Road Rage!!

While driving in rush hour traffic today, suddenly, without signaling or warning, a car swerved between my car and the car in front of me nearly causing a wreck.  My immediate reaction kept me from being hit by this car and I also flashed my lights to let them know that I was there in case I had been in his blind spot without him realizing it.  To my surprise, the guy gave me the famous one fingered wave.  I kindly waved back at him…and not the one fingered version either!  J  Then I went about my way, grateful that no harm to anyone had been done.

I couldn’t believe how easily this guy was angered and by nothing that I had done.  I don’t know, maybe he was having a bad day…or just maybe this was typical for him.

In the times we’re living in, we need to react kindly to folks like this and even pray for them.  Today it was easy for me to react this way, but trust me there have been other times when I didn’t react as kindly as I did today.  Sometimes I end up having to repent because of things that I’ve said that weren’t very nice…just being honest with you!  Transparency is the best policy...yeah?! 

The bottom line is, people don’t need our wrath, they need Jesus.  We’re all human and we all make mistakes.  Romans 3:23  Now, understand that I’m not saying that we should be door mats, because that’s not at all the point I’m trying to make.  But, treat others the way that you would want to be treated!  Matthew 7:12

As I encourage myself to be a friendlier neighbor in all situations, I encourage you to do the same.  I trust and believe that it will make a difference in our lives and in our world.  Imagine if all of us who profess to be Christ followers acted like it!  Yeah…what a different place this world would be!!  

 

Check out my other blog which I post once every 4+ weeks.   http://actnowministries.blogspot.com/ 

Have a heart for...

Today, my heart cries out for those who do not know the Lord.  Everyday, I see folks who don’t know Him…some assume that they are so smart that they have life figured out, but don’t realize that He is the center, some choose not to know the Creator at all, some…many…have been introduced, but have refused a relationship with Him, etc. 

Whether these folks ever get in a relationship with God or not, the fact remains that they have made the choice to reject the Creator of the Universe…God Almighty.

At times, while crossing paths with non-believers, it could be so easy to just walk away and not have anything to do with them, mainly because so many are mean and arrogant, etc.  But what I choose to remember is that they have no reason to be joyous.  They have no reason to be nice.  They have no reason to be meek or humble.  You see Jesus is the reason that we choose to have those characteristics as a follower of Christ. (And let’s hope that as a follower of Christ, we are choosing to be like Him!  We are His ambassadors here on this earth!)  If they don’t have Jesus, there is a huge hole in their life and Jesus is needed to fill it to make them whole.  Instead they fill it with whatever suits them at the moment…until they figure out that it’s not working and then they move on to something else.  That cycle will continue until, hopefully, they choose a relationship with Jesus…the same way that you and I discovered that we need Him!  Have a heart for the lost!

When dealing with folks like this, choose to take the high road.  Be kind, be considerate, be loving...be Jesus to them.  You never know, you may be the only person who will ever be Jesus to them.  Remember Heaven and Hell are real and we are all going to end up in one place or the other by our own choice.  Look at things eternally instead of momentarily.  Winning souls to our Lord, saving souls from eternal damnation is the goal.  Choose eyes, ears and a heart of compassion because that’s how Jesus chooses to care for us.  Keep praying and never give up hope of salvation for the lost.     

Who is your Source?

One day while working at the food bank, we ran out of food filled boxes and I had to make another.  As I was filling this box, I didn’t have the usual staples, but wanted it to be worthy of calling it a food box.  I like to be generous with what I put in the boxes, but at the same time, the resources are limited.  As I was filling it, I picked up a few items to put in the box and out of fear of running out of that item, I put some back.  I heard the Lord say to me; don’t you know that I can replenish what you give away?  Instantly, I said “Yes, I do. Forgive me for not thinking that way.”  So, I put in the box what I had in my hand and then grabbed more and put it in the box.

