Live in Harmony

Romans 12:16 -- “Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”

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Pride is a tricky subject. When you think of a prideful person, what comes to mind? Generally, we point to a self absorbed or even a rude person. However, pride affects us all subtly in many ways everyday.

Paul says to “live in harmony with each other” and “to enjoy the company of ordinary people.” Do you make friends with people only to get ahead in the workplace or the social ladder? Do you say hello to the new kid in school or church? Do you acknowledge and listen to the young? The old? The handicapped? Anyone different from you?

Christ led by example -- to treat all people with respect no matter their race, sex, age, appearance, social status, or even past sins. We must never consider others as being beneath us.

Pride and prejudices can be very subtle in our lives. With Christ’s help we can overcome these stumbling blocks to humbly work with and truly enjoy the company of ordinary people because they are us.

Dear Lord,
Help me rise above the pride and prejudices of this world and see all others as Your creation and Your beloved children. Give me confidence to speak humbly and live in harmony with others.

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Micah (Bible in 90 Days)

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The book of Micah provides a very true and honest depiction of God. Micah describes a God who hates sin with a fiery passion, but continues to love the sinner.

Micah spends a lot of time describing God’s judgment on Israel and Judah and lists their many despicable sins. He promises God’s judgment will come.

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Amidst doom and despair, Micah also speaks of God’s love and mercy. To those who faithfully walk beside God and choose good, they will be eternally rewarded.

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

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Micah also predicts the role of a Savior:
“Your leader will breakout and lead you out of exile, out through the gates of enemy cities, back to your own land. Your king will lead you; the Lord himself will guide you.” Micah 2:13

Not only does Micah say that God will lead his people out of the hands of the enemy, but he goes on to predict where the Messiah will be born:
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.” Micah 5:2

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God is one of action; he punishes sin and encourages love. To those who chose to walk faithfully beside him, he rewards with eternal life with him.

  

You Are Never Truly Alone

Psalm 37:23 -- “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

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Do you ever feel alone? Do you ever feel like no one really cares what happens to you? We all go through moments or phases where we feel isolated and insignificant. But there is one who is always there and always cares about every detail of our lives -- God.

When you begin to feel that small, lonely voice inside you -- reach out to God. he is waiting for you because he “delights in every detail.” He is not only ready to catch you when you fall, he is not only there to guide you, he is there for you because He wants to be -- from the biggest decisions right down to the smallest detail.

I know some who feel small when they begin to think about the expansive nature and almighty presence of God. However, I feel just the opposite. I feel powerful, colossal and significant because that all-mighty God, Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, lives in me (Colossians 1:27)! I am one with God and he is one with me -- I can never be alone because God is always with me.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for caring about me so much that you delight in every detail of my life! Lord, please help me to revel in your Almighty presence whenever I feel lonely or insignificant. Because of you, I am powerful and important!

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Wordless Wednesday *Linky* Irish Princess

My Irish Princess

Join in the Wordless Wednesday Fun and share your photos and stories here!

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Righteous by Faith

Genesis 15:6 -- “And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

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Abram, later known as Abraham, had demonstrated relentless faith through his actions, his obedience to follow God. It took a lot of faith in God to leave his homeland and travel in the unknown -- that is a bold action.

However, it was not Abraham’s actions that made him right with God -- it was his faithful belief in the Lord. We too can be counted as righteous in the eyes of God by trusting him and his will for our lives and by having an open, honest relationship with him.

Our actions (prayer, good deeds, church attendance, etc) will not by themselves make us right with God. But our faith that God is who he says he is and does what he says he will do -- a confident relationship with the Lord will name us righteous. All of the actions are natural byproducts of that faith.

Dear Lord,
I pray that you will count me as righteous. I seek to have a close relationship with you based on faith, help me to get to know you more and allow my actions to follow my faith.

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Love the Lord

Deuteronomy 6:5 -- “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

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The Lord gave Moses 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17): Don’t put other gods before me, don’t make idols, don’t misuse God’s name, remember the Sabbath, honor your father and mother, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t testify falsely against your neighbor and don’t covet your neighbor’s house. All of these commandments fit in one of two categories: love God and love your neighbor.

This was Jesus lesson during his ministry (Matthew 22:37-39) -- Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. Those are the two greatest commandments which are equally important and encompass the entire law of the Old Testament.

