Is it time for us to forgive?

Yesterday Rev. Tim Callow (Newberry United Methodist Church) talked about forgiveness as just one means of “clothing ourselves with Christ’s qualities.”

In fact, the Epistle lesson for the day came from Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV), in which the Apostle Paul wrote in verse 13, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

As I think about forgiving those who have wronged or slighted or otherwise defamed me, I think about a recent marketing sensation that focused on the question, “What Would Jesus Do?” Paul’s last sentence in the verse references exactly what Jesus would do, he would forgive the offending party.

After all, Jesus came to this earth to bear the sins of all who believe in Him as explained by the unknown writer of Hebrews, chapter nine, verses 27 and 28 (NIV) [emphasis mine] “27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

So, if God can forgive all our sins, and believe me, we have tons of them whether we want to admit it or not, the least we can do is try to forgive our fellow human beings, right?

I hope you’re asking now, just what does true forgiveness entail?

According to Nelson’s Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, forgiveness is ‘the act of excusing or pardoning another in spite of his slights, shortcomings, and errors. As a theological term forgiveness refers to God’s pardon of the sins of human beings.’

The dictionary text on forgiveness concludes by explaining that because God forgives us, he demands that we forgive others. Drawing on references from the Gospel of Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) and Mark 11:25 (NIV), the writer surmises, “A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ.”

Basically, if we truly want to forgive, we must abandon any thought of getting even. We must put our ire in God’s hands through prayer, and let Him take care of the situation for us.

Even though it’s next to impossible to forget, forgiveness is required. We all know that trying to forget is a waste of time. Besides, when you continue to try to forget, it seems to me that the forgiving gets abandoned in the less-than-comfortable memories of the problem.

According to one commentary I read, forgiving takes time. The article suggests that we forgive over and over and over again, until we get it down pat. Makes sense to me, especially since there are a few folks that I need to forgive, and, after quite some time, years in some cases, I still find it hard to make the leap to full, unrestricted forgiveness.

Bottom line, if Jesus can die on the cross to save you and me from our sin, to essentially forgive us, we can certainly put on His mantle, making sure we forgive one another no matter how grievous the slight.

I forgive, or at least I actively try to forgive. Do you? Think about it.

Today my prayer for all of us is -
May God give you and I the strength to forgive and get on with our lives minus the negativity that holding grudges brings. Let us put aside the pettiness and indulge in the satisfaction of being a true follower of Jesus.
In His holy name we ask these things.
Amen.

Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Make it your life mission to 'do all the good you can'

JOHN WESLEY

Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.
John Wesley

A pastor acquaintance of mine posted this online and I thought, why not share it? How could anyone argue with John Wesley’s message?

Many pages of the New Testament share episodes in Jesus’s life that deal with doing good by people. Seems to me that Christ’s focus was doing good for and to the people his Father created.

Probably the most recognizable is the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37. You probably recall that a man who was injured was ignored by several “godly” men, but the despised Samaritan opened his heart and his purse to care for the stranger. I would recommend that you pay particular attention to the last couple verses of this Gospel entry, and notice how Jesus describes the Samaritan’s actions – “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Certainly the example of the Good Samaritan is the ultimate act of doing good for another human being.

Jesus also did good by a group of lepers, cleansing them of that terrible disease, another incident that Luke recorded for posterity in his Gospel, Chapter 17:11-19.

Again, notice that only one of the 10 who was healed came back to thank Jesus, and he was a Samaritan – verses 15-19 read, One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then [Jesus] said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Notice, if you will, that neither account condemns. Both, however, praise the actions of the Samaritan men – one by telling a man of God to “go and do likewise,” and the other by explaining that “your faith has made you well.”

It's all about doing good, right?

And Jesus did good for all. He did not discriminate. He did not admonish. He did good because that was His Father’s will.

Shouldn’t we adopt this attitude of good-doing and loving and sharing with one another? Shouldn’t we, as followers of Christ, do good for all people at all times?

