To understand and to be understood is sometimes hard to do. People today use different terms to mean the same thing and yet can have entirely different meanings and often cause great confusion. I remember when it was all right to say that you were gay and happy. Today, no decent person would dare to use these terms together especially if they were a Christian and even more so if they were members of a Southern Baptist Church.
I like words and I like using words correctly. Often in reading the Scriptures with Bob at night, I am flipping to the concordance or to the index in the back of the Bible to find the correct pronunciation or the correct meaning of the word as used in a particular instance. Since we try to read from different translations each year or so, and make comparisons to get the full meanings of the Scriptures, we really have some fun questions and commentaries. I love it when I get to ask and Bob's answers are "I don't know" because it happens so seldom. Bible study at our house is really a fun time as well as serious and time of learning for both of us.
In spite of the different translations or different words used, there is one purpose that goes through every translation that we have read: JESUS IS LORD, HE IS LORD OF ALL CREATION, HE IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MANKIND WHO WILL BELIEVE IN HIM.
A recent devotion by a missionary in Africa wrote of driving through a National Park and seeing all the wildlife and admiring all the different animals when there was a scream of the baboon announcing that there was something ahead. All the animals attention was fixed on something more important than the truck the missionaries were riding in. In the bushes ahead was a large male lion, the king of the jungle. All animals focused on him. The missionary was reminded that "The Lion of Judah commands and deserves the same kind of focus from us. We must stay so intently focused on the King of Kings that when distractions come, we are not moved! For when our eyes are fixed on Him, we exalt Him and others will be drawn to Him...*" I believe this with all my heart. When our hearts and eyes are fixed on Jesus we do not need junk to bring people to Jesus, He is enough. His Word speaks loudly enough to say all we need to hear.
As we finished up with the book of Revelation in December, it was awesome to read that in Heaven there is not going to be any confusion of words they are already written."WORTHY IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN THAT HAS TAKEN AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD, TO RECEIVE POWER AND WEALTH AND WISDOM AND STRENGTH AND HONOR AND GLORY AND PRAISE...TO HIM WHO SITS ON THE THRONE AND TO THE LAMB BE PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY AND POWER FOR EVER AND EVER," "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, AND IS, AND IS TO COME."
This is the Jesus I love! This is the Jesus I worship! This is the Jesus I look forward to bowing before! Do I ever look forward to these words? Yes I do! Do I look forward to days when people care first and foremost about the things that God cares about? Yes I do!
I'm not perfect in this life but thank God, he looks at the heart and one thing I know: God really cares that we continue to
Share His love,
Peggy
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
e-mail 12/31/6
As I sit here today, I can not help but think of the past year and the many things that have happened that have brought us to this place in our spiritual walk with the Lord. A very good book that I am reading has this verse in one of the cover pages: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." (Romans 9:17b)
Sharing God's Love has been a blessing for me as devotion and as an outreach. I never in my wildest thoughts believed that I would be sending out my thoughts or things that God was giving to me into cyberspace to share with others. In the past, I have known those who were in my "classes" at church and everything was up close and personal with each one who became like my children and family. God has now given me a new dimension and it is exciting and also challenging.
As my health has improved over recent months and I feel stronger, I am learning better how to pace myself for more challenges that are going to come in the new year through new opportunities of service through our local church. A man named William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-1944) once said "The church is the only society in the world which exists for the benefit of those outside its membership." THAT IS MISSIONS!!!! Mission opportunities are going to abound as God shows us where He is working and we are given the privilege of joining Him in what He is doing. Missions is sharing God's love to a lost world. Missions is helping those who have never heard that they need a Savior. Missions is meeting needs where God's Spirit leads us to go and help. Missions is evangelism. MISSIONS IS WHAT JESUS CALLED US TO DO.
