DAILY DEVO...jealousy

DAILY DEVO:

One of the things that will destroy any relationship quicker than anything is the root of jealousy.

Whether it is in dating, in friendships, with your siblings or in ministry. Jealousy will only kill the very thing you love.
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Proverbs 14:30 "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."

Jealousy is rooted in a false view of God..."God loves them more than me." "I deserve better." But jealousy is only complaining and whining to God that You know better than He what you need in life.

Dont allow jealousy to destroy the awesome things that God has in store for you. Someone may have something that you wish you had or they may have a position that you want but never forget that God just may have something bigger and better planned for you!

? for today... Are you jealous of someone or something? REPENT and ask God to show you His wonderful plan for YOU. Its a unique plan that only you can fulfill.

DAILY DEVO...gossip

DAILY DEVO

I remember when I was a teen, my friends dad had diabetes. He would go to church with us but had a hard time staying awake. People would talk about him. But what they didnt know is that he couldn't help it, he didnt have his medicine and diet regulated yet.

Gossip. Telling the truth is one thing, but the other thing, gossip, is what really counts, for it reveals what is in our hearts....

James, Jesus' half brother understood the danger of gossip...

James 1:26 "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

Gossip destroys. Not only those we talk about. But it destroys our character as well.

Like my friends dad, we may not know the entire story, so lets keep our tongue tamed.

THANKFUL THURSDAY...what's your temperature?

Revelation 3:16 "So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of My mouth."

God said that He would spit us out of His mouth if we are lukewarm, that is because He doesn’t want any “whisy washy”children. He would rather we are sold out totally for Him or be away from Him with the hopes that we will turn to Him. One that sits on the fence,  who straddles is often difficult to be obedient.

Have you ever known someone who changed their mind with the wind? One day they are one way, then the next day they are something else.

This happens a lot with sports fans. Many sports fans root for the winning team, and when their team goes on a losing streak, they get off their bandwagon real quick and switch teams. They are what I call “wish washy fans”. Jesus Christ has some “wishy washy” fans too. They call themselves Christians as long as everything is going good, but the minute trouble brews, they jump off the bandwagon and remove themselves from God and all that He stands for.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am grateful for all the strong men and women who have led the way by example of how they live their lives. Lives that don't straddle the fence, but lives that walk the walk not just talk the talk.

May we all find ourselves today with the right temperature in our spiritual walk with God. May He find us HOT and boiling over as we grow in Him.

Its been a pleasure to be your hostess this month for TT. Please join us over at GRACE ALONE for August where Iris will be hosting on Thursdays.

DAILY DEVO

DAILY DEVOTION...

I hate waiting in lines. Especially long lines. What is even worse than waiting in a long line, is a line breaker cutting in front of me after I've patiently waited forever in the line.

If you have ever gone to an amusement park like Disney, you know what I mean.
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I read about Disney cracking down on people who were paying disabled people to go with them so they could all go thru the disabled entrance rather than wait 3 hours like everyone else.

Reminds me of what some people try to do to make it to heaven. Instead of following the rules, they try to take the shortcut. But Im afraid there are no line breakers allowed. Everyone comes to the Father the same way. No matter your race, your wealth, or your age.

Galatians 2:16 "A person is not justified by works but through faith in Jesus Christ."

There are just some lines that are worth the wait!

LACED WITH GRACE...It CAN be well with your soul!

Today I have shared a devo over at LACED WITH GRACE entitled "It CAN be well with your soul." Please click the link to read this post!

http://lacedwithgrace.com/devotion/faith/soul-2/?preview=true

Its not easy or hard...its a choice!

 I heard a new believer say, "it's hard to be a Christian."

It can be. But it doesn't have to be. God Never said it would be easy, He just said, "pick up the cross and follow Me!"
Christianity isn't easy or hard. Simply said, its just a choice!

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didnt find it easy, but they made a Choice..."Let it be known, o king, we will NOT serve your gods." (Daniel... 3:18)

Integrity will always outweigh convenience. Choose this day Whom you will serve...but choose wisely!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...I am a mentor!

When I mention the word "mentor", alot of people automatically think of someone who is older. Mentoring seems to be something that most of us think we are not old enough or wise enough to do.

But I disagree with that thinking. When you think about it, no matter what age you find yourself, all of us, yes, all of us I say, are older (and wiser) than someone. Whether you are 80 or 18, everyone has someone younger than them that needs a good role model to follow after.

I have had many godly role models in my life. Former pastor wives, Sunday school teachers and godly women like my grandmother. And likewise, my young daughter at the age of 17 also is a role model to many of the young girls at church and also to her little neice at age 2. All of us can pour into someone and we all need to know that someone is watching and learning from us. One way or another, either in a negative way or a positive way, we all have people following us.

It is my prayer that I can pour into someone that would make a difference for eternity. It isn't enough to just be "older" or even "wiser", we must all be led by the Spirit.

“I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.” -Job 32:7-9

It is the Holy Spirit that gives us wisdom and discernment. May we all lead by the Spirit, for without it, nothing we say, nothing we do will be worth following.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am grateful not only for the great mentors who have molded my life, but I am also grateful for the opportunities that God has given me to invest in others. What are you thankful for today, please link up with us below....

Not one, no not one - loving the unchurched!

During our 10 year position as Associate Pastors, our heart and passion was for the lost and for equipping the saints. But it was during our 2 year hiatus from fulltime ministry that God really opened my eyes and my heart for the lost. I soon realized that our world is not only full of the sick, and the lonely but also so many that are lost.

