Love covers

In yesterday's post I failed to say that the author is unknown.

Proverbs 10:12 says, "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." May the Lord help us this day to be the one who covers another's sin. It is good to forgive, and to cover someone else's sin. Let's do it to others the same way we want done to us. Remember that we all have sin in our lives, and that God is not finished with any of us yet.

are we sensitive to one another

The closer I live to God, the more sensitive I will be to the needs of people. Walking with God can make me intolerant, demanding, and holier than thou. It means that I have received enough of Him to stimulate me, but not enough to intoxicate me.

Waiting on God

Psalm 62:1 says, "truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation." Do we like to wait on God's leading and direction? Or perhaps instead of waiting we make our plans and plow ahead forgetting that the Word tells us, that man makes his plans and God orders his steps. It seems to me that I spend seconds at green lights and hours at yellow lights and most of the time at red lights. In Acts 1:4 Jesus told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. This promise is found in verse 8 of the same  chapter and says, "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses...." What are we waiting for? I hope that we understand that before we can go, or leave as the disciples wanted to, we must have the power to go. Waiting on the Lord renews our strength and then when he says go, we go!

YES OR NO

In Matthew 5:37 it says,"But let your communication be, Yea,yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." We should answer with a yes or a no. People used to do this. I can't help but wonder what happened? How honest are we in our lives? Jesus knows!

"Timber"

Jesus said in Matthew 7, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." God's judgment is certainly exact and to the heart of the matter. Fruitless trees are cut down and thrown into the fire. Can we hear the cries of "timber" coming from those whom God has assigned as the lumberjacks. Remember judgement does begin at the house of God.

Peace

Psalm 37: 37 says, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace." Where does that peace come from? Philippians 4: 6,7 tells us this, "Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Even a young child knows enough to cry out for help. Lord help us, we pray and thank you for the peace.

When we pray?

In James 5: 16 - 18 it says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." What kind of results are we having when we pray?

Forgiven

The song goes like this, "have you learned to forgive, to just let it go, no looking back and then you won't move so slow, just give it to the one who has saved your soul and you'll learn to forgive my friend." This is a nice chorus that the Lord gave me many years ago, but it is absolutely worthless if you and I don't forgive. How long has it been since the Holy Spirit has reminded us of the importance of forgiveness? Is there that one person or one situation that is eating at us? Let me exhort us all that Jesus said, if we don't forgive, we will not be forgiven.

What are we sowing?

Galatians 6:7 says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." The annual excitement is in the air or maybe I should say in the dirt. People are planting their vegetable and flower gardens in hopes of a bountiful harvest, and it is exciting to see the fruits of our labor. If we sow carrot seed we will reap carrots. If we sow squash seed we will reap squash. This is so easy to see in nature and yet mankind has the hardest time understanding spiritual sowing and reaping. Scripture tells us, that if we sow sin we will reap death, when it says that the wages of sin is death, it means if you sin you reap death. Yet Christians continue to sow sin. The Church in this current hour is sowing seed and much of it is going to reap death. In many churches playing in far more important than prayer.In churches across our land many Pastors are afraid to mention sin for fear of losing people who have only come to have their ears tickled with upbeat and positive talks that are at best only encouraging good works, the most of which are not born of the Spirit but of the flesh. The call to our lives is to go make disciples, and to love God with everything we have and are, and to love our neighbor the same way we love ourselves. Let's get to sowing.

Where are the nine?

In Luke chapter 17 Jesus went into a certain village and ten lepers from a distance cried at the top of their lungs, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Jesus had compassion on them and told them to go show themselves unto the priest so that they could be declared healed. As the ten lepers started out to see the priest, they were healed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned around and with a loud voice glorified God, falling on his face at Jesus' feet giving him thanks. Scripture says in verse 16, "... and he was a Samaritan." In verse 17 Jesus says, "... Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" Let me ask the same question, where are the nine? Are they filling the churches across the land, teaching Sunday School classes, functioning in leadership positions, etc.. Each one of us that has been born again were as the lepers were and Jesus cleansed and saved us all. Are we at Jesus' feet worshiping or are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we haven't the time or will to worship our Lord Jesus Christ? Where are the nine? Well they are mostly attending Church meetings across the land, but that is not the question. The question is, are we the one out of ten who returns daily to worship the one who saved us and cleansed us and set us free? As fearful and dreadful as it sounds, is it possible that 90 percent of those in churches are the lukewarm that Jesus said he would spew out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16)?

The Key!

The bench he was sitting on was really hard and time seemed to be standing still. He was beginning to feel anxious about his life. He heard footsteps approaching and then the footsteps stopped in front of the doorway and a man said, "Would you like something to read?" He told him that he would and he was handed a book and the man walked away. He looked at the book and opened it to find that he had been handed a Bible. He randomly opened it and began to read these words out of John 8: 31 -32, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free." A light shone in his heart and it felt as if his guard had handed him a key to his cell. He read more and more out of the Bible and soon he was free, just as if he had never sinned. Later when he was released from prison he left with a call in his heart to tell everyone what Jesus had done for him, and to tell them that the Word of God is the key to freedom in their lives. Has he talked to you yet? If he has, are you a freed prisoner coming out of your cell with a call in your heart. Will you share your freedom with others? Freely we have received and freely we must give. Love and Grace to you.

