Simplify Your Life

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 

Simplicity has been on my mind lately. Would you classify yourself as simple or complex? I did some research on what the Bible has to say about simplicity and it astounded me. God loves the simple! Complex lives do not foster peace and joy.

 I would classify my life as busy. My husband and I have three children that are ages three and almost two! Our daily life can be crazy at times and there are often not enough hours in the day. I have discovered that its often the little details in life that accumulate and make things messy! The big commitments like marriage, children, and church are not littering our lives with complexity. It is all the little details that fall everywhere in between that start suffocating our time and purpose.

Satan wants us to be stretched thin and overwhelmed because we are not effective Christians that way. God wants us to seek simplicity and commit ourselves to the things He has called us to do. God's plan is perfect for our lives.

Many of us need to take inventory of our lives and sift out any clutter that is preventing our simplicity. Eliminating the clutter may not be easy, but the reward will be so great!

***Want to know an interesting statistic?!? "Getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home." (National Soap and Detergent Association)

Nicodemus...A Literal Guy

Let's talk about Nicodemus today.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee during the time Jesus lived on the earth. A Pharisee was a Jewish leader that enforced Jewish law. When Jesus was teaching and performing miracles Nicodemus became very curious about Him. One night Nicodemus snuck over to where Jesus was and asked some questions.

(Nicodemus brought his literal mind along with him and was baffled by the revelations Jesus spoke of.)

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe me not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" John 3:12

Nicodemus was wanting all the answers concerning the heavenly realm without any of the foundational faith. --- Was Nicodemus a smart guy? Sure he was, but he was wanting to take human, literal, finite knowledge and understand the mysteries of God.

We are all human and have finite knowledge. Our literal minds often prevent us from fully experiencing the revelation of God. However, when we are born again (like what Jesus was trying to explain to Nicodemus) we are filled with the Holy Spirit that can enable us to think past literal boundaries into the spiritual realm.

I just want us to thank God today for giving us the Holy Spirit so we can understand His Word and His revelations! We've all been Nicodemus at some point; which should serve to help us understand and witness to others experiencing the same literal hangups.

The Best Education

"Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." Psalm 25: 4-5

Education is an integral part of our society. I have my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. I spent years studying how to educate children so they would become "lifelong learners."

I have realized that we are all "lifelong learners" in some capacity. When we wake up and go out into the world our minds are processing new information that expands our intellectual knowledge. However, I think the important aspects to consider are: Are we learning anything worthwhile? Who is our teacher? What impact will this knowledge make on our lives?

The most important education we can ever receive is through the Word of God. The Bible is the Book of Life! The verses above cry out to God and say "No matter how long it takes I want You to teach me Lord!" And the great thing about having God as our Teacher is that He will never tell us anything that is false!

Black Friday Shopping

I went shopping yesterday morning with my sister for all the Black Friday deals. We were at Walmart at midnight and back up at 4 a.m. with my husband in tow for all the other stores! As my sister and I were standing in Walmart at 11:57 p.m. we had to practice some lowliness, meekness, and self control!

Paul writes in Ephesians 4:2, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love"

This verse demonstrates how a Christian needs to act to others at all times. Sometimes we are placed in stressful situations and we experience lapses in good judgement.

I think that one of the greatest things we can do to promote the kingdom of God is to actually practice these traits no matter what our fleshly nature is telling us to do. People notice when we check our Christianity at the door. Let's pray for the Lord to strengthen us in this area so that nonbelievers see the true fruit of the spirit and desire that for themselves.

Blessed for Persecution

"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10

Yesterday I was thinking about the pilgrims and the reason they came to America. They were suffering religious persecution from their native country and wanted to live somewhere new where they could worship the Lord freely. Moving to America was a bold move for the pilgrims. It took a lot of courage to load up their families and set out on a ship for months.

Persecution is tough. It is not fun. Christians are persecuted today. I think we often feel like Christians are persecuted now more than ever. This may be true, but there has always been persecution from the enemy.

Jesus knew that people were struggling with being persecuted for righteousness' sake. Jesus understands better than anyone what it feels like to be persecuted. However, He gives us hope when we endure persecution.

When a Christian endures persecution in a Christlike way, blessings will be poured out on that person. The blessings may not be immediate. Look at the pilgrims; they had to suffer for a while before God's blessing started rolling in.

But don't lose heart! When the persecution rages strong, hang in there because Jesus made us a promise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4

Today is Thanksgiving; which has popularly become known as "Turkey Day." You will probably eat your fair share of turkey today, but this day is not about a bird!

