"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7
News Flash: Nobody is perfect. Parents, your children aren't perfect. Children, your parents are perfect. Your spouse isn't perfect. Your boss isn't perfect. Your employees aren't perfect. Your relatives, your friends, your acquaintances aren't perfect. Government officials, our leaders, our spiritual leaders aren't perfect. Nobody is perfect. Nobody does everything right all the time.
We all make mistakes. We all mess up. We all do things we should not have done, say things we should not have said, make choices we should not have made. It is because we are not perfect. We are "flawed" people. We were perfect before sin came into the world through Adam. But the presence of sin took that away.
There is only One perfect and that is Jesus. While, as Christians we are conforming and being transformed into His image, we haven't arrived into that state of perfection. We are in a process of doing so, but it will not be totally accomplished, and completed, until the day when this mortality puts on immortality and this corruptible flesh puts on incorruption.
So in the meantime, because we are all in the "imperfect boat" and living a life of "could of, should of, would of" we need mercy. We need mercy because of our mistakes and imperfections. We need to be shown mercy. But in order to receive mercy ourselves, we must be willing to give mercy. Mercy is a two-way street. If we aren't willing to extend mercy to those who need it, to those who have done wrong, to those who have messed up, to those who aren't doing what we think they should do, to those who aren't making the best choices, to those who aren't lining up with the right way, then we will be cutting off our own mercy. It is a reaping and sowing principle.
Have a great day. When we are unwilling to show mercy to someone because of the speck in their eye, don't forget that there may be a log in our own eye.
Scripture references:
1 Corinthians 15:53
Matthew 7:5
Monday, July 17, 2017
Friday, July 14, 2017
"Hope Deferred Sickness"
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick..." Proverbs 13:12
When our physical bodies are sick, when something causes them to be ill, when we have a disease, our bodies are weakened. In that weakened state they are susceptible and vulnerable to attacks by other diseases. In their weakened state they can contract other illnesses.
When that which we had hoped for does not happen. When it is delayed. When it is not working out. Our hearts become sick-- weak, wounded, ill. Like our bodies, our hearts become susceptible and vulnerable to attacks, "dis-eases" and spiritual illness. It is vulnerable to criticism, to bitterness, to unforgiveness, to anger, resentment, frustration, jealousy, and if not "healed" can lead to hate. Hate then becomes like a "cancer" growing in your spiritual-- destroying your spiritual life.
We all get disappointed. We all don't always get what we hoped for. We all get sad when what we hoped for doesn't happen. But we MUST when hope is deferred, guard our hearts. We must protect them. We must keep them healthy. Deferred hope weakens our spiritual immune system so we must take our spiritual "vitamins" when our hope is deferred.
What are those spiritual vitamins that will keep our hearts well and protected even in times of deferred hope? They are the Word of God-- read it, meditate on it, keep it in your mouth by repeating it over and over again and again. They are prayer-- go to God with your sadness and disappointment. They are praying in the Spirit-- this will build your faith (your spiritual immune system). They are praise-- even if it is a sacrifice to praise, even if you don't feel like praising, praise anyway. (You will get up out of bed and take your pills/medicine for your body even if you don't feel like it.)Praise is powerful.
So when hope deferred comes, and it will sometime throughout your lifetime, strengthen your spiritual immune system and don't give into it. You will be closing the door to other "dis-eases" (the things that go against your ease/peace) when you do. Actually, you should take your spiritual "vitamins" daily so that your faith will be strong when deferred hope comes and can combat it up front.
Have a great day. Keep your spiritual immune system healthy.
When our physical bodies are sick, when something causes them to be ill, when we have a disease, our bodies are weakened. In that weakened state they are susceptible and vulnerable to attacks by other diseases. In their weakened state they can contract other illnesses.
When that which we had hoped for does not happen. When it is delayed. When it is not working out. Our hearts become sick-- weak, wounded, ill. Like our bodies, our hearts become susceptible and vulnerable to attacks, "dis-eases" and spiritual illness. It is vulnerable to criticism, to bitterness, to unforgiveness, to anger, resentment, frustration, jealousy, and if not "healed" can lead to hate. Hate then becomes like a "cancer" growing in your spiritual-- destroying your spiritual life.
We all get disappointed. We all don't always get what we hoped for. We all get sad when what we hoped for doesn't happen. But we MUST when hope is deferred, guard our hearts. We must protect them. We must keep them healthy. Deferred hope weakens our spiritual immune system so we must take our spiritual "vitamins" when our hope is deferred.
What are those spiritual vitamins that will keep our hearts well and protected even in times of deferred hope? They are the Word of God-- read it, meditate on it, keep it in your mouth by repeating it over and over again and again. They are prayer-- go to God with your sadness and disappointment. They are praying in the Spirit-- this will build your faith (your spiritual immune system). They are praise-- even if it is a sacrifice to praise, even if you don't feel like praising, praise anyway. (You will get up out of bed and take your pills/medicine for your body even if you don't feel like it.)Praise is powerful.
