Compassion

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

When Jesus saw the needs of the crowds that followed Him – He felt compassion for them. They were like sheep, which would wander away left unattended. They needed someone to guide them, love them and show compassion towards them.

 

There are two components of compassion - first a compassionate person feels a deep sympathy and sorrow for someone who is afflicted and second they have a strong desire to alleviate the suffering. Jesus did both in the lives of people. Jesus felt compassion for their needs and did all He could possibly do to alleviate those needs. For the blind he gave them sight. For the lame He gave them the ability to walk. Those who were hungry, He fed them. Most of all Jesus gave them hope because He saw their sin and knew their need for redemption and offered eternal salvation in heaven.

You see we can feel sorrow for a person, but then we have a choice. We can either help the person or we can turn our backs and walk away. When we walk away we dismiss compassion and leave the person to fend for their own self. We leave them like sheep, confused and helpless with no one to guide them.

I have a friend whose brother went to a store in a small town frequented for its alcohol purchase. As the brother approached the door he had a sudden heart attack and dropped down by the door. For a long period of time people passed by thinking he was like many of the other patrons – a heavy drinker who let their alcohol get out of hand. NO ONE showed any compassion towards him to check to see what his problem might be. NO ONE called an ambulance. It was a long time before anyone did anything. By the time anyone did anything the man had passed away. Where was compassion when it was needed?

In our daily lives we need to be like Jesus showing compassion to others. When we are helpless and confused we need to accept the compassion of others and allow Jesus to work through them. I pray each of us would have a compassionate heart and reach out to those in need. Lord may we all learn to be like you showing compassion for the confused and helpless. For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. Now that is compassion.

God always loves you

Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT)
17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Here we find that David acknowledges with wonder and thankfulness the thoughts of God towards him. For God’s thoughts are of his precious children. They are countless and cannot be fathomed or comprehended. His thoughts are thoughts of love and goodness. God’s omniscience, which might justly have watched over us to do us hurt, has been employed for us, and has watched over us to do us good.

 

We all want to be loved and somewhere today there is someone wondering if they are loved by anyone. You might be that person or maybe in the past you have wondered if you were loved. Let me just say, God loves you very much and finds you to be precious in his sight. God desires and longs to fellowship with you and be close to you. God loves you so much He sacrificed His son Jesus Christ so you and everyone else could have the chance to repent of our sin and believe in Jesus so we could obtain an eternal life with God and Christ in heaven after death. That is how much God loves us!

Romans 8:38 tells us this, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” In Romans 5:8 it says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Understand this, no matter what the circumstances – God will always love you! Even in sin God loves you to send His son Jesus to pay the debt for your sin.

Our purpose - Living for Heaven

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11 (NLT)
2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!” 3 What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. 6 The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. 7 Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. 8 Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 10 Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. 11 We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.

In these verses the teacher lays down his principle, “Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless.” Then he explains in verse 3 saying “What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?” Then he follows with his proof by explaining the non-changing events of life.

 

 

There is a question I have heard many times, “What is the meaning of life?” I remember in a cartoon it was very obvious a man had struggled to reach the summit of a mountain where a wise man was sitting. As soon as the man reaches the wise man he asks, “What is the meaning of life?” to which the wise man responds, “I was sitting here wondering the same thing myself.”

In the real life movie, Pinocchio, directed by Alberto Sironi; Pinocchio happily repeats Geppetto's verdict: "I'm alive!" Then a pensive look comes over the face of the puppet-turned-boy. "What do you mean 'I'm alive'?" "What does it mean? Well, unless I'm going mad, and this isn't just a dream, it means you have a life to live," says Geppetto. "And what do you have a life for?" Pinocchio asks in return. Geppetto falls silent, unable to find an answer.

Our purpose is not always easy to understand. Jesus told us, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” So even as Solomon surmised life; is not about working endlessly just to collect possessions.

Man’s original purpose was to enjoy the world God gave him and to allow him to fellowship freely with God. But man chose sin which separated him from God and the plan God had for him. God said to man,

“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.  It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” Man created his troublesome life here on earth by disobeying God.

