Sometimes We Make It All Too Hard!

 We want to do great things for God. Yes, He has given us all gifts to use to enhance and enlarge His Kingdom. But are we really opening our minds and hearts to hear His quiet voice right now?

Some days we eagerly plan a new program for our church -- one that will involve more people and accomplish more goals than our last one!

Or we organize a new ministry to get attendance up and create more excitement in our worship service.

But maybe today He just wants us to do the next thing He puts before us: Just be kind and gentle to the next person we see in the ordinary course of our day!

The neighbor struggling to get groceries out of the car -- stop for a moment and help.

The driver behind us obviously in a great hurry -- pull over and let him pass. (Maybe whisper a prayer for him.)

Focusing on some upcoming evangelistic meeting? Maybe God wants us to show more patience and gentleness with our family.

It's just a thought - but is there a difference between serving God in the simple everyday activities and in the spectacular, more flamboyant activities? (A rhetorical question?!)

Reflect again on this familiar passage:

"If I could speak all the languages on earth, and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and understood all of God's secret plans, and possessed all knowledge, and if I had faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing" (1 Corinthians 13).

Maybe God isn't expecting us to do something newsworthy and spectacular today? Maybe He just wants us to be kind, gentle and loving to the next person we see...just "be to others as Jesus has been to us."

My focus for this day....how about you?

Embrace Life and Please God!

 

1 Peter 3:8-12 from The Message. 

I really like the way these verses are expressed in the paraphrase by Eugene Peterson --

"Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you - no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead - bless. That's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing as well as get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day  fill up  with good, here's what you do:  say nothing evil nor hurtful; snub evil and cultivate good, run after peace for all you're worth.

God looks on all this with approval."

And so that is how we embrace life and please God!

What a wonderful God  we have - He makes all He wants so clear and simple. He doesn't  play games - no 'hide and seek' and no scary threats - He just  loves us  and wants us  to love each other!

What's It All About?

 "God made all things, and everything continues through Him and for Him, to Him be the glory forever" (Romans 11:36).

  "There is only one God, the Father, who created all things, and we exist for Him" (1 Corinthians 8:6).

  From Max Lucado...

   "The breath you took to read that last sentence was given to you for one reason: that you might for another moment 'reflect the Lord's glory' (2 Corinthians 3:18). God awoke you this morning for you to glorify Him!

  Why does the earth spin? For Him.

  Money or poverty? Strength or struggles? For Him.

  Everyone and everything exists to reveal His glory.

  Including you...and me."

  As the Westminster Catechism teaches us: our chief purpose in life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever -- because as we glorify Him we please Him and enjoy Him forever! 

It's All About Pardons!

                                    It's All About Pardons!

A Presidential Pardon sounds like good news to a lot of people these days! It is a gift of great value. The right to grant a pardon is given to our Presidents in our Constitution, Article 2, Section 2.

Can it be overturned? No! Not even a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court can overturn a Presidential Pardon! Nor any law or statute passed by Congress.

The only thing that can effect a pardon is that in order to be validated it must be accepted!

In 1830 President Andrew Jackson issued a pardon to George Wilson, a man convicted of a US mail robbery and sentenced to death. He refused it and the Supreme Court determined that a pardon is a deed that requires acceptance from the person pardoned to be confirmed.

Look at what God is offering us:

"I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 33:8).

Cleansed and pardoned! Erased forever!

Like our human Presidential Pardons, our pardon from God cannot be overturned-- but the requirement is also that it must be accepted!

Not accepting the pardon makes it null and void - completely invalid, has no legal force, considered as if it never existed.

That means the convict is condemned to face punishment as the law requires! Who would want that?

I have accepted God's forever pardon! (It is also preemptive!) Joyfully! Have you?

As Soon as He Hears!

 "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as He hears, He will answer you" (Isaiah 30:18-20).

He longs to extend His grace to us! He is eager to listen to us!

He rises up in anticipation of welcoming us - no earthly human Sovereign would ever do that!

Keep the line open -- He is listening for you....right now...

This is our 'strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow'!