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It’s a Matter of Give and Take

Posted on May 12, 2014 ·

blog picture woman hurt feelings

 

 

13)Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13(NLT)

 

Offence: to cause (a person or group) to feel hurt, angry, or upset by something said or done.

 

I was thinking about “giving offence and taking offence” this last week. This is probably the easiest tool that Satan has for dividing the Body of Christ. It can effectively eliminate harmony and peace between people who have been told they must “Love one another” – if we let it.

We can all give offence. Let’s face it, an unguarded word or look can speak volumes to a sensitive person. Sometimes we can offend without even knowing we are doing it. Sometimes even a Christian can deliberately do or say something to hurt another Christian. Sadly, I have seen many “offended” people leave a church because their feelings were hurt by another Christian. We can more easily forgive a non-believer than a brother or sister in the Lord. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Forgiveness, Obedience, Peace, prayer, Uncategorized, Victory ·
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Loving the Unlovable

Posted on April 28, 2014 ·

blog picture homeless man34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Matthew 25:34-36

Sometimes we can learn valuable lessons from young Christians. I have had the honor of knowing some of the most beautiful hearted young Christians.

I was at work one day with a young woman with a gentle disposition and a fervent love for Jesus. She was an example for me. She told me she had been to church the day before and at the Communion she had stood next to a smelly homeless man. But that’s not the way she saw him. She said she remembered Jesus and how we minister to Him when we love and help the needy. Her heart went out to that man. She said she felt the Lord tell her that he was hungry. After Church she and her young husband took the man out for a bountiful meal.

Another time I met three young women who shared an apartment. All were devout Christians. They often told me how much they loved Jesus. One day they decided to have a “lasagna party” at their home for the many psychiatric homeless people that attended their inner city church. They fed about thirty people and made a joyful, happy time for people who did not have much joy in their lives.

Needy people often aren’t beautiful in the eyes of the world, but they are beautiful in Jesus’ eyes. Maybe we need to look around us for opportunities to bless those with need.

Jesus is Lord!

Filed Under: Love, Obedience, Uncategorized ·
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The Power of the Tongue

Posted on April 14, 2014 ·

blog picture child wordsDeath and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. Proverbs 18: 21

I wonder how many words we say in a day. Thousands, I guess. I often don’t remember that my words have a power. They can bless or curse. Lift up or put down. Frighten or encourage. Lighten a load or make it heavier.

I was working in a baby clinic a few years ago. As I entered the exam room, I heard a young mother speaking to her baby. “You’re no good. You are bad.” She said it twice before she noticed I had come into the room. I felt so sad for that little one. Words of death. That mother did not know the power of her own words. If she has not changed her words she will eat the fruit of her words in the behavior of her child. She will have what she said.

My eighty eight year old mother still speaks words of blessing and encouragement every time we talk to her. Those words of blessing still echo through my soul. I have heard them many times and yet they still bring comfort and the knowledge of my mother’s love. Words of life.

I have learned from my mother.

We remember that the Lord spoke the world into being. He also spoke and the ground was cursed when Adam sinned. Power.

The Lord wants the words that flow from our mouths to be life giving ,kind, loving, forgiving, uplifting blessings.

Let’s speak words of Life.

Jesus is Lord!

Filed Under: Love, Obedience ·
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More About the Rock Foundation

Posted on March 31, 2014 ·

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” -Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)

blog picture man on rockIn my last post we considered the difference between two houses. One was built on sand and the other built on rock. We saw that the house built on sand collapsed when the storms of life came.

Now let’s consider what happens when we are obedient, faithful Christians firmly planted on the Rock. The storms of life still come – job problems, kid problems, health problems, money problems and so on. But when the storm and floods are over, we are still standing. The Lord has told us that our lives won’t collapse. Our lives will go on strong with our feet firmly planted on the solid rock of the Lord.

Notice that as long as there is no storm the houses both seem to be secure. It is only when the storms, floods and winds come that the true foundation of the house is revealed.

Let’s stay on the Rock of obedience to the Lord.

Jesus is Lord!

Filed Under: Hope, Obedience, Uncategorized ·
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Solid Rock

Posted on March 24, 2014 ·

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” -Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)

 

  We saw the effects of a hurricane when Hurricane Charlie blew through the central West coast of Florida a few years ago. Structures that looked solid were tilted on their sandy foundations. Some collapsed completely.blog picture house collapsed

Two houses. One built on sand and one built on rock. A storm rose up. Rains, floods and winds beat against both. One collapsed. One stood. What was the difference?

 

 Sand is an uncertain foundation. Shifting, no two grains adhering to one another. When water and floods come the water can go under a house and undermine it washing away the support of sand under the house. Add in a fierce wind and the house can collapse. .

 

Rock on the other had is solid. Water can not undermine it. If a house is built on rock winds cannot create the damage we see with a sand foundation.

