Caring for the Least of These

Human nature tells us to look at a situation and ask, “what is in it for me?” Yet, we as believers are to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord. We are called to care for “the least of these” whenever the need arises. Whatever we don’t do, is ignoring Jesus in His need. We are called to be generous to whomever God puts before us. And not just to those we care for, or those who can provide a benefit for us.

Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

40 "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.'

Where the Tire Meets the Road

When shopping for tires you have the option for the good, the better, or the best tires to purchase. Most would like to purchase the best, but the cost usually plays a big factor in which tire one buys. Our Christian walk is much like that of deciding which tires to purchase. There is a cost to following Christ, and we are told to count the cost. The more we are able to give to Christ, the greater the value of our relationship with our Lord.

Luke 14:26-28 (NIV)

26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.

27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?

Mark 8:36 (NIV)

36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Hope

Faith, hope and love; These three shall remain. When we find ourselves in times of trouble, hope is the encouragement that we need to rely on. Hope comes with words such as, shall and will. Take time to read this passage that was spoken just after words of coming destruction.

Micah 4:1-5 CSB

[1] … In the last days the mountain of the LORD ’s house will be established at the top of the mountains and will be raised above the hills. Peoples will stream to it, [2] and many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so we may walk in his paths." For instruction will go out of Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. [3] He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. [4] But each person will sit under his grapevine and under his fig tree with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Armies has spoken. [5] Though all the peoples each walk in the name of their gods, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever. …

Every Member a Minister

To whom does God want us to minister? I have given you two passages that speak to this question. Look at where he uses the pronoun - my. When we say they are not my people, let someone else minister to them, we are missing the charge.

Matthew 25:35-40 (ESV)

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

John 21:15-17 (ESV)

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

God show us who your sheep are and how to minister to them.

Everyone will know!

What drives your actions? If you are like me, often what drives my actions is my selfishness. When I point out how others mistreat me, when I want recognition, or when I think I deserve better than others, i need to stop and self reflect. Yes, our actions reveal who we really are and who we truly love. Too many times sin creeps in and destroys our testimony by taking our focus away from our Heavenly Father.

Lord, may my actions be driven by my love for you and not my selfish desires. May my love for You bring glory and honor to you.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

[20] I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

John 13:35 CSB

[35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

When Life Doesn’t seem to be going your way

We should “in everything give thanks”. One day a few years ago I was traveling on one of the freeways headed to pray with a family whose loved one was facing a serious operation. All of a sudden, traffic came to a complete stop. After a few minutes, I asked God to please get the traffic moving again. After all, time was running out for me to meet with the family before the surgery. I was about God’s business after all. After 20 minutes, my conversation with God again continued as the traffic was at a standstill. God let me know that He could hear my prayers there on the freeway just as well as if I were in the hospital. I also need to pray for those that were the reason why the freeway was at a standstill. I realized that I need to be thankful that I was not the reason for the traffic delay. To my amazement, God had allowed one single flower to grow in the crack there on the center of the freeway for my enjoyment. Only one flower that I could see was enough for me to be thankful to a God who ordered my steps that day. As I sat in my car, I thanked God for His protection and His ever-presence.

1 Thess 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hostility - not a passive action

We need to follow all that God’s Word says. “Silence is golden” is not always the action to take. Yet, how often do we see other believers not taking a stand because they don’t want to offend others?  I want to encourage you to seek God’s direction and guidance when He wants you to take a stand. We should fear God more than others’ opinions.

You adulterous people!  Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.

All In

As a young child, I enjoyed riding the merry-go-round until some of the older kids got on making it go too fast. At that time, my stomach would encourage me to get off the merry-go-round really quickly. Sometimes my life seems to be spinning much too fast. I feel like I need to take a break or slow down. It’s during those days that God reminds me that serving Him is a 24/7 commitment. He will supply my strength and renew my spirit when I call on Him. Serving God is always worth the effort, even when we want to jump off the merry-go-round.

John 12:24-26 (ESV)

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.

Are Things Going Well?

When life seems like all is going well, are you right where God wants you? Yes, we like it when every light we encounter is green; however, our goal should not be to have a green light life but to be pleasing to God. We need to remember that our life is not our own. We are here to glorify God in all that we do. As we face Spiritual warfare, we will encounter rough times. When we face tough times, we need to be sure we are on the path that brings God glory.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

““Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”

Matthew 5:10-11 NIV

A challenge to be still

When I have a very busy day packed with challenges, I have a tendency to outrun God. Yes, many times I began to order my day even before the day begins. As I pause during my quiet time, sometimes I have a tendency to be the master of my agenda. Instead of inviting God to order every step of my day that the Lord has made. He has a plan for me, and I must ask Him to bless and guide me from morning until night, committing all my ways to Him. No more hurrying through a one-sided conversation. My challenge is to be still before the Lord and listen to Him.

Psalm 37:5-7 (ESV)

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

We Paid For Darkness

When we moved into our neighborhood, Karen asked the developer if he was going to put in streetlights. Yes, we were the second house in the neighborhood. His reply was that we paid extra for country living. Let me translate, He was saying that we had paid for darkness and he was not going to put in the lights. That is what happens when we walk in the darkness. Sin comes with a payment that we really don’t want to pay for.

