Sharing the Truth

A Christian thought to ponder....

In today's troubling world, fear abounds, and there are many Christians around the world who are afraid to share God's Word for fear of being ostracized, fired from work, blocked from social media sites, imprisoned, or even killed.

You don't hear about this type of news in the media very much because that detracts from Satan's plan and Satan's agenda. This type of news might stir people up to have sympathy or support towards Christians. Satan does not want people to have any sympathy or support towards Christians.  Satan wants hatred to abound. He wants restrictions on freedom of religion and restrictions on freedom of speech. So Satan's big lie spreads like wildfire that all Christians are racist, homophobes, evil, wrong, and oppressive, creating an atmosphere of hatred and division.

Satan's world is full of lies. It is a world where people only want to hear things that will tickle their ears and not convict. It is a world where right is wrong and wrong is right.  In Satan's world, people don't want to hear anybody else's side or ever hear God's Truth. 

Christians must stand strong in their faith and trust in the Lord as we sojourn in Satan's world. When the Truth has fallen upon deaf ears, keep on sharing the Truth and continue to pray. As someone once said, “The greatest way we can show love to another person is by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to them.” And as it says in Mark 16:15-16, Jesus instructs us to share the Truth, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." Only God knows who will be saved or condemned. 

As you share the Truth with others, you will face bad times, but keep on sharing the Truth and continue to pray. For God is with you during the good times and the bad times. He will hold you up when you face trials. He is your anchor amongst the storm. In scripture, God tells us in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Just as He told Isaiah to fear not, we too have nothing to fear, for God is in control, and He will strengthen us and help us. 

We share God's Word not to gain friends, not to gain rewards, not to gain social status, nor to condemn or crucify others. But we share the Truth to help the lost and misguided, to help others see that Jesus is the way, the Truth and the Life.

Heavenly Father,

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are trustworthy and the Bringer of Hope. Help others to see how alive Your Word is and how much You love us. Help give us hope and peace when all seems dark and hopeless. Help us to be bold and to forgive those who would persecute us and even kill us. Help refresh our spirits and help our faith to grow and remain firm. 

We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore

Forgive Others

 

Colossians 3:12-14 "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Loving and forgiving one another is one of the hardest tasks that God asks us Christians to do, and yet it is a very central part of our faith. As it says in Colossians 3:12-14, God calls us to love one another and to forgive one another. However, when one is experiencing pain, hurt, and brokenness, forgiving someone who has caused that hurt and pain doesn't seem fair. Pain, hurt, anger, and brokenness can chain one to the ground. It can bring discontent and unrest to one's soul and heart. There is a tendency to focus on oneself, elevating the unforgivable act that gives one no peace, no joy, and no contentment. Satan is good at manipulating and convincing people not to forgive, not let go of the bitterness and anger, and not let go of one's pride.

Pride is in bed with unforgiveness because it calls for one to admit that they have messed up and have wronged a person or that one has failed in forgiving a person. Bitterness and hatred can begin to grow and take hold of one's heart and soul, which in effect can hinder one from being a spokesperson for Christ and being an example of Christ. One must call on God to empower them to forgive. A person cannot truly forgive on their own strength, but only by God's strength can one forgive. Why? Because we are human, weak, and wretched. Place all of your pain, hurt, anger and brokenness into God's hands. Call on God to help you love and forgive those who have hurt you, and He will fill you with an amazing peace. Not only that, it will show others how Christ resides in you.

Remember what Christ said when he was dying on the cross in Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Even after everything the people put him through,(they mocked him, they spitted on him, they beat and flogged him, and they nailed him to the cross), he was still asking the Father to forgive them. Forgive, just as He has forgiven you. Let Him heal your shattered heart, wipe away your tears, and bring rest to your heart, soul, and mind.

Heavenly Father,

You are the Peacemaker, Trustworthy, Faithful, and True. You are loving, patient, and forgiving. Even though we struggle with obstacles of our sinful nature, such as forgiveness, that hinder us from serving you and being an example like You, You never stop loving us, and You are always there for us. Help us Lord, to place all of our pain, hurt, and brokenness into your hands. Give us strength and heal our hearts. 

In Jesus precious name,

Amen.

Prayer that you all have a blessed week!