Someday is payday!

It may not be today or tomorrow, but it is someday. Sooner or later it will come and of that we can be sure. In scripture it says in Romans 6: 23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." and in Galatians 6: 7 it says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." If we sow good seed, we reap good. If we sow bad seed, we reap bad. It just doesn't always happen by tomorrow but someday is payday and of this we can be sure. What will your payday yield?

They all forsook him, and fled.

The word tells us how Jesus was taken captive by a great multitude with swords and staves, sent by the chief priest and the scribes and the elders.(See Mark 14: 43 and following). Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss, and Jesus was taken captive. In Verse 50 of Mark 14 it says, "And they all forsook him, and fled. It seems true that it is still happening today, that when trouble comes Christians run over one another forsaking Christ and fleeing to what they might call greener pastures. Let's all be careful not to forsake Christ nor one another. Have you ever forsaken Christ? It can happen as we are given an opportunity to speak up for Christ, and instead of speaking for him our message is abundantly clear as we flee the uncomfortable situation. Are we free to speak about Christ and introduce Him to others? God's will is that all be saved. Jesus is still the answer to man's problems and contrary to what many think, Jesus still Saves!

If the Lord wills

James 4:13 - 15 says, "Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareath for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." Where are you going tomorrow? I'm going fishing, that is, if the Lord wills.

What is on your list?

Do you have a wish or want list? The kind of list where you list the things that you want and wish that you had. What would be on your list if you had one? Maybe a new car or a larger home or a husband or wife or kids or a pet, etc. What should be on our list? Should we even have one? In I Timothy 6:6 - 8 it says, "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment (clothing), let us be therewith content." I can see it now, the want/wish list having on it such things as: new socks or one dozen eggs or brussels sprouts or milk, etc. I'm not 100% certain of the answers to the questions that I just posed, but I know God's word wants us content and not always striving like those in the world who want more and more. Hebrews 13:5 throws light on the subject. It says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Blessings to you.

Just any day now!

In Proverbs 15:3 it says, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." God sees all and God knows all and God is all powerful and he will take care of all the evil that is going on around us. In the same chapter of Proverbs in verse 29 it says, "The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous." As we await the Lords return we are told to watch and pray and be sober. Let's lay the burdens of our hearts out before the Lord and leave them all with him. Daily we should be looking for and anticipating his return for just any day now our Lord is coming.

How is your ticket punched?

I sat and was taken aback by the vileness of the old man as he spewed out curse after curse. Surely at some point in this man's life someone told him the 10 commandments of the living God. Surely he knew better than to take the Lord's name in vain, but I guess he doesn't believe the word. Hopefully I will be able to speak with him soon about the things of the Lord. There are many who don't believe God's word so they don't believe in a Heaven nor a Hell and they don't believe in God or his son Jesus Christ the Lord. It really does not matter what they believe for they aren't in charge of life, their life or any other life for that matter. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Everyone has a ticket to their eternal future punched with only two possibilities, either to Heaven or to Hell.

Do we love Jesus?

In the last verse of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he wrote, "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen." In Philippians 1:9-10 he wrote, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in the knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ;..." In both of these letters he mentioned being sincere, which means to be honest, genuine, and without hypocrisy. He admonished them and us to love Jesus sincerely and to live sincerely and without offense till the day of Christ. How can we know if we are being sincere in loving the Lord? Jesus gives us the answer several times in the word. One of these is found in John 14:21 where he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me..." Let me ask this obvious question, do we love Jesus?

One in Christ?

In John chapter 21 Jesus is praying for his disciples and in verses 20 & 21 he says, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." I wonder how this is working in the body of Christ. We should all be one in Christ and not divided over man made religious rules that seem mostly rooted in touch nots and taste nots. I recently heard of a minister that was telling Christians that they are going to hell for not following the dietary laws of the Old Testament. Are we loving our brothers and sisters in the Lord the same way we love ourselves? Can we fellowship with all those who are born again? If not, why not? What do you suppose those in the world are thinking as they view the Body of Christ in such an anemic condition?

Do you love the light?

Upon returning from a 2 week trip I could not locate my small flashlight that I took on the trip. I use the light in the dark of night to make it to the bathroom and back to bed without stubbing a toe. I prefer to walk with light and not in the darkness. Many prefer walking in darkness because as Jesus said in John 3: 19, "And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Churches across the lands will be full of people who choose to do their own will rather than the will of God. They act as though they are one thing and all the while they are something else. I John 1: 6 says, "If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." Remember that there will be those who will be outside the gate of the city of God and won't be able to enter in. Who are they you ask? Revelation 22:15 says, "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Oh yes, I found my flashlight in one of our suitcases and I am so happy to have my light back.