As one who daily tries to take up my cross and follow Him, Luke 9:23, I sincerely believe Wesley’s message of love and caring and doing good is exactly what Christ had in mind as he traversed the land of the Bible spreading the message of grace through His life’s mission and, ultimately, His resurrection.

Interestingly enough, one dictionary definition of grace reads: mercy; clemency; pardon.

God granted all of us His grace, His clemency, His pardon, if only we would believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.

What better way to be a follower of Jesus than by doing His bidding, by loving one another, by forgiving one another, by helping one another, by doing good by, and to one another?

Food for thought, don’t you agree?

Today’s Prayer:
May God bless each and every one of you every single day in every possible way. And may we always find an avenue to do good for and to one another. Amen

Editor's note: Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references on this blog are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible.

Whether you agree with them or not, pray for our leaders

The Apostle Paul pens a letter.

Yesterday our pastor’s message stemmed from Romans 13:1-7 (NIV) where the apostle Paul admonishes the faithful to accept the governmental rulers as those established by God. I have to say I take issue with this passage and the minister’s interpretation of it, which is, basically, why I am blogging about it today.

Although I am by no means a biblical scholar, I do know in my follower’s heart that a morally bankrupt government should not be honored and should never stand in victory over the children of God.

We also need to better digest this message by putting it into context, understanding that Paul’s letter to the Roman believers was penned during the era of the Caesars. An era where one of those hung on a cross and killed beside Jesus because he was a thief, yes, a thief – not a murderer or a rapist or a terrorist – a thief. Christians were likewise murdered for their beliefs. Have you ever read the story of Stephen, the first martyr for Christ? You can find his biography in the book of Acts, Chapters 6 and 7, and, specifically, his stoning in Chapter 7, Verses 54-60.

I believe that when Paul wrote about submitting to authorities he was not just writing about following the law of the land; he was writing about doing what is right in the eyes of God, not just in the eyes of man.

I, in no way, shape, form or fashion believe that Paul was saying we should condone killing an unborn child (the law of the land – Roe v. Wade) or accepting one of the most recent Supreme Court decisions – that anyone can marry anyone with no legal, or moral, recriminations.

Consider verse five, which reads – “[Therefore], it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” My conscience has a real problem with both these law-of-the-land decisions. Does yours?

Now I ask you, how can any Christian, with a clear conscience, excuse such behavior as abortion or homosexual “marriage”? How can any Christian submit to any authority that not only allows these distasteful acts to happen, but actively supports them through healthcare laws and “spousal” privileges?

Peter, one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus, justifies the civil disobedience of Jesus’s chosen by telling the Sanhedrin, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29 NIV)

Of course it is not up to us to judge those who would actively defy God’s law. We are to pray for them and reserve condemnation and judgment for God. As Jesus said, and was recorded in Luke 6:37 (NIV) “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned…”

Even so, Paul did share Scripture’s purpose for correction of evil in 2 Timothy 3:16-17(NIV) where he wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Mentally, I know God requires rulers to fairly govern the people he created and to support an avenue for proper justice for wrongdoers.

After all Paul did pen in verse three, “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.”

But I also know that God uses unfathomable circumstances to draw us closer to Him. Remember how the churches were filled after 9-11?

Many times in the Old Testament God allowed the forces of evil, the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians – to name a few, to punish his chosen people. He did so for the sole purpose of forcing the Israelites to return to the God of Abraham, the God of their fathers, the One, the True, the only God of the universe.

Perhaps today’s ruling class is just like those idol worshipers of old; a class of evil so vile our only hope is in the God of the Bible?

As we sat in the sanctuary, my husband (co-author of this blog) and I were collectively shaking our heads at the inference that this government of ours was God-appointed.

In fact, Charlie expressed his doubts to the pastor after the service. Pastor told him that even if we disagree with the current leaders of our great nation, we still have to pray for them.

I’ll end today by agreeing with the direction pastor shared with my husband. And maybe even accepting the fact that this administration is God’s tool to bring us closer to Him.

