Pride Affects Us All

 Proverbs 16:18 ¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

This is one of those sins that everyone at one point or another is guilty of including me. I have been writing these devotionals now since June and as I was compiling them. I was over whelmed by the amount of energy and time I have spent on this outreach. It started out by writing just for our local church and as individuals found out outside our church they asked if they could receive it. Than someone recommended I blog it and I started that back in September. Yesterday though I got consumed in my Blog and I was trying to promote it. And I want to apologize for that. I have only this week told those who read this not to worry about promoting oneself but to allow God to do it so men will see God in You. I am after all just like you a person who is able to fail to live up to God’s standards. I appreciate every person who reads it and pray that in some way it touches your life and helps you to walk closer to Jesus. I ask for forgiveness if I have been pushy and will try not being that way in the future. My desire is only to share what God is showing me and in some way help you along your walk with Christ. May God Bless you and remember it is alright to take pride in what we are doing as long as we don’t allow it to control our motives for why we do it. Again have a blessed day.

Repent or Perish

1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.4 and what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

Luke 13:1-5 (NLT)

I did not put the title on this you will find it labeled this way in your bible. We often wonder why someone has had to die. Did they do something that deserved death?  Are they just an awful person and God is doing the world a favor by taking take them out of it. Is there a reason why a young person or a child has to die? Have you ever heard someone say, “Well they brought it on themselves?” or” I am amazed they lived this long!” That is probably the one people apply to me. But to tell you the truth death comes for everyone old and young and it does not respect how good or bad you have been it does not care if you have been in every bar in the country or every church. Sooner or later we all will pass out of this world. The question now becomes are you prepared for what is next. I am going to tell you there is more after this life you can believe me or not that is your choice but if you’re reading this you have questions about it.  

Well it might not be popular but the choices we make always lead us to somewhere. Whether it is a good or bad situation we end up in. It is because of a choice we make.  In this scripture some individuals came to Jesus asking if those who had been killed where greater sinners or evil doers than any others and if that is why they had been killed. We often make those same statements about people when they die tragically I had those same accusations made about my son when he died at 18 years of age. It is normal for people to try to assign blame to help explain why something like that happens. But death comes for us all. There is only one way to never die and that is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and to repent and follow Him. He has promised those who call on His name eternal life. If you believe that there is more to life after we die I ask you to make a choice today between a life in Heaven with those who love Jesus or a life in Hell with those who never made that Choice. The choice is all yours no one can decide for you only you can choose to accept this gift. Have a blessed day and don’t let the grass grow under your feet death can come knocking at any time.

Humility Keeping it Real

7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you, has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.11For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”  

Luke 14:7-11 (NLT)

6 Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great.7 It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Proverbs 25:6-7 (NLT)

                The issue of humility is one that many of us as Christians struggle with. To be honest it is and can be a hindrance to our own walk and our witness for God. It might be hard to understand or believe but we often come off as arrogant know it all’s in a world full of people looking for answers. We often are quick with answers to questions that others have without fully knowing the situation that they are actually in. One of my favorite verses of scripture it is found in James 1:19, “¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” as believers we must choose our words wisely but also our actions. We must be sure to watch our reactions and our speech as not to add injury to insult in another person’s life. In most cases today you are and will be the only Jesus someone sees.  I challenge you to try today to live humbly before the world. Allow God to promote you before man and they will see him through you. Often we work so hard to get where we believe we should be that we create problems along the way. Even more often when we get to the place we think we should be we figure out we are in the wrong place. If we allow God to promote us he will give you a peace about where you are and opportunities to share the Good news with others along life’s journey. Have a blessed day and may God continue to bless you as you desire to serve Him.

Free Gift

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

Often we struggle with understanding what the importance of works and salvation means to those of us who have become a Christian. Many people that call themselves Christian and several cults that are out there believe that you must work to gain salvation and that the more you do the better your standing in heaven will be. This concept has and will continue to plague the church and believers because so many people just cannot accept the concept or idea that salvation is a gift. You can do nothing to earn it. What motivates you to give a gift to someone? See that is what the problem stems from we look at salvation from a human standpoint we only give gifts to those deserving special attention so we do not and for many cannot understand the concept of a gift given freely and without any strings attached. We believe that it comes with strings and requirements. It comes with three; one is we accept it and the second is we allow Jesus to be our Lord and Savior and thirdly we are to tell others about Jesus.  That same love you and I have seen and accepted is to be shared with others. Now this is where works really comes into play; as a believer, we should desire to do good things that will show others the love of God. We can do that in many ways from talking to them or providing assistance through the food bank or any other of a million ways we can meet the needs of the lost. Yet we must understand the works do not make us anymore or any less saved. What the works do is bring us into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. In this closeness we begin to understand the gift we have received and our desire to share it will continue to grow. It also grows our love for our fellow man and shows the love of God to the entire world. This teaches others that we are the children of the one true God allow the Holy Spirit to draw others unto Him. Have a blessed day in the Lord and allow the free gift you have been given the opportunity to change you through your service to the one who loved you enough to give it to you.