 So what are we to do? We should remember no matter what our circumstances God still wants to fellowship with us. To make our fellowship meaningful we are to repent of our sin, accept Christ as our lord and savior and to be born to a new life that we can find peace and contentment in God. You see contentment in life does not come from things, but from God. Our life purpose is to  fellowship with God. Life is not about our own wants. For one day those who have chosen God will be with Him in His heavenly kingdom. That is the life we are to be working towards here on earth. We should be learning to live as though we were living in heaven itself.

Be set free from shame

Genesis 3:7-10 (NLT)
7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

These verses are about the after results of man’s fall to sin. In Genesis 2:25 it says, “Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.” Prior to their sinful act there was no shame in their lives. Yet in verse 7 we find they suddenly felt the shame at their nakedness. Satan, the deceiver had previously told them “your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat”. Satan words were true, but he also suggested “they would be like God knowing good and evil”. They did know the difference between good and evil; except now the sin was on them and they saw it clearly.

 

 

Shame is an emotion closely related to guilt. Shame can be defined as "a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety." What separates guilt from shame is "We feel guilty for what we do. We feel shame for what we are." Shame is often a much stronger and more profound emotion than guilt. "Shame is when we feel disappointed about something inside of us, our basic nature." Both shame and guilt can have intensive implications for our perceptions of self and our behavior toward other people.

The problem with shame is that is emphasizes what is wrong with us. It is an intense inward feeling that will cause us to turn from others, try to hide our problems, and can make us defensive about our issues. Look at Adam and Eve. As soon as the guilt of sin came up them they felt shame. They hid themselves from God, not because they were naked, but because they felt the shame of sin. It wasn’t God who moved away from Adam and Eve; it was Adam and Eve who moved away from God.

The next thing Adam and Eve did was to take their shame and turn it towards others. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam blamed God for the woman given to him. Shame hurt them so deeply inside they could not admit to their own fault. They had to blame someone else.

This often happens in addictions. A person feels shame for issues in their life. The shame is very painful and is a constant reminder to the person about their perceived failure. Then they act out because they want to relieve the pain. Then the problem is they feel more shame. In their efforts to analyze their problems they blame others just as Adam and Eve did. Then the cycle repeats. The person tries to fix the pain, cover the shame and repeat their problems all over again.

Fortunately we have a Savior Jesus Christ who has paid the debt for all our sin. When we hold onto shame we are holding onto a debt that has already been paid. We are allowing shame to own us even though it was taken away by the blood of Jesus.

If you feel shame in your life turn it over to God and allow Christ to comfort you and show you His grace and mercy. Allow The Lord to heal your pains and let you confess your problems to others that they may help you. Stop the repetitive actions of shame and allow God to set your free.

Confidence to endure

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV)
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

These words from the apostle are intended to encourage the believers to keep their confidence in the salvation they have received from their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Their service to Christ will one day be richly rewarded. For those who follow the will of God will become heirs to all that He has promised.

 

I can relate to this story by pastor Bryan Wilkerson as I too have once ran the complete NY Marathon. “The first half of that race is a party. You’re swept along by 28,000 runners, crowds lining the streets, and people running in costumes. You’re touring the ethnic neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens. You feel like you could run forever. At mile 13, you cross over into Manhattan and start heading north, away from the finish line. Central Park is behind you, and you’re going in the wrong direction. The crowds are thinner now. The party’s over.

“At about mile 16 or 18, you hit the wall. You’re absolutely miserable. Physically and psychologically, you’re busted. All you want to do is stop running. I remember passing one of the first aid stations. There were runners lying on cots – pale and gaunt, with IVs dripping into their arms. I thought to myself, Those lucky dogs. At that point I began to despair. I imagined myself having to go home and tell everybody I didn’t finish. Why did I ever sign up for this race? What made me think I could do this?

That’s when it hit me. One way or another, I had to get to Central Park. That’s where my ride was. I had no car. I had no money. I would have to get there on my own two feet. So I might as well keep running. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don’t think about the next 6 miles; just think about the next step. And if you can keep that up, keep putting one foot in front of the other, the miles pass. And when you cross that finish line, it feels like glory – even when you’re in 10,044th place.”

