Minute Musings...Don't Trust Your Heart!

Jeremiah 17:9  "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:
who can know it?"

There is a popular saying today, in fact I see it and its variations on Facebook and 
Pintrest a great deal... "Just follow your heart."  On the surface this would seem to
be a nice, sentimental piece of advice, but lets dig a little deeper.  The Bible states that
the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.  Why would we want to follow something
that has these characteristics? 

The Lord Jesus had this to say about the heart of man in Mark 7:21 - 23  "For from
within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
murders, thefts, covetousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  All
these evil things come from within, and defile the man."

Man's old sinful nature does not produce anything that would be advantages to ones
life.  So why would we want to follow our hearts.  They will only lead us down the
path to destruction and ruin.  We should only desire to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

It will cost you to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  It will cost you friends and family.
Not everyone will understand your desire to follow the Lord, and there will be back-
lash because of it.  However, following the Lord will bring you joy unspeakable, peace
beyond understanding and a steadfastness that defies everything that mankind believes.
The end result is a close relationship with the One who lived for you, died for you, and
rose victoriously from the grave for you!

Don't follow your heart, follow the One who can cleanse your heart and make it whiter
than snow.  Psalms 51:10  "Create in me a clean heart O God:  and renew a right
spirit within me."

I Will Follow

 

I will follow Thee, my Savior,

Where'er the pathway may go;

Thru' the storm or thru' the valley,

Or thru' great trials so low.

 

I rest in Thee, trust in Thee,

I place my life in Thy hands.

I will follow Thee, my Savior,

Lead on, my Shepherd, lead on.

 

                                    Mac Lynch

Minute Musings...The Compassion Lack

Matthew 20:34  "So Jesus had compassion on them..."

We live in a very self-centered, self-glorifying age.  Pride seems to be encouraged on
every hand, instead of being shunned for the sin it is.  This generation is a callused and
selfish one...not a very nice commentary on the world we live in.

A couple of months ago I saw a short video about this little two year old girl.  I'm not
sure which country this was in, but Korea seems to come to my mind.  She was on a
busy street alone and was hit by a vehicle.  She lay by the side of the road crying, when
another vehicle hit her.  She continued to cry in fear and pain while people walked by.
Some looked, but no one stopped to help this little child.  I was in tears seeing the total
disregard for a tiny life.  Yet this cold disregard for others is seemingly the norm in every
society today.  No one cares about anyone else, its a "me, me, me" society.  People think
that if they want it, it should be theirs;  if they want to do it, by all means go ahead!  No
thought or care is given to whom is hurt in this all-compelling need to excel...so sad!
However, God tells us in Isaiah 5:21  "Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight!"  This type of mindset, which seems to permeate this
world is not blessed by God.

One thing that Jesus was known for was His compassion for the multitudes.  Over and
over in the Gospels we read the words, "He had compassion..."  41 times in the New
Testament this word, "compassion" is used.  Jesus would go out of His way when He
knew that someone needed Him.  A few times the phrase is used,  "He was moved with
compassion..."  This terminology has the connotation of  immediate precise action.  True
Godly compassion produces action. It is a form of love that fuels a reaction of kindness
and mercy.  How lacking our society is in true compassion one for the other. 

As a child of God we should be reflecting to others the characteristics of the Lord Jesus
Christ.  As we grow in Him, deepen in our knowledge of Him, we should be producing in
our lives His traits.  The word "Christian", means "Christ-like".  We should be like
Christ.  Compassion is not a "normal" human trait, in fact it is the opposite of what we
were talking about earlier.  We were all born sinners, we all have pride rooted in our
hearts.  We need by the help and Grace of God, to nurture compassion in our lives. 
Something that is not used will grow unresponsive and cold.

Our prayer as we grow deeper and deeper into fellowship and love with our Lord Jesus,
and desire to be more like Him, should be to reflect His love and compassion to those
around us. 

Zechariah 7:9  "Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment,
and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother."

Minute Musings...A Sure Foundation

If you are a conscientious homeowner, you will do periodic inspections on your homes
foundation.  You look for signs of cracks and leaks.  Your home is only as good as the
foundation that it sits on.

