Have You Ever Seen God's Glory?

Today marks my 80th blog message. I take no credit for it, but am thankful for the Spirit of God's leading. As I enter a new year, I feel blessed and I trust that you are also feeling that way too!

We are indeed blessed to be a blessing.

I was blessed today to catch a Watch Night service on the Internet at a former church in Virginia I used to attend. The Pastor preached a wonderful sermon about Moses and the people he was going to lead into the promise land. The choir was singing songs, "God has Been Good to Me," and "If It Had Not Been for the Lord on My Side," now I may not have the titles to the songs correct, but they go something like that.

Both the story of Moses and the songs are great reminders to me of just how good God has been to me and my family and I know He has been on our side.

The passage of Scripture used comes from Numbers 20:2-13, which states in part, v. 6-8, "Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother, Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink."

Can you imagine seeing the glory of the Lord? Have you ever seen the glory of the Lord in your life? Here Moses, and his brother, Aaron, the high priest, were privilege to see the glory of the Lord. None of the people in the community were allowed this privilege. Only God's prophet and His high priest could even approach the Tent of Meeting.

God gave Moses specific instructions to "speak" to the rock (God's creation) but Moses decided he would do like he had done before and he struck the rock, like he did in the book of Exodus.

Follow me for a moment. God is very specific in his instructions to his people. How can you see the glory of God when you decide to do it your way? God wants to receive all the glory for everything that happens or has happened in your life.

The glory of the Lord appeared to Moses and Aaron. They were told to take the staff, the very same staff that had budded, blossomed, and produce almonds to prove to the chosen people that Aaron would be God's choice to be high priest. (Numbers 17:8) Aaron's staff was to be a sign to a rebellious people; a constant reminder to those who chose to question God's authority or the person He selects.

If you drop down to Numbers 20:12, God says to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the people (Israelites), you will not bring this community into the land I gave them."

Wow! Moses and Aaron disobedience to God's specific instructions would cause them not to see the land He had promised them 39 years ago. Moses and Aaron had been with the people they led out of Egypt for 39 years wondering around in the desert, trying to get to the promised land. The Bible continues to tell us that both Moses and Aaron died and did not enter the promise land because of their disobedience.

You don't want to miss your blessing because of DISOBEDIENCE! God desires to take us a place he has promised; a place where the streets are paved with gold; where there are no tears, sickness or sorrow. Will you see God's glory because you respect Him enough to be obedient and to give Him the honor for doing everything in your life?

Don't go into a new year, as Moses did, being bitter or angry or annoyed because something didn't go your way, or did not go as you expected. Tomorrow is not promised to us and God is in complete control. If you think that everything that has happened to you in this past year was a result of your own doing; well, think again. You might not make to see the next year.

God wants all the credit for all the miracles in our lives. The Lord told Moses to speak to the rock; however, Moses struck it, not once, but twice. God did the miracle, yet Moses was taking credit for it when he said to the people, "we bring you water out of this rock." (Numbers 20: 10)

Everything that happens that is good, God did it! Remember that. We are God's creations and He is the Creator. We don't get credit for anything, other than obedience to His word. His word is specific and His promises are true. He wants us to get to the palce He promised.

Thought for Today: God will not tolerate disobedience, especially when He gives a direct command.

The Golden Rule

Recently, I had a dialogue with a neighbor about the Golden Rule. She had no religious association and of course, she now knows that I am a Christian. Our beliefs in the existence of God are different. It is her belief that God does not exist because she cannot visibly see him. In the same breath, she claims that she tries to live her life by the Golden Rule.

I started reflecting on my neighbors comments and started thinking exactly what is the Golden Rule. I have read that the "Golden Rule" is the name given by Bible translators to a principle taught in His Sermon on the Mount. That is to say, the actual words, "golden rule" are not found in Scripture, nor are the words, "sermon on the mount" are also not found. These titles were later added by Bible translation teams when describing different passes of Scripture in order to make Bible study a little easier. (Got Questions Ministries)

I guess what startles me about my neighbor is the fact that she was raised as a Jew but does not believe in the existence of God. "Agnostic" I think is the term for those who don't believe in God's existence. Yet she states that she was raised by her father to believe in the Golden Rule.

I guess I am confused and it is apparent that the Golden Rule means different things to different people.

What most Christians call the Golden Rule, myself included, is mention in the book of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 12 which states: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

The gospel according to Matthew is in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament, a similar principle is found in Leviticus 19:18 which states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." This is God speaking to His chosen people, the Jews, those who were lead by Moses.

Jesus knew the human heart and its selfishness. In fact, in the preceding verse, He describes human beings as "you who are evil." This is important to grasp because, as He continues to say in verse 16, human beings still know how to give good gifts to their children even though they are evil and selfish by nature. This verse leads into the Golden Rule which says to actively pursue and treat others as we would like to be treated in all things.

In Leviticus, we again see the implication that people are naturally self-lovers due to sin, so it gave the audience a place to start in how they should treat others and how they want to be treated.

As good as the Golden Rule is in its command to treat others, it also reminds us how selfish we really are! Jesus audience could relate to this command (as the Jews of Moses' day could) because people universally demand respect, love, and appreciation regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Jesus knew this and used it to show how His people should treat others: how they themselves wanted to be loved, respected, and appreciated.

What is my point? This rule to treat others with such high regard is also the second in the greatest of commandments, followed only by the command to love God Himself.

The Golden Rule as stated by Jesus is radically different in that it is an active, positive command to do good to others, as opposed to the negative, restraining commands to not hurt others.

The command to love is what separates the Christian ethic from every other religion's ethic. In fact, the Bible is so radical in its command to actively love that Christians are told to love even their enemies, something that other religions do not practice.

Obeying the Christian ethic and imperative to love others is a mark of a true Christian (John 13:35). In fact, Christians cannot claim to love God if they don't love other people as well.

If someone says, "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)

The Golden Rule encapsulates this idea and is unique to the Judeo-Christian Scriptures.

How can a person abide by the Golden Rule when they don't believe that God exists? The Golden Rule is about love. You must first love God. The problem isn't that such people prefer to think about "love." The problem is that they don't love God, who is a God of great love, nor can they understand His law, which is summed up in the command to love our neighbor as ourself.

We can't pretend to live by Golden Rule, which a command of God, if we don't believe He exists.

Thought for Today: God is real even if we can't see Him; He does exist, and He does love all of his creation, even those who doubt his existence.

Make Good Choices

Do you think you make good choices? What exactly does that mean? Make good choices. I used to serve in my church's day care nursery and one of the ladies in the nursery would tell the children upon their departure, "make good choices."

I want to reflect on her comment.

The freedom to make our own choices is a very important issue in our society. Every day, each of us chooses to do the things that we do, unless we are limited to the authorities' decisions and rules, such as in the military.

No matter what our choices are today, they are ultimately creating our future because every choice we make will either cause us to be blessed or cursed.

I have a grandson who hates to go to school. I am now trying to convince him that by not going to school or cutting classes, he is affecting his future, his diploma, getting a job, or joining the military, which he says he would like to do. He has a rebellious spirit which will eventually lead him to death (curses).

The Bible tells us that we can choose life or death. This is a part of making good choices. All choices have consequences. These consequences will be for our betterment or will work to destroy us. Satan, as I know him, is a destroyer and he roams the earth seeking and looking for individuals he can destroy.

We better be careful with the choices we make!

The Bible challenges us in the book of Deuteronomy 30:19, where God is telling his chosen people, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore chose life, that both you and your children might live..." All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are God's chosen people, and we admonished to chose life or death, so that we and our children might live!