Yes, I completely understand as I ran for 5hrs to complete the NYC Marathon Race. The race is difficult. There are ups and downs in the race. There were times I had to just focus on the road ahead to know I was making progress. There were times I had to watch my footing as the road got slipperly. Sometimes you want to give up, but you know you need to keep going. Then it appears, The Finish Line, and your body suddenly gets one more surge of energy as you approach with confident the last few steps to the finish. And it’s there you are rewarded the NYC Marathon Finishers Medal for enduring 26.2 miles of running.

Run the race of life with confidence in The Lord Jesus Christ. Keep enduring all that the world throws at you knowing there is a Finish Line, an eternal afterlife with the Lord Jesus. Never give up doing His will for He will be there to greet you at the finish and reward you justly. May God bless each of you and keep you close to Him.

Reborn

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The apostle concludes the epistle by acknowledging the trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The apostle asks that their grace may be upon them with the Holy Spirit acknowledging the salvation of Jesus Christ.

 

Today is my 56^th birthday. Considering the accidents, illnesses and other things that have taken place in my life I feel blessed to be alive. While a birthday marks a blessing of another year of life -- there is a greater blessing I am thankful for. In John 3:3-5, “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”

I know my mother is glad I didn’t enter the womb a second time; I weighted over 10 pounds when I was born. But I know my mother was happy when I accepted Jesus Christ at the age of 7 to be my Lord and Savior  and was reborn to an eternal life with Jesus. Today might be my earthly birth, but I have also had a spiritual rebirth allowing me to look forward to all the glory of the Kingdom of God!

If you have asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior I know one day I will be with you in heaven rejoicing. For now I am blessed to love the Lord with all my sisters and brothers in Christ here on earth!

If you don’t know Jesus Christ, know this – Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross for our sin and rose to life three days later that we too may be born again to an eternal life. It’s easy to ask Jesus to be your savior. Let Him know you have sinned in your life and you desire to repent and move away from sin. Tell Him you trust Him as your Lord and Savior and you give your life to Him. It’s that simple; that easy. God bless you and Happy Birthday to all those who have been reborn.

The Alluring Temptation of Alcohol

Isaiah 5:11-12 (NLT)
11 What sorrow for those who get up early in the morning looking for a drink of alcohol and spend long evenings drinking wine to make themselves flaming drunk. 12 They furnish wine and lovely music at their grand parties—lyre and harp, tambourine and flute—but they never think about the Lord or notice what he is doing.

There verses speak of the woe to those who dote upon the pleasures and delights of sense. Sensuality ruins men as certainly as worldliness and oppression. Here we find those who search long hours for the delight of alcohol until they find themselves flaming drunk. Yet they never think about the Lord or notice what He is attempting to do in their lives; they live without God heading toward self-destruction.

 

I once listened to the testimony of a man who was a recovering alcoholic. It was disturbing listening to him as he described the seductive appeal of alcohol. He described how alcohol seduced him like a temptress. It started with the ice as it was being put into the glass. Each clink of an ice cube hitting the glass was like pleasant music giving rise to his desire for alcohol. Then as it poured freely from the bottle the aroma filled the air with a delightful smell of alluring seduction. Then as he pressed the glass to his lips the flavor brought lustful desire for the drink he was holding and he began to drink.

The problem was that when the seduction of one glass was over the next glass began call out to him all over again. The alcohol seduced him until it took him to a point of intoxication he could not deal with. His senses and thoughts were overpowered. The alcohol caused him to fall prey and it lured him in like a spider entangling him in his sinful desire for alcohol. It was not only damaging to him, but also to the relationship with his family.

It wasn’t until this person found out about the redeeming mercy and grace of Jesus that he was able to quit his drinking problem. Realizing Christ loved him for who he was began a process of change. Christ now appealed to him instead of the alcohol. Christ beckoned him to follow Him instead of a drink. Christ transformed his life and saved him from his own self destruction.  

If you know someone with a drinking problem reach out for professional help. Your church, Al-Anon or similar organizations can help educate you on how you can help. Remember the alcoholic has to be the one who wants change, but Christ or Christ working through us can lead them to change.

Transformed by Christ

Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT)
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Christ is both the lesson and the teacher. We learn about Christ as we allow Christ to work through us. The apostle tells us that our old nature must be thrown aside. We are then to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to change and renew our thoughts and attitudes. We are to put on this new nature like a garment, which leads us to righteousness and holiness.

