Romans 15:1-3 (KJV) Says, "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me."
The above verses of scripture plainly tell us that we are suppose to look after those who are weaker than we are. We are not to put our pleasure, and wants above what our weaker brothers and sisters need from us in order to please ourselves. This scripture also explains that Christ provided the ultimate example of this, when all of our reproaches fell on Him. He certainly did not please Himself when He being sinless was crucified on the cross for our sins. He did so knowing that we are weak, but He is strong. That is the ultimate sacrifice, and it was made for us, by the one that is perfect. There are many people in today's all about me society who are unwilling to help those that are weaker than themselves simply because it may interfere with their plans for self indulgence. Many people are suffering from some sort of self-centered syndrome. They are living in a world that they have come to believe revolves around them, and consists of whatever makes them happy.
God never intended for us to be self absorbed, with an unwillingness to help others. I was raised to help those I saw in need of assistance, and to do so without having to be asked. For example, if I drove to a friends house and saw that they were busy with a task, I volunteered to help immediately. Not these days some people will walk within two feet of you, and pretend not to notice you are in need of anything. I was taught to hold the door open for a person entering a store close behind me. These days I advise you to be careful, because there are those who will let the door close on you. If you're on the phone with someone, and mention you have a chore you could use help with, many will wish you well on finding someone to come to your assistance in the matter.
Some of us have family members, and friends who on occasion need to be driven to the grocery store, or a doctor's appointment. If you are one of these people, how do you respond when they ask you to drive them? Do you kindly say yes, and enjoy the time you get to spend with them, or do you instantly begin thinking about what you could be doing for yourself instead? I took my grandmother to the grocery store on occasion before she went home to be with the Lord. I wish I could take her again, and shop until we were asked to leave. I also drove my aunt to work each morning for a season prior to her going home to be with the Lord. I wish I could drive her again, and I'd take the longest route possible. My point is if you have loved ones who need your help, then help them willingly, and enjoy every minute of it.
When we help those that are weaker than us and do so in the right spirit, it is pleasing to God, and we will be rewarded for it. We all need help from someone stronger than us at some time in our lives because we all find ourselves weak on occasion. For example, if we have surgery we need someone to care for us, when we come home. If we grow old and can't drive or have never driven, we need someone to drive us. For various reasons we can all be certain there will be times in our lives, when we need help from others. When we do, what kind of attitude do we want them to have toward our needing assistance from them? I think we all agree on the answer to that question. With that said, the next time someone asks a favor of us, and we are not feeling up to it, maybe we could benefit from calling to mind the golden rule.
Be kind toward those who are weaker than you and be willing to help them, when they are in need. Put their needs before your wants. Do it first and foremost because it is pleasing to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do it with a good Christian spirit, and not because you will be rewarded for it. Do it because you have the desire to follow Jesus' example of how we are to behave toward one another, and do it out of love. If Jesus, being sinless, can make a sacrifice of such magnitude for all of us, it seems we should be willing to make small sacrifices for one another.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Run Your Race
Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV) Says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
The above scripture tells us that we are surrounded by people who can serve as great witnesses to us on how exactly we are to run the race set before us, and how we are to live out our lives as Christians. It also tells us that we should look to Jesus as the ultimate example because He not only left us instructions on how to do so in scripture, He ran His race, finished it, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The first thing this passage tells us to do is to lay aside every weight. We cannot run an effective race carrying around a heavy load of guilt, shame, remorse, unforgiveness, worry or any other like baggage. In order to run our race of faith, serve as effective witnesses to others, and follow the plan God has for our lives, we must get rid of any emotional issues that stand in our way. If we have any unsettled emotional baggage, we need to settle whatever issues we have, drop that weight, and move on. If you are carrying around a burden of guilt, shame or remorse due to something you've done, go to God in prayer and ask forgiveness for it. He will forgive you immediately, and when he does don't dwell on whatever it is any longer. Once you ask God for forgiveness you are forgiven so accept that, and move forward without the weight of that burden. If you feel you have offended someone, hurt their feelings, or wronged them in some way, apologize to them. If you owe someone an apology, humble yourself and apologize. Humility is a wonderful trait. If you are carrying around a load of worry take it to the Lord in prayer, and leave it there. Cast your cares on God He loves you and He is always there for you. Leave the weight of your worry in His hands, this also lightens your load enabling you to run your race more effectively.
Another big hindrance to running an effective race is sin. Do you have sins in your life that you know God has been dealing with you about? Do you have anything going on in your life that you know does not coincide with your Christian walk? We all sin as we are all human, and no human being is perfect. There is only one perfect, and that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you are having a problem with an area in your life that you know is resulting in sin, and you are struggling with letting it go, take the issue to God in prayer. Ask him to forgive you for whatever it is, to grant you the strength to stop whatever it is, and to stay away from it forever. Stay strong, God will help you. Once you decide you're going to listen to God regarding whatever sins He may be dealing with you about, and you make the appropriate changes in your life, you will be able to lay down the weight of your sins, and continue running your race.
