Category: Character

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A World Changer

This morning I would like to share with you one more person who heard God speak to him in a dramatic way.

Most of the time we refer to this man as Paul, the Apostle. However, that wasn’t always his name. As a younger man he went by the name of Saul. He was a very religious man and was highly educated. He was one of those who thought that the ministry of Jesus was heresy.

He made it his life’s ambition to stop the message of the Christians. He wanted to wipe out anyone who dared to proclaim that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah that the Jews had been looking for.

He stood, holding the coats of the Pharisees, as they stoned Stephen, a young Christian, to death. He went to the courts and asked for documents so that he could round up Christians to have them killed.

Yes, this man’s name was Saul.

Why would God speak to a man like this? A man who hated so deeply. I don’t have the answer. All I know is HE did and the world was changed.

“ Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.

At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord’s followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria. 3 Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.” Acts 8:1-3 CEV

One day Saul was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus when he encountered the Lord.

“Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord’s followers. He even went to the high priest 2 and asked for letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man or woman who had accepted the Lord’s Way.[a] 3 When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, “Saul! Saul! Why are you so cruel to me?”

5 “Who are you?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus,” the Lord answered. “I am the one you are so cruel to. 6 Now get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.”

7 The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by the hand to Damascus, 9 and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.” Acts 9:1-9 CEV

There’s another man who is important to this story. His name is Ananias. He was living in Damascus and he loved the Lord. The Lord spoke to him in a vision and told him to go help Saul.

Help Saul? He has all the necessary papers to have me arrested. Really?  Yes, really. Ananias was obedient to what God told him.

“The Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about me. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name.”

17 Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said, “Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:15-17 CEV

When Saul received his sight back he immediately began to worship with the Christians in Damascus. They were skeptical of him at first because they knew this was the man who had come to have them arrested. Yet they could not deny the fact that things he spoke about Jesus were true. He spoke with great conviction and power.

From there Saul went back to Jerusalem to join himself to the very people he had been persecuting.

“ Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. 29 He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. 30 But the followers found out about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.

31 The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the Lord. The church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.” Acts 9:28-31 CEV

Saul continued to live and preach. Since he was brought up to be a religious leader he knew the Scriptures and once he realized that Jesus was who He said He was Saul became a powerful minister.

He began travelling the world over preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Saul, became better known as Paul. He is the one the Lord used to write two thirds of the New Testament. His teachings are fundamental to us and they way we live our lives committed to Christ.

Paul considered everything he had accomplished in his life garbage when it compared to his new life in Christ.

“But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ.” Philippians 3:7-9

He never forgot who he had been but he didn’t let that hold him back. He definitely experienced the truth he wrote about when he said:

“ Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.” II Corinthians 5:17-18 CEV

We need to be like Paul. Forget the past filled with its failures and mistakes and go forward knowing that we have been given a new life. A life filled with peace and a relationship with God.

If you listen today you’ll hear God speaking to your heart! He has a purpose and a plan designed specifically for you!

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Walking with God

We saw yesterday that God came to walk with Adam in the garden.

Even though Adam and Eve sinned and had to leave the garden, God didn’t sever relationship with them.

Today we will meet Adam’s great (5X) grandson. His name is Enoch.

“ When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God 300 years after the birth of Methuselah. He had other sons and daughters. 23 So Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was seen no more, for God took him.” Genesis 5:21-24 NLV

How’s that for an afternoon walk? Enoch walked with God and God was pleased with Him. God was so pleased with Him that during their walk one day he just kept walking straight into heaven with God.

“Because Enoch had faith, he was taken up from the earth without dying. He could not be found because God had taken him. The Holy Writings tell how he pleased God before he was taken up. 6 A man cannot please God unless he has faith. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is. That one must also know that God gives what is promised to the one who keeps on looking for Him.” Hebrews 11:5-6 NLV

I can just imagine the conversation. Enoch and God out for a walk and Enoch seeing an elephant or a giraffe for the first time. Enoch says to God “that is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen”. God says to Enoch “you think that’s great, come on over to my place and I’ll show you some real spectacular sites”. And Enoch said “I’m outta here”!

Like I said – that’s how I imagine it happened. Scripture doesn’t give us details. It just says that he was taken. Amazing!

Now you may not have been very familiar with Enoch but everyone knows the name of Enoch’s great grandson. It’s Noah!

