“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV).
Recently I watch the movie again called Bruce Almighty. At the end Bruce is in heaven and God asks him to pray. He prays that his girl friend will meet someone who will see her as he does now through God’s eyes. That made an impact on me because most of the time I believe we don’t see others through God’s eyes, but because we have Christ in us that is exactly what we are suppose to do. Sometimes it is difficult when the person is annoying, mean, nasty, and mouthy. But, the Lord loves that person, and if you are looking at that person through the Lord’s eyes you should have compassion and not judge.
That is very difficult, but it is expected of us.
Jesus chose to be around people who weren’t exactly the cream of the crop. He even asked a hated tax collector to be an apostle. You see He loved everyone, even the woman caught in adultery. He sat with a Samaritan woman at the well and lovingly told her that he was the living water. He could have dismissed her and ignored her, since the Samaritans were hated by the Jews. Jesus chose to sit and talk to her about the fact that you should worship God in spirit and in truth. Seeing others through the Lord’s eyes means that you must love them and believe that the Lord’s love can transform them. God wants everyone to come to repentance and go to heaven. We are His eyes on this earth and must view them as He does.
This week think about someone who you have problems with and see them through the Lord’s eyes. Pray for them and also ask for guidance to be a witness to them in some way. Genuinely love them and watch what God can do through you.
Dear Lord,
Sometimes it is difficult to be around people who are abrasive. Help me to look at them through your eyes. I know that you want everyone to go to heaven, so help me to show compassion and love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Keep on the Christian Path by Ann Elaine Broughton
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:23-24 NIV).
I was always told not to swerve when driving, especially when an animal comes out in front of the car. I’m glad I remembered that lesson when a deer ran into the side of my car. I just kept driving straight. If I would have swerved I would have gone into a deep ditch.
When my son was learning how to drive it was snowing and a bunny ran out in front of the car. He swerved and the car slid scaring me half to death. That is when I said, “Do not swerve the car no matter what for an animal.” You could have a serious accident just swerving for a critter.
To live a Christian life, we should be sincerely trying not to swerve from the hope we profess. To leave the Christian path even for an instant makes us vulnerable to Satan’s enticing us to sin. The more we go off the path God has chosen for us, the more our faith weakens. It is so important to keep in constant touch with God through prayer. We must also encourage our Christian friends to show Christ’s love to others by choosing to do good deeds for those who are in need. This week take time to encourage a Christian friend to do the Lord’s will in their life and to do something to help another person who really needs to see God’s love in action.
Dear Lord,
Sometimes life gets so busy that we have a tendency to swerve away from what you want us to do. Help us to remember to encourage our Christian friends to help others in a special way. We know that you want us to show your love to others.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
I was always told not to swerve when driving, especially when an animal comes out in front of the car. I’m glad I remembered that lesson when a deer ran into the side of my car. I just kept driving straight. If I would have swerved I would have gone into a deep ditch.
When my son was learning how to drive it was snowing and a bunny ran out in front of the car. He swerved and the car slid scaring me half to death. That is when I said, “Do not swerve the car no matter what for an animal.” You could have a serious accident just swerving for a critter.
To live a Christian life, we should be sincerely trying not to swerve from the hope we profess. To leave the Christian path even for an instant makes us vulnerable to Satan’s enticing us to sin. The more we go off the path God has chosen for us, the more our faith weakens. It is so important to keep in constant touch with God through prayer. We must also encourage our Christian friends to show Christ’s love to others by choosing to do good deeds for those who are in need. This week take time to encourage a Christian friend to do the Lord’s will in their life and to do something to help another person who really needs to see God’s love in action.
Dear Lord,
Sometimes life gets so busy that we have a tendency to swerve away from what you want us to do. Help us to remember to encourage our Christian friends to help others in a special way. We know that you want us to show your love to others.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Jesus Offers Peace by Ann Elaine Broughton
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).
When was the last time you needed to rest due to weariness? Jesus wants you to pray to Him and lay your burdens down at His feet. He will give you rest if you take time to just sit, be calm, and pray to Him about your issues. I imagine myself hugging Jesus and just basking in His love and peace. It is a wonderful image and one that will help you also. Jesus wants you to be at peace about everything, because if you aren’t then you are obsessing about issues that you have no control over. That is not peaceful. If you can’t do anything about it, you must give it to Him and trust Him to take care of it for you.
