Wednesday's Wisdom

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."

Psalm 103:11-13

 

This passage contains great news for sinners like you and me. When we obey God's word and are baptized, God removes our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. He has compassion on us. He understands that we mess up, and He forgives us. His unfailing love for us is so huge that we can't even comprehend it.

 

I can think of no better news for a lost and dying world. Embrace this encouragement and share it with others today.

 

-J

Friday's Focus-God's Creation

Today, let's get outside and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. You can see His artistry in the painting of colors at sunset and sunrise. You can see His attention to detail in the spider's web and the veins of plants. You can see His power in the deepest canyon that was carved by the smallest river. You can see His gentleness in the tender care of a mother cow with her calf. All the things in nature tell us about our Creator and how much He cares for us.

Go see Him in the sunshine, in the rain, in the trees and in the flowers today. Praise Him for His wisdom, His power and His love.

Psalm 148 (NKJV)

 

"Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels,

Praise Him, all His hosts!

Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all you stars of light!

Praise Him, you heavens of heaven, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever;

He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths:

Fire and hail, snow and clouds: Stormy winds, fulfilling His word:

Mountains and all hills;

Fruitful trees and cedars;

Beasts and all cattle;

Creeping things and flying fowl;

Kings of the earth and all you people;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

Both young men and maidens;

old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His name alone is exalted;

His glory is above the earth and heaven.

And He has exalted the horn of His people,

the praise of all His saints-of the children of Isreal,

a people near to Him,

Praise the Lord!"

 

Thursday's Thoughts

A lthough things are not perfect

B ecause of trial of pain

C ontinue in thanksgiving

D o not begin to blame

E ven when the times are hard

F ierce winds are bound to blow

G od is forever able

H old on to what you know

I magine life without His love

J oy would cease to be

K eep thanking Him for all the things

L ove imparts to thee

M ove out of “Camp Complaining”

N o weapon that is known

O n earth can yield the power

P raise can do alone

Q uit looking at the future

R edeem the time at hand

S tart everyday with worship

T o “thank” is a command

U ntil we see Him coming

V ictorious in the sky

W e’ll run the race with gratitude

X alting God most high

Y es, there will be good times and yes some will be bad, but

Z ion waits in glory…where none are ever sad.

-unknown

Wednesday's Wisdom

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

Neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

 

Sometimes—ok, MANY times—I don’t necessarily understand the plans God has for me.  We may wonder why things are the way they are, or why God designed certain things in certain ways.  It is important to take a step back and realize that we can’t comprehend the mind of God.  We have to trust in His words and in His timing.  He is faithful!  In a way, it’s a relief.  We don’t have to know everything, we don’t have to be in control, and we don’t have to have everything figured out.

 

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5

 

-J

Tuesday's Task-Be joyful.

Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)

 

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!"

 

 

No matter what's going on in our nation, in our congregations, in our personal lives, we are to be a joyful people because we are children of God. He is in control and that should lift all the burdens from our shoulders. Does this mean we won't be sad or hurt by things going on in our lives? No, of course not. But in the depths of our souls at all times, we should know who holds the future and rejoice in Him.

 

Let's rejoice in Him. Always.

 

 

-C

Monday's Musings

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

-Theodore Roosevelt

 

This is one of my favorite quotes!  I think the sooner you can learn this, the better off you will be.  It is a waste of time and energy to compare yourself to others.  In our “social media” age, it is so easy and tempting to look at other people’s Facebook pages or Instagram photos and think, “Oh, their life must be so perfect.  I’ll never be as pretty/good/lucky/rich/happy as them.”  Not true!  Everyone has problems; everyone has struggles.  Everyone has good days and bad days.  Don’t let comparison discourage you, and don’t let it fill you will pride.  The only person you should compare yourself to is Jesus; see if you are following in His footsteps or not and adjust your path accordingly.

 

-J

 

Sunday's Scripture

"For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

James 3:16-18 (KJV)

Saturday's Sense-Shouldn't We Be Excited?

            Football games. Movies. Shopping. Fairs. Camp. Concerts. These are events we plan and then look forward to. These events are something we should look forward to because they are not wrong in and of themselves-they are fun and it is wonderful to have (good, clean) fun times with our friends, but do we look to Bible class, Bible studies and worship services with the same excitement and anticipation? We should. We should be even more excited to be participants in activities that praise our Lord!