I constantly warn my children to be careful what they watch, listen or read. Many messages going forth in our society today have stressed our "right to chose" but have not balanced it with the message that our choices have consequences (especially in the area of lust and selfishness). For instance, most movies have glamorized many things that are bad for us and have not generally shown the destructive results of smoking, drinking, adultery, fornication, gambling, abortion, etc. These things don't come home to roost until something tragic occurs in our life.

God did give humans the opportunity to make choices that genuinely affect their destiny and because God created mankind in His own image, that included the ability to choose. Making good choices is making good sense, exercising good judgment and discipline. We are going to be held accountable for the choices we make.

As Christians, we are to develop the attributes of Christ and become like Him. Because much of our personalities are formed through our choices, we have to make new choices to let go of the old nature and receive the new. Our new natures are formed by the truths from the Word of God.

The mind is the intellect, with reasoning being the "voice" of the mind. If the mind remains unrenewed, not "healed," it will continue to think carnal thoughts, believe false information, and result in fleshly speaking and living.

Our future is determined by all the choices we are making today. Let us bring God into helping us make our decisions. In doing so, it will determine whether our future will be secure and will have God's blessing on it.

Let us be as Joshua was and declare: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." God promised Joshua good success if he obeyed the words of the Law and chose to follow Him. Joshua and his family were blessed because he made the right choices; even though he went through many battles, God was with him. He was an overcomer. And you can be too!

It took me a while to grasp what my fellow day care co-worker meant, but the more I study the Word of God, the more it becomes a lamp and light to my path. Making good choices seems like a smart thing to do.

Thought for Today: Be smart and be obedient. Make good choices so you can have life.

The Power of God

When we consider creation we can't help but wonder about the omnipotence of the God who brought it into being. All we see and know of His creation was called into existence by His Word. He created substance from nothing. (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

Our God hasn't changed. The God of creation is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His power hasn't diminished. In the book of Jeremiah, it states, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:16-29)

We are really blessed to know that we belong to a God such as this! But often because we are human and get busy with our day to day things, we forget about the awesome power of God. We become too busy with busyness that we take little time out of our schedule or activities to reflect about the goodness of God and just how awesome God is!

Have you ever looked at a sunset or a sunrise? Do you think man could have created such a thing? What a wonder! I think there is a song that goes like that by CeCe Winan, "He's a wonder, He's a wonder!" Our God is a wonder!

Most of all, as the author, Diane Head, says, "I forget what God can do for me; I forget He has the power to change those areas in my life that desperately need His touch. There are always a few undesirables that need to be discarded---gossip, yelling, gluttony, complaining, bitterness, fretting, jealousy, worry, pride, uncommitted struggles, impatience---all jammed way back into the corners (shudder!) (NIV, His Power)

Our lives are like closets that need to be cleaned and straightened out. But, by our own power, we just can't seem to change our lives. To bring about a permanent change of heart, we need more power than our tired, human selves can muster.

God reminds us in His Word that He is the door, all we have to do is knock and come on in. In Jeremiah 29:13, God tells His people, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

We have to desire to seek God and when we do, we can find Him. God doesn't hide or step away from us, we hide and step away from Him.

When we open the door and allow God's life changing power to enter in...step by step, moment by moment...He begins a good work in us.

As Ms. Head states, "Deadwood is cut out. Discipline is applied. Priorities are rearranged. In some areas, He works quickly. In others, painfully slow. But His timing is always perfect."

God works in His time and in His way, but we must be willing to trust Him with our lives.

It is hard to trust someone you don't know, but the Word of God says that door is always open. This mean He is always available to you. Also you can swing wide open those "closet doors" to your heart and let Jesus Christ exert His resurrection power, tenderly cleaning and straightening out your lives.

God desires that no one should perish, but should come into the revelation that the God who created the universe and created us, only desires the best for our lives. He wants us to live in eternity with Him.

Thought for Today: God's power is awesome! Once you experience His power, you will know it too.

The Excuses We Make

Very often I hear people say they can't find a church or church's membership is too old, or they don't like the music, it is not their kind of music, or any old excuse not to attend church services.

It is so funny to me because church is not about you! Church is about honoring and worshipping God; giving him glory and thanks. We seem to think that church is about us. God instituted the church worship for Himself! We are to discover the Word of God for God's people. We are God's church, each one of us, individually and collectively.

Folks will say, "well, I watch church services on television," and "that is all the church I need."

How selfish is that? We feel comfortable when we don't have to interact with anyone and we can sit in our comfortable and private homes and watch church services. Don't feel like talking or meeting anyone? Well, oddly enough, God did not expect us to be vacuum unto ourselves.

I was reading in today's paper an article by Rev. Billy Graham and someone wrote him and asked the question,"what would be wrong with just watching services on television?"

His response was that church services on television have their place, and specifically for older people who can't get out to attend, but when you can get to church, you should take advantage of the opportunities God will give you there.

Many folks are looking for a church like the one they used to have, but rarely when you move from city to city, state to state, one part of a state to another part, will you ever find a church like the one you used to have.

In Hebrews 10:25, the bible says, "let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another."

As Christians we need each other. God didn't intend for us to be isolated from other believers. So if you call yourself a Christian, stop being selfish, and go to church. There is someone who needs to see you, to hear your voice, or receive a touch from you! Some of us have a healing touch. Someone might be ill and you have that healing touch, that gift that God gave you! And you don't want to share it; you want to sit comfortably back in your TV chair and watch service on TV. Get up and get out of that chair!

Sometimes we visit a church and one visit we say, "I don't like that church or they were singing my kind of music." The bible tells us to "sing a joyful noise unto the Lord." The bible doesn't specify what kind of music. Maybe the people in the church aren't that friendly, huh? Well, shame on them! They should be friendly. God has blessed them and got them up out of their beds and they should be joyfully singing God's praises, right? Everyone should be greeted with a smile. Guess what? You could be that person. If you are cheerful person and God has blessed that way, you should come to church and cheerful great other Christians.

You can't judge a church only by a single visit. However, my husband and I did. We join our church on the same day we visited. We were greeted warmly, we went to Sunday School class and everyone was friendly and we liked the Sunday School teacher, and then the Pastor came and greeted us personally. True he had heard we were in town, but he didn't know what day we would visit. To top it all, we enjoyed the Pastor's sermon, the message from God that he brought to the congregation.

When you visit a church, look to see how you can contribute to it and not so much what you can take from the church. God has blessed you with specific gifts and He expects you to share your gifts with the body of Christ. We are created for God's purposes, and not the other way around.

Ask God to lead you to a church where Christ is preached and the Word of God is taught, and where you can fellowship with other believers. There are no perfect people in church. Jesus Christ was the only perfect person. We are to imitate Him; no way we can be just like Him.

Thought for Today: Don't pre-jude or judge a church on only one or two visits. Ask God to guide you, for He knows what is best for you!

A Thanksgiving Feast

We all have much for which to be thankful. Amen! If you got up this morning, you should be thankful. Seeing another day is not always promised to us.

I want to reflect on my Thanksgiving experience; it was indeed a real feast! We spent this Thanksgiving with our cousins and the cousins can throw down; they are excellent cooks! We feasted on all the traditional Thanksgiving foods. I actually had two plates of food; could not eat dessert. I was thankful just to be in the presence of the cousins; to be near family and thinking what a blessing it was to just be there, a part of the Thanksgiving celebration.

We all are part of God's family and what a blessing that is. I was reading one of my devotions that I had not picked up in a while and in it was a scripture I would like to share with you.

It said, "You're are blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat." Matthew 5:5-6

It has been a while since I have shared scripture with you but I did share part of this scripture on Thanksgiving Day. I wanted to reflect and meditate on this particular scripture more.

