Tag: christianity

God Freely Gives us His Gift of Peace, True Peace that’s Eminently Possible. Romans 12:17 – 19.

Romans 12:17-19 Amplified Bible

17 Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Peace That Is Possible

The Bible is a wonderfully practical book.

Its wisdom is both rich and realistic, the longer we live, the more meaningfully we hear it speaking to our every situation.

As we age, many of us will realize that our parents were often correct in their warnings and wisdom; and as we walk by the light of God’s word, so it will be proven right in time, every time to this and to us and subsequent generations.

Paul displays this timeless, realistic wisdom here.

On one hand, this sounds overly simplistic: just try to be at peace with everyone.

It’s not difficult to understand.

But that is not all he’s saying.

The instruction is preceded by two qualifications: “if possible” and “so far as it depends on you.” The implication is clear; that it may not always be possible!

Paul is not providing a loophole here.

He’s not telling us to be at peace so long as we can control our temper or hold in our emotions, but otherwise we’re free to harbor bitterness. His call to us is to ensure that any ongoing conflict in our lives is in spite of us, not because of us.

The responsibility for ongoing animosity must never be traceable to reluctance for reconciliation on our part.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Amplified Bible

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 18 But all these  things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him], 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them [but canceling them]. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation [that is, restoration to favor with God].

20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we [as Christ’s representatives] plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. 21 He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

But even if, as Christ’s Ambassadors, we’ve done our part, we need to realize that there will always be two situations in which peace may not be possible.

One is when the other party is unwilling to be at peace with us.

We may be dealing with someone intent on harming us and with no interest in resolving the conflict.

In that situation, it may not be possible to change that person or prevent their cruelty—but it will be possible for us not to fight back.

When we ensure that we are not contributing to the conflict, we are pursuing peace “so far as it depends on” us.

The other obstacle arises when the terms of peace are incompatible with principles of holiness, truth, and righteousness.

The writer of Hebrews had such a situation in mind when he instructed his readers, “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

Hebrews 12:14-16 Amplified Bible

14 Continually pursue peace with everyone, and the sanctification without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of God’s grace; that no root of resentment springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; 16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

These are not two disjointed instructions; our striving for peace and for holiness must definitely, unequivocally, not take us in separate directions.

The pursuit of peace is not to become the pursuit of peace at any price.

Some of us need to take care that our distaste for conflict and confrontation does not lead us to pursue peace at the cost of our integrity and righteousness.

One cannot change a heart; that is the Lord’s business.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 Amplified Bible

26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My ordinances and do them.

One must not compromise their integrity; that is the Lord’s chief concern. But God is giving you, me, an imperative, as much as it is up to us, that we pursue peace. Do you or I need to be prompted by this command to temper our words, change our behaviors, or make the first step toward repairing a conflict, today?

God Will Speak, God Freely Gives His Gift of His Peace

Psalm 85:8-13 Amplified Bible

8 
I will hear [with expectant hope] what God the Lord will say,
For He will speak peace to His people, to His [a]godly ones—
But let them not turn again to folly.
9 
Surely His salvation is near to those who [reverently] fear Him [and obey Him with submissive wonder],
That glory [the manifest presence of God] may dwell in our land.
10 
Steadfast love and truth and faithfulness meet together;
Righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 
Truth springs from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 
Indeed, the Lord will give what is good,
And our land will yield its produce.
13 
Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way [in which to walk].

Peace is a commodity that can only be found with time spent seeking the face of God. The world can’t offer us peace because it has nothing in which to place its hope, trust, and security. Kingdoms come and go. Leaders move in and out of power. What cultures and societies value changes like the passing of the tides.

Our only constant is God. He has been, is, and forever will be the Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of all. All authority has been given to him. He governs the change of seasons. He thwarts the plans of our enemy. And He longs to offer total and sustained peace to all who will place their full hope and trust in him.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Our God has peace in store for us in every situation if we will choose to keep our mind stayed on him and trust him.

The world says that peace can only come when you’ve worked your fingers to the bone and have finally attained all you want. You can only have peace when you have enough money, friends, the right job, or the right spouse. You can only have peace if friends, family, bosses like you. Peace as negotiated with enemies.

James 4:7-9 Amplified Bible teaches us …

7 So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. 9 Be miserable and grieve and weep [over your sin]. Let your [foolish] laughter be turned to mourning and your [reckless] joy to gloom.

God’s way is to draw you into himself and offer you peace in the midst of your circumstances. He doesn’t want you to wait until everything gets worked out before you can have rest—we submit yo Him, he’s offering you rest right now.

Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul . . . . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:1-3, 5).

God longs to prepare a table for you in the midst of whatever trouble surrounds you. He is calling upon each, every one of us to keep our minds stayed on him no matter what may lie before us. And he is asking us to seek his face, not ours and find our rest in him rather than toiling and striving for a circumstantial peace.

Romans 8:6 says, “To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” 

Romans 8:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.

It’s by the Holy Spirit alone that you and I will find abundant life and true peace.

Stop looking for your fulfillment in the things of the world. Stop asking the world to offer you what it never had to begin with. Look toward your heavenly Father for the peace that surpasses all understanding. May you be filled with rest and peace today as you spend time in prayer seeking the face of God.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the truth that God is your sole source of peace and rest. 

Allow God’s word to mold and shape your perspective.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23:1-3

“To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” – Romans 8:6

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – Isaiah 26:3

2. Where have you been running to for peace? 

Have you had much peace and rest in your life lately? Acknowledging your past pursuits will help you make present changes.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

3. Seek the peace coming from placing your hope and trust in God alone. 

Ask the Spirit to fill you with peace in the midst of your circumstances. Let your requests be known to God, and receive the peace that comes from casting your burdens on the loving and capable shoulders of your heavenly Father.

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

You will be robbed of peace as soon as you turn your trust away from God and begin to live in your own strength.

The only source of consistent peace is keeping your mind stayed on God.

You can trust in the reality of God’s desire and ability to help you.

You can wait on him if he tells you to wait.

You can move when he tells you to move. Offer your understanding, actions, and emotions to him, and allow him to be sovereign Lord over them all today.

Psalm 29 Amplified Bible

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

29 [a]Ascribe to the Lord, O [b]sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty and majesty of His holiness [as the creator and source of holiness].

3 
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
4 
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion (Mount Hermon) like a young, wild ox.
7 
The voice of the Lord rakes flames of fire (lightning).
8 
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 
The voice of the Lord [c]makes the doe labor and give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple all are saying, “Glory!”

10 
The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 
The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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For how long, O LORD shall I take counsel in my soul? Are We Being Too Hard on Ourselves, or Taking Ourselves Too Seriously? Psalm 13:2

Psalm 13 Amplified Bible

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 
How long must I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me?

3 
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 
And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

5 
But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness;
My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation.
6 
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Being too hard on yourself can cause immense pressure and toxic stress.

Of course, not all stress is bad.

Stress can be good for you, but when you put pressure on yourself to live up to certain expectations and you don’t, this stress can become toxic, affecting your mental and physical and spiritual wellbeing.

It creates confusion and uses up your energy resources, throwing off your balance, much like putting too much pressure on an object can throw it off balance. 

Pressure is a force, and if you are going to apply force in any direction, why are you applying directing it against yourself? Why not apply it in positive, uplifting direction? Why not make a .001% extra effort to turn this pressure around into your biggest fan, encouraging, instead of discouraging, your every step?  

To do this, recognize the need for change, it is important to recognize the main signs you are putting too much pressure on yourself, what to do about them: 

1. “I Didn’t Get ‘X’ Done.”

Often, we tend to focus on what we haven’t done instead of what we have accomplished, then get stuck feeling guilty, frustrated, edgy, and like a failure.

When you feel yourself falling into this way of thinking, stop and say or write down what you have done. Remind yourself of what you have achieved, and that there will be time to get the rest done tomorrow. 

2. “I Have to Have it All Together.”

So many of us feel like we must have it all together all the time, but this denies our humanity and the fact that we all make mistakes, mess up and get things wrong at times.

When you feel like this, remind yourself that no one has it all together.

And try not to compare your life to what others are doing, because the way you think and act, and your experiences, make you completely and utterly unique!

You will never be able to be anyone else but you, and you are amazing, and even unique, however, even if you are not uniquely perfect all the time. No one is!

3. “I Must Succeed.” 

