The devil's Mission is to Lead As Many people from God as he can. He uses his tricks and deceptive powers to fool people to turn from God. In thinking about this I realized that there are many ways to lead people down the wrong path. One way has stood out in my mind and that is false religion, what a great way to get large masses of people to denounce the Father! False Religion is very misleading and very dangerous.
Other ways are statements like "Many paths lead to God" and all the Social Justice when it relates to same sex relationships. I do not believe in persecuting the non believers I don't think that would bring them to Christ. Bringing the non believer to Christ involves remaining firm in what is true, yet showing love (not approval) for these individuals. We must pray for them, and we must remain on the side of God and show the example of love that Christ showed.
False religion is a Trick of the devil and it is our duty and mission as followers of Christ to bring the truth of our Savior to those who will listen.
Be a Christ Follower.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
No News
I do not watch the News. I often wonder how the commentators feel when they report such garbage. The news is like Gossip. Important information, like warnings of national disasters, recalls, amber alerts, etc. are what should be reported. I do not need to know about the Pastor who is being accused of Molestation or the private lives of people I don't know. Voting issues are important, but overall, the news is nothing but Gossip and Sensationalism, that promotes negativity and we bring this nonsense into our homes. I am better off not knowing about the hit and run or the woman who killed her children, the lunatic who poured acid on herself...etc. How does that improve the quality of life and the world? I am not interested is knowing these things. When these horrific things are reported, there is no solution offered. How are we striving for peace if we continue to participate in the perpetuation of Chaos?
Be a Christ Follower.
Be a Christ Follower.
Prayer
This is a Prayer from Ed Young, that I liked and wanted to share.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, Help me to better manage my life by turning everything over to you, giving you everything I have—my job, my relationships, my finances, and whatever else I’m holding on to. I want to be faithful in the little things, so that I can be entrusted with even more in order to glorify you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be a Christ Follower.
A Prayer for Today
Dear God, Help me to better manage my life by turning everything over to you, giving you everything I have—my job, my relationships, my finances, and whatever else I’m holding on to. I want to be faithful in the little things, so that I can be entrusted with even more in order to glorify you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Be a Christ Follower.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Joel Osteen
I liked this message from Joel Osteen, and wanted to share it here on the blog.
Your imagination is a wonderful gift that God has given you!
With it, you can envision opportunities and new beginnings long before they become a reality in your life. When you apply your faith this way, your imagination isn't about "day dreams" — it's a tool that helps you deepen your relationship with God.
And when you pursue God and worship Him through your imagination, you plant seeds of hope for the dreams you carry in your heart. Each time you throw aside doubts, or fears about getting your hopes up, you set into motion an awesome, supernatural process.
I know how difficult this can be. It's risky to imagine God doing the incredible or the impossible. If we never dream, we don't have to worry about being disappointed.
But consider this: as powerful as our imaginations can be, God is able to do so much more than you can ever imagine.
Victoria and I want to encourage you today to take a step of faith and to imagine…imagine all the wonderful, supernatural and great things God could do in your life. How bold are you willing to be? How big are you willing to dream?
There's no greater joy than encouraging people to put their trust in Jesus and to expect Him to do great things in their lives. Every day, as a ministry, that's what we're doing all over the world — and it's not because of me and Victoria. It's because of friends like you who "see" the power of hope. Thank you for your support!
Remember, don't be afraid to believe God for BIG things in your life and in the lives of your loved ones.
Victoria and I want you to know that we are believing with you. Together, let's put our faith into motion…and be amazed at what God will do!
Be a Christ Follower.
Your imagination is a wonderful gift that God has given you!
With it, you can envision opportunities and new beginnings long before they become a reality in your life. When you apply your faith this way, your imagination isn't about "day dreams" — it's a tool that helps you deepen your relationship with God.
And when you pursue God and worship Him through your imagination, you plant seeds of hope for the dreams you carry in your heart. Each time you throw aside doubts, or fears about getting your hopes up, you set into motion an awesome, supernatural process.
I know how difficult this can be. It's risky to imagine God doing the incredible or the impossible. If we never dream, we don't have to worry about being disappointed.
But consider this: as powerful as our imaginations can be, God is able to do so much more than you can ever imagine.
Victoria and I want to encourage you today to take a step of faith and to imagine…imagine all the wonderful, supernatural and great things God could do in your life. How bold are you willing to be? How big are you willing to dream?
