No Wonder I Am Happy!

Do you need a reason to get happy? 

Psalms 16:8-11 I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

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Sometimes David forgot about what he wrote in this Psalm but for the most part he knew that he had a tremendous reason to be happy.

David had a rough life and yet he didn't let his circumstances get the best of him. Despite being hunted down and having his life threatened he could rejoice, he knew that God was right there with him and as Jesus was raised from the dead so it will happen for David and for all of those that know God's "holy one" namely Jesus Christ.

No matter how bad the circumstances, ultimately we win, no matter what is going on God is right there by our side. The knowledge of his presence with each of now and the fact that we will always live with him for eternity should make a difference in our attitude. Does it really sink into our heads how wonderful that it is to experience a relationship with our creator the great God of the universe is right here with me for any struggle that I am going through?

I need to remember how good I have it, what could be better than to have a relationship with my creator and to know that this life is only a temporary assignment.

Lord Jesus thank you for "granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." I need to live each day with this in mind so that I can keep my joy no matter how things are going for me.

Stay On The Right Path

Make sure that you get home.

Proverbs 4:23-27 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

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In the book Pilgrim's Progress, our life on earth is portrayed as a journey from the "City of Destruction" to a destination which hopefully is the "Celestial City." There are many paths along the way to the "Celestial City" some of these paths will get us way off course, they have destinations that can look really appealing to visit or worse yet we may decide to reside in some of those places.

We have all strayed down a path and looking back we wonder how we even got down there, sometimes the way isn't very clear, the book of Proverbs gives us some wise advice today, we are told to:

• Guard our hearts
• Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
• Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.
• Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.

We don't have to wonder aimlessly down all the wrong paths, we have a guide that will help us to stay on course, we can avoid the advice of "Worldly Wiseman" on our way to the "Celestial City" All of the other paths are a compromise from the route that God has planned for us and they put us in great danger.

Proverbs 3:6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

I need to seek God everyday, he is my guide, I need to listen to him and ignore all of the other voices that have a pathway to somewhere other than the "Celestrial City"

Psalms 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  Amen

Live For Him

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Matthew 10:38-39 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not worthy of being Mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for Me, you will find it.

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Jesus called everyone of his disciples selfish, at the same time I am pretty sure that he called me selfish too, it is something that we are all good at.

When he carried his cross to the place of execution Jesus showed us what it looks like to be completely selfless, the burden of the weight, the disgrace and torture, he put aside what was easy and convenient to do what was necessary to help me.

"I have to carry my cross" is a Christian catch phrase that probably gets over used, but do we realize what we are comparing our suffering to? Do we fully understand that Jesus suffered greatly for us and that we are supposed to give up our lives for him? How much burden do most of us really ever carry?

I need to always be aware of the price that was paid for me to have a relationship with God. He died for me, I should live for him, not for selfish worldly gain.

Thank you Lord for giving me a chance to have a relationship with you, help me to give up my idea of what life is all about and live for you.

SlOw leARneR

I can be just as slow as Jesus disciples. 

Matthew 15:30-38 A vast crowd brought to Him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and He healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

32 Then Jesus called His disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with Me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way."

33 The disciples replied, "Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?" 34 Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?" They replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish."

35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. 36 Then He took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd. 37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.

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After Jesus fed the 5,000 plus people back in chapter 14, you would think that when Jesus mentioned to the disciples that the crowd needed food, wouldn't they tell everybody to sit down because it is time to eat. Instead they are wondering about the logistics of the feeding program beginning with how do we get that much food.

No wonder our Lord called them men of little faith (Matthew 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20), it seems that they are slow learners and they may be, but are we any better off? How many times does God have to put us in his classroom and teach us the same lesson over and over again?

Jesus had compassion on his followers and took care of their needs, he always does! He even has compassion for us slow learners! 

Hebrews 4:15-16 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

I need to have more compassion for people, help me Lord to see the needs of others and to have faith that you can help them through my faithfulness. Help me to learn from life's lessons the first time around and avoid making foolish mistakes over again.

