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“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

“Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (KJV)

God’s word through the Apostle Paul, admonishes us to be kind and considerate to all we meet. The person ahead of us at the grocery store check-out line sees we have one or two items and tells us to go ahead of him or her. The member of the gas crew, working at a neighboring house,…  ( Click for more )

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NASB)

“Lord, what can I do about that?”

“Jesus, how did that happen?”

“Lord, why would he do something like that?”

“God, what can we do to help them?”

How many times have we asked God questions like these? When we find ourselves face to face with a circumstance we don’t understand, James tells us how we can receive answers to our questions like this.…  ( Click for more )

Courage

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,

and he shall strengthen thine heart:

wait, I say, on the LORD.”

Psalm 27:14(KJV)

I found the above scripture in a Bible Promise Book for Women. It makes me slow down and think about its message.

David tells his readers, then and now, to ‘wait on the LORD.’ He wants those readers to fully understand it because he says it two times in twenty words.

How many times have I run ahead of the Lord? If I were to have instant replay of my life events, I would see several times I forged…  ( Click for more )

Praise

“I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your our marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name.” Psalm 9:1-2 (NKJV)

Praise—we don’t do it often enough. We gripe about the weather, as if we could change it. We complain if we have to do something extra for someone. Have you ever thought about how things could be if we gave praise to God instead of grumbling about what is before us?

I find one of the best parts of a church service is when people give praise to the Lord…  ( Click for more )

We make choices every day of our lives. When the alarm goes off, I decide whether I get up or roll over and go back to sleep. When we go out in the afternoon, I chose what I will wear. As we make out our grocery list, we decide what we want to have to eat.

Just this last Sunday evening, my hubby called me to the backdoor. One of the boys next door turned seven years old. Hubby was holding a mini cupcake in each hand. They chose to share with us in a small way.

Our choices sometimes are dictated by factors such as health issues, and finances. These decisions shape our lives.…  ( Click for more )

‘” The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD

make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

I remember back in high school the Choral Club ended each performance with a musical arrangement of this passage of scripture. I was not a member of this group or any chorus but I enjoyed hearing those groups perform. I had forgotten how special the passage was.

This passage, a part of my devotions one recent morning, touched me as I read it. I felt led to…  ( Click for more )

God told King Solomon that His people, those who claim to know Him, are to pray and how to do it. When God’s people are confronted with illness, other people intercede in prayer for them.

As Jesus ministered on earth, prayer kept Him in touch with His Father. When Christ was physically exhausted He got away from the crowds and spent time conversing with God.

As Jesus knelt in Gethsemane, He communicated with His Father about the most important deed of His life- that of shedding His blood for you and me. (Matthew 26:36,38-39,42, 44)

Prayer became important…  ( Click for more )

Complete Joy: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.” 1 John 1:3-4 (NIV)

Have you ever shared some good news with a friend so they can rejoice with you? Families of high school graduates usually have open house parties to honor the work of the teens. Newly married couples have receptions to greet their friends. Brides-to-be and mothers-to-be receive shower gifts to help them being new chapters…  ( Click for more )

I like the Biblical character Ruth.

She gave up living in her native land to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi through the wilderness back to Bethlehem. It could have been very dangerous for travelers, let alone women, who went into the wilderness Enroute to distant places.

Ruth chose to adopt Naomi’s faith in one God. She treated Naomi as well as any daughter would her mother.

When they arrived in Bethlehem, she chose to stay with Naomi and work in order for them to have food.

Boaz owned the fields…  ( Click for more )

Where would we be without forgiveness?

We learn early in our Christian life that we have to forgive people who wrong us. As we explore the subject, we hear that sometimes we have to forgive for our own sakes and sanity. We have circumstances we need to get beyond and can only do this through forgiving the other person. If we didn’t extend or seek forgiveness when needed, we would live life in fear, almost in terror.

The Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Ephesus, and to us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ…  ( Click for more )

“A Friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)

As I initially start to write this essay, I am preparing to go to a celebration of life. A very dear friend of ours has been allowed to go live with Jesus. This is a bittersweet time for those who knew her.

King Solomon spoke of two relationships in our focus verse. That of a friend, then of a brother.

As I was growing up, I heard people say, “I know who my true friends are.” Something had happened in their lives and certain “friends”…  ( Click for more )

A lady who follows my blog left a comment on a recent entry. Her comment spoke of a thought that she often had-“What would the world look like if we saw events and people through the eyes of God? This thought is not foreign to me. I have often wondered what God thought of the actions people take in this world. Our pastor has asked the question, “What would Jesus do, say, or think?”

