Sunday, April 15, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Our hypocritical nature
Matthew 7:1-5
Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you alook at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite,
first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
We are all guilty.
When we notice a weakness in someone it is human nature to feel elevated or superior, because we may think we are free from their handicap or shortcoming.
We may be.
If so it is only by the grace of God.
Or maybe we are blinded by the log in our own eye. If this is the case then we must take heed to Jesus' warning in these scriptures. Matthew 7:1-5
Maybe we have the same weakness but in different areas.
Maybe we only notice it in others because it is in us...
Maybe we notice so we know how to pray for the person.
Maybe we are more guilty than the one we see it in.
Only God knows fully.
Either way noticing is not in vain, there can be redemptive purpose. Ask God to show you how to handle it. Pray for the person and yourself.
Think about it ----
If it were not for the Grace of God you could have been............
You fill in the blank.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Don't Despise the Day of Small Things by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
This study was an on time Word for me. I hope you enjoy.
I remember the excitement in my boyhood neighborhood when somebody began to build a large home on a vacant lot at the end of our street. A concrete truck rolled up to pour foundations, and for several days we could hear the sound of vigorous pounding as carpenters framed the walls. Then everybody left. I never knew why. Not another nail was pounded. The frame stood winter and summer--as long as I lived there--a house of sticks and little more.
Some of God's projects stall, too. Five centuries before Jesus was born, the Israelites returned from exile to find Jerusalem in ruins and their beloved temple destroyed. With great enthusiasm they set about rebuilding it. However, Zerubbabel the governor, got little farther than laying the foundation before opposition set in. Neighbors fought the project tooth and nail, finally succeeding in getting a restraining order to halt construction (Ezra 4). Enemies mocked. Supporters became discouraged. For years the site stood silent.
Failure. Zerubbabel felt like a failure. Oh, there were plenty of other things to do. Zerubbabel set to work building his own wood-paneled home. But his grand dream had fizzled.
He was probably like the rest of us when failure looms. What little self-confidence we have ebbs away. We seal ourselves from more pain by denial. We meet further effort with skepticism. We protect ourselves from getting our hopes too high again. We look at the ground rather than the sky, at the past rather than the future.
And then one day a man of God, Zechariah, began to speak words that pierced Zerubbabel to the heart and filled him with fresh hope: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel," came the message. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." Zerubbabel could feel his heart pounding as the message continued. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple, his hands will also complete it" (Zechariah 4:6-7).
The project had seemed like an immovable mountain, Zerubbabel thought. But now with God at work he knew he could finish the temple.
The final words of the prophecy jolted him. "Do not despise the day of small things. Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel" (vs. 10).
He had despised that early start. How weak, how insignificant, how naive he had been. Yet, in spite of all that, God had been in those beginnings.
How often our efforts for God are attacked by the enemy. We can get so discouraged we don't even want to try again. But God delights in taking the insignificant and making something out of it. Down through history we can see the pattern:
Moses' rod that delivered a nation from Egypt (Exodus 4:1-9),
The jawbone of an ass that in Samson's hand killed a thousand Philistines (Judges 15:14-16),
Five smooth stones that felled the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17),
The handful of meal and a jar of oil that sustained a widow through years of famine (2 Kings 4:1-7),
Five barley loaves and a couple fish that fed a multitude (Matthew 14:13-21), and
The mustard seed Jesus said would become a great tree for birds to find shelter (Matthew 13:31-32).
What little thing, what dream, what false start, have you despised? Your small church, your tiny Bible study, your hopes of ministry for Christ? Do you despise your failures? Don't. Surrender them to the God who delights in taking human weakness and showing His strength. Take another look at your discarded dreams, this time through God's eyes:
"Not by might, not by power, but my Spirit says the Lord Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6). Oh, by the way. When I went back to my old neighborhood, someone had finished that house at the end of the street. It's beautiful.
I remember the excitement in my boyhood neighborhood when somebody began to build a large home on a vacant lot at the end of our street. A concrete truck rolled up to pour foundations, and for several days we could hear the sound of vigorous pounding as carpenters framed the walls. Then everybody left. I never knew why. Not another nail was pounded. The frame stood winter and summer--as long as I lived there--a house of sticks and little more.
