Author Archives: jsjdevotions

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October 29, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Joy, Love & Works

BUCKETS OF LOVE IN RETURN

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. [Luke 6:38 (NLT)]

Before posting yesterday’s message about Luther (“A Disciple of Christ”), I checked to make sure I could use both his name and picture.  In getting the answer, I learned more about him and, more important, more about love. Truly, what we sow will be harvested: the more love we give, the more we will receive!

Although he lived alone with no family near, Luther was never short of people who loved him. Members of our church, the people with whom Luther shared God’s love, became his family. When the Wednesday evening Bible study started doing “brown bag” dinners before class, the official purpose was to promote church fellowship; the real purpose was to have dinner with Luther! The churchwomen always made sure that he had a place to go for every holiday meal. When Luther came home after surgery several years ago, a church friend stayed with him for a week to help. Other church members brought in meals. I never even knew his last name, but I was so moved by Luther’s outpouring of love, that the last time I saw him, I gave him a photo/prayer book I’d written. “Jesus loves you and I do, too!” was written inside. In Luther’s present residence, he doesn’t have easy access to the internet, so another church member continues to send him CDs of all of the sermons. Moreover, his church family continues to keep him in their prayers. Luther’s motive in spreading God’s love had nothing to do with getting anything in return, but God’s love continues to pour down on him in buckets!

Love is demonstrably superior to money, not only on a sentimental plane, but even on a computable basis: The more money you give away, the less you have, but the more love you give away, the more comes back to you. (Sydney J. Harris)

There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. Friendship and fellowship are the legal tender among believers. [J. Vernon McGee]

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. [1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NLT)]

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October 25, 2014

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God's Promises, Joy, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You

HEAVENLY BLISS

10-25-14 heaven-cropreducedWEBNo one has ever seen this, and no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. [1 Corinthians 2:9 (NCV)]

I sat on a comfy sofa in a beautifully appointed store, eating delectable salted caramel gelato, looking at an exquisite display of Dutch chocolates, listening to soothing music and knowing I could finish up with a tasty truffle and a delicious coffee drink from the espresso bar. To my left was a desk for the spa located upstairs; a sign offered chair massages in the store. “This could be heaven,” I said as I relaxed into the cushions, “especially if they added some fruit, cheese and wine!”

I know, however, that heaven will be far better than comfortable seats, pleasant music, elegant surroundings, yummy gelato, scrumptious chocolates, mocha lattes, vintage wine, aged cheese, luscious fruit, and pampering with massages, pedicures, and facials. As delightful as it sounds to me, I think that would get incredibly boring in a short time. Heaven will be way beyond my wildest dreams because going there means having an eternal home with Almighty God. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, will be sitting at His right hand. Heaven will be a place of love, peace and joy and there will be nothing boring about that!

We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God. [Max Lucado]

Since you were raised from the dead with Christ, aim at what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. [Colossians 3:1 (NCV)]

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October 23, 2014

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Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Thanks & Praise

TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

See, I am sending an Angel before you to lead you safely to the land I have prepared for you. Reverence him and obey all of his instruction … he is my representative—he bears my name. [Exodus 23:20-21 (TLB)]

When watching Jeopardy or playing any trivia game, I’m amazed at how much I have forgotten and how quickly the names of the rich, famous, and scandalous have left my memory. Academy award winners, Nobel Prize recipients, United Nations Secretary-Generals, Supreme Court justices, tyrants and statesmen, inventors and sports stars, popes and politicians: you name them; I’ve probably forgotten their names. There are, however, certain people I will never forget: those who have acted as God’s angels in my life, some whose names I never even knew.

Thank you, Lord, for those people who have touched my life and made it better. Thank you for the healing touch, encouraging words, spirit lifting, helpful hands, listening ears, comforting arms, excellent examples, loving acceptance and wise advice offered by your emissaries. While I may forget the famous and infamous, I will never forget the “angels” you have sent into my life.