How Good Are We Doing At Doing Church?

Is the right way of doing church so right for today?

Matthew 15:1-9 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked Him, 2 "Why do Your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat."

3 Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.' 6 In this way, you say they don't need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.

7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8 'These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'"

Colossians 2:8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

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The Pharisees had the people so bogged down in tradition that the people were afraid to do anything except go through the motions in the traditional way, don't step out of line or you will be in trouble, Jesus was going to set the record straight and make it clear that church tradition was not on the same level as the commands of God.

As my church evaluates how we do church, it is going to create some divisions, if we are really going to evaluate everything that we do to see how effective it is for the purpose of bringing people to Jesus and making disciples of them, then some things that we have always done are going to be in jeopardy of not being done anymore. Why would you want to continue doing something that isn't effective towards achieving your goal? Are you happy just going through the motions of church?

Job number one for the church is to make disciples, so any evaluation of our church body should include a study of how well we are creating disciples. Does the growth of small groups support our claim that we are creating disciples? Is there an increase in the number of people serving within the church body? Are there more people serving out in the community?

The only traditions that we need to have in the church should be to love God, love our neighbor and bring our neighbor to God and create disciples of them. It is so easy to make doing church more difficult than that.

I want to be used in my church as a positive force for change, helping us to get back to our mission, I will support my pastor with prayer and encouragement.

I pray Lord that my church and every evangelical church will evaluate their effectiveness in fulfilling your command to go and make disciples. Help my pastor as he leads in this difficult task, help our congregation to wrestle with their ideas of what church is supposed to be.

Bad Things Happen, What Are You Going To Do?

My attitude when things go wrong.

Genesis 44:9-17 If you find his cup with any one of us, let that man die. And all the rest of us, my lord, will be your slaves." 10 "That's fair," the man replied. "But only the one who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go free."

11 They all quickly took their sacks from the backs of their donkeys and opened them. 12 The palace manager searched the brothers' sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack! 13 When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.

14 Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. 15 "What have you done?" Joseph demanded. "Don't you know that a man like me can predict the future?" 16 Judah answered, "Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves--all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack." 17 "No," Joseph said. "I would never do such a thing! Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave. The rest of you may go back to your father in peace."

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The second trip to Egypt is proving to be just as much trouble as the first trip. The first time around they had to leave Simeon behind in jail, there is no telling how long they left him there while the rest of the family is at home enjoying the food that had been purchased in Egypt.

Benjamin's sack has the silver cup that belongs to Joseph, maybe Joseph is using this opportunity to test his brothers, will they stand up and protect Benjamin or sell him out like they did to Joseph. After all Benjamin was the new favorite son since Joseph had been presumed dead.

Notice the attitudes, Joseph's attitude and the brothers attitudes.

Joseph's brothers were determined to protect their younger brother at any cost, they seemed to be repentant for the harm that they had done to Joseph and didn't want to treat Benjamin the same way.

Joseph's attitude was not anger or resentment but instead he looked to the greater good that came out of the trouble that he went through.

When I am wronged I need to see beyond the offense and focus on how God can use my troubles for good.

Lord I pray that you will help me to see that even when life gets tough, you are still at work for my good. Thank you for using me and for using the difficulties that I have been through.

Caught In A Net

Fishing for all kinds of people.

Matthew 13:47-50 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.

49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Just like a cast net being tossed into the sea, so it is with the gospel, the good news of salvation is tossed into the world. A world that is full of rough seas, under currents and even some tsunami's, this world is full of unrest and difficulties, but there is good news, and that good news is being sent out to everyone.

A cast net does not discriminate, the net of the gospel pulls in men from every background, without regard for race or position in this life, the gospel is out there available to everyone that believes, but when that net is pulled in, not everyone will be saved.

Titus 3:4-7 "When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."

Thank you Lord that I have been declared righteous because of the grace that came through Jesus, thats the only reason that I will be ready for the time when the angels will separate the wicked and the righteous

Keep It Simple

Staying on task for Jesus

Matthew 13:18-23 "Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:

19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.