We are instructed to run the race set before us with patience, and in order for us to do so, we must drop all of the excess baggage that is weighing us down. We cannot live our lives in a manner that sets a good Christian example for others, and follows the plan God has for our lives, if we are bogged down with extra weight.
Finally we are instructed to look to Jesus as a perfect example of how we are to run our race. He laid out and designed the course, He ran, and finished His race. Jesus experienced what it is like to be in high demand, He was followed every where he went by multitudes of people. He experienced what it was like to have many people wanting something from Him. On more than one occasion he separated Himself from everyone, sought solitude, and prayed. This set a great example for us, in how to prevent becoming overwhelmed. He knew when he needed to be alone, and pray, and He did so. Jesus was mocked, spit on, betrayed, rejected, lied about, beaten, crucified, and suffered in many other ways, still He stayed the course, and He finished the race set before Him.
I would like to encourage you today to lay down any extra weight you've been carrying. Lay it down, and walk away from it. Stay your course, setting an example for others on how a true Christian lives their life. Run your race, following the plan God has for you. When the race gets tough, look to Jesus He experienced many things firsthand, He is all knowing, He is always there for you, and He is greater than any problem you have.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
The above scripture tells us that we are surrounded by people who can serve as great witnesses to us on how exactly we are to run the race set before us, and how we are to live out our lives as Christians. It also tells us that we should look to Jesus as the ultimate example because He not only left us instructions on how to do so in scripture, He ran His race, finished it, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The first thing this passage tells us to do is to lay aside every weight. We cannot run an effective race carrying around a heavy load of guilt, shame, remorse, unforgiveness, worry or any other like baggage. In order to run our race of faith, serve as effective witnesses to others, and follow the plan God has for our lives, we must get rid of any emotional issues that stand in our way. If we have any unsettled emotional baggage, we need to settle whatever issues we have, drop that weight, and move on. If you are carrying around a burden of guilt, shame or remorse due to something you've done, go to God in prayer and ask forgiveness for it. He will forgive you immediately, and when he does don't dwell on whatever it is any longer. Once you ask God for forgiveness you are forgiven so accept that, and move forward without the weight of that burden. If you feel you have offended someone, hurt their feelings, or wronged them in some way, apologize to them. If you owe someone an apology, humble yourself and apologize. Humility is a wonderful trait. If you are carrying around a load of worry take it to the Lord in prayer, and leave it there. Cast your cares on God He loves you and He is always there for you. Leave the weight of your worry in His hands, this also lightens your load enabling you to run your race more effectively.
Another big hindrance to running an effective race is sin. Do you have sins in your life that you know God has been dealing with you about? Do you have anything going on in your life that you know does not coincide with your Christian walk? We all sin as we are all human, and no human being is perfect. There is only one perfect, and that is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you are having a problem with an area in your life that you know is resulting in sin, and you are struggling with letting it go, take the issue to God in prayer. Ask him to forgive you for whatever it is, to grant you the strength to stop whatever it is, and to stay away from it forever. Stay strong, God will help you. Once you decide you're going to listen to God regarding whatever sins He may be dealing with you about, and you make the appropriate changes in your life, you will be able to lay down the weight of your sins, and continue running your race.
We are instructed to run the race set before us with patience, and in order for us to do so, we must drop all of the excess baggage that is weighing us down. We cannot live our lives in a manner that sets a good Christian example for others, and follows the plan God has for our lives, if we are bogged down with extra weight.
Finally we are instructed to look to Jesus as a perfect example of how we are to run our race. He laid out and designed the course, He ran, and finished His race. Jesus experienced what it is like to be in high demand, He was followed every where he went by multitudes of people. He experienced what it was like to have many people wanting something from Him. On more than one occasion he separated Himself from everyone, sought solitude, and prayed. This set a great example for us, in how to prevent becoming overwhelmed. He knew when he needed to be alone, and pray, and He did so. Jesus was mocked, spit on, betrayed, rejected, lied about, beaten, crucified, and suffered in many other ways, still He stayed the course, and He finished the race set before Him.
I would like to encourage you today to lay down any extra weight you've been carrying. Lay it down, and walk away from it. Stay your course, setting an example for others on how a true Christian lives their life. Run your race, following the plan God has for you. When the race gets tough, look to Jesus He experienced many things firsthand, He is all knowing, He is always there for you, and He is greater than any problem you have.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Be Thankful
Philippians 4:4-7 (KJV) Says "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation's be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
In the above scripture we are told to let our moderation's meaning our graciousness and our ability to be reasonable be known unto all men. The scripture also advises us to be careful for nothing. It instructs us to turn to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let our requests be known to Him. That means that we are to worry about nothing, but to take our issues of concern to God, and leave them there, trusting in Him to resolve them in whatever manner He chooses knowing that He has our best interest at heart.
It is all to common for people to find these instructions rather difficult to follow. I would venture to say that we all fall short of coming across as gracious and reasonable on occasion, and most of us could use work in this area. If we begin our day with prayer and God's word, then it will make these things come much easier. I think most of us have no problem taking our worries to God in prayer, but I feel confident that quite a few have difficulty leaving them there. We must remind ourselves that there is no problem to great for God, and that when we leave our worries in His hands there is nowhere better for them to be. When we leave our worries with God, we are showing Him that we trust Him completely, and we gain inner peace knowing our worries are in the best hands possible.