“When Lamech was one hundred eighty-two, he had a son. 29 Lamech said, “I’ll name him Noah because he will give us comfort, as we struggle hard to make a living on this land that the Lord has put under a curse.” Genesis 5:28-29 CEV

Noah’s father not only gave him a name but he gave him a destiny.

“The Lord saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil. 6 He was very sorry that he had made them, 7 and he said, “I’ll destroy every living creature on earth! I’ll wipe out people, animals, birds, and reptiles. I’m sorry I ever made them.”

8 But the Lord was pleased with Noah, 9 and this is the story about him. Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God. 10 He had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Genesis 6:5-10

Such a startling statement – Noah was the only person who lived right and obeyed God! By now the earth was quite populated and Noah was the only one who was obeying God.

The Bible tells us God was going to destroy man but Noah, a just or righteous man, found favor in God’s sight. God spoke to Noah told him the plan of salvation; an ark for Noah, his family and the animals. The Bible doesn’t say that Noah was calling on God, no, God was looking at mankind and Noah found favor with Him.

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it:” Genesis 6:10-15 NIV

God then went on to give Noah the dimensions for the ark. God also told him to bring in the animals and how many of each kind.  I don’t know Noah’s occupation before this but he was now a full time contractor.

“ I’m going to send a flood that will destroy everything that breathes! Nothing will be left alive. 18 But I solemnly promise that you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters-in-law will be kept safe in the boat” Vs 17-18

Noah received God’s word and went to work fulfilling what he had been told. He didn’t laugh at God or express the impossibility of the task. As Noah was building he was also preaching to his neighbors. Telling them to repent so they could be saved from the flood. No one listened. Can you imagine how discouraging that might have been? But Noah never faltered at his task.

“Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the Lord had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him. 8-9 He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him. 10 Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.” Genesis 7:7-10 CEV

Noah and his family were saved because he had a heart to obey God. They talked together as a man talks with his friend.

“ Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.” Hebrews 11:7 CEV

What a wonderful reputation these two men had. No one filed a missing person report on Enoch, everyone knew he walked with God. Noah and his family were saved from a catastrophic flood because he had an obedient heart.

Thank you Lord for the example of these men! My desire is for an obedient heart each day.

 

 

 

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Good Enough?

What if I’m not good enough? Do you ever have thoughts like this?

Do you have that “one special someone” in your life? The one who knows your deepest secrets, your biggest fears, your worst failures and loves you still? That one who has been behind you for every success, cheering you on, encouraging you, applauding you, being there at the trophy ceremony to celebrate your victories?

That someone who will never leave and who will always support through thick or thin, good times or bad, that One is none other than our loving heavenly Father.

He loved us before we were born. He loved us when no one else knew our name. He loved us when we failed and disappointed Him and He loved us when we reached the pinnacle of success!

He can do no other. He IS love! He had His Son die for us. That’s who He is and what He does. It’s absolutely amazing to be in relationship with Him!!!!

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 CEV

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” Romans 8:31 CEV

God isn’t waiting for us to fail so He can humiliate us or punish us for what we do wrong. He’s always with us – loving us, encouraging us to try, helping us to grow.

If you’ve ever battled with being “good enough” like I have and then come to a realization that there’s nothing that I can do to make God love me less and there is nothing I can do to make God love me more than you know what a wonderful joy (doesn’t even describe) it is to wake up each morning and say, “Father I love you. Jesus, I love you. Holy Spirit, I love you. And then to hear them say back, “We love you too!”

“Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36 As the Scriptures say,

“For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.”

37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:34-39 CEV

Nothing can separate us from His love. Good enough? We are for Him!

Now that’s a good way to start the day!!!

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Vocabulary of Silence

Have you ever said something and wished you hadn’t?  I’m sure we all have.

When our kids were little we used to practice the vocabulary of silence. The meaning of this was don’t say something that is unkind, cruel, sarcastic or untrue.  And it wasn’t just a rule for the kids, Dave and I were subject to it as well. Sometimes we would have a very quiet home.

“All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body… My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right...Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. 14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don’t brag or lie to cover up the truth. 15 That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” James 3:2, 9, 10, 13-18

Learning to control what we say is a godly principle. In the book of Proverbs we are told that the tongue has the power to bring life or death. God created the universe and everything in it by His words. Yes, words are powerful.

“God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 CEV

Do you remember the little saying we learned as kids? Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.  Oh but they do! Words leave a lasting hurt that sometimes take years to heal.

“Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal. 19 Truth will last forever; lies are soon found out.” Proverbs 12:18-19 CEV

If God, who is perfect, can forgive and love, not just us but, everyone who is living and has ever lived with all of our sins, our failures, screw ups and out and out vulgar living then we should be able to love and forgive those who live in our home, work on our job and are acquainted with on a daily basis.

God is not just asking us to do this but He is telling us we need to do this to be an example of Him. He’s never tells us to do anything that we aren’t able to do because it’s His strength and His character that are living in us.

He has forgiven us of everything! I know that all of my sins have been forgiven and even, according to Hebrews, forgotten, never to be remembered again – this is so overwhelming. Think about that for a moment.

” God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:12-17

Because we are a part of the body of Christ, we should work together to be a display of His love to the world around us. Did you notice that this peace we are told to live in comes from Christ when we let him control our thoughts?

I love verse 17 – WHATEVER you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord. If we are going to say or do something that wouldn’t represent the Lord, then we shouldn’t!  I know some days my world is really quiet because I’m holding my tongue until I can say something that would be representative of what Jesus would say if He were speaking through me. Yes, very quiet indeed!  And some days are filled with repentance for saying things before they were filtered with love.

Stop and think where you would be without God’s amazing love. Now let that love and forgiveness flow through you to those around you as His representative.

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

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Dis Has To Go

We have been given the opportunity to be free of “dis”.  What is dis?

Dis: a Latin prefix meaning “apart,” “asunder,” “away,” “utterly,” or having a privative, negative, or reversing force.

I was praying for some of you this morning and it was in my prayer. I was praying against “dis”couragment, “dis” aster, “dis”respect, “dis”placement.

So I said, “Lord it appears that you have given us so many wonderful things and our enemy is stealing what you have provided. This shouldn’t be.” And this verse came to mind.

“The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

So I began to look at some “dis” words. Words that are stealing, killing and “des”troying our lives.

Dis-appoint    Dis-courage     Dis-aster     Dis-obedience    Dis-content

Dis-trust    Dis-respect    Dis-lodged    Des-pair    Dis-illusioned

Des-truction     Dis-associate     Dis-card    Dis-able   Dis-turb

Dis-gust     Dis-miss     Dis-dain      Dis-tort     Dis-ease     Dis-cord

 

God desires that are lives are “dis”less. He wants us to be filled and overflowing with His love and goodness.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name!  With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 CEV

I encourage you today to make your life a “dis” free zone. If any of those words above have been trying to infiltrate your life grab your Bible and look up the verses for “dis” removal. If you can’t find them on your own you can always email me and I’ll be glad to help you find some.

It’s time that we start living the life God intended; one that’s full of courage, contentment, respect, ease, obedience and trust.

 

 

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How Does Your Garden Grow

Mary, Mary, quite contrary how does your garden grow?

Yesterday I was out in my garden. Needed to get some cilantro to take to our daughter. My goodness it had grown so tall! The days have been warm and the soil is moist so the conditions are perfect. In fact, I had to cut some of the tops off because they were going to seed.

This made me think about the gardens we all planted several months back. You remember the one where we planted seeds of love, joy, peace, understanding, kindness, and self-control. See I knew you would remember. I hope you have been tending your garden; making sure it has plenty of water and sunshine. Pulling out the weeds that have tried to take root.

It really has to have attention daily. I have noticed that just a couple of days of not tending to what’s planted and the weeds begin to take hold.

“We praise you, Lord God! You treat us with kindness day after day, and you rescue us. 20 You always protect us and save us from death.” Psalms 68:19-20 CEV

Day after day God treats us with kindness. We should be sharing what He brings with those around us. That’s the fun of having a harvest – we are able to share with others. In another version of the verse above it reads “blessed be the Lord who daily loads us with benefits”. That creates a real word picture for me. I can see a wheelbarrow with vegetables that have been freshly picked from the garden, filled to the top and almost running over. Now that’s being loaded up with benefits. More than enough for me to use and plenty to share!

Giving is what God does and it’s His desire that we are givers too. It’s part of our DNA, we inherit it from our Father. There is real joy in giving. You didn’t think we planted all the seeds above just so we could enjoy the harvest by ourselves did you?

“Remember this: The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say, “He gives generously to the poor; his goodness will continue forever.”

