IF

"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."

—Mark 9:23

A desperate father comes to Jesus with a request for help and says, "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help."

IF there is anything Jesus can do to help?

IF?

IF!

Jesus tells the desperate father that everything is possible for the person who believes.

We believe that God can bring healing.

We believe that our Father in heaven will act for our best eternal good and the eternal best good of our loved ones in need.

We believe, so we ask in faith with a commitment like that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These three friends believed that God could spare them from the fiery furnace and confidently told King Nebuchadnezzar, "We serve a God who is able to deliver us, but even if
He does not, we will not worship other gods who are false!" (Daniel 3:16-18)

There is no “IF”, there is only God.

Have a blessed day!

Words hurt

Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

– Colossians 3:21

“You never do anything right!”  I heard this a lot growing up.

I wish that someone had told my parents and teachers not to say things that hurt.

Words can and do wound deeply.

This is an important reminder…for in our quest to make life run smoothly, we can become so demanding that we drive our children away from us.

Children need their fathers (and mothers) to give instruction and protection, but at a pace that kids can handle.

Don’t sacrifice your child’s sense of worth on the altar of expectations that may not be realistic.

Have a blessed day! 

Fame and fortune or knowledge and instruction?

Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.

– Proverbs 8:10-11

If we are given a choice between instant fame and a path of long and hard work, most would choose instant fame.

We are dazzled by the sparkle of fame and wealth, but do we see knowledge and instruction in this light?

We are so excited by the thought of stardom and as a result we can’t see the wisdom that stands at the crossroads of our soul.

Yet godly wisdom is greater than any earthly wealth, for this kind of knowledge will heal and restore the damage of bad decisions that warp our perceptions.

So choose and pursue this kind of instruction, because there is nothing that compares to it…nothing.

Have a blessed day! 

I love to tell the story

Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.

– Psalm 66:16

Every one of us has a story and there is power in our stories.

The account of a changed life can give a weary heart hope, it can mend a broken heart and fill an empty spirit.

You may think that you don’t know the Bible well enough, but you know that we overcome the enemy by the blood of Jesus who forgives our sins.

The power of our story and not shrinking back from telling that story is what makes the enemy fade.

Being a witness is not being an expert; it is telling others what you have seen, felt and heard.

We can all do that.

Have a blessed day! 

Be kind to each other

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

– Ephesians 4:2-3

I find it interesting how many times things are repeated in the Bible.

It is like “someone” is trying to get a point across or something!

For real!!  Here is another verse that tells us that we need to be more interested in building each other up than tearing each other apart.

It is easy to be critical, but when we bear with others we enter into their story and the little things that cause them to act the way that they do.

This is an opportunity for the church to be counter-culture to the world around us.

We should try to value others for who they are and not simply for what they can do.

Have a blessed day! 

Correct me if i'm wrong

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

– Proverbs 12:1

The test of true humility is how people respond to correction.

Do we constantly blame our surroundings or others for our situation in life?

I could talk for hours on this – I know many people that feel that nothing is ever their fault, they complain constantly about their life, but they do nothing to correct it or make it better and when you question them on their decisions, they get defensive.

At one time that may have been the reality – environmental situations caused our difficulties, but if we are honest - - - - -  we keep doing things that reinforce our bad decisions.

That is why we need others who love us enough to correct us.

Breakthrough is never done in isolation; it happens when we are bold enough to let others tell us the truth (and to listen!) about our circumstances and ourselves.

Have a blessed day!

Jesus, friend of sinners

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."

—Matthew 9:12

Why did Jesus associate with sinners?

Because we need Him to associate with us!

The most crucial part of that is not Jesus' desire for our recognition of our sinfulness, but it is Jesus' desire to save - because without Him, recognizing our sinfulness would only lead to despair.

But without recognizing our need for His grace, His sacrifice for us is lost.

So let's praise Jesus as our loving and sacrificial Savior, but let's also acknowledge our need for His merciful and mighty grace!

Have a blessed day!