May I ask you a question today?  What foundation are you building your life on.  Are
you putting your trust in your looks, wealth, intelligence, morality, good works, ancestry,
or job?  All these things are fleeting.  Job 4:19 -21 tells us, "How much less in them
that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations is in the dust, which are crushed
before the moth?  They are destroyed from morning to evening:  they perish for
ever without any regarding it.  doth not their excellency which is in them go away?
They die, even without wisdom."

Mankind does not have the ability to build a sound foundation for their life.  The only
solid foundation that can stand the test of time, and see us safe to Glory is the Lord
Jesus Christ.  Only the wise build upon this sure foundation.  The Apostle Paul stated
in 1 Corinthians 3:10 & 11, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me,
as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. 
But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."  When we build our lives on the
Lord, we have a fast, sure, trustworthy foundation, that nothing can shake.

The Psalmist David declared many times over how he trusted in the Lord.

Psalms 7:1  "O LORD my God, in Thee do I put my trust:"

Psalms 16:1  "Preserve me, O God:  for in Thee do I put my trust."

Psalms 31:1  "In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust:"

Psalms 56:3  "...I will trust in Thee."

Psalms 71:1  "In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust."

Psalms 141:8  "But mine eyes are unto Thee, O God the Lord:  In Thee is my trust;"

Psalms 143:8  "For in Thee do I trust:"

The word "trust" is used by David 71 times in the Psalms.  David trusted in the Lord
to be his Rock, Shield, Defender, Comforter, High Tower, Buckler, Guide, Strength,
Salvation, Refuge, Helper, Hiding Place, Light, Fortress, Redeemer.  Can you trust
the Lord today to be the foundation upon which you will build your life? 

In Matthew 7: 24 - 27 we find the story of the wise man and the foolish man.  The wise
man built his house upon the rock.  It says that when the rain and floods came and the
winds blew, that his house remained firm, for it was founded upon a rock.  However
the foolish man built his house upon the sand, and when the rain and floods came and
the winds blew, his house fell, for it was not built upon a sure foundation. 

When the storms of life come upon you, will your life remain firm on the Solid Rock, the
Lord Jesus Christ?  Or will you collapse among the mud and mire of the ruins of your
life because your foundation was faulty, built upon the fleeting things of this world. 
Don't put off checking your foundation!

Minute Musings...The Master Weaver

Isaiah 55:8 & 9  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

I have quoted the above verses many times in past devotionals, they are two of my
all time favorite verses.  There are many times in life that things happen that we just
cannot understand.  To our way of thinking, things are falling apart.  My former
Pastor used to say, "Things are not falling apart, they are falling into place."

You see, our view is only one dimension, its the here and now.  We can't see into the
future, so therefore we can't see the "whole", we see only in "part".  However we have
a sovereign God, He knows our beginning straight through to our end.  He can see
what is needful in certain seasons of our life.  In truth, if we were to be in charge of
what happens to us, we would be heavy handed with good and use the hard very
sparingly.  But our loving God knows that its the hardships, trials and sorrows that
mold us more into His image, these times are the sandpaper in God's hand, to rid
us of the hindrances in our lives.

Malachi 3:3  "And He (God) shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver...and
shall purge them (His children) as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
LORD an offering in righteousness."  The refiner holds that gold and silver very
carefully in his skillful hands.  He never takes his eyes off of the vessel he is refining.
He knows just how much heat is needed to make it a pure and useful vessel.  He
removes it from the fire when he can see his reflection in it.  We are the vessel in
God's hand.  Trust Him to know just how much heat you need to bring you to the
place of useful service for Him, reflecting to the lost world, His love and grace.

The Weaver

 

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me;

I cannot choose the colors

He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper,

And I the under side.

Not til the loom is silent,

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why,

The dark threads are as needful

In the weavers skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

He knows, He loves, He cares,

Nothing this truth can dim.

He gives His very best to those,

Who leave the choice with Him.

 

Unknown Author



                                                                                                            
Forget He sees the upper
And I, the underside.

Not till the loom in silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.

- Author Unknown

Minute Musings...Gods Forgetful People

Psalms 81:10  "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of
Egypt:  open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."

You would think that if you were one of the Israelites that God brought out of the
land of Egypt, you would need no reminders of the event!  The years of slavery and
little food would never leave their thoughts...or so you'd think!  However, that was not
the case, the Lord God was repeatedly reminding His people of the miraculous happenings
that ended in their freedom from bondage.  Why were they so forgetful?  Well, here's a
question for you today, why are we so forgetful?

