THE DANGER OF DISCONTENTMENT
It’s true: A discontented heart produces troubled waters which are target-rich for Satan for Satan’s temptations!
So many of Satan’s schemes and deceptions and temptations breed in the mindset that “I deserve better & more”.
More money. More toys. More respect. More attention. More credit. More admirers. More success.
Better children. A better husband. A better wife. A better explanation. A better teacher. A better test score. A better car.
Troubled, troubled, very troubled waters.
One sure cure for a discontented heart is heartfelt gratitude. Gratitude calms the waters of a person’s life.
Gratitude: Calm, calm very calm waters.
1 Timothy 6:6 puts it this way:
“But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.”
If your waters are troubled, be grateful! The sooner the better.
BE STARVING!
Every day, all around the world, precious Christians are being persecuted for their love for Jesus.
Many times these Christians secretly meet in underground or house churches. Usually there are very, very few copies of the Bible available to whole groups of believers.
Sometimes portions of the Bible are carefully removed and bound together so that believers can take small portions of God’s Word with them to secretly have in their homes for one week at a time.
One week Boris has 1 Thessalonians and the next week Maria has 1 Thessalonians. And the following week Boris has James.
When the Bible is so scarce, those under persecution’s pressures are starving to have it in their hands, through their eyes and into their minds.
“… like newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word, that play it you may grow in respect to salvation …”.
(1 Peter 2:2)
(1 Peter 2:2)
Whether persecuted or not persecuted yet, we should always be starving for the Bible.
THE FERTILIZER FOR ANXIETY
Philippians 4:6 –
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
When we are anxious we are not praying. And failure to pray is often symptomatic of a failure to believe in God’s ability and love and goodness and control.
The fertilizer for anxiety is unbelief demonstrated by prayerlessness. Then fertilizer for peace is belief demonstrated through prayer.
Which do you want to grow: anxiety or peace?
Fertilize accordingly!
IT JUST DOESN’T LOOK RIGHT
The COCA-COLA COMPANY’S colours are red & white.
But certain nations are allowed to bottle unique soda flavors under the umbrella of the COCA-COLA COMPANY.
Here in the Bahamas the soda flavor selected & produced is grapefruit.
It’s a BIG seller. And the side of the can of this delicious soda is green & white rather than red & white.
It doesn’t look right.
Sometimes we Christians just don’t look right to others.
They know what Christians are supposed to look like and sometimes we don’t look those ways.
Ephesians 4:1-3 …
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
These wonderful qualities look “Red & White” to others who observe us.
When we live proud or harsh or impatient or self-asserting or unloving or divisive we look “Green & White”.
WHAT SHALL I WEAR TODAY?
Fear and faith will never live together. Where there is one the other will not be.
Proverbs 12:25 -“Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.”
The good word of course are all the promises of Sacred Scripture!
Did you know that there are 365 Bible verses that command us not to fear? That’s one for each day of the year, isn’t it?
Put on the right clothes each morning! The choice is fully yours.
Making The Best Of A Bad Situation
The Bible Book of Proverbs gives such blunt & good direction for living!
Of course the topic of marriage is covered.
Proverbs 18:22:
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord.”
In Proverbs 21:9 God makes it clear that wife-driven contention makes for a bad marriage & home life.
“It is better to live in a corner of a roof, than in the house shared with a contentious woman.”
The picture of the dog on the roof makes me imagine that a distressed husband is living up there and is having his dog as his only consolation.
Wives, strive to live at peace with your husbands. And husbands, do your part to keep the peace as well!
There should be no place like home!
Get In The Game
A few years back now my wonderful friend Rich took me to a Penn State Football Game. What an exciting experience!
This picture was taken well before the opening kick off so the stands were sparsely filled.
By game time about 106,000 fans had filed in!
What we had that day was 106,000 persons desperately in need of exercise,cheering on 22 football players who were desperately in need of rest!
The Church of Jesus Christ can be like that!
A small minority of Christians working very hard in ministry while a much larger majority of idle Christians are cheering them on!
This is not God’s will.
In Ephesians 4:11-12 we see the prescription:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE TO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST … “.
Get out of the stands and onto the playing field!
54 YEARS! HE OUTLASTED THEM!
This is Pastor Charles Simeon.
He was one of England’s greatest preachers of the late 18th Century. But his congregation didn’t agree that he was!
Charles pastored a difficult and turbulent Holy Trinity Church (Cambridge) for an amazing 54 years!
They were amazing 54 years because some of his congregation wanted him fired. They did not appreciate the un-watered down Word of God which he preached.
At first they removed all of the pews from the church hoping that no one would come on Sundays without a place to sit.
Undaunted, Pastor Simeon brought in chairs for persons to use instead of pews!
You may not be a pastor. But as a Christian you have your own unique ministry. And ministry of any sort, by its nature, requires great persistence.
2 Timothy was written to a young pastor named Timothy.
But we have the book in our Bibles because it’s message is pertinent to all 21st-century servants of the Lord.
“But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, for fill your ministry.”
(2 Timothy 4:5)
To God’s glory, outlast your opponents. Don’t quit.
Bring in some chairs, if you have to!
DESIGNED
This is a gorgeous stone wall & archway in Eleuthera.
It’s sure didn’t get there by random chance!
It was designed to be both functional & beautiful.
Christian, God has made and remade you to be both functional & beautiful too!
In Psalm 139:14 it is assured that:
“I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made … “.
So you are PHYSICALLY- designed: Your body
functions .
But you are also MINISTRY-designed!
Ephesians 2:10:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.”
The Greek word which is translated into the English word “workmanship” is POEMA. We get our English word “poem” from this Greek word.
As no two poems are the same, the specific good works which God has ordained for each of us to do are utterly unique to each of us!
Remember: God has designed you both to function and to minister to His glory.
That makes you a one-of-kind design!
Really it’s not your designer jeans that are important, it’s your designer YOU which is most important!
STRATEGIC LIVING
This is my dear friend Mr. Joe Sweeting.
He has been involved for many years in the leadership of a service club called Toastmasters.
This club helps young adults to learn the skill of public speaking.
Joe is truly a master speech-giver and he takes the longest few possible to want to train a new generation to have this skill.
Many lives have been improved over the years.
All this reminds me of a biblical which is found in 2 Timothy 2:2 –
“And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
Are you mentoring anyone?
It’s work that will have a benefit that will outlive you!