Category Archives: Attitudes & Behavior

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October 13, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Peace of God, Prayer

THE PRAYOMETER

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. [Colossians 4:2 (NIV)]

I recently received a FitBit: a digital pedometer that syncs with my phone and computer. It keeps track of my steps, mileage, calories burned, and “active minutes.” During the day, I get encouraging texts and a little face on my device has a big grin once I attain my goal of 10,000 steps. Like the “Map My Walk” app, it doesn’t allow me to fool myself; it keeps an accurate record of my activity. I thought I was active, but my FitBit made it clear I sit a lot more than I thought I did! No matter how busy I am throughout the day, unless I set aside specific time for a walk, I usually don’t manage to achieve my goal. Time needs to be set aside for more than just exercise; it also needs to be set aside for prayer!

A few years ago our pastor challenged the congregation to spend ten uninterrupted minutes in prayer every day for the following week. The first morning, finding myself continually looking up at the clock, I set the kitchen timer for ten minutes and started praying, planning on stopping when the timer rang. I was amazed that I ran out of time long before I ran out of prayer! When the week was up, I stopped setting the timer but continued the practice. As time has passed, however, sorry to say, I’ve become less consistent about the time I spend in active prayer.

Perhaps there’s a need for another kind of monitoring device: a FitBit for prayer. This “prayometer” would keep track of the actual “active minutes” spent in communion with God. I think we’d all find that, unless we set aside a specific block of time for Him, we won’t spend nearly enough time in prayer during the rest of the day. Just as a successful business often starts with a staff meeting, it’s a wise practice to start our day in a staff meeting with God. I can’t promise you a smiley face or an encouraging text on your phone, but I think you’ll find that ten to twenty minutes (or more) spent in prayer each morning are a small price to pay for the clarity, perspective and peace comes from it.

Do not have your concert first and tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with God. [James Hudson Taylor (English missionary)]

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. [James 5:16b (NIV)]

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October 8, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Salvation: A New You, Today: Make it Count

THROW OFF THE OLD

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. [Philippians 3:7-9a (NLT)]

I’ve been cleaning closets and cupboards and am amazed at the amount of useless stuff I’ve accumulated through the years. To some extent, we all have difficulty with emptying out possessions that clutter our homes. Old things are often tied to memories. We may be afraid that when we let go of these assorted mementoes and souvenirs that we will lose the memories as well. We cling to reminders of where we’ve been, what we looked like, or what we once were able to do.

Just as many people cannot clear the clutter from their homes, many of us cannot clear the clutter from our spiritual lives. We often find it difficult to rid ourselves of old attitudes, beliefs, habits, and even associations that are keeping us from a relationship with God. Having grown comfortable in the debris of our lives, we may hold on to resentment, prejudice, curse words or bad attitudes. We may even want to retain unhealthy, even toxic, relationships. It isn’t easy to get rid of things we’ve had for so many years; they’ve become a part of us. If we refuse to give up yesterday, however, we deny ourselves the wisdom and gifts of today. Moreover, when we cling to the clutter of our past, we are unable to face the future and receive its blessings. If our spirit is going to be renewed, we need to discard our former way of life.

Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. [Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT)]

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September 26, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works, Obedience

LOVE RULES

Greet each other with Christian love. [1 Peter 5:14 (NLT)]

Live in complete harmony with each other … accept each other … teach each other. [Romans 15:5,7,14 (NLT)]

So encourage each other and build each other up … Show them great respect and wholehearted love … live peacefully with each other … always try to do good to each other and to all people. [1 Thessalonians 5:11,13,15 (NLT)]

Pray for each other. [James 5:16 (NLT)]

Take an interest in others. [Philippians 2:4 (NLT)]

You must help one another every day. [Hebrews 3:13 (GNT)]

Serve one another in love … Let us not…provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. [Galatians 5:13,26 (NLT)]        

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. [Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)]

Take delight in honoring each other … Live in harmony with each other [Romans 12:10,16 (NLT)]

Don’t grumble about each other. [James 5:9 (NLT)] 

The Bible makes it clear that love is more than a warm fuzzy feeling; it requires effort and action. We can’t simply say we love; we must do it. It is a tall order to welcome, accept, encourage, respect, live peacefully and in harmony, pray for, be interested in, help, serve, be kind and forgiving, and honor one another. It is even more difficult for some of us to refrain from complaint, deceit, temptation, conceit, anger, provocation and jealousy. But, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can and must do it!