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we must always succeed at something or achieve something to be worthy of attention. When you feel like this, remind yourself that God defines your own success based on His Standard, not yours!

God alone knows there is always something you can do that no one else can do. 

4. “I Cannot Make a Mistake.”

Even though we all make mistakes, it is easy to think we shouldn’t mess up and we need to get things right all the time.

But it is critically important to recognize our failures are often as important as our successes, and teach us important life lessons that help us grow as a person.

So, next time you start beating yourself up over a mistake or two, ask yourself what this experience has just taught you and to focus on how you have grown. 

5. “I Let Everyone Down.”

Sometimes, it is easy to feel like we always let people down and like we are just failures. Here, it is important to remind yourself that we all fail at times, that your failures help you grow, and that, at the end of the day, life is unpredictable.

We can’t always control everything to make sure things turn out well, because so much of life is out of our control. Also, remind yourself that trying your best is the only way forward, even when it doesn’t work, meet the minimal standard of your own definition of success, because you will learn and grow as a person.

6. “I Feel Exhausted All the Time.” 

We often take on so much and expect ourselves to do so much that we quickly find ourselves stressed out, overwhelmed and full blown full bone exhausted.

If this sounds like you, do a lifestyle check, and ask yourself: 

  • Do I take enough breaks to recharge?
  • Do I give my brain and body time to rest and reset?
  • Am I having enough fun?
  • Do I take time to take care of my mental and physical health? 

See what you can change in your life to give yourself the time you need to rest! This is so vitally important for your mind, brain and body and spiritual health. 

7. “I Can Hardly Smile Anymore.”

It is too easy for humanity to get into a pattern of living where we are so laser focused on what needs to get done that we forget how to enjoy life, which can have an impact on our wellbeing.

If you find yourself smiling less and forgetting why you are working yourself so hard, take a step back, pick up a bible and pray upon ways to enjoy life again.

Watch something funny, spend time with a loved one, or do something that makes you smile again! You can even deliberately schedule this anywhere into your day so you don’t forget to give yourself a break, take the time to enjoy life.

8. “I Need to Do Everything Perfect All the Time.”

If you find yourself emotionally “holding onto” “bear hugging” the mistakes you’ve made, noticing more of the finite details of what, where, why, how you have done wrong than what you’ve gotten right, and getting anxious when you do a good-but-not-so perfect job, you may have fallen into the perfectionism trap, where you can’t come to accepting all your weakness’ or anyone else’s.

If this sounds a little too much like you, take the time to notice when you do this, and remind yourself that there is a difference between wanting to achieve certain things and thinking you need to do everything perfect all the time.

Remind yourself that mistakes and learning are a necessary part of life, and that you can work hard and harder, if you take some breaks, set up self-boundaries.

And, when you find yourself spinning into outer space, thinking more and more about what you got wrong, remind yourself of what you have gotten right too!

9. “I Am Not Good Enough.” 

Take the time to observe and analyze your internal conversations and dialogue.

How do you speak to yourself?

How do you think of yourself?

If you are using a lot of negative, pessimistic language to describe yourself, take the time to work on the way you think about yourself.

Consciously observe and write down your critical self-talk and how often it’s happening. Then, work on creating re-conceptualized statements to counter this negative way of thinking and change the way you speak to yourself.

For example, change

“I wish I could be as good as…” to “I will never be able to live up to someone else’s example of success because I am unique and define my own success.”

This will take time to become a habit, so make sure to practice it every day! 

The Happiness of Abundant Life

John 10:11-18 Amplified Bible

11 [a]I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd [b]lays down His [own] life for the sheep. 12 But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13  The man runs because he is a hired hand [who serves only for wages] and is not concerned about the [safety of the] sheep. 14 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me]— 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My [very own] life [sacrificing it] for the benefit of the sheep. 16 I have [c] other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring those also, and they will listen to My voice and pay attention to My call, and they will become [d]one flock with one Shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life so that I may take it back. 18 No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down voluntarily. I am authorized and have power to lay it down and to give it up, and I am authorized and have power to take it back. This command I have received from My Father.”

In our reading Jesus explains that he is our shepherd, “the good shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus also says the purpose of his coming into the world is to give us life in abundance. Unlike the thief, who comes to steal, kill, destroy the sheep, Jesus came so we can experience permanent joy, lasting peace, and eternal happiness.

Once, during a feast in Jerusalem, Jesus stood up and declared, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).

John 7:37-38 Amplified Bible

37 Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! 38 He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”

True happiness is in knowing Jesus by experiencing him and enjoying him. This is not just a theoretical or intellectual knowledge. Jesus is the water of life. We need to drink this water. Whoever drinks this water will never be thirsty again.

Jesus quenches our existential thirst, our over abundant hunger for meaning.

Although we may feel like an insignificant speck in the vast universe, Jesus became human, just like us. He, more than anyone, values his creation and gives us an unmatched gift: abundant life, more than we could ever realize.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 27 Amplified Bible

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

A Psalm of David.

27 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the refuge and fortress of my life—
Whom shall I dread?
2 
When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 
Though an army encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
Even in this I am confident.

4 
One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 
For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

7 
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
Be gracious and compassionate to me and answer me.
8 
When You said, “Seek My face [in prayer, require My presence as your greatest need],” my heart said to You,
“Your face, O Lord, I will seek [on the authority of Your word].”
9 
Do not hide Your face from me,
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not abandon me nor [a]leave me,
O God of my salvation!
10 
Although my father and my mother have abandoned me,
Yet the Lord will take me up [adopt me as His child].

11 
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me on a level path
Because of my enemies [who lie in wait].
12 
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
For false witnesses have come against me;
They breathe out violence.
13 
I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
14 
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Guarded Heart; Guarding Your 2024 Heart from Evil Today. Proverbs 4:23

Proverbs 4:20-27 New American Standard Bible 1995

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them
And health to all [a]their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious [b]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [c]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The proverb writer, presumably King Solomon is very deeply concerned about helping his children build a wise and discerning life, avoiding his fathers errors, avoiding, learning invaluable lessons from his father David’s vast array of wild and severe intrigues which nearly cost him his throne, his family, his very life.

“Listen,” he pleads, “pay attention to what I’m saying.” (verse 20)

Throughout the early chapters of the book of Proverbs we find one plea after another like this.

And in Proverbs 4:23 the writer points out the central issue in all this teaching.

“Above all else,” the writer says, “guard your heart.”

In other words, “Look inside. Search inside, Rummage around, Be concerned about your inner life before you build your external life. After all, your heart, your inner life, ‘is the wellspring of life.’ Your heart shapes who you are.”

Jesus taught this truth also.

He said that a person produces good things when that person has a good heart— that is, a heart focused on living for God.

But if a person has an evil heart, that will show up in the evil things that person does. (See Luke 6:45.)

Luke 6:39-45 New American Standard Bible 1995

39 And He also spoke a parable to them: “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 A [a]pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will [b]be like his teacher. 41 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, [c]on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. 45 The good man out of the good [d] treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from [e]that which fills his heart.

Throughout the Psalms, the writers encourage and even admonish: be focusing on our “inner life”—the focus and direction of our heart. (Psalms 4:4, 7:10, 9:1, 10:17, 13. 14:1, 17:3, 19:14, 22:14, 25:17, 26:2, 27:1-8, 28:7, 33:11, 37:4, 38:10, 39:3, 40:10, 44:21, 51:10, 53:1, 55:4, 57:7, 61:2, 62:8, 66:18, 69:20, 73:12-14, 73:26, 77:5-7, 78:37, 81:12, 84, 86:11-12, 90:12, 95:8-10, 101, 107:12, 109:22, 111, 119:2,7, 10,11,32, 34,36, 58, 69, 70, 80, 111, 112, 145, 161, 139:23-24, 141:4, 143:4)

Put your heart on the highest possible levels of alert, know that God is coming soon!

Mark 1:1-3 Amplified Bible

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the [facts regarding the] good news of [a]Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way—
3 
A voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
[b]Make His paths straight!’”

And before we start discussing about how we ought to behave and what we all ought to do, let’s simply talk about what’s inside – take a prayerful day or more to take your heart on that rigorous journey through those verses of the Psalms.

After all, it would be a wasted effort to try building a way of life (on the outside) if the heart wasn’t healthy (on the inside) courtesy of the power of God’s Word.

So let’s reach way inside the remainder of this month and continue on for as long as it takes for you and God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to check out our inner life.