            Last week, I encouraged you to get out of your comfort zone and be friendly. I challenged you to mentally prepare yourself to be the one to walk up to that visitor Sunday morning and welcome them to Bible class. I challenged you to tell that sweet lady who is always sitting on the pew in front of you how much you are encouraged just by her presence each week. Today, I challenge you to be excited about going to worship tomorrow and every Sunday. I encourage you to encourage your friends to be there for midweek Bible study. I challenge you to be excited and let that excitement spill over into the lives of those you come in contact with. It won’t be long before your congregation is buzzing with love and excitement to assemble together to praise our Lord and Savior.

Higher Ground

"I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

 

-Hymn/poem written by Johnson Oatman

Friday's Focus-Temporary Homes

"This world is not my home. I'm just a passin' through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue." -Hymn

""For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon our house which is in heaven."

II Cor 4:16-5:2

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch-angel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

I Thess 4:16-18

Today I want us to focus on how temporary this life is for us. This world isn't our home and we do have a home with Christ prepared for us if we believe in Him and are saved. It is too easy to get attached to this life we have and the people in it. But we know it is just temporary. This is not our forever home. We need to live  our lives in such a way that will get us to the eternal home of Heaven. 

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Rev 21:4

Heaven is our goal. Let's not lose sight of that. 

-C

Thursday's Thoughts-Training Your Thoughts

                  Several years ago, a dear friend gave me a book some of you may be familiar with, Caterpillars or Butterflies by Sister Jane McWhorter. It has been quite awhile since I read it so when I came across it I decided I needed to reread it. Let me encourage you to put this next on your list if you’ve never read it. It is excellent! With today’s topic being Thursday’s thoughts, I think it is fitting to share this excerpt with you.

“Our minds are the soil in which the seeds of our thoughts grow. ‘Chance only favors the mind which is prepared’ (Louis Pasteur). We cannot think about things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report one hour a week or even one hour a day and expect to flutter like butterflies. Just as we are to pray without ceasing, so must our thoughts be constantly focused upon the right seeds.

Emerson observed: ‘A man is what he thinks about all day long.’ Long ago Plato stated the same thought when he said: ‘We become what we contemplate.’ Sir Issac Newton was the object of mockery by his neighbors because he spent hours blowing soap bubbles in his garden. Years later, when he was asked how he discovered the principle of gravitation, he replied, ‘By thinking about it all the time.’ Newton also offered this explanation of his success: ‘If I have made any improvement in the sciences, ,it is owing more to patient attention than to anything else.’ Just as Newton thought about the soap bubbles as he went about his other tasks, so must we constantly fill our minds with the right thoughts. We should train our subconscious thoughts to think about these things even when our conscious thought processes are busy with other ideas. Too many Christians take the Word of God just as they do bad-tasting medicine. They tolerate it when they have to do so just to get it over with and out of the way. They have never known the delight that the psalmist experienced as he meditated upon the Law of God day and night (Psalm 1:2).

(p.23)

So are you delighting in the Word or just tolerating it like bad medicine?

Wednesday's Wisdom

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

And his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good;

His steadfast love endures forever,

And his faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalm 100

 

How much we have to be thankful for!  We are God’s people, the sheep of His pasture.  He cares for us, He leads us, He watches over us, and He knows us by name.  Today, let’s focus on the blessing of belonging to Him, and let’s praise Him as we go about our day.

 

-J

 

Tuesday's Task-Be Content

Phillipians 4:11

"Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

Hebrews 13:5

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

From these verses, we see that no matter what our circumstances are we have Jesus on our side so we should be content with what we have. We shouldn't worry about having the next big thing or the next relationship or the next big promotion.

Where you are right now is enough.

-C

Another note: Notice Paul says he has LEARNED to be content. It isn't something we just know how to do. Human nature wants more and worries about the future. It takes effort and focus to learn to be content, to be happy with what you have and be satisfied. Don't get discouraged!

Monday's Musings

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

Too deeply for mirth or song,

As the burdens press, and the cares distress,

And the way grows weary and long?

 

Refrain:

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares.