Seems I have come full circle as I wrote this blog post this morning. Amazing! The Lord does work in mysterious ways, and by forcing me to dig further into the Scriptures, I now understand more clearly Rev. Andrew Manwarren’s Sunday morning message.

I know that we must pray for our leaders today and every single day. Paul directed this as well in his first letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV) “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

And now I am sharing this prayer (edited) from the A Spiritual Journey for Healing website…

A Prayer for Leaders in Your Life

Dear Heavenly Father,

I stop and think of those who are leaders in my life...
in my church…
in my home...
in my work...
in my country...
in the world...

Perhaps there is someone I find it hard to think of with love. 

I hand over to you any anger or fear I feel. In this moment, I send them love.

However I feel about them, in this moment, I see your love flowing through me to them. 

Dear God, I ask you to feed these people on your wisdom and your understanding,
for their good and for the good of all they serve.

Let them recognize and take the authority that is theirs to take, remembering that the authority bestowed on them is not of man but of God.

Thank you God for guiding them in your way every step of the way.

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen

And, may God bless each and every one of you every day in every way.

Ask God for your new heart

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

A few months ago I came across a phrase that has stuck with me –

     “For a new start, ask God for a new heart.”

I asked myself if I had asked God for a new heart when he saved me from my sins. After all, I confessed a relationship with Jesus when I was saved, but did I actually ask the great God above for a new heart – a heart devoid of malice and hate and envy and so many other afflictions common to a sinner’s heart?

Perhaps today is the day to take an inventory.

Really cannot say that I hate anyone, although I have come close to feelings of hate many times in the past, especially in dealing with local government “officials.”

Malice? According to the dictionary, malice is the desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness. Cannot say my heart is guilty of that either, although, I, again, have to admit to coming close to feeling this way, but never close enough to act on these malicious impulses. Case(s) in point – Sept. 11, 2001, the Benghazi raid, the Paris bombings…

Then I thought about the envy part. I am not in the habit of coveting others possessions, so that probably does not apply to me either.

Then I thought, maybe asking for a new heart is something else entirely.

Unfortunately, when I look back, I have to admit asking for a new heart was probably the last thing on my mind as a 13-year-old girl making her way to the altar to ultimately ask Jesus to come into my heart.

So why did I make that, supposedly, life-altering journey?

In the 50 years since that encounter at the altar at Patterson Park Brethren Church, I have come to the realization that I did not ask nor did I receive the heart Jesus prepared for me by His sacrifice on the cross so many eons ago.

Why then did I travel to the altar?

I thought I was going to the altar to be liberated from my sin and my sinful ways, but perhaps I was not doing either.

Maybe I made that trip down the aisle to look saved. Maybe I made that trip down the aisle to be a part of something bigger than myself. Maybe I made that trip to make my parents proud of me.

Whatever the reason at the time, I now believe that it definitely was not to take Jesus into my heart. That trip was a self-serving commentary on what I believe is a sinner’s ultimate sin – accepting Jesus, but denying His influence in my life.

Many times since that fateful day, I have professed Jesus as my Lord and Savior, but, again, have I asked Him for a new heart?

Today, I am asking; today, I truly want Jesus to come into my heart; today, I want that new start; today, I want what Christ's death on the cross signified; today, I truly want to be saved; today I want to recommit my life to Jesus; today I pray this Prayer of Salvation and today, I mean it with all my sinner’s heart –

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

Yes, a new heart and a fresh start is a whole lot more than I originally thought. It is, in the words of Rev. Kyle Idleman, 'becoming a follower of Jesus, not [just] a fan.'

Is today the day you ask for your new heart? I sincerely pray that is the case, and invite you to take this journey with me. Ask the good Lord above to put Jesus in your life and the Holy Spirit in your heart.

