children of light, until we can live an open book life, we may need to do a little soul searching. If we are making excuses to do wrong, if we cannot come clean, and live clean before those around us, We need to stop and think.
We need to take time, do a personal inventory, come before God, back to God, or even take this time to ask Him into your life and make you, who you need to be. To transform you, take away the old and replace
it with the new. People deserve better. They need to see people holding on to their integrity, that their character is important. We need to be that important to ourselves, what do we have to gain? Everything! What do we have to lose? Everything!
You may not think it, but what you say and do, whether in private or not, tends too come out in the open one way or another. We may not let the world know what we are doing, and most certainly, in our minds, we are getting away with something. That is dangerous, and wrong thinking that we trap ourselves into believing.
Jesus said, "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops." What Jesus is saying here, nothing we do, nothing we say, that goes against character, and integrity, will be hidden.
If we lie, it we tend to get caught, because once we start we have to continue fabricating our stories until we one day get tripped up. What happens then is, we have lost trust. Once trust is lost, it is harder to gain back, because to regain trust, we can never lie again. If lying has been our practice, it is a difficult habit to break! We will never gain trust if we cannot break the bad habit.
The worse trap we set for ourselves is, no one can see me, or no one has heard me. Yes someone has, and that someone is God! We forget He is everywhere we are. Whether lost or saved, God is everywhere! Not only that, we tend to brag, or tell someone we think we can trust, with information you don't want to get out. Because, when we do wrong, we feel guilty, or want to brag. We have to share that and when we do... get the picture?
Cheating, stealing, dishonesty, etc., are all traits of character and integrity breakdown. When we do these things, people, friends, and family, anyone in our circle of influence is affected! When we are a leader, a boss, a Christian, a Pastor, a mom, a dad, anyone with influence, people are watching and listening! And they should, because they need examples.
But when we choose to break the rules of integrity, and throw our character out the window for a moment of pleasure, something we feel we can get away with, and no body will know, somehow and someway we get caught. If not now maybe later down the road. The results are still tragic and have consequences. A loss of respect, a loss of trust, broken homes, loss of family and friends, the list can go on.
People's lives, our families, all those around us deserve better. They need to know there are still people who have morals. If not us then who? If we cannot do what is right in the eyes of God and those around us, why do we expect it from anyone else? If we truly sit and think about it, these are traits we do not like about others, yet we do them, why? Because we think we can get away with it! Wrong!
Everyone gets caught eventually. Is it worth it? You need to ask yourself, what would be the cost of my decision? Could I loose respect and trust of those around me? Will I be leading people astray, causing them to stumble, because they saw me as a person of integrity and character? Instead, what they saw was deceit, dishonesty, which resulted in disappointment and let down.
If we talk it, we need to walk it! if not, it may be best that we do not hold positions of leadership or responsibility. Until we can walk as children of light, until we can live an open book life, we may need to do a little soul searching. If we are making excuses to do wrong, if we cannot come clean, and live clean before those around us, We need to stop and think.
We need to take time, do a personal inventory, come before God, back to God, or even take this time to ask Him into your life and make you, who you need to be. To transform you, take away the old and replace
it with the new. People deserve better. They need to see people holding on to their integrity, that their character is important. We need to be that important to ourselves, what do we have to gain? Everything! What do we have to lose? Everything!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
IRON FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: Falling short of the best why?
IRON FAITH FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: Falling short of the best why?: We need to do our best because of who we are, if we are not willing to do our best for us, what are we saying about who we are? Romans 12:1,...
Falling short of the best why?
We need to do our best because of who we are, if we are not willing to do our best for us, what are we saying about who we are? Romans 12:1, God used the Apostle Paul to write to the church at Rome, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
We need to remember first and foremost, that we belong to God. If we do belong to Him, our best should never be in question. The problem with most folks today, they do not know how precious they are and who they belong to. They cannot do their best when they don't feel, and know they were created to be the best.
We were created in the image of God (Gen.1:27-28), that makes us pretty special. If we truly understood this, we would do everything special. Because we were created as something special. When we go by our own power, and our perception of who we are, we tend to struggle and hardly feel good enough to ourselves, let alone God!
