Dear Friends,
A few years ago Joyce Meyer delivered a message, a simple but impacting and inspiring message that was a good reminder for me then and it will serve as a good reminder now.
The scripture used: Romans 14:17, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
"We demonstrate God's love by doing acts of righteousness wherever we go. By bringing justice when we see a situation that needs a touch of God and being bold enough to do something to make it right. For we are responsible for what puts in front of us.
Be peacemakers, peace maintainers, pursuers of peace. Learn to operate your lives from a base of peace; for if you will do this, your lives will be less complicated.
Demonstrate God's love by helping others. It doesn't take a big gift, a big talent, or much money to put a smile on someone's face. Sometimes all it takes is for us to change our mental posture.
Lastly, see love as a spiritual weapon of warfare. Love with God's unconditional love, for it is this very thing that will aggravate the devil!"
Friend, as you go about your day, you will be faced with opportunities that will need God's touch. Be God's agent of love, peace and righteousness today and allow God to use you to bring a smile to someone's face!
Have a fantastic weekend....don't forget to be at your church this Sunday!
Lovingly,
Betsy
Thursday, September 16th, 2010 at 8:28am
Dear Friends,
"The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world...I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:33, 35 (NLT)
This scripture spells out for us in simple terms what to do with hunger and thirst; two ingredients that sustain our physical being. But here the reference is not made to the physical aspect of our being but rather the spiritual.
Notice the straightforward approach of Jesus. When we are we hungry, come to Me, He says. This implies that He will satisfy our hunger. And when we are we thirsty, believe in Me, He tells us. Again, implying He will quench our thirst.
In other words, the answer to our spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst is hidden in Jesus. He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14). We are nourished through His Word (I Timothy 4:6). God's Word is sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103). Through His Word we can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8). And Psalm 119 tell us the Word sustains us and revives us!
Friend, there is no need to be hungry or thirsty anymore. Come to Jesus. Come to His Word. Eat It. Drink It. And chew It, by meditating on It!
Betsy
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 at 7:28am
In Romans 14:17 we read: "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. " I like the rendition of this scripture from the Message Bible: "God's kingdom is what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ...pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you."
God's kingdom is what God does with my life?! Wow! As I continue reading I get more light on the matter. The scripture goes on to explain how this takes place--God sets my life right, puts it together and completes it with joy. But the second part of this verse shows me that there is a part that I must play while all the setting, putting together and completing is taking place: I must single-mindely serve Christ...pleasing God and proving my worth to those around me.
There are three words in this passage that show me what my part is in this Kingdom-of-God-life: serve, please and prove. My task is to serve Christ, to be of use to Him, to make a contribution, to do something for Him and to be a benefit to Him. The second word, please, is to take God's desires into consideration before I decide how to act or proceed. If I do this it will be easy to live a life that is pleasing to Him. And the third word, prove, is to demonstrate the truth or existence of something. I must give evidence of my worth to others. My worth? What worth? And Who made me worthy?
My worth is in Christ. I was made worthy when He suffered and died for me. Without Him I am worth nothing. All I am and all I am able to do is because of His boundless grace and mercy. My worth stems from Him. My worth is nurtured in Him. My worth is kept in Him.
In other words, my worth is Christ, His grace, His faithfulness, His goodness in me, and it is this that I must demonstrate to others!
Let's be God-Kingdom-minded today!
Betsy
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 at 7:14am
The disciples in the early ministry were referred to as believers (Acts 2:44). Jesus called the ones who followed him disciples. In Acts 3:15 they were regarded to as witnesses and Acts 2:44 tell us: "It was in Antioch that the believers were first called Christians."
Four words that are used to depict those who choose to follow Jesus: disciples, believers, witnesses and Christians. Disciples are followers or students of their teacher. Believers are people with strong convictions that act in accordance to their beliefs. Witnesses are people who testify to strong personal Christian beliefs.
What is a Christian? A Christian is one who belongs to Jesus by having believed and accepted the free gift of salvation purchased by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. A Christian is one who bears the name of Christ (I Peter 4:12-16).
In todays' society the term Christian has been reduced to a "descriptive adjective". We say things such as: Christian music, Christian T-shirts, etc. In the Bible the term Christian is a proper noun describing a person rather than a thing.
I leave you with a great quote to live by:
"If you are calling yourself a Christian then bear that title well by being one who goes around making a positive change in people's lives!" Robert Ferguson
Let's be a light that shows God's goodness to those around us!
Have a bright Tuesday,
Betsy