But, I would caution (borrowing from our church bulletin):

1. The decision to follow Jesus is costly, so it must be carefully considered. Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:62 (NIV)
2. The decision to follow Jesus is urgent, so make it soon. Jesus said, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" Luke 12:20 (NIV)
3. The decision to follow Jesus is worth it, so you want to make it. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)

 

As my prayer today, I offer the Priestly Blessing God used to bless the Israelites. This blessing was given to Moses to share with Aaron and his sons, who were the Jewish priests during the time of Moses and beyond. You can find this blessing in the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24-26 (NKJV):

“[May] The LORD bless you and keep you;
[May] The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
[May] The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’

AMEN

Leaping from the enclosure

READ: Genesis 12:1-8
The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

The African impala is a deer-like creature that can jump to a height of 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) and cover a distance greater than 11 meters (36 feet) in one bound. Yet the impala can be kept in a zoo enclosure with just a 1-meter-high wall. Why? Because it isn’t tall enough to peer over the barrier, and it won’t jump if it can’t see where its feet will land.

That’s like a lot of us—we often won’t take a leap of faith unless we can see where we’ll land. Abraham can show us another way.

Abraham was 75 when God’s call to leap came. He was old and childless, but he was called to found a new land and start a nation (Genesis 11:30, 12:1-8). God gave no details where Abraham was to walk or how he would have a child, saying only, “Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation” (Genesis 12:1-2, Genesis 17:5).

Leap from the enclosure, Abraham—leap!

Abraham leaped. He set out in faith (Genesis 12:4-6), soon found his land (Genesis 12:7), later had his son (Genesis 21:1-5), and became the father of a great nation (Hebrews 11:12). God guided Abraham’s feet, but only after he took the leap of faith.

On three occasions I believe God has led me to leap from my comfortable enclosure. In each case I’ve left a secure job without knowing what lay ahead.

Leap from the enclosure, Sheridan—leap!

I will guide your feet, but first you must leap.

And in each case God has led me to a place of greater service and impact. I’m not a perfect role model, though. I’ve fretted about money and the future. But I’ve learned this about walking by faith: We’ll rarely know the outcome before we make the leap, and we’ll rarely know the destination before we begin to walk.

Is God calling you to leap? Then leap!  —Sheridan Voysey

Note - Sharing today's email from Our Daily Bread's "Our Daily Journey" ministry. I especially like the author's quote about walking in faith found in the next-to-last paragraph.

Working my faith...how about you?

Good evening, one and all.

Taking an introductory course in Christian counseling tomorrow. Topics include, Caring like Christ, Helping Others Change, Handling Emotions Biblically, Guiding Struggling Parents, Helping Hurting Marriages and Why Biblical Counseling Works.

Looking forward to this conference and praying it will make a difference in my life and yours as I report on what I learn and how I can put His grace into practice in Newberry and beyond.

Enjoy your evening and may God bless all of you today and every day. Amen!

Luke 9:23 (NIV)
Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Do you follow Him?

Blogger's note -
Came across this poignant tale on Facebook; just had to share with you today - the Lord's Day. Perhaps you have read it before; if so, it deserves another look to refresh your faith and refocus your commitment to Him; if not, this could be the beginning of something wonderful in your life of faith.

WELCOME HOME

A pastor transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon-to-be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service. Only three people said hello to him; most looked the other way. He asked people for change to buy food because he was hungry. Not one gave him anything.

He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was told by the ushers that he would need to get up and go sit in the back of the church. He said hello to people as they walked in but was greeted with cold stares and dirty looks from people looking down on him and judging him.
He sat in the back of the church and listened to the church announcements for the week. He listened as new visitors were welcomed into the church that morning but no one acknowledged that he was new. He watched people around him continue to look his way with stares that said you are not welcome here.

Then the elders of the church went to the podium to make the announcement. They said they were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation.

"We would like to introduce you to our new pastor." The congregation stood up and looked around clapping with joy and anticipation.

The homeless man sitting in the back stood up and started walking down the aisle.

That's when all the clapping stopped and the church was silent.

