MEDITATE on these SIMPLE TRUTHS

 

October 16, 2024

Matthew 6:21 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Ecclesiastes 4:6  

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

Now that is SIMPLE

 

October 15, 2024

 

Psalm 116:6

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

 

Hebrews 12:1a

“Let us strip off every weight that slows us down …”

One BLESSING, Two BLESSING, ....

 

"If the only prayer you make is 

"thank you," that will suffice."

Meister Eckhart 

October 11, 2024

Psalm 136:1-4

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.

Psalm 95:1-2

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.

GIVING THANKS in the HARD PLACES

 

“The thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. 

It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, 

struggles as refining tools, 

and sinners as saints in progress.” 

GOD HEARS

 

“If there was ever a secret for unleashing God’s powerful peace in a situation, it’s developing a heart of true thanksgiving.”

Lysa TerKeurst

October 9, 2024

John 11:1-7

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

John 11:38-42

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were close friends with Jesus, they loved Him, and He loved them, but one-day tragedy struck, and Lazarus died. Word was sent to Jesus, but he did not seem to be in a hurry to get to them. Although he did state that Lazarus “condition would not end in death.” He still waited days before he showed up, Lazarus was already buried, and by then his body would be in the decaying process.  Yet, this did not limit Jesus; he prayed the simplest prayer of thanksgiving…. What? There was nothing to give thanks for; the man had begun to decay, give thanks? I would have said, “There is no hope because too much time had passed.”

Jesus we are told cried out in a loud voice; Lazarus come out! There the miracle of bringing Lazarus back to life took place. Before calling Lazarus out of the tomb Jesus thanked God for hearing Him, for always hearing him.

The essential message here is that Jesus taught that the seemingly desolate and dead places of our lives could be revived. Do you believe this? You may be confronting a tragedy today, such as the death of a loved one, or challenges in your marriage, with your child, your finances, or even your physical or mental health. While I may not know the specifics of the difficult situation you face, I do know this that God's desire for you and me, is to experience the miracle of renewal and rebirth.

Why not just take this day to give God thanks for hearing your prayers and petitions.  Like Jesus, declare your gratitude to God today, rest in His faithfulness, and love for you, and give Him room to move.  

SMALL THINGS, BIG RETURN

Thanksgiving will draw our hearts out to God 

and keep us engaged with Him; 

it will take our attention from ourselves 

and give the Spirit room in our hearts."

Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

 October 8, 2024

Psalm 100:4

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

 

Matthew 14:13-21

13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

16 Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

ENTER the PASSWORD

 

“The Bible tells us that whenever we come before God, 

whatever our purpose or prayer request, 

we are always to come with a thankful heart.”

October 7, 2024

 

Psalm 100:4

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.

John 15:5

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

LET THEM!

 

October 4, 2024

1 Thessalonians 3:12

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows” 

Knowing that you are loved is a wonderful feeling. It means so much to have others who care for you, pray for you, and desire for you to enjoy spiritual growth, contentment, and the fullness of life that God provides.

As we conclude our series today, I wanted to end with this: when people want to love you… let them. Let them bless you. Let them give you advice. Let them encourage you. Let them pray for you. Let them serve you. Let them love you.

Generally, thats hard to do isn't it? I have known many people over the years that are exceptional at loving others, yet, have a resistance to receiving love from others. I'm like that, are you? Now there are many reasons that we find it hard to receive love from others. Here are few I have encountered with people I know:

• A Trauma in their life creates a protective shield around them
• Low Self Esteem - feeling undeserving of love
• A Sign of Weakness - in the need of letting others in
• Past relational and emotional wounds - betrayals, hurt, and dissapointment in others

The list is a long one, as varied as we are different from one another. It is an interesting reality, great at showing love but receiving love that is a whole other story. Letting others love us, does mean some vulnerability that makes most people uneasy. Here is what I have experienced in letting others love me, letting others "in", by allowing someone see me for who I am, I have gained access to a world of fulfillment, joy, creativity, and love. We all can!!

As has been true for all the "One-Anothering" we have looked at there are two sides, each one goes both ways, You "One-Anothering" others and others "One-Anothering" you.

So, when people want to love you,… let them!!

As the David Haas song goes

Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant too.

EASY LOVING?