The Bible is one entire story -- the Old and New Testament connect together. Jesus gave two commandments that both covered and went beyond the Old Testament. Jesus repeats Deuteronomy 6:5 when presenting the new, simplified commandments in Mark 12:30, tying the old to the new. God kept his promises in the old days and he continues to keep them now.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for sending your son and keeping your promises. I love you with all my heart, soul and strength. Help me to also love my neighbor as myself and keep your commandments above all else.

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The Tongue is a Flame of Fire

James 3:6 -- “And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”

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When I was young I was very hard on myself. I didn't look pretty enough, I wasn't smart enough, in all things, I simply did not measure up. My thoughts were very negative and my life was turning in a very negative direction as well.

My negative words were a flame, corrupting and slowly destroying my life. It was during this low point of my life that a friend invited me to church. I eventually came to know Jesus and slowly, my life began to rise out of the ashes.

However, it was some time later that I realized my thoughts and words were still keeping me down. I had to break free of the fire set “by hell itself.” I began to speak positively about my life. I began to decree that I am pretty, I am smart and I do measure up in all things because Jesus Christ stands beside me every step of my life.

John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” Jesus can break all of your chains, he can set you free. It is so easy to fall into negativity and let the fires consume you, but that is far from the life Jesus intended for you. Jesus wants us to be free and stand against the world of wickedness.

Dear Lord,
Please help me to be set free in Jesus. Help me to think positively, speak positively and live positively. help me rise above the corrupting fires and not only live a life of triumph, but become a light to someone else struggling in the fires.

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Praying for Others

Colossians 1:9 -- “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

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Do you ever want to pray for others, especially others who do not yet know Christ or who need support in their spiritual walk, but don’t know how to or where to start? Paul has given us the answer to that dilemma -- put Colossians 1:9 into action by praying it over others and over yourself.

We can lead and teach others, but we cannot make others know Christ or understand His Word -- that is between God and that individual. However, we can pray that God will put spiritual wisdom and understanding in their heart and that they will come to know Him as Savior.

Paul exclaims “we have not stopped praying for you.” It is important to continue praying for a person or a situation. God hears relentless prayers and acts on them. By being faithful in prayer for others you can truly make a difference.

Dear Lord,
Open my heart to complete knowledge of your will and give me spiritual wisdom and understanding. I want to lift up those in my life who do not know you as Lord, please press on them understanding and wisdom. Help me be faithful in prayer and to pray relentlessly.

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Always Pray and Never Give Up

Luke 18:1 -- “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.”

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There are time when situations look bleak, or when suffering continues with no end in sight. There is no denying the world is a hard place to live in. But there is hope -- Jesus tells us to “always pray and never give up!”

The story Jesus tells (Luke 18:2-8) is of a widow who relentlessly asks a judge who neither feared God nor cared about the people. However, even he yielded and gave the widow her request for justice. If a wicked man would act justly, then would not a God who loves also grant justice and quickly.

The true question here is not whether God will act, but whether the people have the faith to cry out the Him relentlessly (Luke 18:8). Do you have the faith?

Dear Lord,
I seek to always pray and never give up. I want to have the faith to relentlessly cry out for justice. I can’t do it alone, please help me Lord, help me to be relentless in my faith.

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You Must Be Teachable To Learn

Proverbs 12:1 -- “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.”

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Just like most others, I dislike being corrected, especially when I believe I am right. It makes me feel disappointed and frustrated. But just like in school, there is a teacher who knows the right answer and what’s best in our path of learning. God is our teacher, not just in a classroom, but in life.

To learn you must have to want to learn. With a learning attitude many lessons are available to you -- there is no end to what you can learn. However, this also means you must be willing to have the discipline to keep seeking, accept correction and learn from the wisdom of others. When we close our hearts to discipline and correction we will not learn very much and we will become stagnant in our knowledge and faith.

God wants to open doors for us and grow our wisdom, but we must be teachable and always seek to know and understand more.

Dear Lord,
Open my heart to accept discipline and correction. Help me continuously be teachable as I seek out more knowledge and wisdom from you.

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Jonah (Bible in 90 Days)

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To be perfectly honest, I've never really liked Jonah much, probably because I don’t really understand him. It’s a fun story to tell in Sunday School. I always thought Pinocchio was loosely based on it. However, Jonah never gets it. He spends all this time running from God. Even when he finally follows God’s instructions and goes to Nineveh, Jonah doesn't believe God will save his people.

