Random Nuggets of Goodness - Part 4

What We Are Called to Do:

Love one another - "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for you brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." (1 Peter 1:22 NIV)

Bear burdens for one another - "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2 NIV)

Pray for one another (James 5:16)

Forebear one another - "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2 NIV)

Be kind to one another - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

Admonish one another - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

Build up one another - "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." (Romans 14:19 NIV)

Give preference to one another - "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves."  (Romans 12:10 NIV)

Live in harmony with one another - "Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited."  (Romans 12:16 NIV)

Encourage one another - "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV)

Submit to one another - "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:21 NIV)

Serve one another - "You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13 NIV)

Accept one another - "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." (Romans 15:7 NIV)

Be devoted to one another - "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves."  (Romans 12:10 NIV)

Teach one another - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." (Colossians 3:16 NIV)

Comfort one another - "Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV)

Forgive one another - "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32 NIV)

Be of the same mind with one another - "May the God who give endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:5-6 NIV)

Regard one another as more important - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3 NIV)

Random Nuggets of Goodness - Part 3

I have a tendency to write down words of wisdom, encouragement, love, prayers, etc. that I believe the Lord shares with me.  Not surprisingly, He lays these on my heart more frequently when I am spending good, quality time with Him on a regular basis.  When I get lax in my devotions and time with Him my ability to hear Him speak to me (okay, whisper) is harder.

Here are two things I wrote some time ago....they are encouragement for me still today.

"Lord, you were so clear about what you were doing.  I only want to go where you want me to go, I only want to serve where you want me to serve.  Grant me understanding so that I might choose wisely the options that are set before me.  Give me a clear picture of how I can best serve You and Your Kingdom all the rest of my days.  - Amen."


"I believe the Lord has a special and unique plan for me.  I will trust in the Holy Spirit to develop those plans and guide me in my steps to achieve those plans.  The Lord has blessed me with unique gifts and talents for a reason.  I will trust in Him as He reveals His plan to me each day."

I believe this is the same for all of you reading this.  The Lord has a special & unique plan for each of you and has blessed you with the unique gifts and talents you need to accomplish His plan for your life.  Trust in Him.  Surrender to Him.  Follow Him.

Dealing with Discouragement (Random Nugget of Goodness Part 2)

9 'Steps' for dealing with discouragement, something we all experience at least once in life.

1) Look Within - Prayerfully examine yourself for the underlying cause.

2) Admit your Discouragement - Denial is deadly, and it guarantees failure.

3) Identify Precisely What You're Discouraged About - Name it; then face it. 

4) Recall the Nature of Discouragement - Disappointments will come and go; Discouragement is a choice you make.

5) Meditate Frequently on God's Word  - Versus such as these are a reminder of God's greatness...

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." (Psalm 3:3 NIV)

"I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." (Psalm 16:7-10 NIV)

"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:6-8 NIV)

"I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds." (Psalm 77:12 NIV)

"I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.  I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."  (Psalm 119:15-16 NIV)

6) Take Your Area of Discouragement to God in Prayer - Ask Him to teach you.

7) Focus on God, Not On Your Situation - Surrender control

8) View the Cause as Coming From the Lord - Find opportunities for growth

9) Confess These 3 Truths:

1. The Father is with me in my pain
2. He is in control of my life and has allowed this to occur for a reason
3. He is a good God who will turn this disappointment into a blessing in His timing.

Random Nuggets of Goodness - Part I

I've been going through bins of papers (you'd be surprised what a pack rat I can be) and came across a healthy stack of notes from various sermons and bible studies.  I can't possibly throw these away without first capturing their goodness somewhere.  So I chose here.  Enjoy.

Make Us One - Craig Groeschel (a great author by the way) - Heard via satellite at Summit Church Orlando, June 29, 2008.

Father, in heaven, make us one - [paraphrased from John 17:20-24 (ESV) "I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that that may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.  Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."]

As Christians we must recognize that we all have one enemy.  This enemy is not each other although with all the fighting amongst churches it certainly seems like it as times.  No, this enemy is the devil, Satan, evil, whatever you want to call him, it is the same nonetheless.   Sadly, we so often focus on what we don't like that other Christians are doing that we lose sight of all that Satan is doing.  We focus on what other Christians are saying that doesn't agree with what we say and we lose sight of the lies Satan is telling.  We have division in the Church and it is costing us dearly. 