Promise of Eternal Life

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 11:21-27 (ESV)

I want to be honest with you I have had a tough couple of weeks. It has been a year since my son Christopher was called home to be with Jesus. I have mourned with my friends who have lost loved ones recently and I ask you to remember those you know who might be experiencing some sorrow from the loss of a friend or family member. But as I read this scripture I find hope for myself and those around me who are currently facing a holiday with an empty chair at the table. You see if your loved one had a relationship with Jesus they are not dead for Jesus promised those who believed on Him would never die. They are currently living with him awaiting our arrival into heaven oh what a glorious reunion that will be!

                That is why I have a burning desire to tell every person on the planet that Jesus is the answer to whatever questions, trials or troubles that might come your way. It only requires we accept Him as our Lord and Savior allowing Him the control of our lives. We approach this through prayer, bible study and Christian fellowship it is important that we grow closer to God through our relationship with Jesus. As we grow and understand what Jesus has called us to do we will grow to be more like Him. Things in our lives will change and the distractions of the world will lose their power over us and we will be prepared for whatever comes our way because we know the author and finisher of our faith. You see Jesus came to provide you and me with an eternal life with Him. His sacrifice has paid the penalty for our sin and His love for us is never ending. I ask you today do you know Him if not today is a great day to meet Him and to trust Him with your life. It will not always be easy but it will have the greatest rewards you can ever imagine. Have a blessed day as you trust Jesus with all your heart.

                If you have never trusted Jesus with your life today is the day. It is not hard it requires only that you do these 3 simple things:

Admit:  you are a sinner (Toughest Part If you have ever lied you are one)

Believe:  that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He has come to pay the price for your sin by dying on the cross. That He arose on the third day and now makes intercession for you before God in Heaven

Confess: Scripture tells us to confess our sins and repent from them. Confession is done through our prayer and repentance is done by the changed life we live. The things that have controlled your life before will no longer control you if you are truly repentant.

If you are ready pray this simple prayer:

Jesus I am a sinner, I have come before you to ask for forgiveness. I have accepted you as the son of God and the forgiver of my sins. I desire a changed heart, mind and soul so that I may serve you. I ask that you show me how to live a life worthy of your sacrifice so I may grow to be more like you. Thank You Jesus for the love you have shown to me. Amen

Now if you prayed that prayer Please let me or someone else know we are to tell others about this decision. You never know what life you will change as you share the Gospel.

Good or Innocent

I love the way this testimony begins. Jesus declares the truth and it might be a surprise to some as you look at the conversation.

 18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

Luke 18:18-19 (ESV)

Jesus Himself never claimed to be good. He denies that he is a good man and points directly at God as the only source of anything good. Now we understand that Jesus was God’s son and that His divine nature makes Him good but His human nature is sin bearing because of the fall of the first Adam. If He had not been able to bear our sin were would that leave us. I know that might sound different but Jesus makes it clear that every Good work He worked was under the authority of His Father and that the Son was given power to bring Glory to Him who sent Him.

27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Matt 11:26-27 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Matt 28:17-18 (ESV)

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 17:1-3 (ESV)

We often forget that Jesus was sent as a sacrifice for our sin. He became like us living in a human form so He could pay that price on the cross you see Jesus was not a good man but He was an innocent man having no fault before his executioners or any other man.

24 Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”

Matt 27:24 (NLT)

You have to look at sacrificial law to understand the requirements for the sin offering. It was to be a first born without blemish innocent lamb. Jesus was that for you and I He came to be that sacrifice so we could have relationship with God once again. Jesus was the sacrifice that was required for our salvation. Without the shedding of innocent blood there is no forgiveness of sin. I hope you have a wonderful day in the Lord and that you are found innocent in the eyes of both God and man in your days to come.

Thankfulness Begins with Appreciation

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Ex 20:17 (NLT)

15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:15-21 (ESV)

You know it is amazing to serve a God who truly knows everything we are going through even down to the writing of something as simple as a devotional. You see I am writing this tonight at this late hour because this morning I was busy preparing food for 500 people who are less fortunate than my family and I. Yes that is how I spent the last 30 hours cooking and preparing food. This outreach is something that my home church has been doing for seven years and every year I am humbled by those I meet as I try to serve God. Now you may wonder what this has to do with coveting the lives, belongings, and blessings of others. Well simply put we are not able to have thankfulness in our lives if we are always looking at what others have and allowing it to prevent us from experiencing the blessings of God in our lives.