Are you content just with who you are--or are you desiring to be like someone else? Contentment is a sign of peace which comes from God, knowing that you are a part of God's plan, and it is a peace that only God can give. You can't get it from others. God's peace makes you content with being who you are because you are unique. God created you in His likeness and that makes you unique.

The scripture I gave you was taken from a new version of the bible, The Message, but I want to quote the NIV (new international version), which states "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:5-6) These are part of the beatitudes that Jesus shared with the crowds of people who constantly sought him out and He wanted to teach them about the Kingdom of God. He didn't necessarily teach or give them what they wanted to hear. Often He used parables to convey his messages.

Jesus began His sermon with words that seem to contradict each other, but God's way of living usually contradicts the world's. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive everything God has in store for you.

You have pride in owning things or possessions but in this world, you can't serve two masters; you have to pick one. God alone is sufficient in Himself. You have to work up a good appetite for God and in doing so, you will receive everything God has for you. It may not be material possessions but it may be peace, hope, and joy.

Each beautitude describes how to be "blessed." "Blessed" means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God's kingdom. To Jesus, "blessed" means the experience of hope and joy. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, you must follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

God is food and drink in the best meal you will ever eat. There is no substitute, in the physical, that can replace the meal that you will get by following Christ. Try Him! Thanksgiving filled your stomachs, but God will fill your life.

Thought for Today: Jesus is the best thing that ever happen to me! Let Him be the best thing that ever happened to you!

How's Your Heart?

My former Sunday school teacher used to remind our class that God judges a man by his heart.

"For this people's heart become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes." Acts 28:27

How's your heart for God? Do you desire to please God or to please man? Is it important what God thinks when he looks at your heart?

A hard heart is far from God. It is unyielding, judgmental, uncaring, self-centered, and stubborn.

A hard heart hates, it is unforgiving and exudes death. Conversely, a soft heart yields. It gives the benefit of the doubt. It considers the needs of others. It cares. It loves. A soft heart provides rich soil for a fruitful walk with God and one another.

We are living in times when people heart's are hardened. We don't care if people are unemployed, have families to support, can't pay their mortgage notes, or need food and clothing. We just don't care. We are only concerned if we can make it. We don't love our fellow man or have any compassion for him. We are only concerned if we have a job, if we can pay our mortgage note or rent, if we have food or clothing. We live in a society today that only cares about themselves, not considering that it could happen to them.

Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Today, some people will put their own relative out of their houses; you can be their relative and they will tell you that you have to find your own way. I guess everyone is entitled to what they believe they should do, but I have a sadness about it. If a relative can't find refuge in a family's home, how will they find it elsewhere. There are people who have been out of work for a year, or more. We can't turn our backs on our own family members!

I think God is going to judge our hearts. I think God is looking down at men and women today to see how big is their heart.

God has a heart for his people. Once God's love was poured into the heart of the Apostle Paul, he yielded to the Holy Spirit. God's love transformed him. He received a new heart that was soft and eager to share Christ. We, too, were given new hearts when we were baptized. Still, do you agree that our tendency to develop a hard heart is not completely gone? I would have to say it has not completely gone.

I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit's conviction; because He lives in me, I cannot keep a calloused heart for very long. Hardness of heart is uncomfortable within me now. I used to be a selfish person until Jesus came into my life, not only has my heart changed, but I am a new creature in Christ. My desire is to please God and because God is expecting me to have a big heart, I can't just think about myself any more. Everything comes from God and God is expecting us to be hospitable, to share what with have with those less fortunate.

The more we yield to the Holy Spirit, the softer our hearts become, open to receive and give the love of Christ, who is our life.

Thought for Today: The heart of the matter is matter of the heart. Don't let your heart become hardened. God is watching.

"Outside the Temple"

The Bible recognizes the power of words. God spoke His creation into existence, and the gift of speech is one aspect of man's creation in the image of God (Genesis 2:19-20).

In the revelation of God's law, words as well as actions are assigned moral values. Lying, blasphemy, taking the Lord's name, and cursing are examples of sinful speech forbidden in the Mosaic law.

I want to talk about the use of profanity and how offensive it is.

Profanity is a part of agressive behavior and also a form of bullying. I don't like it and I don't want to be around people who use it. It shows disrespect towards the person who it is directed and also it shows disrespect to God.

What is profanity? the word, "profane" literally means "outside the temple." The term originally identified people or things that were secular as opposed to religious. Profanity is used for shock value in expressing anger and humor. The words often are associated with sexuality or filth.

The New Testament commands believers to be pure in speech by controlling their tongues. "With the tongue, we bless our Lord and Father and with it, we curse men who are made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth comes blessings and curses. James 3:9-10 says "these things should not be this way."

Christians should honor the purpose of speech by using their mouths to praise God and leading others to obey the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ. Every word we speak should be "gracious" and "seasoned with salt" (Colossians 4:6). We should always ask, "what would Jesus say?"

Christians are called upon to live differently and to act differently than the world of unbelievers. An unbeliever is one who does not believe there is a God or who choses not to follow Christ as Lord and Saviour. That is their choice. God gave man free will. God does not force himself on anyone.

So if profanity is "outside the temple," what is inside the temple? Our bodies are inside the temple as well as our mouth which is part of the body. Our bodies, including our mouth, are the temple of a holy God. God is holy and pure and He expects His creation to be the same way.

The scripture declares "may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14)

Ephesians 4:29 states "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Peter 3:10 says, "for, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech."

Cursing and using profanity should not be the norm, nor should it be acceptable speech.

Thought for Today: Stay inside the temple, be holy and pure, as God is. You are a part of His creation.

Off The Record!

I should be writing something scriptural, but forgive me. I will try to post something soon. I am just speaking off the record here.

What is the big deal about being skinny? Is it part of being "hot" or sexy? If it is, it is some kind of sick in my opinion.

As badly as I would like to lose a few pounds, I guess I am not in the "hot" or "sexy" generation. Thank goodness for that! Who started this "thin" business; you have to be thin to be accepted. Thank goodness, the Bible says nothing about thinness, but it does say that our bodies are the temple of God. I can't imagine that God would want us to look emaciated to get a man or a husband.

I am sure there a men out there who set this standard for the woman they chose to be their girlfriend or wife. If so, forgot about them! Be healthy, not sickly. There are many people in foreign countries that look emaciated and it is because they can't get food. Americans don't have that problem.

I had the worst experience today at Walmart's. Yes, I am one of those people who occasionally shop there.

I saw a very thin female teenager fall to the ground. There were two older adults with her. At first I thought she was sick because she just looked like she was not going to get up! Then I thought these people had kidnapped this girl and she was weak from them starving her, or maybe she was trying to draw attention to herself and get away this couple. The world is so sick with evil people, you don't know whether you should call for help or just stand there, like I did and look. After the girl got up, she put her arm around the woman like she was familiar with her, but what does that prove? Nothing, the woman could have told her to do that.

I am frightened for young people, the babies, the toddlers who get raped, and parents who don't love their children. You should be frightened also if you have children or teenagers. It is scary out here! Keep your children away from negative influences.

I did not know what to think. She was so frail, less than a size 1. It made me sick! Maybe she was anorexic. I didn't know what to think except that young girl is in trouble!

This obsession with being "thin" needs to stop. She is not the first person I saw this thin. I played tennis with a woman who was thin and claimed she couldn't gain weight. I saw another young woman in Dillard's who stopped to visit someone at the cosmetic counter, saying she just got back from some clinic where she had being treated because she was anorexic. I know an adult women who volunteered at a place where I had once worked; she ate lettuce for lunch all the time. Okay, people, Weight Watchers has a lot of people who have lost weight; there are better ways to be slimmer and healthier.

