Throw them a life saver!

James 5:19-20 ¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Are people we know drowning in a world cut off from their purpose in life?  How do we start the rescue?  We LOVE them.  We listen to them.  We accept them.  We serve them. We give up our time for them.  The love of Jesus and our testimony about our love relationship with Him will be known, because as we get to really know them, they will get to really know us.  To really know us, is to know Jesus.      

Omission a Sin?

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

This verse has always impressed me, and maybe scared me a little.  I have always believed my relationship with God is a personal relationship.  God has called me and I alone will answer to Him.  I know, I need to seek Him and find out what "thy will be done" in my life.  The sin of omission is where I fail.  It is not what I am doing that is going against God, but what am I not doing that He not only wants me to do, but NEEDS me to do.  Jesus needs me to use my mouth, my hands, my feet to accomplish HIS will.  I think my biggest sin of omission is still clinging on to having "my time."   Dear Lord Jesus, when I call You Lord, it really means You are my master.  I repent of thinking my time on earth is mine.  I give my time to You. Help me and guide me to use the "talents" given me to accomplish Your will each day.  Amen.      

Speak LOVE

James 4:11  Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

Leo Buscaglia once wrote about going to a very loving church where they asked brother Smith to speak.  He said the elderly gentleman came up to the podium and said....Faith........Faith........Faith.  And when he sat down the minister said, "Thank you brother Smith for that wonderful sermon on Faith."  Leo said he would love to go up and preach this message at his church......Love......Love......Love..... and then sit down.  This is the message in all the readings......LOVE.  If we love, we do not criticize.  Instead of speaking evil, we hold it in and pray.  I want to change the world by love and prayer!!!!  

Tongue Lashing

James 3:2-9 ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
 ³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

I want to be known for my tongue. I want to be known as a prayer warrior and a person who blesses.  I don't want to be known as a complainer or a negative nellie.  Instead of complaining, I want to be known for praying. I want to be known as Mary Beth never says an unkind word.  I just don't imagine Jesus complaining about the Roman politicians, or about how Peter just doesn't get it sometimes, or his brother James and all his faults. When someone complains it poisons the atmosphere and actually makes things worse. It give power to problem. While no human being can tame the tongue, with God all things are possible. Dear Father, in Jesus name, let my words be perfect. Let me pray about my complaints without "sharing" them.  Let me bless, bless, bless.

Got Wisdom?

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

1 Kings 3:9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Father, in the name of your son Jesus, I pray and receive the promised gift of wisdom.  Thank you!

Is it an angel?

Hebrews 13:1-6 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
 
What a different world it would be if each person we saw, we thought might be an angel and we treated them as one.  The early church was known by their love.  Love God, Love neighbor.  We make it so complicated.  The two most direct commands are to love.  I know part of me is suffering for my staff, let me know how to love them. Dear Lord, give me wisdom on how to love each person in my path today. 

Faith sees what is hoped for.....

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. NIV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV 

Why are some verses famous and the most quoted?  Like this one, if I could just capture it and live by it I could live in peace and victory.  I am hoping for my son to be fully restored and living for God.  I need to put on my own God glasses and see what is not seen.  I need to believe in how the King James Version uses the word "substance" for the word assurance.  I need to believe it "as if" is is done in the physical realm because is is accomplished in the spiritual realm. 

Yesterday, we went out early on our boat around 7:00am.  Vince fished and I was on deer watch.  We had to come in around 8:30 to get a tablecloth to church for the set up because it had been stained with chocolate.  The boat died.  We were stuck in the lake and not able to make it back to the dock.  I prayed.  While I was a bit anxious, I trusted God would accomplish His Will in my life.  I wasn't sure what that will was, but I stayed calm.  The normal self would have wigged out as I would feel I was letting the church down.  A boat of fisherman came buzzing by to the rescue.  The guy said, "I don't know why I came by this way."  I said, "I do, I prayed."  We got to shore, we got the table cloth to church.  The still small voice said, "Why can you believe I will provide for something as insignificant as a tablecloth and you do not feel the same confidence for your son who I love more than you do?" 

Father, in Jesus name, I pray the same prayer a man said to Jesus, "Lord, I do believe, help me in my unbelief."