 

It is amazing when you witness someone transformed by Christ; when their mind is renewed and the thoughts they were thinking totally change. An experience I refer to often is when God allowed me to share the gospel with a taxi driver. Not only was the life of the taxi driver transformed, but my own life was also changed. You see this taxi driver was in a bad mood until I mentioned my morning was going well because I had gotten up and read my Bible. Those few words make the taxi driver say, “I don’t about me and God. I have played in a church band, but I never understood Jesus.” After taking a few minutes to talk with the man he stopped the taxi, looked at me and said, “Would you pray with me now that I can change to be like Jesus? I want to be saved!” Right in the middle of downtown Washington, D.C. traffic we parked and prayed. The man looked up and said, “I asked God for someone to tell me about Jesus and he sent you.” The man was Mr. Brown and suddenly he had a new outlook on life and was smiling.

The story doesn’t end there. A year later I had returned to Washington, D.C. for another class I was teaching. I hailed a taxi and gave the cabbie my destination. In the cab was a picture and ID about the driver. It was the same man I had spoken with a year earlier. Sitting in the back seat I said, “Hello Mr. Brown do you remember talking to me last year?” He replied, “Yes, you are that man that told me about Jesus.” I asked, “How is life” and he said “With Jesus it is wonderful!”

Not only did God change Mr. Brown, but he changed me by allowing me to see the fruits of what happens when you take a few moments to talk about Jesus with another person. It was a blessing to see Mr. Brown so happy and ready to tell me what Jesus had done in his life.

Value others by being humble

Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Pride and vanity is a Christian’s enemy. Christ came for the purpose to humble us and remove the arrogance preventing us from seeing our sin. We must be willing to lift others up in spirit. We should look sternly at our own infirmities and yet be willing to make favorable allowances and find charity in our judgment of others. We must interest ourselves in the concerns of others, not in a way of curiosity and censoriousness, or as busy-bodies in other men’s matters, but in Christian love and sympathy.

 

A group of four pastors was travelling into a Communist country which known to persecute Christians. Their flight had a layover and they were met by Christian friends who put them up for the night. While having dinner the friends begged the pastors to smuggle in some Bibles they had gathered for the underground church. Knowing it was illegal at first they refused, but their friends pleaded they pray about what God would have them do. During the night the pastors thought maybe a Bible or two wouldn’t hurt and so they accepted. What they weren’t prepared for was the following morning's delivery. It was a small library of Bibles, books about Christianity, study tools, and videos. The divided up the materials placing them in suit-cases, carry-on bags, and whatever they could fit the materials in. All was going without issue until they were about to land and the stewardess passed out custom declaration forms. The forms had their names, passport numbers, and wanted answers to pointed questions, such as were they bringing guns, narcotics, or literature into the country? The four sat paralyzed over what to write. Saying they were not bringing literature, was lying. Checking they had books and Bibles placed them in serious jeopardy. It was one of those moments when the Holy Spirit spoke to them and gave a simple solution they could not have thought about themselves. They didn't answer the question. They left it blank. As they passed through immigration surrounded by armed guards and immigration officers, their forms were scrutinized and all four were waved through.

It took humility to listen to God and carry the materials into a country where they knew they could become prisoners. They had to put aside self-ambition for the sake of others interest. They knew they had done the right thing as they looked into the faces of those who belonged to the underground church - for they rejoiced in the materials they had received.

It is amazing what God can do in our lives if we just trust Him. Where man saw the potential problems God saw the rewards that were waiting. God was able to protect these men and lead them through a difficult time and still maintained their integrity.

Living in peace

Proverbs 1:17 (NLT)

1 A dry piece of food with peace and quiet is better than a house full of food with fighting.

These words recommend family-love and peace, as conducing very much to the comfort of human life. Though there only be dry morsels with which to feed they find their comfort in each other and in the peace of God. Better to live this way that to have a house full of food where families live in contention, strife and embitterment.

 

Martin Luther (1483-1546) said If we are correct and right in our Christian life at every point, but refuse to stand for the truth at a particular point where the battle rages-then we are traitors to Christ.