Notice that this scripture encourages us to take everything to God in prayer, with thanksgiving. Being thankful to God is of the utmost importance, and we should never forget to let Him know that we are. We should be thankful to God for everything we have because without Him we would have nothing. When we begin each day with God, praying, reading and studying his word, and giving Him thanks for all things, we strengthen our relationship with Him, and we are much better equipped to face whatever the world sends our way.
Now let's focus on the portion of scripture that advises us to go to God with thanksgiving. We are not born being thankful. When we come into this world the first thing we learn is that if we cry our needs will be met, and rapidly. If we need food, a diaper change, or we want to be held until we go to sleep then we learn we can let out a cry and our Mom will make whatever we need happen, and do so with a quickness.
Growing up we are taught by our parents to be thankful. If someone does something for us, gives us something, pays us a compliment, or blesses us with any other kind gesture, our parents teach us to say thank you. It is during this period that we learn what it means to be thankful, and how to verbally express our gratitude. As we grow older, and begin spending our own money, raising our own children, taking care of ourselves, etc...the depth to which we are grateful grows, and we graduate to a whole new level of thankfulness when it comes to all our parents, grandparents, and others did for us as children. As children we tend to take many things for granite because we haven't had the experiences that teach us how much others have done for us, and how grateful we should be. It is only when we leave the nest, and begin taking care of ourselves and our families that we truly get it.
As adults many of us tend to forget to be thankful to God for all He blesses us with, but rather we fall into the trap of groaning and complaining. When we have a stressful day at work we tend to make statements like I hate my job, in lieu of thanking God we have a job in an economy where they are very difficult to come by. We may complain about having to clean our house, instead of being grateful we are not among the many homeless people in existence today. We may complain about our vehicle because it doesn't look the best instead of thanking God we have transportation. These are just a few examples of how we can allow ourselves to begin to think and feel, when we fail to count our blessings and be thankful to God for all He has blessed us with.
We should give God thanks everyday for all He has blessed us with. The world would be a happier place, if we reversed our celebration of Thanksgiving and expressed our gratitude 364 days a year, while setting aside one day for anyone who feels the need to grumble and complain. This thanksgiving I would like to encourage you to pause and take the time to count your blessings, and to thank God for each of them.
Friends Go to God everyday in prayer, giving thanks for all He's done for you. Take time to count your blessings, and I think you will be surprised at how blessed you truly are. Remember to spend time with God everyday, praying, reading and studying his word, praising Him, and giving thanks. I encourage you to heed the instructions in the above scripture, and accept the divine peace that comes with doing so. I urge you to remember to thank God always for all things.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
In the above scripture we are told to let our moderation's meaning our graciousness and our ability to be reasonable be known unto all men. The scripture also advises us to be careful for nothing. It instructs us to turn to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let our requests be known to Him. That means that we are to worry about nothing, but to take our issues of concern to God, and leave them there, trusting in Him to resolve them in whatever manner He chooses knowing that He has our best interest at heart.
It is all to common for people to find these instructions rather difficult to follow. I would venture to say that we all fall short of coming across as gracious and reasonable on occasion, and most of us could use work in this area. If we begin our day with prayer and God's word, then it will make these things come much easier. I think most of us have no problem taking our worries to God in prayer, but I feel confident that quite a few have difficulty leaving them there. We must remind ourselves that there is no problem to great for God, and that when we leave our worries in His hands there is nowhere better for them to be. When we leave our worries with God, we are showing Him that we trust Him completely, and we gain inner peace knowing our worries are in the best hands possible.
Notice that this scripture encourages us to take everything to God in prayer, with thanksgiving. Being thankful to God is of the utmost importance, and we should never forget to let Him know that we are. We should be thankful to God for everything we have because without Him we would have nothing. When we begin each day with God, praying, reading and studying his word, and giving Him thanks for all things, we strengthen our relationship with Him, and we are much better equipped to face whatever the world sends our way.
Now let's focus on the portion of scripture that advises us to go to God with thanksgiving. We are not born being thankful. When we come into this world the first thing we learn is that if we cry our needs will be met, and rapidly. If we need food, a diaper change, or we want to be held until we go to sleep then we learn we can let out a cry and our Mom will make whatever we need happen, and do so with a quickness.
Growing up we are taught by our parents to be thankful. If someone does something for us, gives us something, pays us a compliment, or blesses us with any other kind gesture, our parents teach us to say thank you. It is during this period that we learn what it means to be thankful, and how to verbally express our gratitude. As we grow older, and begin spending our own money, raising our own children, taking care of ourselves, etc...the depth to which we are grateful grows, and we graduate to a whole new level of thankfulness when it comes to all our parents, grandparents, and others did for us as children. As children we tend to take many things for granite because we haven't had the experiences that teach us how much others have done for us, and how grateful we should be. It is only when we leave the nest, and begin taking care of ourselves and our families that we truly get it.
