Please take a minute to read this article, which reports of an anti-bullying conference for high school students that turned out to be a Bible-bashing during which many students walked out. I cannot understand why society chooses to be tolerant of everyone's beliefs and lifestyles except those of Christians. It is wrong. The article says the host of the conference didn't even apologize to the students; instead, the host claimed that as journalists the students would have to listen to things they didn't agree with, but this is way beyond a difference of opinion. This is someone bullying Christian teens while other teens cheer him on. Terrible.
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/anti-bullying-speaker-curses-mocks-christian-teens.html
I've also read recently about a pastor in Arizona who has been PUT IN JAIL for holding Bible Study in his home. The officals claim that his Bible Study makes his home a place of worship, which violates zoning laws.
This persecution of Christians is the result of too much tolerance on the part of Christian Americans. Over the years, we have stood by and allowed our beliefs to be compromised, and our reward is to now be persecuted in our own "Christian" nation.
I challenge you to read Revelation chapters 2 and 3, the messages to the churches. Here are a few excerpts that should really hit home:
Revelation 2
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
Revelation 3
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
These passages are taken from the messages to the seven churches. Repeated throughout these two chapters is the phrase, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
I pray that we hear and take to heart what He is saying to us today.
Sleep
I start my new job in the morning, and I would greatly appreciate your prayers over the next two weeks. With Aaron out of state with military training, I'm having trouble sleeping, which leads to headaches all throughout the day. Sleep deprivation + headaches + new job is a formula for stress, something I don't want to allow back in my life. So, please pray that I will get the rest I need during this time of change not only to handle what the days bring, but to make the impact God wants me to make, also.
Please pray for Aaron and his unit while they are away. I'm not sure what his sleeping conditions will be (likely a tent with no air conditioning), and he doesn't sleep well with noise, which always causes problems while he's away with the Guard because some of the men stay up talking or have music blaring all night. He and the other soldiers need their rest to get them through two weeks of training, so I pray his sleeping conditions will be inducive to rest.
It's amazing how sleep can affect our lives. With me, it affects my mood, my focus, my energy, my thoughts. We need our rest to perform our best for God throughout the day.
Please pray for Aaron and his unit while they are away. I'm not sure what his sleeping conditions will be (likely a tent with no air conditioning), and he doesn't sleep well with noise, which always causes problems while he's away with the Guard because some of the men stay up talking or have music blaring all night. He and the other soldiers need their rest to get them through two weeks of training, so I pray his sleeping conditions will be inducive to rest.
It's amazing how sleep can affect our lives. With me, it affects my mood, my focus, my energy, my thoughts. We need our rest to perform our best for God throughout the day.
Psalm 4:8
In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.
Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
May angels guard me through the night
and keep me safe till morning light.
Thank you, Jesus, for this day.
In your precious name I pray,
Amen.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
May angels guard me through the night
and keep me safe till morning light.
Thank you, Jesus, for this day.
In your precious name I pray,
Amen.
Blooming for Jesus
In Sunday School, we recently studied what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 commands us to "be filled with the Spirit." The Sunday School commentary taught that the Greek word for "be filled" indicates control and power; therefore, being filled by the Holy Spirit means allowing Him to control you and empower you. To be filled is to be permeated. And the results should be obvious.
Let's look, for example, at the flowers on my front porch. If I water them only once a week, they will succumb to the dreadful heat and die. However, when I water them daily, their soil becomes permeated and their strong roots will enable them to grow and flourish. How do I know they flourish when I water them daily? By their blooms.
The sin of the world to a Christian is like the summer heat to my flowers. One dose of God a week on Sunday isn't enough to keep us strong. We will wilt and eventually dry up from the heat. We need a daily dose of His Living Water. When we get that daily dose, our lives will be permeated. When you are filled by the Holy Spirit, the evidence will be reflected in every aspect of your life. You will flourish, and your blooms will reflect Jesus to all who see them.
Luke 6:44-45
For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
The mouth speaks.