How then can evil overtake me or any plague come near? For he orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will steady you with their hands to keep you from stumbling against the rocks on the trail. [Psalm 91:10-12 (TLB)]

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October 22, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Holy Spirit, Love & Works

CUTTHROAT COMPETITION

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. [Romans 12:9-10 (NLT)]

Although I enjoy the various cooking competition shows such as “Chopped,” one Food Network program troubles me: “Cutthroat Kitchen”, with its phrase, “Sabotage is back in season!” Four competitors start with $25,000 each. During the various cooking challenges, they bid on ways to handicap their opponents, such as making them cook the assigned dish on an iron, removing all their knifes or bowls, or even taking away an essential ingredient, such as sugar when the task is brownies. The host chuckles with glee as the hampered chefs struggle to complete their cooking task in the allotted time. The bidding gets fiercer and more vengeful as the show goes on. The winner isn’t necessarily the best cook; it’s the one who is most devious and underhanded. The victor only gets to keep the money that remains after he or she has paid out thousands to destroy the other chefs’ chances; often it is a just pittance.

It’s just a television program and, admittedly, it’s interesting seeing how the cooks manage to rise to the challenges. Most of the time, however, they can’t overcome the hindrances. It’s disturbing that watching people take delight in limiting other individual’s opportunities in a contest (or life) is ever considered entertainment. Unfortunately, much of “reality” television is just that. Every time we find it amusing to watch someone get hurt or humiliated, our humanity erodes just a little. We may become more willing to sabotage others to win at all costs in our own lives. Our schools talk a lot about bullying; let’s be careful that we don’t ever find bullying entertaining lest we become bullies ourselves.

Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I follow your guide to life.

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. [Romans 12:17-18 (NLT)]

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October 20, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Temptation & Sin

POISON

10-20-14web2People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [James 3:7-9 (NLT)]

“Something is eating my flowers!” I said. Immediately, I got out the pesticide and started spraying with a vengeance, until I met the culprit! There he was, in his glorious bug beauty: a praying mantis! Coming face to face with my target, I just couldn’t continue to spread the poison. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him. After his initial shock, he left my garden quickly; if he was lucky, he lived to see another day in someone else’s garden.

Gossip is like that bug spray; while it is easy to spread and looks harmless, it is poison. Just as a few teaspoons of pesticide made the water toxic, a few poorly chosen words can turn an innocent conversation into gossip. Unlike the bug spray, gossip doesn’t come with a label that easily identifies it as such. How do we know when we’re harmlessly chatting and catching up or when we’re gossiping? An easy test is asking ourselves if we’d say those same words if we were face to face with the person about whom we’re speaking. There’s nothing like being eye to eye with our prey to stop us from spreading poison! Just as the praying mantis quickly fled from my pesticide, we also need to make a quick exit when someone is spreading poison (or gossip)!

The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble; the conversation of good people keeps them out of it. [Proverbs 12:13 (MSG)]

Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you really want junk like that in your belly? [Proverbs 18:8 (MSG)]

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October 16, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Joy, Today: Make it Count

OPEN THE PRESENT

Both day and night belong to you; you made the starlight and the sun. You set the boundaries of the earth, and you made both summer and winter. [Psalm 74:16-17 (NLT)]

Seasons come and seasons go and it seems as if we’re never satisfied with the season we’re in. In the fall, we can’t wait for December and the holidays, but by January we’re protesting the cold and wondering when spring will arrive. Spring finally appears; we complain about the rain, saying we can’t wait for summer’s sun. In the summer, it’s too hot and humid for us; we grumble about the garden work and wish for the cool of autumn. When autumn arrives, we gripe about the shortened days and piles of leaves and anxiously await the first snowfall. Of course, we complain the first time we shovel snow and the cycle starts again.

Life has seasons, too, and some of them, like the weather, are more pleasant than others. We can’t wait until we get out of college, only to miss the flexibility, fun and long holidays we enjoyed in school. When we’re poor newlyweds, we can’t wait until we’ve got great careers and a big house, only to discover how much stress goes along with high pressure jobs and large mortgages. When our children are babies, we can’t wait until they’re bigger and then, when they’re teens, we realize how nice those toddler years were!

Let’s not make the mistake in life’s seasons of dreaming so much about the rewards of the future that we miss the gifts of the here and now. We all probably know of someone who put off vacations and time with his family so he’d have a big “nest egg” in retirement, only to die or become incapacitated before ever having a chance to enjoy those golden years. Today is called “the present” for a reason; let’s be sure to enjoy every last minute of it.

9-20-14 presentWEBLord, sometimes we’re so anxious about getting to tomorrow that we miss the beautiful scenery of today. Help us find joy in our present circumstances, whatever they may be. Keep us from wishing away the pleasures of this season for another one that may not be any sunnier.

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. [Dale Carnegie]

One today is worth two tomorrows. [Benjamin Franklin]

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. [Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)]