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. [1 John 3:18 (NLT)]

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September 21, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Joy, Peace of God

MY DAY OF REST

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. [Genesis 2:2-3 (NLT)]

You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. [Exodus 20:9a (NLT)]

The words “frazzled”, “rushed”, and “stressed” have been creeping into my vocabulary all too frequently. “Busy” seemed to be a recurring theme in my recent writing and “rest” seemed to be a recurrent theme in my daily Bible reading and prayers. Could God be telling me something? Today’s Bible study took me to the above verses from Genesis and Exodus. I don’t think God could have made it much clearer than that! Even He took a day of rest after a busy week and, from now on, I will too. My messages will continue to be posted, but only six days a week. Sundays will be my day of rest and restoration.

Today, be sure to enjoy your day of rest. Listen to your pastor’s message; worship with joy and thanksgiving. Read the Bible. Write your own prayer or meditation. Take a break; God did! Spend the day in prayer, love, and laughter and, above all, rest quietly in God’s loving arms.

Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less. [Charles Spurgeon]

Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. [Psalm 116:7 (NLT)]

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September 19, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Holy Spirit, Love & Works, Salvation: A New You

BUSTED!

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? [James 2:14 (NLT)]

While enjoying lunch with a group of church women, the person across from me asked if I could deliver “Meals on Wheels” the following week. Knowing how busy my life has been of late, I reluctantly looked at my calendar, secretly hoping every day was booked between 11 and 2. Monday through Thursday were, but Friday was open. I wanted to say, “I’m sorry, but it just won’t work!” I was sorely tempted to do so until the Holy Spirit pointed out the irony of the situation. You see, I’d just finished writing yesterday’s message about sharing God’s love and compassion and there I was: unwilling to share even a few hours. Rather hypocritical, to say the least! Yes, I was busy, but if I had time for a “Boot Camp” class that Friday morning, I could certainly find time to deliver some meals in the afternoon. Granted, I had lots to do but so did the “Meals on Wheels” chairperson. She has a family with youngsters still at home yet, for twenty years, she’s spent countless hours lining up drivers and delivering food to shut-ins! We’re all busy, but God is never too busy when we call on Him. After that rebuke from the Holy Spirit, I cheerfully said I’d do it.

We “Christians” can be the worst hypocrites of all. We may say all of the right things, but often don’t live them. We preach forgiveness, but hold grudges. We speak of generosity, but only give our leftovers to God and those in need. We say we love, but hold prejudices. We say “judge not” but act as judge and jury when it comes to the behavior of others. We say we pray, but frequently don’t; we say we trust God, but let fear and despair lead us; and we say we read the Bible, but rarely do. Being a Christian, however, is not just talking like Christ; it is being like Him!

Father, forgive us when it’s only our words that are “Christian” and not our behavior. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, point out the errors of our ways, and transform our lives so that we carry the message of Christ in all we say and do.

Why is it that a community that talks so much about supernatural transformation shows so little of that transformation? We will have to be men and women who embody the message that we are preaching, whose lives are faithful to the claims we are making. [Ravi Zacharias]

If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. [1 John 2:4-6 (NLT)]

 

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September 17, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Salvation: A New You

FORGET THE BOTOX!

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory. [Psalm 149:4 (AMP)]

Forget the facials, Botox, facelifts and tummy tucks; forget the trips to the gym, spa, and beauty salon. This news could put the personal trainers, plastic surgeons, barbers, beauticians and aestheticians out of business! The work God can do on us sounds like the best make-over ever. Anyone for a trip to God’s spa?

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [Romans 12:2 (NLT)]