The worst thing to fake in life is being a Christian. It is not because of name-calling, being dishonest with others and yourself, or for personal gain. It is just because we will all stand before the judgment seat one day. Jesus is the only one who can redeem us/you.
In the end, the one thing you cannot fake is your salvation. It is freely given, and the Holy Spirit calls us to accept or reject God’s gift. The heavenly Father is the judge, and when His Son says I died for you, your sins are wiped away, never to be remembered. Salvation is genuine or not. God’s truth reveals our sins, and Jesus’ blood wipes our sins clean.
Plague by doubt, belief wavers. A clearer vision may be needed.
Once as a child, I saw a star travel across the sky. I rushed in to tell my parents, but it was gone when I came back outside. They didn’t believe me. It was a traveling star, a sign. I was only six, but I believe in that star. I saw it. As an adult, I saw the movie October Sky. It was then I realized what I actually saw was a satellite.
Once in college, I believe God called me to a year’s service with Campus Crusade for Christ. That summer, I raised financial support all summer and still fell short. I missed the early training, but I still believe I was called. I kept on. I called on the last day to say I did not meet my goal. I was sorely disappointed. I still believed I was called, but I doubted. She told me I had till twelve o’clock, even though I felt it was over. I continued to call. Yes, as you can imagine, I reached my goal by twelve and spent the year overseas serving the Lord with Campus Crusade for Christ.
Have you ever felt that you were not on God’s to-do list? I have. Have you believed wholeheartedly in the wrong thing for years? I have.
Have an answer for you about doubt? I do not. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. How that is true is for each of us to discover.
Faith can be likened to a train with an engine and a caboose. Putting your energy/belief in God and His Word is like putting your energy/ fuel (the coal) into the train engine, and it moves forward. If you place your energy (the coal) into the caboose, your feelings, and not God’s Word, the train doesn’t move. Feelings wobble, constantly change, hurl you forward or hold you back. Emotions should not take the lead; they can spiral you out of control if you weigh yourself with them. We have free will by which we balance head and heart and life.
We are each designed with strengths, talents, and weaknesses. Some things are only possible to achieve with a lot of effort. We can develop our abilities for God's glory or self-edification.
The story of the three servants illustrates how our capabilities can be multiplied to honor God and grow in that talent tenfold. But if our fear of God is void of love, honor, and respect, we can misuse our talents and spend them on ourselves. (Many Christian artists whose talents developed in the church have turned their efforts to focus on the world.)
I'm still discovering hidden talents that I allowed self-doubt to steal. I am working on developing and honing talents that may not be my strongest area. But the takeaway is that God will bless my efforts by acknowledging Him, especially if I'm willing to give him the glory.
It not just receiving but also a matter of discovering who God has created me to be. I pray that God will guide us in developing our skills and talents and we continue to discover how God has wonderfully designed each of us.
Psalms 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Luke 19:11-27
International Children’s Bible
A Story About Three Servants
11 Jesus traveled closer to Jerusalem. Some of the people thought that God’s kingdom would appear soon. 12 Jesus knew that the people thought this, so he told them this story: “A very important man was preparing to go to a country far away to be made a king. Then he planned to return home and rule his people. 13 So the man called ten of his servants together. He gave a bag of money[a] to each servant. He said, ‘Do business with this money till I get back.’ 14 But the people in the kingdom hated the man. So they sent a group to follow him and say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king!’
15 “But the man became king. When he came home, he said, ‘Call those servants who have my money. I want to know how much they earned with it.’
16 “The first servant came and said, ‘Sir, I earned ten bags of money with the one bag you gave me!’ 17 The king said to the servant, ‘Fine! You are a good servant. I see that I can trust you with small things. So now I will let you rule over ten of my cities.’
18 “The second servant said, ‘Sir, with your one bag of money I earned five bags!’ 19 The king said to this servant, ‘You can rule over five cities.’
20 “Then another servant came in. The servant said to the king, ‘Sir, here is your bag of money. I wrapped it in a piece of cloth and hid it. 21 I was afraid of you because you are a hard man. You even take money that you didn’t earn and gather food that you didn’t plant.’ 22 Then the king said to the servant, ‘You evil servant! I will use your own words to condemn you. You said that I am a hard man. You said that I even take money that I didn’t earn and gather food that I didn’t plant. 23 If that is true, then you should have put my money in the bank. Then, when I came back, my money would have earned some interest.’