The movie Nuremberg, based on the book Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial, by Joseph Persico, is about a series of trials held in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1945-46, in which former Nazi leaders were tried as war criminals by the International Military Tribunal. In this scene, Nazi defendant Hans Frank (played by Frank Moore) is attempting to explain his actions to Army psychologist Gustav Gilbert (played by Matt Craven). Frank explains, "I turned my diaries over to the Americans voluntarily. You see, they prove that I tried to resign as Governor General of Poland. I did not approve of the persecution of the Jews. Anyone reading my diaries, they will know what was in my heart. They will understand that such things I wrote about Jews, the orders I signed, they were not sincere." "I believe you, Frank," says Gilbert. "And yet, you did do those things. How do you explain it? I don't mean legally; I'm not a lawyer or a judge. I mean how do you explain it to yourself?" "I don't know," replies Frank. "It's as though I am two people: the Hans Frank you see here, and Hans Frank the Nazi leader. I wonder how the other Frank could do such things. This Frank looks at that Frank and says, 'You're a terrible man.'" "And what does that Frank say back?" asks Gilbert. Frank, appearing to plead for understanding, replies, "He says, 'I just wanted to keep my job.'"

We can often think our lives are correct, but we can still be living in chaos. We might think we are enjoying a wonderful meal, but the whole meal is nothing but a battle of words. Make sure we are finding the comfort in God even if it means we are doing without in order to find the peace God would bestow upon us. It is better to have a quiet moment with a dry piece of food that living a life of contention.

One mind, one purpose - to be like Jesus

Philippians 2:1-2 (NLT)
1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

The apostle continues in this chapter to continue with further exhortations to Christian duties. The apostle encourages them to be like minded, in conformity to the example of the Lord Jesus, the pattern of humility and love.

 

In his sermon titled "Think Hard, Stay Humble," Francis Chan told the following story about a man named Vaughn who radiated the love of Christ to everyone around him:

A few years ago, a missionary came to our church and told a beautiful story about sharing the gospel with a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea. At the end of the story this missionary said, "I should really give the credit to Vaughn, my former youth pastor who loved me and inspired me to live for Christ and share the gospel with others." The next week another guy came to our church and he challenged us to start sponsoring kids living in poverty. The second speaker also concluded by saying, "I'm involved in this ministry because of my youth pastor, a guy named Vaughn." I found out those guys were from the same youth group!

Then the next week another speaker named Dan told us about his ministry at a rescue mission in the inner city of L.A. After Dan's talk, I casually mentioned, "It was so weird: the last two weeks both of our speakers mentioned how much impact their youth pastor, Vaughn, had on them." Dan looked surprised and then he told me, "I know Vaughn. He's a pastor in San Diego now, and he takes people into the dumps in Tijuana where kids are picking through the garbage. I was just with Vaughn in Tijuana. We would walk in the city, and these kids would run up to him, and he would show such deep love and affection for them. He'd hug them and have gifts and food for them. He'd figure out how to get them showers. Francis, it was eerie: the whole time I was walking with Vaughn, I kept thinking, If Jesus was on earth, I think this is what it would feel like to walk with him. He just loved everyone he ran into, and he would tell them about God. People were just drawn to his love and affection." And then Dan said this, "The day I spent with Vaughn was the closest thing I've ever experienced to walking with Jesus."

Vaughn was working with one mind and one purpose and that was to be like Jesus Christ. His impact on others was so obvious those around him felt like they were in the presence of Jesus. That is how our lives should be lived. Our hearts should be tender and compassionate – ready to reach out to others in love.  We should be working together and showing Jesus to others through our good deeds.

 

 

God will make you strong

1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Here we find the apostle offering a prayer not that they might be excused from sufferings, but that their sufferings might be moderate and short, and, after they had suffered awhile, that God would restore them to a settled and peaceable condition, and perfect his work in them—that he would establish them against wavering, either in faith or duty, that he would strengthen those who were weak, and settle them upon Christ the foundation, so firmly that their union with him might be indissoluble and everlasting.