With Halloween around the corner, these ladies look as though they are part of it, like a skeleton. Now, I ask you, this cannot possibly be sexy or hot as I hear many people using these terms. It is downright disgusting!

Share your opinion if you do read this blog. I don't get it!

Be Imitators of Christ

Gosh, I am not sure how to start. It has been a while since I have written but the Spirit continues to impress upon me the need to talk about being imitators of Christ.

One thing is for sure, I don't want to be like the movie stars and other celebrities who are rich and never happy; who live drug filled lives and commit suicide. I just wonder are there any celebrities who are happy. But I am certain of one thing: I desire to be more like Christ every day.

I am becoming turned off more and more of watching these celebrities in the movies or supporting their lifestyle by going to movies or watching TV. They are going to have to show me a little bit more! They need to follow Christ's standard and not the world standard.

After watching these movie starts and athletes just waste their lives away and never seem to be satisfied with all that they have, I know for sure I would never imitate or desire to be like any of them!

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 5:1 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. " Just as children imitate their parents, we should imitate Christ. His great love for us led him to sacrifice himself so that we might live. Our love for others should be of the same kind --- a love that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service.

It goes on further in this chapter to say, "But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. (v. 5)

God is holy and perfect, and it is His expectation that those He chose, us, be holy and perfect also. I hear the cliche that only Christ is perfect and how can we be perfect because we are humans. No human is perfect.

Guess what? God is expecting for us to try to be perfect as His son was. We need to follow and imitate Christ's standard.

There should be not even a hint of sexual immorality, and yet the world is preoccupied with what is hot! And I ask, just what is hot! Sex, immoral conduct? No, just our own lustful thoughts and desires. All of which are not pleasing to God. Any kind of impurity, or greed, both of which led us to selfishness and darkness, living out our own desires which led to sin. Sin which separates us from God.

We are impure because we refuse to come out of the darkness and into the light. We like darkness because it gives us an excuse to hid; to sweep our sins under the rug. We are greedy and seek only what we desire and not what God desires of us. We live in a "me" society; it is all about "me." Later for compassion, sincerity, and concern for those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

The sad thing about greed is that it never satisfies. The more a person gets, the more the person thinks he needs. Only God can satisfy our needs. We are reminded that our love for others should be of the same kind of love that Christ had for us, an unselfish love.

I feel those who are very fortunate financially should be happy and content, but yet they desire to be sexually immoral, impure and greedy, only thinking of themselves. What good is it to have the world and lose your soul?

Thought for Today: When you think about imitating someone, think about imitating Christ, who gave His life so you could live.

Love, The Most Important Thing

I listen and hear alot of conversation about love. Sometimes I am not certain how the word love is being defined or used. However, I know one thing and that is Love is the most important thing.

The love that Christ and his disciples speak about is agape love. Agape love is an unconditional love that God has for us and we have for Him.

We sometimes think of love as emotional or physical, more of an erotic love, butg the love that God has for his children is more of a love that a father has for his child.

I don't know the exact number of times Christ or his disciples used the word love but I can say that you might be able to find it in most of the 66 books of the Bible.

Biblical love has God as its object, true motivator, and source. Love is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and is not directed toward the world or the things of the world (the lust of the eyes or flesh or the pride of life).

The ultimate example of God's love is the Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "I give you a new commandment: that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another." (John 13:34)

One of the things that becomes clearer to me as I study the word of God is that if we were able to save ourselves from sin and obey the 10 commandments, God wouldn't have had to send his son, Jesus, to die for our sins.

The Bible tells us in Romans 12:9 that "Love must be sincere. We must hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

It goes on to say,"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves h is fellowman has fulfilled the law." (romans 13:8)

Verse 9 in the same chapter states that all the commandments are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Most of us have learned how to pretend to love others, but sincere loves requires concentration and effort, it means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. So we should look for people who need our love, and look for ways we and other fellow believers can love the body or community of Christ.

Why is love for others called a debt? We are permanently indebted to Christ for the love he poured out on us when He died on the cross for our sins. The only way we can even begin tor epay this debt is by loving others in turn. Christ's love will always be infinitely greater than ours; we will always have the obligation to love our neighbors.

When we love our neighbor as ourselves, we make sure that others are fed, clothed, and housed as well as we are. Loving others as ourselves means to be actively working to see that their needs are met. The reason the Apostle Paul said that all the commandments could be summed up into one is because when you love, you don't want to hurt others or see others suffer.

You won't turn your head and pretend that the people around you and your neighborhoods don't exist. You will want for others the same as you have for yourselves.

Thought for Today: Love is the most important thing. If you love God than you will love your neighbor.

Love, The Most Important Thing

I listen and hear alot of conversation about love. Sometimes I am not certain

Why Should You Go to Church?

I don't think anything is more important to me than "going to church." Many people give excuses why they don't go to church or don't want to go to church.

You certainly can't force anyone to attend church. That is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Why should you "go to church?" Why can't you just do devotions on your own?
Good questions. It is true God values personal devotions. In fact, He even commands us to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

"Going to church" is more than personal devotions. For Christians, "going to church" is the gathering together of a family, your spiritual family. It is as the Apostle Paul described it, uniting the members of one body, the body of Christ. (Romans 12:4:5)

God is more concern that those who are a part of His body be united as one. It is very similar to a marriage. Our marriage to the one, true God. It shows our connection to Him. We belong to Him. He created us to be with Him.

Every Christian is a member of the body of Christ, and every member has unique talents and insights. Sharing these gifts with each other as a unified body strengthens us in our common task of glorying God. You will experience four areas:

1. Fellowship. Regular attendance allows a Christian to become part of a church family---a community of brothers and sisters who share true concern for one another. "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (1 Corinthians 12:26)

2. Corporate Worship. Jesus promised that "where there are two or three gathered together in His name, there He would be also. (Matthew 18:20) God is gloried when Christians speak of His greatness with each other, and He is pleased to be in our midst.

3. Personal Growth. Meeting regularly with other Christians is an opportunity to be encouraged in your daily walk with Christ, to receive godly advice in areas of difficulty in your life, and to be challenged by the example of more mature Christians. God commands us to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together..." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

4. Ministry. The Apostle Paul tells us that God gave "pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-12) Attending church allows us to receive the instruction of trained pastors and teachers, helping us to minister both to the world and within the Church.

Church is not just a building where you go to worship God. We, the people of God, are the Church. Since we each have unique gifts that God gave us and we all make up the body of Christ, it is essential that we share our gifts with one another in order to build up the body of Christ, and His Church.

I am very privilege to attend a loving and caring Church, where my Pastor and the leaders, are very devoted to building up the body of Christ and teaching us the Word of God. It makes my week complete, knowing that I will see my spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ each Sunday. They have been a blessing to me and my family. I thank God for them daily. It is my prayer that everyone should be blessed with a Church family and study the Word of God.

Thought for Today: "Going to Church" is God's personal desire for every person He has created in order to connect with Him and the body of Christ.

Rivers of Life

Interesting reading which I am taking from a devotional entitled, "My Utmost for His Highest." This is not an easy book to digest, but one that has great significance in our spiritual growth. The author, Oswald Chambers, writings have been compiled in this devotional. A book to keep close by for daily reading.

In the book of John 7:38, it reads, "He who believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water," will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even "to the end of the earth" regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be.

We have nothing to do with the outflow, as this is the work of God, that you believe.

A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while it is blocked, yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle.

Do you ever see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into your life and you do not seem to be of any use to God?

Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it.

The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty.