10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness.” II Corinthians 9:6-10 ERV

We should always be looking for opportunities to give. God has given us the seeds and He will use what we plant to produce a great harvest. I will give what I have; a helping hand, a kind word, a shoulder to cry on, a prayer, a hug, a smile, a meal, friendship…

“Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you. 37 Jesus said: Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. 38 If you give to others, you will be given a full amount in return. It will be packed down, shaken together, and spilling over into your lap. The way you treat others is the way you will be treated.” Luke 6:36-38 CEV

Take another look at your garden this morning. I am sure you will find that the seeds you planted are growing and some are ready to harvest. Fill your harvest basket full and then head out and find someone to share it with.

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Warm Coals Bring Comfort

How many of you have been camping? Maybe you camp in a tent or just in a sleeping bag on the ground but one of the best parts of being out in nature is the campfire, right?

I have to admit that I enjoy the coals more than the fire. I always seem to sit on the wrong side and end up with my eyes filled with smoke. But once the fire has burned down and the embers are glowing that’s when I like to move in close. I find it warm and comforting.

These days fires like the ones I described are recreational. In the past 15-20 years fire pits have become common place in backyards. Kind of like bringing the camping experience home. But years ago fire was essential to every home’s well being.

Fires were needed for heat and for cooking. They gave light and provided a way to kill germs and sterilize wounds. Without fire, early settlers would be overcome by the cold.

There are a couple of Scriptures in the Bible that talk about coals of fire that I think have been misunderstood. They are basically the same verse, first written in the Old Testament and then repeated in the New.  These verses were used hundreds of years apart but both groups of people understood their meaning.

“If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat.  And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. 22 This will be the same
as piling burning coals on their heads.  And the Lord will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22 CEV

“Dear friends, don’t try to get even. Let God take revenge. In the Scriptures the Lord says, “I am the one to take revenge and pay them back.” 20 The Scriptures also say, “If your enemies are hungry, give them something to eat And if they are thirsty, give them something to drink. This will be the same as piling burning coals on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 CEV

Putting coals of fire on your head was a customary way of carrying your fire with you. Since fire was such a necessity for life and many peoples were nomadic they would take a few coals put them in a metal dish and transport them to the next location. Many times this meant wrapping the in container in cloth while they carried them on their heads.

What a wonderful example of how we are to treat those who are unkind to us. We are to feed them, give them water when they are thirsty and give them coals for warmth to sustain them when their fire has gone out.

Plain and simple we are to keep a loving and giving attitude even with our enemies and God will avenge any evil that has been done to us. I guarantee you He can do a much better job than we ever could.

We are to follow of the example of Jesus. He didn’t curse the Roman soldiers who were charged with His crucifixion nor did he condemn Judas for betraying Him. He even preached forgiveness to the thief hanging on the cross next to Him.

I encourage you today don’t speak evil of those who have wronged you. Don’t try to exact revenge. Let God handle your situation. Don’t be defeated by evil.

Is there someone you can give “coals of warmth” to today?

 

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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Have you heard the expression let sleeping dogs lie?

Interesting concept – but the idea behind it is one of cowardice. It creates the image of trying to sneak in and get something before you can be met with resistance.

We as Christians should be living offensively. Moving forward regardless of the obstacles and resistance.

“Do something, God! Scatter your hateful enemies. Make them turn and run. 2 Scatter them like smoke! When you come near, make them melt like wax in a fire. 3 But let your people be happy and celebrate because of you. 4 Our God, you are the one who rides on the clouds, and we praise you. Your name is the Lord, and we celebrate as we worship you.

5 Our God, from your sacred home you take care of orphans and protect widows. 6 You find families for those who are lonely. You set prisoners free and let them prosper, but all who rebel will live in a scorching desert.” Psalm 68: 1-5 CEV 

In another version of this Psalm the first words are “let God arise”. God is not a sleeping giant that we have to wake to come to our defense. No, instead He is always on point, always looking for ways to help us. He’s there even before we cry out for help.

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” II Chronicles 16:9a NKJV

God is always looking for ways to help us. The problem is we aren’t always looking for or to Him. We try  to do things on our own and then after we’ve exhausted all our other resources we call out to God. Or we even blame Him, “why isn’t God helping me or why did He let this happen?”. When in all truth  we haven’t asked Him to help us.

Remember, we are told to “ask and it shall be given, seek and we will find”. It’s silly to blame God or make it His fault, if we aren’t asking. In one of the verses that I quote often  we find  that the Father is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him by faith.

To let God arise means we elevate Him in our own eyes; in our estimation we lift Him to a place of priority. He is the creator of heaven and earth and there is no one higher. Until we let Him rule in our hearts, we aren’t letting Him “arise over our situation and scatter our enemies”.

Let God arise today!

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Protect What Hurts

This morning I was reminded of an accident I had several years ago.

I was working for a large animal vet and was cleaning surgical instruments. I stabbed my thumb with a surgical blade and it was wrapped with a large bulky bandage and was very sore. The cut wasn’t deep or really that long but it hurt for days and my entire body encouraged me not to bump it against anything. When I did excoriating pain shot through my hand and arm and went coursing to my brain.

Maybe you’ve had an injury like that. Perhaps a broken bone, a back injury or a migraine. If so, you know what I’m talking about and you know how pain in one area can effect every other part of your body.

I was living the scripture in I Corinthians 12. Many members in one body, not all having the same part but still a member. This morning my other digits are compensating for the loss of the use of my thumb. They are protecting it, they are working overtime to make up for what’s lacking.

“The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. 13 Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God’s Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit.
14 Our bodies don’t have just one part. They have many parts. 15 Suppose a foot says, “I’m not a hand, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the foot still belong to the body? 16 Or suppose an ear says, “I’m not an eye, and so I’m not part of the body.” Wouldn’t the ear still belong to the body? 17 If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn’t hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn’t smell a thing. 18 But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.
19 A body isn’t really a body, unless there is more than one part. 20 It takes many parts to make a single body. 21 That’s why the eyes cannot say they don’t need the hands. That’s also why the head cannot say it doesn’t need the feet. 22 In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. 23 We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, 24 but we don’t have to be modest about other parts.
God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. 25 He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. 26 If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy. 27 Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body.” I Corinthians 12:12-27

In God’s eyes everyone of us are valuable. We all have an important part to play. That’s the way the body is designed. The parts that are hidden, not on public display, are the ones that are doing some of the most important, life-giving work; i.e., the lungs, the heart, the intestines.

Scripture tells us that Christ is the head so He’s the brains of the outfit. He is the data processing center that gives directions to the rest of the body. If we are to function in harmony we need to follow the instruction He sends out to our member. We mustn’t get caught up in criticizing the foot, the hand, the toes or the ears because they don’t seem to be functioning right. No, instead we need to be the best part we can possibly be and come to the aid and support of others that aren’t operating properly.

Do you know another Christian today that is hurting? It’s one thing to sympathize with them and if you only consider them a “brother or sister”, you can easily let it go at that. But if you consider them to be a true member of the body of Christ, the body to which you are also a member, you will reach out to protect them and to help them heal.

Who do you need to reach out to today?

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Follow Instructions

Those of you who know me personally know I love to bake and cook.

But I have had a few disasters in my kitchen and some of them were from failure to follow instructions.

I remember one time in particular that I was making cinnamon rolls. I had only made them a couple times before so wasn’t very familiar with the process. I had my Mom’s recipe before me and I started in. Step 1 was to prepare the yeast mixture with WARM water but Step 2 was to add HOT water to the shortening, sugar and salt.  I decided that I would save a time and use hot water for both.

Little did I know that hot water will kill yeast. I waited impatiently for the yeast to rise and although it grew a little it didn’t process as it should. Did I stop and start over – No! My attitude was keep going, it will be ok. Suffice it to say the rolls never did rise the way they should and that day I made cinnamon crackers, not cinnamon rolls.

I learned a very valuable lesson about following instructions.

The last few days we have been talking about following the leader. God went to great lengths to give us an instruction manual for life.

“All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.” II Timothy 3:16-17 ERV

We need to follow instructions. Not to conform to some religious list of do’s and don’ts. God’s word comes from the heart of a loving Father who wants to give his children what they need to navigate life victoriously.

It’s so important that we have God’s word as the basis of all we do. It needs to be our foundation so that we are standing firm. It’s our bedrock for life.

“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 CEV

I’m sure everyone of you can recall a time when you didn’t follow instructions and the end result was less than perfect. Mistakes were made, hopefully they were remedied easily but some of them may have been costly.

“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings.

7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the Lord, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.” Proverbs 1:1-7 ERV

You’ll be surprised how many mistakes can be avoided by praying and asking God for wisdom before proceeding. I’m not telling you that we will never make mistakes but they will certainly decrease significantly when we take our direction from God’s word.

“ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. 6 Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. ” Proverbs 3:5-6 NLV

Lord, when I get in a hurry remind me to follow Your instructions. Direct my path. I don’t want to make mistakes. I want to follow your lead. AMEN!

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