 October 3, 2024

1 Thessalonians 3:12

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows” 

God's Word highlights the importance of love and commitment toward two distinct groups. The term "one another" refers specifically to fellow believers. Paul's message to the community of faith emphasizes the need to cultivate love with one another and to support each other's spiritual development and journey with God.

That sounds simple enough, right? Yet it is more difficult that it appears at first look. Think about it.Consider the numerous theological debates among Christians, encompassing topics such as spiritual gifts, prayer, evangelism, and worship. Who is in and who is out.

Disagreements arise regarding methodology. Debates occur over musical style preferences, budgeting for the church's finances, strategies for outreach, and use of the building.

Political differences can create divisions. It's possible for one Christian to become upset with another just for supporting a different political party.

Divisions over social issues are prevalent. Individuals who share a love for Jesus find themselves in debates over racial matters, gender topics, poverty alleviation, immigration, and various other concerns.

Setting aside theological, methodological, political, or social debates, the fundamental Biblical principle is that we should love each other. If you profess Jesus as the Lord of your life and consider yourself His follower, then I am committed to supporting your spiritual well-being and growth. It's my calling to love you with the love that God grants to me.

So the message is that as a Christian, it is not for us to select whom to love among my fellow believers. God's command is for us to love all fellow believers.

See what I mean loving one-another is a little more of a challenge than we might expect. However, remember the key message from yesterday?

This love is supernatural, a spiritual work that only God possesses and can give us. “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows” (1 Thess. 3:12) The phrase “one another” emphasizes all believers, the phrase “all people” refers to everyone else. Now if we have differences within the community of faith, then we definitely have different views with the "all People" around us. Here is the thing, the Bible teaches that regardless of where these "all people" sit in life or lifestyle or belief we are still to extend love to them. The only way that kind of love is going to happen is if the Lord himself by the indwelling of his Holy Spirit enables you and me to love them. Let's face it some of the "all people", not everyone but some, can be quite antagonistic toward you and me, they may ridicule, be deliberately crude and uncaring just because we follow Jesus. We are going to need that outside help aren't we. Well, remember the saying I mentioned in one of our devotions recently "a Command of God is equal to a Promise." we can count on this. If God commands this radical love from us he will stand ready with the promise to give us what we need to obey. Thanks be to God!!

Consider whom God might be guiding you to show love to. Reflect on how you can manifest that love.

Consider those who have shown you love, made sacrifices on your behalf, served you, blessed you, and prayed for you. Why not take a moment to express your gratitude for their love and friendship.

I NEED SOME OUTSIDE HELP

 OCTOBER 2, 2024

1 Thessalonians 3:12

“And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows” 

Today let us think about the practice of loving one another as spiritually produced.  Look closely at today's verse, “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows”. Observe who is nurturing and expanding our love to its fullest. It is none other than the Lord Himself. The phrase "may the Lord make" carries two profound meanings.

First, we are inspired to love others because of the Lord’s love for us. We have made this point a few times in this series of devotions. As followers of Jesus we look to his example as a pattern for living. Now, the teaching here around "may the Lord make" is not suggesting you love against your will, as in “if you don’t, I will make you.” What God’s Word is saying is, due to the fact that Jesus loves you so much and He has poured His love into your heart and life, you are so overwhelmed by this love that it causes you, makes you, motivates you, and inspires you to love others. The overwhelming love of Jesus toward us fills us with such joy and gratitude and LOVE that we are transformed in our way of dealing with others. I guess we could say that Jesus love for us makes us more loving loving people.

There is a second implication we should note from this phrase,  “may the Lord make” your love grow and overflow. It points us to the true source of true love. Only the Jeus has the power to instill genuine love for others and nurture true love within us. Jesus stands as the cornerstone of all authentic love. That is why we seek God's grace to expand our love and let it abound. I believe we all understand that neither you nor I can stir up the kind of love that extends and overflows into the lives of others on our own. 

A love that "grows and overflows" into the lives of others, even into the life of those that are hard to love, I think we all have one or two folk like that in our life. Perhaps they are individuals that  ignored, neglected, abused, and shamefully treated you, but yet you are able to extend love to them. This can only be an outcome that is the work of a God of perfect love. Deepening our love involves seeking growth through God. We ask for His help to broaden our love for others. The Bible teaches us that God embodies love and is the ultimate source of all true love.

This love is supernatural, a spiritual work that only God possesses and can give us.  

LET US PRAY

Jesus make our love for one another and for all people grow and overflow by your power and love that is at work in us. Amen