Carol Moore

Pleasing God

Pleasing God

photo by sxc.hu

 

A Christian thought to ponder ...

One constant battle I have within my marriage is my husband is always telling me I need to be more social. Well, I am not the social butterfly that my husband has become. I am the opposite of my husband. I am an introvert and a loner, and I have difficulty speaking to people I do not know. Sometimes I even stutter or freeze up because my brain doesn’t want to move with my mouth. Nevertheless, you know that saying, “Opposites do attract.” However, I often feel I can never please my husband because I am not the social butterfly he wants me to be. 

The enemy will often lead me down a road of depression, doubt, and fear. I often feel that my husband should have never married me and that he should have married someone more like himself. I often feel like an outsider at church, struggling to get into the gate, unsure of myself, scared of what others may think of me but knowing there is a fierce burning desire inside of me to yell out at the world how great God is and share it with everybody. Unfortunately, I let the enemy control my anxiety, fears, and doubts, and many times I let the enemy hold me back from sharing the Truth. But I have discovered through prayer, trusting God, and learning God’s Word that being a wife is not only about pleasing my husband; It is about pleasing God. 

There are several ways I have discovered to please God through the Word that I think is important for Christians to strive for each day.

Faith -  The first way to please God is through faith. One must have faith in God and believe that God loved the world so much that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus, and that Jesus died on the cross for all our sins so that we may have everlasting life. “But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.

Love - The second way to please God is to love God. He is our creator. He gave us life, and He loves us. How could anyone not love the creator who created the beauty that is all around us and gave us life? “…to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,” Deuteronomy 11:13.

Trust - The third way to please God is to trust in God. Trusting God is a hard step for many Christians to follow because we live in a world that is all about "me". When the enemy is lurking about, it is a constant struggle to depend upon God. The world teaches us to do everything on our own. We tend to forget that the Father wants us to call upon him and rely on Him. We need to lay everything into his hands, and believe that he will take care of everything. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5.

Forgive - The fourth way to please God is to forgive one another. A forgiving spirit is a quality many of us fall short of and something we should all strive to attain; our example is in Jesus, and what better role model to follow as he forgave us all and died on the cross for all of us.  “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32.

Thanks - The fifth way to please God is to give thanks to God. Giving thanks to God is something many of us forget to do. It is important to thank God for the blessings he bestows upon us. Would any of us be where we are today and have the things we have if it were not for God?  “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

Prayer - The sixth way to please God is to pray. We tend to let the things of this world be our excuse as to why we do not pray, such as, I have to go to work, I have to go to the gym, or I have to cook dinner. There can be no end, but you would not be able to do any of these tasks or partake in any of them if it were not for our Heavenly Father.  Why do we only seek Him in our most dire time of need? We need to be seeking Him at all times, telling Him how much we love Him and how thankful we are for all the blessings he has given us. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”  Philippians 4:6.

Obey -  The seventh way to please God is to obey God. Obeying God should be the heart of our Christian walk. Sometimes we fail, and we mess up; or we fall away and are disobedient to God. We should seek God's forgiveness and start anew. Our goal should be to strive to be Christ-like,  thwart the enemy’s plans, win over sin and temptation, and serve as witnesses for the Lord.  “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.”  Luke 11:28.

Worship - The eighth way to please God is to worship God and only God. Do not worship idols or false gods. “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”  Chronicles 16:9.

Knowledge - The ninth way to please God is to grow in the knowledge of His Word. Dedicate time daily to His Word. Spend time with him, seek his Words and get to know him. “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:10.

Rejoice - The tenth way to please God is to rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is like a brightly burning candle. However, if we let the winds of the world blow in, that bright candle flame will get snuffed out. His light burns brightly in each one of us. We need to rejoice and share that light with others. Rejoice in all things of the Lord – for his blessings, rescues, miracles, companionship, and life. “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4.

Spiritual Gifts - The eleventh way to please God is to exercise the spiritual gifts that He has given to us. He does not want us to neglect these gifts but to use them to spread and share His Word with others who may be lost. "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.”  1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

Giving - The final way to please God is by giving. Being generous is not only tithing, but it also is giving of our time. For example, helping someone in need, helping at a church event, visiting someone who is sick. “Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.”  Deuteronomy 16:17.

Pray you all have a blessed week!

Carol