Recently I was riding down Main Street on my way to work and smelled that awful smell of a garbage truck, even though none was in sight.  This got me thinking of the way the smell lingers long after the garbage truck has pulled away.

Life can be like that too.  Harsh words, abrupt answers, indifference, criticism; all these can leave behind a stench that affects others in a very negative way.  Maybe I’ve just had a bad day.  Does that give me the right to take it out on someone else?  Does that give me an open door to making someone else feel inferior?  Does what I say leave behind a smell that lingers long after I’ve left the room?

Jesus wants us to love one another.  The bible says that if I do not have love, even though I may have other good qualities, I am nothing!  Nothing!!  In fact, the bible says I am “only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”  Now there is some left-behind garbage!!

I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, shows us how to love others, shows us the importance of love above all other things.  “Love is patient, love is kind.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Lord, help us not to leave behind the smell of garbage in our lives, but instead help us to love others and leave behind a sweet smelling aroma!!  We know that this is pleasing to You and edifying to others.  Thank you Lord for loving us, even when we don’t deserve it!

God has been teaching me how to better deal with conflict, at home, at work, even while resting, and especially with difficult people.  I was reading an article by Lisa TerKeurst where she makes the statement, “Am I trying to prove or improve? In other words, is my desire in this conflict to prove that I am right or to improve the relationship at hand?”

Boy, that really puts it in perspective for me.  So often we are so concerned with the fact that we feel we are right, we lose sight of the value of the other person we find ourselves in conflict with.  I especially find it most difficult when I feel so certain that I really AM right and yet the other person remains unwilling to budge.  I have really had to work at leaning on the Holy Spirit to help me simply shut up!

I have learned that sometimes it is better to simply be quiet, let the subject rest and trust the Holy Spirit to move on the other person’s heart.  Along the way, however, I have often been surprised at the way He has moved on my own heart as well!!

God has taught me that I don’t always need to be right.  I don’t always need to strive to make my point known.  I don’t always need to speak.  Sometimes I just need to allow Him to move in my life situation and help me improve the relationship instead.

To God be the Glory!

How many times have you found yourself thinking, “Not again!  Why must I go through this again, Lord?  When will I finally learn this lesson?”

Isn’t it frustrating to find yourself facing the same battle you thought you won the last time it reared its ugly head?  Surely I’ve got this, THIS TIME!!  But then, it happens again.  You lose your temper.  You shout at your spouse or your child.  You spill that same glass the same way you spilled it the last time.  Didn’t I learn to move it out of the way yet?

Thank God He is patient with us.  Thank God He sees the bigger picture of our life.  Thank God that these things that continue to haunt us are really insignificant in light of eternity.  Thank God there is forgiveness, as many times as we need it.

Thank God!

Thoughts…we all have them…day in and day out, thousands of thoughts seem to run through our minds throughout our waking hours.  Where do they all come from?  Did you ever really think about that?

Thoughts of pleasure.  Thoughts of pain.  Thoughts of love.  Thoughts of hate.  Thoughts of peace.  Thoughts of turmoil.  Thoughts of fun.  Thoughts of boredom.  Thoughts of God.  Thoughts of the world.  So many, many thoughts.

Proverbs 34:7a says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”  Amplified Bible

I Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands (who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm), take heed lest he fall (into sin.)” Amplified Bible

God wants us to think pure, wholesome thoughts, but the devil wants to put impure, unwholesome thoughts into our mind instead.  The devil wants to have us dwell on his negative thoughts in order to make us ineffective for God.

But the Word of God says in Philippians 4:8, “…whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, think on and weigh and take account of these things (fix your mind on them).” Amplified Bible

It is through faith and a conscious choice to walk in that faith that we can allow God to purify our thoughts and help us throw out the thoughts that do not fit His list of what we should think on.

Trust Him today to enable you to walk in His thoughts, thinking only on those that are worthy and true, honorable and just, pure and lovely, virtuous and excellent.  Fix your mind on these thoughts, by faith in Jesus!

Which do you have? Relationship or Religion?

Do you go to church?  Do you read the bible?  Are you a member of a particular church?  Do you only attend church at a certain denomination because you think that is important in your walk with God?

I’d like to get you thinking about whether you have a relationship or simply religion.

Relationship; what is it?  Religion; what is it?  Do you know the difference?  Is there a difference?  Yes!  There is a BIG difference.

My first husband, before the Lord called him home in 1989, used to say, “All religion is man made.”  I always agreed with him on that.  Sometimes we get so hung up on a certain “religion” (which usually means a denomination of church) that we lose sight of the relationship we need with the Savior.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man comes to the Father but by Me.”  John 14:6 — This is key.  Because we are all by nature sinners, we need a savior to rescue us from our sins.  We can do nothing on our own that will pay the price God requires for our sins.  Only Jesus can do that, and He did on the cross!!

