Friday's Focus-Shelter from the Storm



This afternoon I was caught out in a summer storm with no umbrella, no raincoat, and no protection.  The winds were whipping, the thunder was booming and lightning was flashing across the sky. By the time I made it to my car, I was soaked to the bone. During my trek across the parking lot, I couldn’t see the way in front of me and all I could think of was that I had to get to the shelter of my car as quick as possible! After finally making it my vehicle, I sat and waited for the rain to let up.  While waiting, I was struck with the thought of how important it was to me to get to the car. How important it was to get out of the elements and get to safety. Isn’t that how it is with us in our Christian lives? When the troubles of this life are wearing on us and we can’t see our way out, how important is the shelter God provides? We need Him to protect us. We need Him to get us out of the storm.  We need Him to guide us as the thunderous voices of discouragement bombard us, as the lightning of mean-spirited people flash before us, and as the rain of sin falls down around us.

We get caught out of His protection though sometimes, don’t we? We get too caught up in the pleasures or trials of this life and before we know it, we are in the midst of a terrible spiritual storm of our own. The only thing to do in those instances is to run to the shelter God provides. He is safety and our refuge. In Isaiah, He says, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee…” (Is 41:10a) We don’t need to fear the spiritual storms. As long as we are in the shelter of our God, He will see us through them.

-C

Friday's Focus-Your Neighbor

A couple of week's ago, the Friday's Focus post was on real people.  I wanted you to see/understand the people of the Bible as real people and not just characters in a book.  This week I want to bring us closer to home. For many of you, a new school year has started. You have new kids in your classes, new teachers, or new kids on an extracurricular team. Our focus should always be to see these friends/coworkers/strangers as souls.  Each one of them is loved by our Creator. He wants them to see that they are lost without Him. But who can tell them about Him? About His love, His sacrifice, His grace and His mercy? YOU can! I can! In fact, we are commanded to bring the gospel to the lost. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." But sometimes I think we forget who the lost are but they are our friends/our coworkers/our neighbors. They are the nations that we can teach.

I need this post just as much as (or more than!) any of you. We go about our lives and interact with so many people but we don't share with them the most important aspect of our lives. Let's change that. The world needs the gospel. And God has left it with us to get it to them.

-C

Also, if any of you reading this want to learn more about the gospel or becoming a New Testament Christian, shoot us an email and we'd love to study more with you!!!

Thursday's Thoughts-The Power of One

*                One Good Samaritan rescued a wounded man on the Jericho Road (Luke 10).

*                One aged man was instrumental in saving mankind from extinction (Gen. 6; Heb. 11:7).

*                One man, who felt unqualified, confronted a Pharaoh and led the Exodus (Ex. 3).

*                One woman broke longstanding tradition, walked into the king’s throne room and saved an entire nation from genocide (Esther 4).

*                One boy faced a nine-foot giant and saved the Israelites from slavery (1 Sam. 17).

*                One boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fish fed thousands (John 6).

*                One slave girl was instrumental in healing a world military leader (2 Kings 5).

*                One vote gave Oliver Cromwell control of England in 1645.

*                One vote gave America the English language instead of the German language in 1776.

*                One vote saved Andrew Jackson from impeachment in 1868.

*                One vote gave Adolf Hitler control of the Nazi Party in 1941.

-unknown

                  You never know how your actions will affect others. The only thing you know for sure is that you WILL have an impact on the lives of others positively or negatively. It’s known as the ripple effect. When you toss a stone into a pond, ripples form around the place the stone entered the water. The ripples start out small but they grow as they move outward.

Bob Marley, a Jamaican singer-songwriter, believed racism and hate could be cured by injecting music and love into people’s lives. While I do not support or agree with his beliefs, he once made a statement that impressed me. When he was scheduled to perform at a peace rally, a gunman came to his house and shot him. Two days later he walked out on that stage and sang. When asked why he wasn’t resting after his injury, he said, “The people, who were trying to make this world worse are not taking a day off. How can I?” That quote can be applied to our lives as Christians. Satan doesn’t take days off and he is working especially hard on us. He already has the world where he wants it. He wants us to join it instead of make a difference in it. Satan knows the power of one.

