People Watching

If you are a parent, a big brother, or a big sister, someone may have told you to be aware of what you do because your children or your siblings may be paying attention to your actions and your behavior which may ultimately influence them. But the bible teaches us that this truth can go beyond our households and spill into our daily lives. So the saying is true, we should all be aware of our actions because others may be watching. They may not be watching in the hope of seeing you fall and make a mistake. But they may know that you are a believer and are watching to see how you handle yourself in certain situations. They may be watching because they want to emulate your behavior. While reading Acts one day, I was struck by this simple verse in chapter 16. In verse 25 and it says:

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."

Paul and Silas were not singing to the other prisoners. The bible tells us that they were singing to God. They were doing exactly what they would’ve been doing whether others were listening or not. In this case, I believe the prisoners benefitted by seeing their dedication to God. Later when the prison shook, the doors flew open, and the chains fell off, they knew that it had something to do with Paul and Silas. They knew that it had something to do with their heart and their behavior. Just like Paul and Silas, there are likely people watching you. So, I encourage you to let your life and behavior be reflective of one serving God, that when others see you, they may ultimately see God.

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Whether people are watching your behavior or not, I believe that we should be conscious of the potential. I’ve heard it said that we should always share Jesus with people, and when necessary use words. I think the sentiment behind this is spot on. Our lives should reflect Jesus. Michael W. Smith wrote a song called, “Live the life”. The chorus says “for the world to know the truth, there can be no greater proof than to live the life.” And if we do, God may open doors for us to later use words in sharing him with others.

Be Blessed

It is my continual hope and prayer that God blesses you. There is no greater blessing than one that comes from God. But if you desire to be blessed, you don’t need me to hope and pray that you are, you can be a part of that process yourself. A woman from the bible found that out when she was trying to pay Jesus a compliment one day. In Luke chapter 11, verses 27-28 it says:

"As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, 'Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.' He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'"

So, as you can see, being blessed is within each of our own power. Jesus says, “blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it”. The bible often times encourages us to not only be hearers of the word, but doers of the word. So I too encourage you to learn what the bible says and obey it. In doing so Jesus tells us that we will be blessed. And that is an added benefit that I hadn’t previously considered.

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The Oxford dictionary says that to bless is to “confer or invoke divine favor upon”. Do you want God’s divine favor, or for him to look favorably upon you? I know, that’s a really stupid question. Of course you do. Every believer does. The bible continually tells us to do what it is saying, not just to know what it says. Some things in the bible seem impossible to do, and they are - if we try to do them on our own. That is one reason Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit. Without him we can do nothing, but with him, all things are possible, even doing what the bible tells us to do. So, I encourage you to be doers of the word. I encourage you to be blessed.

Please God

Did you know that there are ways in which you and I can please God? Have you ever even thought about pleasing God? Whether you have or not, give it some thought right now. What do you think pleases God? Sure, there is faith. Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Loving others? That is a good one too. First John tells us that whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. And what about obedience? Well, Acts chapter 13 verse 22 reveals God’s thoughts about David’s obedience. It says:

"He testifies concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’"

Wouldn’t that be awesome if God were to say that about you and me? I’m sure every believer wants to be known as a man or woman after God’s heart. I would agree that this is certainly a way we can please God. In this verse David’s obedience pleased God. God said that David is a man who would do everything he wanted him to do. I challenge you to find out what pleases God and pursue those things. The bible is full of examples. And just as we try to please those we love on this earth, it is even more important that we find ways to please our Lord and Savior who died for us so that we might live.

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When you were a child, or if you still are, did you find yourself looking for ways to make your mother or father proud of you? I know I did. And that is the same heart we should have towards our heavenly father. We should look for ways to please him. We should be people after God’s own heart. I know it is tough to do. Everything about our world and our fleshly nature tries to get our attention off of God. But we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will help us get right back in line with him. I challenge you - read God’s word, find out what pleases him and pursue those things.

Yearning Heart

If you’ve ever truly been in love, you might attest to the pain of being away from your significant other, even if it is for a short time. Your desire to reunite with them may be so great that your heart yearns within you. Is your relationship with Jesus close enough for you to yearn for him? Does your heart jump when thinking about seeing him one day face to face? It did for Job. Check out chapter 19, verses 25-27 which says:

"I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"

Yes, this is from Job in the midst of losing everything he owned including his children and being heavily afflicted in his body with disease. Even after this his heart still yearned for God. How is your heart towards him? Every one of us, one day, will die. If you believe in Jesus you will spend eternity with him in heaven. I encourage you to stir your heart for him now, before you meet him face to face. Love him now, live for him now, press into him now so that your heart will yearn for him now. Let our love for him be so strong that he consumes our minds. After all, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. Let’s get to that place now.

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The Oxford dictionary says that to yearn means to have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or been separated from. “to have an intense feeling of longing”. How is your relationship with Jesus? Does your heart yearn to see him face to face? I encourage you to give full attention to your relationship with Jesus. It is my hope that every believer, including myself, arrive at a place of intense feelings of love and longing for our Lord - so much so that our hearts yearn within us.

All Granted Life

Are there things or people in your life that you highly value, but every so often you find yourself taking them for granted? It is human nature to grow so comfortable with someone or something being in our life that we don’t consider what life would be like without them. If we did, we probably wouldn’t take them for granted anymore. We’d once again cling to them and value them like we did at first. If you are a believer do you take your salvation for granted? If you do, it might help to remember that salvation hadn’t always been open to all of us Gentiles. Peter learned God’s heart on the matter in Acts, chapter 11 verse 18 which says: 

"When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.'”

This comes after Peter tells the others about a vision he had from God. Ultimately, he learned that God wanted him to go to a Gentile’s house and share about Jesus. As a result, the whole household was saved and received the Holy Spirit. As far as your salvation is concerned, I encourage you to never let the truth of it lose any of its importance in your life. The gift of salvation means everything. We should never find ourselves taking it for granted.

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In God’s amazing grace, he opened the door so that all can have eternal life with him. Of course, not all will, but certainly all are welcome. Whether you’re a Jew, Gentile, or Samaritan - it doesn’t matter. Knowing this, we should be on our knees every day thanking God for this gift. He doesn’t require that of us, but hopefully, you’ll never find yourself feeling apathetic to this gift. Because there was a time when the door wasn’t open to everyone. And there was a time when you weren’t saved. If you are one who has never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, I encourage you to do it today. It is the most important decision you’ll ever make. If you have questions on the matter feel free to email me at writecmv@hotmail.com.