Thought for Saturday, September 1st

September 1, 2012

The  ‘L’ Word

“Love you know, seeks to make happy rather than to be happy.”

-       Ralph Connor

    There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.

John 4:18

The concept of love from a Christian perspective, simply put, means loving like Jesus loved.  And His love was and is a perfect love that required Him to put the will and desires of His Father and the needs, of those His Father loved, before His own comfort and ease. 

This love caused Him to leave Heaven to come to Earth to live a life devoid of splendor our grandeur.  It required Him to face scorn and rejection, and ultimately called upon Him to suffer and die for sins He did not commit.

How many of us are willing to go to those lengths and those extremes for those we may have never met; or moreover, even for those we know and see every day?

Godly love calls on us to put ourselves out there in spite of the potential for being hurt or rejected: and it may even call on us on occasion to suffer an indignity or undeserved consequence in order to better the life of another.

Don’t you think this is what Jesus meant when He told us to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, minds and souls and to love our neighbor as our self?

Today’s Prayer 

Father, love is gentle, patient, kind, humble, meek, giving, forgiving, understanding, loyal, sacrificing, and caring: yet often I find I am not many if often any of these to the depth and degree I know you would want me to be: so help me to love deeper, care more and give more freely of this great love I have been so blessed to receive.

“I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
                                                         My life was in his hands./he_knows_my_name.html ]
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He'll never leave me
No matter where I go
He knows my name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call “

-  Lyrics from ‘He Knows My Name’ by Tommy Walker

Thourght for Friday, August 31st

August 31, 2012

Are There Angels Among Us?

Scripture tells us in Hebrews to be careful to entertain strangers because there is always the chance that we might be entertaining angles without realizing it.

“What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest?”

-       Aschylus

    For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.  For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot.   Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him.   With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation.

Psalms 91:9-16

The idea if having a guardian angel that is invisible to the naked eye; but watches out for and over us, nonetheless, appeals to many of us: while the idea of angels walking in our midst that we might could see or touch, might give some of us a slight pause for reflection and even a degree of dubiousness and doubt. 

However, scripture does give us reason to believe that angels in our midst are a distinct possibility.  Does that mean that we encounter angelic entities or heavenly host with regularity:  probably not.  But, it also does not exclude the possibility that we do have angel like encounters with people who are sent by God to intervene in our daily lives to help and encourage us, a lot more frequently than we might imagine.

So, do you think you might have encountered an angel this week? 

Or maybe, just maybe there is an angel out there waiting to have an encounter with you today.

Today’s Prayer 

Father, I should not wait for an angel to appear before my eyes before I initiate, develop and utilize the gift of hospitality.  May I always be charitable, hospitable and welcoming to all whom I encounter and always ready and willing to share your love and joy with them.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Thursday, August 30th

August 30, 2012

The Art of Sinless Anger

Aristotle philosophically and probably rather accurately stated, “It is easy to fly into a passion – anybody can do that – but to be angry with the right person to the right extent and at the right time and with the right object and in the right way – that is not easy, and it is not everyone who can do it.”

There seems to be a predisposition for some people to let anger about one thing build up until they find themselves releasing that anger at the wrong person, for the wrong reason about something that really isn’t that big of an issue in the first place.  While there are others who whether because of fear, anxiety or some other reason; tend to vent their frustration and anger at someone or something that has nothing to do with the real issue they are dealing with.

We need to remember that anger, in and of its self, is not a sin, but the way we manage, deal with and release that anger, can determine whether or not it can become sinful.

“Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but that you have increased a habit.”

-       Epictetus

    Be not deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.   Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:16-21

Jesus became angry and He even acted on His anger: but He did so without sinning.  He did not vent His anger at the wrong individuals, neither did He vent His anger for the wrong reason; a valuable lesson many of us could stand to learn: and an art we could benefit from practicing and developing into a more refined skill.

Today’s Prayer 

Father, anger is a normal part of the spectrum of emotions: but when it is not handled or dealt with correctly and appropriately it can be so hurtful, harmful and counter productive: help me to when I do become angry, do so without sinning: and even more significantly help me to not allow myself to become angry for reasons that do not justify the need to be angry.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Wednesday, August 29th

August 29, 2012

Ever Feel Unliked

There is a component within our human nature that causes us, for the most part, to want to be liked by other people.    Being liked is sometimes perceived as being accepted and sometimes it goes beyond that.  But, regardless of our need and or our desire to be liked at whatever level: being liked makes us feel good: there are very few, if any of us who like the idea of being disliked for whatever reason. 

The perception is that if a person dislikes us they are then indifferent to us and don’t care about who we are or what we are all about.

“The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.”

