What Are Your Actions Teaching?

Good Morning, My Friend!! Have Patience With Yourself, And Others As We All Learn to "Walk The Talk". Paul repeatedly stresses the importance of us leading lives that are worthy of the Lord. Paul himself takes great care to make his words credible by behaving in a manner that will reflect well on Christ. But as the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy once commented, "Blame me - I do that myself - but not the path I tread . . . If I know the road home and go along it drunk, staggering from side to side - does that make the road along which I go the wrong one?"

 

We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.—2 Corinthians 6:3 (NIV)

 

Of course, there is no excuse for believers to willfully live morally shoddy lives. If we want others to follow us, as we follow Jesus,...then our lives should make the Christian faith more attractive. This doesn't require perfection, but rather a humble spirit expressed in lives that are generous, full of gratitude, and graceful even under pressure.

Just a reminder; Crisis doesn't develop character,...it can only reveal it.

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We are created in Christ Jesus, to walk as He walked,...and to do the things He did while He was on earth."

(The Man God Uses, Henry & Tom Blackaby, p. 62)

"Grace is free,...but it's never cheap."

Even In Darkness, There Is Hope

Good Morning, My Friend!! When the enemy storms against us,..and he will, just remember; that for those who walk the path that God has laid before them, the Spirit of God is never idle. Even if we do not see it, God's response is immediate,...He is always on top of every situation. God is raising the standard and the devil and his minions are not able to bear up against it.
....When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.—Isaiah 59:19 (KJV)
God hears the cries of His children and responds true to His word, character, and in His great mercy. There is none of us who deserve the mercy we continually receive,...and we can't begin to earn it. It is a priceless treasure purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. He cleans us, revives us, refreshes us completely satisfying our souls with the sweet rain of heaven.

In the midst of darkness,...in times of trouble, God's love is reflected through each of our lives reminding the world just how great His love is for us all.

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Lord, rain down on our hearts refreshing our souls saturating them with Your sweet Spirit. We thank You for new mercy each and every morning. Make our lives living testimonies of Your goodness, mercy, and love. You are our hope, and the hope for the world, Amen.

"With God, there is hope,...even in the most hopeless situation."

(Our Daily Bread, April 18, 2013)

Praise Is What We Do

Good Morning, What A Tremendous Day For Worship And Praise!!! Worship, is not something we do, only at appointed times. It is a part of who we are and what we do all of the time. It is a way for us to express our love and to honor God for all that He is and all that He has and is doing in our lives. In praising Him, we become consumed with His presence. It leaves little room for us to continue pondering the burdens of our day.
My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long.—Psalm 71:8 (NIV)
We can praise Him, when the sun rises with our dreams of today,....and until it sets with our hope for tomorrow. We are not restricted to our Sunday corporate worship. It is always appropriate to praise God. There is no set way to worship and praise God. It comes directly from your heart to the heart of God. Sometimes you may want to shout, other times sing, and yet, another time, maybe just sit and quietly reflect on His greatness. No matter how you do it; today is a wonderful day to praise and give thanks to our God.

Our GOD is an awesome God! He reigns!

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Father, You are our God and we are Your children. Let us honor You today in our words,  actions, praise, and our love. Amen.

"With God, there is hope,...even in the most hopeless situation."

(Our Daily Bread, April 18, 2013)

Where You Need To Be

Good Morning!! Remind yourself every day that life is a journey,...a series of steps and missteps. When reaching out to, or connecting to, people we care about,...there can be a few days, if not many, that things seem to go wrong, or can appear to be down right hopeless. Live each day focusing on God, and He will work things out, as they should be. He promised to be our guide,...all along the journey.
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.—Psalm 48:14 (NIV)

Ask God to clear your thinking, and remove any obstacles that may get in the way of in your relationship with Him. If you are anything like me, then you've made some poor decisions, and used bad judgment as a helper. God is there to forgive you and help you get back on track.​

There is never a need to rush,...what ever God's plan for you,...it will be.

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Father thank You, for being our constant guide. Help us be sensitive, and obedient,...to Your guidance. In Jesus name, Amen.