With all eyes on him, he walked up the altar and reached for the microphone. He stood there for a moment and then recited so elegantly, a parable of Jesus from the Bible...

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of my brothers and sisters, you did for me.’" [Matthew 25:34-45]

After he recited this, he introduced himself as their new pastor and told the congregation what he had experienced that morning.

Many began to cry and bow their heads in shame. "Today I see a gathering of people here but I do not see a church of Jesus. The world has enough people that look the other way. What the world needs is disciples of Jesus that can follow this teachings and live as he did. When will YOU decide to become disciples?

He then dismissed service until the following Sunday as his sermon had been given.

Blogger's closing note:
My prayer for you today - May God bless you today and every day, and may he encourage you to be a follower, not a fan - Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

Let's all 'do good works'

Today’s verse of the day from Bible Gateway is  
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

As I read this verse, penned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to believers in Ephesus, a city in modern-day Turkey, the folks of God’s Country Cooperative Parish (GCCP) came to mind.

Locally, GCCP volunteers work hard every summer to fulfill Paul’s directive.

GCCP, which brings together United Methodist churches in Newberry, Paradise, Hulbert, Engadine, McMillan, Grand Marais and Germfask, coordinates with Volunteers in Mission (VIM) teams from throughout Michigan and the rest of the country to assist local folks in need.

This group of Christian volunteers takes time from their summer vacations to make minor repairs to homes located in the GCCP area. VIM groups of United Methodists, coordinated by GCCP church and community worker Randy Hildebrandt, share their expertise throughout the 2,500 square mile area that encompasses these churches that operate under the GCCP umbrella.

According to the GCCP administrator’s Facebook page, “We are happy to host mission teams from all over Michigan and beyond to assist in sharing God's love with our hands and feet in minor home repairs - all summer long. We share God's love with a variety of outreach ministries in our seven communities.”

Basically, GCCP’s Mission Statement says it all, “God’s Country Cooperative Parish is to bring together people of the seven churches to provide mutual love and support for a greater impact serving Christ, community, and mission to all.”

Want to know more about this Christian team of workers, find them on Facebook by clicking here.  Be sure to take time to peruse the photographs from this summer’s projects. I promise, you will be impressed.

Perhaps each and every one of us can find a way, however small, to fulfill Paul’s directive as the folks of the United Methodist Church have done this summer.

May God bless each and every one of you every day in every way.

It's been a while...

...Over two months to be exact, but I am now back at my computer with yet another attempt to share the goodness that is faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Today I came across a verse I had not thought of in quite a while. Psalm 46:1 (NIV) reads, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

So very true, agreed?

God is there when everyone else fails you. God is there through the good times. God is there through the bad times.

Bottom line, God is always with those who profess Him. God is always there for those who accept His one and only Son as their savior.

There have been times when I have doubted his presence, which is the reason I stopped blogging for a while. When a seven-year-old is taken from this earth as the result of a senseless accident, it gave me a jolt that I am still feeling.

In fact, as a result of Taylor’s death and my father’s untimely passing, I stopped attending church.

Even though I read my devotional and the associated scriptures every single night without fail, I did not feel like I absorbed anything from this ritual. It was more a habit than anything. It really was not the spiritual experience I had found in the past through Our Daily Bread.

I also continued to play with the Joy Bells at Newberry United Methodist Church, but the “joy” was missing from my participation. I was having a hard time feeling any joy at all, much less any spiritual uplift from my faith in Jesus and my commitment to sharing his message in song or through this blog or through the associated faith-based Facebook pages - Retreat to Belief and Good News Beacon.

I goes without saying, I was in a rut - a big, deep, muddy rut.

Then one day it hit me – by excluding my faith in God from my life I was inviting a joyless life. I was disengaging myself from the one thing that mattered most to me – Jesus and his message of salvation.

I have since returned to church and today, started blogging again about what really matters – love of Jesus and faith in Him and the Father.

I will admit that I am not at the level of faith I enjoyed when I began the Retreat to Belief blog and its associated website, www.retreattobelief.com, but I am on the road to restoring my faith to heretofore unheard of levels.