We need to come into a genuine relationship with our Creator. In the book of Psalms, the writer knew who made him, and how special that made him feel. Psalm 139:14-"I will praise You, (God) for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your (God) works, and that my soul knows very well." David, who was a real person by the way, knew who he was, soul deep!
King David did his best because he knew who he was, and who created him! His very soul knew well, the deepest part of him. What fills us? What is in our deepest parts? Is our very soul telling us to do our best, because we are created to do so? Or do we continue to fall just short of the mark, because we just do not feel that great about who we are?
God also used Paul to write to the Corinthian church, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." (II Corinthians 5:17) We can be made new? We can become a new creation of God? Yes! As we were created in the beginning to be the very image of God, we fell away to sin and ourselves.
Come back to God through Jesus Christ and be restored, renewed, and refreshed, a new creation. To do what your best, because now you know who you are. Not better than anyone else, just the best we can be to God and ourselves, because we were created to do so. When we do our best for God, lives change around us.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Have it all together, hmm!
People who claim they have it all together, do not have it all together, they probably have more of the whatever, than anything! Romans 3:10-11 When I hear folks say they have it all together, they never do this or that, I begin to wonder. I wonder if they ever leave their homes at all, if they have any relationships at all. I really wonder if they are dealing with reality, or just plain hiding something.
There is no one out there perfect, no one righteous, as Romans 3 says. When folks say they have no problems, they are not dealing with life! I have talked to folks who say, we have never argued our entire marriage. Bet they are arguing with someone somewhere! People cannot suppress feelings like that. It is a time bomb waiting to explode.
When people make these claims, they are not being honest with themselves. They do not realize it is healthy to release a little. No one agrees 100% of the time, and frustrations built up, are going to come out. If not with a spouse, with someone! 40 year marriages have collapsed, and families stunned, trying to figure out what could have happened. Their children making the claim, "They never had a cross word or fight." Yet now they are divorced! Frustrations come out sooner or later!
I am not saying you have to have a knockdown, drag out fight always, to have a healthy relationship. But, you should always be able to share your disagreements, your frustrations. If you cannot, someone in that relationship has more control than he or she needs to have. There is no one perfect. There is no one who has it so together. If there were, we would not have the need for a Savoir!
"There are non righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seek after God. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:10-11, 23). There was one, and one only who was perfect, Jesus, only He could die for our sins, because He alone was sinless. That being said, tells me no one out there is doing it all right. Chances are they are doing more of the, whatever, than anything!
You have to care. And if you care, you are going to have something to say about anything you do not agree with. Self-righteousness, is nothing but pride hidden by deception. When we convince ourselves we are perfect, and we have no problems, we have it all together, we are telling people we are God. That is a dangerous place to be! Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
People who have it all together, have a whatever attitude. If that does not change it could lead to a very lonely life!
There is no one out there perfect, no one righteous, as Romans 3 says. When folks say they have no problems, they are not dealing with life! I have talked to folks who say, we have never argued our entire marriage. Bet they are arguing with someone somewhere! People cannot suppress feelings like that. It is a time bomb waiting to explode.
When people make these claims, they are not being honest with themselves. They do not realize it is healthy to release a little. No one agrees 100% of the time, and frustrations built up, are going to come out. If not with a spouse, with someone! 40 year marriages have collapsed, and families stunned, trying to figure out what could have happened. Their children making the claim, "They never had a cross word or fight." Yet now they are divorced! Frustrations come out sooner or later!
I am not saying you have to have a knockdown, drag out fight always, to have a healthy relationship. But, you should always be able to share your disagreements, your frustrations. If you cannot, someone in that relationship has more control than he or she needs to have. There is no one perfect. There is no one who has it so together. If there were, we would not have the need for a Savoir!
"There are non righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seek after God. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:10-11, 23). There was one, and one only who was perfect, Jesus, only He could die for our sins, because He alone was sinless. That being said, tells me no one out there is doing it all right. Chances are they are doing more of the, whatever, than anything!
You have to care. And if you care, you are going to have something to say about anything you do not agree with. Self-righteousness, is nothing but pride hidden by deception. When we convince ourselves we are perfect, and we have no problems, we have it all together, we are telling people we are God. That is a dangerous place to be! Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
People who have it all together, have a whatever attitude. If that does not change it could lead to a very lonely life!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Is this all I can expect out of life?