I’m in South Korea taking care of my new grandbaby along with my son, Daniel, and his wife Serah. Jian or John (American version) is their firstborn. He was two weeks early but he is healthy and just about over colic. Neither of mine two had colic. Broke my heart to see him cry so hard, especially when he looked at me with tears running down his cheek.
It is very early, and my turn to be up with the little one. He is sleeping and I’m awake so I am taking some time to read a few of your uplifting posts.
memories lay curled
tumbled, dark rumble
inner balance skewed
truth is a plumbline
that does not vary
or does it compromise.
God's Word does not compromise Truth. It is our plumbline, our standard, our foundation to live by. God cannot lie. Therefore, our foundation is solid as a rock. (Amos and Hebrews)
Being rooted is to be grounded, having a firm foundation. In the parable of the sower and the seed, four types of foundations are given. The good soil is representative of God’s Word. The problem with man is understanding the truth. Truth is pounded by empty philosophy, choke out by the trails of life, or consumed by doubt and confusion.
Being rooted in Truth is not as easy as it sounds. We have the Bible, read it, apply it, and yet, our ears are tickled by empty words and we are led astray.
Last week I heard a pastor explain Genesis in a way that was very different from what I was taught. God’s edit to Adam and Eve was not prescriptive as in a condemnation punishment. Instead, it was descriptive. God was describing the consequences of their action and what was about to happen in the world. The natural order of peace was ripped apart and man was now at odds with nature.
God is revealing the mysteries of the end times, of the secrets of His Word in a way that offers clarity to everyday life and freedom in our spirit to walk with Him.
memories lay curled
tumbled, dark rumble
inner balance skewed
truth is a plumbline
It does not vary
or shapeshift.
There is one Truth by which all mankind can survive. Anything else is sinking sand, gets twisted, blown away or lost in the heart of man.
A lesson in kindness/ ideas for teachers and counselors
With school in session, teachers in addition to the daily curriculum begin the year with a focus on kindness to establish boundaries for behavior.
Kindness ripples as it cuts through meanness.
‘Each little thing we do goes out into the world touching more and more people. Each thing we do can be kind, mean, or just a missed opportunity. The one certainty is that kindness can rip through meanness. Kindness interjected at any moment diminishes the ripple of negativity.’ R. L. Brown
As a counselor, I used two books to compare kindness: Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deeds by Emily Pearson
Every act of KINDNESS creates a ripple.
What will you do to start a ripple of kindness in your classroom, at home, or among your peers?
Nothing new under the sun, not so-
Every day there is something new-
life!
My son with his son
My daughter (in-law) with her son.
Love growing by leaps and bounds.
Long before God established the church (not worship), He established the family. The family is the basic unit of our society. Security, warmth, and safety are tied up in a bundle(s) of love.
I need never forget that I am a hypocrite by nature. I tend to consider the things I approve of as moral and the things I disapprove of as immoral. When I do, I become a law unto myself.
I am NOT a law unto myself, nor is any other person. God’s moral standards exist out of myself. God’s moral law for man is explained in the Bible. And I need to know what is righteous and unrighteous, not by what I deem or others deem suitable. The moral law is not in man’s opinion or whim for the day.
I need a moral standard outside of myself. God declares what is true, what is honorable, what is pure…(Phil 4:8).
The one thing that I can count on is being a hypocrite. But it doesn’t matter what I think. God’s Word established a moral standard by which man will be judged- not anyone’s opinion or orientation. I cast my hypocrisy at the feet of the cross, confess, repent and believe Jesus. One’s belief about Jesus will determine where one spends eternity.
Man’s standards will not judge us. Therefore, let us never forget who is holy.
The unchangeableness of His purpose and it is impossible for God to lie.
Hebrews 6:17-18
God desiring even more to show to the heirs of promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the viel, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us.
From Genesis 3 to Revelations, God's purpose is to restore man to God's presence, enter within the veil, and walk beside him again.