 

 

On a trip with his wife, a pastor stopped in a small Iranian village to purchase some water. Before entering the store, the minister noticed a man holding a machine gun and leaning against the wall outside by the door. The minister's wife looked at the man's face and the gun, and then put a Bible in her husband's hand and said, "Give this man this Bible." Her husband looked at the man-his menacing beard and his machine gun-and replied, "I don't think so." But she persisted: "I'm serious. Give it to him. Please, give him the Bible."

Trying to avoid the issue, the husband said, "Okay, I'll pray about it." He went into the shop, purchased the water, climbed back in his car, and started to drive away. His wife looked at him and said, "I guess you didn't give him the Bible, did you?" Looking straight ahead, he replied, "No, I prayed about it and it wasn't the right thing to do." She quietly said, "You should have given him the Bible," and then she bowed her head and she started to pray. At that point, he turned around and told his wife, "Fine! If you want me to die, I will."

When the minister returned to the store, the man with the machine gun was still standing against the wall. The minister approached him and placed a Bible in his hand. When the man opened it and saw that it was a Bible, he started to cry. "I don't live here," he said. "I've had to walk for three days in order to get to this village. But three days ago an angel appeared to me and told me to walk to this village and wait until someone had given me the Book of Life. Thank you for giving me this book."

Fear in our lives will often cause us suffering. We know what we should do, but we linger to do the right thing. Peter understood this as he denied Christ three times. Yet Peter became the pillar of the church and died defending the word of Christ.

The minister mentioned above became a courageous witness for Christ in all things. Eventually, along with many other co-workers in the Iranian church, he was later martyred for his faith, but not before sharing the Good News of eternal life.

You see, as believers in Jesus, we're not just called to make it through the day by faith. Faith calls us to trust in Jesus Christ, to face the challenges of the day in His Name -- Not only for ourselves, but for others. In fact, we are called to be agents of His confidence and trust, proclaiming His enduring love, His eternal kingdom amidst the uncertainties and the hopelessness that are so real in our world today.

 

[Portions from Michael Ramsden, "An Uncompromising Faith Lived Out with Grace," Just Thinking (1-26-09)]

Be on guard against alcohol

Romans 12:2 (NLT)
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Matthew Henry states, “Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind, a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit-new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was-old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs.”

 

Proverbs 4:23 tells us “23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” I grew up in a dysfunctional home. My mother divorced when I was 1 year old because my dad was an abusive alcoholic. My mom avoided my dad and only I saw him twice in my life. At the age of 10 he requested to give me a Christmas present. I believe he had some measure of good in him, but alcohol had taken away most of what was good. My mom agreed to meet him for my sake, which she later regretted. After about 10 minutes we were leaving because he was drunk, had started to curse and was becoming aggressive. From that point on I didn’t know where my father was until I was 47.  On that occasion it was my father’s funeral. It’s strange looking in a coffin at your father and not knowing or recognizing him.

Unfortunately my father did not guard his heart against the alcohol that had set him on a path of self-destruction. He was offered help several times, but unless a person is willing to change, to be transformed, they will go back to the old habits they are familiar with. My father remained an active alcoholic until his death.

If you find yourself on a path to self-destruction turn your life over to our Lord Jesus. Allow Him to transform you into a new person and change how you think about your destructive choices. Allow His will to work in your life, which will perfect you and make your life pleasing. But you must be willing to allow Jesus to take control of your life and make the changes needed.

A member of the Salvation Army was present at the funeral and they did offer some comfort in saying my father knew Jesus. They said he had worked in the shelter and at times did remain sober, but the alcohol had done its damage. He couldn’t resist the temptation to go back to the bottle that destroyed him.

There is someone who needs to hear this today. Alcohol can ruin your life, the life of your loved ones, and can lead you down a part of destruction. Allow Jesus to help you and allow those He brings into your life to help you. Don’t be like my father wandering the streets at times not knowing where he was because he was too drunk and delusional to know.

May God bless you, keep you safe, and transform you into new life you are meant to have.