If this is as good as it gets, then that is the best we can expect! Psalm 139:14-"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. I so love this verse as it reminds me not to settle, not to give in to the norm, because we were created for great things. We may not be a President, a general, or a famous author, but we were created for a special purpose.
That special purpose is, to share our lives with those who have no hope. Sharing what we have been given because we know who made us that way. We are not to be anyone else, or want to be like anyone else, because we were created to be us. A unique personality that reveals God in all of our actions because we are grateful for all He has done in us and through us!
It is when we do not know God or except the fact we were created in His image, that we truly understand our real purpose in life. Why we have no hope for the future, why we get to the point, this is as good as it gets, and lose our zeal for a great life! God has so much to show us, if only we can come to the realization, that we are special in His eyes.
It is only when we come to know Him in a personal way, through His Son Jesus Christ. Can we truly understand how wonderfully made we are and God has a plan for our lives. A plan that far outweighs what the world deems as wonderful. We can do a lot of wonderful things, yet if we do not understand how wonderful we have been made to be, our goals seem fruitless, with no value!
Take Jesus today as your Savior, He is calling to you. Listen to that still small voice and answer the call to salvation. Confess with your mouth, and most importantly believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and be saved. If you have done that already, and still feel it can get no better for your life than what it is. Stop and reestablish your relationship with God.
He wants to have fellowship with you, He wants you to come to His throne boldly and talk with Him. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you, because He is a personal and intimate God! Come to that place and see if your perception of life does not change. Come to that point and you will see lives around you change because you are doing what you have been created to do.
Sharing Jesus with a lost and dying world that has no hope. When people see hope in you, and they hear you proclaim how fearfully and wonderfully you have been made. When they hear you praise God how marvelous you are in His sight, then and only then will they expect that life does get better even in the worst of times, and those times are coming!
Give them hope today, because you have hope, give them something to live for, because you have something to live for, Jesus! In whom they can have life and have it more abundantly. This is not as good as it gets! In Jesus, believe me it gets better!
That special purpose is, to share our lives with those who have no hope. Sharing what we have been given because we know who made us that way. We are not to be anyone else, or want to be like anyone else, because we were created to be us. A unique personality that reveals God in all of our actions because we are grateful for all He has done in us and through us!
It is when we do not know God or except the fact we were created in His image, that we truly understand our real purpose in life. Why we have no hope for the future, why we get to the point, this is as good as it gets, and lose our zeal for a great life! God has so much to show us, if only we can come to the realization, that we are special in His eyes.
It is only when we come to know Him in a personal way, through His Son Jesus Christ. Can we truly understand how wonderfully made we are and God has a plan for our lives. A plan that far outweighs what the world deems as wonderful. We can do a lot of wonderful things, yet if we do not understand how wonderful we have been made to be, our goals seem fruitless, with no value!
Take Jesus today as your Savior, He is calling to you. Listen to that still small voice and answer the call to salvation. Confess with your mouth, and most importantly believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and be saved. If you have done that already, and still feel it can get no better for your life than what it is. Stop and reestablish your relationship with God.
He wants to have fellowship with you, He wants you to come to His throne boldly and talk with Him. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you, because He is a personal and intimate God! Come to that place and see if your perception of life does not change. Come to that point and you will see lives around you change because you are doing what you have been created to do.
Sharing Jesus with a lost and dying world that has no hope. When people see hope in you, and they hear you proclaim how fearfully and wonderfully you have been made. When they hear you praise God how marvelous you are in His sight, then and only then will they expect that life does get better even in the worst of times, and those times are coming!
Give them hope today, because you have hope, give them something to live for, because you have something to live for, Jesus! In whom they can have life and have it more abundantly. This is not as good as it gets! In Jesus, believe me it gets better!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
What's love got to do with it?
Love, without expectation is not love. Love encourages, exhorts, and stands alongside, tells us when we are wrong, yet, also when we are right! (I Cor. 13) When we read the love chapter, as it is called, do we truly take it as serious as it is? I sometimes think not. The divorce rate, even in the body of Christ, is astounding! The divorce rate according to Barna is around 33%. Not much different than those who are not church affiliated. (this survey was taken from 3792 or so people) the average across the board 33% wow!