There's no greater joy than encouraging people to put their trust in Jesus and to expect Him to do great things in their lives. Every day, as a ministry, that's what we're doing all over the world — and it's not because of me and Victoria. It's because of friends like you who "see" the power of hope. Thank you for your support!
Remember, don't be afraid to believe God for BIG things in your life and in the lives of your loved ones.
Victoria and I want you to know that we are believing with you. Together, let's put our faith into motion…and be amazed at what God will do!
Be a Christ Follower.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thinking Positively
"You cannot Love Life, if you are always thinking Negative Thoughts" Joyce Meyer.
The Best way to become a positive thinker is to ask God for a lot of help and and ask Him often.
When transforming our thoughts from positive to negative, this process can take time. It is a slow process. It is a journey to Freedom. Freeing our thoughts requires time. Because our progress is slow, the devil will try to tell us we are not moving forward at all. His hope is that we will throw in the towel. But God's Word is always at our disposal to Encourage us.
Sometimes, we go through a difficult period of waiting to stretch our faith and learn patience. Whenever we experience this, we must remember that God's timing is perfect. He is never late, and He will keep His promise to bring us into completion.
Many people are afraid to hope, because they have been hurt so much in their life. They live by the philosophy of: "If I don't expect anything good to happen, then I won't be disappointed if it doesn't". Study the Word and trust God to restore you, then the realization that negative thoughts have to GO, will hit home. We need to practice being positive in all kinds of situations. If you are going through a difficult time in life, Expect that God will work things out for your good.
To be delivered from negativity we must not only believe His Word, we must Confess it by not only thinking right thoughts, but speaking them out loud as personal confessions of faith.
The more time we spend meditating on God's Word, the more we will reap from it. God even promises we will receive gifts of virtue and knowledge.
Give God time to help you put your thoughts in line with His.
Be a Christ Follower.
The Best way to become a positive thinker is to ask God for a lot of help and and ask Him often.
When transforming our thoughts from positive to negative, this process can take time. It is a slow process. It is a journey to Freedom. Freeing our thoughts requires time. Because our progress is slow, the devil will try to tell us we are not moving forward at all. His hope is that we will throw in the towel. But God's Word is always at our disposal to Encourage us.
Sometimes, we go through a difficult period of waiting to stretch our faith and learn patience. Whenever we experience this, we must remember that God's timing is perfect. He is never late, and He will keep His promise to bring us into completion.
Many people are afraid to hope, because they have been hurt so much in their life. They live by the philosophy of: "If I don't expect anything good to happen, then I won't be disappointed if it doesn't". Study the Word and trust God to restore you, then the realization that negative thoughts have to GO, will hit home. We need to practice being positive in all kinds of situations. If you are going through a difficult time in life, Expect that God will work things out for your good.
To be delivered from negativity we must not only believe His Word, we must Confess it by not only thinking right thoughts, but speaking them out loud as personal confessions of faith.
The more time we spend meditating on God's Word, the more we will reap from it. God even promises we will receive gifts of virtue and knowledge.
Give God time to help you put your thoughts in line with His.
Be a Christ Follower.
Friday, September 10, 2010
PATIENCE
Hanging in there with Hard-to-Love People. Usually we think of patience as perserverance through the most trying of circumstances. Hurry Up and Wait. To most of us, patience is what we need when our schedules do not align with life. We dig deep for patience when we are in a hurry and get into the express lane at the super market only to discover the customer ahead of us has 20 items instead of 7 and is using a check instead of cash and the check is not ready.
But this is not the kind of patience addressed in the Bible's fruits list. The word in the list actually means patience with people. It is patience with who people are, and what they do that might bother or even offend us. This kind of patience is sucking in our breath when our husband returns from the store with the wrong kind of cereal when we had specifically written down the name for him. This kind of patience is listening to a lonely friend who drones on and on about her life but shows little interest in ours.
Patience is hanging in there with hard-to-love people sometimes to the point of forgiveness, but always to the point of love.
Patience doesn't mean slapping on a nice smile and ignoring the reality of how we feel. When there is a bright orange stain in the middle of our cream-colored carpet, we can walk around it or cover it with a throw rug, but it is still there. Living as if it is not there won't do much for us or for those around us. Emotions of pain and hurt in response to the offenses of others need to be processed and experienced because we are, by nature, emotional human beings. To deny such feelings is to deny who we are.