Lets take the first part of this verse, "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee
out of..."  Now fill it in.  What has the Lord thy God brought you out of?  What were
the sins that were keeping you in bondage to Satan?  Before we were saved, we were
all enslaved to this world and the devil, with its lust of the eye and pride of life.  We
might have thought that we were free and happy, living life the way we wanted too, on
our own terms.  However in reality we were captives of Satan, living in sin, far from
God.

You see, once saved, we've been set free from bondage.  And yet, as the Israelites, we
too have to be constantly reminded to look back and see what God has done for us. 
I'm sure the list would be long if we wrote down all that God has saved us from.  We
have been so greatly blessed with His salvation, protection, mercy, grace, love, guidance,
presence, but we constantly forget it!

Psalms 84:11 & 12  "For the LORD God is a sun and shield:  the LORD will
give grace and glory:  no good thing will He withhold from them that walk
uprightly.  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee."

Today, take the time to look back and see what the Lord has saved you out of and
from.  Don't be like the Israelites, having to be reminded over and over again of
what God did for them.  And as you remember, thank Him!  Then take the next step
and tell others about the great God you have!

Psalms 89:1  "I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever:  with my mouth
will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."

Minute Musings...Oh Be Careful Little Mouth!

Have you ever seen anybody just lose it, they completely fly of the handle so to speak?
It's an uncomfortable situation;  you feel sorry for the object of their rage, and you feel
embarrassment for the person who has lost control.  If we're honest with ourselves, we
have to admit that there has been times that we have been the one losing it.  When the
tirade is over, there is regret, embarrassment and self-condemnation for allowing our-
selves to be so taken over by anger.

Anger can be one of the most destructive emotions that we have.  It not only will destroy
us, it a major contributor to the breakup of marriages, domestic and child abuse, and
family and friend relationships in general.  We like to reason away the sin (yes, it is a
sin) of anger...a temper runs in my family, so and so drove me to it, you don't know what
they said to me, you just don't realize what they're like to live with...etc.  Anger, like any
other sin can become habitual.  What started off as an occasional eruption of emotion
over the course of time becomes the "normal" way to deal with any frustration, no matter
how big.

The Word of God has a lot to say about the sin of anger.

Psalms 37:8  "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath:"

Proverbs 14:17  "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:"

Proverbs 14:29  "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding:  but he that
is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Ecclesiastes 7:9  "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:  for anger resteth in the
bosom of fools."

I do not want to be known as a fool!  Yet this is exactly what the Bible calls people
who are angry.  You know this kind of person, they are always spouting off about
things that rub them the wrong way, they have absolutely no patience with anything
or anybody.  They are not nice to be around.  When we become Christians we are told
in Colossians 3:8 to put off the "old man", the unregenerated person that we were.
"But now ye also put off all these:  anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
communication out of your mouth."  As a child of God, what comes out of our
mouths should be Christ-honoring, Christ-glorifying speech...ALWAYS.

There is a children's chorus that goes like this:  "Oh be careful little mouth what you
say, oh be careful little mouth what you say.  There's a Father up above, who is looking
down in love, oh be careful little mouth what you say."  God hears all, and someday
we are going to have to give an account to Him of everything that has come out of
our mouths!  There will be no excuses that day.

 It goes on in Colossians 3:10 to tell us what we should put on, "And have put on
the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him." 

We are to put on Christ, we should exhibit His character to the world.  The closer we
get to the Lord, the more we will be a reflection of His image to those around us.  Let
your prayer be today, to be more like Christ.  Colossians 4:6  "Let your speech be always
with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every
man."

Minute Musings...Vacation Time

This is the time of year that vacations happen.  The school year is over, parents need a
break, kids are raring to go.  Suitcases are packed, plans are made...and your off to a
much needed, much deserved vacation.  If you're anything like I was when the kids were
small, I would spend the first hour of travel wondering what in the world I forgot!

Unfortunately many Christians in todays world, not only take a vacation from the
hustle and bustle of their overfilled busy lives, but they take a vacation from God.
God is forgotten, left at home with the milk that will turn sour before they return.  The
sad thing about this is that they don't even care.  The Bible remains at home, or if it
is remembered and packed in a suitcase, that is where it remains.  There is no thought
of daily devotions, neither private nor family.  Attendance at church doesn't even enter
the mind...it's vacation time.  Isaiah 17:10  "Thou hast forgotten the God of thy
salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength..."  More time is
spent worrying about the family pets and making provision for them, then making sure
that God has the pre-eminence each day.