 

Hearing and obeying and hearing and not obeying. That is the difference between the two lives Jesus is talking about. One person hears the word of God and obeys it. The other doesn’t. The winds and storms come. Job problems, kid problems, money problems, health problems we see these things happen every day. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Obedience · Tagged:
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How Do I Love Me?

Posted on February 10, 2014 ·

picture blog girl looking in mirror Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e]38 This is the first and greatest commandment.39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f]40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

“Love you neighbor as yourself”. I was thinking about this a few days ago. I need to love my neighbor – which we know is everybody- the way I love me. So let’s think about this. We feed and clothe ourselves. When we are sick we take ourselves to the doctor’s. We make sure we have a roof over our heads. We easily forgive ourselves for the mistakes we make. We are merciful to us. We look kindly at ourselves in the mirror and try to look our best. We are good to us. We love ourselves.

Now we need to think about our neighbor. The way the Lord defines our neighbor is any and all people of the earth. Everybody is our neighbor. Now the challenge is to love the people around us in the same way we love ourselves. That would mean we treat them kindly, meet physical needs – like food, clothing and shelter as we are able. Forgive easily the mistakes that others make. Love them from our hearts.

Notice that the Lord says that “Loving your neighbor as yourself” is equally important as loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, soul and mind.

Let’s love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Jesus is Lord!

 

Filed Under: Love, Obedience, Word of God ·
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Look Behind You

Posted on January 20, 2014 ·

blog picture runnersIf you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: Deuteronomy 28:1-2.

 29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. Luke 12:29-31

 

The people of the world spend a great deal of time thinking about their needs and how they will be fulfilled. They chase after the things of this world. They worry about so many things.

 But when we obey the Lord and put Him first in our lives blessings chase after us.

Picture a race. We are running as fast as we can toward the Lord and coming up fast behind us and catching up with us are blessings. Take a moment and have a look at Deuteronomy 28:1-14. I call it the blessing scripture because there are so many blessings in it.

 So we as faithful followers of Jesus take our eyes off the things of this world. We follow the Lord and blessings will catch up with us.

 Jesus is Lord!

Filed Under: Faith and Trust, Obedience ·
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The Word of God Is Like a Seed

Posted on January 6, 2014 ·

blog picture seedlings13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?14 The farmer sows the word. Mark 4 :13

This is probably one of the most critical pieces of information that Jesus has given us about how the kingdom of God operates. He as said that the Word is like a seed. Let’s think about it for a minute. Let’s picture a tomato seed. Now we plant that seed into good soil and a plant grows and produces, let’s say, 10 tomatoes. Not only will we have the tomatoes but we will also have hundreds of seeds. If we take the hundreds of seeds and plant them, when we have our next harvest, not only will we have hundreds of tomatoes, but thousands of seeds. Wow! What ever we sow will produce more like itself. The whole tomato plant is in that seed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Obedience, prayer, Word of God ·
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Light of the World

Posted on December 23, 2013 ·

picture blog candle shining light 

 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:14-15

One of my friends came to me and said she had a new job but she was very unhappy there. She said she was the only Christian in the whole department. She did not feel any blessing in this.

I have had a similar experience and it is so much nicer to have many Christians working with you but Jesus has a reason for putting us with non Christians. We are to be a light in a dark place. Before my friend arrived at her new job there was no light in the place. Now there is. I think it is a great honor to be in the position of bringing the light of Jesus to our work place. The Lord trusts my friend to be that light and bring the Gospel with her. Even if we can not evangelize just showing the love of Jesus to people shines our light. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Faith and Trust, Obedience · Tagged: , ,
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Put That Rock Back!!

Posted on December 16, 2013 ·

blog picture rock and handTake no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” -Ephesians 5:11-14 (NLT)  

In  a recent entry I talked about letting your light shine. If you are in Christ and are obeying the Lord you will shine wherever you go. But it’s not always pleasant for people around us when we do shine. Paul says that people’s evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them. That is not a comfortable feeling for people to have. If you have ever been in a dark room and suddenly somebody turns on the light it hurts our eyes. Usually we would say “Turn off the light!!” In other words a bright shiny light can make some people uncomfortable and they want to turn that light off.

I am telling you this so you won’t be surprised that not everybody will have a positive reaction to the love, kindness and consideration you show to them.

We lived in the country for many years. I loved to go exploring with my children as we looked at the beauty of nature.  One day I saw a large interesting rock. Wanting to examine more closely, I lifted it off the ground. When I looked back at the place I had lifted it from I saw a whole colony of bugs running around in a panic. They were not happy that I had let the sun into their home. In fact, if they could have spoken to me they would have said “Put that rock back!!!”

So if you find yourself unappreciated for your love, just keep on loving them. Most will eventually get used to the light. Then share the Word as the Lord leads you.

Keep shining!

Jesus is Lord!

Filed Under: Forgiveness, Love, Obedience ·
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