22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

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At my church we are discussing what it means to do church in the culture that we live in today. We are going to be looking at the effectiveness of the programs that we have been utilizing for the past decades, is there a better way to reach people for salvation and once they are saved, is there a better way to make disciples out of them? Are we even trying to make disciples?

Any farmer can tell you that you can't have rock hard soil, you can't have people walking all over the garden trampling the seed, and it's not a good practice to throw your seeds out in the middle of the thorns. If we really believe these gardening principles then we should be doing everything that we can to improve the soil before we waste our seed.

A missionary friend corrected someone on our mission trip to Greece, there wasn't any evidence that the ministry was going to produce fruit and as we usually say on the mission field when this happens "we are planting seeds for somebody else to harvest." But our friend told us that we weren't even planting seeds he said that we were still busy kicking the rocks out of the way. The question is how are we doing at reaching out to people where they are? Are we cultivating the soil?

Do we even realize that every Sunday our church fills up with people that resemble all of the soil conditions that Jesus mentioned in Matthew, they are all inside our buildings listening to the teachers and singers and the preacher, they are participating in our programs but for some reason their soil condition doesn't change.

Programs are not bad, we need some kind of program to help us focus our energy, but the complexity and quantity of programs and the lack of clarity as to what that program is there for, that is what makes our programs just a bunch of busy work that isn't making a dent in the gates of hell.

The church should be doing everything that it can to cultivate the soil, then plant the seed and then we can produce fruit bearing disciples. We need to focus on a process, we need to ask ourselves if we have a deliberate process that will help us move people toward Jesus from conversion to discipleship?

I will pray for my pastor as he leads us in this study of our programs and processes.

Lord, help us to focus on the programs and the processes that you would have our church focus our energy on. Help us to focus on moving people from where they are to becoming fruitful disciples.

Thank God For Those Blessings

We should never take God's blessings in our life for granted.

Genesis 28:15 What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you."

Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything He gives me."

Genesis 35:1-3 Then God said to Jacob, "Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau." 2 So Jacob told everyone in his household, "Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone."

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Jacob was on the run after tricking his brother, he was scared and his mom told him that he needed to get out of town. In the midst of Jacob's fear God shows up with a message of protection and a promise of prosperity. God told Jacob that he would be a part of the covenant that he had made with Abraham and Isaac. Even though Jacob had the promise from God he still has his doubts and worried about God's protection.

But no matter the situation God was still there living up to his end of the promise that he had made, Jacob was very successful and had great wealth, he even faced his brother and repaired that relationship. Now it was time for Jacob to live up to his vows and go back to Bethel to worship God.

I need to be careful to always be aware of the source of every blessing that I have, thank you Lord for my faith, my family and for financial blessings that you have given to me.

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It's His Fault!

We love to blame somebody else.

Genesis 27:41 From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: "I will soon be mourning my father's death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob."

Genesis 33:1-4 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2 He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. 4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

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For the first time in many years Jacob and Esau meet, it could have been an ugly situation but Esau met Jacob with open arms instead of bearing arms, Esau didn't allow his temper to end his relationship with his brother.

It's his fault! No he did it! There wasn't any of that, it was just like God welcoming the prodigal son back home in Luke 15, there is only joy, there isn't any bickering about the troubles of the past, there is nothing but the forgiveness that is necessary to continue the friendship. We love to go find the source of the problem and place blame anywhere we can, especially if it isn't our fault.

When I am hurt, I need to offer forgiveness in abundance because one of these days I am going to need forgiveness too.

Lord, help us to forgive even those that we feel do not deserve it.

A Speck In Creation

Who are we that he cares for us?

Psalms 8:1-9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

2 You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars you set in place, 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?

5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

6 You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority - 7 the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.

9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

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He made the galaxies with all their splendor and yet he is still mindful of the tiny little speck that is me. You made me just below the heavenly beings and put me in charge of your creation.