May I tell you something...God does not take vacations!  Here's a question for you to
consider...Would you choose to leave one of your children, or maybe even a spouse at
home, and take the family vacation without them?  If you love God the way you say you
do, then how can He be so easily dismissed from your plans?

Hebrews 13:5b  "For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

God's presence is constantly with His children.  You might leave God's Word at home,
neglect your devotions, shun church, BUT God is right there. He sees all, He hears
all, He knows that He is being shoved aside for the play things of this world.  You
might have dismissed God from your life for the duration of your vacation, but He
went with you anyway.

How would you feel if God decided to take a vacation?  For one whole week you had
to be without His guidance, protection, mercy, love, comfort.  You would be an open
target for Satan, no refuge to be found, for the Rock of your salvation was on vacation!
Very scary thought isn't it.  Don't cast the Lord aside, just to be picked up in a weeks
time along with your newspaper.  He is the Anchor of your soul, the Author of your
salvation, your strong tower against the enemy, the balm for your soul.  Never take a
vacation from God!

Deuteronomy 31:6  "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of
them:  for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee:  He will not fail
thee, nor forsake thee."

Minute Musings...O Give Thanks

There is one thing that I would like you to think about today.  What do you thank God
for?  I'm sure that for those of us who are saved and living for the Lord, we thank Him
for our salvation, that should go without saying!  It tells us in 1 John 5:11, "And this
is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."

Thanking God for His wonderful gift of salvation should happen every time we come
before Him in prayer.  However many of us tend to stop there, but there are many things
that our HeavenlyFather blesses us with every day that we might not think to thank Him for!

1.  His Mercy
Psalms 107:1  "O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good:  for His mercy
endureth for ever."

2.  His Peace
John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:  not as the world
giveth give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

3.  His Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4  "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the
comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforteth of God."

4.  His Love
1 John 4:10  "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

This is just the tip of the ice-burg so to speak.  God has given us ALL things!  Those
of us who are parents deal with unthankfulness on a regular basis.  We are giving
constantly to our children, not only the necessities, but often extras, just because we
love them and desire to do special things for them.  Our Heavenly Father gives us the
necessities we need to get through each day.  Often He sends special blessings our way,
just because He loves us and wants to do those special extra things for our happiness.
Do we stop to recognize these things come from our Father's loving hand, or do we
accept them and go on with our day, without acknowledging and saying thank you to
Him?

In this thankless society we find ourselves living in, I encourage you today to stop and
actually think about what you are thanking your Heavenly Father for.  Take time to
write down everything He has given you...it will be a lengthy list!  Then thank Him for
what He has given, not because we deserve any of it, but because He loves us!

Psalms 92:1 & 2  "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing
praises unto Thy name, O most High:  to shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the
morning, and Thy faithfulness every night."

Minute Musings...What Love

1 John 3:1a  "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God:"

I had one of the most distressing days today.  My little grandson was taken to the
hospital in tremendous pain.  An 8 month old cannot tell you where the pain is or
what happened.  Because he had been with me when it happened, guilt loaded itself
on top of the anxiousness.  The 4 hours that I waited at home in tears and waiting for
a call from my son were agonizing to say the least.  Finally I got the call that he was
fine, just a dislocated elbow that was quickly fixed.

It was during those few hours that this thought came to me that I wish to leave with
you today.  If we agonize and feel such inner turmoil because someone we love very
much is going through a painful and hard experience, how much more does our
Heavenly Fathers heart ache when He sees our pain and sorrows.  He loves us with a
love that goes deeper than we can comprehend.  So why is it that we feel He has
abandoned us during those painful periods in our lives?  Our love for our children and grandchildren doesn't even come close in comparison to the love of our Heavenly Father
has for His children. 

I'm reminded of the "Footprints" poem.  The poem is a lament from a child of God,
wondering when looking back at her life why there is only one set of footprints in
the sand...where was the Father during this painful time in her life?  Why had He
abandoned her?  His answer was, "When you see only one set of footprints, it was
then that I carried you."