You see Jesus explained that our value of life should never be based on what we have or don’t have. When we work to gain what others have we often miss what God has planned for our lives. See all things pass away and as Christians we should seek to have our energy and time invested in Kingdom business. I have come to understand we are blessed by God so we can bless others and bring individuals into the Kingdom of God. If you have a TV in your home to day and have a roof over your head you are wealthier that 2/3 of the world. My question to you; what are you doing with what God has blessed you and your family? I pray you will look at whatever situation you find yourself in as a blessing. In doing this you will not fall to the sin of covertness.

Liars Go to Hell

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Ex 20:16 (ESV)

5 A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape.

Prov 19:5 (NLT)

43 Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.45So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!

John 8:43-45 (NLT)

18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,

Matt 19:18 (ESV)

To be a false witness is to be a liar. The definition of liar is one who swears falsely so now that we know what we are talking about is there a difference between a little lie and a big lie? According to scripture no, a lie is a lie even when spoken with the best intentions when we tell a lie we are doing the work of the devil who is the father of all lies. That actually has lain heavy on my heart this morning. I know sometimes it’s easier for those who answer and those who ask questions like; how are you today? And the standard answer is, “just fine” even if our whole world is in a mess. You know you just lied I am guilty of this but we think that no one really cares how we are doing. The sad part is many times that is the truth. They only ask out of politeness not out of real concern. So both individuals have lied and we are not able to really do what God has called us to do which is to love one another as He loved us. You see Jesus loved everyone even the religious ones; they chose not to love Him.

            Sometimes the lies we tell are to ourselves. We tell ourselves we don’t need God and of all the lies we tell that one is the one that has the greatest impact on our lives and future. You see if you never accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior than when judgment comes you will find yourself in Hell. I know that is harsh but I am just sharing the truth found in scripture. Now we have another issue about lying that is rampant in the church that scripture talks about.

1 “You must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.

Ex 23:1 (NLT)

Gossipers and liars are going to be in the same boat. Now not everything a gossiper says is a lie but have you ever played the telephone game. Everyone sits in a circle whispers a sentence in the ear of the person next to them and when it makes it around the circle how much has it changed. It might have been true when it started but it is never the same after it goes around the room. With Facebook it can really get spread around and distorted. Be careful about what you repeat and if you have been trusted with a secret keep it. Remember every idle word we speak will be judge in the end. So be sure that your yes is yes and your no is no. So you can be found blameless in your speech. Praying God takes control of your life and gives you strength to live worthy of His sacrifice. Have a blessed day.

Bunch of Thiefs

15  “You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:15 (ESV)

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Ephesians 4:28 (ESV)

13  “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning.

Leviticus 19:13 (ESV)

8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9  You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10  Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Mal 3:8-10 (ESV)

“Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Matt 19:18-19 (NLT)

            Would you consider yourself someone who steals? Would you call yourself a thief?  The definition of steal is to take without permission or right, especially secretly or by force. It also is defined as to appropriate without right or acknowledgement. Now I can promise you there are many ways individuals steal things it is not always outright and obvious. Are you faithful in your work? Do you spend your time doing what you are paid to do? In my job we have a person whose job it is to review the GPS records of technicians who fail to work on more than four jobs a day. If they determine that you take an extra five minutes on lunch or you drive somewhere you were not supposed to go they have the ability and right to fire you. See we have become a society that believes that everyone is trying to steal from us. Because in our own hearts we look for ways to get rich with as little work as possible; none if we can just hit the lottery. You know if individuals spent as much time working as they do trying to avoid it they could have what they want without breaking this commandment.