In today’s world, we have school girls kidnapped with the purpose of selling them to be wives and mistresses. We see the rise of a nation, previously a world power, taking…  ( Click for more )

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul closes off his letter to the believers at Philippi with this encouraging thought.

Paul wrote this letter to them in order to lift their spirits about the state he was in. He was under house arrest in Rome and awaiting word about the final disposition of his case. Let’s look at this closing remark and see how it can bring comfort to new believers even in our 21th Century world.

“ . . my God will meet . . .” …  ( Click for more )

“Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NIV)

David writes words of hope here. After expressing God’s relationship with him (The Lord is my shepherd. . .) and the resultant feeling he has. (. . . I shall not want.)

GOODNESS

“The fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace . . . goodness . . . Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

When we see someone acting for the betterment of others instead of themselves, we realize they are…  ( Click for more )

A friend is the pastoral assistant at our church. From time to time, she preaches in place of our senior pastor. She had to preach at our Son rise Service on Easter Sunday. In her planning she got to thinking about Mary Magdalene.

When we think about this Mary, we hone in on the fact that Jesus healed her from seven demons. We don’t know what those were. We do know she appreciated the healing she received to the point she followed the Master as he taught and healed others.

My friend wondered if we who live in the 21Century have demons controlling our…  ( Click for more )

“. . . that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven,

on the earth and under the earth. . . “

Philippians 2:10

“. . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.”

Philippians 2:11 (NIV)

“ . . at the name of Jesus. . .”

When God announces His son’s name at the last judgment, I envision a time of people being either terrified or relieved at this time.

“. . .every knee shall bow. . .”.

When a person bows, they show respect to the person…  ( Click for more )

Thoughts about Peter

Journal Entry- February 26,2004

Mark 14:27-31

Do you have a favorite disciple? Have you ever thought about how human they were?

Peter boasted to Jesus, “The others might leave you but I will follow you even to your death.” Jesus replied, “Peter, you are wrong about this, in fact you will deny me today three times before the cock crows twice.” Mark 14:29-30

This man Peter is a very interesting person to modern day readers. He is best described as impetuous. William Barclay describes him as “having…  ( Click for more )

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,

if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete

by being like-minded, having the same love,

being one in spirit and purpose.”

Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV)

Paul writes to the Philippians; he encourages them to look into their hearts and consider their stance with Christ. He points out that they should receive a building up, an empowerment, from being in His presence. The apostle then spells…  ( Click for more )

Make My Joy Complete. . .

‘If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,

if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Holy Spirit,

if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete

by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Philippians 2:1 (NIV)

Paul writes to the Philippians; he encourages them to look into their hearts and consider their stance with Christ. He points out that they should receive a building up, an empowerment, from being in His presence. The apostle then spells…  ( Click for more )

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord.

‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

The Israelites were in exile, God told them to build houses and settle into the life of Babylon. God instructed them to give their children in marriage to those in that foreign land. He also told the exiles they would be there 70 years. This had to dishearten the Israelite people. (It would me.) Then He speaks the words of the verse shown above.

The spring of 1996…  ( Click for more )

Jesus released Mary Magdalene from the torture of seven demons. She was completely controlled by them. Before Jesus drove those demons out, we get a picture of Mary. “. . . bereft of will and reason, with vacuous eyes, screaming and tearing at her clothes.'1

After Jesus healed her, “She is thought to been beautiful and gracious. Her love was warm and glowing.”2She felt so grateful to her Lord that she, like other women who had received healing, became one of His followers. Mary exuded warmth and love. Her thankfulness was as noticeable to others as her…  ( Click for more )

Charity is an old word. In the King James Bible, the word means love. 1 Corinthians 13 uses the word charity several times. In the beginning verses, Paul paints a word picture to the church at Corinth about what people are like without it—a gong or a clanging symbol.

Paul further describes charity as being:

“. . . long-suffering and kind,” Is not short tempered and is gentle.

“. . . does not envy,” Respects the property of others. Returns borrowed items in better shape than when they were borrowed. …  ( Click for more )

“Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured in your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

“Give . . .” What we do for someone in the name of the Lord, whether devoting our time, talents, treasure, or telling, God notices it. No matter in what form we give, God honors our effort.

“. . . it will be given . . .” God sees what we do and he returns our deed through others. We might not receive back what we gave but in ways that we…  ( Click for more )

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power, with all the saints, to grasp how wide

and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and

to know this love that surpasses all knowledge—

that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17b-19 (NIV)

“And I pray. . .” Paul talked to the Lord about the people who were in the Ephesian church. As Christians we have an obligation to pray for those on the front line in spiritual warfare- the pastors, the missionaries, the church…  ( Click for more )