MAKE A DIFFERENCE

1 Corinthians 1:18 (TNIV) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

It is interesting to me that so many people will shun the message of Christ, yet try just about anything else that comes along to enhance their lives. People don’t realize how futile it is to struggle for material and/or financial gain for the sole purpose of creating stability and a safety net in case things go wrong. The message of the cross is insanity to those who are living for themselves. It was back when it took place and it is today.

The devil is working very hard to keep people from the very truth that can and will set them free from the bondage they don’t even know they are bound in. Some factions in the Christian faith are not helping matters by being highly judgmental of those who do not agree with what they believe. I have encountered believers in my life that would cause me to run far away from God rather than towards Him.

We need to pray for those around us. We need to ask God to reveal Himself to those who come into our lives and we need to ask God to show us how to be more effective for His kingdom. How can we present the message of Christ in a compassionate and loving way, rather than harsh and restrictive way? Lead by your actions. Talk is cheap, lead the way with what you do. How do you act and react to various situations? Ask God to become more real to you. The message of the cross may be nonsense to many, but it is the power of God to those who believe. Surrender to God and make a difference in this world.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

SEEING DESIRES CHANGE

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (TNIV) “… we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”

What a wonderful thing to pray for another person. What a great thing to desire to do good and have those good deeds be prompted by your faith in God. Too many people in this world, I fear, are unfamiliar with who God truly is and what He desires for them. Our Heavenly Father isn’t about rules and regulations. He is not a fun spoiler. Some folks think being a Christian involves a bunch of DON’Ts. Don’t lie, don’t curse, don’t cheat, don’t steal; don’t … don’t … don’t. They never take the time to get to know Him for if they did they would realize that it isn’t about things you can’t do, but rather things that you will want to do that will benefit you and bless you.

It’s as if the word “blessing” is a bad word to some people. They view the “religious” of the world as creepy or restrictive people, bound up in their rules. True believers are some of the most free people you will ever meet. The things they don’t do they don’t do because they no longer have a desire to do them, not because they are not allowed. It is NOT all about religion … it is about relationship. When you become a Christian you are entering into a relationship with the Creator of the Universe. You live in accordance to the Ten Commandments because your life has been changed and you feel compelled to be a better person and make different choices than before, thus obeying the Laws of Moses as a result of your relationship and not because you have to. You are no longer held to that standard, yet live by them anyway without even realizing it.

When you become a true believer with your sins eradicated, God begins to work IN you. The external is irrelevant. God judges the heart of a man, not how he looks on the outside. If only we could do the same. God begins to change you on the inside. Your desires change. The better to come to know Him in the intimate sense of knowing everything about Him, the more you will understand what He asks of you. Once you know that you will begin to comprehend that those things you are now doing are good for you. You will benefit in this life far more by serving God than by serving yourself. I know that from walking with Him for over 30 years. When I went my own way I struggled and suffered by my own hand. I made wrong decisions and paid the price for my ignorance. It wasn’t God’s fault, but my own. When I sought His will in my life, things always worked out within the parameters of His perfect timing.

Knowing that someone is constantly praying for you should cause you to WANT to live right. There is nothing boring about God. Seek God’s face daily and see what He has in store for you this day. Betcha it’s something exciting.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

LIVE IN PEACE

Matthew 5:38-39a (CEV) “You know that you have been taught, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you.”

Throughout our lives we are taught by our parents to stick up for ourselves; to defend ourselves. The example Christ gives us when he was brought before Pilate may make you shudder in disbelief. With all the powers of heaven at His disposal, Christ neither said nor did anything to defend himself, let alone take His revenge on them. He remained silent when He could have explained the entire situation, more than likely to Pilate’s satisfaction, but this was not part of His Father’s plan. It was preordained that Christ would die a horrific death on a criminal’s cross to complete what His Father had put in place. When He uttered the words “It is finished”, He was referring to the salvation plan for all man. He bore our sins for us, all the while never thinking of striking out in retaliation towards those who doled out His undeserved punishment.

Would we be able to do the same? I would like to think I would, but when push comes to shove, I would probably wilt under the weight of it. We are representatives of Christ; ambassadors for Him. When people know we are Christians they scrutinize us to find fault with us. Some may even attempt to goad us into a fight or disagreement.

Romans 12:18 (CEB) “If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people.”

Romans 14:19 (CEB) “So let’s strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up.”

Notice that Paul says in Romans 12:18 “if possible, to the best of your ability … “ … at times people leave you no alternative. We are, however, to strive to live at peace. We must also understand this: God will exact retribution when He knows the time is right. Your enemies will bring it on themselves and God will then allow the consequences of their actions to declare their guilt. There is no escaping the judgment of God. That is why Proverbs states that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”. It is not fear as in terror, but rather fear as in awe, reverence and respect. Those that “fear” the Lord shall seek to live by His precepts. Those who scoff at the Lord live for themselves. They know nothing of the power and majesty of our Creator God. They don’t know what they are doing when they move against a child of God. Our Heavenly Father knows exactly how to get their attention and deal with them. He knows all about them and will take care of them when the time is right. He will also offer them mercy, something we may find difficult to do.