In that vigorous effort, let’s remember to also ask for God’s help in guarding it.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Amplified Bible

The Works and the Word of God.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And the expanse [of heaven] is declaring the work of His hands.
2 
Day after day pours forth speech,
And night after night reveals knowledge.
3 
There is no speech, nor are there [spoken] words [from the stars];
Their voice is not heard.
4 
Yet their voice [in quiet evidence] has gone out through all the earth,
Their words to the end of the world.
In them and in the heavens He has made a tent for the sun,
5 
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 
The sun’s rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 
The law of the Lord is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul;
The statutes of the Lord are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple.
8 
The precepts of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true, they are righteous altogether.
10 
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned [reminded, illuminated, and instructed];
In keeping them there is great reward.
12 
Who can understand his errors or omissions? Acquit me of hidden (unconscious, unintended) faults.
13 
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous (deliberate, willful) sins;
Let them not rule and have control over me.
Then I will be blameless (complete),
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight,
O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Living in Harmony Is So Necessary; Rejoicing with Others is Symphony. Romans 12:9-16

Romans 12:9-16 The Message

9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Living in Harmony Is So Necessary

Wise believers acknowledge when Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another” (John 13:34), this was not simply a suggestion for getting along.

So too, the Bible’s commands as to how we treat one another shouldn’t be considered optional. That’s not the nature of God’s commands at all.

As Christ’s followers, we must remember how our relationship with God affects our relationships with each other.

When we pray, “Our Father,” we acknowledge that we are part of a family that includes sisters and brothers. We’re each called to live in harmony together.

Today’s reading mentions specific ways of doing so, such as honoring one another above ourselves, holding to what is good, praying faithfully, sharing with people in need, showing hospitality, and not being haughty or proud.

When believers live in harmony, expressing their love for one another by sharing tears in times of sorrow and expanding their joy by celebrating together, they become appealing witnesses to their truest hope in Christ.

When a coworker or stranger observes, “It’s amazing how you guys love each other,” the cause of Christ moves forward. Jesus taught this when he prayed that all believers “may be one” and also “may be brought to complete unity.

Then,” he said to the Father, “the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23).

Rejoicing with Others is So Symphony.

Romans 12:9-16 Complete Jewish Bible

9 Don’t let love be a mere outward show. Recoil from what is evil, and cling to what is good. 10 Love each other devotedly and with brotherly love; and set examples for each other in showing respect. 11 Don’t be lazy when hard work is needed, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. 12 Rejoice in your hope, be patient in your troubles, and continue steadfastly in prayer. 13 Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you — bless them, don’t curse them! 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be sensitive to each other’s needs — don’t think yourselves better than others, but make humble people your friends. Don’t be conceited.

Can you hear the triumphant sounds of symphony of Christians in community?

Can you hear the ruckus of badly timed, tuned instruments of no Christians in community or harmony at all – a million of clashing cymbals + broken bugles?

1 Corinthians 13 The Message

The Way of Love

13 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

2 If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

3-7 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10 Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11 When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

It is a good thing that God’s love stays in eternal harmony, His love never ends and His love forever bears all things because man’s love for his fellow man fails.

Shared faith, hope, love, joy are a great expression of sympathy. We typically use the word sympathy to describe a shared grief—but it applies equally to joy.

We understand sympathy when we use it in a sentence, but the word itself can be difficult to define. So consider its opposite: apathy. If apathy is akin to saying, “I couldn’t care less,” sympathy is akin to saying, “I couldn’t care more.” Sympathy is an identification with the experience of another person.

Many of us find it natural to “laugh with those who laugh, weep with those who weep.” It is instinctive for us to enter into the merriment and disappointment and pain of those we love and to cry at the sight or thought of their sadness.

This is a good thing, for to “bear one another’s burdens” is to “fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

To enter into the joy and success of others, however, is often the far greatest of challenges because it requires us to work against the grain of the fallenness of our human nature, which is prone to continuous resentment and bitterness.

Instead of someone’s success serving as an occasion for us to bless God and thank Him, it so easily becomes an occasion for everything contrary to love.

Most of us know how to avoid expressing envy. But there is a massive difference between not expressing envy and not feeling envy. We can modify our behavior enough to keep from showing it, but it requires spiritual transformation to get us to the point of not feeling it. This transformation begins with a well studied understanding of our identity as members of Christ’s body in true community.

Paul says that “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5). To be in community with Christ means we are members of Him and of one another in authentic community.

To put this another way: if we are in Christ, we are all on the same team.

When we grasp this, it will be as natural for us to enter into another’s joy as it is for a soccer player to rejoice at their teammate’s game-winning goal in just the same way as if they had scored it themselves. As God’s people, we win and lose—we enjoy and we grieve—in community as God is in community – all together.

God’s word calls you to “let love be genuine” (Romans 12:9)—and genuine, Christlike love conforms your feelings so that jealousy gives way to joy and apathy to true sympathy playing God’s symphony of peace. Is there anyone who you are standing aloof from in some way, either in their joy or their sadness?

Have you considered whom you will encourage with tickets to God’s symphony?

There is almost certainly someone you know who needs you to reach out and let them know that you are with them, praying for them and there for them as they walk a deep valley. Likewise, there will be someone whose joy you can share, and you can simply let them know that you praise God for His favor on their life.

Be that community, that symphony of someone’s of whom it can increasingly be said, “They couldn’t care more.” Ask the God of all compassion and comfort to work in you and through you by His Spirit to mold you into that person today.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Father God, we want to live with others in such a way that shows we are in a life-giving relationship with you. Grant us your Spirit to do so. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 150 The Message

150 1-6 Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
    praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
    praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
    praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
    praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
    praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
    Hallelujah!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Unlocking those not so Mysterious Secrets to Loving Others As Jesus Did. Psalm 40:11

Psalm 40 New American Standard Bible 1995

God Sustains His Servant.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

40 I waited [a]patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [b]miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the Lord.

4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not [c]turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

6 [d]Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;
My ears You have [e]opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is [f]written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God;
Your Law is within my heart.”

9 I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
[g]Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.
12 For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head,
And my heart has [h]failed me.

13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.
14 Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my [i]life to destroy it;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight [j]in my hurt.
15 Let those be [k]appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 Since I am afflicted and needy,
[l]Let the Lord be mindful of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Happiness in Being Cared For by God

Psalm 40:11-12 The Message

11-12 Now God, don’t hold out on me,
    don’t hold back your passion.
Your love and truth
    are all that keeps me together.
When troubles ganged up on me,
    a mob of sins past counting,
I was so swamped by guilt
    I couldn’t see my way clear.
More guilt in my heart than hair on my head,
    so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out.

One of the most comforting truths for our lives is the providence of God.

The Lord Almighty takes care of us 100% of the time. The same God who created us also 100% sustains us. In this comfort we live and move and have our being.

God is the one who gives us breath and 100% of everything He knows we need.

God gives life to the seeds and plants we need for food. God gives us our daily bread and good health to enjoy. He even gives flavor to our food so that we can savor it. God is the one who preserves our life and delivers us from evil. The Lord God is our creator, provider, protector, redeemer, and our comforter.

The apostle Paul asks, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Our life does not drift on the winds of time at random, at the mercy of mere circumstances. We are all in the hands of the one who controls the universe.

How comforting it is to know that the God who rules the world is in control of our lives!

It is a great assurance to troubled souls and burdened hearts to know that God cares for them. He is thinking about you right now and has not forgotten your pain and need. Knowing this, everyone who seeks the Lord can be filled with joy.

Happiness is being unselfishly Cared for by Others

John 13:34-35 Amplified Bible

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you [a]love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”

The walk of life is filled with all kinds of relationships.

We pray that they’re mostly good ones that enrich our lives, but that’s not always the case.

They say people are here for a reason, a season, or a lifetime; unfortunately, some fall in the former.

Lucky for us, God redeems all things for good, and losing a friendship or just not clicking with someone from the start are no exceptions to that rule.

It doesn’t make it easier at the moment, though, and spending time around these people can be inevitable.

However, it’s during times like these that I’m often reminded of one of the more remarkable concepts in the faith, one that can be challenging when the temptation is to do the exact opposite.

Golden Rule #1 Treat everyone like Jesus died for them. (Matthew 7:7 – 12)

Because He did. Yes, even that stranger who was rude to you at Starbucks, even that ex-friend from your past who won’t stop spreading rumors about you and even that peer who won’t get off your nerves and those contrary to God’s ways.