Sharing God's love is something that I pray will catch on not just as a devotion that you read every few days but something that becomes part of your daily life. As Bro. Gregg said this morning, "it is a daily commitment to renew our minds to be like Christ". Perhaps we need a post-it note on our mirror in the mornings to remind us when we first see ourselves to pray, "Lord, make me like You today." Some of us may need several post-it notes through the house and car until it becomes a continuous prayer as we go throughout the day every day.
Sharing God's Love is a commandment. It is as much a part of being a Christian as breathing is to living. Let's spend the New Year challenging ourselves to think like Christ and always that will lead us to....
Share God's Love,
Peggy
Sharing God's Love has been a blessing for me as devotion and as an outreach. I never in my wildest thoughts believed that I would be sending out my thoughts or things that God was giving to me into cyberspace to share with others. In the past, I have known those who were in my "classes" at church and everything was up close and personal with each one who became like my children and family. God has now given me a new dimension and it is exciting and also challenging.
As my health has improved over recent months and I feel stronger, I am learning better how to pace myself for more challenges that are going to come in the new year through new opportunities of service through our local church. A man named William Temple (Archbishop of Canterbury 1942-1944) once said "The church is the only society in the world which exists for the benefit of those outside its membership." THAT IS MISSIONS!!!! Mission opportunities are going to abound as God shows us where He is working and we are given the privilege of joining Him in what He is doing. Missions is sharing God's love to a lost world. Missions is helping those who have never heard that they need a Savior. Missions is meeting needs where God's Spirit leads us to go and help. Missions is evangelism. MISSIONS IS WHAT JESUS CALLED US TO DO.
Sharing God's love is something that I pray will catch on not just as a devotion that you read every few days but something that becomes part of your daily life. As Bro. Gregg said this morning, "it is a daily commitment to renew our minds to be like Christ". Perhaps we need a post-it note on our mirror in the mornings to remind us when we first see ourselves to pray, "Lord, make me like You today." Some of us may need several post-it notes through the house and car until it becomes a continuous prayer as we go throughout the day every day.
Sharing God's Love is a commandment. It is as much a part of being a Christian as breathing is to living. Let's spend the New Year challenging ourselves to think like Christ and always that will lead us to....
Share God's Love,
Peggy
e-mail 12/24/6
This morning while I am sitting at home on Christmas Eve instead of being in church where I would prefer to be with my friends an loved ones, I am home making a memory of a different kind ...watching a Gaither Christmas Video and wondering if I actually have the "mumps". Few people my age get to even think about this but for some reason I must be special because here I am and I sure have made a lot of family laugh at my situation so I suppose I am blessed in spite of it all.
It must have meant to be because as I was listening to Gloria tell a story a short while ago it reminded me of us and God's love. She told of a man who was trying to choose a special card for his wife - probably for her birthday - but he could not find the card that said exactly what he wanted to say to her. Have you ever been in this situation?...when you knew that there was something that you wanted to say to someone but just did not find the right words. I have. Sometimes it has been because I have been overwhelmed with love and appreciation like the time I met Henry Blackaby and stood there with my mouth open and nothing coming out and other times it has been when I was angry with someone and wanted to tell them what a jerk I thought they had been. At those angry times, it was probably best that I did not have words to say and I turned away.
I usually do not have problems with telling people that I love them. Sometimes I don't tell them enough. I want to find better words to tell Bob how much I love him and how much I thank God for putting us together 44 years ago because He has been so wonderful to me and my love for him deepens every day. I am so honored to be his wife and know of his love for Jesus and how he has lead our family to know Him better. I want to tell Debbie what a wonderful daughter she is and how much I love and appreciate the young woman she has become, the wonderful wife and mother to my grandchildren. I want Kenny to know that we love him like the son we never hand and treasure him with all in our hearts and thank him for being a wonderful Christian husband to Debbie and father to Rachel and David. We tell Rachel and David all the time that we love them but our hearts fill with such pride and joy and we cannot find adequate words to express to tell any of these what is truly in our hearts. I want our families to know that they are in our hearts and prayers every day even when we do not call or e-mail. We want our church and our pastor to know how very much we love them and how much we depend on them but there are no adequate words even through we try to say "I love you" often and try to show, yet somehow it does not seem enough.