What has happened in the church? Where are we falling short? One answer may be a misinterpretation of the true meaning of love, or the lack of teaching it in the home and at church! Instead of discouraging divorce, we make excuses for it. Instead of calling it sin, we excuse it away. In the home, instead of taking our responsibility, we spend our time blaming the other person for what may have gone wrong.
In the church, we have stopped calling divorce sin, and have provided special Sunday school classes just to accommodate those who have gone through a divorce. In those classes the sin of divorce is not mentioned. It is just a place where people come together for comfort and support. Instead as a church we need to be training them in love, it's commitment, it's sacrifice, for better or for worse, richer or poorer etc.
I know this does not include all churches, yet a few that I have been in have provided such a class. If we love these folks, if we care, we need to prepare them much better. Instead of a divorced members class, we need to have a I Corinthians 13 class! Before they get married, during, and even if divorce becomes the inevitable! If they are going to have a sound relationship with anyone, they have to have a sound relationship with the one who created love, Jesus Christ!
Why can't the church be different in this area? Lack of true love accountability! When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisee's on this subject of divorce, Matt. 19:1-10, They asked Him why did Moses give this command of divorce, Jesus response was, because of the hardness of their hearts. From the beginning it was not so. Except for sexual immorality there was no reason for divorce!
Some folks may elect to get divorced regardless. But the church should never be part of the excuse process! We can always recommend separation for a time, especially in an abuse situation, but never divorce! On the contrary, we are to assist in reconciliation. The same as restoring one to Christ, we must put our efforts in helping to restore marriages!
We need so desperately to get back to biblical principles, in all relationships, whether dating, pre-marriage, our relationship with God! Love, true love is the key. Love never means all is acceptable, love means it is time to get to work. It is time to grow up in the Lord and stop making excuses why we cannot stay committed!
Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, seeks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoice in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails. (I Cor.13:4-8a) Whats love got to do with it? True love has everything to do with it. God, help us to relearn Your love!
What has happened in the church? Where are we falling short? One answer may be a misinterpretation of the true meaning of love, or the lack of teaching it in the home and at church! Instead of discouraging divorce, we make excuses for it. Instead of calling it sin, we excuse it away. In the home, instead of taking our responsibility, we spend our time blaming the other person for what may have gone wrong.
In the church, we have stopped calling divorce sin, and have provided special Sunday school classes just to accommodate those who have gone through a divorce. In those classes the sin of divorce is not mentioned. It is just a place where people come together for comfort and support. Instead as a church we need to be training them in love, it's commitment, it's sacrifice, for better or for worse, richer or poorer etc.
I know this does not include all churches, yet a few that I have been in have provided such a class. If we love these folks, if we care, we need to prepare them much better. Instead of a divorced members class, we need to have a I Corinthians 13 class! Before they get married, during, and even if divorce becomes the inevitable! If they are going to have a sound relationship with anyone, they have to have a sound relationship with the one who created love, Jesus Christ!
Why can't the church be different in this area? Lack of true love accountability! When Jesus was confronted by the Pharisee's on this subject of divorce, Matt. 19:1-10, They asked Him why did Moses give this command of divorce, Jesus response was, because of the hardness of their hearts. From the beginning it was not so. Except for sexual immorality there was no reason for divorce!
Some folks may elect to get divorced regardless. But the church should never be part of the excuse process! We can always recommend separation for a time, especially in an abuse situation, but never divorce! On the contrary, we are to assist in reconciliation. The same as restoring one to Christ, we must put our efforts in helping to restore marriages!
We need so desperately to get back to biblical principles, in all relationships, whether dating, pre-marriage, our relationship with God! Love, true love is the key. Love never means all is acceptable, love means it is time to get to work. It is time to grow up in the Lord and stop making excuses why we cannot stay committed!
Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy, love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek it's own, is not provoked, seeks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoice in truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails. (I Cor.13:4-8a) Whats love got to do with it? True love has everything to do with it. God, help us to relearn Your love!
- (The Barna Group of Ventura, California) and website address (www.barna.org).
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Restoration or humiliation, it's your choice!
If we say we care, yet, do not hold those we love accountable, what are we truly saying? (Galatians 6:1) If we know someone was about to do themselves harm what would you do? Would you take the chance the plan may pass, or would you intervene? These I think are great questions for all of us who say we care. Who want nothing but the best for those we love and care deeply about.
