Lies

"By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:"

 Proverbs 16:6a

"Falsehood is cowardice, the truth courage."  Hosea Ballou

I lied to one of my best friends.

Now, before you get all hoity-toity on me, I'm pretty sure you have lied too, but let me continue.

Sunday night, after Service, we were talking, and I chose to make an excuse rather than hurt her feelings with the truth.

The minute the words came out of my mouth, the Lord smote my heart.

I came home and had no peace.  I couldn't sleep.  

I wanted to make it right, but Satan whispered in my ear, "She will never know you lied, if you confess your sin to her, she will never trust you again, you will only end up hurting her, just forget about it."

But my Saviour did not whisper.

My Saviour's voice held nothing back.  He gave me no excuse.  My Saviour said, "You lied to her, and you lied to Me.  No matter what the outcome, tell her."

It was a long night.

"If I speak what is false, I must answer for it; if truth, it will answer for me."

Thomas Fuller

After a rough night, and an early morning, I texted my friend and asked her if she could come over for a few minutes to talk.  As we sat in my swing out on the patio, I held nothing back.  I told my friend that my excuse was a lie.  I told her that I sinned against her and asked for her forgiveness.

And she did.

Satan did not get a foothold-

He did not get the advantage-

Sin was called sin-

and it was confessed and forgiven.

This sweet friend is even more special to me now...

        Mercy and Truth will do that...

            But that's just me!

"There is no such thing as white lies; a lie is as black as a coal pit, and twice as foul."

Henry Ward Beecher

Gift-Giving

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  James 1:17

Have you ever received a gift you had no use for?

Maybe a gift you didn't like so much?

Perhaps you were given a green scarf when your favorite color is blue, and then you realize that you don't even wear scarves at all!

Maybe, your gift wasn't even wrapped in colorful paper, in a decorated gift bag, no ribbons, no bows but just handed to you, late, in passing as an after-thought?

Recently I was given a beautiful birthday bag filled with three of my favorite things.

A notebook, a new coffee mug and a gift card-

but it wasn't the perfect gifts that warmed my heart...

it was the person behind the gifts.

She knew me.

She knows what I like, what I don't like, and what I need.

Gift-Giving is an Art-of-the-Heart, and my friend has this gift.

Do you?

If not, you can.  It takes three simple things:

    1-Time

    2-Interest

    3-Love

Jesus is the perfect example of Gift-Giving.  

    He gives us His Time...

        He gives us His interest...

            He gives us His Love...

                He gives Himself...

                    But that's just me!

Kindness

"And be ye kind, one to another," Ephesians 4:32a

"Our treatment of others is directly related to how we view God and how we fear Him."

Dr. Paul Chappell

The other day, my husband and I were taking an old carpet to the dump, when my husband noticed a neighbor who had made a pile of branches and sticks in his yard.  We did not personally know this neighbor, but my husband pulled the truck over, put his gloves on, got out of the truck and walked over to this man who was working in his yard.  I remained in the truck, but I heard their conversation.  It didn't go as we first expected. 

My husband greeted the man and asked if he would like his branches and sticks taken to the dump?  The man answered, rather gruffly, that he could do it himself and kept working.  My husband said, "Ok then, I just thought that since we were going to the dump we could save you the trip, have a nice day."  As my husband turned to walk back to the truck, the man cried out, "Wait!  You are going to the dump?"  My husband assured him that we were, and the next ten minutes were spent loading these branches and sticks into the truck.

I will be honest.  When I saw my husband's kindness rejected harshly, I thought to myself, "Fine, if you don't want our help then we won't help."  But no sooner had that thought entered my mind that the Lord smote my heart.  I had to confess that thought and then I began to pray.  As I prayed, I wondered, "has this man ever been shown kindness?"

Men are wary.  This world is unkind, hurtful, full of users and takers.  Maybe this man guarded himself from being hurt or used?  He questioned my husband's intent.

This world isn't used to the type of kindness that has no strings attached.

There was a woman at a well one day who thought the same thing.  No one ever helped her or spoke to her; she was mistreated, used, and over-looked.  Why would anyone approach her and ask anything of her?

"Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealing with Samarians."  John 4:9

Not a lot has changed since then.  When someone wants to do something nice for us, we are left wondering, "What's the catch?"

And just like our neighbor who first rejected our help, we do the same to Jesus.  We read God's Word, His promises, His love towards us, and we think it's just too good to be true.  We reject His kindness, His help, believing we can do things for ourselves.

Why is it so hard to accept kindness?  Has it become so foreign in our society that it is no longer recognized?  Has kindness turned into, "What can I get?" instead of, "What can I give?"

All I know is that I want to be known for kindness...

    To help my neighbors, with no strings attached...

        So, they can see Jesus!

            But that's just me!

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention."  Khalil Gibran

Kindness

by Steven Curtis Chapman

Still, 2022

(excerpt)

What if we lived with a heart of kindness,

What if we loved like we've been loved,

If that's all that we're remembered for,

Well, let that be enough.

Let our hearts be quick to listen,

And our lips be slow to speak,

Let us wrap ourselves in mercy, compassion and humility.

I can forgive because I've been forgiven,

And I can show mercy Because it's mercy I've received,

It's the kindness of my Father,

That brought me back to life,

And it's His kindness that still brings me to my knees.

I wanna live with a heart of kindness,

I wanna love like I've been loved,

If that's all that I'm remembered for,

Then let that be enough.

And I wanna stand and tell the story,

Of Who You are and what You've done,

How your amazing love would bring you here to find us,

To rescue and redeem us in your kindness,

Oh, let my life be,

A reflection of Your kindness.

We can change the world with kindness.

    

Failed, or Defeated?

This Month our church Services are focusing on the Family, and last night's Service touched on the Roles of a husband and a wife.  As our Pastor began to preach on the husband, I sat still in my seat, but thought to myself, "Is my husband listening?"

Then the Pastor began to preach on the Role of the wife.

It wasn't pretty.

At first, I deceived myself into thinking that I had my Role down pretty good, but the longer our Pastor kept preaching, I realized that there were quite a few areas where I missed the mark.

I began to fidget.  I wanted to resist the Holy Spirit's conviction of my sin; I was no longer asking myself if my husband was listening; I didn't want him to listen, I didn't want him to know how I SHOULD be, when he already knows how I really am.

I was embarrassed.  I had failed.

But I was not defeated.  Why?  Because I knew that I did not want to stay the way I was, I asked God to change me.

"For the just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again."  Proverbs 24:16a

Once I acknowledged my sin before God, I knew I had to apologize to my husband; so, I did, and guess what?  He apologized to me too.

I guess we were both listening!

I am human, I will fail...

    But I am only defeated if I quit trying-

        But that's just me!

A Mouse in the House, or a Fox?

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes."

The Song of Solomon 2:15

I ignored the first sign of evidence, but yesterday as I sat peaceably in my recliner with a book in hand and a puppy in my lap, a brown fuzzy blur scurried by.

Did I imagine it?  From the reaction of my puppy, I did not.

As my puppy barked frantically, I went to retrieve my husband from outside.  I yelled, 'WE HAVE A MOUSE!"  He replied, "Are you sure?"

"PRETTY SURE!"

So, my husband set a trap while I began sanitizing the path this rodent ran.

A little while later as I began to prepare dinner, I pointed to our corner kitchen table and asked my husband, "Did you do that?"  Our basket of peanuts, cookies and chips that were recently purchased were now scattered all over my white tablecloth.

My husband looked at me and said, "Of course I didn't do that!"  Then he turned his head back to the mess before us and said, "This is war."  (Never mess with a man's snack basket!)

As I watched my husband get into his truck to drive to the store for more ammunition, (mouse traps) I began cleaning up, yet another mess left from this unwanted varmint.

"This IS war!"  I thought to myself as I conscientiously began making a mental list in my head of all the cleaning and sanitizing, I had to do in the very rooms I had just 'Spring Cleaned.' 

But the more and more I thought about this Dirty Rat, I had to ask myself, "Do I ignore the first sign of sin in my life?  The first sign of a bad habit, or a wrong Spirit?"

Is there a Fox in my heart that Satan has subtilty placed there, and I choose to ignore?

