Praise

I learned something this week when the Lord smote my heart about something.  It shocked me.

I love it when the Lord does that; when He speaks to me directly, correcting my thoughts.  In His gentle but firm words, He says, 'I know you mean well, but you are not right.'

OUCH!

I have a hard time with recognition.  I like to do things for the Lord quietly and anonymously.  I have a hard time when someone says, 'Thank You,' or, 'I heard you did this for So-and So, that is great!'  

I am always quick to give the Lord the praise but I still feel really uncomfortable.

It's because of this one thing I know:

    Every good thing you see in my life really isn't me:  It's My Saviour.

Besides, I'm only doing my Reasonable Service.  No need to point that out...right?

   

That's when the Lord showed me my error.  Oh, not erring in not wanting attention, but the erring of not allowing people to thank me so that I can reflect their acknowledgment to bring praise to the Lord.

I was robbing God of praise that is rightly due Him and Him alone.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 

Psalm 29:2

I'm not going to start flaunting every act of kindness, but I will humbly accept the compliment so that I can properly praise my Saviour.

    Because it isn't really about me-

                                            It's all about my Saviour-

                                                                        But that's just me!

Praise ye the LORD, I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.  Psalm 111:1

"Beloved Friends, we may well continue to praise God, for our God continues to give us causes to praise!"  Charles Spurgeon

                      

 

                                                                                      

                                                                                        

Fair-Weather Friends

Mark 4:36-37 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship.  And there were also with him other little ships.  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

I'm sure you've heard the idiom about fair-weather friends.  It began around the 1800's and it refers to a friend who can be relied upon when the weather is good, but abandons you when the weather turns stormy.

Even as you read the definition of this idiom a few people probably come to mind.  Who can blame them?  I mean, who would voluntarily stick around during a storm?

JESUS.

Not only does He stick around, He enters in.

The first storm I think about in Scripture is in Daniel 3:25  The storm of persecution that Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego faced for refusing to worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  They were bound and thrown into a fiery furnace, and yet as men peered in to witness their demise, instead of three men bound, they saw four men, loosed and walking around!  Jesus was with them!

God's Word shows us many accounts of storms:

    The storms of persecution, like the one above.

    The storms of abandonment by society-John 4:4

    The storms of living with blindness, deafness, poor health.

There is no end to storms we will face in this life, but I love the account in Mark. 

Jesus, is all knowing.  He alone knew a storm was brewing, and yet He still got into that boat!

Your friends may fail you.  Your friends may abandon you when you need them the most.  But Jesus will never leave you.

What storm are you in?

Jesus is in that storm with you.  Rest in Him.  Let Him rebuke the wind and the waves in your life and let Him restore you-

Peace and calm will come.

I know that to be true-

    But that's just me!

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."  Helen Keller

"Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness."  Euripides

I'm Fine

And as Jesus passed by, he saw.... John 9:1

The other morning, just before church Service, a friend of mine walked in and began to sit down in her seat.  I smiled and asked her, "How are you doing?"  She barely smiled, and yet she replied, "I'm fine."  I looked at her again and said, "But not really, but no time to talk...right?"  She shook her head yes, and sat down.  I meant to speak with her after the Service, but it never happened.

I often find myself greeting people in the hallway of our church, before and after the Services, on my way to do this or that, and yet most of the time, I don't actually 'stop' to really talk with them.  Some of these people I have known for 30 years, and yet I still don't know anything about them, below the surface.

And they don't really know me.

Why is that?

Do we tell people we are "fine" because we don't want anyone to know what's wrong?  Or is it because no one will take the time to really listen?

Or is it the honest fact that we have grown cold and don't have the time to really care?

"And because Iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."  Matthew 24:12

Galatians 6:2 says-Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Bear- means to support the weight of.  A perfect example of that was when Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses to prevail against the Amalekites.  When Moses tired and could no longer hold up his arms, Hur and Aaron held them up for him.  Victory was won with the help of his friends. (Exodus 17:11,12)

Fulfill- means to accomplish, achieve, carry out and perform.

By supporting each other through our hard times, we can fulfill the law of Christ.  We can be an encouragement to those around us when we really take the time to care.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says:  A serving Christian lends a helping hand with heavy loads.  Though the principle would apply to all burdens, the context has special reference to the heavy, oppressive weight of temptation and spiritual failure.  While the 'spiritual' do the work of restoring, ALL believers are to be involved by prayer and encouragement.  This, Paul wrote, will fulfill the law of Christ, that is, the principle of love.

So what is the law of Christ?

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

When Jesus passed by, He was always looking to help those in need.  Why?  Because He was looking with love.

I want to be more like Jesus.