Most of all we want our Lord, Jesus Christ to know that we love Him and there are not enough decorations, music, celebrations or anything else that can truly express what is in our hearts for Him and what He has done for us. The only way we can show Him how much we love Him is by loving each other and offering our praise and worship with humbled hearts and bended knees, sometimes tears of repentance and gratitude.
Our Scripture reading last night was from 1 John 3. Verse 1a says "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God!: Chapter 4, v 7-11 says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God, He who does not love does not know God for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love (agape), not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (sacrificial substitute) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
It is awesome to know that we are Children of God if we believe in Jesus Christ. The best gift you can give to Jesus this season is yourself. I John 5:13 also tells us that we can KNOW if we have eternal life for it says "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God".
In 2006, I have tried to share with you some of what God has been showing me. I am looking forward to another year with you and
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
It must have meant to be because as I was listening to Gloria tell a story a short while ago it reminded me of us and God's love. She told of a man who was trying to choose a special card for his wife - probably for her birthday - but he could not find the card that said exactly what he wanted to say to her. Have you ever been in this situation?...when you knew that there was something that you wanted to say to someone but just did not find the right words. I have. Sometimes it has been because I have been overwhelmed with love and appreciation like the time I met Henry Blackaby and stood there with my mouth open and nothing coming out and other times it has been when I was angry with someone and wanted to tell them what a jerk I thought they had been. At those angry times, it was probably best that I did not have words to say and I turned away.
I usually do not have problems with telling people that I love them. Sometimes I don't tell them enough. I want to find better words to tell Bob how much I love him and how much I thank God for putting us together 44 years ago because He has been so wonderful to me and my love for him deepens every day. I am so honored to be his wife and know of his love for Jesus and how he has lead our family to know Him better. I want to tell Debbie what a wonderful daughter she is and how much I love and appreciate the young woman she has become, the wonderful wife and mother to my grandchildren. I want Kenny to know that we love him like the son we never hand and treasure him with all in our hearts and thank him for being a wonderful Christian husband to Debbie and father to Rachel and David. We tell Rachel and David all the time that we love them but our hearts fill with such pride and joy and we cannot find adequate words to express to tell any of these what is truly in our hearts. I want our families to know that they are in our hearts and prayers every day even when we do not call or e-mail. We want our church and our pastor to know how very much we love them and how much we depend on them but there are no adequate words even through we try to say "I love you" often and try to show, yet somehow it does not seem enough.
Most of all we want our Lord, Jesus Christ to know that we love Him and there are not enough decorations, music, celebrations or anything else that can truly express what is in our hearts for Him and what He has done for us. The only way we can show Him how much we love Him is by loving each other and offering our praise and worship with humbled hearts and bended knees, sometimes tears of repentance and gratitude.
Our Scripture reading last night was from 1 John 3. Verse 1a says "Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God!: Chapter 4, v 7-11 says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God, He who does not love does not know God for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love (agape), not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (sacrificial substitute) for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
It is awesome to know that we are Children of God if we believe in Jesus Christ. The best gift you can give to Jesus this season is yourself. I John 5:13 also tells us that we can KNOW if we have eternal life for it says "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God".
In 2006, I have tried to share with you some of what God has been showing me. I am looking forward to another year with you and
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
e-mail 12/15/6
As I look outside and see the cloudy day, it is hard to be sad because there is so much color everywhere we look. In South Georgia it is very uncommon to see so much color with the changing of the seasons and yet the maple trees in our yard are yellow, orange and one is bright red. The bush in the back yard that usually has orange berries for the birds have bright red ones this year. It is impossible for me to believe that anyone could believe that this just happens without help from a loving God."