Di-Vision....a dividing of our vision, a dividing of the vision Christ gave us when He gave us our one purpose, when He said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)  As Jesus said "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls." (Luke 11:17 ESV)  What are we doing as Christians to keep our household from falling?  Or instead, are we doing something to weaken its foundation?  Do we lift one another up, in spite of our differences, or do we tear each other down.  Do we focus on the one thing we have in common: the belief in a risen Lord, and on our one purpose: to share the Gospel?  Or do we focus on differences that, in the grand scheme of things, don't really matter but that when focused upon have the power to weaken us and do much damage to our mission as a Church?

The solution to a divided Church?  One heart and one soul.  In Acts we read about the followers of Christ who 'had everything in common'.  "Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common....There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need." (Acts 4:32,34,35 ESV)   Wow...imagine if that type of society existed today.  It would be called socialism I'm sure and yet here it is in the Bible. (I know....a topic for another discussion, another time.)  While we may not be able to have the same type of system today (due to a variety of reasons too numerous to list here) we can glean a worthwhile concept.  We are called to care for one another, to support one another, and to meet each other's needs.    Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love on another.  By this all  people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 ESV)  What is love without action?  Nothing.  The world will see that we love Christ when we love the world.

May we never forget our one enemy and that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  [Jesus] came that [we] may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 ESV)  "[Our] adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)  As Christians, may we set aside our trivial differences and join together in this fight against the enemy.  May we have one heart and soul so that together we may we show the world God's undeniable love through our unity with one another.  Amen. 

WALKING in the Light

Both of my 'e-mail' devotions this morning dealt with the topic of walking with Christ.  Both mentioned the privilege and blessing we have of a real relationship with a real God.  Both talked about Christ as the light going into the darkness.  Both talked about the courage we must have to follow Christ, to trust in the Holy Spirit's leading.

A coincidence, I think not.  God knows that I need to hear things and see things clearly.  That sometimes I'm a little slow.  Although He's a God that whispers, thankfully He uses methods that comes across loud and clear.

May we all be bold to walk in the light, surrounded by God's undeniable love, everyday.  Amen.

Below are the texts of both devotionals:

January 18, 2011
Walking with God - Charles Stanley
Genesis 6 Once we receive Jesus as Savior, His Spirit indwells us permanently. Yet there is a difference between having salvation and actually walking with the Lord. Being saved involves the forgiveness of sin and the blessing of an eternal security, while walking with God is a privilege that we live out day to day.

To understand this idea more fully, let's consider the example of Noah, a man Genesis 6:9 identifies as one who followed the Lord in this way--that is, he lived by faith. Surely he did not understand God's direction to build an ark. After all, there had never even been any rain--let alone a cataclysmic deluge. Until the flood, mist would rise from the ground to nourish vegetation. But because the Almighty spoke, Noah believed and obeyed.

For us, walking by faith need not mean something as monumental as saving wildlife from destruction. Instead, it's likely to involve something more commonplace, like living with godly priorities, spending time in the Word, or holding to God's values in a world that belittles them. In fact, it is frequently when there is no crisis or quandary to motivate us that our true character is revealed. When we are faithful with the simple, mundane things, our heavenly Father will entrust us with more.

Believing God and acting accordingly is an important aspect of following Him. Do you have such trust that you obey even when His directions are difficult or confusing? Ask Him to increase your faith, and renew your commitment to follow wherever He leads.

Walk in the Light -January 17, 2011 by Ronnie McBrayer

Leo Tolstoy once compared religious rules to the light given off by a lamp post. It is a bright light. It dispels the darkness. As long as man or woman stood in that light, he or she could see. But the lamp post had limitations, Tolstoy said. To remain in the light meant going no where. One had to stay put to remain in the light. But following Jesus, Tolstoy said, was like a light or lantern fixed to a pole. A person could carry that pole out in front of him and travel anywhere he liked. Tolstoy never held a flashlight, I am sure, but we have and can understand the analogy that way: To remain a rule-keeper, is to remain under a street light. To follow Christ, is to take a flashlight in hand, and go somewhere – to explore, to pierce the dark, to have a faith that is dynamic, not static.

Much of the church is locked into keeping the rules. Therefore, they stand in their little circle of light, unmovable and fixed like a stone, barking at the street traffic as it moves along and cursing the darkness. They have light, but the light does not serve them well. They might as soon be chained to a post; they are imprisoned, not growing or going anywhere. Religious rules, or to use biblical language, “The Law,” has been eclipsed by Jesus. Written words have been improved upon. Yes, the rules were all we had, once upon a time, but now we have something better – we have Jesus himself – showing us the way.