Light up the darkness.

-M

Wednesday's Wisdom

Psalm 112:6-8

 

"Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is established and shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies."

 

Let our hearts be fixed on the Lord; trusting Him and staying faithful to Him always. There are a lot of evil tidings in the world. We are surrounded by them constantly. However, let us always remind ourselves that God is control and He holds the future.

 

-C & J

Tuesday's Task-Be honest

Today, I'm going to be honest with you. Last week, I didn't post on the days I was scheduled to post. I apologize to you for that but the reason I didn't post was because I had no words. I had no words of wisdom or encouragement because I was in need of those words. I couldn't find a way to encourage anyone else because I was so discouraged myself. And I want you to know that when you feel that way, you are not alone. You are not the only one who has those days/weeks. Sometimes life just gets the best of us. We fall down and we can't see the way  to get back up.

But then the sun rises and you are reminded of God's love and His grace and His mercy and His care. He is the light. On my own, all I see is darkness. But in Him, the shadows disappear and His light guides me out.

So today, I want you to know that you aren't alone. One, you have God always with you. But also, you aren't the first person to feel discouraged or full of despair. Don't be afraid to share those days with others. Don't be afraid to tell a sister or brother in Christ that you are struggling. Part of the beauty of having a family in Christ is that we can help each other. We aren't walking this life alone.

May this week be filled with light instead of darkness. And may we never forget that He is always with us.

-C

Monday's Musings

"Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!
Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!"

-Psalm 105:1-6

The rest of this psalm lists many of the wondrous works God did for the nation of Israel. Today, let's try to focus on the great things God has done in our lives, and let's share our blessings and the gospel with others as we have opportunity.

-J

Sunday's Scripture

Psalm 121 (NKJV)

" I will lift up my eyes to the hills-from whence comes my help?  

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  

He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 

Behold, He who keeps Isreal shall neither slumber nor sleep.  

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 

 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.  

The Lord shall preserve your soul. 

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in 

from this time forth, and even forevermore."

Thursday's Thoughts-Be Kind

It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives; in our own problems. Our excitements. Fears. Dreads. We forget about others. We don't realize what they may be going through. We just assume that girl we saw practically run into the bathroom with tears in her eyes after first period is strange. We don't take the time to get to know her or we might find out her dad was deployed to Iraq yesterday-for a year. We call that guy who sits in front of us a jerk because he was snappy when someone accidentally bumped into him. We don't know that he is snappy because he didn't get enough sleep. He stayed up listening to his parents argue over how they were going to pay their bills this month. We go to church and sit with our little group of friends. We don't take the time to invite the girl whose family placed membership there a month ago. She seems weird, but she's only sad. When they moved to this area she left her grandparents and best friend behind.

Please watch this video and remember to be kind. And if you find tears making their way down your cheeks, don't be ashamed. Mine traveled the same path.

-M

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you see if fighting some kind of battle.

-unknown

Friday's Focus-Real people

Today I am going to encourage you to visit The Light Network (http://thelightnetwork.tv/) and listen/watch Emily Hatfield's podcasts titled Navigating the New Testament. In these podcasts, Emily takes the cities of first century Christianity and brings them to life. From the book of Acts and the first couple of chapters in the book of Revelation, we read about these people in these cities but I feel we don't truly grasp the fact that these were real people. They lived. They breathed. They loved and they struggled. Our fight with the devil is much like theirs was back then. I want you to see Paul and Lydia and the Corinthians not as characters in a book but as flesh and blood people. As brothers and as sisters.

We are linked through the blood of Christ. We do ourselves an injustice when we don't think of that as we learn about the lives of the early Christians.