All of them have the same opportunity for salvation as you.

It’s inviting to let those people hold a 100 year mortgage on the space between your ears, ruin your day, snap back, maybe say something bad about them too.

That’s not how Jesus taught us we’re supposed to publicly conduct ourselves.

Navigating the John 13:33 – 34 text is one of the more powerful exercises for self-control, but you have to remind yourself in those moments they are a child of God too and loved just the same as you. You can’t treat them as anything less.

Unlocking all those Secrets of Navigating John 13-34

1. Love God as God Loves Us.

Matthew 22:35-40 The Message

The Most Important Command

34-36 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”

It’s a simple concept. When Jesus was approached and asked outright what the greatest commandment was in Matthew 22:37, He didn’t hesitate to answer that it was to love the Lord your God with all of your heart. He continued to say that the second is like it and that you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

However bothersome that person is to you, they are your neighbor, and you are not asked to like them; you are commanded to love them.

Otherwise, you would not be loving God.

The two are so closely intertwined that you can’t have one without the other. Now, what is love? How do we love someone who has done us so wrong?

“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” Luke 6:31

Christianity demands kindness and just treatment, but the Bible has never instructed us to be doormats or pushovers. 

Matthew 7:12 echoes the same sentiment referenced above.

To start, we can simply treat others civilly.

In fact, it truly is the most mature course of action for any interaction.

Being civil and respectful are the bare minimum acceptable standards, and no one benefits from gossip or behind the back snarky comments or dirty looks.

It’s certainly not expected to treat someone as a friend when they haven’t been one; it’s not good to reward harmful hurtful and 100% unacceptable behavior, but there are a few ways to have decorum going forward: Faith Hope and Love.

2. Pray for Others

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 The Message

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

It’s incredibly hard to continue feeling anger toward someone if you’re praying for them—not praying because you feel obligated, but genuinely sitting down and praying for that person. Putting yourself in your enemies’ shoes and too walking their path, very quickly gives you a new Kingdom perspective.

I’ve tried this out myself on occasion, and it had me thinking in ways I never would have thought about someone who betrayed me.

I felt compassion and even empathy.

It brought me peace in ways I didn’t know it would. I found myself thinking about all that may be going on in their lives to make them act in those ways.

Matthew 5:43-48 The Message

43-47 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

48 “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”

Maybe the grumpy and rude someone at Starbucks or Burger King had just received some bad or devastating news sometime during that day. I didn’t have to imagine the scenarios for ex-friends because, funny enough, I already knew them so well. They’d always had struggles with their family or even their own self-worth. We didn’t need to keep being friends, but I could pray for them.

3. Extend Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10 The Message

7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Remember, revenge, picking a fight, and gossiping are not the path to healing.

Instead, embrace the power of love and grace.

It’s not necessary to maintain a friendship that causes you pain.

By choosing to love yourself and others, you can overcome the hurt.

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

However, responding with malice or cruel intent is also not loving.

Act with grace and treat the other person with dignity.

Jesus wants us to set boundaries and defend ourselves in respectful ways, but seeking revenge is not our job.

God will repay; He expects us to do what is honorable.

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:17-21

4. Pause before Reacting

Proverbs 3:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.

There are two different paths to take when dealing with someone we don’t get on with, whether we’ve just met them or known them for a long time.

Confrontation is the first option.

Is the situation worth having a conversation?

Obviously, that person in the Starbucks or the Burger King probably doesn’t need a conversation, but someone who did you wrong and you will likely keep seeing may need to be spoken to.

That peer from before, maybe you’re working on a project for school with someone who won’t do their part, or you have a coworker who won’t stop bugging you. They may need kind and intentional confrontation. If there’s something you can do to make that everyday reaction better, you should.

If it’s that friend from your past, sometimes an honest discussion can go a long way. But conversation isn’t always meant to salvage something. Sometimes, it’s meant for the circumstance to help you part ways, walk different divergent line.

Distance is the other option.

Tough love is love, too, and I’m a firm believer in that.

That can be executed by taking space if it’s possible.

Remember, you won’t always get closure the way you want it, and on occasion, that is all the closure you’ll get.

You’ll save yourself a lot of pain and struggle by making that choice to step away. Even if your relationship used to be close or maybe that person was just in your life quite a bit, they won’t always need that confrontation. Talking doesn’t solve everything. Walking away can be the best “I Love You” course of action.

Pray for discernment to determine which would be best for your situation.

God will help nudge you in the direction you should take.

It’s important to be astute going forward to protect yourself.

“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.” Proverbs 2:11-12

5. Remember, You Are Loved

Romans 5:8-11 The Message

6-8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

9-11 Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

Sometimes, in our heads, it can feel like, ‘How could a person who is so mean, rude, or awful have the opportunity for forgiveness in the same way I do’?

Why would Jesus make the “tough love” decision to go through all that grief, all that bodily pain and ultimate humiliation of the Cross to do that for them, too?

It’s because they need it, and you need it too. You need forgiveness like they do because you, too, have sinned. Jesus didn’t come to condemn; He came to save.

I desperately need the daily reminder that we are all sinners in need of His forgiveness and that while I may feel like the victim now, there have most definitely been instances in the past when I was the villain in someone else’s story, instances where I may not have conducted myself with grace and dignity.

It’s why we all deserve to be treated like Jesus died for us—because, thank goodness, thank God, He did so love us with an everlasting sacrifice of love!

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray.

Psalm 23 The Message

23 1-3 God, my shepherd!
    I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
    you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
    you let me catch my breath
    and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through
    Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
    when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
    makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner
    right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
    my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me
    every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
    for the rest of my life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

“like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Build a Strong Spiritual Foundation at Home. Matthew 7:26

Matthew 7:24-29 Amplified Bible

The Two Foundations

24 “So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. 25  And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods  and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great and complete was its fall.”

28 When Jesus had finished [speaking] these words [on the mountain], the crowds were astonished and overwhelmed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one who had authority [to teach entirely of His own volition], and not as their scribes [who relied on others to confirm their authority].

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Wise and Foolish Defined …

Matthew 7:26-27 The Message

26-27 “But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.”

At the end of his Sermon on the Mount, the most dramatic ethical and religious teaching of all time, Jesus closes with a parable to note this teaching is nothing if people do not put it into practice. Wise people still heed this biblical advice.

Sometimes it takes a crisis to spur us to act on the truth. I know someone who adamant – they would not quit smoking until they were diagnosed with cancer.

Jesus describes such a crisis in this parable.

In desert lands a rare storm can roll through a mountain pass and sweep away everything that is lodged only in sand.

Jesus pictures a disaster like that here to describe for his audience the crisis of the coming of God’s kingdom.

Interestingly, Jesus concludes the parable not with success, but with failure.

After describing the wise builder, Jesus leaves his audience pondering the example of the foolish one.

Jesus explains to his audience, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Though not every disaster in our lives is a punishment, sometimes it takes a disaster to get us to pay closer attention to what Jesus is trying hard to teach.

Perhaps the most obvious lesson is we must live wisely, serving God faithfully.

If we are living too foolishly, we need to turn around before disaster strikes.

Understanding God’s Word is a first step, and acting on it must immediately follow. When we obey God’s Word, we stay in touch with our firm foundation.

Build a Strong Spiritual Foundation at Home

Isaiah 2:1-5 The Message

Climb God’s Mountain

2 1-5 The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem:

There’s a day coming
    when the mountain of God’s House
Will be The Mountain—
    solid, towering over all mountains.
All nations will river toward it,
    people from all over set out for it.
They’ll say, “Come,
    let’s climb God’s Mountain,
    go to the House of the God of Jacob.
He’ll show us the way he works
    so we can live the way we’re made.”
Zion’s the source of the revelation.
    God’s Message comes from Jerusalem.
He’ll settle things fairly between nations.
    He’ll make things right between many peoples.
They’ll turn their swords into shovels,
    their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
    they won’t play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob,
    let’s live in the light of God.

What and Who are you living for?

What and Who do you see as your primary ‘why’ for all you do each day?

These questions reveal much about what foundation we are building our lives upon. If all we can say is that we are not sure what the answer would be, we likely have not really seriously considered how all we do matters to the Lord.

We have been created in the Image of God on purpose with God’s purpose!

Matthew 7:24-27 states, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Jesus makes clear that what we are living for matters more than we can fully comprehend. He asks what we are putting into practice. Whose words are guiding us? He cautions that if we don’t follow Jesus’s way, life’s storms will come, and we will find ourselves drowning without a home to protect us.