Accountability, is not as bad as we make it out to be. Nor is it as frightening as we make it out to be! It can actually be a life saving, face saving, honor saving grace. Galatians 6:1 tells us, and this is just one verse, Brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
We are supposed to do this, we are not to put it off, and we are to do it gently and without judgement, lest we too could fall. It is not a scary thing, it is not a hurtful situation. That is just something we get in our thinking, that keeps us from doing the right thing. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:38) I can always remember hearing people say, if you knew, why didn't you say something? How many others know?
We need accountability. We need to care further than we do. We need to worry less about hurting feelings, and help to possibly save our friend, and or family from unnecessary embarrassment! We are to care more about restoration than humiliation! Romans 15:1-3 says, "We who are strong, have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on me."
If we were restoring a home, a car, a yard, whatever, we would do it wholeheartedly, so what was restored would reflect of us! Why would we think any less of those we love and say we care about. Are they not also a reflection of us? Are we not seeing them as the image of God who created them? We need to. We need to stop sparing our feelings to hopefully save theirs!
Accountability, is not as bad as we make it out to be. Nor is it as frightening as we make it out to be! It can actually be a life saving, face saving, honor saving grace. Galatians 6:1 tells us, and this is just one verse, Brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
We are supposed to do this, we are not to put it off, and we are to do it gently and without judgement, lest we too could fall. It is not a scary thing, it is not a hurtful situation. That is just something we get in our thinking, that keeps us from doing the right thing. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. (Matthew 22:38) I can always remember hearing people say, if you knew, why didn't you say something? How many others know?
We need accountability. We need to care further than we do. We need to worry less about hurting feelings, and help to possibly save our friend, and or family from unnecessary embarrassment! We are to care more about restoration than humiliation! Romans 15:1-3 says, "We who are strong, have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on me."
If we were restoring a home, a car, a yard, whatever, we would do it wholeheartedly, so what was restored would reflect of us! Why would we think any less of those we love and say we care about. Are they not also a reflection of us? Are we not seeing them as the image of God who created them? We need to. We need to stop sparing our feelings to hopefully save theirs!
Monday, June 17, 2013
If it's not broke don't break it!
One thing everyone learns sooner or later, If you force anything, you generally break it, the same goes for people (Proverbs 3:3). This verse says, let not mercy forsake us, or do not let it get by you. We, at times want so much for people, especially our families and friends, that we force feed them the gospel. Doing it this way, what are we doing? We may be pushing them away, rather than gathering them in!
It is like putting a wrench on a bolt, we get it tight, yet we want to put a little more on it and bam! We either strip it or we can even break it off! That is why we use tools in the first place. When that tool will not turn a nut any further, we need to stop, if we don't it causes more work than necessary! The same thing with sharing Jesus, we have the tools. We have the word of God. We need to use it properly. We need to let the word do what it does.
We need to just plant the seed and live a life that shines for Jesus, to the world, and have a little more mercy in doing it. Sometimes we want to do the work, the word will do. That is where we may come to the breaking point. We need to understand, we, ourselves can change no one! We are to be fishers of men, not the cleaners of them!(Matthew 4:19)
No where in scripture does it ever tells us to force feed anyone. We just need to give them Jesus and He will do the rest. We need to be putting our faith to practice more than our own personal desires.We have to remember, it is in what we do by example and not desire. The Pharisees had a problem with this very thing, they acted better than everyone. They tried to conform people to, and by their ways, and were missing the point completely.
They were trying to force people, by a guilt method, to change, even to the point they would separate from them! Jesus said, this is not the tool to be using in Matthew 9:13, He says, "But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
We cannot do this by our ways and means. There is no force used here, just mercy!
We need to remember, it was by God's grace we have been saved not of our selves. We were not forced. We were not pushed. We were already broken. Why would God want to break us more? Let us start using again the tools God has given us. His word, and in that word, mercy is one of the most important of tools to win people to Jesus!
It is like putting a wrench on a bolt, we get it tight, yet we want to put a little more on it and bam! We either strip it or we can even break it off! That is why we use tools in the first place. When that tool will not turn a nut any further, we need to stop, if we don't it causes more work than necessary! The same thing with sharing Jesus, we have the tools. We have the word of God. We need to use it properly. We need to let the word do what it does.