The naked truth about patience is that in order to have it, we must ask for it and cooperate with God in its growth in our relationships. We have to allow God to grow this and all the fruits in us. Patience seems to be one of the the tough-to-grow fruits.
What does it look like to cooperate with God in the growth of patience? Sometimes patience might look like saying a prayer for the person who is bugging us. We might be pushed to love someone who is very hard to love because he or she has wounded us. There are occasions when we find patience leading us to forgive a person for a something that hurt us very deeply.
Patience is a spiritual fruit that grows from the soil of our humanity. As we experience unwelcome wounds from people, God can grow his fruit in our hearts and empower us to respond to such hurt with Patience.
Be Patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
Be a Christ Follower.
But this is not the kind of patience addressed in the Bible's fruits list. The word in the list actually means patience with people. It is patience with who people are, and what they do that might bother or even offend us. This kind of patience is sucking in our breath when our husband returns from the store with the wrong kind of cereal when we had specifically written down the name for him. This kind of patience is listening to a lonely friend who drones on and on about her life but shows little interest in ours.
Patience is hanging in there with hard-to-love people sometimes to the point of forgiveness, but always to the point of love.
Patience doesn't mean slapping on a nice smile and ignoring the reality of how we feel. When there is a bright orange stain in the middle of our cream-colored carpet, we can walk around it or cover it with a throw rug, but it is still there. Living as if it is not there won't do much for us or for those around us. Emotions of pain and hurt in response to the offenses of others need to be processed and experienced because we are, by nature, emotional human beings. To deny such feelings is to deny who we are.
The naked truth about patience is that in order to have it, we must ask for it and cooperate with God in its growth in our relationships. We have to allow God to grow this and all the fruits in us. Patience seems to be one of the the tough-to-grow fruits.
What does it look like to cooperate with God in the growth of patience? Sometimes patience might look like saying a prayer for the person who is bugging us. We might be pushed to love someone who is very hard to love because he or she has wounded us. There are occasions when we find patience leading us to forgive a person for a something that hurt us very deeply.
Patience is a spiritual fruit that grows from the soil of our humanity. As we experience unwelcome wounds from people, God can grow his fruit in our hearts and empower us to respond to such hurt with Patience.
Be Patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
Be a Christ Follower.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Peace
Peace.....Resting in God.
Typically we think of peace as the absence of irritation. A quiet afternoon composed of naptime for the children and a cup of Joe with a good book for us. No phone calls, No early awakenings, and No to-do-list.
Well, the fruit listed in Galations 5 conveys something different than our definition of Peace. It's less about real life lining up according to our desires and more about our desires lining up to real life.
Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God.
Peace can come in all the busy circumstances of our lives, because peace comes in a relationship with a God who is with us in the Stormiest of times. Peace peeled away is no longer the expectation that we will find it in the absence of irritation and instead embraces the calm that comes from resting in the midst of it.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Typically we think of peace as the absence of irritation. A quiet afternoon composed of naptime for the children and a cup of Joe with a good book for us. No phone calls, No early awakenings, and No to-do-list.
Well, the fruit listed in Galations 5 conveys something different than our definition of Peace. It's less about real life lining up according to our desires and more about our desires lining up to real life.
Peace is the result of resting in a relationship with God.
Peace can come in all the busy circumstances of our lives, because peace comes in a relationship with a God who is with us in the Stormiest of times. Peace peeled away is no longer the expectation that we will find it in the absence of irritation and instead embraces the calm that comes from resting in the midst of it.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Joy
The Second Fruit is Joy. The Old Testament describes joy as a quality of life as well as an emotion. The spontaneous songs of worship contained in Psalms illustrate this kind of joy. Joy is something deep that celebrates God's character despite the circumstances.
In the New Testament, joy is often expressed as ecstasy, a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days. The fruit of joy is confidence in God. Joy is confidence in God's grace, despite circumstances, despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
We've watched God working in so many moments of life; good, bad, confusing, sorrowful, challenging, unfathomable; when we are joyful, we are wrapped up by our observations and held in place, knowing clearly that just as God came through before, he will come through again. Joy has a way of buoying us up in the midst of the unpredictable. We're somehow hopeful. Strong. Clear. Confident. We still wonder, worry, and cry. We are fearful, but beneath all these feelings is the comforting thought that we are held in God's hands.