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621. You know the story about the pilgrims and Indians. The year prior to the first Thanksgiving was devastating for the pilgrims. Only half of the people survived the winter. These people stepped out in faith when they sailed to America. They wanted to follow God's will and nothing else. Were they persecuted? Yes. Were they under attack by the enemy? Absolutely. Did they lose their faith? No.

Despite the tragic loss they suffered, the year of 1621 was much better for the pilgrims because they established their settlement and a relationship with the Wampanoag Indians. God provided blessings amidst the grief and distress. When harvest time rolled around the pilgrims knew their blessings were due to God's love and mercy. Thanksgiving was born from that spirit of thanks, and celebrated among friends and family to praise God for all He had done.

Take a look around you today and thank God for all He has given you.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Janice :) 

Paul's Blessing

The Apostle Paul wrote many letters that are recorded in the New Testament of the Bible. He wrote these letters to the new and growing churches in different locations shortly after Jesus' death and resurrection to teach them the way of Christ Jesus.

I have always noticed that Paul closes many of his letters with beautiful words of blessing for the people he wrote to. Paul prayed for the people he was teaching. He wanted them to be blessed by God because of their faith in Jesus. Look at what he wrote to the church in Corinth:

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." 1 Corinthians 16:23

We need to be offering prayer, petition, and words of encouragement for others on a more regular basis.

Today is a big traveling day for families and people all around our nation for Thanksgiving. My prayer is for everyone to have safe travels and to experience a truly thankful Thanksgiving!

Rest

Do you ever feel like you are deprived of rest? In 1 Kings we read about a prophet named Elijah who was having a breakdown because Jezebel had threatened his life. Elijah fled into the desert, and this is what happened:

"And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again." 1 Kings 19:5-6

God knew that Elijah was weak because of his lack of sleep and nourishment. We often expect God to operate in super-miraculous ways, but He is often very practical. God sent an angel to put Elijah to sleep and feed him. Basic human needs were lacking and God slowed Elijah down long enough to get him back on track.

We are no different from Elijah. Our lives are overwhelmed with responsibilities and commitments, all while we are fighting for the Kingdom of God here on earth. Let's not forget how God got Elijah back on track when he was having a meltdown! If it worked for Elijah we can be sure it will work for us!

Unconditional Love

Human minds cannot comprehend God's unconditional love.

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." Psalm 139:6

 I am thankful that God's love is not like the love that I offer others. Love from one human to another is tarnished in some form or fashion. The love we give is not perfect. God's love is perfect because He is love.

Our lack of comprehension should not deter us from accepting and experiencing the awesome love God offers us. Psalm 139:6 reflects our inability to understand. However, it is our inability to fully comprehend that requires the greatest amount of faith. Can you imagine how happy God is when we say, "Lord, I don't really understand, but I am going to trust you anyway and accept your love no matter what."?

Check out JJ Heller's song that compares our conditional love to God's unconditional love. (The guy in the video is JJ's husband.)

Thanksgiving

"Offer unto God thanksgiving" Psalms 50:14

We are going to celebrate Thanksgiving this week. We'll stuff ourselves with turkey and scan the sales ads for the Black Friday deals, but are we truly thankful? And if we are thankful, who are we thankful to? Our culture has focused our thankfulness towards general good luck. Well, let me tell you that is a bunch of garbage.

Luck has nothing to do with it. Why, you may ask? Look at this: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father" James 1:17

Any good thing that has happened in our lives or in the moments that preceded our existence is because of God. It is not some random good luck event that we thank our lucky stars for!

We need to get down on our knees and thank God for everything He has ever given us, especially His Son! And let's not wait for Thanksgiving to thank God. Let's start today and keep on thanking Him everyday, because we should celebrate Thanksgiving with our Lord daily!


**Please leave a post and tell everyone something you are thankful for and why! (If you have been unable to post a comment before, please try again because I have changed the settings for posting!)**

Operation Christmas Child

"for God loveth a cheerful giver." 2 Corinthians 9:7

A few weeks ago I posted about Operation Christmas Child that is coordinated by Samaritan's Purse. This ministry distributes shoe boxes filled with goodies to children all around the world. The deadline is drawing near for turning in filled shoe boxes and I wanted to send a friendly reminder and encourage you to participate in this ministry.

Our family put together some boxes this year. Bart and I took the kids to Wal-Mart and let them shop for the toys and other items with us. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to talk with our children about the importance of giving to others. Our girls are still too young to grasp the concept, but Luke understood and was so excited to be buying toys for "the other little boy".