The biggest peace buster is hanging onto past sins that you have committed that you have asked forgiveness for. Don’t do it. You must leave all of that behind you and believe that it is forgiven. Looking back makes you vulnerable to stumble because you cannot see where you are heading.
Keep your eyes on the Lord and believe that He loves you no matter what you did in your life. He wants you to be happy and free of burdens. Resting with Jesus is the most peaceful experience ever.
I urge you to make it a priority to do this every day. Life is full of troubles, trials, hurts, and stress so when Jesus tells you to come to Him and He will give you rest, take advantage of it. It will help you stay healthy so that you can continue to serve Him in amazing ways.
So my challenge to you this week is to take time each day to rest in Jesus’ arms and lay your burdens at His feet. Leave them their and forget about them. He is in control. Life is too short to dwell on things that depress you and stress you. Make peace your priority.
Dear Lord,
I know that you are waiting for me to come to you. Help me to take time every day to rest in your love and peace and lay my problems at your feet. I know you will help me not to worry about things I have no control over. Thank you for your peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
When was the last time you needed to rest due to weariness? Jesus wants you to pray to Him and lay your burdens down at His feet. He will give you rest if you take time to just sit, be calm, and pray to Him about your issues. I imagine myself hugging Jesus and just basking in His love and peace. It is a wonderful image and one that will help you also. Jesus wants you to be at peace about everything, because if you aren’t then you are obsessing about issues that you have no control over. That is not peaceful. If you can’t do anything about it, you must give it to Him and trust Him to take care of it for you.
The biggest peace buster is hanging onto past sins that you have committed that you have asked forgiveness for. Don’t do it. You must leave all of that behind you and believe that it is forgiven. Looking back makes you vulnerable to stumble because you cannot see where you are heading.
Keep your eyes on the Lord and believe that He loves you no matter what you did in your life. He wants you to be happy and free of burdens. Resting with Jesus is the most peaceful experience ever.
I urge you to make it a priority to do this every day. Life is full of troubles, trials, hurts, and stress so when Jesus tells you to come to Him and He will give you rest, take advantage of it. It will help you stay healthy so that you can continue to serve Him in amazing ways.
So my challenge to you this week is to take time each day to rest in Jesus’ arms and lay your burdens at His feet. Leave them their and forget about them. He is in control. Life is too short to dwell on things that depress you and stress you. Make peace your priority.
Dear Lord,
I know that you are waiting for me to come to you. Help me to take time every day to rest in your love and peace and lay my problems at your feet. I know you will help me not to worry about things I have no control over. Thank you for your peace.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Monday, January 10, 2011
How Do You Handle Temptation by Ann Elaine Broughton
“And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13 NIV).
How do you handle temptation? Let’s face it life is full of temptation and how you handle it reflects on your faith in God. Jesus quoted scripture when he was tempted. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. To me it is comforting to know that Jesus was tempted, so that when I pray during a temptation He will understand exactly what I need for my situation. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. “But we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). He knows how hard it is to be tempted and has compassion for us. The most important thing you must do is say no when temptation rears its ugly head. I think it is also very good to have some Bible verses memorized for such a situation. Jesus used scripture to thwart Satan, so it is a valuable tool in your fight against giving in to temptation. I will give you a few verses that I use when tempted.
• “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”
(Psalm 46:1 NIV).
• “Be strong and courageous, and do the work, for the Lord God, my God, is with you” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV).
• “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
The Lord will give you strength when you need it when you pray for him to help you. Temptation is a way of life, but as the verse above states God will provide a way out. You must plan what you will do and be prepared. Pray, read the Bible, and trust the Lord. He will never fail you.
Dear Lord,
We know that temptation will befall us, but we also know that you are with us. Help us to be prepared by learning scripture to help us. Help us to say no to Satan. Thank you for always being with us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
How do you handle temptation? Let’s face it life is full of temptation and how you handle it reflects on your faith in God. Jesus quoted scripture when he was tempted. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. To me it is comforting to know that Jesus was tempted, so that when I pray during a temptation He will understand exactly what I need for my situation. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are. “But we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). He knows how hard it is to be tempted and has compassion for us. The most important thing you must do is say no when temptation rears its ugly head. I think it is also very good to have some Bible verses memorized for such a situation. Jesus used scripture to thwart Satan, so it is a valuable tool in your fight against giving in to temptation. I will give you a few verses that I use when tempted.