"With God, there is hope,...even in the most hopeless situation."

(Our Daily Bread, April 18, 2013)

Love, It Does A Body Good

Good Morning!! The human body is an intricate creation, feeding itself from nutrients found in our food sources. Science has proven that a diet lacking in a necessary vitamin or mineral can send the body into a state of inefficiency and general ill health. What type of diet are YOU feeding those you love? Do you give generously of yourself, offering love, care,...and warmth on a silver platter? Or do you dish out a diet of fast food scraps?
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.—Galatians 5:13 (KJV)
In the Bible, God speaks of returning to our first love. While this particular verse was relating to our relationship with Jesus Christ so, too, can we learn another valuable lesson in regards to neglecting our loved ones and THEIR need of our love and attention. Just as our physical bodies sometimes aren't running as well as they could, so too does our emotional well being occasionally suffer when we aren't fed a diet of good things. For example, pouring hatred, bitterness, and constant stressful circumstances into one's life, on a steady basis, is known to most definitely affect an individual, making one more susceptible to such physical and emotional ailments as ulcers, high blood pressure, nervous breakdowns, etc.

If we don't nurture and nourish them,...any relationship will begin to deteriorate.

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" If our achievements in life

don't enhance our relationships with God, our spouse and children, and others,

the we are not fulfilling God's commandments."      

(Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ, November 8, 2004)

"With God, there is hope,...even in the most hopeless situation."

(Our Daily Bread, April 18, 2013)

Because Sometimes The Load Is Too Much

Good Morning!! Happiness. Sadness. Both emotions are an inevitable part of life. We rejoice over our successes and share these happy moments freely with others, but what do we do with our miseries, disappointments, regrets, fears, and worries? Happiness is an easy thing to share, but sadness, most often, is a cold and lonely road, for, it is during these times, one must expose weakness and vulnerability. Why are we so afraid to admit we are human, that we cannot possibly carry all the burdens of the world and that there will be times our knees will weaken from too heavy a load.

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee:...—Psalms 55:22 (KJV)

It is not God's intention for us to carry our burdens alone. In the Bible, we are told to cast our troubles to the Lord. Although we may be weak due to our fleshly nature, He alone is strong and can offer comfort. We are also not to let those who are burdened with sorrow handle their troubles alone, but we are, instead, instructed to bear one another's burdens and be true keepers of the 'golden rule.' ("Love your neighbor as yourself." -Galatians 5:14) Do not wallow in your sorrows alone, but turn them over to One who truly knows, understands, and can ease your pains, not to mention most importantly, can offer you salvation. His name is Jesus!

"Too often we try to carry the load of a problem all by ourselves.

But the first person we should ask for help in any situation is God."
(Running with the Giants, John Maxwell, p. 84)

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Father help us today, remind us that the battles and sorrows are not ours alone. Help is all around us,...allow us to open up to the people You've placed in our lives, because opening up helps us, and them. Amen.

"With God, there is hope,...even in the most hopeless situation."

(Our Daily Bread, April 18, 2013)

Don't Be Overtaken, By Bitterness

Good Morning!! As Jesus hung on the cross, suffering agonies we can't even begin to understand, He looked out at the crowd. Some had lied about Him, and wrongly accused Him. Some had beaten Him unmercifully,...many had shouted for His crucifixion. Peter had denied Him. Other disciples had abandoned Him. But Jesus looked beyond all that. He looked beyond their fault,...and with loving eyes saw their need.
"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'"—Luke 23:24 (NIV)
Has someone around you been hurtful? Betrayed you? Are you struggling with bitterness and unforgiveness? Ask God to help you look beyond that. Pray. As you do, God will help you forgive. Jesus prayed for them,...and He forgave them.

God does not want you to subject yourself to harm. Use wisdom to protect yourself. But don't do it out of bitterness or to seek revenge.

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Holy Spirit, we need Your help. These people have hurt us so deeply. Help us see through Your eyes. Help us look beyond fault to need. Help us forgive. In Jesus name. Amen.

"Distractions are all around us,...today lets keep them in perspective, and focus on our relationship with God."