Matthew Henry said, " The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time; trifling visits, small departures from truths, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed.  Whatever we find a hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away.  Little foxes destroy graces."

We caught our mouse, but this little Critter gave me something to think about...

    If I had not ignored the first sign of trouble, I would not have such a big mess to clean up...

        But that's just me!

Love as I Love

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."  Words of Jesus.

John 15:12

This was one of the verses that I read this morning in my Bible Study.  It smote my heart.  I realized that I have fallen way short of how the Lord wants me to love others.

Loving others the way Christ loves me is not an option, it's a command.

In order to love others that way, I must first know Christ's love for me, and I need to recognize His love in words and actions.

    Christ gave Himself for me.  Do I give myself for others?

    He put me first.  Do I put other's first?

    He always gives.  Do I give, or do I expect to get?

    He shared all that He had.  Do I share, or do I hoard?

Everything Christ did was because He loved.  He had no self-motive, no self-gain.  His love was healing and His love was pure.

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.  

1 John 4:7-8

Jesus Christ was and is the very essence of the Fruit of the Spirit of Galatians 5:22,23.

"Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance.

Do I have this Spirit when I speak to others?

Jesus Christ was and is the perfect example of 1 Corinthians 13:

    He spoke with love-

    He had faith to move all obstacles-

    He gave His provision to feed the poor-

    He sacrificed His very body for all service-

    He has a love that is kind and not proud-

    His behavior in all things is pleasing to God-

    He sought after the needs of others and not His own-

    He was not easily provoked, and He didn't think evil of anyone-

    He rejoiced in Truth!

    He bore all things, He believed all things, and He endured all things-

For you, and for me.

He never gave up on love-He knew it was and is the only thing that will never fail.

Am I an example of His love to my family?  My friend?  My neighbors?

    It's a sobering thought...

        But that's just me!

Love as I Loved

by Ron Hamilton

When the Lord was speaking to the crowd,

A beggar came,

Who fell down before Christ, and called out His Name,

The disciples quickly came,

and they turned the man away,

Till they saw the Lord's compassion

and they heard the Saviour say-

"Love as I loved,

Give as I gave,

These are the people,

That I came to save,

Love as I loved,

and I will shine through,

Let other's see,

My love in you."

Yesterday, my time was filled with vain and empty things,

And I was so busy, with all that life brings,

People crowded in my way,

and I pushed them all away,

They were just a senseless bother,

Till I heard the Saviour say-

-chorus-

Pretense

"Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."  

2 Corinthians 8:21

I usually observe the Show, but this time I was part of a Scene.  I laughed to myself as I realized that I had become part of Improv.  Same characters, same Actors, same Show, different Set.

Act 1:  The curtain rises, and two women are talking about their week, as another lady joins the conversation.  The previous conversation ceases, and rehearsed lines are spoken.  One corner of my mouth begins to lift.  Do I dare allow the other side to follow?  I am mesmerized as the Scene unfolds.  Are the Actors aware that I have already seen this Play?  It takes everything I have inside me to refrain from applause, to cry out, 'BRAVO!  ENCORE!'

Act 2:  I can no longer participate in this Scene.  I decide to walk away from the Actors, and as I slowly walk away, the curtain begins to fall on their laughter.  They believe they pulled off another Act; little do they know I have already seen it.

Pretense: A claim made or implied, a false show, make-believe.

"He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known."

Proverbs 10:9

Matthew Henry once said, "Dissemblers, after all their shuffling, will be exposed."

This world hides behind pretense.

People are searching for the Real, the Genuine, The Truth.

Do they see it in you?

In John 14: 8-9 Philip asks Jesus to show them (the disciples) the Father.  In Jesus' reply, He tells Philip, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

So, Christian, when other's see you, do they see Jesus?  Or is it all just a Show?

Are you a fake?  A phony?  Or are you the real deal?

The Finale: "For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."  Words of Jesus, Luke 12:2

"Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight."

Proverbs 12:22

It's time to stop pretending...

    It's time to be real...

        So, others can see Jesus...

            But that's just me!

"Make conscience of truth, not only in words, but in actions."  Matthew Henry