You don't know what today will hold.  For some it might be a day which will hold
tremendous blessing and victory.  For others, sorrow and grief might be your
companion as you travel the day.  Heartache, pain, discouragement will be the
reality that others will face.  But no matter what occurs, I encourage you today to
remember that the love of God runs deeper than we know.  Hold on tight to that love,
rejoice in that perfect divine love today.  If at the end of today you look back and
only see one step of footsteps, be thankful that He carried you...because He loves you
just that much!

Minute Musings...Stop Struggling, Start Surrendering

Do you experience times when just getting out of bed and facing the day seems like a
an uphill battle?  Days when the trials and tribulations seem to be so smothering you
can hardly breathe?  Have you been overcome with grief at the loss of someone dear?
Are there days when health, financial, family or work problems seem so overwhelming
that you start sliding down that slippery slope to depression?

Our Creator God knows our frame, He designed us and He knows that there will be
times when life just seems to be too much to bear.  This is why He so loving said in
Matthew 11:28  "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest."  I love this verse!  There are days when life just plain hurts. 
But there is rest for our weary and broken hearts.  We simply "Come" and He
"will give you rest." 

Our dear Father's words to the prophet Jeremiah 31:3, are also His words of love
and encouragement to His child today.  "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love:  therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

David proclaimed the loving power of God's sustaining hand in Psalms 55:22,
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee:  He shall never
suffer the righteous to be moved."

There is a story of a missionary many years ago who became discouraged in his
service.  Days went by and this wonderful man of God became more distressed
about the situations he was trying to deal with.  One morning he came down to
breakfast to find his wife in the kitchen dressed in mourning.  He was immediately
alarmed thinking that a family member had passed away and he hadn't been
informed.  Upon questioning his wife as to whom had died, he received this chilling
response, "Why God of course!"  He quickly demanded how she could say such a
thing.  "My dear husband, it's been your actions that told me God must have died!"
Needless to say things turned around for that missionary as of that morning.

My dear friends, you and I act that same way at times don't we, that God is dead.
We must try to carry on and solve all these problems that are just to much for us!
Instead of taking our worries, cares, trials and problems to our Heavenly Father,
we stumble through the day struggling to carry the burden that He is waiting to carry.
Stop struggling and start surrendering! 

Psalms 61:1-4  "Hear my cry, O God:  attend unto my prayer.  From the end
of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed;  lead me to
the rock that is higher than I.  For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a
strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever:  I will
trust in the covert of Thy wings, Selah."

Minute Musings...Nothing But The Blood

I have always loved to see clothes fluttering on a clothesline.  I can sit for hours, it
just seems so peaceful.  A clothesline can tell the story of who lives in the house.  Babies,
toddlers, teenagers, military...  Until this move recently to Ontario, I have always had a
clothesline.  Years ago, when my children were small, my clothesline would be filled
a couple of times a week with blankies, sleepers, little socks, bibs.  One spring morning
I had just filled the clothesline.  As I turned to go back into the house, I heard a snap.
There lay all the freshly cleaned clothes in wet mud.  The clothes had just a moment
before been clean, now they were dirty and I had to start all over.

Isaiah 1:18  "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:  though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;  though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool."

There is nothing dirtier than our sin.  Shout, Tide, Bleach, Resolve, Sunlight, none of
these will work on this stain of sin that is set into the very core of our being.  There is
only one treatment for our sin.  We cannot purchase the solution, we can't barter for
it, we can't replicate it. 

Psalms 51:2 & 7  "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;  wash me, and I shall
be whiter than snow."

It is only through the precious shed blood of our wonderful Lord and Savior, that
we can be washed and made clean.  When we accept His free gift of salvation, the
blood is applied to our sin.  When God the Father looks at us, He no longer see's
a guilty sinner;  He see's His child, clothed in the blood of the Lamb, His precious
Son! 

It is a known scientific fact that life is in and through the blood.  The redemption of
our souls and eternal life is in and through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Remember
to take time today to thank the Lord Jesus for His precious blood!

"What can wash away my sin? 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again? 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh, precious is the blood,

That makes me white as snow.

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

                 Robert Lowry

 

                                    

 

Minute Musings...Your Jerusalem

Do you ever find that you sometimes compare yourself with other believers?  Do you
look at the missionaries in far off countries, who have given up friends, family, daily
comforts that we take for granted, and think to yourself that they are better Christians?
I've found myself doing this on occasion.  But I've come to realize that if I am where
God wants me to be, and I'm living for Him, doing what He wants...then He is just as
happy with me as He is with those spreading the Gospel on the foreign mission fields
of this world.