A solid spiritual foundation is vital to our ability to live our life with peace and joy. Here are some ways we build a strong spiritual foundation in our homes:

1. Study God’s Word Together …

2 Timothy 2:14-18 Amplified Bible

An Unashamed Workman

14 Remind the people of these facts, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God to avoid petty controversy over words, which does no good, and [upsets and undermines and] ruins [the faith of] those who listen. 15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 16 But avoid all irreverent babble and godless chatter [with its profane, empty words], for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have deviated from the truth. They claim that the resurrection has already taken place, and they undermine the faith of some.

Jesus tells us we must hear his words and put them into practice in order to build our house on the rock. In our modern context, that means studying God’s Word.

Why is knowing the Bible so important?

The Bible is the Holy Spirit inspired, living, and active Word of God.

Reading God’s Word is the best way to learn who God is and what he desires us to do with our lives.

We learn from the stories of those who walked with God long ago, we read poems that shed light on how we wrestle with God from time to time, we gain wisdom from all those Psalms, Proverbs and the prophets, and we can read the accounts of Jesus’ life and death in the Gospels. There is so much to gain from studying the Bible, the context, culture that existed at the time it was written.

When we know the stories of the Bible, we can begin to know God better and practice his ways.

The Bible has the ultimate power to guide us, correct us, convict us, change us, and motivate us. If we want our homes and our families to have a solid spiritual foundation, we must include prioritize the reading and studying of God’s Word.

2. Embrace the Power of Prayer Together

Matthew 26:40-41 The Message

40-41 When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

Prayer not only connects us with God, but it also protects us.

When we pray often, we are inviting God’s Spirit into our daily lives, which guards us from harm and temptation. The point of having a strong spiritual foundation is protection. We need something stable to build our lives on so that we are grounded in truth when things get hard. The goal is an unshakable faith.

That faith is built through daily conversations with God.

It’s this back and forth with Jesus that grows solid roots of relationship in our homes and with our families.

James 1:5-8 The Message

5-8 If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

James 5: 16 – 18 states, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed, Prayers of the righteous have power.

James 5:16-18 The Message

16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Prayer is a vital part of our faith not only because it protects us but also because it is powerful! God moves, things change when we pray. Our hearts change, our relationships change, our views change, and even our circumstances change.

Prayer is the catalyst for forgiveness, is the precursor to miracles, and is the bedrock of our relationship with Jesus. Prayer is a vital part of building a solid spiritual environment in our homes, with and among our families, neighbors.

3. Never Get Tired of Serving One Another with Love

Galatians 5:13-15 The Message

13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

God is love, and a huge part of what he tells us as his people is to serve one another through love.

1 John 4:7-10 The Message

God Is Love

7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is  love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.

We live out that love through random selfless acts of service towards the people we are closest to as well as towards those in our community that need to feel the real and tangible love of God through us. (Matthew 10:38 – 42 The Message)

Matthew 10:38-42 The Message

38-39 “If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.

40-42 “We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”

Mother Teresa put it this way: “Love is a one-way street. It always moves away from self in the direction of the other. Love is the ultimate gift of ourselves to others. When we stop giving we stop loving, when we stop loving we stop growing, and unless we grow we will never attain personal fulfillment; we will never open out to receive the life of God. It is through love we encounter God.”

We grow to know God more by loving others. Love is an action. It’s giving something of ours away for the benefit of another. To be near God, we have to be near those brokenhearted. We have to serve the least of these. We have to utterly accept God’s love and turn around to freely give that same love away.

4. No Shame in the Gospel, Live from Faith to Faith

Romans 1:16-17 Amplified Bible

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed in a way that awakens more faith]. As it is written and forever remains written, “The just and upright shall live by faith.”

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

In order to draw near to God, we have to have complete faith that he is who he says he is. That requires faith. Faith is fundamental to living a Christian life.

If we consider the great heroes of our faith revealed in Hebrews 11 in the Bible, they all share one thing in common: They did something in their lives that had defied all human logic and trusted God rather than following the world’s way.

Most of the time, the people around them thought they were crazy!

Noah built an ark before God invented rain. Abraham believed he would have many offspring with a wife that was barren. Moses went to free a whole nation by being God’s mouthpiece, all the while struggling with a speech impediment.

David went after a giant as an unarmed shepherd boy. It was an unshakable faith that pushed these heroes to move past what the natural world says is possible and first thing trusted that God is the one that has the real final say!

If everything we do only trusts what we can reason to be true, then we aren’t living with enough faith.

To build a faith that lasts for generations, we have to trust God to show us how he can use us to do abundantly more than we could ever ask, think, or imagine!

When we surrender to God’s way, our lives find a firm place to grow upon. Let God’s gentle Holy Spirit lead, guide you towards him. Jesus told us all we need is the faith of one single mustard seed to see mountains moved (Matthew 17:20).

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 119:105-112 The Message

105-112 By your words, God, I can see where I’m going;
    they throw a beam of light on my dark path.
I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back
    from living by your righteous order.
Everything’s falling apart on me, God;
    put me together again with your Word.
Adorn me with your finest sayings, God;
    teach me your holy rules.
My life is as close as my own hands,
    but I don’t forget what you have revealed.
The wicked do their best to throw me off track,
    but I don’t swerve an inch from your course.
I inherited your book on living; it’s mine forever—
    what a gift! And how happy it makes me!
I concentrate on doing exactly what you say—
    I always have and always will.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

https://translate.google.com/

When God’s Scriptures Teach Me God is Always So Close to Me, What Can I Do When I Feel so very Far from God? Acts 17:24-29 (26-27)

Acts 17:24-29New American Standard Bible 1995

24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and [a]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ 29 Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

How far is too far away?

How far is not far enough?

How close is not close enough?

How near is not near enough?

How far is the north from the south?

How far is the east from the west?

There have been far too many times when I have felt far from God.

I have asked myself those rhetorical questions listed above far too often in the past year as I have been trying to find a physical and spiritual balance after my heart surgery last year. Rather than feeling a naturally close bond with Him, I too often have the unnatural feeling as though He is fifty million miles away.

If in this moment you are also struggling with feeling far from God, know that you are not alone. Most Christians have felt as far from God as the east is from the west, north from south at the same time least once in their walk with Him.

Psalm 13:1-4 The Message

13 1-2 Long enough, God—
    you’ve ignored me long enough.
I’ve looked at the back of your head
    long enough. Long enough
I’ve carried this ton of trouble,
    lived with a stomach full of pain.
Long enough my arrogant enemies
    have looked down their noses at me.

3-4 Take a good look at me, God, my God;
    I want to look life in the eye,
So no enemy can get the best of me
    or laugh when I fall on my face.

This can be due to various factors such as health related and financial; however, there is a remedy for this feeling and it is found in God, the Father, Son, Spirit.

It is common to feel far from God, yet we never truly are far from Him.

Feeling far from God is a feeling—it is not a fact.

As believers, sometimes we will have to rely on what truth we know through the Word of God rather than what we feel. Feelings can come and go, feelings can linger, feelings will influence how we respond, yet God’s truth never changes.

There will be many times that we will rely too heavily on overwhelming feelings and not remember we have to rely on what indelible truth God’s Words reveal through the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit, rather than what we’ll feel. 

God is greater than our feelings and just because we don’t feel Him doesn’t mean He is not there. God is always with us and always walking beside us.

He is never far from any of His children as He is always just one prayer away.

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Sin can often make us run from God, which can make God feel distant from us.

When this happens, we have to know it is not God who is far from us, but that we are far from Him.

Genesis 3:6-10 Amplified Bible

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband [a]with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of the two of them were opened [that is, their awareness increased], and they knew that they were naked; and they fastened fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the [b]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9  But the  Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

In the beginning, Just as Adam and Eve fell into temptation, ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, became self aware and then ran and hid from God in the Garden after they were aware of their nakedness and sin (Genesis 3:7-24), we too fall to temptation run and hide from God when we have sin in our own lives.

If this is a possibility for you, and clearly not one of us is exempt from falling to sin and temptation, rest in the peace that you can repent and turn back to Him.

After repentance and asking God for forgiveness, for a new heart, you might not feel very far from Him anymore. You could feel closer to Him than ever before.

What Will It Take For Me To Accept God is that Close?