            Things that we steal range from money to time and everything in between. As Christians we say we don’t steal but let us be honest given the fact that only 3% of Christians on average pay tithes in the church that means 97% of us are robbing God. When we do this we are only hurting ourselves and our families. A tithe is a tenth of your income before taxes at the gross level. Now I know in today’s world we live paycheck to paycheck and the average American household is carrying three credit cards with debit around $10,000. So you wonder how in the world you could possibly give 10% of what you make to God. Been there and done that and I will give you some advice it is not equal giving but the sacrifice you make that counts. The widow gave two mites and Jesus proclaimed she gave more than all the rest. Because she gave from her heart not out of her abundance. If you are not able to meet your financial obligations that is also a form of stealing; but let me tell you tithing can and will help, but give what you can if it is not 10% still give. God knows your heart he will help you to grow and work through your debt till you can give that 10% and change everything about your situation. You see when you fail to tithe you are robbing God. That brings a curse upon you and your family. If that is how you want to live go for it. Me I would much rather be blessed. Also tithing is not directed by you it is a gift to God. When you direct it to a certain area or program that is an offering. So if you’re giving and still feel like nothing is going right in your life take your hand off the wheel and let God drive. The tithe is God’s he has appointed individuals to be shepherd over his people if they fail to use it properly than they will stand in judgment before God. In the meantime you may be bringing a curse upon your church and the denomination you belong to because we want control.

Have a blessed day in the Lord and be careful how of how you spend your time and money let us not steal from others and God and God will bless us for it.

Adultery, Divorce and Pornography

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Ex 20:14 (ESV)

32 He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself.

Proverbs 6:32 (ESV)

Just being honest for the most part this one sin is so often overlooked into day’s world or that we have become very callous to it. You see with a divorce rate at over 50 % both in and out of church we often consider marriage to be something dispensable and if this one does not workout I will just find someone else to marry. There are lots of reasons why divorce occurs and this is not even the biggest reason, yet when adultery strikes it comes in and strikes directly at the heart of those involved.

In the Old Testament and Jesus life time it was common to stone a women to death caught in adultery. We see Jesus deliver a woman from such a fate in scripture; John 8. I have always wondered though what did they do with the man or men she was caught with? Just as question to consider. You see adultery was seen differently than. Today we are equal opportunity adulteries just as many women leave their husbands and families to pursue the self-gratification that comes from an affair. Either way it is a sin and we must look at the implications it will and does have on our families and our society. I know this is a touchy subject; it is an issue that we must understand how it affects our walk and witness as Christians.

Jesus stated in Luke 16, “17 But that doesn’t mean that the law has lost its force. It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest point of God’s law to be overturned.18 “For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.”

Luke 16:17-18 (NLT)

God’s laws still applies to our lives.  Jesus only allowed one reason for divorce:

 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. 9  And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Matt 19:7-9 (ESV)

Divorce and adultery go hand in hand. Yet in today’s world there is an even larger threat to the sanctity of the home and that is the 13 billion dollar pornography business especially if we apply Jesus teaching to our lives as we should as Christians.

27 “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 So if your eye—even your good eye —causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell

Matt 5:27-29 (NLT)

Having fought with this addiction in my own life for the better part of 25 years I understand its power to destroy. The surprising fact is it does not just affect men; women can and are addicted to it also but not at the same rates. It is a very destructive addiction because what it does is diminish the sensitivity of persons towards one another. It takes something that God created with a purpose and places unrealistic ideas into our minds. We begin to have expectations about what we should expect when we have interactions with those of the opposite sex. It makes things like premarital sex and homosexuality to be alright even though the Bible teaches against both. It can affect relationships and marriages by creating unfulfilled desires whether they are right or wrong. A true statement about adultery and pornography is that you cannot undo what you have done. Pornography invades your mind and can control how you treat and respond to others. Most serial rapist started off looking at pornography and when it was no longer able to meet their personal desires they worked to fulfill them in real life. Ted Bundy testified to his own start from this very sin and it led to the death of 30 plus women. I know you believe what you do in private is your business I used to think so to till it almost cost me everything. Today we see it more and more the news shows us that no one is immune to this. It affects our children and it will be the end of our country if we do not take a stand against it. Have a blessed day!

If you struggle with an addiction to pornography I promise you God can deliver you from it. You just have to be willing to trust Him with it. Don’t wait it might be what is causing all your troubles.

Murder and Killing

Murder and Killing

13 “You shall not murder.

Ex 20:13 (ESV)

13 Thou shalt not kill.

Ex 20:13 (KJV)

17  “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18  You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Lev 19:17-18 (ESV)

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:15 (ESV)

21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

Matt 5:21-22 (NLT)

9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Romans 13:8-9 (ESV)

By definition to murder means to kill or slaughter inhumanly or barbarously we often see the word kill in its place in scripture and it is defined as depriving life in any manner; cause the death of; or to slay. I can honestly say this has been one of those commandments that I had struggled with as a soldier. You see the Old Testament was full of God’s people killing and destroying the inhabitants of Canaan so how do the two together if you have told me not to kill or murder. Everything I have read indicates they are determined by the purpose of the act.