Some of God's projects stall, too. Five centuries before Jesus was born, the Israelites returned from exile to find Jerusalem in ruins and their beloved temple destroyed. With great enthusiasm they set about rebuilding it. However, Zerubbabel the governor, got little farther than laying the foundation before opposition set in. Neighbors fought the project tooth and nail, finally succeeding in getting a restraining order to halt construction (Ezra 4). Enemies mocked. Supporters became discouraged. For years the site stood silent.
Failure. Zerubbabel felt like a failure. Oh, there were plenty of other things to do. Zerubbabel set to work building his own wood-paneled home. But his grand dream had fizzled.
He was probably like the rest of us when failure looms. What little self-confidence we have ebbs away. We seal ourselves from more pain by denial. We meet further effort with skepticism. We protect ourselves from getting our hopes too high again. We look at the ground rather than the sky, at the past rather than the future.
And then one day a man of God, Zechariah, began to speak words that pierced Zerubbabel to the heart and filled him with fresh hope: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel," came the message. "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty." Zerubbabel could feel his heart pounding as the message continued. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple, his hands will also complete it" (Zechariah 4:6-7).
The project had seemed like an immovable mountain, Zerubbabel thought. But now with God at work he knew he could finish the temple.
The final words of the prophecy jolted him. "Do not despise the day of small things. Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel" (vs. 10).
He had despised that early start. How weak, how insignificant, how naive he had been. Yet, in spite of all that, God had been in those beginnings.
How often our efforts for God are attacked by the enemy. We can get so discouraged we don't even want to try again. But God delights in taking the insignificant and making something out of it. Down through history we can see the pattern:
Moses' rod that delivered a nation from Egypt (Exodus 4:1-9),
The jawbone of an ass that in Samson's hand killed a thousand Philistines (Judges 15:14-16),
Five smooth stones that felled the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17),
The handful of meal and a jar of oil that sustained a widow through years of famine (2 Kings 4:1-7),
Five barley loaves and a couple fish that fed a multitude (Matthew 14:13-21), and
The mustard seed Jesus said would become a great tree for birds to find shelter (Matthew 13:31-32).
What little thing, what dream, what false start, have you despised? Your small church, your tiny Bible study, your hopes of ministry for Christ? Do you despise your failures? Don't. Surrender them to the God who delights in taking human weakness and showing His strength. Take another look at your discarded dreams, this time through God's eyes:
"Not by might, not by power, but my Spirit says the Lord Almighty" (Zechariah 4:6). Oh, by the way. When I went back to my old neighborhood, someone had finished that house at the end of the street. It's beautiful.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Upromise = Free money for college
If you shop online or anywhere that has a store discount card or a membership card chances are you are missing out on free money for college. Upromise - is a card that you swipe before you purchase groceries and other items at participating stores. Upromise sets up an account for you or who ever you appoint so that each time you shop and use the card something goes towards that account. Best of all it is free!!! check out the link below to learn more and sign up. You can put in your zip-code and Upromise will show the participating stores in your area.
Upromise has many other features and deals as well so take time to explore the site. If you go to the ways to earn tab you will get a quick overview...Good luck!
click this link
Upromise has many other features and deals as well so take time to explore the site. If you go to the ways to earn tab you will get a quick overview...Good luck!
click this link
The Basics of Couponing
Look for sales! Find the stores in your area that offer double coupons and will except competitor coupons. Then you want to get familiar with theses stores. Look for sales that are at least 40% off. Buy One Get One is a half off sale. BOGO is awesome! You get half off (or one free) plus you can use coupons for each item. As long as you are getting 40% or more off in a sale then couponing can be optimized.
Look for Coupons! There are three types of coupons. The three types of coupons you will need to look for are Manufactures, Store, and Competitors. Manufactures coupons are just like money to the store. The company that makes the product will pay the store for those coupons. Store coupons are coupons that each store puts out in addition to the sales they run. Competitor coupons are the ones that each stores competitors put out. For everything you buy from now on you will want to have at least 2 of the three. Believe it or not some stores like BILO will take all three!!! The best places to look for coupons are in the news paper, at each store you visit, and printable coupons like the ones just below near the bottom of the page.
