4.29.13

Judges 8:33-35 As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god. They forgot the Lord their God, who rescued them from all their enemies surrounding them. Nor did they show any loyalty to the family of Gideon, despite all the good he had done for Israel.

 

My Thoughts

When I read this I for some reason thought about people today and how we put a value on sins.  We think of murder as this horrible sin and a white lie sometimes a not a sin at all (even though it is). We will hear gossip of somebody doing something wrong and we will look at each other with great disapproval of that sin.  We sometimes see people doing things wrong and we step in and try to "fix" their lives.  Yet when people walk away from God, when people worship sports, money, jewelry, shopping, cars, houses, TV or anything else that we can put before God, we are not phased.  And we should be!! If we want to step in and "fix" anybody of anything, we need to step in and teach people to how much God loves them...we need to make sure that they know God enough that they fall in love with Him more than they are in love with anything else.  We can't decide that all the other sins are shocking, and not be shocked that somebody doesn't love God.  

 

 

4.27.13

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what the are doing." And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.

 

My Thoughts

People had mocked Jesus...they had screamed, "Crucify him!" even though He was found innocent of all charges brought against him.  They had beat him...and finally they had nailed him on a cross.  What did Jesus say to this, "Father, forgive them."

 

Yet we refuse to forgive people for saying something we don't like, or forgetting something they said they would do but forgot about in their own busy day.  We go about not forgiving the post petty things.  I know, I know...there are some big things that seem hard to forgive...but nothing is as big as what Jesus forgave.  On day when we stand before Jesus and we go through our list of what we did will He say, "Did you forgive?"  I think He will... the Bible says that to be forgiven we must forgive. it says this in many places..but the one I really noticed lately is what it says in The Lords Prayer, "Forgive me as I forgive those that trespass against me."  Notice in this prayer we are asking for forgiveness in the amount we have forgiven. 

 

Who do I need to forgive today?  Who do you need to forgive today? 

4.26.13

Judges 6:15 "But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!"

 

My Thoughts

Gideon was the weakest of the weak...but God chose him!  Gideon only saw what Gideon could do by himself, he didn't see what he could do with God giving him strength and wisdom.  Not only was Gideon the least of the least, God took his army of 22,000 and sent everyone home but 300 of the men.  So here was a man who was the weakest of the weak with an tiny army of only 300 and God gave him a victory over  the Midian and all of Midian's allies!! 

 

Why was Gideon able to do all of this?... Gideon wasn't, God was able.  When we give God control over our lives He makes the way, He fights our battles...He just takes us along for the ride. 

 

Every time we are successful in anything we do, we need to give God the glory!  Because God makes anything we do possible!  God is who makes  us able.  

4.25.13

Luke 22:41-44 He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed. "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.  He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

 

My Thoughts

I think sometimes we hear this story so much that we don't hear the details.  There is no a person that I know personally that hasn't heard that Jesus died for us.  But how many people really stop and think about what Jesus went through for us. 

 

Jesus didn't just say, "Okay God let me just jump up here and die like you told me to. I am Your son so it won't hurt a bit, lets get this done."  Jesus dreaded all the pain that was to come, He know how horrible it was going to be, He ask God to stop it if possible, then He told God that He was willing if that is what God wanted.  Jesus died a horrible death so that we could have life...Jesus dreaded this death so much that he sweat blood...yet He died for us anyway.  How can we take that lightly?  How can we ignore that?  How can we not be thankful? 

 

Jesus loved you and me enough to take our suffering.  God loved you and me enough, so much that he watched His very own Son suffer for us.  God loves us so much that even in our indifference He watched His Son suffer a horrible death for our sins.  Can you imagine watching your child suffer like Jesus suffered for somebody that didn't even give your child the time of day?  God did that, because he loves us so much!! How dare me not try to be the best that I can be!! 

4.24.13

Luke 22:20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people --an agreement confirmed with my blood which is poured out as a sacrifice for you."

 

My Thoughts

I read this and thought of all the hero's in the Boston Marathon bombing.  People who took off their shirts to stop the bleeding of the injured.  People who ran people to the hospital.  People who took strangers into their homes. They are wonderful, heartwarming stories.  We sit in front of our televisions and feel all goose-bumpy when we hear them.  And we hope that somebody would do that for us if we were in the same situation. 