We need to just plant the seed and live a life that shines for Jesus, to the world, and have a little more mercy in doing it. Sometimes we want to do the work, the word will do. That is where we may come to the breaking point. We need to understand, we, ourselves can change no one! We are to be fishers of men, not the cleaners of them!(Matthew 4:19)
No where in scripture does it ever tells us to force feed anyone. We just need to give them Jesus and He will do the rest. We need to be putting our faith to practice more than our own personal desires.We have to remember, it is in what we do by example and not desire. The Pharisees had a problem with this very thing, they acted better than everyone. They tried to conform people to, and by their ways, and were missing the point completely.
They were trying to force people, by a guilt method, to change, even to the point they would separate from them! Jesus said, this is not the tool to be using in Matthew 9:13, He says, "But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
We cannot do this by our ways and means. There is no force used here, just mercy!
We need to remember, it was by God's grace we have been saved not of our selves. We were not forced. We were not pushed. We were already broken. Why would God want to break us more? Let us start using again the tools God has given us. His word, and in that word, mercy is one of the most important of tools to win people to Jesus!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Why patience is not our enemy!
What was the first thought, that came to your mind this morning, as you saw the rain? Patience! James 5:7 (Raining in Wilmington Delaware). This could be a question just about anywhere, as it has been raining across the country. In some case horrible weather has been taking place, especially in Oklahoma! Continue to send your prayers by the way!
What are our first thoughts really, when we wake to a day of rain? Does it dictate your mood? Does it set you back on some goals you may have planned for the day? Do you feel discouraged, because now the kids have to stay in, or the kids have to go out in nasty weather? Either or, how much do we let the weather, any kind, dictate how we go through the day?
In James, it talks about being as patient as a farmer, who waits on the early or later rain that he may receive his crops. Basically it talks about not setting your sights on the wrong things, but set them on the Lord and his return. Set your sights on the eternal and not the temporary. Set your sights on what lasts and what does not!
Did you ever stop and notice, that our complaining does not change the weather,only our attitude and mood?
When it's winter we are too cold, when it's spring, it's too wet, when it's summer, it's too hot, and when fall comes we are already worried about winter! The time we are wasting on the things we cannot control is amazing. We need to learn from the farmer how important life is if we keep everything in perspective. We need the seasons.
Winter, a time to slow down and gather our thoughts. Spring, a time of refreshing and renewing. Summer a time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. And fall a time to regroup and review what we have gained. As we go on, as we endure, we will begin to see the blessings of God (James 5:11). We need to get to a place with God, that we see Him in everything, everything!
Patience is not our enemy. On the contrary, patience can be a very useful tool. Something that's helpful not hurtful. Not something to frighten us away from asking for some. When the weather stops us, slows us down, it is for a reason. Maybe even a lesson in patience?
First do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? You can today, how? Come before Him now ask Him into your life. There is no mistake that you are hearing His call, there is no mistake that you are being drawn to Him. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Next step is to find a good Bible believing church, to learn and grow in the Lord!
What are our first thoughts really, when we wake to a day of rain? Does it dictate your mood? Does it set you back on some goals you may have planned for the day? Do you feel discouraged, because now the kids have to stay in, or the kids have to go out in nasty weather? Either or, how much do we let the weather, any kind, dictate how we go through the day?
In James, it talks about being as patient as a farmer, who waits on the early or later rain that he may receive his crops. Basically it talks about not setting your sights on the wrong things, but set them on the Lord and his return. Set your sights on the eternal and not the temporary. Set your sights on what lasts and what does not!
Did you ever stop and notice, that our complaining does not change the weather,only our attitude and mood?
When it's winter we are too cold, when it's spring, it's too wet, when it's summer, it's too hot, and when fall comes we are already worried about winter! The time we are wasting on the things we cannot control is amazing. We need to learn from the farmer how important life is if we keep everything in perspective. We need the seasons.
Winter, a time to slow down and gather our thoughts. Spring, a time of refreshing and renewing. Summer a time to enjoy the fruits of our labors. And fall a time to regroup and review what we have gained. As we go on, as we endure, we will begin to see the blessings of God (James 5:11). We need to get to a place with God, that we see Him in everything, everything!
Patience is not our enemy. On the contrary, patience can be a very useful tool. Something that's helpful not hurtful. Not something to frighten us away from asking for some. When the weather stops us, slows us down, it is for a reason. Maybe even a lesson in patience?