So go check it out!

-C

Thursday's Thoughts-Beauty Is Only Skin Deep?

“In our world today, beauty is highly prized. Everyone seems to be dieting to lose weight and look good. Women spend days shopping for the perfect outfit. Hours are wiled away in beauty salons. Yet their spirits sit… and sit… and sit, neglected and unadorned.”

This is an excellent point I read recently. The author goes on to say in 1Peter 3:3-6 Peter address the fact that outer beauty is not sinful but it should not be our focus. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in the way you present yourself but if all your focus is on outer beauty you are missing what is most important. Today I encourage you to sit in front of the “spiritual mirror” and look at your reflection. Make sure it is one that you are proud to stand before God with. Remember the old saying, “Pretty is as pretty does” and make sure you are spending time making your attitude beautiful by focusing on our Lord. 

-M

“Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Proverbs 31:30

Wednesday's Wisdom

"Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!" Psalm 117

It is the middle of the week, and you may be feeling bogged down with school, work, or family concerns. Take comfort in the steadfast love of the LORD. Pause to count your blessings. Let this short psalm encourage you today to take a moment to praise the LORD for his faithfulness!

 

-J

Tuesday's Task-Be Watchful

"Be sober, be vigilant: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." I Peter 5:8

Always be aware that Satan is out to bring you down to his level. He is diligently seeking followers. He wants your soul. He will do whatever neccessary to get it. He doesn't play nice or fair. He is a liar and a cheat. He will make sin look so good and welcoming to you until he gets you in his snares. Then you will see the truth. That sin is dark, ugly and no amount of perfume will take away the stench once you see it for what it is. That is why we have to be watchful and prayerful. Keep God's Word in your heart and at the forefront of your mind so you can resist him. In James 4:7, the Bible says to "submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  We aren't powerless against this adversary. Far from it. But we must be watchful and guard ourselves through study, perseverance, prayer, and faithfulness.

Above all, don't get complacent! Satan is definitely out there and will strike whenever you're weakest.

-C

Monday's Musings

"For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel." Ezra 7:10

There is much that could be said about this verse, but I want to focus on the importance of studying God's Word. Studying the Bible is something that is essential for our spiritual growth. Personal Bible study is very important, and it is also beneficial to study with others. We must "set in our heart to study" as Ezra did. It is a choice we must make with determination. Bible study won't just happen without our effort and focus.

I hope that you will consider joining the Bible study that will be hosted here. Studying with one another can be a great source of insight and encouragement!

 

 

-J

Exciting Announcement!

In an effort to hold ourselves more accountable and glean lessons from each other we (the writers behind the blog) have decided to embark on a monthly Bible study together. Each month we will chose a topic or portion of the Bible to study and share our favorite passages, biggest encouragements, most difficult struggles and lessons learned from it right here. It is our hope and prayer that you will study along with us and contribute to this portion of the blog as well. We would love your input because learning from and encouraging one another is what this blog is all about!

            This month’s topic will be Philippians chapters 1-2. We will conclude this study on Thursday, August 29^th. We’re excited! We hope you are too!

Sunday's Scripture

Hosea 14:9

"Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

Friday's Focus-Gratitude

Today, tell someone thank you. Tell your mom how much you appreciate all she does for your family. Tell your dad how thankful you are to him for being a strong male figure in your life. If you don't have a mom or dad in your life, tell your caregiver how much you care for them. Just share your gratitude to someone today. We are not islands and we do not walk this life completely alone. Someone, somewhere has helped you get to where you are right now. Don't take them for granted.

On the spiritual side, how much more has our heavenly Father done for us? Thank Him for His love, His mercy, and His grace. Without Him, we would be spiritually and literally lost.

 Psalm 136:1

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!"

 

 

I want to thank each of you for taking time to read this blog. I hope it is beneficial to all of you as we try to encourage one another!

 

-C