In the Old Testament, the Jews had to continually offer up sacrifices to God in order to be temporarily cleansed from their sins.  But it was just that, temporary.  They had to offer sacrifices again and again and again, that is until Jesus came, died on the cross and became the final sacrifice for all the sins of the world!

Jesus is the perfect man, perfect God, all wrapped up in one.  He came to earth for the purpose of fulfilling the Old Testament law and to provide a way for us to spend eternity with the Father in heaven.

We are eternal beings, you know.  We will spend eternity somewhere.  It is only through Jesus that we can spend eternity in heaven.  But it takes more than just knowing “about” Jesus, more than knowing who He is, more than simply hearing about Him, more than just believing He is the son of God.  It takes all those things, but it also takes a relationship with Him, a personal relationship.

Do you know Jesus personally?  Not just know “of” Him.  Not just know “about” Him.  Not just believe that He came, was crucified, died and rose again.  You must confess Him as Lord of your life.  You must acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and you must recognize and confess that He (Jesus Christ) is YOUR Savior.  Have you done that?  If not, don’t wait any longer.  Jesus could return TODAY!  He is coming back, you know.  He promised that He would, and He always keeps His promises!

You can pray this simple prayer (if you really mean it in your heart) and be saved today:

Thank you Lord Jesus for shedding Your blood on the cross in payment for my sins and for offering me the gift of eternal life with You.  I open my heart and invite You into my life and commit to follow you the rest of my days.  By faith I receive the gift you provided for me, and I acknowledge You as my Lord and Savior.  Amen

Heard a great word at Love of Christ Church today.  The message by Pastor Steve was titled, “The Bible is Final Authority.”  Very relevant information.  The quotes that struck me the most are:

• It doesn’t matter what I think; it matters what God says.
• Love for God is obeying His commands.
• It doesn’t matter what I feel; it matters what God says.

The Bible IS our Final Authority.  It truly does answer our every question about how to live our life.  If we say we love God but do not read and study His word and apply it to our lives, we are actually in rebellion to Him.  As Pastor Steve says, “If you don’t obey, you’re not a follower.”

We are only kidding ourselves if we think we are following Jesus but not obeying His word.  And we must read and study His word to know it and obey it.  We also must obey ALL of it, not just pick out the things we like and ignore the others.  That is not obedience.  Obedience is obeying ALL God’s commands.

I was out walking today at a local university campus and passed a sign by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship that intrigued me.  It said:

• Born once – Die twice
• Born twice – Die once

That just about sums it up.  We have all been born once, but in Jesus we are reborn or born-again, therefore we will only die once.  Born twice – Die once.  Yes!!

If however, we do not accept what Jesus did for us on the cross and become born-again, we will die twice, once in our physical bodies and a second time at the final judgement.  Born once – Die twice.

I don’t know about you but I like the idea of only having to face physical death (the first death) and being able to spend eternity in the presence of God, thanks to what Jesus did for me on the cross.

So, do you know Him?  Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior and confessed Him as Lord of your life?  If not, what are you waiting for?  He loves you.  He died to pay the penalty for your sins.  He lives forever more.  And He gives you FREE entrance into Heaven through His shed blood.  You can accept Him today.  Click here to learn more and to pray to receive Jesus.

The beginning of Proverbs 12:1 says, “Whoever loves instructions loves knowledge.”

For many years now, I have opened my bible each day to the Proverb that corresponds to that day of the month.  Since today is June 12, I of course opened to Proverbs 12, which got me thinking once again about why I read the Proverbs over and over again.

It has always been my desire to receive wisdom from God, inspired by I Kings 3:5-14.  When God asked Solomon what He should give him, Solomon responded this way in verse 9: “Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil.  For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

God was so pleased that Solomon asked for this and not for riches, fame or other self-edifying things, that He not only answered Solomon’s request and gave him what he asked for, but He also made Solomon greater than anyone who had lived before him, and he gave him riches and honor besides.  He also promised if Solomon would continue to walk in His ways and keep His statutes and commandments as his father David did, God would give him a long life.

Imagine that, God blessed Solomon in even greater ways than David!  King David was referred to as “a man after God’s own heart,” and yet King Solomon was blessed in even greater ways by God than David had been!  All because he asked God to make him wise!

Reading these passages in the bible has always made me want wisdom above all other things in my own life too!  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”  (Ladies, remember that you can put her in place of him in every scripture verse!!)

So, seek wisdom and I believe God will add to your life all the other things you desire as well!