God took us down a road for 2 years that literally showed us a world out there of the "unchurched". God asked us a question ... "Who will love the unchurched?"

Unfortunately, this is a group of people that all too soon get forgotten or lost between the cracks. These are people that either have not heard the Good News or they have, and were hurt in church and vowed never to return.

Seeing so many "outside" the church made me wonder, why do they leave? As I researched this question, I found many answers as to the why. My husband and I are back pastoring fulltime, and I don't mind telling you that the staggering  numbers of people who have left churches because of hurt
is mind boggling to me.

But the hurt of others is only one kind of hurt that keeps people out, we often times, hurt ourselves. We hurt ourselves when we find that the house rules of Gods house are too restrictive, we pack up and look else where for our acceptance and our being. We look for ways that our behavior can fit the Bible rather than Bible shaping our behavior.

Many people are seeking the love of Christ but don't want to submit to His Lordship. They desire His blessings but don't adhere to His commandments. Even though Christ offers everything, the cost of serving Him seems too high for some. But don't think that this is anything new to Christ. Many of His disciples turned and walked no more with Him, to this Jesus turned to His twelve and asked, "Do you also want to go away?"

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ." - Simon Peter (John 6:60-69)

True discipleship does not come from attending a church service, that is true. It is the relationship that we have daily with Christ. But just like the family that we were born into, even though troubles come, and we don't always get along all of the time, we still stick by each other thru thick and thin.

We are family. And when just one strays away from the family tree, we should stop at nothing to bring them back. May we all seek those who are "unchurched" and give them a place to belong, a family to call their own.

And if you one of those "unchurched" who has thrown in the towel, I know what it is like to be hurt in church, I have been too. But remember that people will always let you down and that God has given each of us a greater purpose than to give in or quit. He has a greater plan that any man and in His power, we can OVERCOME and BECOME something great for Him!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...becoming a person of peace

Lately, I have heard story after story of great hardships people are going thru. My heart hurts for all those around me dealing with sickness, and death, and financial hardships and struggles in relationships. Life is hard, isn't it?

But even when things get hard, living a life of peace is a choice. Nothing, and noone can rob you of your peace, however, sometimes we relinquish our peace when we allow our circumstances to cloud our vision. God desires for His peace to encompass every part of our lives. Even when we can't trace His steps, we most definetly can trust His heart.

Psalm 31:5 says "My times are in Your hands." Your life is under God's watchful eye and no matter what circumstance comes your way, peace is available. All we have to do is accept it.

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am so thankful for the peace that passes all understanding...the peace of God! Please join your grateful heart with ours by linking up below for TT!

Word of the day...INCONVENIENT

This week I have heard the same word over and over...

"INCONVENIENT"

It is amazing to me the things that we feel inconvenienced about.

For instance, every time I drive across the bridge to Memphis, it is so inconvenient for me to drive less of the normal speed limit, sometimes even coming to a stand still while workers work on the highway.

Even though the roads are getting better over the long term, at the moment, it feels like the roads are actually getting worse and worse. Roads seem to be tore up for so long, and we hate the detours and the delays. Seems to me that we just want improvement without any inconvenience.

Truth is, we all want things to grow, to change and advance without our world changing. Not only is that true in highway construction, but it is also true in our personal life and most definitely in our spiritual life. Too many people want the gain with no pain.

We cannot stretch ourselves without growing pains. And that goes for growing pains in our spiritual walk. We say we want to be more like Jesus, but then we groan and moan and whine when we go through difficult times.

"Lord, please make this pass quickly!"

Isn't that how many of us pray? But while driving thru the construction in Memphis, I realized that to have growth, we must be inconvenienced. God is not leery to take us down a detour if that is what is necessary for us to grow in Him.

So next time you feel like you are swimming against the current and life is coming at you hard, remember that you can lean upon God and He will be with you always. Even in those twists, turns and detours of your life. Now that is one promise that is worth all of the inconveniences of the world!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. Isaiah 43:2

THANKFUL THURSDAY...Independence!

 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Today is a day of great celebration across the USA. Fireworks, picnics, swimming, pretty much whatever we feel led to do. It is a great thing to be an American. Something that I am very proud to be. And celebrating our freedom is a wonderful way to celebrate today.

Not just our freedom here in this land of the free ... but we should all be celebrating and remembering our freedom in the Lord. I have traveled too many countries where such freedom is not allowed. Bibles must be hidden. Saying you are a "Christian" will land you in jail. Missionaries spreading God's truth must be done secretly.

When I think of the word "Independence", I often think of what the world tells us. The leadership team of Burger King bought into this independent theme we have ..."Have it your way!" Having things our way goes all the way back to Adam and Eve though. Instead of doing things God's way, they wanted their Independence, Adam and Eve wanted things "their way".

In Matthew 18:3, it says,"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."

Those are not the words of our Forefathers. They are the words of Jesus.

The world tells us we can do anything, we are free to do as we please. But Jesus is saying that we must be dependent upon Him, His way is higher than our way. Without Him, we cannot be free. Rather than seeking and celebrating independence, I suggest that it is actually dependence that is worth celebrating. May we never forget the greatest sacrifice ever given for our freedom...the blood of Jesus!

Aren't you thankful for all the privileges and blessings that we have? Not just as Americans, but as heirs of the King!!!

I am happy to be your THANKFUL THURSDAY  host for the month of July. I look forward to hear your grateful hearts all month long!