Not lashing out at those who harm us whether verbally or physically, is extremely hard. We must be strong in the grace and knowledge of the Lord to achieve such a reaction to wrong doing. Remember, consequences apply to your reaction to any given situation as well, so think before you speak and before you act. It is very appropriate to act in a way that Jesus would act or react in any given situation. Condition yourself to do just that and you may find it easier to live at peace with those around you. It comes from spending time with your Heavenly Father. Get to know His ways and you will begin to emulate them. That is what He wants for you.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RIGHTEOUS THRU FAITH

Psalm 97:12 (GNT) “All you that are righteous be glad because of what the Lord has done! Remember what the holy God has done, and give thanks to him.”

Philippians 3:9 (GNT) “I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.”

Did you realize that once you give your life over to Christ, in addition to having all your past sins removed as if they were never committed, you were looked upon by God as being RIGHTEOUS?

RIGHTEOUS (def): Morally upright; without guilt or sin.

To put it in simple terms, God now sees us through Jesus glasses. We are clean and stand righteous before Him by virtue of what Christ did for us on Calgary’s cross. We are to be glad because of what the Lord has done. We are to always remember not only what God through Christ has done for us, but remember to thank you on a constant basis.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful day where we feast on fowl and all the trimmings. There is football and family and it is a great time. Somewhere in the middle of all of that our thanks to God is squeezed. Perhaps a prayer prior to eating … nothing more. I submit to you that we should be in an attitude of thanks and gratefulness daily towards our God, for without Him and what He graciously did for us where would we all be? I shudder to think of where I would be without Christ in my life. My life would be a mere shadow of what it is now. And it is all because of God. His mercy and grace saved my life from a certain death at the hands of my own selfish desires. There is no doubt that we as a group are our own worst enemies. We make wrong decisions based on wants rather than needs and get ourselves into all sorts of trouble all by ourselves. The curious thing about it is that even the unbeliever cries out to God for help when they have come to the end of their rope, but to receive Him into their lives and make positive changes, well, it simply never occurred to them.

We, the righteous ones of God, are to give thanks for what He has done for us. To list these things would take forever. Our faith is based on belief in an unseen deity who has never been seen. The very nature of faith is intertwined in trust. One cannot exist without the other.

Do you trust God today? You can. You cry out to Him only when you feel you need Him most, but I tell you, you need Him always. If you embrace God you receive the greatest love you have ever experienced. Think of it. The One who created you in your mother’s womb loves you and that love will never change. Ever. He loved you before you ever knew Him. He will love you even if you curse Him. He desires to usher you into His family where there is peace, joy, comfort and love. The Christian life is not a perfect life free from problems or pain, but you have the Spirit of God to guide you through each set of circumstances you will ever encounter. People consider drugs, alcohol, adultery, gambling … anything to sooth their pain, but the pain doesn’t go away. It is still there when the dust settles and the sun rises on a new day. You cannot escape life’s hardships no matter what you do. However, you can go through them with a smile on your face, knowing in your heart that God is in complete control of all things. You don’t have to simply endure, you can enjoy life to the fullest in the face of calamity. God doesn’t remove obstacles, but rather teaches you, if you will listen, to deal effectively with all life’s many issues. Surrender to God.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

Proverbs 21:23 (GNT) “If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say.”

Proverbs 21:23 (NLT) “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.”

It is well documented with people who know me that I am loud. I don’t mean to be loud, but when I am excited about something I let fly with shouts of excitement that would put a fog horn to shame. I don’t seem to have an “inside” voice; my voice, booming and resonating as it is, was designed for open air stadiums only without question. I also tend to think that in certain circumstances every word out of my voice is hysterically funny. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it’s not.  The phrase “you can’t get too much of a good thing” does not apply to me. Finally, after 56 years of living, I am beginning to learn an important lesson: there are times when saying nothing is far better than saying anything at all.

I believe God has given me the gift of encouragement and edification. A sincere word of encouragement can act as a balm to heal the most broken of hearts. Building another up in their spirit with words of compassion and mercy is a noble cause that God honors and can be used to bring healing to the broken hearted.  When I feel I am “in the zone” spiritually speaking, I am safe and speak that which God lays upon my heart. When I am not, there have been times that anything is liable to come out of my mouth.

The Good News Translation version of Proverbs 21:23 is very fitting for me: “if you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say.” I can remember a few times when I wish THAT verse was blazing in neon in front of me before I opened my mouth. Proverbs 17:28 goes something like this: “Even a fool seems wise when he holds his tongue”.