Over the next few weeks, we didn’t receive very much food.  After filling boxes one Friday, our little pantry was empty except for a few odds and ends.  That day I stood there and prayed silently.  I reminded God of what He had said to me only a week or so before and I asked him to replenish our shelves, refrigerators and freezers to overflowing.  I reminded Him (not that He needs reminding) that we were doing His work…helping those who need help.  The next Friday, our shipment of food was over flowing…and it has been for several weeks now.  Sometimes we don’t even have room to keep everything that we receive.

You see…God is our source…not man!  It’s like the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1-16.  The Lord told Elijah to go the Brook Cherith, stay there and He would send ravens to feed him.  He did as the Lord said and had food and water.  When the brook dried up the Lord sent him to the widow.  She had only enough food for one more meal and then she thought that she and her son would die of starvation.  Elijah told her that the Lord said for her to make bread for him and that she would never run out of food.  She did just what Elijah told her to do and, just as he had said, she never ran out of food for herself, her son and Elijah.

You see, God is for us.  He wants to help us.  But we must put our faith and trust in Him.  His ways are not like our ways.  He is our Source and He is creative in the ways that He provides for us.  We should never say out of our own worldly ways of believing; God would never do this or that.  We simply don’t know how God is going to do what He says he’s going to do.

I encourage you to step out in faith and trust God in areas that you would normally trust yourself or someone else. Give Him the opportunity to stretch your faith and trust in Him.    

What's sitting on the throne of your heart?

What’s the use of worshipping something that God created?  I was reading something the other day that spoke of how a man cut down a tree.  He cut the tree into firewood.  Built a fire with part of the wood to cook his meal and then carved an idol out of the rest of the wood and then worshipped the idol.  Really?!  He worshipped something that he fashioned out of wood himself…but he burned the rest of it in order to cook his meal.  Why would you even want to do something like that?  It makes no sense! The wood is an inanimate object that has no ability to love you, care for you…or do anything for you except apparently burn to cook a meal.  Isaiah 44:6-23

That’s how it is with anything that is worshipped other than God Almighty, Himself!  We’re simply wasting our time by doing it…and we’re certainly not helping ourselves at all.  In fact, we would be hurting ourselves…further separating ourselves from God.  God Almighty is the amazing Creator of all things.  John 1:1-4 The sun, moon, stars, nature / environment, science...people, angels, etc are all things that were made by God. He has made everything but all things are not worthy of our worship.  They are only created beings like you and I…not God Almighty who is the creator of all things. 

So…what’s sitting on the throne of your heart?  What's first in your life…your wife, husband, children, job, car, home, bank account, hobby, yourself?  Anything that you place before God takes the place of God until you realize what you’ve done and make a conscious effort to replace it with God.  These other things are things that were created by the Creator.  Nothing…NOTHING…can replace God. 

Search your heart.  Is God on your throne…or is something else?  Don’t be like the man who burnt part of the wood for fuel and carved the rest into an idol for worship.  It will do you no good.  Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10  Choose Him…He wants to be first in your life.

If you like this, check out my other blog as well.    http://actnowministries.blogspot.com/  

A Martyr's Final Poem.

Fatima was in her early twenties and lived in a strong fundamental town in Saudi Arabia.  She had finished college and had a job.  Fatima had been raised in Islam, but couldn’t make a connection with God.  Seeking Him out through the internet she found that other Muslims were having dreams and visions of Jesus and had converted to Christianity.  She began to pray that she, too, would have dreams and visions of Jesus.  She read all that she could and met other Christians on line and became a follower of Christ and was even maturing as a Christian through mentoring on the net.  All of this took place while never being able to attend a regular church service.   

Once we submit ourselves to Jesus, our physical countenance changes due to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us.  The fruit of the Spirit becomes very evident…even to non-believers. See Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:22-24  

One day, her brother, who was a member of the secret police, began to be suspicious of her.  While she was gone to work, he began to search through her computer and found that she had been frequenting Christian websites.  He then confronted her, asking her if she had become a Christian.  She told him that she had become a follower of Jesus Christ.  He took away her phone, told her to go to her room and in two hours he was going to kill her in the presence of her family.  She went to her room and wrote a poem on her computer, which he had left in the room.  (A Martyr’s Final Poem is halfway down the page on the linked page.)  At the end of the two hours, her brother dragged her into the street and killed her but not before doing terrible things to her. 