I see Jonah’s story as the ultimate redemption story. The people of Nineveh were perpetually known as evil, selfish and cruel. They were incredibly powerful and also Israel’s enemy. They were the people you wonder if God could ever truly forgive. They were the worst of the worst, the murders, the terrorists, the dictators and the most corrupt. But when Jonah preached God’s word, they repented and turned from their evil ways and God forgave them.

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“But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city?” Jonah 4:11

Jonah held such a hatred for the people of Nineveh that he didn't think God should save them, he wanted them destroyed. Jonah complained to God about his compassion. He was judging and self-centered. God tried to set Jonah straight, but I don’t think he ever truly go it—he could not get past his prejudices to comprehend the expanse of God’s love and devotion to ALL his people.

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The book of Jonah is interesting because all the other prophetic books focus on the prophecies and less on the man himself. However, Jonah’s journey is the focus of the book of Jonah. There is only one verse that summarizes the message Jonah preaches to Nineveh:

“On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” Jonah 3:4

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I wonder if studying Jonah is less about what Jonah did right and more about learning from his mistakes. No one is perfect, not even men who actively serve God and preach his messages. It’s an important lesson to remember. God still worked through Jonah and the people of Nineveh were saved from sure destruction. The people God works through are not perfect, but God still accomplishes his goals while showing compassion and love to ALL his people.

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Jesus Feels Your Hurt

Matthew 14:14 -- “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

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Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry. Some were to prove his identity as the Son of God and some were to teach important truths. But, Matthew 14:14 is an example where Jesus performed miracles because he felt compassion for the people.

Compassion is to feel the hurt of another person, just as they are feeling it. Compassion goes beyond sympathy and empathy to an intimate place where your suffering IS my suffering -- it is the deepest form of loving and caring.

When we are hurting Jesus hurts too. He loved his people as a man walking the earth and he loves us all now as the Son of God in Heaven. When we suffer, Jesus suffers too. He has compassion for you -- he wants to save you.

Dear Lord,
You know how I am hurting -- for you are hurting with me. I seek your strength, comfort and love as I go through each day.

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Wordless Wednesday *Linky*: C-A-T Draws Cat

C-A-T Draws Cat

Okay, this title might take a little explanation. I am encouraging Zoey to copy her letters so she can learn more letters than just the four in her name. I wrote down c-a-t and she drew me a picture of a cat. 

Share the Wordless Wednesday Love and link up here!

God Guides and Renews

Psalm 23:3 -- “He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

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Are there times you just feel tired of trying so hard? Times where you feel lost? I’ve had plenty of moments like this, where I am weary and don’t know how to go on.

At those times God is there! King David writes, “He renews my strength.” All we have to do is focus our eyes on Him and He will renew our souls.

While God is in our sights we must let him lead. Only when we walk the path God guides us down will we have true contentment. That path may not always be easy, but challenging ourselves and our comfort zone is the only way to grow spiritually and as an individual. God will be with us the whole way, ready to help us as soon as we ask.

Dear Lord,
There are times when it seems I can’t go on, but I know you are there ready to restore my soul. Open my eyes Lord, so that I will know which path you are leading me down so that I may have contentment in you.

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Our Thoughts Control Our Lives

Philippians 4:8 -- “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

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When I was a new Christian, I had very negative thoughts. The worst part is, I didn’t even realize it. I was now a disciple of Christ, my life was suppose to be better. In some ways, it was better; however, in a lot of ways, it was exactly the same.

Honestly, it took awhile for me to understand what God was telling me. I needed to think things that were honorable and lovely instead of degrading and cynical. I began to purposefully think positively and spoke those things out loud over my life. I am good at my job, I can talk to new people without feeling self-conscious, I am beautiful and smart and will prosper.

Now, I can live in joy because I know God is behind me. I no longer constantly look down on myself or think I am not good enough. It doesn’t happen overnight -- it took me years and there are times when I am still weak. But now I can see the negativity and I know God waiting to lift me up when I think and speak things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Dear Lord,
This is a world full of negative thinking, help me to rise above it and walk closer with You. Open my eyes and show me how to think things that are true, pure and admirable.

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