We Need Love Based on Action!

 Love: strong affection, unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for others

This week I would like to remind us of just how we need to love one another. Just in case you've forgotten - "love" is an action word. Unfortunately, we just don't see much love in action these days. All you have to do is turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper and you will hear about all kinds of unloving things going on in this world... it's sad, but it's true. If there was love in the world today, things would be totally different.

So let's talk about a few things that love is:

1.  Patient: Love doesn't have a short fuse. When we practice love, we don't easily lose our patience with people. Love never gets angry with others or says "This is your LAST chance to get this right." Love is very patient, it is always willing to wait for God's perfect timing. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, "Charity (love) suffereth long." In other words, Charity, or love in this case, is long suffering, and people who show love are willing to tolerate the shortcomings of others.

2.  Kind: Love speaks softly and is very caring. Love is kind, but it's often tough. "Kindness" doesn't mean that we always have to give people exactly what they want - that's not necessarily kind. Love sometimes means saying no to our children when we know a situation is not right for them. Kindness means telling the truth (nicely, of course) even when it might hurt a friend. It's our love for them that drives us to keep them out of harms way and give them what they need (time, space, more love, etc.) to heal. 1 Corinthians 13:4 tells us that, "Love is kind."

3.  Envieth Not: Love is not displeased with the success of others. That's because true love desires the success of others. If we were to list our blessings, we would quickly realize that there is never a need or reason to be jealous and we would / could / should be content with what we have. 1 Corinthians 13-4 reminds us, "Love envieth not."

Simply put, Love is a decision without any conditions or circumstances.

Of course, there's a lot more that I could share about love, but I realized that if we would simply be patient with one another, show kindness to everyone (even if we have to go a little out of our way), and stop wanting what others have, the world could truly be a better place. Remember: if you have questions about what you have vs. what someone else has, just take inventory of your blessings! God is love! So let's learn to love one another not just in words, but in action as well.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!

The Best Benefits Package on the Market!

 Benefit: an act of kindness, help, aid and/or support.

When we go on job interviews, they give us details about the job - including information about the benefits package. In fact, sometimes we take jobs based primarily on the company's "great benefit package."

Some companies offer on-the-job training; a certain portion of your salary when you are out sick; pension plans; medical and dental plans... but in the back of your mind, you're always aware that the company might go out of business; it might get bought out; or the company might have to cut out some of those "great benefits" in order to keep their overhead down. 

But let me tell you about someone that offers EXCELLENT benefits and His benefits are here to stay! You can have total confidence in the fact that He won't go out of business; He will never have to cut back because of overhead and we will never have to worry about Him going bankrupt! 

Do you know why? Because He owns everything. He said: the silver is mine, the gold is mine, the Earth and everything that dwell therein (He is awesome, He is great and He is more than enough). 

Now, using the Book of Psalms, Chapter 103, let me share a few of HIS benefits:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

• Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases. 
• I can attest to that. Some years ago I needed a healing. I said, "I want to be healed, Lord because that's one of my benefits" and I received the healing that I needed
• Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption; who beautifies, dignifies and crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies
• Who satisfies your mouth (i.e. your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation) with good; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (strong, overcoming and SOARING)
• The Lord executes righteousness and justice (not just for me, but...) for all that are oppressed
• The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy
• He will not always chide or be contending; neither will he keep his anger for ever or hold a grudge
• As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those that fear him (with reverence, worship and awe).
• For He knows our frame; He earnestly remembers and imprints (on His heart) that we are dust.

He gives us these benefits as an act of kindness - we don't have to be interviewed for them; we don't have to wait to be called back. The thing we need to do is accept Jesus in our lives as our personal savior. Then we begin working for Him and He has so much, SO MUCH more to offer... but best of all - eternal life!

With all that said, let the church say Amen... and AMEN!

Rest in the Lord!

 Rest: to stop work, peace of mind or spirit, free from anxieties.

