Month: August 2024 (Page 3 of 3)

That being said, works are like the natural outflow of our faith and helps give life to our faith. James said, “Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

Faith is more than agreeing and knowing Jesus as Savior, for it is opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit and Him living within us. He does good works through us, and the glory goes to the Lord. We are instruments through which God can do great things as we allow His power and love to flow through us. He created us for good works, and we do them not because we have to or feel obligated or because we are supposed to, but as an opportunity to live out our faith. As we listen to the Spirit, He will direct us into specific works.

I love football and hate to miss watching the Vikings play. We can learn a lot about the game of life from watching football. As I read Back to Square One, Christianson compared God’s kingdom to a group of people who come together under a coach who molds them into a team. Of course, there are rules for the game, and we never get beyond the fundamental rules; we likewise don’t have to debate what the Bible says for we go by what Jesus said. We don’t wing it but just like the team needs to learn the fundamentals for blocking, tackling and running etc. we need to learn discipline and obedience. We do whatever it is our Coach says!

We also have to be mindful of teamwork, ready to give up our personal preferences for the whole. That means doing things for others and recognize that our life depends on others doing their part as well, for we are interdependent on them. We cannot exist without the rest of the team doing their jobs and we need to let the coach mold us together. We all need radical obedience to do what our Coach says and most of all we need a close relationship with Him.

Hope you wake up to a day of praise. I plan to make scalloped potatoes and ham today and go to my exercise class and several places to shop as it is Al’s birthday coming up. 

One Sunday while having coffee after the service I sat next to a gal about my age and one who had such an upbeat outlook on her life. She is rather new to the church and so she shared her story with me. It was all very positive, and she gave one instance after another of the Lord’s hand of blessing on her life. It wasn’t because she had a lot growing up, but it was of the Lord’s presence in her home, in her marriage and family etc. He is the one that made all the difference! As she shared about our uncertain future, she was also spoke of having peace knowing the Lord would give her what was needed at the time, even if it meant suffering for His sake.

Let us not let the enemy steal our songs of praise but may we trust the Lord in all things.

I wonder if King David, who wrote so many Psalms of God’s mercy and love, ever believed he would not only commit adultery but would murder an innocent and righteous man, but he did.  We might also chastise ourselves and say, “I can’t believe I said what I did in the heat of the moment!” None of us can even imagine what we are capable of when we are tested.

David was a man of prayer and compassion, and he trusted God and obeyed. So how could this terrible thing happen? First off, he stayed home when his men were doing battle and had time on his hands. While on the palace roof, he looks down into the courtyard of a beautiful woman bathing. He sends for Bathsheba and has a relationship with her which results in a pregnancy. David tries to solve his problem by having her husband come home on leave so it would seem it was his child. But as Uriah thinks of the other soldiers out in the battlefield, he chooses not to have relations with his wife. David ends up having Uriah killed in battle and later takes Bathsheba as his wife. What happened to David’s compassion? He sinned and took control, not only of his own life but that of others. David doesn’t come clean at first until the prophet Nathan tells him a story that points it out; he is finally found out, and there are consequences.

David recognized his sin and that it was against the Lord, (II Sam. 12:13) Just as David, we also need to recognize our sin, and not be indifferent. Then we can go to the Lord in confession and receive His pardon and forgiveness. We don’t need to go around condemned after He has forgiven us, for the Lord now looks on us as if we never sinned. Our part is to own our sin and repent and confess our sins and then focus on His forgiving grace, as He sets us free.

Challenge for today: When you have sinned, go quickly and openly to the Lord in confession and receive His pardon and live freely in His grace, no longer condemned.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Today has finally come when we can go out with good friends for a very belated birthday. We tried numerous times but had to postpone because of sickness or our friend’s doctor appointments. So today is extra special after the long wait!  

“Madeline Manning-Jackson Mims’ 16-year international track and field career included being a member of four U.S. Olympic Teams as well as several National Teams. Diagnosed with spinal meningitis at age three, she wasn’t expected to survive; but her illness helped to shape her life. She pushed beyond it to become a sports champion. Mims attributes her strength to a praying mother who — in the face of doctors’ dire predictions — gave Mims to the Lord, vowing to raise her in His ways.

At the 1968 Games in Mexico, Mims became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the 800 meters, setting an Olympic and world record that she held for fifteen years. In the 1972 Games in Germany, she won a silver medal as a member of the 4×400 meter relay team.

She won a gold medal at the 1967 Pan American Games in Canada — the first American woman to break two minutes in the 800 meters. She also made the U.S. Olympics team in 1976 in Montreal and in 1980 in Moscow, but did not participate because of boycotts. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Mims was honored as an Olympic Legend.

Mims has never put her faith on the back shelf. She is the founder and president of the U.S. Council for Sports Chaplaincy, serving as chaplain at five Olympic Games. She is one of three chaplains for the Tulsa Shock professional women’s basketball team. She and her family minister through Sports and the Arts ministry. She’s also an author, international speaker, and contemporary Gospel recording artist.

But if we happen to be wealthy in the eyes of the world, we are not to be prideful and look down on others or put our hope in riches. We are also to be dependent on the Lord and thankful for his provision, which He gave us the power to make in the first place. We are to use our wealth to do good works and honor God by being a faithful steward. We can lose our riches quickly and our security is not in riches but to be in the Lord. Some people who have very little to just get by month by month, have peace as they trust God for everything. Others who have so much may lose sleep as they are afraid of losing their wealth.

Sharing with others brings great joy, whether we have little to share or much we could share. It is the attitude of our heart and if we feel rich in the Lord, we will always have something to share, even if it is simply a word of encouragement.

 When you think of our culture today, many who others admire are not people who line up with the Lord but are focused on self and violate God’s commands. Yet we may follow them online or buy things with their logo and sing their songs that oppose God’s Word. That should not be. Just think recently of the Olympics and the depiction that was made of the Lord’s supper that makes a mockery of Jesus’ last night with His disciples. We are to hate such actions that are evil and stand for what is good.

It takes courage today to stand up for what is right, even when those around us are applauding those who do evil and get ahead by unrighteous means. In the Message translation verse 10 says, “God loves all who hate evil. And those who love Him He keeps safe, snatches them from the grip of the wicked.” When we go along with the culture in supporting evil things, our first desire is not to please God. But when we choose to love what God loves it says in verse 11, “Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.”  If we stand for what is right, and don’t bow down to evil, our souls will feel light and full of joy for we please the Lord. Let us not compromise but hate evil and love good.