So when hope deferred comes, and it will sometime throughout your lifetime, strengthen your spiritual immune system and don't give into it. You will be closing the door to other "dis-eases" (the things that go against your ease/peace) when you do. Actually, you should take your spiritual "vitamins" daily so that your faith will be strong when deferred hope comes and can combat it up front.
Have a great day. Keep your spiritual immune system healthy.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
"Quick Fix Mentality"
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9
We live in a "quick fix" society. We want everything now. We don't want to wait. We don't want to have to put forth any effort for it. Just give it to me now.
We are like that when we are sick, in pain or hurting. We want a "wonder pill" that will bring us immediate healing or relief. We are like that with finances. We want to win the lottery, we want a hand out, we want to have riches now. We are like that when we go to God for the answer to a need. We pray a "microwave" prayer and expect the answer to "pop out" in ten seconds or less. Young newly married couples want all the luxuries-- cars, a house, all the tools, etc. at the beginning of their marriage. They want all the things that their parents have. They just don't want to wait for them. It took their parents a lifetime to have what they have, but they want it now.
We are so spoiled! Our "quick fix" mentality is often a "curse" to us. Don't misunderstand what I am about to say, please. But when dealing with sickness, sometimes instead of looking to the doctor to give you a pill that will take care of it instantly, we just need to make some lifestyle changes and the problem would take care of itself. Some things we face just need some time in prayer. But we don't want to take the time. We don't want to "tarry" in our prayer closets until the answer comes. We want it now, we don't want to wait. We would rather take a hand out financially than get a job and work for it-- that takes too long and is too much effort on my part.
Hezekiah had to turn his face to the wall when told he had a terminal disease and pray until the prophet returned with the answer. The woman with the issue of blood had to press her way through the crowd. Daniel had to fast and pray for twenty-one days for the answer to come. The disciples had to tarry in the upper room for days before they received the infilling power of the Holy Spirit. Consider Jesus Himself. He had to tarry in the wilderness to become empowered for the ministry He would have. And the list goes on.
God does instantaneous things many times. He does miracles often immediately. But, more times than not, there are things that we have to do. And those things don't always take a few seconds. They take time in the prayer closet. They take weeks of fasting. They take days of work. They take lifestyle changes day in a day out. We need to change our "quick fix" mentality and humble ourselves, take control of our flesh, renew our minds, be willing to do what we have to do and pray for grace to do the things we need to do... and do them until the result or answer comes.
Have a great day. Change your "quick fix" mentality and persevere.
We live in a "quick fix" society. We want everything now. We don't want to wait. We don't want to have to put forth any effort for it. Just give it to me now.
We are like that when we are sick, in pain or hurting. We want a "wonder pill" that will bring us immediate healing or relief. We are like that with finances. We want to win the lottery, we want a hand out, we want to have riches now. We are like that when we go to God for the answer to a need. We pray a "microwave" prayer and expect the answer to "pop out" in ten seconds or less. Young newly married couples want all the luxuries-- cars, a house, all the tools, etc. at the beginning of their marriage. They want all the things that their parents have. They just don't want to wait for them. It took their parents a lifetime to have what they have, but they want it now.
We are so spoiled! Our "quick fix" mentality is often a "curse" to us. Don't misunderstand what I am about to say, please. But when dealing with sickness, sometimes instead of looking to the doctor to give you a pill that will take care of it instantly, we just need to make some lifestyle changes and the problem would take care of itself. Some things we face just need some time in prayer. But we don't want to take the time. We don't want to "tarry" in our prayer closets until the answer comes. We want it now, we don't want to wait. We would rather take a hand out financially than get a job and work for it-- that takes too long and is too much effort on my part.
Hezekiah had to turn his face to the wall when told he had a terminal disease and pray until the prophet returned with the answer. The woman with the issue of blood had to press her way through the crowd. Daniel had to fast and pray for twenty-one days for the answer to come. The disciples had to tarry in the upper room for days before they received the infilling power of the Holy Spirit. Consider Jesus Himself. He had to tarry in the wilderness to become empowered for the ministry He would have. And the list goes on.
God does instantaneous things many times. He does miracles often immediately. But, more times than not, there are things that we have to do. And those things don't always take a few seconds. They take time in the prayer closet. They take weeks of fasting. They take days of work. They take lifestyle changes day in a day out. We need to change our "quick fix" mentality and humble ourselves, take control of our flesh, renew our minds, be willing to do what we have to do and pray for grace to do the things we need to do... and do them until the result or answer comes.
Have a great day. Change your "quick fix" mentality and persevere.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
"Bad Day Choices"
"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
We all have bad days. There are days when things don't go as we plan. Days when pain and suffering come. Days when things don't go as we hoped they would. Just bad days. When those bad days come, we have to make a choice about them. Are we going to choose to allow them to affect our attitude and cause us to have a "bad" attitude? Or are we going to choose grace?