The obstacle will be a matter of total indifference to the river that will flow steadily through you if you will simply remember to stay focused on the Source.
Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ, not emotion nor experience, nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us.

We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as "rivers of living water" in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving, because our relationship is not right with the Lord Jesus.

As surely as we receive blessings from Him, He will pour out blessings through us. We are blessed to be a blessing. God looks at our heart.

Thought for Today: If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you mighty, rushing rivers of blessing for others.

Our Unmet Needs

God didn't answer your prayer. You still have needs and concerns. When are you needs going to be fulfilled.

God promised to supply all your needs and yet sometimes fulfillment is slow in coming. What could be the problem?

Perhaps you are.

When our Father fails to meet our expectations, we generally look outside ourselves for the reasons. But while the Lord's love is unconditional, many of His promises are not.

For example, Philippians 4:19 is a "family promise" - it can be claimed only by those who rightly call the soverign of the universe "my father."

His unlimited resources are not available to men and women who reject salvatoin through Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:16 says this, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Every one's needs will not be met. Taking a promise out of its biblical context is dangerous.

Expecting God to keep a conditional pledge when we aren't meeting its requirements is even more unwise. The Lord keeps His word but rightfully expects us to do our part.

God's yoke is light --- to love, honor, and obey Him.

Moreover, when we look at the whole framework of Scripture, we see that the Lord makes our obedience a condition for His fulfilling needs. Psalm 81:10 states, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, open wide your mouth and I will fill it." This was a promise made to the Jewish people who God saved from a life of slavery in Egypt. As Christians, this promise also applies to us.

God will not condone sin by blessing us while we rebel against Him. He demands and expects obedience to His word.

Our wilful disobedience allows Satan to cut our supply line from the Lord. Restoring that connection is a matter of repentance. We must repent and not sin again. Once we are saved, we have a responsibility to stop sinning. God does not reward sinners who refuse to stop bad behavior and keep living in sin. We will have to be accountable for our sins.

Yes, the bible says that our sins are forgiven and God will not look at them again. But He doesn't expect us to continue the same lifestyle we had before we were saved. When we are saved, we desire to change our life and the Holy Spirit lives in us and helps us to turn from our wayward ways.

Those who walk in God's way are protected, provided for, and satisfied.
"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes!" (Psalm 81:13)

Thought for Today: Obedience will help your needs to be met.

Why Worry?

We all are living in perilous times; people are committing suicide or wanting to commit suicide because they can't find jobs or pay their bills or just having a rough time. Suicide is not an option. It is self-murder and it offends God.

In the book of Phillippians 4:6 it says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."

This is a promise of God. If you have prayed, keep praying!

Believe me, I know it is hard to not worry, but every time I start worrying, I go pray. God says we have victory in Jesus. We must take this to heart.

This is what Satan wants for you to give up. Don't give up! Satan goal is to destroy people, not give them hope.

The Apostle Paul admonishes believers in the book of Philippians, telling them not to worry. We are to "be careful for nothing." God has it all under control. Paul was addressing anxious concern based on apprehension regarding potential or real harm or adversity. The admonition covers (but is not limited to) worry about food, clothing, length of life, and the future.

We can't control the future. We don't know when we are going to die. We can't control the length of our life.

Christ told His disciples (we all are his disciples today) not to worry about these things. The Lord cares for us because we are of more value than the birds of the heavens and the flowers of the fields, which He also feeds and clothes
(Luke 12:22-29).

Further, Christ said that we cannot add a single hour to our lives (Matthew 6:27)

As for the future, attention to tomorrow's concerns is to be given when tomorrow comes. We are to give attention to today's concerns today!

Instead of being anxious, believers should engage in prayer. Prayer is God's cure for worry, for it dispels worry about anything, but believers are to pray about everything.

First, prayer is communicating with God. I tell my children often, don't get on the phone with your friends, go to the throne of God first. Your friends can't solve your problems; their problems may be greater than yours.

When we pray, we are addressing God Himself. When a believer prays, he "enters into the very presence of God, realizing that nothing is too great for His power to accomplish nor too small for His love to be concerned about."

Second, prayer is making supplication, or petition, to God. It is to humbly make a specific plea in reliance on Him. Supplicatin is casting all those concerns that could cause anxiety upon God for His tending (1 Peter 5:7). Third, prayer is to be joined and undergirded with thanksgiving. God should be thanked for the very privilege of approaching Him with our petitions.

Fourth, prayer is making specific requests (in contrast to generalities). While God knows all about our needs and concerns (Luke 12:30), our definite requests to Him express our dependence upon Him.

Thought for Today: Take your concerns to God; don't let Satan win. God will hear you when you pray.

7 Keys to Spiritual Growth

In Mature Living, an article entitled Seven Keys to Spiritual Growth was written by Pam Eason. I found some very and simple ways to grow spiritually and I will share them with you. Think of yourself in the Garden of Eden. God is the Master Gardener, and He has a perfect garden plan.

He knows how eye-catching his garden will look when each plant grows to maturity as it should. He knows how beautiful we will be full grown and He has arranged the perfect space in His garden for us. God did the hard part. Our part is easy. All we have do is----grow!

Here are seven steps to spiritual growth from the Master Gardener:

1. Root yourself in Christ. The apostle, Paul, in Colossians 2:6-8 reminds us, that to grow strong in faith, we must continue to follow Christ's example. We are reminded to get rid of ideas that are contrary to God's teachings.

2. Surround yourself with fertile soil. In Philippians 4:8, we are told that we will do best when we fill our minds with, and meditate on, things that are true, noble, just, lovely, good, and praiseworthy. You can do this by surrounding yourself with mature Christian friends.

3. Get plenty of light. The psalmist in Psalm 119:130 says, "the unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." The principles in God's word are always right and God gives tips in His Word on how to survive in today's world.

4. Rejoice in the rain. In 1 Peter 5:10, we are reminded that "although you will be uncomfortable for awhile, after the rain God himself will restore you and make you grown stronger, firmer, and more steadfast." When you find yourself struggling, thank God and trust Him by understanding that God loves you and wants what is best for your growth.

5 Pull up the weeds and thorns. Get rid of the thing sin your life that are crowding you in and choking the life out of you. Hebrews 12:1 says "to thrown off everything that hinders and entangles you." Make a list of the worries and see what God has to say about each one. Believe God, grow, and produce.

6. Get pruned. Carefully rid yourself of your injured parts. Don't hold on to hurtful memories just ecause you have become comfortable with them. Lamentations 3:19-20 says that remembering the bad things that have happened to you will cause your soul to be downcast.

7. Drop some seeds. In Joshua 4:21-24, Joshua commanded the children of Israel to leave a memorial so that their children would know what God had done for them. Think of ways to drop some seeds of remembrance to let others know what God has done for you. Get rid of your pride and let the word of God speak truth through you.

On the other hand, the psalmist in Psalm 77 was in distress, he remembered what God had done for his people and it gave him comfort. In Isaiah 17:10-11, when God is forgotten and troubles come, even though we have put forth our best effort to solve our own problems, we will only gain grief and pain from the experience.

Use these 7 guidelines for optimal growth to mature where God has placed you. Remember, you are the perfect person for the place you're in. God planned for you to be where you are in advance. He knows just how beautiful you will look full-grown!

Thought for Today: Your spiritual growth is important to God.

A Prayer for You

Romans 8:28 in the Word of God says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Everyone, of course, is not called. As my Pastor said this past Sunday, he knows that he was called to preach the Word of God.

The rest of us must be called and when we are called, we are called for God's purpose and plan.

I came across this prayer and would like to share it with you.