Hebrews 2:9-10  What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 

Jesus became like me so that I can spend eternity with him in heaven, he rose from the dead, I will to, he is in glory and I will be there to. I must not forget how small a part of creation that I am and still remember how important I am to my creator.

Lord, I am so undeserving of your thoughtfulness toward me. Thank you for giving me value far beyond the rest of your awesome creation.

Do I Care?

We say that we care but we don't prove it very much.

Matthew 9:36-38  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into His fields"

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Jesus has been bombarded with hurting people everywhere that he has gone, over and over again the crowds would press him for what they believed that he could do for them, each and every one of them was a victim of a religious system that was harsh and unloving. Jesus couldn't stomach the burdens that the religious system had placed on his people, his emotions rose to the surface as he saw the hurting crowds.

What bothered Jesus was the helplessness of his flock, they were in a desperate situation trying to work their way to heaven by obeying the hundreds of rules that the system was telling them that they had to abide by.

Do I have "Jesus cam"? Am I bothered by the things that bother Jesus? Do I see the world the way Jesus sees the world? Jesus saw hurting people needing a Savior, needing love and peace, he saw the urgency of their situation. How urgent do I see the need to get the good news out to all these wondering sheep?

How can Christians proclaim a message of urgency while living a lifestyle of complacency? - Henry Blackaby

There is so much to be done, I must be willing to see the world through the eyes of Christ, see the needs around me and be willing to get to work to save some lost sheep.

Help us Lord to get the urgency of the situation and allow it to affect the way that we live. I pray that I will be found faithful to the work of making disciples.

Were All Bad

None of us can claim to be good.

Matthew 9:9  As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10  Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11  But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”

12  When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13  Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

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Not too long ago Jesus was finishing up the Sermon on the Mount, in that sermon Jesus told his listeners to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.” (Matthew 7:12). Now some of the religious leaders are proving that they didn’t catch on to what Jesus wanted them to learn that day. Instead of love and kindness, the Pharisees show hate and bigotry, instead of seeing lost people they see people that aren’t as “good” as they are.

 Jesus passed by the tax collectors booth and gave Matthew an invitation to be his disciple even though he was considered to be a low life scum for being employed in one of the worse jobs that you could land back in those days. Jesus didn’t invite Matthew to clean up his life, instead he invited Matthew to be one of his close companions, without any condescending attitudes.

Jesus came to earth to dine with the scum, and I am so thankful that he did, for the earth didn’t have anybody better than scum for him to come and dine with. The Pharisees didn't realize their status, they thought they were all that, whether we know it or not we are all scum.

Romans 3:10, 23-24  As the Scriptures say, No one is righteous— not even one. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

I will treat other people the way that Jesus would treat them. Helping those that need help and keeping a humble perspective of how unworthy that I am, to be called a child of God.

Give me grace Lord to treat people that are different from me the way that you would treat them.

Jesus Power

Jesus will get me through the tough times.

Matthew 8:1-3  Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. "Lord," the man said, "if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean." Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

Matthew 8:5-8  When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, "Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain." Jesus said, "I will come and heal him." But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

Matthew 8:23-26  Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples.  Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm.

Matthew 8:28-32  When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area. They began screaming at him, "Why are you interfering with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before God's appointed time?" There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. So the demons begged, "If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs." "All right, go!" Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

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Here are four stories from Matthew chapter eight, three that realize who Jesus is and understand the authority that he has and one story in which they don't have a clue.

The man with leprosy says boldly "If you are willing then I will be healed."

The Roman officer says to Jesus "Don't bother to walk all the way to my house, you can heal my servant from right here."

The demons in the two possessed men called him the Son of God and yielded to his authority.

The disciples have Jesus in the boat with them and they are afraid that they are going to drown.

What is wrong with this picture? The guys that are supposed to be in the know about Jesus are the only ones in this group that are totally freaked out.

Aren't we all in the same boat? Don't we tend to forget who is in control and start to worry about what is going to happen. The storms of life can shake our faith even though we have Jesus right there in the boat with us and if we will just look to him, he will calm the storms that we are going through.