We have entered an age where everyone is right in their own eyes. Each version is at odds with the other. God's Word is the plumb line by which all truth is measured. A plumb line is a weight suspended from a string used as a vertical reference line to ensure a structure is centered. God cannot lie; he can't do so; therein lies the power of His Word.
Time is a fixed entity set for a season and always moving forward. God exists outside of time. God's purposes for man are unchangeable and arranged for a season of salvation as a test of man's free will. There is no variation or shifting of shadows for God's steadfast plan. All things being possible for God ( Phil 4:13, Matt 19:26) is predicated on a few impossibilities concerning His nature.
God is the plumb line by which truth is and will be measured. God exists outside of time. He is the Alpha and Omega. Imagine God holding the ribbon of time, the beginning in one hand to the end in the other. He surveys all of the time, simultaneously.
God loves your soul like the soil loves the tree.
God's Word is the soil where we firmly root our faith.
The soil gives the tree all the space it needs to grow.
God's will is His Word.
It is not a roadmap but a relationship.
God is more interested in what you become than what you do.
Colossians 1:9.
Having received Christ Jesus as Lord, you are:
firmly rooted,
grounded,
built up in Him, and
overflowing with gratitude-
one faith, one hope, one Lord.
Comfort comes by knowing that you are firmly rooted.
A warrior is assigned a job or given a purpose. Our first step to becoming a warrior is to be born again to a living hope in Christ Jesus. (1Peter 1:3). As a warrior, training comes by the renewing of the mind to adopt God’s purpose. (Romans 12:1-2) The proof of your faith is more precious than gold, tested by trials. Let these trials produce endurance (James 1: 4-8), so you may be lacking in nothing, and through trials may you persevere as you develop and prove your character (Romans 5:1-5).
A warrior ready to fulfill your purpose, fully armed with the full armor of God and the shield of faith.
A warrior full of discernment with the sword of truth in the other to cut asunder lies propagated by the enemy. Lies like, live and let live; evil has no place in our home, school, community, or churches. Lies from the courts, the separation of church and state, and the constitution doesn’t protect the unborn.
God is a God of love but God condemns the reprobate mind (Romans 1), marriage is between a man and a woman, God created two sexes, male and female, and so many more.
A warrior to speak loudly against evil. With one voice we must roar the TRUTH as God has given us.
Ecclesiastes 3:8
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Matthew 24:6-7
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Our time is short and only the Truth will save another's soul.
God has me here to fulflil a purpose, as His warrior and I must trust God to lead me in that purpose.
Are you ready to be God's Warrior?
I wrote this today in response to a misconception about love. BE A WARRIOR, means speaking truth in love.
Colossians2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy (lies or half-truth or wrong application) and empty deception ( a mind is a terrible thing to waste), according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ. God’s love renews that heart and does not destroy it.
The Bible tells us how to love and what the fruit of the spirit of love is. It had nothing to do with sin. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Romans 12 tells us to renew our minds, don't let our minds fall into debauchery, the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5: 22-25 vs. the world's view of love Galatians 5:19-21. You are to be led by the Holy Spirit, not be guided by empty philosophy, lies, or the deception propagated by the world's view of love.
Yes, love with a discerning heart, a heart filled with the Holy Spirit, a heart full of wisdom ready to stand against deception, willing to STAND on the whole TRUTH. God is love and Holy, and the two stand in unison. God is a God of love, but God still condemns the reprobate mind (Romans 1), marriage is between a man and a woman, God created two sexes, male and female, and so many more.
Tell your neighbor the Truth about God's love and His saving grace. The church age is coming to a close. True love is not letting your neighbor go to hell. I wrote this in response to this post which has an underlying misapplication of God's love. God offers a free gift of salvation but with the renewing of your heart and mind. It's an incorrect application of God's Word that stirred my heart. It is this type of wrong thinking that will send many to hell. How many souls will go to hell because we did not just correct wrong thinking, we did not speak God's Truth in love? Their acceptance or rejection is up to them but kowtowing to misapplication is a lie and will not lead to salvation.
Be God's Warrior by putting on the whole armor of God, the helmet of salvation, and protect yourself with Truth, the breastplate of God's Truth, as you spread the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Keep with you the shield of faith and the sword of Truth that divides (Hebrews 4:12) men's hearts, separating them into wheat and tares.
brontebrown2 