 

Does Jesus care when my way is dark

With a nameless dread and fear?

As the daylight fades into deep night shades,

Does He care enough to be near?

 

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed

To resist some temptation strong;

When for my deep grief there is no relief,

Though my tears flow all the night long?

 

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”

To the dearest on earth to me,

And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—

Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

 

~Frank E. Graeff

 

This song has been very comforting to me lately, and I hope it can help lift your spirits as well!

 

-J

 

 

Sunday's Scripture

Galatians 3:26-28 (KJV)

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

Saturday's Sense-Be Friendly!

            Today many of us will run errands that have been put off all week. We may attend birthday parties or weddings. We might enjoy some time at home after a long week, but tonight we will prepare to worship our Lord tomorrow. In the midst of those preparations, I want to encourage you to focus your mind on being a welcoming individual tomorrow. I want you to make the decision right now that you will approach visitors at your congregation to introduce yourself and tell them how happy you are to see them. I want you to be sure and tell a faithful member (regardless of age) how happy you are to see them as well. Is this an easy task? It is for some, but for many (like me) it is a more difficult challenge. For this reason, we must decide now that we WILL go out of our way to be friendly & put it into practice tomorrow, because it is what Jesus would do. He befriended the woman at the well (John 4:6-15) and Zacchaeus, the tax collector (Luke 19).

Follow Jesus’ example, remember what it feels like to be the visitor & remember the golden rule.

Friday's Focus-Strength

Psalm 27:1

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Psalm 27:14

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

Psalm 28:7

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will praise Him."

Psalm 28:11

"The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace." 

Who is our strength? Is it our parents, our friends, our education, our selves? No. Our strength is found in the Lord. He is the one we should look to when we need strength. He is the one who will carry us when we can no longer bear the hardships of this life. Only God is strong enough. Our strength is not within us but within Him.

-C

Regret.

I’m going to tell you something that I hope you will remember when you’re about to do something stupid regretful. Regret is ugly and painful. It rarely goes away. It will haunt you for the rest of your life. You will forever regret that night in the backseat of that guy’s car, you will forever regret the moment you ever tasted alcohol, you will always regret that lie to your parents, or that hurtful word thrown at your sibling in anger. These things will follow you in your mind forever. In the moment, you may think what you’re doing is harmless or exciting or a rite of passage. That’s Satan for you. He likes to make sin look so appealing. What he doesn't want you to know about is the regret that follows when you are so ashamed of doing what you knew to be sin. He doesn't want you to experience that shame or regret or guilt. He wants you to keep believing the lie that sin is fun. He’s the master of deceit, friends. Sin leads to death. That’s the only path it leads down. It will never lead to righteousness and it will never lead you to Heaven. What it will do is destroy your life.

But you know what you will never regret? Being honest, being kind, saying no when you know you need to say no. You will never regret the moment you are baptized into Christ and become a child of God. He is the only path to righteousness and the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). The writer of Hebrews speaks of Moses and how he chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” (Hebrews 11:25) Moses understood that sin is only for a short time on this earth pleasurable then it is eternal damnation.

In I Corinthians, Paul asks the question, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Cor 3:16)  Let’s be good stewards of the body God gave us. It’s His temple and He expects us to do with it what is honorable and good. Don’t get caught up in worldly sin. It doesn't bring anything but unhappiness and regret into your life.

It's not worth it. 

-C

Wednesday's Wisdom

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

 

Over and over again throughout the Bible, God talks about defending the oppressed, the poor, and the needy. Many of the prophets speak to Israel and other nations, telling them that they have failed in taking care of the poor. I would encourage you to always be ready to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Help the poor and the needy. There are innumerable ways to carry this out. I'm sure you can find at least some small way to help those who aren't as blessed as you are. Also, as you consider a career, think of jobs you could do that would benefit others. Your life will be richer for it, whether or not your bank account is.

                                                                                                                                  

-J

Tuesday's Task-Be forgiving

Ephesians 4:32

"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Colossians 3:13

"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."

Mark 11:26

"But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."


From this sample of verses on forgiveness, we can clearly see that we are to be a forgiving people. Why are we to forgive others? What do all these verses have in common for the reason we should forgive? Because we have been forgiven. When we repent and are baptized, those sins are washed away and forgiven. If we can't forgive others, how can we expect God to forgive us?