Luke's enthusiasm made me think about the verse in 2 Corinthians that mentions how God loves a cheerful giver. Luke was a cheerful giver last night. He is only three years old, but he was so excited to give another child he didn't know a box of Christmas goodies!

Let your cheerful giving spirit shine as well!

For info on Operation Christmas Child check out: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ

Deadline is Monday, November 22, 2010!

Are You a Respector of Persons?

"For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?" James 2: 2-4

When you meet a person for the first time do you judge them instantly? I have done this many times. I think it is an automatic human response to draw instant conclusions and judgements about a person when you first lay eyes on them. We call this a "first impression." Notice that this is a human response and not a godly response. God sees the heart and not just the exterior. We see the exterior before we ever get close to a person's heart.

These verses in James 2 are warning us about judging based on appearances. There is a wealthy person and a poor person. The greedy, materialistic, and money-hungry part of our human nature makes us automatically attracted to the wealthy person. We want to put them on a pedestal and treat them well to earn their favor. The poor person is of no use to our greedy nature, so we cast them aside. All of this is done based on appearances and with no knowledge of each person's heart.

Formulating judgements is something that society has trained us to do throughout our lives. Undoing that training is going to take effort; which begins with prayer. We need to ask God to help us avoid instantaneous judgements and acting on those preconceived notions.

When I think about Jesus and all the people He hung out with while He was living on the earth, I see exactly how we should be approaching and welcoming others around us. Jesus ruffled a lot of feathers for hanging out with former prostitutes, tax collectors, and people society deemed untouchable. I know that Jesus would have put the poor guy in the good seat! We should be doing the same!

Armor of Light

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." Romans 13:12

This verse grabs my attention. Paul wrote this verse to encourage Christians to start serving the Lord. Becoming a Christian is the easy part of the process. All you have to do is accept Christ and His forgiveness and salvation. Afterwards we must begin serving so that others can have that same relationship with Jesus.

The serving part is what usually stumps Christians. Some Christians don't want to serve because they are unsure about what they should do, so they do nothing. Some don't want others to view them as a religious fanatic, so they lay low. Some just want to hang on for a free ride, so they stand in the shadows.

Paul is shouting a wake up call here that says, "Shake loose the suffocating grip the world has on you and put on your spiritual armor so we can get to work!"

Serving is what keeps the Christian body alive and reaching others. If we have on the spiritual armor God gives us and devote our time and energy to serving the Lord, there's nothing we can't do.

Sword of the Spirit

"and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17

Have you ever noticed the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God? All of the other pieces of spiritual armor are designed to be defensive and sustain attack. The defensive pieces provide protection and coverage to the person wearing them. Not the sword! The sword is meant to attack. Some of us are leaning on our spiritual sword like it is a walking stick. It is high time we pick the sword up and start wielding the offensive power it provides us spiritually.

How do we do that? Let's take a look:

The verse in Ephesians says that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. That tells us directly that we have to use our Bibles. The sword of the Spirit only works when God's word is used to fight the enemy. Look at what Hebrews 4:12 says about the word of God:

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing assunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

The word of God is the most comprehensive and effective weapon that could ever be used spiritually. This spiritual piece of armor is not only going to pierce and divide, it is also going to discern. Wow!

How many Bibles do you have? Have you ever considered them for the spiritual weapon they are? God's word contains such unimaginable power. However, you have to read your Bible and place God's word in your mind and heart before that powerful weapon becomes available for you to use.

Helmet of Salvation

"And take the helmet of salvation" Ephesians 6:17

The helmet of salvation is the one piece of spiritual armor that I have thought about the most while I was studying for this series. At first I didn't realize what my hang up was with the helmet of salvation. Then I figured out what it was... the simplicity of the helmet of salvation. This piece of armor is so straightforward that it made me think, "There has to be something that I am overlooking!"

Satan wants salvation to be confusing so people will be discouraged by the concept. But the good news is that ITS NOT!

Salvation is a free gift. We can't earn it... We don't deserve it... We can't buy it... All we have to do is take it. That's what makes it truly free! Look at Romans 5:18:

"even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

When we accept the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ into our heart, life, and mind we must protect the knowledge of our salvation. The helmet is the perfect piece of armor for protecting what you know God has given to you freely. Satan will bombard our minds with thoughts of doubt, worry, and mistrust to make us question our salvation and weaken our faith. However, if we are wearing the helmet of salvation we can battle those thoughts with the promises we have through the Holy Spirit and God's Word.

