Don’t do anything to help your brother stumble

 1Corinthians 8:13 "Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."   We are not to do things that will cause our brothers or sisters to fall.    As a recovering alcoholic I want to be with people that are not big drinkers.   I have been clean a while now but if I decide to start back up, I will be destroyed.  

When I was drinking it was the most important thing in my life.    At that time,  if you would have asked me, I would have told you my kids and my job was most important to me, but truth is everything I did had something to do with the booze.   I am so thankful the powerful gift of Jesus broke those chains for me!!!   The people in my life that wanted to help me be sober, (especially in early sobriety) didn’t  drink in front of me to help me not be tempted.    My drinking buddies would still offer me alcohol and say something like,”just have one it won’t hurt you, just don’t have ten”.  The people who loved me helped me by not drinking with me.   Don’t do anything that will make your brother stumble.  We can help each other stumble in many ways, we can complain, gossip, cheat lie.    Our behaviors influence each other. Even if alcohol or sugar or……… is not a problem for you, don’t do it if it’ll make your brother stumble.    This is a beautiful way to love our fellow man.    😇🙏❤️.  Many people will want to complain about the election  today.  Our faith is in God not man!!   Try to remind people of this truth, no matter what side of the political spectrum they are on.

Love is a verb …. Just do it!!!

 2 Thessalonians 3:5 "May the Lord direct your hearts into Gods love and Christ's perseverance."   Love is a choice.   Love is a verb.  Love is often associated with a feeling.   Feelings are fickle. You can go to bed feeling one way and wake up feeling an other way, you eat chocolate or drink coffee and you “feel” differently.   Love is a choice!  Sometimes,  I didn’t “feel“ loving toward my mom when I was her main care giver.   I always chose to LOVE her.    This is something I will never regret.  Today don’t let your heart be fickle in Love.  Chose to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength and chose to love your neighbor as yourself even if your neighbor sees the world differently than you do.  2 Thessalonians 3:5 “ 

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ perseverance.”

Love….. tall order

1Timothy 1:5 "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

....16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life. "  LOVE.❤️     Pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith and unlimited patience are some of the powerful gifts of Jesus.   Sometimes I think I love out of my own selfish ambitions.   This isn't love it's lust.   If I truly love someone I want what is best for them.  I will sacrifice myself so they can have what they need.   Today, I'm thinking of how Jesus did exactly that, for each of us, while we were yet sinners He died for us!  Today I hope to love the people in my life, with a pure, unselfish, patient heart.   I will pray that God fills me with His Holy Spirit so I can.   This type of Love is because of the powerful gift of Jesus, our humane condition can't do it on its own.   Be inspired to ask the Lord to help you love with a pure heart today and always!!!😇❤️🙏

Lonely, and your relationship?

 Proverbs 30:21 "Under three things the Earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: 22 a servant that becomes a king, a fool who is full of food, 23 an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress."  The unloved woman that is married,  stood out to me today.    I have been that woman.   It was the loneliest place I can remember.   I grew up with a mother that taught me my value was largely associated with the man I married.  She was born in 1942 and that was her belief.  I grew up desiring to be Cinderella or any other fairytale princess  meeting her Prince Charming and living happily ever after.   My illusion of this paradise has sometimes made me a bit, “boy crazy”.   I have found it is far better to be alone than to be tied to someone that doesn’t love me .  The TRUTH is we are never alone.   Jesus is with us always and Jesus always loves us!!   I much prefer being alone with Jesus than being lonely attached to someone I'm not connected with.    If you find yourself in a lonesome marriage good news is Jesus can fix that!!!  Jesus can change hearts  and make our relationships fulfilling.       I wish I could go back in time and have my mother teach me that my value comes from the powerful gift of Jesus but I can’t change yesterday. What I can do is know that now!!  I can enter into all relationships, knowing that I am valuable and too knowing the person I’m in a relationship with is extremely valuable as well and we are to love each other with a Christ centered love

What are you gazing at?

Matthew 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness?"

Matthew 6:32 " But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."   I can take my gaze off of Jesus, when I do I get stressed.    I look at something I want and focus on that more than I focus on having it if God allows.   When I gaze at the things God is saying NO to, it’s like my body being full of darkness.    Today I hope to keep my eyes upon Jesus and TRUST Him not my gaze.

Proverbs 28. Better open rebuke than a flattering tongue.

Proverbs 28:9. "If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,

    even their prayers are detestable.....13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,

    but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

14 

Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,

    but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble....::::

23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor

    rather than one who has a flattering tongue."   Some days I have a limited time for my Bible Study.  On those days I often read the Proverb associated with the date.      Today Proverb 28 is reminding me that my sin gets in the way of my prayers.     Sometimes I feel like God is ignoring my pleas.    He is not ignoring me He is waiting for me to get my heart right.   I can’t do that on my own.   I need His Holy Spirit and the help of brothers in sisters in Christ that won’t just flatter me but will give me open rebuke.    I hope this helps you today too.  Take a good look at what’s happening in your heart, are you embracing sin or are you embracing God?  I love the powerful gift of Jesus.  We can repent and start fresh every moment of every day!!  Then try try try again

From a place of victory

You are not fighting for victory, but from victory, for Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan!

Warren Wiersbe

Romans 8:37  “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”      I love this!!! We are not fighting for victory but from  victory.   The battle has already been won!!!   I can forget this.   I can feel overwhelmed and defeated.  I struggle with various sins I wish I could just be done with.   I don’t accomplish my  goals.    These failures don’t define me!    Jesus defines me!   Jesus defines you!! We are the righteous of Jesus Christ when we believe in upon Him.  I can approach my every challenge from a place of victory.    An example is in my battle with Alcohol.     I tell people, im a  non-drinker.    If someone offers me alcohol.  I will simply say something like, “ I don’t touch that stuff”.  I avoid drinking from a stance of victory.    I am not a slave to that!      Same can go for over eating, gossiping….. you name it.     We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ.    Live in His victory today!!!