There is nothing like being one of His - just a sheep in the pasture where we don't have to worry about providing the way. We don't have to worry about providing the pasture (food), or providing the stream (water), or anything else. When we learn that we are just a sheep in His pasture, we are free to feel rested and secure. That's the way it should be - we don't have to worry about what's going to happen today or what's going to happen tomorrow. All that is in God hands. Now, if we were the boss, we would have to worry. I'm so glad that I can turn it all over to the Lord and just rest as I walk along with Him. We should be enjoying our journey, not trying to control it.

God promised to give us rest - we don't have to buy or borrow it - we just receive it as a gift. Matthew 11:28-30 tells us, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

We can't burn the candle at both ends - either we are going to rest in God or we are going to try to fix things ourselves. The Lord will let us wear ourselves out to the point of total exhaustion on the inside until we finally see the light and give that situation to Him. Once we do that, He will give us rest and He will refresh and comfort us.

When our children are doing things that we know they shouldn't be, we have to give it to the Lord and rest in what He has said in His word. If it's our spouse, our job, or anything else, we must learn to cease from our actions. God said in His word that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Isn't that awesome?!

I don't know about you, but if I could fix things on my own - I would start with myself! But I can't fix me or anyone else. I'm not in control and it's not my responsibility. It's imperative that we learn to trust God to fix things and that we learn to rest in Him.

Our responsibility is to sit still, in quietness and in confidence, and believe that He can help, save, and deliver in our most urgent need. Remember - we are not the boss, nor are we in control. Psalms 37:7 says, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him." If we don't see our prayers answered today or even tomorrow, that doesn't mean it's never going to happen. Again my friends, I say wait on the Lord and rest in Him!

With all that said, let the Church say Amen... and AMEN!                   

Be Sure to Tend to Your Own Garden!

Garden: A place for growing things.

We can't spend all of our time tending to other people's gardens and leaving our gardens unattended. Of course, I'm speaking of our Spiritual Garden here - our hearts. We don't always mean to get wrapped up in other people's gardens, we're usually just trying to help - by trying to comfort, give advice, or just lend an ear a little more than we should. What we're forgetting in those moments is that the Lord doesn't need our help - everything and everybody is in the Lord's eyesight and under His control. We must allow God to fulfill His great purpose in their lives, and stay focused and pray that He will do the same in our lives. I'm not saying that we should NEVER get involved in other people's lives, because it's wonderful to help others - when appropriate. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't get consumed to the point that we neglect spending quality time with the Lord getting those un-Christ-like things out of our hearts.

Let's take a look at Moses; Moses spent so much of his time in the camp among the people trying to work out their issues. The word tells us in Exodus 18:13, "…that Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by Moses from morning unto the evening." He spent so much time working out their issues that he didn't deal with his. These same people caused him to miss going into Canaan's land and some of them got to go in! Moses missed it because he was so angry with them, he disobeyed God. Numbers 20:8 tell us how the Lord told Moses to "speak ye unto the rock," but Moses lifted up his hand, and with the rod he smote the rock twice. Perhaps if he had spent more time working in his garden (his heart), pulling out the weeds of anger, things might have gone differently. Think about it for a minute - some of the people he spent his time helping went into the promise land and all he got to do was look over into it. That's not to say that Moses wasn't a good leader - because he definitely was - it's just an example to let us know that we should not spend so much time taking care of other people's gardens and leaving ours undone.

It's imperative that we stay focused on our gardens, so we don't allow anger, bitterness, and evil thoughts take root and start growing. Just like in the natural, if we don't keep our gardens chopped and well-tended to, weeds, wild vines, and grass will take root and grow all over the place. Remember, God is a Sovereign God. He knows exactly what others need, as well as He knows what we are in need of. Let's be sure to set aside some quality time and energy to nurture our relationship with the Lord.

With all that said, let the Church say Amen… and AMEN!