Good Lord willing, I’ll be there soon.

In the meantime, I offer this Psalm of praise for your consideration and absorption.

Psalm 46 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

WHY GOD? WHY?

Invest in goodness

Goodness is the only investment that never fails. 

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Peter, one of the original disciples of Jesus spoke about goodness, and how Jesus called us through His goodness.

1 Peter 1:3-8

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Peter said, we should “make every effort” to add goodness to our faith.

Are you adding goodness to your faith? Do you practice self-control, perseverance and godliness?

I know I fail miserably at these tasks on more days than I care to confess, but, I do try every day to be the person He requires me to be – the person who picks up my cross daily and follows His instructions to live life as a 24-7 committed follower of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I challenge you today to make the commitment to life as He intended. I challenge you to pray the Prayer of Salvation, which you can find at www.RetreatToBelief.com, and then do what you have committed – Follow Him.

My prayer for you today is that you will accept Jesus and that you will follow Him. Why? Because tomorrow may be too late. None of us are guaranteed the next minute, least of all the next hour or day on this earth. Amen

Today's quote

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.  
Mother Teresa (1910-1997)

Trust Him because God is always on time

Thessalonica today.

When we pray,

God hears more than we say,

Answers more than we ask,

Gives more than

We can imagine,

In His own time,

And in his own way.

So true. 

As most of you know, the apostle Paul shared the reason for prayer with the believers in Thessalonica. Find the text of his instruction in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

History: According to Nelson’s Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible, Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia situated on the Thermaic Gulf and was a chief seaport of Macedonia. The city was founded at approximately 315 B.C. by Cassander, who populated the new city with people from 26 villages he destroyed. Cassander named the city after his wife who was the sister of Alexander the Great. The Egnatian Way, the main overland trade route of the day, ran from Rome through Thessalonica. 

Paul visited the city around 49 A.D. during his second missionary journey (find the account in Acts 17:1-9 NKJV). Paul’s visit created an enthusiastic group of Jesus followers. Members of the Jewish synagogue, gentiles and many former pagans joined in worship of Jesus Christ, embracing the Good News brought to the city by Paul, Silas and Timothy as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 NIV.

My prayer for you today – May the Lord bless you and keep you in His loving arms now and forever more. Amen.

Editor's note: Special thanks to the God Vine Facebook page for the poem that begins today's blog post. 

Will you be ready?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Stephen is stoned to death.

Acts 20:24 (NIV)
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Acts 20:24 is the verse-of-the-day from Bible Gateway, reminding me of the ultimate purpose of this blog and the responsibility of every believer.

Reading this verse brought the Great Commission to mind. You remember Christ’s call to his disciples after his resurrection when he met with the 11 in Galilee – Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) ¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I find myself thinking of this charge more and more each day. I find myself wondering what more I can do to fulfill our Lord’s direction.

Even though I am not one of the original disciples, I am a follower of Jesus. It is therefore my responsibility as a Christian to share the Good News with everyone I come in contact with on a daily basis.

Most times I fail miserably.

When I fail, I ask myself, ‘Why?”

 

After all, the original spreaders of the Good News faced physical abuse, even death, for spreading the message of Jesus Christ. Acts 5:27-32, 40-42 (NIV) ²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” ²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” ⁴⁰ His [Gamaliel – a Pharisee] speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴² Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

One follower, Stephen, was the first man martyred for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His death is recorded in Acts 7:59-60 (NIV) ⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Interested in reading more about the events that precipitated the stoning? Read the speech Stephen made to the Sanhedrin prior to his death sentence. Find it in your Bible in Acts 7 or click here to read it online.

OK, I fail in most all aspects of spreading His message to those I meet. Time to change that. Time to follow Jesus’s advice and, and do as recorded in Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me…”

Now, my question to you - Do you spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? If not, ask yourself today, why not?

May God bless you all every day in every way. Amen.