Gossips are not safe people

Proverbs 11:13

13 A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

This proverb is about two different people, those speaking spitefully of a person behind their back versus those who can be trusted to keep something confidential.  The first are tale-bearers that carry all the stories they can pick up, true or false, from house to house, to make mischief and sow discord, reveal secrets which they have been entrusted with, and so breaks the moral laws, and forfeits all the privileges, of friendship and conversation. The second is a close, trusted and respected person with whom confidences can be placed and they are kept safe and secure. You are assured what you have said will be held in the highest confidence unless what is known needs to be revealed for a greater good.

 

 

Mildred Fister has a rule in her beauty parlor, “NO GOSSIP”. "Sometimes people don't have anybody to talk to," she said. "So they confide in me. They tell me things about themselves. They know I'll never repeat what they say." If you have to choose a friend do you want one you can trust or one that will reveal your most private details?

 

Proverbs 15:2 says: ‘The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.’ Choose friends that know how to direct knowledge. They are safe people you can trust.

 

Keep away from those who gush out every detail about everything they know. They lack safety and can compromise details of your life.

Love makes up for offenses

Proverbs 10:12 (NLT)
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.

Hatred works for the devil in that it stirs up strife and creates malice towards one another. The end results are heated sparks fanned into flames of ill will that create quarrels and ill spoken words. Love, however, is the peacemaker. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 4:8 tells us that love covers a multitude of sins therefore making up for all offences. Love, instead of proclaiming and aggravating the offence conceals and extenuates it as far as it is capable of being concealed and extenuated. Love brings healing and peace and cools the flames of hatred.

 

 

One day I was burning some leaves in my backyard. A neighbor down the street had their windows open and the smoke was drifting their way. Frustrated the neighbor walked over to my yard and started to fuss at me for smoking up their home. Here was a person I hardly knew standing in my yard yelling at me. I didn’t know I had done anything wrong, nor had I intended to. Then I thought about how they felt. I’m sure it was frustrating trying to enjoy the nice outdoor air, but instead smoke was filling their home. So I quickly apologized. I said I would immediately put out the fire and clean up another day. My gentle words changed the attitude of the neighbor. They said they had already closed their windows and not to worry. I told them I would try to look around for open windows next time. They went away peacefully and the issue was resolved.

Often quarrels can be prevented by trying to understand the point of the other person.  When we react out of love for the offended person we can calm an argument instead of stirring one up. Our worst tendency is to want to repay strife for strife, quarrels for quarrels and hatred for hatred.

God has a good purpose

Daniel 6:25-27 (NLT)
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth: “May you prosper greatly! 26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. “For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed,    his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Daniel was favored by many, including the King. King Darius sought to promote Daniel above the other administrators, but the others laid a trap for Daniel. They knew Daniel always prayed to God three times a day. So the administrators made a resolution that anyone who prayed to anyone except the king should be thrown into the lion’s den. They got the King to make the proclamation and then they told the King that Daniel had violated the proclamation. The King word was law and Daniel was punished according to law. The above verses are the result of Daniel’s obedience to God.

 

 In Dennis Rainey's book Stepping Up, he tells the story about the short life of his granddaughter Molly. Born with a brain aneurism, Molly lived only seven days. As difficult as those seven days were, Molly's parents and grandparents held firmly to their trust in God, confident that they will see Molly again in the age to come. Rainey concludes the chapter of Molly's story with this memory: A number of years ago, [my wife] Barbara and I were vacationing in southwest England and stumbled upon the little town of Saint Buryan, a crossroad in the country with a pub, a decaying church, and a graveyard. We stopped and read a few of the gravestones. One that was barely legible commemorated a family that lived in the 1600s. Buried beneath the stone were the mother, who gave birth to a son and died just ten days later at the age of twenty-four; her son, who lived thirteen months; and the father, who died a few days later at age twenty-five. The faded words on that weathered limestone grave marker moved us so deeply that today they are etched on Molly's headstone: We cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see - But all is well that's done by Thee.

I am sure Daniel didn’t fully understand why he was being thrown into the lion’s den, but Daniel did trust God and knew God had a reason. We see the end result the next morning after the lions have not touched Daniel. The King shows fear and reverence for God and proclaims God is the living God. We might not always know what God is doing in our lives. We may lose our jobs. We may lose those precious to us. We may suffer in pain. But know all is well that is done by God for He has a good purpose in mind.

Keep God in our country

Judges 2:2-3 (NLT)
2 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. 2 For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? 3 So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.”