As adults many of us tend to forget to be thankful to God for all He blesses us with, but rather we fall into the trap of groaning and complaining. When we have a stressful day at work we tend to make statements like I hate my job, in lieu of thanking God we have a job in an economy where they are very difficult to come by. We may complain about having to clean our house, instead of being grateful we are not among the many homeless people in existence today. We may complain about our vehicle because it doesn't look the best instead of thanking God we have transportation. These are just a few examples of how we can allow ourselves to begin to think and feel, when we fail to count our blessings and be thankful to God for all He has blessed us with.
We should give God thanks everyday for all He has blessed us with. The world would be a happier place, if we reversed our celebration of Thanksgiving and expressed our gratitude 364 days a year, while setting aside one day for anyone who feels the need to grumble and complain. This thanksgiving I would like to encourage you to pause and take the time to count your blessings, and to thank God for each of them.
Friends Go to God everyday in prayer, giving thanks for all He's done for you. Take time to count your blessings, and I think you will be surprised at how blessed you truly are. Remember to spend time with God everyday, praying, reading and studying his word, praising Him, and giving thanks. I encourage you to heed the instructions in the above scripture, and accept the divine peace that comes with doing so. I urge you to remember to thank God always for all things.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
What Are You Known For?
Genesis 11:3-9 (KJV) Says, "And they said one to another, Go to let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, go to let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one anothers speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."
As you notice in the above scripture in the beginning all people spoke with one language. In the above passage a group of people had come together to build a city and a tower. They didn't want it to be just any city and tower, however, they wanted it to be grand. This is indicated when they state that the top of the tower may reach heaven, and that they wanted to build a name for themselves. They were planning to build a city and a tower that they felt would give them prestige, and impress those who saw it. This was displeasing to the Lord, and this is made clear, when He comes down and makes the statement that the people are all one and speak one language, and this is what they decide to do this. He therefore spreads them abroad, and gives them different dialects, and languages. They could have come together, and focused on accomplishing work for the Lord, or helping others in need, but no they came together to build a grandiose city and tower to make a great name for themselves. They were prideful, and wanted to be known for greatness. God put an end to that in an instant.
What are you known for? Are you constantly trying to impress others with your possessions? Do you feel the need to drive the most expensive car in the neighborhood? Is it imperative that you have a huge house with which to impress others? Do you deem expensive jewelry a necessity? Do you have to dine at the most expensive restaurants, and shop at the most expensive stores? Do you refuse to wear anything but designer clothes? Do you make certain you work the fact that you do these things and an impressive list of all you own into every conversation possible?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I encourage to re-evaluate what is truly important in life. Building a reputation of wealth based on pride does not do one single thing in the way of pleasing or serving the Lord. It is material, shallow, and fruitless. More importantly as the above scripture shows us it is not pleasing to God, and it can be gone in an instant. God can put a stop work order on your empire as quickly as he did the people in the above scripture.
We should never strive to impress others with our actions, material possessions, the restaurants we dine at, the people we surround ourselves with or any thing else we have in our solely to impress others collection. When we opt to make impressing others and owning the best of everything for prides sake our goal in life, we can count on the fact that it will not last. If you are one of these people I would like to encourage you to change courses immediately. Focus on things that have value, and are of true importance. Focus on putting God first in your life, and loving him with all your heart, mind, and soul. Focus on surrendering your life to Him, and following the plan He has for your life. Go to Him in prayer, and He will lead guide, and direct you. When you put God first in your life, and you choose to serve Him, He will bless you. Putting God first in your life and serving Him will make you happier than any material possession ever could, and you will experience a divine peace and contentment like you have never before known.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
As you notice in the above scripture in the beginning all people spoke with one language. In the above passage a group of people had come together to build a city and a tower. They didn't want it to be just any city and tower, however, they wanted it to be grand. This is indicated when they state that the top of the tower may reach heaven, and that they wanted to build a name for themselves. They were planning to build a city and a tower that they felt would give them prestige, and impress those who saw it. This was displeasing to the Lord, and this is made clear, when He comes down and makes the statement that the people are all one and speak one language, and this is what they decide to do this. He therefore spreads them abroad, and gives them different dialects, and languages. They could have come together, and focused on accomplishing work for the Lord, or helping others in need, but no they came together to build a grandiose city and tower to make a great name for themselves. They were prideful, and wanted to be known for greatness. God put an end to that in an instant.
What are you known for? Are you constantly trying to impress others with your possessions? Do you feel the need to drive the most expensive car in the neighborhood? Is it imperative that you have a huge house with which to impress others? Do you deem expensive jewelry a necessity? Do you have to dine at the most expensive restaurants, and shop at the most expensive stores? Do you refuse to wear anything but designer clothes? Do you make certain you work the fact that you do these things and an impressive list of all you own into every conversation possible?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, I encourage to re-evaluate what is truly important in life. Building a reputation of wealth based on pride does not do one single thing in the way of pleasing or serving the Lord. It is material, shallow, and fruitless. More importantly as the above scripture shows us it is not pleasing to God, and it can be gone in an instant. God can put a stop work order on your empire as quickly as he did the people in the above scripture.