Joy unpeeled reveals to us and to others, what we believe about God. We know He has us, He has our backs!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
In the New Testament, joy is often expressed as ecstasy, a feeling of amazement, an uninhibited response to God's grace and presence in our days. The fruit of joy is confidence in God. Joy is confidence in God's grace, despite circumstances, despite what happens. Joy is the ability to hold up because we know we are being held up. Joy is the conviction that God is in control of every detail of our lives even when those details appear to be out of control.
We've watched God working in so many moments of life; good, bad, confusing, sorrowful, challenging, unfathomable; when we are joyful, we are wrapped up by our observations and held in place, knowing clearly that just as God came through before, he will come through again. Joy has a way of buoying us up in the midst of the unpredictable. We're somehow hopeful. Strong. Clear. Confident. We still wonder, worry, and cry. We are fearful, but beneath all these feelings is the comforting thought that we are held in God's hands.
Joy unpeeled reveals to us and to others, what we believe about God. We know He has us, He has our backs!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The First Fruit of the Spirit is Love
Among all the qualities of God's character produced in us by His Spirit, love seems the most natural, second nature, and easiest to both offer and receive. Love. Indeed, seemingly the easiest of all qualities to model in so very many moments. Love is there in all things, except when love is hard. And it can be hard, can't it?
Let's get real (unpeeled) about love. It can be hard to love people. Love means handing over the remote control when we'd rather keep it, getting up just when we're all settled and in a comfy spot, speaking in a balanced tone of voice when we'd rather be screaming, opening our heart to listen to another when we'd rather allow our own feelings to tumble out. Yes, it's hard to love people.
How can we grow this fruit of love in our lives and in the lives of others, in everything?
Love is not about being nice for the sake of niceness it's about being like Jesus. Love is a committed choice to be there in, Everything. When it's hard to love hard-to-love people, the fruit of love helps us in the EVERYTHING moments of life. As God is the source of all the spiritual fruits, He is the source of love. Because He loves us in the "everything" of life, WE can love others. He shows us the way.
In the "everything" moments, love is a choice. God CHOSE to love us, He did not have to. He wanted to love us, so He chose to love us. We choose to love others.
Love is a committment in, Everything. God is committed to loving us, no matter what. Love stays when it wants to go. It accepts when it wants to reject. It does what it doesn't want to do when it doesn't want to do it. It gets above the "Can't stand this person" moments and, squinting, forces itself to look at that someone the way God looks at them, seeing them flawed, but filled with potential. Love is a committment to keep choosing to love, even when you don't feel like it.
Love others as God Loves us.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Let's get real (unpeeled) about love. It can be hard to love people. Love means handing over the remote control when we'd rather keep it, getting up just when we're all settled and in a comfy spot, speaking in a balanced tone of voice when we'd rather be screaming, opening our heart to listen to another when we'd rather allow our own feelings to tumble out. Yes, it's hard to love people.
How can we grow this fruit of love in our lives and in the lives of others, in everything?
Love is not about being nice for the sake of niceness it's about being like Jesus. Love is a committed choice to be there in, Everything. When it's hard to love hard-to-love people, the fruit of love helps us in the EVERYTHING moments of life. As God is the source of all the spiritual fruits, He is the source of love. Because He loves us in the "everything" of life, WE can love others. He shows us the way.
In the "everything" moments, love is a choice. God CHOSE to love us, He did not have to. He wanted to love us, so He chose to love us. We choose to love others.
Love is a committment in, Everything. God is committed to loving us, no matter what. Love stays when it wants to go. It accepts when it wants to reject. It does what it doesn't want to do when it doesn't want to do it. It gets above the "Can't stand this person" moments and, squinting, forces itself to look at that someone the way God looks at them, seeing them flawed, but filled with potential. Love is a committment to keep choosing to love, even when you don't feel like it.
Love others as God Loves us.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Our Spiritual Growth is up to God.
When we receive the seed of Hope into the soil of our lives and begin a connected relationship with God, He lives inside of us. We get His spiritual DNA. Like a twenty four hour a day gardener, God tills the soil of our lives until we begin to frow qualities that resemble his nature. By His interest and effort in us, grow into holy orchards.
By our own efforts, based on our own natures, we'll grow fruit of the flesh. It might be nice, but it won't look like Jesus. It won't be peeled fruit. Our best efforts won't grow godliness, because the fruit of the Spirit comes forth only from godly seeds. We can't make ourselves look like God. Only God can do that. Only God can reproduce his nature in us.