First do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior? You can today, how? Come before Him now ask Him into your life. There is no mistake that you are hearing His call, there is no mistake that you are being drawn to Him. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Next step is to find a good Bible believing church, to learn and grow in the Lord!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
When are civil rights not civil rights?
When do civil rights become imposing rights? It is not a civil right just because you choose it to be! Think about some things here, what if the thief who feels it's his or her civil right to take what is yours? What about the person, who feels because they do not like clothing, it is his or hers civil rights to walk around naked?
Or how about the person who does not like what you stand for, and feels it is there civil right to dispose of you? When the Civil Rights issues were brought forth originally, it was not with the plan to afford anyone who felt they had rights to get there way! Our African American brothers and sister could not use a white bathroom, or drink from the same water fountain, go to the same stores, eat at the same restaurants etc.
I believe that is what Civil rights afforded them. Not every whim, or personality conflict that comes down the pike! If you think the statements mentioned above are far fetched, take a look around you and see what our Government is trying to either sneak by as a civil right or, force feed us with the sympathy ploy! Choices we make do not make the case for civil rights!
African Americans could not make choices, they did not have rights, they did not have the same freedoms afforded to Whites. Those were the kind of rights, the civil rights movement paved the way for. Today, no one has to ride in the back of the bus, even though they want to most times. When same sex marriage got passed in Delaware I was not happy, and I was open about that.
Yet I also said that it would pave the way and had hidden agendas, that would even go against the rights of these folks why? Because enough is never enough, even when people get their way. Enough is never enough and it becomes a civil right! People may have the right to live as they wish, but that does not make it a civil right!
It just makes it a right. But when your rights take away the rights of others, it is going against everything the civil rights movement stands for! Think about it a while! I know there are folks who will not agree, but I do not write because I want you to agree. You have the right to disagree, but it is not a civil right, it is just a right!
If you believe the far reaching things I mentioned above cannot happen, the way civil rights issues are being abused and confused, again I say think about it! There are things taking place today people claimed would never happen in this country well? Isaiah 5:18-20, Matthew 24
Or how about the person who does not like what you stand for, and feels it is there civil right to dispose of you? When the Civil Rights issues were brought forth originally, it was not with the plan to afford anyone who felt they had rights to get there way! Our African American brothers and sister could not use a white bathroom, or drink from the same water fountain, go to the same stores, eat at the same restaurants etc.
I believe that is what Civil rights afforded them. Not every whim, or personality conflict that comes down the pike! If you think the statements mentioned above are far fetched, take a look around you and see what our Government is trying to either sneak by as a civil right or, force feed us with the sympathy ploy! Choices we make do not make the case for civil rights!
African Americans could not make choices, they did not have rights, they did not have the same freedoms afforded to Whites. Those were the kind of rights, the civil rights movement paved the way for. Today, no one has to ride in the back of the bus, even though they want to most times. When same sex marriage got passed in Delaware I was not happy, and I was open about that.
Yet I also said that it would pave the way and had hidden agendas, that would even go against the rights of these folks why? Because enough is never enough, even when people get their way. Enough is never enough and it becomes a civil right! People may have the right to live as they wish, but that does not make it a civil right!
It just makes it a right. But when your rights take away the rights of others, it is going against everything the civil rights movement stands for! Think about it a while! I know there are folks who will not agree, but I do not write because I want you to agree. You have the right to disagree, but it is not a civil right, it is just a right!
If you believe the far reaching things I mentioned above cannot happen, the way civil rights issues are being abused and confused, again I say think about it! There are things taking place today people claimed would never happen in this country well? Isaiah 5:18-20, Matthew 24
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Knowing our limitations!
Once we realize our own limitations, and the frailties of our lives, will we learn how to put greater value, on the things that matter! (Ecclesiastes 4:6) We, well, most all of us, struggle with this. Basically it is called pride, no wants anyone to think we are inadequate. We want people around us to think well of us, so the last thing we want them to see is any weaknesses!
We have to come to terms with the fact we are limited. We cannot do it all, for ourselves and others. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:6, Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. Sometimes, we just need to admit, we need help. We need to learn, or just being quiet, and not jump at every opportunity. It is better to take what we have, than to take on more than we can truly handle!