 

Then people hear and read the story of Jesus, pouring out his blood for us, not giving up his shirt, giving up his life, being beaten in our and dieing in our place.  One man that was rescued in the Boston Marathon bombing said of his hero, "We are bonded for life." As I read this today, and reflected on the bombing, I thought, "How could we not be bonded for life, with Jesus, once we heard the true story of how He suffered and died for us?" 

 

Jesus is my hero!  I will be forever bonded with Him.  I am so very thankful my life that He gave me! 

4.23.13

Luke 21:34-36 "Watch out! Don't let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life.  Don't let that day catch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man."

 

My Thoughts

We know this one...not to get caught up in partying and drinking so that we are not ready for Jesus.  But look at the next part...we are not to get so busy worrying about life that we don't take time for God. In fact if we are so busy that we can't make time for God we are too busy and we need to examine our lives and see what we can take away to make time!  What I am learning is that if I make time for God, God makes sure I have time to take care of the necessary! 

 

If we don't have time for God in everyday life...how will we ever be able to keep our eyes on him when the end time comes and there are horrible troubles that we all face each day?  Prayer needs to be so much apart of our lives that it is our first response in times of trouble.

 

When the bombs went off during the marathon how many people in our country sent up a prayer immediately?  I didn't .... eventually I did... but I didn't the first second I head about it.  Nor did I hear one person interviewed say that their first response to the explosion was prayer.  I really have to work on being in constant prayer for each decision I make each day...the simple decisions!  My every decision!  So that if and when I have to face horror my first response will be prayer. So that I am in the habit of giving every situation  over to God and letting Him direct my steps and my words. 

4.22.13

Joshua 24:27 Joshua said to all the people, "This stone had heard everything the Lord said to us.  It will be a witness to testify against you if you go back on your word to God." 

 

My Thoughts

When I read this I immediately thought of a verse I read just a few days ago... It was when Jesus was riding the donkey down the Mount of Olives and the people were shouting and singing praises to Jesus... the Pharisees among the crowd rebuked the people, the followers of Jesus and Jesus replied in Luke 19:40 "if they keep quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!"

 

Look at this...the stones, the actual earth was made by God for God.  The earth can testify against us and the earth will praise Jesus if we don't!!  What if earthquakes, and volcanoes erupting, what if tsunami's and hurricanes are the earth erupting with praise for God, because we haven't been praising God? 

 

That is where my mind went when I read these verses.  What if? The fact is whether I am right or not we are safer, we are protected when we love and praise God!!

 

When we sin it effects the people around us...and when we love God it effects the people around us...that is why it is so important as a nation we all love God.  When we all come together and love God with all our hearts, souls and minds... our country thrives!!  God makes our crops produce, our people succeed, our weather right and our country strong!!  When we come together as a country and love God even the earth gets to rest because it doesn't need to do our praising for us!

4.21.13

Joshua 23:16 If you break the covenant of the Lord you God by worshiping and serving other gods, his anger will burn against you, and you will be quickly vanished from the good land he has given you.

 

My Thoughts

We have to be so very careful of worshiping anything.  We were made to worship God.  We do more than move out from under the protection of God if we worship or serve anything as a god, we bring down God anger on us.  Not because he does not love us...but because He love us all, each one of us so much that He can not allow one of us to lead others away from Him. 

4.20.13

Luke 20:21-22 "Teacher," they said, "we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think.  You teach the way of God truthfully. 

My Thought

Jesus' enemies said this... they knew what he said was true and they didn't like it.  But Jesus taught what God expected him to teach no matter who would like him for it.  No matter who's feelings it might hurt.  Because it was more important to tell teach the truth than to make friends, keep friends, or not offend someone.  One of those truths may have planted a seed, no matter what the person thought at the time, and that seed may have one day grown enough that that person had a change of heart and eternal life! 

As Christians we should never be unkind, but we also should never be afraid to speak God's truth no matter what anybody thinks of what we have to say.  God's truth is too important to silence!