The helmet of salvation is a filter designed to protect the truth of God and His Son Jesus Christ in our very own minds.



Just a thought --- Aren't you glad that God is not like the lady at the Clinique counter that makes you spend so much money before you can qualify for the so-called "free gift?"

Sheild of Faith

"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." Ephesians 6:16

Did you notice how this piece of armor is described with the words "Above all"? Those two words should get our attention immediately and make us think, "Ok, this part is really important!"

Psalm 18:35 mentions the shield, "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great."

The shield is also mentioned in Psalm 18: 2 & 30, but it is referred to as a "buckler" in the KJV. A buckler is defined as "a round shield held by a grip and sometimes having straps through which the arm is passed."

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." Psalm 18:2

"As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Psalm 18:30

Verses 2 and 30 mention the trust we must have in the Lord to use His shield. God actually gives us Himself to use as a shield.

Sometimes the shield gets a little heavy, or Christians start feeling safe and comfortable and they lay their shields down because of a false sense of security. Laying the shield down is dangerous because we become vulnerable to the enemy. The devil knows he can't hurt us when our shield is up, so he waits for us to set it aside. That is why the sense of security we get is false. The only security is behind the shield of our faith in Christ.

Your shield may be heavy... you may be a new Christian who is not used to carrying the shield... you may have been feeling (falsely) safe and set your shield down somewhere, wherever it is pick it up because you need it above all else.

Peaceful Footwear

"And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" Ephesians 6:15

Now we are on to the spiritual footwear! Footwear is often underestimated as a piece of armor. Think about this for a second: How effective would you be in a battle running around with no shoes on? Injury in some form or fashion would come quickly to your feet and you would be of little use at that point.

Well, God wants his spiritual warriors to be useful so He is putting some good running and fighting shoes on them.

Our feet are the most ready vehicle that we have for "going." Spreading the gospel is very important for Christians because we want to defeat the devils grip on the world. When the Bible mentions spreading the gospel the word "go" is used. Look at Mark 16:15: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

I encourage you to fit your feet with spiritual shoes that will provide you with agility, speed, support, and strength in doing the Lord's work.

Breastplate of Righteousness

"and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:14

When the devil's arrows come flying at us, our righteousness in Christ Jesus protects us from the enemy. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no way we could fight the devil with our fleshly bodies. We need to start realizing that the power we wield is only because of the Holy Spirit within us. Spiritual powers are not of our own creation or doing. They are a gift from God that we can use.

The breastplate is designed to cover our heart. Jesus lives in our hearts when we have put our faith in Him. We have to guard our hearts from attacks to maintain our relationship with Jesus.

I think that many people today are wanting to use the breastplate of self-righteousness. We think we can do it ourselves without God's help. --Let's just stop here and say that wearing the breastplate of self-righteousness is like handing the devil a victory. As soon as we feel self-righteousness creeping in we need to flee from it. Righteousness only comes through Christ thanks to our salvation in Jesus.

Maybe your breastplate of righteousness is in a spiritual closet somewhere... Maybe you put it up to wear the breastplate of self-righteousness you made... No matter where you put it, its easy to find and God will help you put it on!

Belt of Truth

"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth" Ephesians 6:14

The KJV version of this verse uses the words "loins" and "girt." Just for clarity's sake, the loins are the part of the body between the hips and lower ribs. To girt something means to encircle it so it is bound with a belt or band. This is why we hear this verse referred to as "The Belt of Truth."

The spiritual belt serves to hold up our faith; which is the truth of Christ. Just like the belt you wear holds up your pants. The belt of truth is a foundational piece of armor. It has to be put on before anything else because it is underneath all the other armor. Without the belt of truth no other piece of armor would be functional because the faith in the truth of Christ would be missing.

There are two verses that explain the “truth” that is being preserved through this piece of armor:

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8: 31-32

The belt grounds us in our faith and makes us stronger when we operate in the truth of Jesus. Don’t be caught without yours.

Undefeatable Armor

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Ephesians 6: 10-13

Studying the armor of God is important for Christians. Spiritual armor can be kind of intimidating because of its warlike nature. But we are at war! Paul lists our enemies for us in this passage: the devil, principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual wickedness. The lines of battle have been drawn and we have to choose a side. If you have chosen righteousness through Jesus Christ, you better put on your armor, or your going to war naked!