So many people seem to wear as a badge of honor the fact that they “just tell it like it is”. All well and good, however, the feelings and emotions of others MUST be calculated into the equation so as to avoid hurt. Many a good intentioned person has wounded another person’s heart by simply “tellin’ it like it is”. We all need to be willing to be taught by God to use wisdom. The phrase “discretion is the better part of valor” would be appropriate here.

DISCRETION (def): the ability or power to act responsibly.

Instead of opening your mouth and letting it fly, think responsibly. Will what you are about to say build up or tear down. If you are not sure, then hold your tongue or as the New Living Translation puts it “keep your mouth shut and you will stay out of trouble.” Some of us never learned how to keep our mouths shut. God can teach you. He wants to use you to bring healing and not additional hurt to others. Are you willing to be taught? Are you willing to be used? THAT is what’s required of you if you want to be a better person for Christ; a teachable spirit. Learn from God. Let His Holy Spirit permeate your mind and flow through you, making you all you can be for God. Don’t let your body simply BE the temple of the Holy Spirit. Let Him lead and guide you into all good things so that you may be the most effective for  the Kingdom of God.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

GOD IS OUR FORTRESS

Psalm 59:16-17 (TNIV) “But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.”

REFUGE (def): Protection or shelter, as from danger or hardship; any place, person, action, or thing that offers or appears to offer protection or help; a source of relief or comfort in times of trouble.

FORTRESS (def): A fortified place; a place or source of refuge or support; a structure used to defend against attack.

RELY (def): To be dependent for support, help, or supply; to place or have faith or confidence.

David was buffeted on all sides by his enemies. Enemies of David were enemies of God as well. David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22) . David, in spite of his errors in judgment and sins against his God, was considered a man whom God loved. When David was pressed on every side by his enemies he didn’t fret or lament at his plight, but rather praised his God and told Him what he knew in his heart God was to him; a refuge and fortress, someone who could be relied upon at all times.

What do we do when we are surrounded with evil or temptation or troubles of some sort? We have the tendency to whine and moan. Some of us get it right. Unfortunately, to this day, I still wonder why I find myself in such a dilemma before I call out to God. I have my mini-pity party and then in short time shake it off. I always come back to the basic fact that God is there for me … always. I understand that the situations I find myself in are by my own hand and allowed by God to strengthen me and teach me lessons so I grow spiritually and as a result become more useful for His purposes going forward.

What are we to do as believers when times are difficult? We are to go into the refuge that IS God and learn how to combat our foe. We learn from Ephesians about the weapons that are at our disposal. We grow to understand how truly awesome our God is. We learn to trust and rely on Him for all things in our life. There is nothing that He is unaware of and nothing He has not either caused or allowed for His own purposes. We are not to question, though questioning is normal and certainly not a sin. Eventually, through our lives, if we have a teachable spirit and learn our lessons well, we will be molded into the child of God He knows we CAN be. Then and only then will we be the most use to Him for the Kingdom.

I believe I will conclude with a chorus that you may know: “Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love; our God is an awesome God.” *

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* Chorus comes from the song “Awesome God” by Rich Mullin’s album Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth; Reunion Records; 1988.

THE POTTER

Isaiah 64:8 (NASB) “But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.”

When a potter decides to make a clay piece, he takes a lump of clay, places it on his pottery wheel, adds water and lovingly forms whatever he is inclined to make from the clay. Here in Isaiah, the prophet is comparing God to “our” potter, for He made us lovingly by His own hand. He knew us before we were even a twinkle in our parents eye and formed us in our mother’s womb. He knows the beginning from the end and knows us intimately.

This verse of scripture reminds us that we are not our own. We were created by a higher power. We were given life … what are we doing with it? What about lives that were born into horrible conditions? Does God not see where children are being born? Does He not care about the abusive homes children grow are forced to grow up in?

I believe He sees and He weeps for them. However, we were all created with a free will. If we were not, then we would serve God out of duty or obligation. Free will causes us to worship and serve God out of a desire that wells up within us. When we begin to understand all that He has done for us, we are compelled to love and worship Him. This leads us to trust Him by faith.  Children brought up in horrifying situations is tragic and require prayer to eliminate the problems involved there. God does not step into a situation unless invited. He does not administer Marshall Law, where what He says goes and we have no choice in the matter. We should all prayer for God to intervene in such situations for the sake of all involved. Absolutely NOTHING is impossible for God.

Scripture tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).  Deep inside us we know there is something or someone much greater than we are. Man is more inclined to believe anything but that for then they would have to DO something with that knowledge and they would rather live as they choose. If they could only see things as God sees them and know what God knows, but alas, that would negate the need for faith and faith is required to know God.

If you were to watch a potter mold a piece of clay into something beautiful, and perhaps you have, you will notice the painstaking care with which the potter molds and shapes the piece. He is proud of his work as he fires it in the kiln (oven). He displays it for all to see when it is completed. So does God. We are His prized creations. Let’s not disappoint Him with our lives.

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!