Help Others by Ann Broughton

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40 NIV).

    Whatever we do for others, as in feeding them or providing for their needs, we are doing for the Lord. Jesus spoke the above verse as part of his parables of what the kingdom of Heaven is like. He said that when He comes again, He will separate the sheep from the goats. To those who helped others He will say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34 NIV). This is for those who clothed the poor, fed the hungry, cared for the sick, gave a drink to the thirsty, and visited the prisoners. (Matthew 25: 35-36). 

    You see being a Christian is so much more than just going to church or giving your tithe. It is helping others in need and being a servant.

There is so much need all around us, and as Christians we must help those people. To say no to someone who has a need is unacceptable. James puts it perfectly, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead” (James 2:16-17 NIV).

    Jesus will judge those who do not help others also. Here is what He said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:45-46 NIV). This is why it is so important that you help others when you see a need.

Dear Lord,

Open my eyes to the needs of people around me, and help me to meet them. I know that I must be a servant to others and help them in whatever need they have. It is not enough for me to pray, read the Bible, and go to church. I must also help others who are in need.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength by Ann Broughton

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14 NIV).

    Have you ever wished to be glad all your days? It is a nice wish. You can choose joy! What do you think about the most every day? You can control what you think, which can control how you feel. This week I would like you to examine your thoughts every day and determine what you think about the most. We should not spend most of our time worrying, complaining, or being negative. Each moment we have on this earth is a blessing, and we should make sure that we see it as that. Our life span is determined by God, and we must make the most of it for Him. David spoke of this so perfectly, “Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life” (Psalm 39:4 NIV). If our lives are fleeting, then we must be determined to find more joy in our living, and through our love of the Lord, this can happen. Jesus himself spoke of this joy, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11 NIV). Since you have Christ in you, you have His joy also. It is up to you to tap into it.

    This week examine your thoughts and try to be more joyful as you go throughout your day. Think on this verse, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).  Let your thoughts be more uplifting and joyous and you will find yourself being happier. People will be drawn to you because they will notice that you have the joy of the Lord in your life and display it. Trust me, your outlook on life will be so much better if you concentrate on your blessings rather than your problems.

Dear Lord,

Help me as I try to concentrate on all the good things that are happening in my life right now. Let me lift up to you the problems and leave them at your feet, knowing in your wisdom, you will help me deal with them. Let the joy of the Lord be my strength.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

    

God Still Performs Miracles by Ann Broughton

“The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy” (Psalm 111:7 NIV).

   Have you been a witness to a miracle lately? There are 37 miracles recorded in scripture that Jesus performed. The apostles also performed miracles after Pentecost. Miracles are still happening today. I have witnessed several in my life and will tell you about them so you can have hope that miracles are still happening.

    We have a dear friend who was in a very scary accident several years ago. His vehicle was totaled and it was a miracle that he wasn’t killed on impact. He was very critically injured and suffered from a severe head injury. He told me that when he was at the hospital laying on the gurney, he saw God and God told him that he was going to be alright. He said he never knew or remembered any of the long recovery in the hospital. He said he couldn’t remember pain either. God had been with him. Now he shows no signs of having any brain damage whatsoever, which is a tremendous miracle, as he was very severely injured. He believes he was saved for a reason and uses every opportunity to serve his Lord and help others.

   When we lived in Wooster, Ohio, I had a scary experience with my eye. I had a blood vessel burst in the back of my eye. The eye doctor told me he was very concerned about this because it meant that something very serious was wrong. He told me to come back in a couple of weeks because he wanted to check it again. On my way home, I decided that I would pray about a healing for my eye fervently.  Needless to say, I prayed constantly that God would heal my eye because I didn’t want to lose my sight. When I went back, the eye doctor was amazed. He said that he had never seen that kind of bleeding heal all by itself. There wasn’t a sign that any problem was there at all. I rejoiced on the way home that God had heard my prayer and healed me.

    Now, some of you may be sitting there and saying, “But God did not answer my prayer for healing.” I cannot explain why some people are healed and others are not. But I do know that if you are a Christian no matter if you are healed or not, you are in God’s hands. Even Paul had “thorn” that God would not take away, but Paul said that God told him,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9 NIV).  You can be a witness to others by trusting God when you are seeking a miracle. You can be a light to others who need to know that God is giving you the strength to handle whatever comes your way.

   If you are seeking a miracle, pray and have faith and leave it in God’s hands. If a miracle has happened to you, then witness to others about what a great God we have.

Dear Lord,

My life is in your hands. Help me to believe you can do anything. Help me trust you with my life, knowing you will be with me through any crisis that happens to me. Give me faith to believe that all things are possible through you.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

A Miraculous Change by Ann Broughton

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV).

    Jesus arose from the dead! The angel declared, “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” (Mark 16:6 NIV). Jesus had told his disciples about eternal life. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14 NIV). It is this fact that brings hope to all Christians regarding eternal life. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed---in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed”(1 Cor. 15:51-52 NIV).

     When I think about this miraculous change, I am reminded about how the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. I just watched a show on television about the metamorphosis of a butterfly and was amazed. The person describing the process said that after the caterpillar spins the cocoon, its body changes into a goo like substance. Somehow this goo comes together and forms the butterfly. Isn’t that so amazing? How can anybody say there is no God after witnessing such a miraculous thing? From goo, out comes a beautiful butterfly with perfect markings on each side of its wings. A new creation!!!!

    Just like this butterfly, those who are Christians will be changed. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21 NIV). What a wonderful thing awaits us in Heaven!!!  We will be changed.

    Hold on to that hope and tell others about Jesus’ love for them. He bore our sins on that cross and died a cruel death so that we can be forgiven and have eternal life. We must tell others this good news, just like Jesus’ disciples did after Pentecost.

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for sending your son to be the sacrifice for our sins. Help us to share with others about your love for them so that they will have eternal life someday.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen