365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 267

It is very easy to get caught up in the busyness of life. It is easy to think I am doing all God wants from me by going to church each Sunday. In reality, we are just trying to justify our in-action. God does want us to come to worship but he wants our whole heart every day not just an hour on Sunday and even that may not be whole heartedly. I started reading the book of Isaiah and was drawn to these action words in the scripture below. In all these action words, the song Stand By Me comes to mind. God wants us to stand by each other and assist in making sure that everyone’s needs are being met. This requires our thinking to change from self-related to other-related and it is an on-going process to re-train ourselves to think of others before thinking of ourselves. The likely place to start working on this is in your own environment that you are in the most. For me that is my office and my home. I am going to set a goal to focus on just one person from each of these environments each day that I can stand by and help with whatever they may need, whether it be words of encouragement, a listening ear and heart, a hug or whatever. In doing this, the act of worshipping God is going beyond Sunday and into my daily life. Join me in taking the action that God wants for us.

1Isaiah 1:17 Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 190

Yesterday I found myself stressing and later thought about why I was stressing. Indeed, why? The Lord has my back. He’s got it covered. But the control part of my temperament has a need to control everything so when things are not in the control I like, I get stressed. The busyness of life has taken over and my prayer life has been little bits here and there but I need to take those moments much more frequently and reverently; not like I am in a hurry. Peace comes when we are one on one with the spirit of God inside of us. So, I may get caught today with my head bowed in prayer looking like I am doing nothing but it really is everything.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 125 & 126

Our Easter message from our pastor was so simple and yet had so much meaning in our world today. With our busyness and all the complications that come our way in life, it can be difficult to remember that our faith is not busy or complicated but simple. Our pastor quoted from a well-know theologian Carl Bart who was asked if you had to just say one thing about Christianity what would it be? He started to sing the beloved song
“Jesus Loves Me This I Know”. This was in my recent class that I took on Christian counseling. Many of us get wrapped up in the complexities of life and religion. To stay connected to the Lord and really grow we have to be centered in that original belief of Jesus loves me, this I know. I have said this before and will say it again and again because it is the truth. All is because of one thing, love. He loves you, me, the gunmen who slays children, the husband addicted to porn, the woman wrapped up in her self, the lonely, hurt and poor. He loves us all no matter what we do and all we have to do is believe in him to have all the sins of our past, present and our future washed away. Keep your child-like faith in knowing that Jesus loves you.

1John 4:13-16 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in him.