We do have a role, however in our growth. Just as we cannot grow spiritual fruit without God, God cannot grow spiritual fruit in us without us. Our job in spiritual growth is to cooperate with the Gardener. Here is what cooperation with the Master Gardener looks like in our lives. First, we are receptive. A seed can't get into hard, clay packed soil. Our job includes staying soft so that we can receive the seeds God wants to plant in our lives. Being receptive can be a challenge at times. When times of resistance arise, we can pray, call a friend, or simply remind ourselves that God is not out to get us with His fruit.
Second, we endure pruning. Part of the growing process involves cutting off what is diseased or no longer necessary or even what is taking nutrients that are needed elsewhere. The third way we cooperate is we stay connected. We can't grow spiritually if we detach from the source of our growth. When we stop hanging out with others who care about growing, we'll probably stop growing too. A leaf doesn't continue growing once it is pulled from a branch. When we let week after week slip by without attending church service, or a study group, or even spending some time opening ourselves to God in prayer, we will shrink rathter than grow.
Ready to get growing? It is up to God to grow His fruit in our lives, but it's up to us to cooperate with Him.
Be a Christ Follower
By our own efforts, based on our own natures, we'll grow fruit of the flesh. It might be nice, but it won't look like Jesus. It won't be peeled fruit. Our best efforts won't grow godliness, because the fruit of the Spirit comes forth only from godly seeds. We can't make ourselves look like God. Only God can do that. Only God can reproduce his nature in us.
We do have a role, however in our growth. Just as we cannot grow spiritual fruit without God, God cannot grow spiritual fruit in us without us. Our job in spiritual growth is to cooperate with the Gardener. Here is what cooperation with the Master Gardener looks like in our lives. First, we are receptive. A seed can't get into hard, clay packed soil. Our job includes staying soft so that we can receive the seeds God wants to plant in our lives. Being receptive can be a challenge at times. When times of resistance arise, we can pray, call a friend, or simply remind ourselves that God is not out to get us with His fruit.
Second, we endure pruning. Part of the growing process involves cutting off what is diseased or no longer necessary or even what is taking nutrients that are needed elsewhere. The third way we cooperate is we stay connected. We can't grow spiritually if we detach from the source of our growth. When we stop hanging out with others who care about growing, we'll probably stop growing too. A leaf doesn't continue growing once it is pulled from a branch. When we let week after week slip by without attending church service, or a study group, or even spending some time opening ourselves to God in prayer, we will shrink rathter than grow.
Ready to get growing? It is up to God to grow His fruit in our lives, but it's up to us to cooperate with Him.
Be a Christ Follower
Monday, May 31, 2010
Marketing the Produce (Fruit)
Our Heavenly Father is the Master Marketer. He "packages" Himself in a wrapper of fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Fruit Markets, in other words fruit sells God to a world hungry for truth, for hope, and for life. Fruit is something we know. We are familiar with these amazing words. God is so much bigger, but He meets us in the language, words, and qualities of our longing so that we might know Him.
Fruit is the external result of an internal relationship. Fruit is the dressing that beckons others to know the God we represent. As a result of our growing relationship with God, we can introduce others to Him.
Fruit looks good! When we get to know fruit-filled people, we discover that fruit tastes so good. Like bright oranges standing out against the green leaves of a tree, the fruit of the Spirit announces to a starving world, "Here is food, Here is Life". Come and find a way out of exhaustion and discouragement. Come and Meet God!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Fruit is the external result of an internal relationship. Fruit is the dressing that beckons others to know the God we represent. As a result of our growing relationship with God, we can introduce others to Him.
Fruit looks good! When we get to know fruit-filled people, we discover that fruit tastes so good. Like bright oranges standing out against the green leaves of a tree, the fruit of the Spirit announces to a starving world, "Here is food, Here is Life". Come and find a way out of exhaustion and discouragement. Come and Meet God!
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Spiritual Fruit
Fruit is the result of growth. It's the evidence that a plant or a vine or a tree has been rooted and established, fed and nurtured, watered and staked, and pruned to the point of reproducing. Spiritual fruit is what results in our lives when we root ourselves in a relationship with God. When we live a life connected like this with God, He grows His nature in who we are, and fruit results: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.
A life lived in connection with God is a life lived in a healthy direction, a life that makes a difference for tomorrow.
The fruits of the Spirit are those God-like qualities that make us look like Him. They are His nature exhibited in our personalities. When we plant ourselves in a relationship with Jesus, day in and day out, the result of that relationship is the fruit of His charateristics in us.