We should never strive to impress others with our actions, material possessions, the restaurants we dine at, the people we surround ourselves with or any thing else we have in our solely to impress others collection. When we opt to make impressing others and owning the best of everything for prides sake our goal in life, we can count on the fact that it will not last. If you are one of these people I would like to encourage you to change courses immediately. Focus on things that have value, and are of true importance. Focus on putting God first in your life, and loving him with all your heart, mind, and soul. Focus on surrendering your life to Him, and following the plan He has for your life. Go to Him in prayer, and He will lead guide, and direct you. When you put God first in your life, and you choose to serve Him, He will bless you. Putting God first in your life and serving Him will make you happier than any material possession ever could, and you will experience a divine peace and contentment like you have never before known.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Greatest Commandments
Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV) Says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." John 13:34 (KJV) Says, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
In the above scripture Jesus tells us we are to first love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. He tells us that secondly we are to love one another the way he loves us. He also informs us that people recognize us as his disciples by the love we have toward one another. God and our love for Him should always come first. With that said I want to elaborate on the second of the greatest commandments. Imagine how peaceful the world would be and the love that would surround us, if every Christian demonstrated toward their fellow man the kind of love that our Heavenly Father gives us. We would reach a new level of peace in the world, if we all obeyed these two commandments. They are the greatest because if we keep them, it isn't likely that we will break any other commandment. For example, you can't love the Lord with all of your heart mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself, and as God loves you, and then steal from him.
The concept of being nice, and loving one another seems so simple, yet it is far from it. There are several things that can make it difficult to love someone. They may be stubborn, rude, bitter, difficult, sarcastic, or simply not nice. They may disagree with you on every topic imaginable, and they may be the type that can't agree to disagree, but instead love to bait you into a full blown argument. Don't take the bait. These people are just looking for an argument, and your presence is convenient. With that said, we must love them.
I find it easier to show love to people who are difficult, when I pause to consider that they are not behaving this way because it makes them happy. Quite the contrary. More than likely, something is troubling them to such a degree they have grown sour and bitter toward life, and they have chosen to deal with it by mistreating those around them. They may be suppressing hurt and pain caused by an experience in their past that they haven't dealt with. Although these type people make it extremely difficult to love them, the truth is they need our love most of all. We need to pray for them, and help them in any way we can. We need to listen to them, if they desire to talk to us. We need to encourage them to go to God for assistance with what ever is troubling them, put it in His hands, and move forward with the joy filled life God desires them to have. If you are around someone like this on a regular basis, remember it may take time. Pray for them, God may change their heart in an instant. If that isn't the case, then be patient God's timing is perfect. Take baby steps, and continue to pray for them. Your love, patience, and kindness may help them break down the wall they have built around their heart.
As I mentioned above I am well aware that it is not easy to love a person who behaves in an ill manner towards us, but it is the Christian thing to do. It is easy to love someone who is kind and loving toward us, anyone can do that. It is virtually automatic. The true test of a Christian is being able to love those who are difficult to love secondary to their words and actions. It is easy to love someone who agrees with everything we say, those who think like we do, and share our likes and dislikes. There is no challenge in that. What separates disciples of Christ from others is the ability to love people who are behaving in a manner that is not lovable.
I want to encourage you today to remember to love others the way Christ loves you. Be loving, patient, kind, and understanding toward those who are difficult. In so doing, you may make a major difference in that persons life, you are setting a good Christian example, you are showing yourself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and most importantly you are behaving in a manner that is pleasing to your Lord and Savior.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
In the above scripture Jesus tells us we are to first love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, and soul. He tells us that secondly we are to love one another the way he loves us. He also informs us that people recognize us as his disciples by the love we have toward one another. God and our love for Him should always come first. With that said I want to elaborate on the second of the greatest commandments. Imagine how peaceful the world would be and the love that would surround us, if every Christian demonstrated toward their fellow man the kind of love that our Heavenly Father gives us. We would reach a new level of peace in the world, if we all obeyed these two commandments. They are the greatest because if we keep them, it isn't likely that we will break any other commandment. For example, you can't love the Lord with all of your heart mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself, and as God loves you, and then steal from him.
The concept of being nice, and loving one another seems so simple, yet it is far from it. There are several things that can make it difficult to love someone. They may be stubborn, rude, bitter, difficult, sarcastic, or simply not nice. They may disagree with you on every topic imaginable, and they may be the type that can't agree to disagree, but instead love to bait you into a full blown argument. Don't take the bait. These people are just looking for an argument, and your presence is convenient. With that said, we must love them.
I find it easier to show love to people who are difficult, when I pause to consider that they are not behaving this way because it makes them happy. Quite the contrary. More than likely, something is troubling them to such a degree they have grown sour and bitter toward life, and they have chosen to deal with it by mistreating those around them. They may be suppressing hurt and pain caused by an experience in their past that they haven't dealt with. Although these type people make it extremely difficult to love them, the truth is they need our love most of all. We need to pray for them, and help them in any way we can. We need to listen to them, if they desire to talk to us. We need to encourage them to go to God for assistance with what ever is troubling them, put it in His hands, and move forward with the joy filled life God desires them to have. If you are around someone like this on a regular basis, remember it may take time. Pray for them, God may change their heart in an instant. If that isn't the case, then be patient God's timing is perfect. Take baby steps, and continue to pray for them. Your love, patience, and kindness may help them break down the wall they have built around their heart.