As you read this today, as you stop and evaluate your life a little closer, are you content? Have you finished the tasks before you, or are you grasping at the wind, and accomplishing nothing? Better a handful with control, than two handfuls that keep you from grabbing the handrail before you fall.
We have to come to terms with the fact we are limited. We cannot do it all, for ourselves and others. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:6, Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind. Sometimes, we just need to admit, we need help. We need to learn, or just being quiet, and not jump at every opportunity. It is better to take what we have, than to take on more than we can truly handle!
As you read this today, as you stop and evaluate your life a little closer, are you content? Have you finished the tasks before you, or are you grasping at the wind, and accomplishing nothing? Better a handful with control, than two handfuls that keep you from grabbing the handrail before you fall.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
We are not to be all things to all people!
We can not waste our time being all things to all people. We are not God. The one thing we can do for all people is, do all things through Christ, the one who we get our strength. It is only by Him, and through Him, that we can do for people what we do! (Phil. 4:13) We never want to try and do God's work in anyone's life, it has always got to be God working through us that will make the difference in them!
Too many times we want to force feed, we want to be the potter, we want to form people into what we want. That may not be exactly what God wants for any person. If they are truly transformed by the blood of Jesus, He will form them and mold them to exactly where and what He wants them to be. We need to be available to do what He wants us to do from that point in their lives.
We are to disciple, teach, and train them in the word of God. Pray with and for them. We are never told to fix or change anyone! If we are busy with God working on ourselves, He will use that in the life of lost and saved people. As we stay focused on Him, He will keep our focus and perspective on what he has planned, and where He is planning to do it.
We need to take our eyes off the horizontal relationships, and set them on the vertical relationship, and watch God work in our lives. When we do that, as we establish our relationship with Him, it will become much clearer what God wants us to do! We let God do the life changing business, that will put us in the life serving business! As we serve Him better, we will serve His purpose better, and will serve His people better.
We really can do nothing without God in the drivers seat of our life. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches, if a man remain in me, and I in him he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5). We can only do these things through the strength that comes from Jesus. Anything apart from that, is man made. Just a bandage, a temporary fix, that usually leaves us wondering why people fall away as they do!
We need to lead them to Jesus. They need to see Jesus working and living in our lives, that is what they need from us. They do not need to see one thing being said, and another being done! They need to see real faith, faith lived out daily in outlives. We need to stop trying to be all pleasing, all agreeing, all fixing Christians. We are not God! What we are, and should be, are is His instruments to work through, for His good purpose, and His good pleasure!
Too many times we want to force feed, we want to be the potter, we want to form people into what we want. That may not be exactly what God wants for any person. If they are truly transformed by the blood of Jesus, He will form them and mold them to exactly where and what He wants them to be. We need to be available to do what He wants us to do from that point in their lives.
We are to disciple, teach, and train them in the word of God. Pray with and for them. We are never told to fix or change anyone! If we are busy with God working on ourselves, He will use that in the life of lost and saved people. As we stay focused on Him, He will keep our focus and perspective on what he has planned, and where He is planning to do it.
We need to take our eyes off the horizontal relationships, and set them on the vertical relationship, and watch God work in our lives. When we do that, as we establish our relationship with Him, it will become much clearer what God wants us to do! We let God do the life changing business, that will put us in the life serving business! As we serve Him better, we will serve His purpose better, and will serve His people better.
We really can do nothing without God in the drivers seat of our life. Jesus said, I am the vine and you are the branches, if a man remain in me, and I in him he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5). We can only do these things through the strength that comes from Jesus. Anything apart from that, is man made. Just a bandage, a temporary fix, that usually leaves us wondering why people fall away as they do!
We need to lead them to Jesus. They need to see Jesus working and living in our lives, that is what they need from us. They do not need to see one thing being said, and another being done! They need to see real faith, faith lived out daily in outlives. We need to stop trying to be all pleasing, all agreeing, all fixing Christians. We are not God! What we are, and should be, are is His instruments to work through, for His good purpose, and His good pleasure!
Monday, June 3, 2013
As good as we wish it to be!
Today is as good or bad as we wish it to be, if you are breathing today I would say, it's a good day, God has shown you favor enjoy His blessings and accept today as a gift! Psalm 118:24
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