 

She, no doubt, is in Heaven with Jesus now.  She inspires me to be even more devoted to Jesus than ever. 

Here in the States we are persecuted, but not anywhere near the degree to which some Christians are persecuted around the world.  It makes the persecution here look like child’s play compared to a martyr’s death!  Don’t shrink back when the Holy Spirit is leading you to share about Jesus.  The persecution we might receive is nothing compared to Fatima’s death…and so many others like her.  Remember that eternity in Hell is nothing that you should want for anyone.  Share Jesus with as many as you can.

Fatima’s faith and trust in Jesus are awe inspiring!  I look forward to meeting her in Heaven some day.! She’s quite an inspiration!

Are you living life for...

You know…it would be so easy to live life just for the moment without any cares or worries of consequences…at least for a while.  The trouble with that is that sooner or later, we will reap what we have sown…good or bad!

Of course God wants us to enjoy our lives, but He also wants us to live with purpose and self control.  Living without any regard to consequences is actually very dangerous.  You never know when the breath that you take may be your last.  That’s why we should live eternally minded.  Heaven and Hell!  Yes, they both exist.  Which place are you planning to take up residency for eternity?

James 4:14-15 talks about how our lives here on earth are but a vapor that’s here only for a little while and then vanishes.  It also says that because we don’t know how long we’ll be here, we should say “If the Lord wills, we’ll do this or that.”  Just think about it.  If this life is as a vapor compared to eternity…eternity is a crazy long time!  I know that I know that I know that I’m spending eternity in Heaven.  And…although I still make mistakes, my goal is to be in the Lord’s will for my life…living a life led by the Holy Spirit. 

It is the Lord’s will that none would perish, and come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9  The trouble is that so many don’t know or maybe don’t want to know who Jesus is. There could be a million reasons why people don’t want to know Jesus.  But even though they choose not to know Him, He still loves them and wants them to come to repentance and be saved.  However, your choice is your choice.

Jesus said; I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  John 14:6

Are you living life for the pleasure of the moment or are you living it eternally minded?

Do live your life as if there’s no tomorrow, but don’t live it carelessly.  Choose to know Jesus.  Choose Heaven for eternity.  Choose to live a Spirit led life.  I assure you it will not be boring!   

Don't settle for the shades of grey...

In darkness we cannot see color...only shades of grey and black.  Only light allows us to see the true color of those things surrounding us.  When we are in the dark spiritually, we cannot see the “true color,” if you will, of who Jesus is.

Twenty some years ago and beyond, I was a mess.  I had been saved as a child, but didn’t have a serious relationship with the Lord.  I had prayed for a miracle to happen in my life.  I was so depressed, it was hard for me to get out of bed and do anything.  I didn’t want to live.  But…this particular morning, I was standing in front of the mirror in my bathroom getting ready for work.  All of the sudden, in the spirit, I saw a black cloud rip down the middle. (Later in life I understood this cloud to be the veil that kept me from seeing God.  Matt. 27:51-53)  It’s as if the cloud was so dense that it actually had to be cut.  In a moment, I saw things in my life so differently.  It was the Light of the Lord shining through to me. (John 8:12)  Instantly I was healed of depression and had a whole new outlook on life.  My life was changed that day.  The Light from the Lord revealed a beautiful colorful world…a world that was once a drab, dark and had no “color”…no life…a lifeless life.

The thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy.  I (Jesus) have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.  John 10:10

Years ago when my son was small, we had to take shelter in the basement of our home due to the threat of a tornado.  We keep a small black and white TV there so we can monitor the weather.  It’s not hooked up to the satellite.  It’s the kind that has the antenna on it so you can move it around to get better reception.  When my son watched that TV for the first time, he thought something was wrong with it because it had no color.  That’s how life is without Jesus.  Life makes no sense without Jesus.  Without the Light of the world, we’re unable to see the true colors of life.  Everything is black or shades of grey, dingy, negative and ugly.

Don’t settle for a colorless life.  Don’t settle for the shades of grey and darkness that the world settles for.  Let the Light of the world in allowing your world to be illuminated and full of color…and joy!  Allow Jesus into your life. 

Steward :: to manage or look after another's property

Are you being a good steward with  all that God has blessed you with? 

Some want a new house; do you take care of the house that you have already been blessed with?  Some want a new car; does your car look as if a garbage truck pulled up and dumped a load of garbage in it? 

steward ::  to manage or look after another’s property

Everything that we have in this life we have because the Lord has allowed us to have it.  Everything in this world is His. Colossians 1:16, John 1:3  We are simply managing it…or being a steward of it.

How many times have we, ourselves, told our children that until they take care of what we’ve given them, we won’t give them more?  It the same with our Heavenly Father. Take care of what God has given you.  Don’t squander your money on frivolous things.  Are you helping to take care of the poor?  Deuteronomy 15:11, Proverbs 29:7, Proverbs 14:31

If He’s allowed you to run a business, run it to the best of your abilities.  If He’s allowed you a car, take care of it…whether it’s a new car or new to you.  Our attitude about how we steward things will show in the way we take care of whatever it is the Lord has allowed us to have.  If your car, house or yard is a pit, maybe you don’t really value what the Lord has given to you.  How can you expect to be given more?  Joel Osteen told of places that he has visited in Africa.  They were only huts that people lived in…unlike the homes that we live in…which could be considered mansions to someone living in a hut.  Anyway, he said that even though they had floors of dirt, the places were spotless. 

Take care of what the Lord has allowed you to steward no matter how old or how new, small or large it is.  Our Father in Heaven truly wants to bless us.  Be a good steward.

Remember it...use it...believe it!

Yesterday, I was chatting with a friend about dogs and a specific memory came to my mind about an incident that I had with a seemingly unruly dog.

Years ago I was in Oklahoma visiting my husband’s parents when I decided to go for a run.  I got a couple of miles down the country road and decided to head back.  I was still quite a way from their home when suddenly a Rottweiler came running towards me and it was foaming at the mouth.  I have to tell you I’m not a fan of that particular breed of dog because of the stories that I’ve heard…stories that were similar to the situation I found myself to be right in the middle of at that moment.  Instantly I was frightened.  I didn’t think.  I simply acted out of instinct.  In fact, I found myself to be surprised at my own reaction.  I yelled at the dog, “Stop in the name of Jesus!  Go home!”  The dog stopped and looked stunned.  He looked at me for a few moments as if to reason out the situation and then turned around and headed back up his driveway.  I watched him cautiously until I felt safe to continue on and headed back to the house without incident. 

The name of Jesus is so very powerful!  Matthew 28:18-20 speaks about how Jesus was given all authority in Heaven and Earth and when we accept Him as our Savior, we are in Him and He is in us, we have the authority in His name.  In Colossians 1:12-14, (See also 2 Corinthians 5:21) Paul speaks of how Jesus has enabled us to share in His inheritance.  We are co-heirs with Christ.  So not only do we have the authority to go through all the Earth and make disciples for Jesus, we also have the authority against evil and the powers of darkness as well as others that I won’t go into now.   

Now, I’m not trying to say that this dog is evil.  I am, however, sure that this dog wanted to cause me harm.  I used the authority that I have in Jesus’ name to protect myself from harm.  Because I believe it and spoke in Jesus’ name, that dog obeyed.  I’m grateful that I not only knew that, but was also able to apply it to my situation.

Remember as a follower of Christ, the authority you have in His name. Remember it…believe it…use it!  He will never fail you.