4.19.13

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. 

 

My Thoughts

This verse reminded me of Romans 15:13... now mind you I didn't say to myself, "Oh that reminds me of Romans 15:13!" ... I am not that good...I did think to myself that reminds me of that Bible verse about God being our hope...that was enough information for me to google the verse I was thinking of.   Anyway Romans 15:13 tells us this, "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."

 

When we put off getting to know God, I mean really getting to know God, spending time in our Bibles, and in prayer...we deferre hope!!  We were made for loving God...that is what our spirit dreams about... As long as we put off knowing God..we will have that empty feeling inside of us, we will have that longing and anxieties of some kind.  But when we get to know God..our soul's dream is fulfilled and our hearts find peace and joy!! 

4:18:13

Luke 19:26 "Yes," the king replied, ' and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given.  But for those who do nothing , even what little they have will be taken away."

 

My Thoughts

This verse tells me that I need to examine what God has given me and use it to the best of my ability. I need to know and understand what God sees as "prophet" and work toward a prophet for God.  I don't need to be afraid, I need to step out and make an effort.  I must work on that!! 

4.17.13

Luke 18:35-39 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.  When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.  They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by, So he began shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

"Be quiet!" the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 

My Thoughts

The rest of the story is that Jesus stopped and healed the blind man.  But what if the blind man had listen to the crowd in front of him?  He would have missed out on his blessing, the blessing of being able to see!

 

These verse made me wonder, "What blessings have I missed out on because I let someone  silence me?"  God is working on me... teaching me to be bold!!!  He is teaching me that sometimes being sweet is saying what needs to be said, when it come to God.  Because sometimes a little salt makes the sweet taste all the more sweeter after baking. 

 

I don't want to ever be silenced to the point that I miss out on one of God's blessings in my life.  How about you?

4.16.13

Psalm 85:1-2 Lord, you poured out blessings on your land! Your restored the fortunes of Israel.  You forgave the guilt of your people-- yes, you covered all their sins.

 

My Thoughts

I love this "you covered all their sins."  It doesn't say their tiniest sins, it doesn't say their biggest sins, it says ALL  their sins!!  When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for our sins and ask Him to come into our lives and then we confess our sins, we become one of "God's people" and all of our sins get covered!!  ALL of them!!  This just make my heart overflow with love for God who holds nothing against me, not one little thing, because He loves me so much.  He loves us all this much we just have to accept His, Son and love Him back!!  The thing is, when we take time to know God we can't help but love Him back!! 

4.15.13

Luke 17:28-30 "And the world will be as it was in the days of Lot.  People went about their daily business--eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building--until the morning Lot left Sodom.  Then fire and burning sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all... Yes, it will be 'business as usual' right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

 

My Thoughts

We can't hope that we are ready for Jesus' return, we have to live our life being ready.  We have to go about making Jesus, making God our daily "business as usual" so we won't be surprised, so we won't be left behind. 

 

Is Jesus part of your "business as usual."  I know that I need to stay on top of my life so that I keep Jesus an important part of my each of my days, being careful not to get too busy! 

4.14.13

Luke 16:22-24 "Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham.  The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead.  There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. 

The rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.  I am in anguish in these flames.'

 

My Thoughts

I have heard of several people lately that believed there was no hell.  Who believed that Jesus came and died for our sins so there was no longer a hell.  Jesus is telling this story, Jesus himself is telling it!   He is warning people that if you don't believe God's word you will die and in death you will be in a place of torment and flames. 

 

I beg of you to read your Bibles, to search for God and for wisdom in His word so that you won't miss out on that wonderful Kingdom of God's, Heaven. 

 

4.13.13

Luke 16:18-19 The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd.  And it is true that the children of this world are more shred in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.  Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends.  The, when your earthly possessions are going, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

 

My Thoughts

I love this... I believe that Jesus is telling us here to use our resources to benefit the lost, to get their attention, to show them God's love through us.  And when we do this they will hear us when we talk about Him.  They will be open to us because we were willing to share.  Then one day we will be in heaven together. We can't just preach to people and expect them to hear us. We have to love them, we have to show that love by doing for them...then they will see God in us and want what God has given us!  I love it!! 