We will spend the next few days going over the different types of armor God gives us. It is interesting to notice that the Bible lists the pieces of armor in order as if the soldier were actually getting dressed. Some people may say, "What an interesting coincidence!" Let me tell you, that is no coincidence. God illustrates the spiritual armor's foundational needs and how the armor builds in levels of defensive to offensive methods.

Spiritual armor and physical earthly armor do have one thing in common: They won't do you any good if you don't put them on! Each Christian has a spiritual armor wardrobe! It is given to you automatically when you accept Christ. However, God does not dress us, that is our responsibility!

My prayer is that you will read through this series and feel the need to wear your armor. Don't just understand your armor, wear it!

Derailed Plans

Have you ever had a day that didn't go the way you planned? I had one of those days yesterday. It was like fruit basket turnover from beginning to end.

I have found that we are tested when our plans go awry. There is testing because frustration develops when plans are derailed. The frustration sometimes leads to behaviors that can be sinful.

Controlling frustration is a hard thing to do! Everything in our flesh is screaming when we are frustrated, but we have to reign it in and not give in to the flesh. Refusing to give in to the flesh gives the Holy Spirit within us a victory.

When my plans crumble before my eyes it helps to think about Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

God has everything all mapped out for us. Christians need to make their plans according to the will of God. However, when those plans suddenly change we can relax and enjoy the ride because God is still in control.

Uncertain Riches

"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy." 1 Timothy 6:17

People start getting tense when the Bible talks about money or riches. You know what I am talking about!

Don't worry, God doesn't want us to be broke! God wants to bless us monetarily. However, there are some conditions that come with monetary blessings. We cannot prioritize our money above God. You know the verse that records Jesus saying, "No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Luke 16:13

We have to choose our master. Choosing money as your master will lead to destruction. Choosing God as your master will lead to life. Seems like the choice would be easy, right?

I like that this verse refers to money as "uncertain riches." That is exactly what money is. We cannot rely on money. Money comes and goes, the financial market goes up and down, the economy falls into a recession and then it recovers. It is a constant roller coaster with riches and no one can predict what is going to happen! Look at all the economists making predictions and debating our economy... all they can do is guess!!!

There is no guessing with God. We know what He is going to do. God's already written it all down for us in his Word.

I like being certain. The certainty we have serving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior cannot be bought or compared with any other worldly riches.

Great & Mighty Things

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3

Every once in a while I like for us to focus on a promise that God has given us. The Bible is full of God's promises. (He hasn't broken one, and He never will.)

The promise we find here in Jeremiah is about prayer. When God tells us to call unto Him that means we seek the Lord in prayer.

I love how the Lord explains the workings of prayer so plainly in this verse!
Step 1: Call unto God
Step 2: God will answer you

Sounds pretty straightforward right? Well, it is straightforward! God doesn't try to confuse us and make things complicated. When prayer gets confusing, tough and complicated it is probably because the enemy is doing everything he can to keep you from seeking God. So, just keep praying when that happens!

And then this verse finishes off with a reward! If we seek the Lord, He is going to show us great and mighty things that are going to blow our socks off. When God refers to something as great and mighty, we better brace ourselves.

Raised in the Church

Did you grow up going to church? Maybe you did... maybe you didn't. Take a look at this:

"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Timothy 3:15

Just because a person was raised going to church from a very young age does not mean that he or she has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul tells us in this verse about someone who was raised learning the scriptures, but that was not the end of what Paul had to say. The point Paul made is that the knowledge of the scriptures made the person wise enough to realize that they needed salvation through Jesus.

Being raised in the church is great, but it is not salvation. No matter how old we are, when we receive Christ we become spiritual babies. So, if you didn't physically grow up in the church, its ok! The most important part is that we grow up spiritually in the church with Jesus in our heart!

Misplaced Confidence

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." Psalm 118:8

Has anyone you trusted ever let you down? I am going to assume the answer to that question is YES. Putting your trust in other people is a risk. That doesn't mean that we should not trust other people, it means that we need to be careful who we choose to put our confidence in.

There are certain traits that trustworthy people possess. They are usually honest, reliable, and caring. However, no matter how many trustworthy characteristics they possess, they are still human and capable of disappointing us.

Don't despair... There is One who we can put our trust in over and over and never be disappointed. That is the Lord!

Christians need to stop trusting the Lord as their last resort. When we put our trust in other people first and then the Lord, we have seriously got our priorities out of place. Our trust must first go to the Lord and He will direct us to the other people we can trust.

Already Overcome!