While we know that works cannot earn one's way into Heaven,
we also understand that one's words are evidence of one's faith.
We have been commanded to use our mouths to declare
Jesus as Lord and to help win others to Him.
Jesus as Lord and to help win others to Him.
Tomorrow's blog post will explore in detail what the Bible says we should do with our mouths.
Your Excuses Are Inadequate-- You Aren't
We all make excuses sometimes, but there's no point making excuses to God because He knows our thoughts!! He knows what we're really doing when we skip church on Sunday, He knows we chose to watch TV instead of study our Sunday School lesson, He knows when we avoid eye contact when He puts someone in our path for us to witness to. He knows everything! Excuses to God are just insults.
Yesterday, I told you how God has been dealing with me about doing what He wants in my life. Well, guess what our Sunday School lesson is titled this week????
MAKE NO EXCUSES
Do you think that's a coincidence? I sure don't.
The scripture is taken from Jeremiah 1. God told Jeremiah, "I formed thee... I knew thee... I sanctified thee... I ordained thee... Be not afraid... for I am with thee to deliver thee."
That's pretty awesome! Think about it for just a moment. God formed you physically in your mother's womb, but he also formed your personality. He created you to be unique, with special gifts and talents unlike those of anyone else, which brings me back to yesterday's blog: Are you using your gifts or are you making excuses?
The Sunday School writer Billie Friel challenges readers to "give up your excuses for not serving God and respond obediently to His call." He goes on to say that people "are reluctant to serve because they feel inadequate to undertake the tasks God calls them to perform."
Inadequate??? How can you possibly feel inadequate when you were formed, sanctified, and ordained by the creator of all the universe??
I understand.
Many times I have felt my actions in the past have left me inadequate, but it isn't true. When He forgives our sins, he casts them as far as the east is from the west and remembers them no more.
You are more than adequate.
You are equipped by God himself to serve in a role only you can fulfill,
So stop making excuses.
Stop feeling inadequate.
God doesn't make mistakes,
but He can make something wonderful come out of yours.
Do What You Can-- No Excuses!
God has been really dealing with my heart over the last few weeks about doing what He wants me to do. I've made excuses to myself and to Him in the past, but this time I'm trying my best to throw all excuses aside and faithfully serve how He wants me to serve. I want to share with you some of the instances where He has been speaking to me about doing what I can for Him- doing what I can, not what someone else can; doing what I have been called to do, living how I have been called to live... without excuses.
On July 29th in the morning church service, Bro. Keith began his message by saying, "What keeps you from being what God wants you to be or doing what he wants you to do? People would come up with all kinds of excuses- physical, financial, etc." Just a couple days before, I had written a blog that said, "Whatever Satan is trying to stop you from accomplishing or however he wants to hold you back in life, don't let him!!" and before that church service began, I'd been talking to a fellow church member who was struggling with some of the same desires for service although things seem to keep standing in the way. This message really hit home! (to see more of Brother Keith's message, visit http://springhillbcsermons.blogspot.com.)
I left church thinking about excuses, I started looking back at my journal and came across several notes over the past few months about doing God's will. Back on July 8th, Bro. Keith's sermon was titled "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way" and he said if you aren't going to do what you need to do, you should just get out of the way. If you aren't joyfully prepared to serve God, you're just hindering His work with your half-hearted service.
Are you serving half-heartedly? If so, what is your excuse?
Monday night, Aaron and I sang at a revival a couple hours away. The message was about choices, and the speaker talked about how people ask, "Why did God allow this to happen?" when they find themselves in difficult situations. He said that people want to play the blame game, that no one wants to take responsibility, and I thought about the old saying- Life is 10% action and 90% reaction. I've always had poor reactions in the past, and this is an area of my life I've given completely over to God. I know I've always been quick to act, slow to think, instead of the other way around, but God is working on changing that.
How do you react when bad things happen? Do you play the blame game? Psalm 119:1 says, "Blessed are those whose way is blameless."
Do you make excuses for how you handle the situation or how you got there in the first place?