4.12.13

Luke 15:31 His father said to him, "Look, dear son, you have always been stayed with me, and everything I have is yours. 

 

My Thoughts

I believe this may be the most important line it this story of the prodigal son.  It is for me, the rule follower.  Let me catch you up if you are lost.  A man had two sons...the younger son took his half of his inheritance while his father was still alive. He went away and blew his money on wild living and when he was starving he decided to come home and be a servant in his father's house.  When he arrived home his father threw him a part.  The older son stayed home and worked the farm, did everything his father told him to do.  He was jealous that his father killed the fattened calf for his brother when his father had never even offered him a goat for a celebration. 

 

First the farmer was celebrating that his youngest son was alive.  I think the lesson for us us that when we are God's children all He has is ours... we just have to ask... if we are doing all that God requires of us and we don't have something we want, it is only because we have not ask. When we become a child of God all the treasures of heaven are ours. 

 

It is important to remember that God will supply all of our needs...and He will give us our hearts desire if it is going to be good for us, if it will not take us from him.  Luke 12:32 tells us that it gives God happiness to give us the Kingdom.  Psalms 84:11 tells us that God will hold no good thing from those who do what is right.  God wants to give us what we ask for, when it we are doing what is right and when it is good for us.  The farmer would have given his first son a feast if he had only asked. 

4.11.13

Proverbs 12:28 The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death. 

 

My Thoughts

Before I knew God, like I know God now, this verse felt very condemning...now it is more of a reminder to me.  Let me explain.  We can have death in so many ways...the death of our peace, the death of our happiness, the death of our joy, the death of our love for others and then there is the complete death of our souls.  Before I begin reading my Bible daily and learned how much God loves me my peace was dead, I was filled with anxiety and panic all the time.  It was hard to show my love for others when I was in such a state of anxiety...and that state of anxiety killed my joy!  It is hard to love others when you feel so needy.  When God is missing in our lives we have a big hole of need in our bodies. 

 

When I learned how much God does love me, how God will take care of me and all my needs my peace was reborn, it was no longer dead...and my joy returned...and my love for others just begin to overflow, now I can hardly contain it!  I want to hug everybody that I see!!!  With God so present in my life I don't have any places that are dead in my body... nothing is missing!! 

 

A godly life is not about living a life that says, "Look at me I am perfect, squeaky clean with nothing wrong!!"  A godly life is about loving God so much that you want to do what pleases him, it is about loving others, even those, especially those that don't love you back. It is about loving God so much that you let go and let God love you enough to fill all those dead places with His wonderful love and life!!

4.10.13

Joshua 1:8-9 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night and you be sure to obey everything in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.  This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

 

My Thoughts

Just before this in Deuteronomy 34:9 the Bible tells us, "Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses and laid his hands on him."   Joshua was full of wisdom yet God told him to study the Bible as it was written so far. He was to meditate on it day and night.  His wisdom, mighty as it was, still needed to be supplemented by God's word!!! We are never so smart that we don't need to keep reading and studying what God has to tell us.  His word will keep us strong. 

 

It is no wonder that in countries where they want their people powerless that they take away their Bibles!!  That act in itself tells us how powerful God's word is. 

 

Joshua walked with  Moses, Joshua say God's miracles first hand, Joshua was given the spirit or wisdom...yet Joshua still needed to read and know God's word!!  I think we do too!

4.9.13

Luke 13:6-9 Then Jesus told this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there were any fruit on it, but he was always dissapointed.  Finally, he said to his gardener, 'I have waited three years; and there hasn't been a single fig! Cut it down. It's just taking up space in the garden.'

The gardener answered, 'Sir, give it one more chance.  Leave it another year and I'll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.  If we get figs next  year fine.  If not, the you can cut it down."

 

My Thoughts

This is a powerful story.  It tells me that God expects us, as His children to produce good fruit.  When we ask Jesus into our heart God expects to see evidence of the love He gives us.  This story also tells me that God give us time to grow in Him...and He gives time for the evidence of His love to show through us. 