God's character grows in you as you plant yourself in Him. Make the decision to plant yourself in God.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
A life lived in connection with God is a life lived in a healthy direction, a life that makes a difference for tomorrow.
The fruits of the Spirit are those God-like qualities that make us look like Him. They are His nature exhibited in our personalities. When we plant ourselves in a relationship with Jesus, day in and day out, the result of that relationship is the fruit of His charateristics in us.
God's character grows in you as you plant yourself in Him. Make the decision to plant yourself in God.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Removing the Peeling
The Fruits of The Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness. Self Control. Galatians 5:22-23
Growing a fruit-filled life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control seems beyond our grasp. Why? Because we think that growing such fruit is about being nice, and we think it is all up to us to produce these fruits. Neither is true.
It's not about being nice. The truth is that the fruit of the Spirit is about being like Jesus. Jesus was always demonstrated the qualities of the Fruits. But these qualities did not always wear the peeling of "nice" in His interactions with people. His Love was acted out in telling a prostitute to stop sinning, and in ordering religious leaders to quit making faith harder than God intended it to be. His kindness led Him to touch an outcast leper during a time when such an action was strictly prohibited. His peace put him to sleep in a boat with his disciples in the middle of a storm out at sea. Such moments do not define "niceness", but they are definitely fruit-filled.
The Fruit of the Spirit grows when WE let God do His job. When WE let Him live these qualities in us and through us, as we are growing in OUR relationship with Him.
Removing the peeling from the fruit is to be honest. Naked fruit is about getting past the peeling of "nice" Christianity and getting down to the honest, simple truth. What is the honest simple truth? Being like Jesus.
God makes it simple. We make it hard. We want to grow a life that matters, and God wants to grow such a life in us. That is fruit minus the peeling. Naked Fruit. Taste it is good.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Growing a fruit-filled life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control seems beyond our grasp. Why? Because we think that growing such fruit is about being nice, and we think it is all up to us to produce these fruits. Neither is true.
It's not about being nice. The truth is that the fruit of the Spirit is about being like Jesus. Jesus was always demonstrated the qualities of the Fruits. But these qualities did not always wear the peeling of "nice" in His interactions with people. His Love was acted out in telling a prostitute to stop sinning, and in ordering religious leaders to quit making faith harder than God intended it to be. His kindness led Him to touch an outcast leper during a time when such an action was strictly prohibited. His peace put him to sleep in a boat with his disciples in the middle of a storm out at sea. Such moments do not define "niceness", but they are definitely fruit-filled.
The Fruit of the Spirit grows when WE let God do His job. When WE let Him live these qualities in us and through us, as we are growing in OUR relationship with Him.
Removing the peeling from the fruit is to be honest. Naked fruit is about getting past the peeling of "nice" Christianity and getting down to the honest, simple truth. What is the honest simple truth? Being like Jesus.
God makes it simple. We make it hard. We want to grow a life that matters, and God wants to grow such a life in us. That is fruit minus the peeling. Naked Fruit. Taste it is good.
Strive to be a Christ Follower.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Email Ettiquette
I recently received an email regarding the AZ dessert and attached were photos of what was suppose to be this Majestic place, and instead it showed litter and scattered clothing and said it was due to the Mexicans. The email further criticized and insulted the Mexican President, and Our own President Obama. It was sent to me by a woman who claims to be a devout Christian. That was very frightening in addition to being insulting. She sent that to me knowing that I am a supporter of President Obama, and that I am against the linching happening in AZ. But even without that knowledge, I question how someone who claims to be a follower of Christ the most perfect example of Love could ever forward such nonsense and trash to anyone. The answer: Racism. She is a Racist. Christ would never support such negative unloving behavior. Such Bigotry.
How do we know something is not okay to forward? If the content is offensive to anyone that you know. In other words if you CAN'T send the email to everyone in your address book, then it is inappropriate. We CHOOSE not to include certain ones in information that we forward, but it is a choice, not that we can't we simply choose not to. There is a difference.
My sincerity of heart moved me to pray for this woman. I also deleted and blocked her, as I do not have to subject myself to such bold faced Racism.
Strive to live your best life in Christ.
How do we know something is not okay to forward? If the content is offensive to anyone that you know. In other words if you CAN'T send the email to everyone in your address book, then it is inappropriate. We CHOOSE not to include certain ones in information that we forward, but it is a choice, not that we can't we simply choose not to. There is a difference.