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth". Since we know that God created all things we know that God loves beauty because He made so many colors. We know that He likes variety because He made so many different things. Meteorologists tell us that there are no two snowflakes alike and when we consider how many snowflakes have fallen in recent weeks in parts of our country, we have to be amazed at how truly awesome our God is. Scientists tell us that no two people have the same fingerprints. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.
In spite of all of our differences. God loves each of us alike. He gave His only Son that we might spend all of eternity with Him.
As we think of beautiful things, there is one that stands out this month as we think of sharing the good news of our Savior with all mankind. The Scripture is found in Romans 10:14-15. In verse 15, we find God's word saying that "the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things" are beautiful. This passage refers to you and me but also to our ministers of the Gospel who are preachers, missionaries, chaplains, teachers and any others who are dedicated to sharing Jesus.
When I look at my feet, they do not look especially pretty, so I am glad that it is God who does the judging. And when He looks at me, I hope He finds me...
Sharing God's love,
Peggy
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth". Since we know that God created all things we know that God loves beauty because He made so many colors. We know that He likes variety because He made so many different things. Meteorologists tell us that there are no two snowflakes alike and when we consider how many snowflakes have fallen in recent weeks in parts of our country, we have to be amazed at how truly awesome our God is. Scientists tell us that no two people have the same fingerprints. Even identical twins have different fingerprints.
In spite of all of our differences. God loves each of us alike. He gave His only Son that we might spend all of eternity with Him.
As we think of beautiful things, there is one that stands out this month as we think of sharing the good news of our Savior with all mankind. The Scripture is found in Romans 10:14-15. In verse 15, we find God's word saying that "the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things" are beautiful. This passage refers to you and me but also to our ministers of the Gospel who are preachers, missionaries, chaplains, teachers and any others who are dedicated to sharing Jesus.
When I look at my feet, they do not look especially pretty, so I am glad that it is God who does the judging. And when He looks at me, I hope He finds me...
Sharing God's love,
Peggy
e-mail 12/9/6
When I got up this morning, the first thing that came to mind was a song my dad use to sing to us, "Baby, it's cold outside." Cold and I do not get along but it does help some of us get into the "spirit" of the holidays that will soon be here. For me, another song comes to mind: "Put another log on the fire" and that is what has been happening around our house all morning.In spite of the cold, I love the Season of Christmas."
For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved." This is one of the most precious verses in the Bible. It tells us the simple story, the simple truth that God loves us. God loves the whole world, not just Americans, not just Jews, not just Protestants, but the whole world.
I remember being at Ridgecrest, NC many years ago at a National WMU Week Conference and Dr. Keith Parks spoke. Dr. Parks at the time was the President of the Foreign Mission Board. He and his wife had served as missionaries. When he told his dad that they were going to a foreign country, his dad did what most of us would do and asked "are you sure this is what you should do?" Dr. Parks replied, "Dad, God is as close to Africa as He is to Nashville, Tenn."
Sometimes as Americans with our freedoms, we forget how much God loves the entire world. I have heard many times that we should first take care of home and yes I do believe that we should take care of home but we have an equal responsibility to see that people all over the world have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This morning I did something that might seem strange to some but for me it was a perfectly normal thing for a type A, compulsive personality to do. The garland on my Christmas tree was not quite right so with all the ornaments in place and lights on the tree, I re-strung the garland so that I would have it more close to perfection. I decorate our tree every year as a gesture of love for my family. Yes, it did take a little extra care so I did not break any ornaments and it was a little harder but it was also worth the effort. As I was doing this, I could not help but think that if I go to so much trouble to let my family know that I love the, then why do I not do more to show others around me how much I love them. Why am I not more thoughtful and considerate of others? Why am I so willing to do for those I know but those I don't know, I tend to back off? Why does my heart not ache when I see the homeless or children on television in foreign lands and even in America who have no families and live in orphanages? I can make a lot of human excuses for myself and I cannot speak for anybody else but I pray that God will prick my heart and make me more aware of the needs of others and help me know those He wants me to help.