As I mentioned above I am well aware that it is not easy to love a person who behaves in an ill manner towards us, but it is the Christian thing to do. It is easy to love someone who is kind and loving toward us, anyone can do that. It is virtually automatic. The true test of a Christian is being able to love those who are difficult to love secondary to their words and actions. It is easy to love someone who agrees with everything we say, those who think like we do, and share our likes and dislikes. There is no challenge in that. What separates disciples of Christ from others is the ability to love people who are behaving in a manner that is not lovable.
I want to encourage you today to remember to love others the way Christ loves you. Be loving, patient, kind, and understanding toward those who are difficult. In so doing, you may make a major difference in that persons life, you are setting a good Christian example, you are showing yourself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and most importantly you are behaving in a manner that is pleasing to your Lord and Savior.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Heal The World
Deuteronomy Chapter 28 (KJV) tells us of the blessings we can expect, when we are living our lives in a manner that is pleasing to God, and the curses we can expect, when we are living in a manner that displeases Him. In this passage of scripture Moses is speaking to the Israelites that had been led out of Egypt, and explaining the rewards to be expected if they are obedient to God, and the consequences to expect if they are disobedient to Him.
We are created and born with a freewill, and therefore it is up to us as to how we choose to live our lives, and what path we choose to follow. We can opt, as many do, to take the broad gate and the wide path, which Matthew 3:17 (KJV) tells us leads to destruction, or we can choose to follow God and enter in at the strait gate following the narrow path that Matthew 7:14 (KJV) tells us leads to life.
Many people have chosen the broad gate, and the wide path; yet there seems to be some confusion as to why the world is in a state of devastation, and what exactly if anything we can do about it. Let's take a look at what God promises in Deuteronomy Chapter 28: in the way of curses, when we opt to live our lives in a manner that is disobedient, and unpleasing to Him. This scripture tells us that the consequences for disobedience to God are, that we will be cursed in the cities and in the fields, that the fruit of our land will be cursed, the fruit of our bodies will be cursed, we will not have increase in anything, that we will be cursed coming in and going out, we will suffer with diseases that are long and drawn out, the Lord will blast us with fever, burning pain, inflammation, the sword, mildew,and with tumors, scabs, itches that cannot be healed.We will be cursed with madness and blindness. We will not prosper in our ways, and will be oppressed by our enemies and no man shall save us. If a man takes a wife another man will sleep with her. The fruit of our land and all our labors shall a nation that we are not familiar with eat up. The sight of the things we behold with our eyes will drive us mad. Much seed will be planted in the fields, but little harvest will be carried in. Worms will eat the grapes of the vineyards, and locust will eat the trees and fruit of the land. To sum it up there are consequences for disobeying God, just like there are consequences for all other decisions we make.
Just as there are negative consequences for disobedience to God, there are blessings for obedience to him. Let's look at a few of those promised in Deuteronomy Chapter 28 : All of these blessings will come upon us and overtake us, if we are obedient to God. We will be blessed in the cities and in the fields, blessed will be the fruit of our bodies, and we will have increase. We will be blessed coming in and going out. Our enemies will flee before us, and all that we put our hands to will be blessed. The Lord will see to it that we have plenty of everything we need. The Lord will open the treasures of heaven and rain blessings upon us. He will bless the work of our hands and we shall lend to many nations and not borrow. He will make us the head and not the tail, if we will only obey His commandments, choose to follow Him, and walk in his ways.
I think we all know that there are consequences for disobedience whether it is disobeying our parents, breaking the laws of society, breaking the rules at work or at school, and it is not any different with God. We are His children, and when we are disobedient to Him, there are consequences. Moses may have been talking to the Israelites in the above scripture, but the rules still apply today. There is mass evidence that they do, and it can be found all around us. We are constantly having recalls on food due to salmonella, ecoli, and other bacterias, there are many people suffering from various diseases, and long drawn out sicknesses. There are staph infections that have no cure, flesh eating bacteria, our nation has many enemies, and we are borrowing from other nations not lending. I don't think we have to search any further for an answer as to whether or not the above scripture applies to all of God's children, and whether or not it is still relevant today.
As for what we can do about it, the good news is God is loving, merciful, kind, and forgiving. Matthew Chapter 30 (KJV) tells us if we go to God in prayer, repent of our sins, and turn back to Him, He will forgive us, restore us, and rain blessings down upon us once more. We must come together as Christians, pray for the healing of our nation, and pray for those who have gone astray to repent and turn back to God. If we remain in denial about exactly what the problem is with the world, and why thing's are in a down hill spiral we will never have the peaceful, joyous, blessed lives that God intended for us to have. The longer people remain in denial refusing to turn back to God the worse things will get.