"Father, I'm so delighted that You are both loving and sovereign, and that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose. So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in me anxiety or pain. And I thank You in advance for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days."

Could you pray this prayer? A prayer thanking God for things you don't want and yet you may be subjected in the course of a day or a week or month. Funny, how we are thank God for both good and bad things that come into our lives.

When we thank God for each difficulty in our lives, we get an opportunity to see Him work. When God exposes our weaknesses and needs, and hidden sins, our self-centeredness, and especially our pride, we see how God uses trials to humble us and perfect our faith. An opportunity in endurance that is preparing us for a fresh new growth in godliness.

God sees past our superficial desire for a trouble free life, and instead we can fulfill a desire to please and glorify God for all that He has done in our lives. A life that says to God, "thank you in spite of my trials and tests. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Our faith in God is being tested, not just our lives here on earth, but our faith! We can't really see the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure.

God is awesome. He is the creator of all things living and breathing on this earth. All we have to do is to worship and give Him the glory. His mercy and grace overflows. Each day we wake up, it is because of God's grace and mercy. Not because of anything that we, ourselves, did. Sometimes we can't see it because we are only focus on ourselves instead of being focus on God.

Thought for Today: Live your life for God, in way that will please Him.

Why Is Having Faith Important?

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." There is no other component of the Christian life that is more important than faith.

The Holy Spirit continues to bring this issue of faith to me, even today, it keeps presenting itself. So I will talk a little about faith and why it is so very important.

First, of all, we cannot purchase it, or sell it or give it to our family or friends. The dictionary defines faith as "belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof. It also defines faith as "belief in and devotion to God."

The Bible has a lot to say about faith and how important it is. It is so important that without faith we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him. I will say that again, "faith is belief in the one, true God without actually seeing Him."

So while we are walking on this earthly plane, we must be all our hope and trust in the one true and living God. The only time we will actually see God is when we die.

Faith is a gift from God, not because we deserve it or have earned it, or are even worthy to have it. It is not from ourselves. It is from God. It is not obtained by our power or our free will. It is simply given to us by God, along with His grace and mercy, according to His holy plan and purpose, and because of that, He gets all the glory.

Failure to have faith means we don't trust God and we don't believe that He is who He says He is, nor do we believe that He will do all that He has promised in His holy Word.

Without demonstrating faith and trust in God, we have no place with Him. We believe in God's existence by faith.

How do we have faith? Romans 10:17 says that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

You can only hear the Word of God if you study the Bible or attend a church that teaches the Bible. The careful study of God's Word is of primary importance in developing a strong faith. God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in ours lives. It is through the hearing, reading and meditation on the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong confident faith that excludes worry and fear.

God wants and desires a relationship with Him. It is not our religion that strengthens our faith but a relationship with God!

There was a woman who had suffered from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had sought physicians and she had money but could not get cured. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in a crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." Immediately her hemorrhage stopped and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Jesus turned about in the crowd and asked who had touched him and the woman responded that it was she. Christ said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace , and be healed of your disease." (Mark 5:25-34)

This is a lesson in approaching God with humility and putting our confidence and trust in Him instead of of in worldly things. Our faith will enable our spiritual healing and salvation.

I could continue on and on about examples in the Bible of those whose faith was so strong and how they relied on God to fulfill all His promises. You will have to read it for yourself..

Thought for Today: Keep Christ as the Center of your Life; trust God to do what He says He is going to do.

What is a Forgiving Spirit?

I want to talk a little about forgiveness. Most times, however, forgiveness is a slow process. We are a sensitive people with a lot of pride and when we forgive, we let our guard down so we think. Actually, when we forgive, we are doing what God commands. What God wants from us is obedience.

A forgiving spirit is not just a person who says I forgive you for the sake of saying I forgive you, but a forgiving spirit is a person who lets the incident go. It is a person who trusts God to handle the situation.

The best reason to forgive is because Jesus commanded us to forgive. We learn from the Scripture, if we don't forgive, neither will we be forgiven. Matthew 6:14-16 says, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father (God) will not forgive your sins."

Maybe we don't care if our sins are forgiven. For me, I do care. I guess I am blessed that I don't hold grudges. I may get upset for a couple of days, but I am fortunate that I can let it go. Letting go is crucial because when you can't forgive, you harbor bitterness and anger. Both are very bad for you. It not only offends God, but it will make you sick!

When you can't forgive, you might try praying for that person you need to forgive. We can pray for God to deal with the injustices, for God to judge the person's life, and then we can leave that prayer at the altar.

For almost forty years of my life, I could not forgive a person for what they had done to me. I stayed very sick and had nightmares. I just couldn't let it go, but when Jesus came into my life, I gave it to him because He said I could.

Luke 6:37 says "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." The Scriptures are replete with wisdom about the necessity of forgiveness.

Even though forgiveness is not easy for us, it is good for us. It's not a one time choice and then we automatically live in a state of forgiveness. Forgiveness may require a lifetime of forgiving, but it is important to the Lord. We must continue forgiving until the matter is settled in our heart.

Thought for Today: God knows our heart. Forgive and mean it! Live it.

Make God the Center of Your Life

I have been reading a column by the Evangelist, Billy Graham lately, a man of great wisdom. A question was posed of him about is it wrong to want to be rich and successful.

I found his answer interesting and I believe this is true. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 11 (Jeremiah 29:11), God says this: "For I know the plans I have you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." What an awesome promise of God. And we know that God does not lie, so if He promises it, He will have to deliver it!

Mr. Graham's response to the question asked of him, was this: "No, God is not necessarily opposed to wealth or financial success; some of the most outstanding and godly people in the bible were also people of great wealth, men like Abraham or Job in the Old Testament. But the Bible does warn us about the dangers of wealth.

First, I want to point out that God does want for us to prosper in life, but the word of God does not tell you that it is material wealth, He promises that He has plans for us to prosper. The problem with desiring wealth can take the place of God in our lives. Instead of loving the one who provides for us and putting Him first in our life, we lust for money and all that it stands for --- usually greed, and more greed, envy, selfishness, only thinking about making more money until we live a life that is void of compassion for others.

In Matthew 6:24, the word of God makes it clear that "No one can serve two masters...You cannot serve both God and Money."

The second problem is we try to make money our goal instead of serving God.
When this happens, we lose sight of the desires of God and the needs of others.

Money then becomes our master instead of our servant, and we begin using people for our own selfish ends. This is how slavery started. Men believed that their money entitled them to enslave other people. They were only concerned with their power and the privileges they derived from that power. Money, in America, does give some people standing and it makes them feel more superior to others. It also makes than think they are superior to God.

God is the author of money and all wealth comes from God! 1 Timothy 6:10 warns that "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." I have already mentioned what kind of evil that is. Don't allow this to happen to you, but instead keep your focus on God, making Christ the center and foundation of your life.

From God comes peace and security, things that money cannot buy. If God gives you wealth, commit it to Him to help others because He has blessed you and expects you to bless others.

Thought for Today: Use your life to be a blessing to other! Remember that keeps his promise of prospering you.

The Faithfulness of God

I have been feeling a little despondent lately. It seems like the trials of this world are getting next to me. Too many ups and downs. Trying to figure out how to stop getting down and how to stay up more.

I am reminded of a traditional church hymn that says that God is faithful. Some of you might sing this song in your home church. The song is entitled Great Is Thy Faithfulness. This song really speaks to my spirit.

The first stanza goes like this:

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not.
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

You know, God never changes, His position stays the same. We change our position often and move away from God, but God never moves away from us.

I guess I get low or down, when I change my position and move away from God.

1 Corinthians 1:9 tells me that, "God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, is faithful." This should be adequate enough, huh?