Acts 17:24-29The Message

24-29 “The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

What a tremendous encouragement this passage from Acts should, could and would be for all who will seek God! This verse tells us that not only will we find God if we seek him, but we will not have far to look. He is close to us already.

How so?

For some of us, God may seem distant.

Maybe we think of heaven, God’s home, as far, too far away on the other “side” of this immense universe.

Paul disagrees.

God is a lot closer than we might think or take the necessary time to accept.

He is right here, right now.

All we need to do is “notice” the signs of his presence in our very existence.

Psalm 19 The Message

19 1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
    Professor Night lectures each evening.

3-4 Their words aren’t heard,
    their voices aren’t recorded,
But their silence fills the earth:
    unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

4-5 God makes a huge dome
    for the sun—a superdome!
The morning sun’s a new husband
    leaping from his honeymoon bed,
The daybreaking sun an athlete
    racing to the tape.

6 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies
    from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
    warming hearts to faith.

7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.

10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.

11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.

We’re alive.

Where did our life come from?

From God!

We exist.

We move.

How so?

Our very mobility and being show that God is the source of our life.

More than that, claims Paul, God gave us ancestors and even prepared a place for each of them to live.

That’s also how we showed up—at a specific address, on a certain day.

An accident?

Random chance?

No! assures Paul.

God was at work, choreographing even our birth date and birth place as clues to his immediate involvement in our existence from day one.

To find God, an inviting first step is simply to embrace what we so deeply want to believe: our very existence can’t be just an accident.

We are not flukes.

We are created in the Image of God.

We know this deep in our very bones.

Life—our very life, existence—came from God, God alone. (Psalm 139:1 – 18)

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As Paul says in Acts 17:26-27, God is not far from any of us.

God appointed times in history and marked our boundary lands in order for humankind to seek Him out.

With proper searching, God wants us to reach out and find Him as He is not far from each of us.

God did not create the earth and everything in it just to leave His creation abandoned. Even though this is a popular idea among agnostics, it is not true.

God created the earth and everything in it in order to reveal His glory.

Through general and special revelation, God hoped some of us would take notice and reach out to Him.

As believers, who already know the Lord, He wants us to know that we can always reach out to Him.

There will never be a day when God will be far from us. 

The Lord is by our side through every difficult day.

Feeling far away from God is common, yet He wants us to reach out to Him.

Whenever you feel you are far from God, first remember that feelings are not facts. After you have reminded yourself of this truth, turn to God in prayer.

Ask Him to help you know that you are with Him and to also reveal any sin in your life that could be making you run from God. (Psalm 51, Psalm 139:23-24)

Give the Lord time and He will give you answers.

Through reading the Bible and personal conviction, God will instruct you.

Even if sin is what is causing you to feel far from God, rest in the knowledge that it is not terminal.

You can turn to God, ask for His forgiveness, He will forgive you (1 John 1:9).

Through reading and studying God’s Holy Scriptures, praying for our God’s forgiveness and active repentance, you will not feel as far from God anymore. 

If you are feeling far from God due to depression or feelings of deep sorrow, know that God is still with you in this dark valley.

Depression can be very difficult, isolating, yet God sits with you in the pain.

When we are going through depression, it can make us feel alone and as though nobody cares about us.

These are lies of the depression that we must combat and fight against.

God never leaves us alone, He loves us without conditions (Romans 8:37-39).

Run to Him instead of away from Him.

He will surround you with His love, peace, and protection.

Psalm 125 New American Standard Bible 1995

The Lord Surrounds His People.

A Song of Ascents.

125 Those who trust in the Lord
Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the [a]land of the righteous,
So that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong.

4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord will lead them away with the doers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel.

With time and prayer, you won’t feel as far from God anymore.

He created you, He loves you, and that will never change. 

Hebrews 13:8 Amplified Bible

8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

  • Do you feel far from God today? If so, what can you do to help you feel closer to Him?
  • God is not far from each of us. Does resting in this promise bring you comfort? Why or why not?
  • How can you rely on what you know rather than how you feel?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirt,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 23 The Message

23 1-3 God, my shepherd!
    I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
    you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
    you let me catch my breath
    and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through
    Death Valley,
I’m not afraid
    when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
    makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner
    right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
    my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me
    every day of my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
    for the rest of my life.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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About Inviting God into Your Heart, About Taking a Selfie, Painting a self portrait Inviting God into our Hearts? Revelation 3:20-21

Hunt, William Holman; The Light of the World; St Paul’s Cathedral; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/the-light-of-the-world-230132

Revelation 3:20-21 The Message

20-21 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

See? Here I Am! Knocking

Revelation 3:20-22 Complete Jewish Bible

20 Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me. 21 I will let him who wins the victory sit with me on my throne, just as I myself also won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’”

An unexpected knock at your door from a dear friend or family member is a welcome surprise.

Few occasions are as heart warming and precious as seeing a long-­absent loved one unexpectedly comes from a great distance, who comes to visit his friend.

“Here I am!” they say as you open your door, their presence fills you with joy.

Jesus stands at our door, knocking.

We may think sometimes that he is far removed from us and our church bodies.

But here he is, by his own revelation, as close as the door to our homes and our church communities. He wants us to see, hear his knocking—he is that close.

And Jesus longs for us to do more!

He wants us to be immediately hospitable, respond and open all our closed doors we have somehow (purposely?) neglected to install any door knob on.

Maybe you are afraid to open the door of your life to Jesus. After all, how does one welcome the Son of God, the Almighty, into their whole life? Or maybe just having Jesus walk inside your church building is as close as you want him to be.

But Jesus keeps standing outside, keeps knocking on the door, ­eager for us to open our lives to him. He wants to be as close as a beloved friend in our lives.

Proverbs 17:17 Complete Jewish Bible

17 A friend shows his friendship at all times —
    it is for adversity that [such] a brother is born.

Proverbs 27:17 Complete Jewish Bible

17 Just as iron sharpens iron,
    a person sharpens the character of his friend.

Do not worry about how to welcome Jesus in.

Do not worry about his intentions or reasons for the unexpected visit.

Just be hospitable, just open the door with the biggest and widest smile you can.

He promises to take care of the rest.

He will come in and celebrate with whoever opens the door, bringing joy and abundance and a meal of the finest food, so your life will be filled—with even more than the greatest feasting, fun, and goodness of life you could imagine.

Taking a Selfie, Painting a Self Portrait of You, Jesus

There’s a famous painting that I first saw many years ago that still resonates with me today.

The painter portrays Jesus Christ, looking directly at you, holding a lantern, standing outside of a door, knocking on it and just waiting to be let inside.

However, if you notice, there is no knob on the door for Himself to open it.

Only the person inside of the home, church, can open the door and let Him in.

According to Wikipedia, “The Light of the World (1851-1854) is an allegorical painting by English Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20.”

Hunt said, “I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be divine command, and not simply a good subject.” He also mentioned that the lack of handle on the door represented “the obstinately shut mind.” 

How many of us have shut Jesus out of not only out of our mind, but our heart?

Over the years, I’ve heard these popular reasons why people don’t choose Jesus.

It is not fashionable or the hottest or latest craze being spread on social media.

Mom and Dad did not do it so why should I?

Who has the time?

Who has the money?

Who has the inclination?

I spoke with a young woman who believes you only live once, so you need to party hard and have fun. She told me that Christianity just isn’t her “thing.”

An older woman told me that one of her Christian friends “finally” stopped talking to her about Jesus and beating her over her head with the Bible.

She was offended because she said that she held her own beliefs with the right to think and say whatever she wants to whoever, and however she wants. Pop culture also says to live your own truth and be the charter of your own destiny. 

While all of these takes sound solid and reasonable to a point, they could not be further from the truth.

The Bible clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

And the only way to Heaven is through Him (John 14:6).

But Jesus is gentle, kind, so He will never force His way into our heart and life.

Just like Hunt’s painting of Revelation 3:20 shows us, we have to invite Him in. 

Revelation 3:20-21 Amplified Bible

20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.

This passage of Scripture matters because this world is not our forever home!

Human history on Earth will end and eternity in Heaven will begin for all who have confessed Him as Savior, let Jesus in and have decided to follow Him there.

We are all the worst kind of sinners incapable of saving ourselves, in desperate need of a Savior, but the Gospel news is we have a living Jesus to fill that role. (Romans 3:23)

Meanwhile, we cannot on our own successfully lead ourselves alone, navigate anything and everything in this thorn laden briar patch-life, without a Guide.

