A Life Ablaze

How Rich Are You?

2008-07-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Are You Busy?

2008-07-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Have you looked in the book of James lately? Man it is filled with good stuff.

James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.

What a frustration it is to see so many people who come to worship service on Sunday and sit in the pew and listen. Then watch them walk out of the building to quickly forget what they just heard. It makes me wonder why they even bother to assemble. If they studied the Bible they would know that their attendance does them no good. In fact it is a lukewarm faith that God hates, Rev 3:16. It is a destructive and insidious faith. It infects those around it with the same apathy. It tears down ambition and sinks Godly excitement.

Boy have I been on both sides of this verse. It is something I have to constantly work on. But I often try to remind myself that when I am spiritually lazy, it’s not just me that suffers. My husband, my son, my friends and all those around me are infected as well.

I’m definitely at my sharpest when I practice James 1:25.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but and effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

When I am studying His word, I’m more apt to be an effectual doer. And busy people have less time to become apathetic. And we’re more likely to incite others to good works instead of dragging them down to apathy.

1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Peace

2008-07-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

So How Do You Like Them Apples

2008-06-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 25:11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in baskets of silver.

Everyday thousands of words come rolling out of our mouths. Some roll smooth as butter and some fly out like rocks from a sling-shot. How often do we actually think about what words might be the most fitting for the occasion?

Have you ever spoken to someone that seems to know just what to say? I’m convinced that they didn’t get to that point by shear happenstance. I believe that speaking words that fit the circumstances around us takes practice. I can see how I’ve gotten better at this over the years; however it’s not been easy and I’m not done learning and I’m not great at it, but I am better. I am naturally one that likes to just ignore situations. But that part of my personality is of no benefit to me or anyone around me. So I started complimenting people more. Not insincere compliments, but real ones. If I thought someone looked nice, I told them. If I thought someone did a great job, I told them. I started to let those good and positive thoughts escape my mouth. Guess what? It’s fulfilling. To see someone’s face light up is a real joy. And after you encourage like that for a while, it becomes second nature. So I started with simple encouragement. Then the tough stuff came. I started to try to comfort. This is a real hard one, but it is so important. Sometimes you just don’t know what to say. So I just said that. “I don’t know what to say.” Who would have thought that just speaking that truth would be comforting, but it was. Sometimes all that needs to be said is, “I love you and I’m hear for you.”

But putting these words into action takes thought. A friend of mine once made a comment about this subject and he said to always remember T-N-T. Dynamite is a very powerful thing. It can be damaging or it can be useful. It’s all in the application. The acronym TNT stands for Timely, Nice and True.

Timely : Speak up in the moment. Don’t hesitate to tell someone how great they are. Also, you don’t always have to make a comment or share your opinion if the time is not right.

Nice : Make your words pleasant. Some things are hard to hear, but when you speak in love and sincerity the words are much more easily digested.

True : Speak truth. Don’t say things you don’t mean or have no intention of doing. No one wants to hear empty words.

The trick is to pick good words and say them at the right time. You won’t ever be perfect at this, but with lifelong practice you will be more likely to deliver a beautiful silver basket of golden delicious apples instead of a shoe box filled with sour grapes.

Life Is a Gift

2008-06-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

I took this from an email I received:

Once upon a time, there was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her kind boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told him, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'

The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine."

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.

Life Is a Gift

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

2008-06-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

It's 5:45 p.m. The company you invited for dinner will be here any minute. You rush around, doing last minute things, when suddenly you see a spot you missed on the floor. Oh No! You grab a rag, "spot mop" it, and all because..."what will they think of me?"

Does this scenario sound familiar? I hope I'm not the only one who does this. We recently had a party with guests from the neighborhood, some of which had never been in my house. The standard of cleaning excellence was raised quite high in my mind--I felt like the yard needed to be perfectly mowed, we needed pretty flowers, and I cleaned house in some pretty obscure places! All this because I was concerned that they think the best possible thoughts about me and my family.

God gave us some food for thought in this area in I Samuel 16:7, when Samuel was trying to choose one of David's good-looking brothers as king:

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

If we are to be Christlike, we have to think like God thinks. It is impossible for us to have the mind of an omniscient God, but being made in the image of God, we can think in a way that is like Him.