It is easy to fall out of fellowship with God when we get caught up in our own l problems and forgetting to let go of our problems and trust God.

I noticed that when I take my eyes off of Jesus and on to myself, I start doubting that God is faithful.

I know that God does not love me less today just because I may have step away today. The song says "thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not."

God's love is based on Himself. He is love. His love for me has nothing to do with me. That means I can depend on His love because it is based on Him.

We know that when we confess our sinfulness, admitting that we "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, He is faithful and will forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that "the very God of peace will santify you wholly, and that is His faithfulness, not ours, but the Lord is faithful to those who He calls.

I am thankful that He called me into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Thought for Today: God won't let us down. Pick yourself up!

Twisting the Word of God

The Evangelist, Billy Graham, has an interesting column in our local paper today and I am quoting some from it.

Many people twist the words of the Bible.

I had an interesting conversation with my son in law about this same subject.
He wondered how a person could know whose interpretation of the word of God was correct when so many people had their own interpretation.

I don't know if I had the right answer for him, but one thing I do know that God is light and when you are walking in the light, the Holy Spirit will guide you to the correct interpretation of the Bible.

You must study the Word of God to understand it. The truths of the Bible will be revealed to you with help of the Holy Spirit.

Many people twist the words of the Bible to suit their own needs. Often people try to make the Bible say things that it doesn't really say, according to Mr. Graham. However, they can only do this because they have a tendency to look at just a small part of it and ignore the rest.

One woman wrote about her friend, who told her that the Bible even said "there was no God. What actual happened was that her friend only read part of the scripture which states in Psalm 14:1 which says "the fool says in his heart, there is no God."

Many people do this because if they had read the entire verse, they would not be able to twist the words to fit their needs.

Perhaps had the lady read the entire verse she would understood that only a fool believes there is no God. Evidence of God is all around us!

Some people twist the Bible to make it say what they want it to say, not what it really says. Another reason for doing this is people don't want to believe what the Bible clearly teaches: that we all are sinners and short of the glory of God. WE need Christ to cleanse us from our sins.

If a person were to admit they need Jesus, then that person would have to yield their life to Jesus Christ, and in the lady's case, she didn't want to do it obviously.

It is easy to find fault or to twist the Word of God because if ever gave our life to Christ, we would be new creatures, doing the will of God.

Praying that God is blessing you and that you are sharing your blessing with others.

Thought for Today: The Word of God was designed to help the people of God have the right interpretation. Yield to the Master!

A Time To Endure Trials

The Lord molds His children in proportion to their willingness to be shaped for divinely appointed work.

The only evidence of a sovereign, loving God was that we consistently prospered even during times of trouble.

We can look at the life of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and eventually became the second highest ranking official next to the Pharaoh of Egypt. How does one go from being a free man to a slave, to being jailed and then being the Prime Minister? God placed these circumstances on Joseph in order to save his chosen people, the Israelites. Had God not molded Joseph through all these periods of slavery and confinement, he may have missed the opportunities God had for him and for God's chosen people. (Genesis, chapters 30-45)

We too have to forsake our human pride because pride can lead us to our downfall. In Joseph's case, his brothers were extremely jealous of him because of a dream he had. They did not appreciate their father's favoritism towards Joseph. His brothers did not like what they believed to be Joseph's arrogance. Even in slavery and in prison, Joseph humbled himself before His God, having faith and trusting that God would eventually deliver him. Faith is the most important thing.

We cannot rely on our strength to get us through tough times. Human pride is a potent force that must be uprooted before we can be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Asking God to carry you through a situation or trial, may appear as a weakness, but relying on your own strength is an admission that you can do it without God's help.

I think also of three young men mentioned in the book of Daniel, Chapter 3. They held very prominent positions within the Babylonian government. All three young men refused to bow down to an image of gold they King had made, and they were condemned to a fiery death by fire. But God intervened and spared their lives. What I learned new was that God was in that fire with them! I had never recognized this before.

King Nebuchadnezzar had thrown them into a heated furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual had them tied up, and thrown in the furnace with all their clothes on. The King's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who threw the three men into the fire

Suddenly the King looked up and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw in the first?' (Daniel 3:24) They agreed with the King. The King then said, "Look, I see four men walking around in the first, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." There was God right in the midst of the fire!

King Nebuchadnezzar than approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!" They came out of the fire and the fire had not harmed their bodies or their clothes or hair and no smell of fire was on them. (v.26)

The Most High God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego honored His servants by protecting them. They refused to submit to golden images and even though they had lost their prominent positions and the prestige that goes with it, their God was still with them. In the fire. God is with us also as we go through our sufferings, trials, lost of jobs, lost of prestige. The one thing to remember is He is in the first with us.

We are just going through, it will not last forever. He is preparing us for something greater, something divine, something for which he will receive the glory, not man.

The stories of both Joseph and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego continue to be favorites of mine because God has brought me through many trials and tribulations. For that, I am thankful. Trials strengthen us. We know we are not alone in our trials. God is always in the midst and he wants the glory for helping us get through our trials.

Thought for Today: Thank God that He is in the fire with you! You are not alone.

Heaven Is Our Home

1 John 4:15-17 says,

"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love, live in God, and God lives in them.
And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the
day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus
here in this world."

Thought for Today: Heaven is our home. Live like you are going there.

Timing Is Important

Lesson Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Verse 1 states"There is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven."

My commentary says that timing is important. Why is timing important? The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate God's perfect timing. The danger is to doubt or resent God's timing.

We want what we want when we want it. We don't want to wait on anyone, we don't wait on God. We don't like to pray and seek God's advice. We just want to do it our way, on our timing.

There is a problem with this because it can lead to despair, we can become despondent. It can lead to rebellion and rebellion causes us a problem with God; it shows we don't trust God. We move without seeking God's advice first. Bad decision, bad choices.

One of the hardest things I have had to learn is patience. I am still learning it and I guess God is wondering what is wrong with that woman! Doesn't she get it? I am in charge! I have struggled with patience the majority of my life but I continue to pray and ask God for help in this area. In His time, He will help me overcome this problem with patience.

In the book of James 5:16b, it says that the"earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." Persistent, righteous, power, wonderful results. Key words to which we must pay attention. We must keep asking; we must come to God with clean hearts, we receive power when we come this way and when we do, we get wonderful results.

King Solomon in writing the book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything. You must read Chapter 3:1-8, it is rather long and I won't recite all the verses here, but I do encourage you to read them, as it will put everything in perspective.

I am reminded by reading these verses that "every day regardless of the weather or circumstances of our life is a gift from God to be used for His glory." So when we glorify God in our living, we learn to wait on His timing, His guidance, and His direction.

Author Ron Ash puts it like this: "We are where we need to be and learning what we need to learn. Stay the course because the things we experience today will lead us to where God needs us to be tomorrow." So don't begin your day as usual. Begin your day with prayer so God can guide and direct you to where He needs you the most.

Scripture says, "The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path." (Psalm 119:105) This would not be in the Bible if God wanted us to guide ourselves.

In every season, there is a reason to rejoice and an opportunity to do good. Challenge yourselves to rejoice and do good and then to do them both.

The Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we think. Some people use prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first because God's power is infinitely greater than ours and especially so because God encourages us to pray.

Thought for Today: Keep praying, God's listening. His timing is always perfect.

The Second Commandment

Lesson: Matthew 22:34-40

In the book of Matthew 22 the Pharisees are attempting to trick Jesus and discredit him as a person. So they send a lawyer, one who is suppose to be knowledgeable in the law given by Moses and the prophets.