I need to remember that I am not walking through the storms of life alone.

Thank you Lord for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

Be Nice

Jesus showed us how extreme we could go to be nice. 

Matthew 7:12  “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

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Sounds like a pretty simple rule, you probably don't need anybody to explain it to you, so why is it so hard to do?

I saw a bumper sticker not too long ago that asked the question:

"what if everybody were as nice as you are?"

Maybe that sticker should be placed on every motor vehicle on the road so that we would be reminded that we need to practice treating others better.

We usually prefer to get the best treatment and we usually think that we deserve it. the way we want to be treated, imagine how much safer the roads would be. That's exactly how we should be treating the people around us.

I am glad that the standard for love, kindness and how to treat others was set by Jesus and not by any of us. Even the nicest of us humans doesn't set a very high standard. We all fail to get rid of selfishness and treat our friends and enemies the way that Jesus forgave hos enemies.

Help me to be more like you as I deal with people around me, help me to show them Jesus.

Good Deeds, What's Your Motivation?

Doing good can get you in trouble.

Matthew 5: 14  “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Matthew 6:1  “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. “

2  “When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do”

5  “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites”16  “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do”

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At first it may seem that these two scriptures are inconsistent, first we are told to do our good deeds out in public and then we are told to hide our good deeds.

In Matthew 5 we are told to penetrate the darkness and be the light of the world, let your good deeds shine out for all to see is the command and then in Matthew 6 it looks like we are supposed to do our good deeds under cover.

Jesus told us to do good out in public, what other way is there for my light to shine, the world needs to see our love in action, they need to see us forgive others, pray for others, and provide for those that are in need. That’s how we shine our light in this dark world.

Our motivation for doing these good deeds is what we have to keep in check. Am I busy doing random acts of kindness so that I will be praised? In Matthew 5:16 it says to do your good deeds so that God will be glorified, that should be my motivation for every good work that I do, if I am doing good out in public with the motivation found in Matthew 6:1, to be admired by others then I already have my reward.

John 12:46  I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

I need to be like Jesus and shine my light by doing good. Jesus shined out in everything that he did, out in public view, I need to do good works so that God will get the glory.

I pray that you will be pleased with my motivations Lord. Help me to shine out in this dark world with the motivation of drawing others into the light.

Time Out For Anger

Count to ten, maybe that's not far enough.

Psalms 4:1  Answer me when I call to you, O God who declares me innocent. Free me from my troubles. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?

3 You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. 4 Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

James 1:20  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

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David was a man that had many troubles in his lifetime, many times he was hunted down or mistreated and had many false accusations made against him, and he could have had a bitter spirit and allowed his actions to be ruled by anger.

It is easy to give into the temptation to allow anger to control our behavior, it is part of wanting to control our life and the lives of those around us, but in the face of the opposition David reminded himself to keep himself in check and refuse to let anger control how he behaved.

"Think about it overnight" he says there is a good chance that you will realize how insignificant the problem is, or maybe we will realize the problem is with ourself, if that is true then its a good thing that you didn't act out and make the problem worse.

Numbers 14:18  'The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.

If the Lord, who has every right to be angry, can be slow to anger then there is no reason that I cannot be forgiving for the minor things that upset me. I need to remember how many times he has forgiven me and follow his example when dealing with others.

Help me Lord to be patient and kind in spite of opposition or if things don't go my way.

Obedient Christ Followers

Being light and salt should produce disciples.

Matthew 5:13  "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14  "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 28:19  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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Our number one job while we are here on this planet is to make disciples, no that's not something that the pastor or the church leaders are supposed to do, that's the job of every Christ follower without exceptions.

It is a sad state that the church is in today, despite a hand full off mega-churches, overall the church is downsizing. We are not making that many converts and the ones that we do get have a high dropout rate. Those that say that they are Southern Baptist number in the millions, but so what if only 37 percent are present on any given Sunday.

We have lost our effectiveness, most of us are not doing a very good job of being salty or being light, how much growth would God's kingdom have if the early church and the disciples were as effective as we are today?