The whole bible is based on the idea of sacrifice and that involves death. It began in the Garden of Eden and ends with Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Death is part of life the difference between death and murder is the actions that cause the death. As a soldier you are fighting to protect those around you and the laws and government of your country. They call this a justified war not unlike what Israeli did as they took over the Promised Land. I can only tell you from my own experience if you are struggling because of your service to your country God will hold nothing against you once you accept His Son Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Jesus taught something that was very different but the same when it came to murder and killing. That simply was when we have anger or hatred towards one another we are committing murder in our hearts therefor we are sinning against God. You know scripture tells us in the Lord’s Prayer that we are to forgive others as we are forgiven. We have been instructed to be careful in our attitudes and our words to one another for they are as destructive as killing someone outright. You see what we say to others affects what they think and feel about themselves. When we use our tongues to tear each other down we are in a sense lessoning the value that each person has. I challenge you today to watch what you say and the attitudes you might carry towards others. It could and will make the difference for someone between Heaven and Hell. When we hold onto ill will and hatred we are also hurting ourselves you see that sort of attitude destroys the one who cares it more often than the one it is held against. Seek and give forgiveness you see there is no way to unscramble an egg but you have to take it and make something out of it. That is what Jesus can do with your life if you will trust Him. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Honor Dad and Mom

12  “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Exodus 20:12 (ESV)

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.

Matthew 15:3-6 (NLT)

2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

Ephesians 6:2-4 (NLT)

Good morning I hope everyone is having a blessed day in the Lord. I am working my way through the Ten Commandments if you are reading this every day. You see every commandment we have in the Old Testament; Jesus taught on or one of the apostles reiterated that it was still important even after we accepted Christ as our savior. You see there is no part of the bible that is not applicable to today’s world.

You see when we fail to care for those who cared for us we are living a life in sin. I know it can be hard to see those we love when they are not the outgoing energetic people we remember yet God honors those who care for and love their parents. Now I understand we all don’t have the best relationship with our parents and often they can be strained or nonexistent but we serve a forgiving God. He is willing and able to mend those hearts and allow for healing to flow. We as Christ followers need to remember, love and care for those who God has given us as family. My dad always told me you can pick your friends but God gives you your family. He has a plan for you and them even when we may not get along he has placed us there for a purpose. Take time today to review your relationship with your Father and Mother are there areas that you need to improve on. Parents are there areas you could improve the relationship with your children the Apostle Paul instructed in Ephesians for parents not to provoke their children. Are you asking more out of your child than is realistic? Young people are you selling yourselves short of what God has created you for? Together we can all reach the life God has planned for us. Start by asking for forgiveness and start new today. God has promised to provide a blessed life for those who honor their parents. Don’t you desire to live under a blessing?  I know I sure do God knows the heart of every man women and child He has called us to live life in a certain way when we are living in obedience to His Word He blesses us when we fail to do it there is a heavy price to pay. Have a blessed day and let God’s light shine on you today.

Day of Rest

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Ex 20:8-11 (ESV)

I know in our fast paced society we are all starved for time and every free moment we get we desire to spend it doing something we enjoy. Often though that does not involve spending time with God or even resting from our work I understand as Christians we do not celebrate the Sabbath but God designed us to rest every seven days. The importance of taking time for yourself and to rest from your work is important for your overall health and wellbeing. When we are pushed beyond that we see reduced productivity and poor health in our lives. Instead of using Sunday as a catch up day for all that we don’t get done during the week maybe we should go back to resting and if you desire to be in Church all the better. Christians tend to live longer. Let’s look at how most Americans spend their time. When we look at how we spend the rest of our time you might find it scary or funny the average person according to Nelson ratings watches 28 hours of TV a week four hours a day. The television is on in the most American homes six hours and 47 minutes a day. We spend just as much time on the internet each month with Facebook being the number one source. The average person spends seven hours a month on Facebook. And the overall usage of computer is 20 plus hours. So we know where two days of our month have gone. I enjoy TV and the internet as well as the next person and am just as guilty of wasting time with them. Yet something has to change. We live our lives on fast forward and are missing out on what is really important a time to rest and regroup. One of the disturbing things I read was children given a choice between TV and spending time with their dads 54% would rather watch TV. The only answer I see to the shortage of time is learning better ways to manage what time you have and seeking after the right things. A lot of what we see on TV and the internet is trash and as we allow that into our lives it reflects what we show the world. That day of rest helps us to recharge with a much better source than anything on TV or the internet. I challenge you to unplug get some stuff done during those 4 hours you normally spend in front of the TV or the time you spend with Facebook. Spend some time with God and your family. I promise you time is not something you can control and everyone’s is limited. May God bless you today.