 

There are several places in the Bible where it talks about us showing the fruit of God's love in our life.  If we are truly changed by God, that change will show.  The gardener would save the fig tree if there were only one fig, just one sign of change.  God knows that it takes each of us different times to show the fruits of His love, and He accepts that.  He even accepts the prayers of Jesus, on our behalf, to give us another chance to show those fruits.  This story says to me that in the end we have to show evidence, even if it is just a tiny bit of evidence, in our lives that we love and accept Jesus as our Savior to be counted as a one of God's children. 

4.8.13

Luke 12:39-40 "Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into.  you also must be ready all the time, for  the Son of man will come when least expected."

 

My Thoughts

When I read this I though of storms, in 2008 we had storms come through, straight line winds and we had some storm damage.  Then in 2011 we had tornado's come through our part of Alabama and we had damage again.  Just a few weeks ago again we had straight line winds come though and we were safe this time, but a couple of friends of mine had pretty bad damage to their houses.  Thank goodness all of us were unharmed only our houses were damaged, but now I am really aware of storms and I pay attention to the weather.  Later this week there are suppose to be straight line winds in our area ... I will be watching and waiting, I will have my shoes on and have my safe place where I can get safe there if I need to. 

 

We need to be that ready for Jesus' return!!  We don't need to be caught off guard..we have been told that He will be returning when we least expect Him.  We have today to get ready...and maybe we will have tomorrow as a "today" to get ready.  But each day we need to prepare for that day just as if Jesus would come back.  We need to always be conducting ourselves in a way that would make Jesus proud to call us His.  He tells us here to always be prepared!! 

4.7.13

Luke 12:29-32 "And don't be concerned about what to eat and what to drink.  Don't worry about such things.  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

 

So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

 

My Thoughts

I love this!!  We so often go about worrying about life...about our houses being perfect... about waring perfect clothes... we worry about what we are going to eat... and how we are going to fit in... if we are good enough for the world.  We worry and worry and worry.  We each have our own things that we worry about. 

 

If we seek after God, all our needs will follow, God will take care of all of our needs.  But it is our job to seek after God.  Oh and when we do seek Him life will change in amazing ways!! 

 

I use to worry about everything, EVERYTHING. I worried constantly.  I lived in a state of anxiety and often felt panic about anything and everything.  It was like if I worried enough that act itself would make things okay.  When I started reading my Bible every day... and learned to love knowing all that I could about God's word... my panic went away and my anxiety went away. I feel so safe these days.  I know that seeking God is what changed me.  Every once in a while I will feel that old anxious feeling and then I stop and ask myself, "What have I not given to God? Is there a sin that I have not asked forgiveness for?" as soon as I figure out the answer and talk to God about it that peace that passes all understanding takes over again. It is amazing how God takes care of us, and He wants to!!  He wants to give us all of His Kingdom!  I am learning that the more I grow, the more of His Kingdom He trust me with!! 

4.6.13

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 "Today I have given you a choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him.  This is the key to your life.  And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Issac, and Jacob.

 

My Thoughts

First we have a choice...but we have to make that choice.  When we make the choice to love God and follow his way we not only choose God, we choose blessings.  We have this choice as individuals... but we also have this choice as a whole, as a country.  If our country makes the wrong choice, everybody suffers the curses of not living a life that is pleasing to God.  Our sins effect the lives of others.  

 

Look at this part of the verse, now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make.  We had a visiting pastor once that said the earth itself is effected by our sins, that it morns when we life outside of God's will. This verse tells us that the earth knows when we choose blessings or when we choose curses. 

 

We as a country have the opportunity to choose the blessings of God.  But we have to make choices that please God.  That is why it is so very important to put godly men, men that love God with all their hearts in office, so that they will make good choices. So that they will make good laws, so that they will make decisions based on the word of God.  When we do this, when our leaders do this our country will prosper, and out earth will quit having mourning pains... our whole land, our whole country will reap the benefits of the blessings of God. 

 

 

4.5.13

Deuteronomy 28:1-2  "If you fully obey the Lord your God an d carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.  You will experience all these blessings  if you obey the Lord your God.