-       George Bernard Shaw

   Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.  These things I command you, that ye may love one another.  If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you.   If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.  Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.  If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.   He that hateth me hateth my Father also.  If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.  But this cometh to pass, that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

John 15:16-27

As Christians, however, we have to realize that to be all that we need to be in Christ sometimes means the world will not like us.  To be disliked it often to be misunderstood or in some cases it is the equivalent of outright rejection.

But then again we are in good company.    Jesus has and does experience that kind of dislike and rejection all the time.

And in the end, who would you rather be liked by, God, or the world?

Today’s Prayer 

Father, help me not to become discouraged or despondent if I find myself being not liked by people because of you and your place in my life.  May I count it a blessings and a joy.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Tuesday, August 28th

August 28, 2012

Sin is Still Sin

Paul asked in Romans if we should continue in sin, so that God’s grace can abound.  And of course we know the reasonable and logical answer to a question of that nature would be absolutely not.  Paul’s words were “God forbid.” 

Yet today, we often do something that is probably far worse, we try to camouflage sin by either denying it is sin or trying to call it something else.

“Having God’s unconditional love does not mean having God’s unconditional approval.”

-       Miles McPherson

   Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. What is your life? For ye are a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that.  But now ye glory in your vauntings: all such glorying is evil.  To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

James 4:13-17

Often we will treat a brother or sister in the faith as an outcast and we call it justified for we feel they have earned such a treatment because of either a perceived or actual injustice we deem or feel they have perpetrated upon us: when God instructs us to forgive and love them.

Or we will deny someone access to our services of worship because they don’t dress right or don’t meet our standards of acceptability in some way or another: when Jesus said, “whosoever will, may come.”

Sometimes we try to masquerade as truth; veiled deception under the guise of being sensitive to others feelings, when the Bible teaches us not to lie.

The reality is that regardless of the reason, rational or motivation for it, if we disobey God in any way, shape, form or fashion, it is simply put – sin.

And who is there among us who is without some sin: so truly we have no right to cast stones at others.

If only we could learn to live in the love that God desires us to have for each other, what a much more wonderful world it would be.  

Today’s Prayer 

Father, forgive me for I have sinned.  Please help me to be more aware and less inclined to deny my sin, but keep me always willing to repent and seek forgiveness.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Monday, August 27th

August 27, 2012

It’s An Accountability Thing

To be held accountable for one’s words, deeds, actions or even lack of them, especially in our modern world, seems to somehow be proportionate to an individual’s willingness to accept responsibility for them.  However in God’s economy this is not necessarily the way things go.  

“To be a man [woman] is, precisely, to be responsible.”

-       Antoine de Saint Exupery

   Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.  But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,   and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity, and hath not wronged any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath taken nought by robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;  he that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between man and man,  hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept mine ordinances, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Jehovah.   If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth any one of these things,  and that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbor's wife,  hath wronged the poor and needy, hath taken by robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,  hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase; shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.  Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins, which he hath done, and feareth, and doeth not such like;  that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor's wife,  neither hath wronged any, hath not taken aught to pledge, neither hath taken by robbery, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;  that hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed mine ordinances, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.  As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, robbed his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.  Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? when the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.  The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Ezekiel 18:4-20

Scripture informs us in Hebrews that it is appointed unto a man/woman that he/she is gong to die and after that he or she will face judgment.  This judging will be for what we have or haven’t done in accordance with God’s plan, design and requirements of us as individuals.  We do not have to give an account for a neighbor, a sibling, a friend or even a spouse: but we will be held responsible for what we do or don’t do.

 God has a very strong sense of accountability: and along with it an overwhelming since of fairness.  We do not answer for the deeds, choices or thoughts of anyone other than ourselves when we stand before God.

And for most of us that will be more than enough for us to give an accounting of.

“I was sinking deep in sin far from the peaceful shore.

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.”

-       Lyrics from ‘Love Lifted Me’ by James Rowe

It was my sin that caused Jesus to have to bear the cross and be nailed to the a tree: and though I am not the only sinner:  even if I had been He would still have been asked by His Father to die because of and for me.

God forgives, but still we will have to be accountable for what we have or haven’t done for Him and with what He has given us.

What will we say when He asks us why or why not?

Today’s Prayer 

Father, I know each day I do things I shouldn’t and don’t do things I should, please make me more aware and help me to be willing to admit my shortcoming or failures and to take responsibility for them by working towards making the necessary changes that need to take place.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Saturday, August 25th

August 25, 2012

Are You On The Hill And Shinning

In a world filled with darkness (hate, strife, envy, deceit, egotism, lusts, etc.): Christians are charged to shine with the light of God’s love and glory from the heights of whatever situation or circumstance God may put them in.