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Considering all the evil in the world today can get us feeling discouraged pretty quickly. When we have these moments, we need to have an arsenal prepared to fight the discouragement. If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit as part of that arsenal to give you hope, love and encouragement. In addition to the Holy Spirit, we also have the Word of God -- The Bible!

When we read our Bibles and hear the Word preached and taught we start storing it in our hearts and minds. Then when we have a moment of discouragement we can recall those verses that speak the TRUTH!

John 16:33 is a wonderful example of how we can use our Biblical knowledge to recall the words of Jesus and tell ourselves, "You know what, the world is consumed in sin, but Jesus said that He has already overcome the world."

Jesus didn't say that He will overcome the world. He said that He already has overcome the world! That is a promise you can take to the bank no matter how you feel.

Remember, Jesus didn't promise everything would be perfect...He promised us the perfect outcome.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) has become a very well known ministry for children and their families all over the world. Many of you may have participated in OCC before.

You wrapped a shoe box with Christmas paper and filled it with toys and miscellaneous items for a little boy or girl... You never met the child that you made that box for... You had no idea which country or continent it ended up on... The one thing you did know was that it made a child happy during Christmas and shared the love of Jesus with him or her.

Take a look at what Jesus said in Matthew 25:40:

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Wow! That says a lot. The love and generosity we show others not only helps the person in need, but we are also giving of ourselves to the Lord! The need around the world is so great. People need items necessary for life, they need joy, but most of all they need Jesus. OCC is a wonderful organization that attempts to fulfill all three of those needs with boxes full of necessities, joy, and the Word of God.

I would like to encourage you to become a part of OCC. Even if you make one box, that is one little life you are going to make so happy!!! Take a look at this video which is produced by Samaritan's Purse (OCC's parent organization). I will post more info on OCC in days to come. Check back for tips, ideas, and drop-off locations in your area!

The Old You

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17

There is a song called "I'm Not Who I Was" that I can really relate with. How about you? Think about your old life? When you compare your old life without Jesus to your new life with Jesus you see just how much the old life stunk!

I have a few friends that will talk about their past every once in a while. When something shocking comes up, we just say, "Well that was B.C.!" (B.C. = Before Christ).

It is tough to explain to someone who does not know Christ just how much their joy will increase with Christ. When I try to put the joy and peace into words I don't know where to start.

Our words often get in the way when we try to share the joy of having Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Oftentimes the best way to show someone how great it is is to simply say, "Look at me, I am not who I was."

This video is the song I mentioned earlier. Brandon Heath is the artist. He is Christian singer and songwriter. I have loved this song for quite some time because it describes the reformation of being a Christian.

Remember Aesop?

Do you remember being in grade school and learning some of Aesop's fables? These were ancient fables that used animals in a story to illustrate a moral or teach a lesson. -- I read the following verses from Romans and it really made me think about one of Aesop's fables I learned as a child.

"Now I beseech thee brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Romans 16: 17-18

Ok, now you are thinking, "What is she talking about?!?" Let me explain:

Aesop wrote a fable about a fox and a crow. In the fable the crow picked up a piece of cheese and flew to a branch in a tree. The fox wanted the cheese and decided to compliment her singing voice deceitfully so she would start singing and the cheese would fall out of her mouth. Well, the crow fell for the trick and the fox gobbled up the cheese as soon as she dropped it. Then the fox laughed at the crow's gullibility.

In this passage from Romans Paul is warning Christians about false teachers like the fox. Paul tells us that we can spot a false teacher by his or her "fair speeches." Basically Paul is telling us that some people are all talk and are out to trip up Christians wherever they can. Christians often want to see the best in everyone because we are all created by God. However, there are people in the world that are teaching things contradictory to the Bible. Let's all remember to be vigilant and compare the word of God to what we are hearing because if something goes against God's word we need to get far away from it.

P.S. Don't forget to vote today!!!

Where Is Your Trust?

"Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7

You may read this verse and think, "I don't have a chariot or a horse!" (But that is not the point.) When David was writing this Psalm he was referring to battle conditions. David is saying that the earthly tools we have to defend ourselves should not be where we put our trust. Our trust should be in the Lord no matter what circumstances we are facing.

The battle David is facing can be translated to any battle or struggle that you experience in your own life. The stuff that surrounds you is not going to help you and give you victory. The Lord is the only One who can save you and give you ultimate victory.

We all know how it feels to take comfort in our stuff. We've all done it before. --- Let's not fall into this trap of false security designed by the enemy. Call on the name of the Lord and trust in Him alone. All our stuff will pass away, but the Lord is forever.