If You Truly Love Someone….

If you truly love someone, you will correct them. You don’t let them continue to sin. Remember (as I’ve said before), Jesus dined with sinners, He didn’t sin with sinners. And He never left an encounter without painting a clear picture of how God designed us to live. If you really care for another human being’s soul, you will love them enough to show them the truth. Authentic relationships mutually look out for each other, always having each other’s best interest at heart, no matter what the consequences may be. God’s loves us too much to let us destroy ourselves. And He will do whatever it takes to show us. He just won’t do it with force (against our will). Anyone that has a loving father knows this. If you don’t know what a loving father is like, realize you have One waiting for you to respond, to start the relationship you need more than any other. Never leave an encounter with sinful behavior unaddressed.

My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you.12 For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12

The Pit They Dig…

The one thing that evil people making trouble never realize is the pit they dig to trap others will become the pit in which they fall into themselves. Their schemes backfire and their violence falls on their own heads. No one gets through life unscathed. When people conceive evil, their belly grows with trouble, eventually bursting with lies. Evil may reign for a short time, but God will not allow it to prosper. God is angry at the wicked, and He will use their own scheme to bring them down. If revenge or retaliation ever crosses your mind, remember this truth, for it will be a picture of how you will fall if you actually carry it out.

9 End the evil of those who are wicked,and defend the righteous.For You look deep within the mind and heart,O righteous God. 10 God is my shield,saving those whose hearts are true and right.11 God is an honest judge.He is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If a person does not repent,God will sharpen His sword;He will bend and string His bow.13 He will prepare His deadly weaponsand shoot His flaming arrows. 14 The wicked conceive evil;they are pregnant with troubleand give birth to lies.15 They dig a deep pit to trap others,then fall into it themselves.16 The trouble they make for others backfires on them.The violence they plan falls on their own heads. 17 I will thank the Lord because He is just;I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalms 7:9-17

How Spiritual Sight Works….

For most of the people who witnessed Jesus’ miraculous healings of infirmities, it wasn’t until they saw with their eyes that they believed. What is it about actually seeing something right before our eyes that makes us believe? God works in a way that’s contrary to this type of believing. God wants us to believe in Him without having to physically witness a miraculous event. Didn’t Jesus tell Thomas that in John 20:29? God wants us to believe in Him simply because He is God. We don’t need miracles to believe. Understand this: to people, seeing is believing; to God, believing is seeing. It’s how spiritual sight works.

18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before Him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but You can bring her back to life again if You just come and lay Your hand on her.”19 So Jesus and His disciples got up and went with Him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind Him. She touched the fringe of His robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch His robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, He saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” He told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at Him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside. Matthew 9:18-26

Where Hypocrisy Originates….

Hypocrisy runs deep within the human mind, so deep, it blinds us from seeing where hypocrisy originates (our own heart). No one gives hypocrisy away. One of the surest signs of hypocrisy is when someone asks a question directed at another person, at the same time they themselves are right there doing the exact same thing. The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ choice of company at a dinner party, in which they attended themselves. The fastest way to cure hypocrisy is to use the same standard you use to judge others, to be the standard you use to judge yourself. It’s called the righteousness of Christ. Jesus dined with sinners, He didn’t sin with sinners.

9 As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed Him.10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”12 When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor–sick people do.” 13 Then He added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Matthew 9:9-13

Tangible Evidence That Our Faith Is Real…

Do you ever pray specific, to the point, measurable prayers? When God answers them what do you do? Do you document them? Do you thank Him with heartfelt gratitude? Do you smile and then move on to your next request? I’m guilty of the later. Sometimes not even acknowledging it. But then sometimes when God does answer a specific, detailed prayer, I never forget it. I thank Him and make resolve to always tell others about it. We aren’t supposed to put God to the test, meaning demanding a sign just to prove He’s there. But we are to have an intimate relationship with Him. It’s why Jesus died, to open up the ability to commune with Him. If we don’t pray with detailed, specifics, how are we to ever know God is working in and through us? Abraham’s servant asked God specifically to have a woman come, give him a drink, then water his camels. When she did all these things, he realized she was the one he prayed for. Our prayer life is simple, it’s just not easy do with our complex pride. If we keep our prayers simple, asking specific, detailed requests, it’s easy to see the hand of God working in our lives. The purpose of the details is to reveal to us what we should already know. God answers prayers. It’s one of the ways to deepen our faith. The problem is not with God. The problem is with us. Start today. Start asking God specific, detailed prayers. He’s not afraid to grant your requests, for He knows what we need before we ask Him. Faith is made real through prayer. Specific answered prayer is tangible evidence that our faith is real. How do you respond to answered prayer?

1 Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 3 Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”5 The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send His angel ahead of you, and He will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. 8 If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”9 So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. 10 Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. 11 He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.12 “O Lord, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. 13 See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’–let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.”15 Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. 16 Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. 17 Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.”18 “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. 19 When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.21 The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the Lord had given him success in his mission. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”24 “I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.”26 The man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 “Praise the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.” Genesis 24:1-27

Loved Their Lifestyle More Than God….

Why would a group of people ask Jesus to leave their presence (town) after witnessing a miracle? They knew of the demon possessed men. They knew the circumstances of walking through the cemetery. They clearly saw that these men were now in their right mind. Simply put, they rejected Jesus because they loved their lifestyle more than God. Sound familiar?

28 When Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes, two men who were possessed by demons met Him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area.29 They began screaming at Him, “Why are You interfering with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torture us before God’s appointed time?”30 There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. 31 So the demons begged, “If You cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”32 “All right, go!” Jesus commanded them. So the demons came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.33 The herdsmen fled to the nearby town, telling everyone what happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged Him to go away and leave them alone. Matthew 8:28-34

Nothing To Fear….

Living life guarantees we will experience storms. These storms may last 5 minutes or 5 weeks (or longer). Our faith will determine how we deal with them. The most important aspect of our faith isn’t how much or little we have, it’s where we place it that matters most. If we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Jesus is worthy of our faith, for He is the Author and Perfecter of it. When we walk with God through life, we really have nothing to fear.

23 Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with His disciples. 24 Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke Him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”26 Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then He got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey Him!” Matthew 8:23-27