God looks at the heart. He doesn't care if the floor has a spot. He is concerned about black spots in your heart, caused by worldly or evil thoughts. In a similar way, we can be unconcerned about keeping up appearances, and be concerned about showing the love of Christ to our neighbors. Do we know more about the cars they drive and the mower they own, than whether they have problems you could help with or pray about?

Let's work together as friends to combat these attitudes among ourselves. If you see me worrying too much about appearances, please let me know! Let's find others who need our attention, and work on helping them, instead of focusing on ourselves. Then we will see that we are thinking like God, and that many of the things we thought were so important, really are not.

-- Sarah Bruce, author

Love

2008-06-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

OOHHHHHMMMMM!

2008-05-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

In the past, when I heard the word meditation I would picture a bald man in a sarong with his legs crossed, fingertips touching and a strange hum coming from his throat. It held a meaning of detaching from this world and floating around the cosmos.

Of course I was very wrong in my view on meditation.

Meditation can be defined as continuous and profound contemplation or focused attention. God calls us to be people that meditate and he states that we will be blessed when we meditate on His word and all the wonderful things he has given us.

Psalm 1:1-4
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

The trick is to meditate on good things. If we are constantly putting into our minds evil things, depressing thoughts, negative images, spiteful words, critical comments, or ugly pictures then we will miss out.

Luke 6:45
45"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

And the people around us will be missing out as well. Think of all the casualties around us when we share our evil treasure. But if we can learn to meditate on the good things, think of the great treasure we can share with those around us. The more I meditate the more I am convinced that if we live this life with the good treasure overflowing, the more influential we are to the lost. But unfortunately the opposite is also true. The more negative junk we let out, the greater the damage we do to the image of Christ. And it's not just negative words but a negative way of being. I think of those kinds of people as toxic. I just feel ill when I am around them. That is a good test to see if you should expose yourself to the constant influence of such a person. How do they make you feel? Do they make you want to be better or do they make you want to just jump off of a cliff?

So what kinds of things beside God's law can we meditate on?

Phillipians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

So a good place to start is a few minutes a day thinking on lovely things and developing that "attitude of gratitude" as you do. As you deeply study your Bible and place those truths in your heart you are filling the tank. Little chunks at a time and before you know it, you are happier more productive, more content and a whole lot more fun to be around. But most importantly you are a more accurate image of what a Christian should be.

Precious

2008-05-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

I ripped-off this post from an email Llabetta sent me. I think you will enjoy it. And yes Nancy, I heard you last night when you said that stealing was wrong. I'll do better next time.

A nurse on the pediatric ward, before listening to the little ones chests, would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own hearts. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response equal to four-year old David's comment.

Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disk over his heart. 'Listen', she said... 'What do you suppose that is?'

He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap - tap - tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked,

'Is that Jesus knocking?'

What Inspires You?

2008-05-19T19:37:00.001-07:00

So what inspires you? Might it be a movie, a book or beautiful music? Could it be a friend, a child or a dramatic sunset?

As different as each of us are, there are countless things that could inspire us. However I think we all can agree on the inspiration that scripture can give us.

Psalm 89:5-12

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,
7 God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones,
and awesome above all who are around him?
8 O LORD God of hosts,
who is mighty as you are, O LORD,
with your faithfulness all around you?
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
when its waves rise, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours;
the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12 The north and the south, you have created them;

There are some beautiful word pictures in there. Can you calm the raging sea? Can you create something as expansive as the north and the south?

Romans 8:31-37

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God,who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Read the next paragraph slowly and really think about it.

No one and no thing can separate us from Christ's love. Christ, who is sitting at the right hand of God, will not stop loving us through all the ups and downs. Can you believe that? Christ is sitting next to God. God who founded the world and all that's in it. Christ is sitting next to God and talking to God about us. He is talking to God about you and me.

No wonder we can be more than conquerors over all the difficult stuff of life. We have a personal friend, a brother, a Saviour that loves us and is talking to The Creator Himself on our behalf.

Wow! Now that is inspirational!

What scripture inspires you and why? Post a comment to let us know.

-Bev