In some situations, I think, "What can I possibly do to make this better? How can I possibly help?" At times, there is nothing we can physically do to improve the circumstances, but we can improve how we react to them and how we get through them. We simply have to trust God. I use the word "simply" here because trust- completely letting go of the situation- is something people often find difficult (myself for certain), but it isn't complicated. Faithfully, whole-heartedly trusting Him may be hard, but it is very simple.
In the devotional book I've been studying The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (ladies- buy this book and read it if you haven't already), one whole unit is about giving your best to Christ. At one point Shirer writes, "Take a second to consider what God has uniquely equipped you to do, as well as what He's asking of you at this particular season of life. Instead of focusing on what you can't do, why not carefully consider how to capitalize on what you can do in a way that will tap into God's presence and power?"
Here's what the Bible says about what you do...
Keep in mind that these scriptures say "whatever YOU do," not what your neighbor does, or what your best friend does, or what your coworker does. It says, "whatever YOU do." For Him.You were called to do something specific for God, something He equipped you personally to do.
Are you fulfilling that purpose today??
Or are you making excuses?
*Visit tomorrow for part two of this blog message: "Your Excuses Are Inadequate-- You Aren't"
On July 29th in the morning church service, Bro. Keith began his message by saying, "What keeps you from being what God wants you to be or doing what he wants you to do? People would come up with all kinds of excuses- physical, financial, etc." Just a couple days before, I had written a blog that said, "Whatever Satan is trying to stop you from accomplishing or however he wants to hold you back in life, don't let him!!" and before that church service began, I'd been talking to a fellow church member who was struggling with some of the same desires for service although things seem to keep standing in the way. This message really hit home! (to see more of Brother Keith's message, visit http://springhillbcsermons.blogspot.com.)
I left church thinking about excuses, I started looking back at my journal and came across several notes over the past few months about doing God's will. Back on July 8th, Bro. Keith's sermon was titled "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way" and he said if you aren't going to do what you need to do, you should just get out of the way. If you aren't joyfully prepared to serve God, you're just hindering His work with your half-hearted service.
Are you serving half-heartedly? If so, what is your excuse?
Monday night, Aaron and I sang at a revival a couple hours away. The message was about choices, and the speaker talked about how people ask, "Why did God allow this to happen?" when they find themselves in difficult situations. He said that people want to play the blame game, that no one wants to take responsibility, and I thought about the old saying- Life is 10% action and 90% reaction. I've always had poor reactions in the past, and this is an area of my life I've given completely over to God. I know I've always been quick to act, slow to think, instead of the other way around, but God is working on changing that.
How do you react when bad things happen? Do you play the blame game? Psalm 119:1 says, "Blessed are those whose way is blameless."
Do you make excuses for how you handle the situation or how you got there in the first place?
In some situations, I think, "What can I possibly do to make this better? How can I possibly help?" At times, there is nothing we can physically do to improve the circumstances, but we can improve how we react to them and how we get through them. We simply have to trust God. I use the word "simply" here because trust- completely letting go of the situation- is something people often find difficult (myself for certain), but it isn't complicated. Faithfully, whole-heartedly trusting Him may be hard, but it is very simple.
In the devotional book I've been studying The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer (ladies- buy this book and read it if you haven't already), one whole unit is about giving your best to Christ. At one point Shirer writes, "Take a second to consider what God has uniquely equipped you to do, as well as what He's asking of you at this particular season of life. Instead of focusing on what you can't do, why not carefully consider how to capitalize on what you can do in a way that will tap into God's presence and power?"
Here's what the Bible says about what you do...
- Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. - 1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. - Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters
Keep in mind that these scriptures say "whatever YOU do," not what your neighbor does, or what your best friend does, or what your coworker does. It says, "whatever YOU do." For Him.You were called to do something specific for God, something He equipped you personally to do.
Are you fulfilling that purpose today??
Or are you making excuses?
*Visit tomorrow for part two of this blog message: "Your Excuses Are Inadequate-- You Aren't"
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