Proverbs 2:13 (ESV)

13 who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

Zephaniah 1:17-18 (ESV)

17 I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the LORD. In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed; for a full and sudden end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

How would you grade yourself on preparing to worship on Sundays?

Amos 4:12-13 (NIV)

12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

13 He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth-- the LORD God Almighty is his name.

“Prepare to meet” in this passage caught my attention. Look how we prepare for the first day of school, a first date, the first day of work, our wedding day, and the list can go on and on. For all of those special days, we invest in preparation. We select the clothes to wear, may even lay them out the night before. Most of us arrive a little early, making sure we are not late. If we are to bring anything to that event we make sure we are well prepared.

So, I ask, how prepared are you to spend time with our Lord?

1 Chronicles 16:23-31 (NIV)

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.

28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength,

29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

Jeremiah 20:13 (NIV)

13 Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

God is Good!

How many times have you looked at the day, thinking that it is not going to be such a good day?  Maybe a hurricane is about to blow through.  It could be that you find yourself not doing what is right.  Sin separates from a Holy God.  From your perspective, it seems to be a day you would just as soon pass by you.  Yet, we know that this and every day that we have is created by and for God.  He stays constant.  He is a good, good God.  Yes, He tells us that we will face trials and persecution.  We are not perfect, we are sinners.  We need to remember that He has chosen us for His good purpose.  We are made righteous by what Christ has done for us.  So, rejoice in that this is the day the Lord has made.  Keep your eyes focused on Him.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 

1 Chronicles 16:34

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:13

What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?

I am surrounded by some very talented friends. I am constantly amazed at their abilities and talents. But, the question is, “What do you want to be remembered for?’ I found it interesting that Jesus would give a new commandment to His followers at the conclusion of His earthly ministry. Recall the first and greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart.

The Greatest Commandment

…36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment.…

Then, the new commandment the gave is what I think that He wants us to incorporate with the first. These are what I believe we need to focus on above all else. What do you want to be remembered for?

John 13:34-35 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Okra

A good friend offered for me to stop by his place and pick some okra. When I stopped by, I was surprised at the size of it. Most were almost a foot long. Some were fairly straight while many were curved. It did not take long to fill my bag with the large okra. I left the little okra on the plants. It was only when I had a couple of the ladies from our church kitchen crew help me longer the okra, the tougher and poor tasting the okra. We had to throw out the entire bag of okra that I picked. I learned that you should pick the okra before it reaches about 5 inches if you want tasty okra. Yes, I went back and harvested those shorter ones that I had left behind.

God’s timing is the best. We need to move and act on his timing for the betterment of our lives. What is God telling you it is time to do? Don’t delay, you might be in for tough times if you do.

Psalm 31:15 (ESV)

15 My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

At the right time, God will provide your need. At the right time, God will deliver you. At the right time, God will rescue you.

At God’s time!

P.S. the okra was great, just as God’s timing.

What do I say?

One of our dear ladies wanted to call a friend in need, but she did not know what to say. Have you ever been in that situation? My advice was to read an uplifting Psalm to the one she wanted to call and then ask how she might pray for her friend. God’s Word never returns void.

Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Integrity

Elisha told the Israelites that within 24 hours the people would have all the grain they could eat, and the price would drop to the old price. If Elisha were not a man of integrity, who would believe him? A white lie is known as a little lie that will not hurt anyone. Yet, there is no such thing as a lie that does not hurt anyone. One way we earn our reputation and the trust of others is by our words.

Proverbs 10:9 ESV

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Proverbs 12:22 ESV

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

It Is a No Brainer

Have you heard someone make the statement, “It is a no brainer.” Maybe you like me have made that statement. What process do you go though when making a decision? If you are like me, many times it depends on the decision that I am looking to make. My knowledge of the subject or maybe my past experiences may be my guidance. Yet, when remember that God’s ways are not our ways, they are greater and higher than ours; we should seek His direction on every decision.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Ps 32:8

21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Is 30:21

Fishing Guide

I have a friend who is a fishing guide. There are things that cause the fish to move from place to place, they don’t stay in the same place all the time. Knowing where the fish are and what they like to eat makes him a great fishing guide. If you were to allow him to take you fishing, more than likely you will come home with a great catch. We are blessed to have a Lord who is not hard to find. In fact, He tells us that He will never leave us. Even with Him here with us, we are told to seek him. Our problem is that we take our eyes off of Him, we get lost. When we let Him take us through the day, we will be blessed.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

Odds Stacked Against You

How do you feel when it appears that the odds are stacked against you? Most people want a fair or even playing field. If we find that we have an advantage, we don’t complain. Yet, God loves working when the odds are against Him. There is no room for doubt of His power when He overcomes great odds. When we find the odds stacked against us, look with great anticipation what God will do. Recall when Elijah was instructed to pour all the water on the altar. Let God start a fire in the midst of your flood.

“Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood” 1 Kings 18:33