Stack Your coupons! Stacking means you want to use as many coupons as you can per each item. If you find a 40% off or more sale at a store that doubles coupons and takes competitor coupons and you have store coupons along with manufacture coupons you have hit the jackpot. A more practical scenario is 40% off + double coupons + Store/competitor Coupons + manufactures coupons = some where between 50% and 90% off total purchase... How awesome! For further coupon info and up to date coupons follow me at www.mrcoupon.blogspot.com
Look for Coupons! There are three types of coupons. The three types of coupons you will need to look for are Manufactures, Store, and Competitors. Manufactures coupons are just like money to the store. The company that makes the product will pay the store for those coupons. Store coupons are coupons that each store puts out in addition to the sales they run. Competitor coupons are the ones that each stores competitors put out. For everything you buy from now on you will want to have at least 2 of the three. Believe it or not some stores like BILO will take all three!!! The best places to look for coupons are in the news paper, at each store you visit, and printable coupons like the ones just below near the bottom of the page.
Stack Your coupons! Stacking means you want to use as many coupons as you can per each item. If you find a 40% off or more sale at a store that doubles coupons and takes competitor coupons and you have store coupons along with manufacture coupons you have hit the jackpot. A more practical scenario is 40% off + double coupons + Store/competitor Coupons + manufactures coupons = some where between 50% and 90% off total purchase... How awesome! For further coupon info and up to date coupons follow me at www.mrcoupon.blogspot.com
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Living in the Future
I do not know about you, but I have been snagged by the snare of dreams. I am living in the future more so than today. My personal ambitions and the need to be successful can easily cloud every thought. This is not to mention the plan God has for me. I am coming to realize that today is the only day that counts. If we really trust God, do we really need a five year plan? Would we not end up in God’s best place if we surrendered each day to Him?
I have been paralyzed for to long. This “living in the future” or always dreaming about the future has cause me to become stagnate in my “today“. I may never have my future and I will never see my yesterday again. Today is what life is about. If we trust God for today we should not worry about tomorrow. Matthew 6:25 says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
This may seem easy or even like common sense to some. However,we all are guilty to some degree. Some may say worrying and dreaming are different. That may be the case sometimes, but if you really examine your heart you will see that vast majority of the time worry or anxiety is right there in the midst. When God gave the children of Israel manna from heaven, it was good for that day. When God kept Daniel safe in the loins den, or the 3 Hebrew boys safe from the fiery furnace, that was good for that day. Any other day could have had a completely different outcome.
The point is if we are meditating on our future more so than we are living our today, something is off. How is it we can be praying about our future, but run the kids off today? How can we go to church and have a good time in the Lord, but hate being with our family? How can we say we trust the Lord if we live in the fantasy of your future while ignoring the reality of today?
The answered is simple, we are side tracked by the American dream, personal ambitions, and our 5 and 10 year plans. Really what we are looking for is purpose. We need to know and want to know our purpose… Our purpose is the same, to know God and to do His will today!
Today is the day of Salvation! Not tomorrow. So lets stop dreaming about tomorrow and make the most of our today!
If we take our minds off ourselves and begin to focus on the Kingdom of God today, we could rock this world!!!
I have been paralyzed for to long. This “living in the future” or always dreaming about the future has cause me to become stagnate in my “today“. I may never have my future and I will never see my yesterday again. Today is what life is about. If we trust God for today we should not worry about tomorrow. Matthew 6:25 says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
This may seem easy or even like common sense to some. However,we all are guilty to some degree. Some may say worrying and dreaming are different. That may be the case sometimes, but if you really examine your heart you will see that vast majority of the time worry or anxiety is right there in the midst. When God gave the children of Israel manna from heaven, it was good for that day. When God kept Daniel safe in the loins den, or the 3 Hebrew boys safe from the fiery furnace, that was good for that day. Any other day could have had a completely different outcome.
The point is if we are meditating on our future more so than we are living our today, something is off. How is it we can be praying about our future, but run the kids off today? How can we go to church and have a good time in the Lord, but hate being with our family? How can we say we trust the Lord if we live in the fantasy of your future while ignoring the reality of today?
The answered is simple, we are side tracked by the American dream, personal ambitions, and our 5 and 10 year plans. Really what we are looking for is purpose. We need to know and want to know our purpose… Our purpose is the same, to know God and to do His will today!
Today is the day of Salvation! Not tomorrow. So lets stop dreaming about tomorrow and make the most of our today!
If we take our minds off ourselves and begin to focus on the Kingdom of God today, we could rock this world!!!
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