 

My Thoughts

The next several paragraphs set out the blessings God will send down on a nation that love and obeys him.  They are wonderful... towns and fields will be blessed, crops and herds, fruit baskets and breadboards. It says that whatever you do will be blessed.  God will conquer nations that come against a country that obeys Him.  There will be prosperity... a country that loves and obeys God will be the head and not the tail. 

 

When we listen to the news, when we get discouraged with our government, don't dare think for one moment that you can't do anything to make it better!  We can each do our part, we can each love and obey God.  The more of us that love and obey God, the better off our country will be.  God keeps his word.  We have to do our part. 

Luke 8:38-42 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught.  But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing.  She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about, Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken from her."

 

My Thoughts

This is a story that lots of us know...so much so that we don't often stop to think about it.  I remember thinking that if Jesus were in the room with me I would want to be like Mary and sit and listen to Jesus talk, too cooking just isn't my thing!!  But then I had to stop and think how is this story relevant to us today. 

 

We can get so busy with the details of life that we forget to take time with God.  We forget to read our Bibles and to pray.  We forget to stop and listen to the Holy Spirit direct our words and our actions.  No clean house, no perfect dinner, no perfect lawn or perfectly put together outfit is worth  not spending time with Jesus each day.  God is not going to ask me if my house was spotless, but He might just ask me if I spent time getting to know Him.  Do I want God to say, "I think I know her, she is that perfectly put together lady I saw in the mall." Or do I want to hear God say, "Jeannie! It's you!!  I have been waiting to have our conversations face to face!"

 

Pastor David told us a story Sunday about people's Bibles being taken away in Russia many years ago...the people were without the Bibles for something like 50 years.  When they were able to have Bibles again a team of people were going door to door handing out Bibles.  They knocked on one man's door. He said something like this, "I have been waiting on you, I have dreamed about you for years.  I had hidden away scriptures in my heart trying hard to always remember them. Now I can read them again."  Tears were streaming down this man's face.  Martha would not have had Jesus' words to remember and hold on to, Mary did.  What if we had our Bibles take from us, would you have those worlds, in your heart, to hold on to for fifty years? 

4.3.13

Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.

 

My Thoughts

Wow!!  Let me set this up for you... the high council had just ordered Peter and John to quit spreading "propagnda" any further.  They were going about telling the Good New of Jesus.  Peter and John replied to them that they had to obey God and could not stop telling all they had seen and heard.  God protected them...the council were afraid of starting a riot so they had to let Peter and John go.  But they didn't want to!!

 

What this verse said to me is that we have to stop being politically correct!!  We have to stop keeping our mouths shut about God in fear of stepping on someone's toes!!  We have to go about telling the Good New of Jesus!!  If we can't do this in peaceful, "politically correct," times... how will we have the strength and courage to do it if we are the generation that live through end times? 

 

We can't stand by when people stand against God without standing for God.  In Matthew 12:30-32  Jesus says, "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." And in Luke 11:23 Jesus says, "Anyone who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who isn't working with me is actually working against me." This is written at least twice, it is important.

 

We can not stand by and let people trash the name of God, the name of Jesus.  In Acts 4:13 the members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of ordinary men with no special training in the scripture.  We are ordinary men, we do not have to be scolars...we just have to trust that God will give us the words to speak...then we need to speak, if we don't we stand with God, we stand against God. 

4.2.13

Luke 10:5-6 "Whenever you enter someone's home, first say, 'May God's peace be on this house.' If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.

 

My Thoughts

Look here, our words have such power.  We have the power to declare peace over a peaceful house.  How many times in a day do we miss out on blessing others because we just don't open our mouth and ask for a blessing over their life.  How many blessing do we miss out on ourselves because we didn't open our mouths and ask for blessings over someone else's life.  I really must get better at this!! 

4.1.13

Proverbs 12:10 The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel.

 

My Thoughts

Since I love my animals so much I really noticed this verse. What I ended up noticing about it was how God gives us ways to access a persons character.  We need to be conscious of this as we read our Bibles, and use it as a tool.  We can use this as a way to sum people up.  But more importantly we can use it to access our own character, to see if we are being godly... to see if we are acting in a way that when people access our character will we be summed up as godly.