Who are we to forgive?

• People outside the church-that person who cuts you off on the highway, the mean girls in school who call you names, the friend who lies to you, etc
• Brothers and sisters in the church-sometimes I find this group of people the hardest to forgive because I hold them to a higher standard than I do others. But you know what? We are all imperfect people trying to do our best to live for Christ. We will mess up. We will hurt other's feelings. And we all need to forgive.
• Ourselves-When we fail and we repent, God wipes the slate clean and forgives. However, we don't forgive ourselves as easily. This is something I struggle with all the time. I beat myself up for mistakes instead of forgiving myself and moving on.

Let's think about these verses this week (and every week!) and focus more on being forgiving.


-C

Sunday's Scripture

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

John 1:1-4

Saturday's Sense:Can You Spare Twenty Minutes Per Day?

             Recently, I read a letter with this statement, “Twenty-four years in the first grade, that is how long it would take to pass if public schools met only as often as Sunday Bible schools and if no classes were missed.”

            Certainly, this is a challenging statement. Suppose you came to Bible school only half of the time. That would be the equivalent of forty-eight years in the first grade. At this rate you can see why we have so much Bible ignorance in the world today. There was a time when members of the Lord’s church were known as people who really knew the book, but we feel that day is past for many. We need to reemphasize the importance of reading. A few years ago, I read that if a person spent twenty minutes a day on a given subject for a period of twenty years, he could be an authority in that field. If that is true, then think what twenty minutes a day over twenty years would mean in Bible knowledge.

            We live in an age of education. Even retired people return to college and many of the younger ones are still in school at age thirty. With all the emphasis on education, we need to emphasize Bible knowledge. We spend a great portion of our lives preparing for a profession or vocation in this world which at best will be less than one century, and spend so little time in preparing to live for eternity.

Author Unknown

Thursday's Thoughts

                  For obvious reasons, my thoughts today are centered on this country. I think how proud I am to call myself a citizen of it. I think of how many others have come here seeking that same privilege. I reflect on those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for me to sit here and write these words without any fear of persecution. I pray for those who are currently giving up their freedom to keep Old Glory flying high. I recognize that freedom is not free; it comes at a very high cost. As I look back on the history of America, I wonder what lies before her. Today I’m witnessing my beloved country travel down the wrong path. I am reminded of the lyrics to a song: “This nation is like a run away train/Headed down the wrong track/It’s time for the army of God to arise/And say ‘We want America back.’”

                  Today is set aside to remember the birth of our nation. I hope you will join me in thanking God for the blessings we have received, asking Him to bless America once more, but remembering our true citizenship is in heaven (Philip. 3:20 ASV).

Wednesday's Wisdom

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

Being prideful is a temptation that can easily become a struggle for many of us.  We take pride in our appearance.  We take pride in all the things we have accumulated or how well we have decorated our homes.  We take pride in things that we do for others; sometimes we take pride in what a good friend we are.  We must always try to put this prideful spirit out of our hearts and minds.  Of all the people to walk the earth, surely Jesus had the most “right” to be proud.  Yet Paul writes in Philippians 2:1-11 that Christ set the ultimate example of humility for us.  He humbled himself “by becoming obedient to the point of death” (v. 8).  We must do the same, and we are blessed with the perfect example to follow!

-J

Tuesday's Task-Be kind

 

Ephesians 4:32

 

"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

 

Find ways this week to lighten someone's load. Hold open a door, carry someone's groceries, or simply smile at that person behind you. Help your parents out at home without being told. When we actively look for ways to serve others, we'll be amazed at the opportunities we're provided. Don't be caught up in your own troubles this week. Try to look outward and see others who are struggling.

 

-C

Monday's Musings

“If you can’t be kind, be quiet.”

We all have those moments when unkind and even mean-spirited thoughts cross our minds.  Rather than sharing those thoughts with someone, just keep them to yourself! I’m sure you’ve heard someone (possibly your mother) say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”  It’s an old saying, but it’s true.  We should strive to avoid thinking unkind things to begin with, but we can at least not give life to them by saying them.  You won’t regret NOT saying something mean, but you will always regret hurting someone’s feelings.  It’s really not worth it!

-J