Up to the coming of Jesus, the faithful followed religious codes to please or pursue God; that was their understanding of faith. But religious rules could not give life or spiritual freedom. While the law was instructive and useful, ultimately, it could only constrict and confine. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “The letter (the rules) kills;” it can’t give life. Now, I know to think of spirituality without rules is a radical departure for many of us who have based our entire connection to God on rule keeping, “being good,” measuring up, and following the jot and tittle of every bit of religious instruction. Of course, when we failed to live up to these demands, and failure was inevitable, we were swamped with guilt, fear, and shame.

Enough of that, for that is not the way of Jesus. Christianity is not a heavy obligation to stagnant, inanimate rules, handed down from the mountain and engraved in stone. Rather, Christianity is the free enjoyment of a relationship with a living person. This is Good News: God, who is now present in Christ, calls people of faith to follow Jesus, not to follow the rules. This is the liberation so many of us have been longing for.

While traveling once, I had two different sets of directions on how to get to where I was going. On the dashboard was a crumpled set of written directions. They were coffee stained, had notes scribbled on them, and unknown to me, did not match recent road construction. The other set of directions were being called out to me from a GPS system. As I neared my destination there was a terrible conflict. My written directions began to fail me. Following them to the letter, I reached a point that they no longer worked. The streets the written direction told me to take just weren’t there – either that or their names had been changed.

Meanwhile the voice of the GPS was saying things like: “Prepare to make a right turn…When possible, make a legal U-turn.” But I kept driving according to my written directions even though it was obvious they no longer worked. Finally, I had to make a leap of faith. I accepted the fact that my written directions had taken me as far as they could, and now, to get to where I needed to be, I had to listen to the personal voice, now calling me. And that Voice was right all along.

Come and See

At Church yesterday the message was from John, when the Disciple Andrew and another disciple see Jesus for the first time after he is baptized.  They ask Jesus where he is staying and he says, "Come and you will see."  Little did they know he was calling them not just to see where he was staying that night but where he stood in life, his beliefs, how he saw the world. (John 1:39)

Come and See.....isn't that what we as a Church are supposed to say to those around us that don't know Christ.  Come and see how good God is, how merciful God is, how full of joy you'll be, how patient and gracious and loving He is.  Come and see, I'll show you through my life.  You'll see through the way I live how much God loves you. 

Will they?  Do our lives reflect the undeniable love of Christ to those around us?

In the past five months I've been exposed to what seems like an increased amount of death and sadness on both a personal and global level.  Fathers died.  Moms got sick.  Babies died.  Children died.  Teenagers went missing.  Homes were destroyed.  People were robbed.  Useless violence persisted.  The darkness goes on and on.  The darkness will continue to go on until the light shines brighter.  I've said this before but I'll repeat it - more for myself than anyone else:  The darkness remains and spreads because the light does not shine.  For me, this is the easiest, clearest, simplest reminder of our job as Christ followers - to shine His light.

Just sitting in church yesterday I grew frustrated.  All around  me were people who claim to follow Christ, claim to love Him, claim to have surrendered their lives to His plan for them  - myself included.  All across the nation were thousands of other people just like us.  Sitting in warm churches, our tummies filled from coffee and donuts, our voices warm from singing, and our hearts full of Christ's love (hopefully).  But then...does it stop when we exit the church doors?  I have to think for some of us it must (including myself here again).  If it didn't then I don't see how it's possible that darkness could remain let alone continue to spread. 

My prayer this new year is that ALL those who claim to know Christ will step up to the plate and love like Christ.  And if we're not willing to do that I pray that we won't profess false claims....for that, perhaps, could do more damage than  darkness itself.  The Christian who claims to love but clearly isn't loving is a dangerous weapon indeed. 

May we all pray for the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the boldness of Christ to share God's undeniable love with those all around us.  So that then people, who need God more than anything else in their life, may truly 'come and see.  Amen.

Baptism Sunday

I attended a Lutheran church today; it was ‘Baptism of the Lord’ Sunday.  Part of the service included a Baptismal Renewal Litany which I thought was a good reminder of the relationship we enter into with Christ once baptized.   I’m recounting a portion of the litany below. 

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth...

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.  He descended into hell.  The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty.  He will come again to judge the living and dead...

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting....

Baptism in not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word....

In Baptism God forgives sin, delivers from death and the devil, and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has promised....

It is not water that does great things, but God’s Word with the water and our trust in this Word.  Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water which by grace gives the new birth through the Holy Spirit....

Baptizing with water indicates that the Old Adam in us – our sinful nature, should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new person should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever....

It is my earnest purpose to continue steadfast in this faith and in the promise of my baptism.  I ask God to help and guide me....

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given me the new birth of water and of the Sprint and has forgiven me all my sins, strengthen me with His grace to life everlasting.  Amen."