Enemy or good friend?

 Galatians 4:16 “Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?”  Hard conversations produce good fruit.     Life giving rebuke, done in love is helpful.  I used to hate it when someone would point out my alcoholism when I was caught in its clutches.   Yet, I needed to hear it.   I didn’t like it when  my dear friend and sister in Jesus pointed out that in my grief I wasnt trusting God.   Yet, I needed to hear it.  It’s hard to talk about things that we know our beloved doesn’t want to hear.  Yet if we are to bring life to each other we need to.   One of my friends is going to council her friend that is suffering from severe depression.   The depressed friend is not a believer.   So, she doesn’t want to add to her discomfort by pushing faith on her.  Personally, I know no hope outside of Christ.   I have been in many dark places.  I have found true hope in the powerful gift of Jesus.  It takes a tremendous amount of courage to share the Gospel in our present culture.  What are we afraid of?   Do we think we will become our beloved’s enemy by sharing true hope?  I am convinced that I have been in dark places so that I can tell others how through the powerful gift of Jesus I have been healed.   Today, may you too have boldness to share you experiences, how Christ has healed you.   We go through so we can give to.  😇❤️🙏. If you have a friend suffering with depression may you have courage to tell them of your own personal struggles with it and how reading the Bible can help  the reader discover true hope in Christ.

Leave the old ways and cling to the new!

 Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”   Proverbs 19:3 “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.”  

Romans 6:12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you obey its evil desires.” 

Romans 6:16 “Dont you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as a slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

When I quit drinking I had to chose to STOP turning to alcohol and START turning to God.  I had to concentrate on what I wanted to do now,  not what I wanted to stop doing.   I had to leave my sin in the past and pursue a sober fulfilling life.    In AA we say, “Don’t drink go to meetings.”   Stop and Go!  Go is what helps me stay clean.  I pursue right living.  When I  pursue the right, the wrong falls away.   When we stop a bad behavior, we leave a vacuum.   Fill that vacuum with pursuing God.  Pursue what will help you not hurt you.   What will you pursue today?

Glorify God or yourself

 Isaiah 40:6 “A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”  “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like a flower in the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them.  Surely people are like grass.  8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

I struggle with pride.  I have since I was young.  I like being the center of attention and love to show off.   No matter how “cool” something I did was it all fades into the sunset.   None of my athletic accomplishments mean anything.   The only thing I do that will last is if I speak the word of God to someone and that “Word” changes their life.   “The grass withers and the flowers fall but the word of our God stands forever.” Be inspired to speak His word today!!  Will you glorify God today? Or will you  glorify yourself?

Do not despise your mother when she gets old

 Proverbs 23:22. “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”  I was so relieved when I read this verse!   When my mother was older I had to intentionally choose to love her.   She had developed dementia and for a long stretch of time she was very ornery.   I was the only one in my family that had a schedule that allowed me to look after her so I did for the last 15 years of her life.    The first 5-10 she swore at me a lot.   At the end of her life,  the love of Jesus was what I saw the most.   She became very pleasant again.   Today,  and many days I miss her.   This verse gave me such comfort the  first time I read it; I realized other people must struggle with their mothers too. 😇.  I am so thankful I choose to love my mother when I had the chance.    I chose to love her even when she was  ornery.    We are to love others as Jesus loves us. He loves us so much that he died for us while we were at sinners that means he loves us when we are ornery.   Today, if you are blessed to have a mom that is still with you here on Earth.   Love her no matter how many how many times she has messed up.   Love her as Jesus loves you!! 😇❤️🙏💃.  My mom gave me many amazing gifts.   I am a dancer and a kind woman that loves to make other people feel special.    I always try to put my beat foot forward and I love to throw a good party.  These  are a couple of the many beautiful gifts my mom instilled in me.   I’m very thankful for the life of my mother.   I’m so glad I didn’t let myself despise her as she got old.  This verse is in the Bible for a good reason!!

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20 " Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority on Heaven and on Earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nathions, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Lord is with us always even to the end of the age.    I take such comfort in this verse.   Today is the anniversary of  one of my best friends going to Heaven.   She was a great Bible teacher, and an excellent example of the love of Jesus.   Her friendship and sisterhood is with me always.   She touched my heart in a way to make me want you to be a better person.    Because Jesus is with us always, we need not fear, we can boldly proclaim the Gospel.   In doing so we give people the "Powerful Gift of Jesus" which will be with them always.   Be inspired to go make a difference that will last a life time and beyond today!!

Slave?

 Romans 6:16 “ Dont you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey- weather you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” I used to be a slave to alcohol. It was my first desire. I am so thankful I have been freed from that overwhelming desire. I have addictive personality traits. I have to actively pursue godliness over my sinfulness in order to be free from my sinful obsessions.  When my identity is in Christ, I seek to be pure in thought and deed.  Which makes my life is better.  I hope this helps you today. Recognize if there is a sin in your life that is causing you to be enslaved.  Be free, through the powerful gift of Jesus!!   Seek godliness over sinfulness, and eventually the sinfulness will leave and the Godliness will stay.

God’s way will become your way

 Isaiah 53:6 “We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”    Okay, so you have gone astray….. get back on the horse!!!    We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  Don’t let your fallen state keep you down.   Get back up and try, try, try again!!   Edison said he didn’t fail 9,999 times he learned that many ways to how not to make a light bulb.   Through Jesus Christ we persevere!!   Perseverance builds character and Character builds hope and hope does not disappoint us. ( Romans 5:3-5) Yes you will go astray, you will turn to your own way, but the more you keep  shaking it off and keep trying to do it God’s way, the more God’s way will become your way!