Verse 34 states that "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together". Verse 35 says" that one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying", Verse 36, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

What is interesting is Jesus response.

Verse 37 states that "Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Verse 38 says, This is the first and great commandment. Verse 39 , "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Verse 40 concludes with "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The lawyer knew or should have known this.

Jesus cited the Jewish confession of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:5, the principle under girding all the specific commands. All those of the Jewish faith were taught early by their mothers, or family, or temple teachers so they would be well acquainted with the law and the prophets.

To love God with all one's mind is to use all reasoning and reflection to bring glory to Him.

We want to receive all the glory, not God. How can we love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind? The majority of religions claim that God is universal and that we all believe in the same thing. Not true. We all don't believe the same thing. Christians believe that God sent His only Son in the flesh to die for our sins. We don't worship animals or have animal sacrifices. Christ was the human sacrifice and his death and resurrection redeemed us before His Father, God.

Then Jesus gave the second commandment which in Verse 39 commands us to "love thy neighbour as thyself."

This is the commandment that is so difficult for every religion, even Christianity. We don't want to give up our seat or our pew in church to a stranger or even to each other. How does that show love for our neighbor?

The second command was to be fulfilled in respect to other Jews. But Jesus applied it to all mankind. The command to love one's neighbor is like the command to love God in more than one way.

First, it requires love, as the first commandment does. And the love demanded for our neighbor is just as exacting as our love for God, for we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. We do not need to be reminded to love ourselves. That comes naturally but to expend the same wholehearted care and concern on our neighbor is a herculean task. It takes effort and it is what God desires of us!

This points out a second connection between the two commands: we cannot adequately fulfill the second one without fulfilling the first.

God demonstrated love even to His enemies. We, as children of God, are to prove ourselves as His children, and are expectged to do the same thing. The world is in the predicament it is in today because of hatred not love of their neighbors. Those who claim to love God and hate their neighbor are liars and are not friends of God. So how can we all believe in the same God who is universal to all mankind?

How can one love the invisible God, yet hate His visible image-bearer? (1 John 4:20)

Indeed, anyone who recognizes that love for God and neighbor is the essence of what God requires is not far from the kingdom. Only a heart that is transformed by God's grace can possibly recognized such love.

Thought for Today: Pray that all mankind might come to love his neighbor so that we can truly be at peace with one another.

The Importance of Entering the Temple of the Lord

I am always amazed how much I learn every time I enter the House of the Lord.

I am away from my church home but I make it a point to visit a church where I am currently living. The benefits of going to church are greater than I can express but let me try to share with you what I recently learned. The sermon I heard was on the importance of attending church. Oddly, I had missed a couple of Sundays and this sermon is what I needed to hear on that day.

One of the reasons many people do not attend church is that they are too hurried. They don't have time to attend church service; it is not important to fellowship with other Christians. Maybe they are not Christians; maybe they have a different belief. At any rate, they are just too busy doing their own thing.

The Pastor of the church I attended preached from the book of Isaiah.

The book of Isaiah, Chapters 36 and 37 tells the story about the Assyrian king threatening the Jewish king. King Hezekiah is now the reigning king of Judah and Jerusalem. The Assyrian King is threatening to cut off the water supply in Judah and Jerusalem and he is telling King Hezekiah to just turn over the city and country to him. King Hezekiah is one of the few good kings that has been reigning over a portion of Israel, Judah and Jerusalem. The kingdom of Israel is split between two kings at this point in the history of the Jewish people. The leadership of Judah is being threatened; King Hezekiah has been humiliated before his own people; he has been insulted by this foreign king; the Jewish people are frightened because of the threats made towards their King. The Lord told King Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah not to be afraid of the threats of the Assyrian King.

In Chapter 37, verse 1 it says: "when King Hezekiah heard this (the report from his officers), he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord."

When you are at the end of your wits and you can't find a solution to your problem or problems, you had better go into the temple of the Lord! Why is that?

1) You need to dwell in the God's presence. You need a time out to get your thoughts together.

2) You need to be lifted out of your situation into the presence of God.

3) You need to get a different perspective of yourself and your problem. God can
fix your life.

4) You need a dose of supernatural power. Power that man does not possess. God
can open doors.

You don't have to tear off your clothes and put on sackcloth like King Hezekiah did, as this was a custom that the Jewish people did to demonstrate their grief over a situation or a predicament, but you need to reverence your God in a time of trouble! All you need to do is enter the temple of the Lord and be in the presence of the Lord.

King Hezekiah knew from whom his strength came and he knew that God was on his side. The Word of God assures all believers that God will never leave or forsake them.

Chapter 37:36 says, "then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies!" Now, how awesome is that?

God would defend Jerusalem for the sake of His honor. Assyria had not only insulted King Hezekiah but had also insulted God. What Jerusalem could not possibly do, God would do for them. God is prepared to do the impossible if we trust Him enough to ask.

Thought for Today: God can do the impossible; we need a fresh perspective and we need to enter the temple of the living God.

Why Does God Need to Prune Us?

The main reasons for pruning, according to an article I recently read, is for safety, health, and aesthetics. Now these are the reasons why trees or flowers or other plants need to be prune. However, it is interesting that God is referred in the Bible as a gardener and his kindgom is the vineyard. Grapes were very significant in the Bible and are mentioned often throughout the Word of God. Many Jewish farmers maintained grape vineyards.

I received a daily devotional via email that discussed a lesson in pruning and the scripture that was mentioned was John 15:1-4 which says, "I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

In order words, Christ is the vine, and God is the gardener who cares for the branches to make them fruitful. Why is it important to be fruitful?

The branches are all those who claim to be followers who by their living union with Christ produce much fruit. But those who become unproductive --- those who turn back from following Christ after making a superficial commitment --- will be separated from the vine.

Unproductive followers of Christ are as good as dead and will be cut off and tossed aside.

Jesus makes a distinction between two kinds of pruning (1) separating and (2) cutting back branches. Now some of you may know a little or maybe a lot about gardening and trees. I have a good friend who can tell me anything and everything about every tree. She loves trees. She knows the trees by name.

Well, just like my friend, Jesus loves all those who have come to him and profess to be followers of his. He also knows them by their name.

Fruitful branches are cut back to promote growth. This affects the health of a tree or a vineyard, as we are talking about in the scriptures. In other words, God must sometimes discipline us to strengthen our character and faith. But branches that don't bear fruit are cut off at the trunk because not only are they worthless, but they often infect the rest of the tree. People who won't bear fruit for God or who try to block the efforts of God's followers will be cut off from his life-giving power.

Remaining in Christ means (1) believing that he is God's son, (2) receiving him as Savior and Lord, (3) doing what God says, (4) continuing to believe the gospel, and (5) relating in love to the community of believers, Christ's body. (1 John 15:12) We cannot bear fruit if we are separated from God.

I am emphasizing pruning for health because it involves removing diseased or insect infested wood and pruning can best be used to encourage trees to develop a strong structure. This is what God does when pruning us, in order to get a plentiful crop of spiritual fruit, God must remove anything that distracts or deters us from serving Him.

Sometimes the process is often painful. Just like a grower must prune an apple tree to get a bountiful harvest. In the same way, God must sometimes let us feel pain so He can bring forth greater growth and more spiritual fruit.

It has been said that in order to reduce the need for pruning, it is best to consider a tree's natural form. It is very difficult to impose an unnatural form on a tree without a commitment to constant maintenance. For God to get what He needs from us as followers of Christ, He must ensure that we receive the proper care and maintenance that we need to develop as good Christians. We get that from studying the Word of God and being in a Bible teaching church.

Thought for Today: God prunes us to cut away a fleshly habit or worldly attitude.