I know that there are those that only desire to hear scripture which contains promises from God that will bless them. The truth of the matter is, however, we cannot search God's word for what we want to hear, and what blessings He has in store for us while omitting the ones that instruct us on how we are to live our lives, and what things God expects from us in order to receive his blessings. It doesn't work that way. Pray for peace, repentance, love, kindness, mercy, and understanding toward one another. Pray for our nation and it's leaders, pray for the lost souls of this world. Pray for those who have strayed from the Lord to repent, and turn again to Him. Pray for healing all over the world. Pray that all people will opt to enter in at the strait gate, and that they will have the desire to walk the narrow way. We must come together, ask forgiveness for our disobedience, and turn back to God, if we have any intention of doing our part to heal the world.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
We are created and born with a freewill, and therefore it is up to us as to how we choose to live our lives, and what path we choose to follow. We can opt, as many do, to take the broad gate and the wide path, which Matthew 3:17 (KJV) tells us leads to destruction, or we can choose to follow God and enter in at the strait gate following the narrow path that Matthew 7:14 (KJV) tells us leads to life.
Many people have chosen the broad gate, and the wide path; yet there seems to be some confusion as to why the world is in a state of devastation, and what exactly if anything we can do about it. Let's take a look at what God promises in Deuteronomy Chapter 28: in the way of curses, when we opt to live our lives in a manner that is disobedient, and unpleasing to Him. This scripture tells us that the consequences for disobedience to God are, that we will be cursed in the cities and in the fields, that the fruit of our land will be cursed, the fruit of our bodies will be cursed, we will not have increase in anything, that we will be cursed coming in and going out, we will suffer with diseases that are long and drawn out, the Lord will blast us with fever, burning pain, inflammation, the sword, mildew,and with tumors, scabs, itches that cannot be healed.We will be cursed with madness and blindness. We will not prosper in our ways, and will be oppressed by our enemies and no man shall save us. If a man takes a wife another man will sleep with her. The fruit of our land and all our labors shall a nation that we are not familiar with eat up. The sight of the things we behold with our eyes will drive us mad. Much seed will be planted in the fields, but little harvest will be carried in. Worms will eat the grapes of the vineyards, and locust will eat the trees and fruit of the land. To sum it up there are consequences for disobeying God, just like there are consequences for all other decisions we make.
Just as there are negative consequences for disobedience to God, there are blessings for obedience to him. Let's look at a few of those promised in Deuteronomy Chapter 28 : All of these blessings will come upon us and overtake us, if we are obedient to God. We will be blessed in the cities and in the fields, blessed will be the fruit of our bodies, and we will have increase. We will be blessed coming in and going out. Our enemies will flee before us, and all that we put our hands to will be blessed. The Lord will see to it that we have plenty of everything we need. The Lord will open the treasures of heaven and rain blessings upon us. He will bless the work of our hands and we shall lend to many nations and not borrow. He will make us the head and not the tail, if we will only obey His commandments, choose to follow Him, and walk in his ways.
I think we all know that there are consequences for disobedience whether it is disobeying our parents, breaking the laws of society, breaking the rules at work or at school, and it is not any different with God. We are His children, and when we are disobedient to Him, there are consequences. Moses may have been talking to the Israelites in the above scripture, but the rules still apply today. There is mass evidence that they do, and it can be found all around us. We are constantly having recalls on food due to salmonella, ecoli, and other bacterias, there are many people suffering from various diseases, and long drawn out sicknesses. There are staph infections that have no cure, flesh eating bacteria, our nation has many enemies, and we are borrowing from other nations not lending. I don't think we have to search any further for an answer as to whether or not the above scripture applies to all of God's children, and whether or not it is still relevant today.
As for what we can do about it, the good news is God is loving, merciful, kind, and forgiving. Matthew Chapter 30 (KJV) tells us if we go to God in prayer, repent of our sins, and turn back to Him, He will forgive us, restore us, and rain blessings down upon us once more. We must come together as Christians, pray for the healing of our nation, and pray for those who have gone astray to repent and turn back to God. If we remain in denial about exactly what the problem is with the world, and why thing's are in a down hill spiral we will never have the peaceful, joyous, blessed lives that God intended for us to have. The longer people remain in denial refusing to turn back to God the worse things will get.
I know that there are those that only desire to hear scripture which contains promises from God that will bless them. The truth of the matter is, however, we cannot search God's word for what we want to hear, and what blessings He has in store for us while omitting the ones that instruct us on how we are to live our lives, and what things God expects from us in order to receive his blessings. It doesn't work that way. Pray for peace, repentance, love, kindness, mercy, and understanding toward one another. Pray for our nation and it's leaders, pray for the lost souls of this world. Pray for those who have strayed from the Lord to repent, and turn again to Him. Pray for healing all over the world. Pray that all people will opt to enter in at the strait gate, and that they will have the desire to walk the narrow way. We must come together, ask forgiveness for our disobedience, and turn back to God, if we have any intention of doing our part to heal the world.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Knowing This
Galatians 3:26 (KJV) Says "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
I Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) Says "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV) Says "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee nor forsake thee."