My sincerity of heart moved me to pray for this woman. I also deleted and blocked her, as I do not have to subject myself to such bold faced Racism.
Strive to live your best life in Christ.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wholesome TV
When I was growing up, I was only allowed to watch certain programs on TV, which I still love to watch today. My favorite show of all time is I Love Lucy. But Lucy is not what I want to discuss today. I want to discuss Wholesome shows that have been labled unrealistic, because of their wholesomeness. I think that this kind of language which came back then and which still comes from the media today, is actually a way to cause family breakdown.
I am speaking of shows like the Brady Bunch, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and even the Cosby Show. Instead of praising such shows, and encouraging aspiring to such high morals, we were told that such lifestyles were ficticious at best. Why is it so impossible to relate to Claire Huxtable yet we were totally expected to relate to Florida Evans, keeping us in a poverty mindset. Why was it so far fetched to believe that a blended family (the Brady Bunch) could actually get along? That in middle class america people did not have those experiences? They made sure that low income children who watched those shows knew they could never have such a life or love or a family, by constantly reporting that such lives were pure fiction.
I always wanted a close knit family like the Waltons and I do experience that very thing when I am with my family in Mississippi. Having such a thing is possible if we only keep it simple: Trust God's Word, God's word outlines for us Family.
Be the Example.
I am speaking of shows like the Brady Bunch, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and even the Cosby Show. Instead of praising such shows, and encouraging aspiring to such high morals, we were told that such lifestyles were ficticious at best. Why is it so impossible to relate to Claire Huxtable yet we were totally expected to relate to Florida Evans, keeping us in a poverty mindset. Why was it so far fetched to believe that a blended family (the Brady Bunch) could actually get along? That in middle class america people did not have those experiences? They made sure that low income children who watched those shows knew they could never have such a life or love or a family, by constantly reporting that such lives were pure fiction.
I always wanted a close knit family like the Waltons and I do experience that very thing when I am with my family in Mississippi. Having such a thing is possible if we only keep it simple: Trust God's Word, God's word outlines for us Family.
Be the Example.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Let's Continue
The foundation of communication is trust. In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Simply let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No. Anything beyond this comes from the evil one" Matt. 5:37. Jesus tells us that we must say what we mean and mean what we say. We cannot have high quality communication, without high-level trust. If we cannot trust what the other person is saying, eloquent words are meaningless. So, whether we are working at establishing a relationship or rebuilding channels of communication, it has to begin with TRUST.
Jesus established for us that trust is based on two words; Yes and No. How we choose to use these words becomes the factory where trust is assembled.
Question to Ponder: Is the way in which I am using my words eroding trust or building it?
Jesus established for us that trust is based on two words; Yes and No. How we choose to use these words becomes the factory where trust is assembled.
Question to Ponder: Is the way in which I am using my words eroding trust or building it?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Communication
Who hasn't fallen into the communication twilight zone? That Lifetime movie? You're having a conversation with someone, be it your mate, friend, co-worker, etc. Communication seems to be at an all time high until "the wrong word" slips out of someone's mouth. All of a sudden, the conversation starts to heat up like a nuclear reactor headed for a meltdown. Seemingly powerless to stop it, we find ourselves arguing or ever worse, not talking at all.
Communication is not easy. Yet communication is so important to relationships, it is what fuels them. Lack of communication has kept some relationships in a stagnant position for years. It takes good communication to keep a relationship moving forward for a lifetime. People try to make communication sound so simple, so easy, but when we break it down, communication is not a science; it is an art. It is not black and white. It is not always logical, and you certainly cannot reduce successful communication to a simple equation. Communication is an art, filled with fine lines and shades of meaning.
The second part of this series, I will cover just what Jesus, the only perfect communicator has to say on this subject. Stay posted.
Strive for Perfection Every Day. Seek God First, and Prosper.
Communication is not easy. Yet communication is so important to relationships, it is what fuels them. Lack of communication has kept some relationships in a stagnant position for years. It takes good communication to keep a relationship moving forward for a lifetime. People try to make communication sound so simple, so easy, but when we break it down, communication is not a science; it is an art. It is not black and white. It is not always logical, and you certainly cannot reduce successful communication to a simple equation. Communication is an art, filled with fine lines and shades of meaning.
The second part of this series, I will cover just what Jesus, the only perfect communicator has to say on this subject. Stay posted.
Strive for Perfection Every Day. Seek God First, and Prosper.
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