God has a plan for mankind. He had a plan when He created the world and we are a part of that plan. He has always wanted a people who would love Him above all else and they would show that love for Him by the way we treat Him through obedience and loving others. I definitely want to be more obedient and pray that I will always find a way to
Share God's Love,
Peggy
For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world might be saved." This is one of the most precious verses in the Bible. It tells us the simple story, the simple truth that God loves us. God loves the whole world, not just Americans, not just Jews, not just Protestants, but the whole world.
I remember being at Ridgecrest, NC many years ago at a National WMU Week Conference and Dr. Keith Parks spoke. Dr. Parks at the time was the President of the Foreign Mission Board. He and his wife had served as missionaries. When he told his dad that they were going to a foreign country, his dad did what most of us would do and asked "are you sure this is what you should do?" Dr. Parks replied, "Dad, God is as close to Africa as He is to Nashville, Tenn."
Sometimes as Americans with our freedoms, we forget how much God loves the entire world. I have heard many times that we should first take care of home and yes I do believe that we should take care of home but we have an equal responsibility to see that people all over the world have a chance to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This morning I did something that might seem strange to some but for me it was a perfectly normal thing for a type A, compulsive personality to do. The garland on my Christmas tree was not quite right so with all the ornaments in place and lights on the tree, I re-strung the garland so that I would have it more close to perfection. I decorate our tree every year as a gesture of love for my family. Yes, it did take a little extra care so I did not break any ornaments and it was a little harder but it was also worth the effort. As I was doing this, I could not help but think that if I go to so much trouble to let my family know that I love the, then why do I not do more to show others around me how much I love them. Why am I not more thoughtful and considerate of others? Why am I so willing to do for those I know but those I don't know, I tend to back off? Why does my heart not ache when I see the homeless or children on television in foreign lands and even in America who have no families and live in orphanages? I can make a lot of human excuses for myself and I cannot speak for anybody else but I pray that God will prick my heart and make me more aware of the needs of others and help me know those He wants me to help.
God has a plan for mankind. He had a plan when He created the world and we are a part of that plan. He has always wanted a people who would love Him above all else and they would show that love for Him by the way we treat Him through obedience and loving others. I definitely want to be more obedient and pray that I will always find a way to
Share God's Love,
Peggy
e-mail 12-8-6
At times in recent years it seems like Christians are sleeping away their lives when it comes to taking a stand for Christ. We have allowed the Supreme Court to take away the reciting of the Lord's Prayer in schools, we have allowed the Ten Commandments to be removed from some public buildings, and we have not made much of a fuss about Nativity scenes not being on public grounds during the season of Christmas. However, not lost.
The things that are happening to Christians in the United States are mild when compared to the rest of the world. For centuries Christians have suffered for their faith, our missionaries on the foreign fields now are often in danger for their lives, missionaries are often killed and/or maimed for their faith. Yet here in America, we have freedom to call upon the God we know and worship Him without fear.
We are a nation that was founded on Christian principles and have forgotten to teach those principles to the children. Vance Havner, a great preacher, once said, "The things we tolerate today will be accepted as the normal tomorrow." I have seen many of these changes in my lifetime. There was a time when it was unheard of for a man and woman to live together without being married. Today, young people are told to try it out before they commit to marriage, so they live together. There was a time when being pregnant and nor married brought shame to a family, today, we give baby showers, our blessings and best wishes for the unwed mother. Women today deliberately have children with no father in the picture, thinking they can raise the child without a full family and the children are the ones who suffer with identity crisis and discipline problems as they grow older.
Try as hard as they can, Christianity can never be totally removed from the United States as long as there is one Christian left standing. Our history will not let us forget, the buildings in Washington are monuments to our country's initial belief in God. There are statues of Moses and the Ten Commandments on the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, the Library of Congress and the Ronald Reagan building. On the floor of the National Archives building we find the Ten Commandments. A window in the US Capitol shows the image of George Washington kneeling in prayer. References to "Almighty God" are found in all of the speeches, writings and monuments of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and every other great American leader. When the President of the United States takes office, his hand is placed on the Bible. It is sad that our current leaders in Congress have forgotten about our Christian heritage.