Everything that I say and do needs to shine out so that God will be glorified, help me Lord to be a shining city on a hill, help me to encourage my church family to grow as a true Christ following disciple.

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

Facing Peer preasure

Looking for trouble? Go along with the crowd.

Genesis 6:5 The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. 6 So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.

Genesis 7:1 When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. 5 So Noah did everything as the LORD commanded him.

Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings the animals and birds that had been approved for that purpose. 21 And the LORD was pleased with the aroma of the sacrifice and said to himself, "I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. 22 As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night."

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It is easy to read the story about Noah and jump to the building of the boat and the actual flood, but what about the events that led up to the flood?

Already the people on the earth had disobeyed God to an outrageous extent, from the temptation in the garden to be like God, to jealousy and murder, you can be sure that is only the tip of the iceberg. You can be certain that Noah had a lot of opportunities to join right in, just think about how over whelming the enticement would be if you didn't know another person that was living to please God, Noah and his family were all alone in being saved from God judgment. Noah was facing some difficult circumstances and he could surely use a friend to encourage him, if he could have had a small group to give him a hand, it could have been so much easier.

Noah's situation was worse off than what we have , despite the circumstances Noah was righteous and he received grace in the midst of the judgment of the wicked, what an awesome example for us to hold fast to our faith and continue to do what is right no matter how bleak our situation may seem.

Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. 16 But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. 22 But the LORD will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

2 Peter 2:9 So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.

God is a righteous judge but he is also merciful and he will rescue us from this world and take us to be with him for eternity.

I must remember that no matter how bad the world seems to be around me, it is still better than what Noah had to live with, he didn't have any companionship with other believers to help him and encourage him.

Thank you Lord for the fellowship of those that are Christ followers, help us to remember the importance of being in small groups doing life together so that we can encourage and strengthen each other.

The Only Source Of Wisdom

So many people are wise in their own mind.

Proverbs 1:1-9 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.

2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.

5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 6  by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

8  My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction. 9  What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

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The book of Proverbs opens with its own mission statement:

✔  To teach people wisdom and discipline,
✔  To help them understand the insights of the wise.
✔  To teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
✔  To help them do what is right, just, and fair.
✔  To give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.

That should be great motivation to read this book on a regular basis. Everybody likes good advice on how to live, the bookstores are full of self-help books and there isn't any shortage of advice on how to help you to live better. If you want a self-help book, then Proverbs is the only book you are going to need.

The starting place for wisdom is the fear of the Lord, there isn't any other source of truth, and everything else is just an imitation of the absolute truth that only comes from God.

Nobody wants to be foolish, we all want to believe that we are wise in the way we live and the choices that we make, but obviously from our personal history we can see that we can use some help to make better choices.

Isaiah 5:21  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Help me Lord to study your word everyday and help me to apply the wisdom found in your instructions.

Something From Nothing

Nobody else could have made something so awesome from absolutely nothing.

Genesis 1:31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

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I can be pretty creative and do some handy- man type of work to make something but I cannot begin to make something the way God did.

Every "scientific" explanation for creation is dependent on there being something around that was reshaped into something else but the Bible is very clear that everything was created from nothing, what a concept to try to understand the idea that nothing existed except for what God told to exist.

He didn't have a storeroom of parts that he rummaged through, he didn't have a box full of pieces that came with instructions on how to make a universe, he just spoke it and boom, there it was.

Jeremiah 10:16  But the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists,

Acts 17:24  He is the God who made the world and everything in it.

It is difficult to think that God has any needs, but perhaps he does have a need, something that he couldn't get before he created us, it is very likely that the main thing that God was creating when he made us was the ability to have a relationship.

Matthew 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

I must remember that the Bible is God's love story, from Genesis to Revelations, you have written the greatest love story ever told. He is great at creating something from nothing, he did it with creation and he did it by loving us even when there was nothing coming back to him.

You are an awesome God that spoke everything into existence, thank you for the beauty that you have made, thank you for desiring a relationship with me.