• “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”
(Psalm 46:1 NIV).
• “Be strong and courageous, and do the work, for the Lord God, my God, is with you” (1 Chronicles 28:20 NIV).
• “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
The Lord will give you strength when you need it when you pray for him to help you. Temptation is a way of life, but as the verse above states God will provide a way out. You must plan what you will do and be prepared. Pray, read the Bible, and trust the Lord. He will never fail you.
Dear Lord,
We know that temptation will befall us, but we also know that you are with us. Help us to be prepared by learning scripture to help us. Help us to say no to Satan. Thank you for always being with us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Sunday, January 2, 2011
A New You by Ann Elaine Broughton
“You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV).
It is the time of year to think about new resolutions we can make for the Lord. I think also it is time for us to look back and see areas in our lives where we tried to follow deceitful desires. Let’s face it we all have slipped up. As we look to the New Year we can think of ways where we can have better attitudes. I imagine the New Year as a clean slate on what I can do to be a better person or become healthier so I can serve the Lord longer.
I am not that great keeping my resolutions though and I am determined to make that different this year. One of my areas I want to work on is becoming healthier. The bible is pretty clear about how our bodies are the temple of God. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV) It is easy to forget that God is in us and we must keep our bodies in good condition for His sake. How are you doing in this area? Are you eating healthy and exercising? All of us need to be more conscientious about what we put in our mouths and what it can do to our bodies. God expects us to serve Him to the best of our abilities and this is difficult if we are not healthy.
Another goal of mine is to read the Bible every day and really study it.
How many of you really do that? We are to study the word so we can be able to tell others about God’s wonderful grace and love for them.
Showing others in scripture how God will help them is very powerful.
It is important that you know what the Bible says. It shows us how to live a life that pleases God.
These are a few of my resolutions. Take time to pray and ask God what He wants you to accomplish this year. Notice what thoughts come to your mind and jot them down. Make a list and keep it in your Bible so you can revisit it at least once a week. God needs you to be faithful in this. Think of your resolutions this year as a covenant with God and really try every day to follow them.
Dear Lord,
Each year we make resolutions but fail to keep them. Let us be faithful with our resolutions for you this year so that we can grow as Christians. Help our attitudes to be Christ-like and pleasing to you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
It is the time of year to think about new resolutions we can make for the Lord. I think also it is time for us to look back and see areas in our lives where we tried to follow deceitful desires. Let’s face it we all have slipped up. As we look to the New Year we can think of ways where we can have better attitudes. I imagine the New Year as a clean slate on what I can do to be a better person or become healthier so I can serve the Lord longer.
I am not that great keeping my resolutions though and I am determined to make that different this year. One of my areas I want to work on is becoming healthier. The bible is pretty clear about how our bodies are the temple of God. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV) It is easy to forget that God is in us and we must keep our bodies in good condition for His sake. How are you doing in this area? Are you eating healthy and exercising? All of us need to be more conscientious about what we put in our mouths and what it can do to our bodies. God expects us to serve Him to the best of our abilities and this is difficult if we are not healthy.
Another goal of mine is to read the Bible every day and really study it.
How many of you really do that? We are to study the word so we can be able to tell others about God’s wonderful grace and love for them.
Showing others in scripture how God will help them is very powerful.
It is important that you know what the Bible says. It shows us how to live a life that pleases God.
These are a few of my resolutions. Take time to pray and ask God what He wants you to accomplish this year. Notice what thoughts come to your mind and jot them down. Make a list and keep it in your Bible so you can revisit it at least once a week. God needs you to be faithful in this. Think of your resolutions this year as a covenant with God and really try every day to follow them.
Dear Lord,
Each year we make resolutions but fail to keep them. Let us be faithful with our resolutions for you this year so that we can grow as Christians. Help our attitudes to be Christ-like and pleasing to you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
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