It is easy to complain about our images and statues not being displayed but while we are arguing this point, we forget to do the things that Jesus told us to do. He said we were to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, visit the orphans and children and love one another as He loved us.
John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute recently wrote, "If Christians really want to have a positive impact on the world around them, let them return to their communities and tend to the sick, feed the poor, and stand up for the weak and defenseless." Israel was judged harshly by God in the Old Testament for not doing these very things.
During this Christmas season, let's become prayer warriors for our country, for our military, for the freedoms we enjoy, for our church and our neighbors. Let's show the world how much we love the Savior whose birth we celebrate, that the gift God gave was not wasted on a few but was meant for the whole world. Let's demonstrate the love of God in our lives and in our hearts by being obedient to the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let's expand the borders of our faith and watch God work miracles in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Many do not believe God still does miracles but He does. As we pray, let's pray expecting that God is going to act on our faith. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him." If we don't have the faith, there is a problem. We have to believe.
Celebrate this Christmas season with peace and joy in your hearts and never forget that it is all about...
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
The things that are happening to Christians in the United States are mild when compared to the rest of the world. For centuries Christians have suffered for their faith, our missionaries on the foreign fields now are often in danger for their lives, missionaries are often killed and/or maimed for their faith. Yet here in America, we have freedom to call upon the God we know and worship Him without fear.
We are a nation that was founded on Christian principles and have forgotten to teach those principles to the children. Vance Havner, a great preacher, once said, "The things we tolerate today will be accepted as the normal tomorrow." I have seen many of these changes in my lifetime. There was a time when it was unheard of for a man and woman to live together without being married. Today, young people are told to try it out before they commit to marriage, so they live together. There was a time when being pregnant and nor married brought shame to a family, today, we give baby showers, our blessings and best wishes for the unwed mother. Women today deliberately have children with no father in the picture, thinking they can raise the child without a full family and the children are the ones who suffer with identity crisis and discipline problems as they grow older.
Try as hard as they can, Christianity can never be totally removed from the United States as long as there is one Christian left standing. Our history will not let us forget, the buildings in Washington are monuments to our country's initial belief in God. There are statues of Moses and the Ten Commandments on the Supreme Court in Washington, DC, the Library of Congress and the Ronald Reagan building. On the floor of the National Archives building we find the Ten Commandments. A window in the US Capitol shows the image of George Washington kneeling in prayer. References to "Almighty God" are found in all of the speeches, writings and monuments of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and every other great American leader. When the President of the United States takes office, his hand is placed on the Bible. It is sad that our current leaders in Congress have forgotten about our Christian heritage.
It is easy to complain about our images and statues not being displayed but while we are arguing this point, we forget to do the things that Jesus told us to do. He said we were to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and those in prison, visit the orphans and children and love one another as He loved us.
John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute recently wrote, "If Christians really want to have a positive impact on the world around them, let them return to their communities and tend to the sick, feed the poor, and stand up for the weak and defenseless." Israel was judged harshly by God in the Old Testament for not doing these very things.
During this Christmas season, let's become prayer warriors for our country, for our military, for the freedoms we enjoy, for our church and our neighbors. Let's show the world how much we love the Savior whose birth we celebrate, that the gift God gave was not wasted on a few but was meant for the whole world. Let's demonstrate the love of God in our lives and in our hearts by being obedient to the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let's expand the borders of our faith and watch God work miracles in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. Many do not believe God still does miracles but He does. As we pray, let's pray expecting that God is going to act on our faith. "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him." If we don't have the faith, there is a problem. We have to believe.
Celebrate this Christmas season with peace and joy in your hearts and never forget that it is all about...