The above scripture tells us that we are all children of God, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in us. It also tells us that God will not fail us, and that He will not forsake us. John 3:16 (KJV) Says "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This scripture tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us so that we may have eternal life. Knowing these things, how could we ever, under any circumstances, allow another human being to make us feel unworthy, inferior, incompetent, or inadequate?
Unfortunately, many people do allow others to chip away at their self esteem until they are convinced that they're unworthy, inferior, incompetent, and inadequate. The truth is those who choose to berate others feel inadequate themselves, and therefore they think they have to bring people down to where they feel they are in order not to feel threatened by the person's potential. Berating others, and convincing them they are worthless, allows them to be in full control. They are full of insecurity, fear, and a lack of self worth. By berating others continually, and having them convinced what they're saying is true, they are able to control how the person thinks, feels, and how they see themselves. This allows the controller to keep the person exactly where they want them. Controllers will behave as though they are superior to others, when in fact, they feel inferior, and that is why they behave in the manner they do.
When we buy the negativity that a controller spews, we allow them to virtually steal our lives from us. It is highly unlikely that someone who is being berated by another human being, and believes all they are being told will ever fulfill the plan God has for their life. It is also highly unlikely that the controller will ever fulfill the plan God has for their life because somewhere along the way they have been convinced that they are unworthy. It is truly a vicious cycle, and it is one in which there are no winners.
If you are a controller, I encourage you to go to God in prayer, and ask him to help you deal with whatever it is that is troubling you. Maybe someone in your past has hurt you, someone made you feel inadequate and you can't seem to get past it, someone you love rejected you, whatever the problem is, take it to God in prayer, and ask Him to heal your heart. If you have a friend, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, co-worker or someone else in your life that is a controller, I encourage you not to fall prey to their discouragement, and not to believe the lies they tell you about yourself. Do not allow another human being to convince you that you are unworthy, or allow them to crush your self esteem and take control your life.
Whether you are the victim of someone attempting to control you or you're one who attempts to control others, and you have the desire to heal, I encourage you to remember the above verses of scripture, and the power within them. You are a child of God, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, God will never leave you nor forsake you, and God loves you tremendously. That is the truth of God's word. Knowing this truth, there is no way any one of us should ever allow ourselves to be made to feel inadequate, and unworthy, and no one should feel so inadequate that they feel they need to control others. In the end, the decision is yours. Are you going to choose to believe the things that people say to berate and belittle you? Are you going to allow another human being to control your life? Are you going to spend your life attempting to control others? Or, are you going to choose to believe the truth of God's Word and to remind yourself of who you are in Christ?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
I Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) Says "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV) Says "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee nor forsake thee."
The above scripture tells us that we are all children of God, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in us. It also tells us that God will not fail us, and that He will not forsake us. John 3:16 (KJV) Says "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This scripture tells us that God loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us so that we may have eternal life. Knowing these things, how could we ever, under any circumstances, allow another human being to make us feel unworthy, inferior, incompetent, or inadequate?
Unfortunately, many people do allow others to chip away at their self esteem until they are convinced that they're unworthy, inferior, incompetent, and inadequate. The truth is those who choose to berate others feel inadequate themselves, and therefore they think they have to bring people down to where they feel they are in order not to feel threatened by the person's potential. Berating others, and convincing them they are worthless, allows them to be in full control. They are full of insecurity, fear, and a lack of self worth. By berating others continually, and having them convinced what they're saying is true, they are able to control how the person thinks, feels, and how they see themselves. This allows the controller to keep the person exactly where they want them. Controllers will behave as though they are superior to others, when in fact, they feel inferior, and that is why they behave in the manner they do.
When we buy the negativity that a controller spews, we allow them to virtually steal our lives from us. It is highly unlikely that someone who is being berated by another human being, and believes all they are being told will ever fulfill the plan God has for their life. It is also highly unlikely that the controller will ever fulfill the plan God has for their life because somewhere along the way they have been convinced that they are unworthy. It is truly a vicious cycle, and it is one in which there are no winners.
If you are a controller, I encourage you to go to God in prayer, and ask him to help you deal with whatever it is that is troubling you. Maybe someone in your past has hurt you, someone made you feel inadequate and you can't seem to get past it, someone you love rejected you, whatever the problem is, take it to God in prayer, and ask Him to heal your heart. If you have a friend, spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, co-worker or someone else in your life that is a controller, I encourage you not to fall prey to their discouragement, and not to believe the lies they tell you about yourself. Do not allow another human being to convince you that you are unworthy, or allow them to crush your self esteem and take control your life.
Whether you are the victim of someone attempting to control you or you're one who attempts to control others, and you have the desire to heal, I encourage you to remember the above verses of scripture, and the power within them. You are a child of God, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, God will never leave you nor forsake you, and God loves you tremendously. That is the truth of God's word. Knowing this truth, there is no way any one of us should ever allow ourselves to be made to feel inadequate, and unworthy, and no one should feel so inadequate that they feel they need to control others. In the end, the decision is yours. Are you going to choose to believe the things that people say to berate and belittle you? Are you going to allow another human being to control your life? Are you going to spend your life attempting to control others? Or, are you going to choose to believe the truth of God's Word and to remind yourself of who you are in Christ?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
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