Paul was faced with a thorn in his flesh. It was not a good thing-- thorns never are. Had it been a good thing he never would have prayed for its removal-- but he prayed three times for the Lord to take it away. The Lord responded to Paul by offering him grace. That was his answer. At that point Paul had a choice-- was he going to let the thorn cause him to get a bad attitude, get bitter, get frustrated, angry, discouraged, etc., or was he going to choose grace? Paul chose grace.
When we are having a bad day and chose to respond and react in our flesh to the bad things that are happening, we are going to find ourselves giving into the wrong attitude. We will give into anger, revenge, frustration, discouragement, fear, bitterness, hopelessness, confusion, and so on. But if we will choose grace instead, we will be able to rejoice and be glad. We will have peace to make it through the day. We will have contentment. We will have faith and so on because grace is the agent that produces these types of attitudes in us. Grace is not only defined as God's unmerited favor. It is also defined as God's divine influence on our hearts. Therefore, by choosing grace we will be choosing His influence to direct our hearts. His influence is one of love, joy, peace, contentment, mercy, strength, etc. Therefore, even a bad day can be a good day when we choose grace.
Have a great day. Having a bad day? Choose grace and you will then be able to rejoice and be glad in that bad day.
We all have bad days. There are days when things don't go as we plan. Days when pain and suffering come. Days when things don't go as we hoped they would. Just bad days. When those bad days come, we have to make a choice about them. Are we going to choose to allow them to affect our attitude and cause us to have a "bad" attitude? Or are we going to choose grace?
Paul was faced with a thorn in his flesh. It was not a good thing-- thorns never are. Had it been a good thing he never would have prayed for its removal-- but he prayed three times for the Lord to take it away. The Lord responded to Paul by offering him grace. That was his answer. At that point Paul had a choice-- was he going to let the thorn cause him to get a bad attitude, get bitter, get frustrated, angry, discouraged, etc., or was he going to choose grace? Paul chose grace.
When we are having a bad day and chose to respond and react in our flesh to the bad things that are happening, we are going to find ourselves giving into the wrong attitude. We will give into anger, revenge, frustration, discouragement, fear, bitterness, hopelessness, confusion, and so on. But if we will choose grace instead, we will be able to rejoice and be glad. We will have peace to make it through the day. We will have contentment. We will have faith and so on because grace is the agent that produces these types of attitudes in us. Grace is not only defined as God's unmerited favor. It is also defined as God's divine influence on our hearts. Therefore, by choosing grace we will be choosing His influence to direct our hearts. His influence is one of love, joy, peace, contentment, mercy, strength, etc. Therefore, even a bad day can be a good day when we choose grace.
Have a great day. Having a bad day? Choose grace and you will then be able to rejoice and be glad in that bad day.
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
"Enter Light"
"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." Psalm 119:130
The reason so many of us are confused about what we should do, which direction we should take, what decision is the best one is because we are trying to make them in the dark. What I mean is that we are trying to make them based on our own knowledge and understanding.
Making a decision, about anything, is like walking into an unfamiliar room with all the lights off and trying to reach a prize that has been placed on the other side of the room. We have to feel our way around. We have to assume which is the best route through the room. We have to try to get our bearings and direction. But we can't.. it is dark and unfamiliar. If we were to turn on a light in that room, things would be clearer. We would see clearly. We would know where the prize was. We could easily maneuver our way around to reach it. Having a light on makes all the difference.
Having the light of God's Word in our situation and decision making makes all the difference also. The verse says that when God's Word enters it gives light. Our decisions have to be made in light of, and in the light of, God's Word. Without it we will be confused, we will be uncertain, we will be unsure and our understanding about what to do will be darkened.
Are you trying to make decisions in your life? Are you uncertain of what you should do? Are you grasping for the right answer? Bring God's Word into your situation and the light will come on and you will see more clearly what you should do.
Have a great day. When God's Word enters your situation, it brings light and removes the darkness.
The reason so many of us are confused about what we should do, which direction we should take, what decision is the best one is because we are trying to make them in the dark. What I mean is that we are trying to make them based on our own knowledge and understanding.
Making a decision, about anything, is like walking into an unfamiliar room with all the lights off and trying to reach a prize that has been placed on the other side of the room. We have to feel our way around. We have to assume which is the best route through the room. We have to try to get our bearings and direction. But we can't.. it is dark and unfamiliar. If we were to turn on a light in that room, things would be clearer. We would see clearly. We would know where the prize was. We could easily maneuver our way around to reach it. Having a light on makes all the difference.
Having the light of God's Word in our situation and decision making makes all the difference also. The verse says that when God's Word enters it gives light. Our decisions have to be made in light of, and in the light of, God's Word. Without it we will be confused, we will be uncertain, we will be unsure and our understanding about what to do will be darkened.
Are you trying to make decisions in your life? Are you uncertain of what you should do? Are you grasping for the right answer? Bring God's Word into your situation and the light will come on and you will see more clearly what you should do.
Have a great day. When God's Word enters your situation, it brings light and removes the darkness.
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