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
e-mail 12/6/6
As the apostle Paul was concluding his 2nd letter to the Corinthians he said, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-" (2 Cor 13:5)
Here at the end of the year, each of us should challenge ourselves to examine ourselves as to whether or not we are in the faith. In this particular instance, Paul is not talking about our denomination but whether or not we are truly saved. Earlier Paul had told them (2 Cor 11:13-15) that Satan and his angels (demons) can come into the fellowship "transformed into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (Minister in this instance does not refer to pastors but to anyone who is helping another.) Is it possible that people in our fellowship of friends and church family have not truly met the Savior?
We can tell who is truly "in the faith" by their walk with the Lord. A person who knows Jesus Christ as their personal Savior cannot hide it. There is a burning desire in their heart to tell others. After we believe IN God, we must believe God. Then we make adjustments in our life towards obedience to God. We cannot go instantly from belief to absolute obedience without making adjustments. Mature Christians should not have to make as many adjustments as a young believer does; however as long as we live on this earth, we will always be making adjustments to line up with God's will for our lives. We will adjust until we are perfect.
Godly people with right motivations often fail. Many times I have believed that I was doing the right thing only to find out that Peggy messed up. It takes daily meditation and prayer to stay in God's will. I believe that every person, who calls Jesus his or her Savior, should begin every day with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Why? We love Him because He first loved us. We should pray every morning, before meals (even in public places) and go about the day with a prayer on our heart and lips. (Do you ever think to pray every time you hear an ambulance? Some body's in trouble or the siren would not be heard.)
Our kids should be told that they can pray in school. The Supreme Court ruled that there could be no organized prayer and children cannot be made to pray but they cannot keep a child from bowing their head and praying silently to God to help them begin their day, to give them knowledge before they have an exam, or to give them wisdom to answer the teacher or handle non-Christian situations that come up.
Our daughter was blessed that she was able to attend a Christian school where prayer, memorizing verses and Bible study was a daily part of her schedule. After my granddaughter came to our house recently and told us about a friend of hers whose grandfather had a temple with an 8 armed lady statue in his bedroom, I was glad the school did not require her to pray a Hindu prayer. But as a Christian, she can be an example of Christianity to her friends and she can and I believe she does pray silently.
As adults, can our examples as a Christian be any less? If we are in touch with God at all times, we will mess up less. Being a Christian does not mean we will not have trials and problems in our lives but God will always be with us because He promised and God cannot lie.
As we are examining ourselves, let's also think about others and how we treat them. We are to be kind, loving, tenderhearted, patient, caring and forgiving. We should not put ourselves above anyone. We should always strive to be helpful yet be mindful that the one we are helping also has feelings. I am one of those people that find it very hard to accept help but I love helping as I am led of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit must be in everything we do; He should be the instigator of our actions.
As we think about others, we must help where ever we can and as often as we can. There are many needs during the month of December. There are both ministry and mission needs locally and far away that we are asked to help with. Paul also said to the Corinthians "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7)
As the New Year is soon to be here and we are examining ourselves, let's consider also our attitudes and our actions towards the church that we attend. We have a minimum of 3 opportunities to come together to worship God each week: Sunday Morning Worship, Sunday Evening Worship, and Wednesday Evening Prayer. Each of these worship times is important for us to grow as a Christian. Leave one out for selfish reasons and you are hurting you faith and your testimony. It hurts the church when you deliberately stay away as if you don't care. Like I have said earlier, your faith shows when and how often you spend time worshipping and praying with God's people. My Bible teaches that the entire Sabbath day belongs to the Lord. If I only love Him on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights (for choir practice), I am not as committed to Jesus as I want others to think I am. We need to examine ourselves.
There are many adjustments some of us need to make in our lives. The most important one will rule everything we do. That one thing is love. Jesus loved us enough that He died for us. As we examine ourselves, ask what am I willing to do for Him? I pray that I will be found faithful and....
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
"In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1:35) Since this was a daily habit in Jesus' life, how much more do I need to do it?