“People are like stained glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”

-       Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

  Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.  Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house.   Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

“We'll be that city on the hill
Burning brightly
We'll be a light to the world
Shining Your glory.”

-       Lyrics from ‘Not Ashamed’ by Kristian Stanfill

We need to first understand that it is not our light but God’s that truly illuminates the lives of others: and then we need to be willing to allow that light to shine through us so that others can get a glimpse of the power and presence of God that is alive in this world, within our lives.

“I'm not ashamed of the One
Who saved my soul
I'm not ashamed of the One
Who saved my soul, my soul
This fire inside of me
Is burning for Your name
I'm not ashamed.”

-       Lyrics from ‘Not Ashamed’ by Kristian Stanfill

We need to remember that we are His light for this world and if we are willing to shine:

“There isn’t enough darkness in the world to snuff out the light of one little candle.”

-       Gautama Siddharta

Are you willing to be His candle, on a hill, shining brightly?

Today’s Prayer 

Father, I know you are willing to sine brightly in my life; may I be equally as willing to let you shine.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Friday, August 24th

August 24, 2012

I Do Believe

Disbelief is when one questions the fact, validity or truth to any degree or measure of a thing: be it a concept or a physical or even spiritual entity.

Belief, then, being the converse of that; would be to accept without question or reservation that issue or matter being considered or embraced.

Some would say in real life the line between belief and disbelief is not so clear cut, but rather there are many shades of gray that eschew the clarity of a clear line and rather make belief or disbelief a very shaded and difficult to define concept.

Sadly, for many who profess to be Christians this cloudy gray, Eeyore like gloominess envelopes their belief in the truths and promises of God and His word.  

Many sort of believe or believe in part but stop short of embracing the whole truth of the entirety of God, His word and what He wants for their lives.

Sometimes our belief, in the system and concepts we like to refer to as Christianity are more a matter of personal preference and comfort; rather than a blind faith of unquestioning certainty in who He is and what He wants to be in our lives.

Paul wrote, in one of his letters to Timothy: I know in whom I believe in and I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I commit to Him.  Do we have that strong of a unfaltering, unshakeable, unwavering belief in God?

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen.  Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

-       C. S. Lewis

  Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.  For thou art the God of my strength; Why hast thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?  Oh send out thy light and thy truth; Let them lead me: Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.  Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy; And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.   Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; For I shall yet praise him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalms 43:1-5

When it comes to the things of God we need to be firm in our beliefs, sure of our convictions and steadfast in our resolve to stay true, stand tall and not be moved by doubts or uncertainty.

“ I do believe.

You    are the one.

The home I’ve longed to find,

my only hope: God’s only Son.

I do believe.

I touch, I see, that all along

You’ve longed to be, my Lord, My God.”

-       Lyrics from ‘I Do Believe’ by Mark Lowry, Kevin Williams and Luke Renner

Do you believe?

Today’s Prayer 

Father, may my faith never waiver: may my beliefs always be true and be centered, founded and established in you.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram

Thought for Thursday, August 23rd

August 23, 2012

Are You Lonely Tonight

It is within the realm of the possible to be in a crowded room and still feel like you are all alone.

Sometimes this can be because you don’t fit in with the group you are with: or sometimes it is because the cares and concerns of life have so overwhelmed you that you become isolated and withdrawn.  As Christians we need to remember that we are never alone.  God’s presence in the person of the Holy Spirit is with us always, everywhere we go.  Sadly often we don’t acknowledge His presence and we allow ourselves to feel isolated when He is just waiting for us to reach out to Him.

But I think even, Jesus must have had times when He felt somewhat isolated and lonely. His disciples didn’t grasp His message, He was facing the fulfillment of His father’s plan for Him and that would lead Him to an even greater separation.  But Jesus found strength in living to die to fulfill His Father’s will and to be the lamb sacrifice for each of us whom He and His Father loved so much.

“Pray that your loneliness may spur you into finding something to live for, great enough to die for.”

-       Dag Hammarskjold

Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love.   If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.  This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you.   Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Ye are my friends, if ye do the things which I command you.

John 15:9-14

Paul wrote for me to live is Christ but for me to die is gain.  May we find the reason to live for our lives is to glorify the Lord, even if at times we might feel somewhat isolated and lonely during the process: we can be assured we are never alone.

Today’s Prayer 

Father, regardless of whether any others stand with; join me on my journey or even understand my purpose, may I live like I am dying for you in such a way that makes every day the absolute most it can be for you.

“Give me your eyes

For just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I’ve been missing

Give me your love for humanity.

Give me your arms for the brokenhearted

Ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the ones forgotten

Give me your eyes so I can see“

-  Lyrics from ‘Give Me Your Eyes’ by Brandon Heath and Jason Ingram