Throughout the book of Judges you will find that when Israel turns their attention to God, God was there to protect and watch out for their country. When the Israelites turned away from the desires of God, God allowed the enemies of Israel to invade their land, which allowed them to be turned to the temptation of foreign gods.

 

We need to be praying to God for this country. As I have listened to politician’s debates on whether God should be a part of our country--it is worrisome. The United States of American once believed the creator, God, gave individuals of this country rights to form a government with leaders who represented them and their beliefs. They did not want a single church belief to control government, nor did they want government to control church beliefs. They wanted to ensure everyone had a right to believe as they desired. Yet they never intended to remove God from our country. Let’s not make the mistakes of those in the Book of Judges when they put God aside, for they suffered the consequences of their decisions. Let’s keep God in our country. Let’s ensure God is acknowledge and called upon to help us in our times of need. For when the Israelites did such as that God was faithful to be with them.

God understands our needs

Mark 2:5-12 (NLT)
5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!” 8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” 12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

This is the account of the paralyzed man brought to Jesus by friends. Desperate to see their friend healed they broke through the ceiling and lowered their friend through the hole in front of Jesus. Jesus saw the man was paralyzed, yet instead of immediately healing the man He said, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus knew the man’s number one need while others saw his physical need.

 

Richard Moore of Derry, Northern Ireland, was just ten years old when blinded by a British soldier who fired a rubber bullet at him at point-blank range. He was on his way home from his local school. For as long as he could remember, Richard wanted to meet the soldier who shot him. Thirty years after the incident, he finally did. After discovering who the soldier was and where he lived, Richard wrote to him to get permission to visit, and then he met with him face-to-face, offering his personal, heartfelt forgiveness. Here’s what Richard later said about the experience: “After that, something peculiar and wonderful happened. Something inside me changed, something paradoxical. I began to realize that the gift of forgiveness I thought I was bestowing on the soldier who shot me was actually a gift from God to me. “It didn’t even matter whether the soldier wanted or needed forgiveness; the gift freed me, leaving me with a sense of serenity and blessedness. “All through my boyhood my mother had wanted the impossible for me – that I would be given back my sight. I even woke up one night to find my dear mother on her knees, next to my bed, pleading with God. When I met the soldier and forgave him, I believe my mother’s prayers were answered. I was given a new vision, and my real wound, the one that needed healing more than my eyes, was healed.” (Richard Moore, interview by Pat Coyle)

We often think we see what is needed in our lives. We look from the exterior without understanding the interior. Yet God understands our needs completely and gives us exactly what we need.

Precious truth

2 Timothy 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.

The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to adhere to the doctrine of truth he has learned, which was shaped by his love for Jesus. He is to hold fast and guard what he has been taught allowing the Holy Spirit to work in his life to guide him. Faith and love must go together; it is not enough to believe the sound words, and to give an assent to them, but we must love them, believe their truth and love their goodness.

 

A certain preacher and an atheistic barber were walking through city slums. The barber said, "This is why I can't believe in your God of love. If he was as kind as you say, he wouldn't permit all this poverty, disease, and squalor. He wouldn't allow these poor street people to get addicted. No, I cannot believe in a God who permits these things." The minister was silent until they met a man who was especially unkempt. His hair was hanging down his neck, and he had a half-inch of stubble on his face. The preacher said to his friend: "You can't be a good barber, or you wouldn't permit a man like this to continue living here without a haircut and a shave." Indignant, the barber answered: "Why blame me for that man's condition? He has never come in my shop. If he had, I could've fixed him up and made him look like a gentleman!" The preacher said, "Then don't blame God for allowing people to continue in their evil ways. He invites them to come and be saved."

We must acknowledge that there are reasons and actions God does that are simply beyond our comprehension. When Job questioned God, God came back and answered basically by saying, “Where were you when I made the world, how is it kept together.” And Job had to sit back and awe and admit that he did not understand all that God does or why He does the things He does.

Continue in learning the truth about God from reading His word and by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life. Sometimes we have to remain silent to allow God to speak to us instead of us insisting to speak over Him. Take time and listen to what God has to say to you and guard the precious trust that is  entrusted to you.