The good news is that God is willing and ready and able to lead us through our journey, help us survive all the figurative most energetic storms we encounter.

We have an everlasting hope when we have Him!

He is our only promised and willing and capable and able, everlasting hope!

Genesis 9:11-16 Complete Jewish Bible

11 I will establish my covenant with you that never again will all living beings be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God added, “Here is the sign of the covenant I am making between myself and you and every living creature with you, for all generations to come: 13 I am putting my rainbow in the cloud — it will be there as a sign of the covenant between myself and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud; 15 I will remember my covenant which is between myself and you and every living creature of any kind; and the water will never again become a flood to destroy all living beings. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud; so that when I look at it, I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of any kind on the earth.”

There’s a beautiful song by Cheri Keaggy called “Part of Your Story.”

She sings that Jesus wants to be part of our life story, but we often don’t think we need Him.

Yet, He continues to shower us with blessings! He wakes us up every morning.

He sends sunshine to brighten our days and rain to water the grass. He’s given us a wide variety of beautiful flowers for us to admire and lovingly share with each other. Yet, the greatest demonstration of God’s love is the sacrifice of His Son (Jesus Christ) who unquestionably knows we are each worth dying for. (John 3:16-17) 

The gift of salvation is completely free!

There’s nothing you nor I can do to earn it or deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9).

All we need to do is hospitably open our doors and let Jesus into our heart.

He wants to spend eternity with us!

John 14:1-7 Complete Jewish Bible

14 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also. 4 Furthermore, you know where I’m going; and you know the way there.”

5 T’oma said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. 7 Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him.”

That’s the whole point.

We have seen Him standing at the door.

We have heard Him knocking at our door.

Now, we need to be hospitable enough to open it and invite Him in?

In these most unusual and distressing of times, are we hospitable enough?

Jesus wants to spend time with you.

He knows you much better than you do and wants the same, you to know Him.

Only He can offer you an abundant life (John 10:10).

If you let Him, He will be your most faithful friend, advocate, counselor, and brother, ultimately your Savior who is the bridge between Earth and Heaven.

Will you go, let God in, and allow His glory to change your story for the better? 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

John 10:7-16 Complete Jewish Bible

7 So Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  The hired hand, since he isn’t a shepherd and the sheep aren’t his own, sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf drags them off and scatters them. 13 The hired worker behaves like this because that’s all he is, a hired worker; so it doesn’t matter to him what happens to the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me — 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father — and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep. 16 Also I have other sheep which are not from this pen; I need to bring them, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock, one shepherd.

If you haven’t invited Jesus to be your personal Savior and truest friend, what do believe are the excuses, the rationales, the theologies behind the hesitation?

How might it feel for you to know that the Creator of the Universe, the One who created you in His own image, loves you and wants to be part of your life story?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord Jesus, what a gift of love and honor you bring by knocking at our door. Please forgive our inhospitality and do come in and transform us by your presence. Amen!

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Viewing Ourselves Rightly, Accepting Ourselves With Very Sober Judgment. Romans 12:3 (1 – 8)

Romans 12:1-8 The Message

Place Your Life Before God

12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

The Word of God for the People of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Viewing Ourselves Rightly

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

No one is immune to the grievous sin of self-exaltation.

To find evidence of this, simply enter any kindergarten classroom.

In this little group of children, soon enough somebody will be singing their own praises about building the biggest tallest block tower or drawing the best family portrait—in other words, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought.

Constantly comparing ourselves with other people is a worldly way to think.

An exaggerated view of ourselves is a dreadful problem—one that puts others down and ignores our place before God. The answer, though, is not found in self-denigration, which is the opposite and equal error to self-exaltation.

This self-disparagement is also the product of pride because it still surfaces from contrasting and comparison ourselves to others. It is still self-focused.

The Christian’s view of self should be grounded in a mind renewed by God (Romans 12:1-2).

With this heavenly perspective, we find our value in God’s mercy and grace.

Our significance, identity, worth, and role all find their foundation in who God is, what God has done for us, not on any self exaggerated account of who we are or what we believe or boast about having done for Him to make His life better.

We are reminded of this proper perspective of self when we sing the lines “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died.”[1] 

1 Isaac Watts, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (1707).

To survey the wondrous cross is to focus on the wonders of the gospel—the sobering truth that another has died in our place and borne our punishment.

In doing this, we realize “my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.”

Philippians 3:7-9 The Message

7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

The cross both raises us and lowers us at the same time, and this frees us from needing to push ourselves too far forward in life and enables us, to with much sobriety, acknowledge great, greater, greatest ways in which God has gifted us.

This is thinking of ourselves with “sober judgment.”

The church, then, is to be noticeably different from the world in the way we view ourselves and each other. When we come together, united by the gospel, all else that relates to our identity, though not irrelevant, loses its primary significance, and we use our gifts not to please ourselves but to serve others.

Look soberly at the cross, where your Savior bled and died for your sins because while we were all still his enemies, He loved us. There is no room for you or me to feel too proud. There is no need for us to compare yourself to others. Instead, you can use all that He has given you in selfless, sober joyful service of others.

The Most Critical Task of Self: of Accepting Ourselves

Romans 12:3 Amplified Bible

3 For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].

There is probably no single part of our inner life that’s more fragile and more important than our own self-concept.

Parents must wisely help children develop a healthy concept of self. All of us, in all stages of life, are shaped by our self-concept more than we’ll often realize.

In our Scripture reading for today, Paul cautions us, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” It’s easy for us to think more highly of ourselves—or at least to sound as if we do. We can pretend very well, sound proud so easily.

It seems to me, though, that there are also many times when we think too lowly of ourselves. A lack of self-esteem is a drag on many of us. We remember so well what we cannot do or what we haven’t done well. We quickly look at others as though we falsely believe they have superior abilities, and we feel inadequate.

In our Scripture for today Paul also gives us some very healthy encouragement, however. He reminds us that, in Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior, we are all important functional, functioning servants, and members of the body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-8 Amplified Bible

4 For just as in one [physical] body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use, 5 so we, who are many, are [nevertheless just] one body in Christ, and individually [we are] parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other]. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them accordingly: if [someone has the gift of] prophecy, [let him speak a new message from God to His people] in proportion to the faith possessed; 7 if service, in the act of serving; or he who teaches, in the act of teaching; 8 or he who encourages, in the act of encouragement; he who gives, with generosity; he who leads, [a]with diligence; he who shows mercy [in caring for others], with cheerfulness.

Each and every single one of us immeasurably counts as much as anyone else.

We all have unique God given gifts, some of them different from others, but all are important gifts from God meant to be fully used in the building up and the edification of His Kingdom. “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth.”

“In Christ we who [are each unique, created in the image of God]are many form one body, each [uniquely created by God] member belongs to all the others.”

Paul’s point is that we are all uniquely called to sacrificially give of our whole selves in His service and to discover and faithfully use the gifts God has given.

In Christ There Is No East or West [Author: John Oxenham (1908)]

1. In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north;
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

2. In Christ shall true hearts everywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.

3. Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.

4. In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Creator God, Author of my past, my present, and all of my tomorrows, I thank you for all the ways you have made me and the gifts you have given me. Help us all to affirm each other and to unconditionally utilize our gifts in loving service. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Psalm 91 Amplified Bible

Security of the One Who Trusts in the Lord.

91 He who [a]dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].
2 
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust [with great confidence, and on whom I rely]!”
3 
For He will save you from the trap of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 
He will cover you and completely protect you with His pinions,
And under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and a wall.

5 
You will not be afraid of the terror of night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 
Nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction (sudden death) that lays waste at noon.
7 
A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But danger will not come near you.
8 
You will only [be a spectator as you] look on with your eyes
And witness the [divine] repayment of the wicked [as you watch safely from the shelter of the Most High].
9 
Because you have made the Lord, [who is] my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 
No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 
For He will command His angels in regard to you,
To protect and defend and guard you in all your ways [of obedience and service].
12 
They will lift you up in their hands,
So that you do not [even] strike your foot against a stone.
13 
You will tread upon the lion and cobra;
The young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 
“Because he set his love on Me, therefore I will save him;
I will set him [securely] on high, because he knows My name [he confidently trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never abandon him, no, never].
15 
“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 
“With a long life I will satisfy him
And I will let him see My salvation.”