Here at the end of the year, each of us should challenge ourselves to examine ourselves as to whether or not we are in the faith. In this particular instance, Paul is not talking about our denomination but whether or not we are truly saved. Earlier Paul had told them (2 Cor 11:13-15) that Satan and his angels (demons) can come into the fellowship "transformed into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (Minister in this instance does not refer to pastors but to anyone who is helping another.) Is it possible that people in our fellowship of friends and church family have not truly met the Savior?
We can tell who is truly "in the faith" by their walk with the Lord. A person who knows Jesus Christ as their personal Savior cannot hide it. There is a burning desire in their heart to tell others. After we believe IN God, we must believe God. Then we make adjustments in our life towards obedience to God. We cannot go instantly from belief to absolute obedience without making adjustments. Mature Christians should not have to make as many adjustments as a young believer does; however as long as we live on this earth, we will always be making adjustments to line up with God's will for our lives. We will adjust until we are perfect.
Godly people with right motivations often fail. Many times I have believed that I was doing the right thing only to find out that Peggy messed up. It takes daily meditation and prayer to stay in God's will. I believe that every person, who calls Jesus his or her Savior, should begin every day with our Lord, Jesus Christ. Why? We love Him because He first loved us. We should pray every morning, before meals (even in public places) and go about the day with a prayer on our heart and lips. (Do you ever think to pray every time you hear an ambulance? Some body's in trouble or the siren would not be heard.)
Our kids should be told that they can pray in school. The Supreme Court ruled that there could be no organized prayer and children cannot be made to pray but they cannot keep a child from bowing their head and praying silently to God to help them begin their day, to give them knowledge before they have an exam, or to give them wisdom to answer the teacher or handle non-Christian situations that come up.
Our daughter was blessed that she was able to attend a Christian school where prayer, memorizing verses and Bible study was a daily part of her schedule. After my granddaughter came to our house recently and told us about a friend of hers whose grandfather had a temple with an 8 armed lady statue in his bedroom, I was glad the school did not require her to pray a Hindu prayer. But as a Christian, she can be an example of Christianity to her friends and she can and I believe she does pray silently.
As adults, can our examples as a Christian be any less? If we are in touch with God at all times, we will mess up less. Being a Christian does not mean we will not have trials and problems in our lives but God will always be with us because He promised and God cannot lie.
As we are examining ourselves, let's also think about others and how we treat them. We are to be kind, loving, tenderhearted, patient, caring and forgiving. We should not put ourselves above anyone. We should always strive to be helpful yet be mindful that the one we are helping also has feelings. I am one of those people that find it very hard to accept help but I love helping as I am led of the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit must be in everything we do; He should be the instigator of our actions.
As we think about others, we must help where ever we can and as often as we can. There are many needs during the month of December. There are both ministry and mission needs locally and far away that we are asked to help with. Paul also said to the Corinthians "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7)
As the New Year is soon to be here and we are examining ourselves, let's consider also our attitudes and our actions towards the church that we attend. We have a minimum of 3 opportunities to come together to worship God each week: Sunday Morning Worship, Sunday Evening Worship, and Wednesday Evening Prayer. Each of these worship times is important for us to grow as a Christian. Leave one out for selfish reasons and you are hurting you faith and your testimony. It hurts the church when you deliberately stay away as if you don't care. Like I have said earlier, your faith shows when and how often you spend time worshipping and praying with God's people. My Bible teaches that the entire Sabbath day belongs to the Lord. If I only love Him on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights (for choir practice), I am not as committed to Jesus as I want others to think I am. We need to examine ourselves.
There are many adjustments some of us need to make in our lives. The most important one will rule everything we do. That one thing is love. Jesus loved us enough that He died for us. As we examine ourselves, ask what am I willing to do for Him? I pray that I will be found faithful and....
Sharing God's Love,
Peggy
"In the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1:35) Since this was a daily habit in Jesus' life, how much more do I need to do it?
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