The next time I ask someone how they are doing, I'm not going to ask while walking by.

I will take the time to stop and listen to what they really have to say.  Maybe I can lift someone's burden and fulfill the Law of Christ.

But that's just me!

Mother Nature

Everybody talks about the weather.  It seems to be the Hot Topic, Idle Chit-Chat, the Opening-Line for a conversation.

We turn on The Weather Channel or our Local News, to hear about our forecast for tomorrow, or for the rest of the week, and you hear one Title:  Mother Nature.

According to Wikipedia, "Mother Nature" most likely stems from Greek Mythology.  "Natura" and the personification of Mother Nature were popular in the Middle Ages-as a concept, seated between the properly Divine and the human.

She was personified as a goddess.

Honestly, I don't understand how a person can refer to something or someone, who does not exist?

To me, this is just one more subtle distraction that Satan uses to deflect praise from our True Creator:  God.

Jeremiah 51:15-16 says-He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.  When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

Genesis 1 speaks of our Creator and everything He created.  And it was good!

Colossians 1:16-17 says- For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Our Creator God can calm the winds of the air, and the waves of the sea by a spoken word.  He brings the rain on the just and on the unjust, and He alone is our Sun.

The Marshall Family use to sing a song called, "I know it was God."  Part of the chorus says, 'There's no such thing as Mother Nature, I know it was God!"

I love that!

The next time someone mentions Mother Nature to me in a conversation, I will point them to the One True God, and give Him the praise only He deserves...

    But that's just me!

"God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars."  Martin Luther

Believe It!

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24

Isn't it funny when a friend of yours will call you up on the phone and begin praising God for answered prayer, and in their excitement say, "I can't believe it!?"

That recently happened to me and I had to really ponder that expression.

Is it because we really don't expect God to answer our specific prayers?  Do we psych ourselves up to expect disappointment in case God doesn't answer us like we thought He would, maybe telling ourselves that it might not be His Will to answer this prayer?  Or is it because when God answers our prayers, He answers them in ways we never could have imagined He would and thus we exclaim, "I can't believe it!"

I believe it's the latter.

Why?

Because God answers every prayer.  Yes.  EVERY prayer.  Sometimes it's a 'yes,' sometimes it's a 'no' and sometimes it's 'wait,'   Honestly, even though it's hard when our answer is wait, I think I like those answers the most, because when we wait on God, Miracles occur.  We see His hand in a way that lets us know that God alone answered this prayer in a way that only He could, in His time, when it was best for us.

From now on, when I'm Praising God for answered prayer, instead of saying, 'I can't believe it!' I'm going to say, 'Thank you God, I knew you would answer!'

    But that's just me!

"Prayer delights God's ear; it melts His heart; and opens His hand.  God cannot deny a praying soul."

Thomas Watson

Believe For It

Verse 1 and Chorus

Cece Winans/Dwan Hill/Kyle Lee/Mitch Wong

Integrity Music

They say this mountain can't be moved

They say these chains will never break

But they don't know You like we do

There is power in Your Name

We've heard that there is no way through

We've heard the tide will never change

They haven't seen what You can do

There is power in Your name

So much power in Your name

Move the unmoveable

break the unbreakable

God we believe

God we believe for it

From the impossible

We'll see a miracle

God we believe

God we believe for it.

Perseverance

Vince Lombardi once said, "Winners never quit and quitters never win."

When I thought about that, this quote really isn't true;

Since Satan was cast down from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15) He has been determined to deceive, destroy discourage and disengage as many people from the Lord and His Salvation that he can, beginning with Adam and Eve. Why?  Because our Accuser knows his time is short, and that this battle has already been won.  But he is not the Victor.  And yet, he doesn't quit.

    Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou?  Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it.  Job 1:6-7

The sole purpose behind Satan's perseverance is to always destroy.  He tried to destroy Job, and he will try to destroy you. 1 Peter 5:8 says, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Satan doesn't quit!

So Christian...why do you?

Galatians 5:7 asks us a question:  "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"

I like to ask myself, "Or What?"

Revelation 20:7 8a says, "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations.....

The Perseverance of Satan boggles my mind!  He will be in prison for a thousand years, and I'm sure with great anticipation, when released, he will pick right back up where he left off, but with more vengeance!  His time is short, but he refuses to quit in a battle he knows he has ALREADY lost!

Christians are quitting a battle THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN WON through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Webster's dictionary defines perseverance this way:  Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: STEDFASTNESS.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says- Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Satan wants to neutralize the very ones who have the greatest potential-

    I don't want that to happen to me, don't let that happen to you-

        But that's just me!

Don't give up-the Battle is already Won!

"By perseverance the snail reached the Ark."  Charles Spurgeon