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Happiness to Be Able to Help Dignify those who are down on their luck; in the margins, the untouchable places. Psalm 41:1-3

Psalm 41 The Message

41 1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

4-7 I said, “God, be gracious!
    Put me together again—
    my sins have torn me to pieces.”
My enemies are wishing the worst for me;
    they make bets on what day I will die.
If someone comes to see me,
    he mouths empty platitudes,
All the while gathering gossip about me
    to entertain the street-corner crowd.
These “friends” who hate me
    whisper slanders all over town.
They form committees
    to plan misery for me.

8-9 The rumor goes out, “He’s got some dirty,
    deadly disease. The doctors
    have given up on him.”
Even my best friend, the one I always told everything
    —he ate meals at my house all the time!—
    has bitten my hand.

10 God, give grace, get me up on my feet.
    I’ll show them a thing or two.

11-12 Meanwhile, I’m sure you’re on my side—
    no victory shouts yet from the enemy camp!
You know me inside and out, you hold me together,
    you never fail to stand me tall in your presence
    so I can look you in the eye.

13 Blessed is God, Israel’s God,
    always, always, always.
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Happiness to Be Able to Help

41 1-3 Dignify those who are down on their luck;
    you’ll feel good—that’s what God does.
God looks after us all,
    makes us robust with life—
Lucky to be in the land,
    we’re free from enemy worries.
Whenever we’re sick and in bed,
    God becomes our nurse,
    nurses us back to health.

A compassionate heart is not among the most popular qualities in our world today. If you want to climb to the top, people say, you often have to trample on others. Compassion is considered an attribute of people who are weak.

But what does the Word of God have to teach and admonish us about this?

The Bible says, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak.”

And this does not mean just thinking about people who are disadvantaged; it means caring about them, doing something about it, entering the moment. (Read, Study, Pray, the Parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 15:11 – 32)

People who care are those who open their hearts with the willingness to share what they have with people in need. God’s generosity goes hand in hand with his compassion and his care as people seek to show God’s love in this world.

We find happiness not when we have everything in our hands but when we look beyond our own needs, our own biases and prejudices and also agendas to share with people in need, giving from our abundance as the Lord has given to us. (Read, Study and Pray over Genesis Chapter 1)

The generous person sows happily and reaps the blessed fruit of God’s ongoing favor. God himself multiplies our sowing so we can continue to give generously.

From the beginning, God provides for us and gives us health and strength to do more by spreading his love to others. When we open our hearts, souls, hands, and pockets, move our feet, to share from all that God has given us, we find joy and happiness too in giving freely as the Lord gives, without strings attached.

The Gospel is Good News for all, Without Exception!

https://www.yahoo.com/news/several-injuries-reported-suspected-chemical-144200065.html

Romans 14:10-14 Amplified Bible

10 But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you again, why do you look down on your [believing] brother or regard him with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God [who alone is judge]. 11 For it is written [in Scripture],

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Then let us not criticize one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block or a source of temptation in another believer’s way. 14 I know and am convinced [as one] in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean [ritually defiled, and unholy] in itself; but [nonetheless] it is unclean to anyone who thinks it is unclean.

The Ministry and Mission of Passing Judgment or the Ministry and Mission of Extending God’s Forgiveness

To people outside the faith, Christians often seem like Goliath sized hypocrites who look on the rest of the world with great scorn and in high condemnation.

We are seen as highly critical and massively self-righteous. And sometimes it’s true. Sometimes our rejection, our rhetoric and derision make Christ look bad.

We condemn those who have heard only judgment and long for grace.

We disapprove of people who have made life choices different than our own. We wish common sense were a little more common in them but not any of us. Our impatience with others for whom Christ died shows how much we need him too.

Sometimes we lack wisdom, maturity, impulse control, we have been hurt, and our hearts cry far out for justice. We want to take judgment into our own hands.

We want to maximize our vengeance, we also want our maximum retribution.

Yet, Jesus teaches that the critically essential part of forgiveness involves our stepping back from our worldly desires, allowing God to take care of justice.

Matthew 5:43-48 Amplified Bible

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor (fellow man) and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, [a]love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45  so that you may [show yourselves to] be the children of your Father who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on those who are evil and on those who are good, and makes the rain fall on the righteous [those who are morally upright] and the unrighteous [the unrepentant, those who oppose Him]. 46 For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that? 48 You, therefore, will be perfect [growing into spiritual maturity both in mind and character, actively integrating godly values into your daily life], as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Romans 12:18-21 Amplified Bible

18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will heap [a]burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We may need good boundaries with those who are still broken, and God ordained civil authorities to restrain crime—but God alone is the judge.

Practically speaking, looking scornfully at our neighbor makes it difficult to share our witness.

If we Christians shared the truth of how we have fallen down, the world might receive us better. Admitting our brokenness would allow Jesus’ restoration to shine brighter. If we approached each other as fellow sinners pointing the way to salvation in Christ, to be forgiven, maybe more sinners would follow Christ.

How can we be more Christ like in our relationships, in our responses, in our conversations, and less biased and prejudiced with those ‘different neighbors’?

Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified Bible

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

How can you show and extend grace today?

How can we show and extend the Love of God to everyone today?

John 3:16-18 Amplified Bible

16 “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18  Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because [b]he has not believed and trusted in the name of the  [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].

This passage is perhaps the best-known and best-loved verses in the Bible.

It comes in the context of a middle of the night secret conversation between Jesus and a beyond reproach highly respected Scholar, devout Jew, Nicodemus.

It is then put into action in the following chapter of John, when Jesus converses with a woman on the opposite end of the social, moral, and religious spectrum.

This teaches us something important: that the good news of Christ’s coming is not limited to highly respected pious people, like Nicodemus, but shatters all boundaries to extend even to the dejected, rejected, like the woman at the well.

The contrast between these two individuals is stark. Nicodemus was learned, powerful, respected, and theologically trained.

The Samaritan woman at the well was uneducated, without influence, despised, untouchable, illegal and immoral – everything those Jews of that day rejected.

Jesus’ interactions with both, however, display that all humans need a Savior.

Nicodemus’s meeting with Christ makes it clear that we can never do enough good to save ourselves.

Conversely, the Samaritan woman’s experience makes clear that no one can ever do enough bad to be beyond Christ’s reach.

Hardcore Truth be Revealed, We all, without exception, live under God’s wrath and judgment until we welcome the light of Christ’s salvation—whether you’re a Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, a Levi/Matthew, or somewhere in between.

The whole world needs God’s Son; and God has given the whole world His Son.

Hardcore Truth: Because the gospel of Jesus does not discriminate, neither should we in proclaiming it.

While both Nicodemus and the woman at the well needed to hear the same good news, Jesus masterfully shared it with each one of them in a personalized way.

He did not engage them with the same formulaic conversation; with biased or prejudiced rhetoric, He met them where they were. He simply asked questions that had ultimately revealed their sinful hearts and God’s loving heart for them.

Just as God invites all to hear His gospel, so He invites all who are changed by this gospel to be the agents of change for others.

After her conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman ran back to her town, telling everyone of how He knew everything she had ever done (John 4:39).

The people then responded to her words and sought Jesus out.

This should encourage all of us, and especially those of us who lack confidence in extending the gospel invitation to others.

When God is at work, we’ll be amazed at what happens!

“For God so loved the world…” Such love has come to live in any who believe.

It empowers each of us to do what is necessary to live as God commands. It saves you from the chains that tie you to your past—be it a past of piety and of high pride, like Nicodemus’s, or a past of sordid decisions and shame, like the Samaritan woman’s. It spurs you to share this gospel of Son-giving, life-bringing love with those around you. Whoever believes will have eternal life.

In the name of God, the Father and God, the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Lord, forgive us for judging one another. Search us, Test us, Teach us, Show us how to shed our biases, prejudices, share our brokenness and to point others to Christ. Lord God, help us to open our hearts, extend our hands and feet to care about others and to share from the abundance you have given us. In the name of Jesus, Amen. Amen.

103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.
    From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
    don’t forget a single blessing!

3-5     He forgives your sins—every one.
    He heals your diseases—every one.
    He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
    He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
    He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
    He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

6-18 God makes everything come out right;
    he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
    opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
    not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
    nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
    nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
    so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
    he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
    God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
    keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
    like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
    leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
    eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
    as they follow his Covenant ways
    and remember to do whatever he said.

19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
    he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
    ready and able to fly at his bidding,
    quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
    alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
    everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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