You see, God looks at what we are doing with the talents and opportunities that He
gives to us.  It doesn't matter to Him if we are in Canada or Africa...as long as we are
in His will, doing His work in the place He wants us, then we have His approval and
His smile of blessing.

You might be wondering what God's will is.  John 14:15  "If ye love Me, keep my
commandments."  Can it get any plainer?  Knowing God's will is not some hidden
mystery, it is simply obeying God's Holy Word.  We find a detailed outline as to how
as children of God, we are to live in this world. 

Honestly - Ephesians 4:25  "Where putting away lying, speak every man truth
with his neighbour:  for we are members of one another."

Without anger - Ephesians 4:26  "Be ye angry, and sin not:  let not the sun go
down upon your wrath."

Pure speech - Ephesians 4:29  "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers."

Kind - Ephesians 4:32  "And be ye kind one to another,"

Thankful - Ephesians 5:20  "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and
the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is just a very small list (taken from just 2 chapters) that tell us how to live a
Christ like life.  We all have a mission field.  God has chosen some to go unto the
uttermost parts of the world.  However the majority of us remain at home.  We have
our own mission field, where we work, go to school, live.  We have the same responsibility,
to live a Christ-centered, Christ-honoring life before all we come in contact with. We are
all under the same orders, Acts 1:8  "...and ye shall be witness unto Me both in
Jerusalem (home) and in all Judaea (community) and in Samaria (country) and
unto the uttermost part of the earth."  God will not move you on to your Judaea,
Samaria or the world, until you have proven faithful in your Jerusalem.  Stop
comparing yourself to other Christians, be faithful where God has placed you...that is
all that is required.

Minute Musings...Your Own Beam

I would like to take a moment today and look at Matthew 26:69 - 75.  In this passage we
find Peter waiting with the crowds outside the palace while the Lord is being interrogated
and beaten.

"Now Peter sat without in the palace:  and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou
also wast with Jesus of Galilee.  But he denied before them all, saying, I know not
what thou sayest.  And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him,
and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.  And after a while came
unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them;
for thy speech betrayeth thee.  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I
know not the man.  And immediately the cock crew.  And Peter remembered the
words of Jesus which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice.  And he went out, and wept bitterly."

Upon reading these verses we tend to judge Peter rather harshly.  I would like you to
take a moment however and consider some things.  Firstly, yes, Peter was in the wrong
for what he did, what I'm going to say does not dispute this fact.  We like to think that
had it been us in this situation, we would have stood by the Lord no matter what.  That
is what Peter had thought earlier.  But would we?  Would we have stood faithfully amidst
chaos, enemy soldiers, swords and certain death?  Like you, I would like to think I would
have.  But in all honesty take a look at how we handle situations from day to day?  Do
we speak out when we hear our Blessed Saviors name taken in vain?  Do we take a stand
against the evils that surround us in the work place, schools, even in our neighborhoods
and homes?  Do we remain silent, or perhaps even smile at crude jokes...just so we don't
stand out as different?  Do we honestly have a right to judge Peter's actions that horrific
night in light of our own failures to stand true to the Lord? 

Jesus Himself had a lot to say in the Gospels about our judgment of others.  Matthew
7:3-5  "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
consider not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Or how wilt thou say to thy
brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold a beam is in
thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye."

I urge you today to follow Peter's example in the last 7 words of this passage, "And
he went out, and wept bitterly."  Peter took his eyes off of the Lord and focused on
the frightening circumstances around him.  Isn't this what happens to us?  We become
overwhelmed with trials and our eyes leave the Lord and we focus on the problem...
then we fail the Lord.  Before we take it upon ourselves to stand in sanctimonious
judgement upon others, take a good hard, honest look at our own sin...and repent!  
Spend your time and energy taking care of your own beam and getting right with God!

Minute Musings...Stayed On Thee

Isaiah 26:3  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: 
because He trusteth in Thee."

As you start a new day, where is your mind?  Is it going to a hundred different places,
scheduling, planning, fretting, worrying?  Or, are you beginning your day with your
mind focused on the Lord?  How our day unfolds depends on how it begins!  God
has promised His perfect peace to those whose minds are stayed (focused) on Him.

We don't know what today will hold for each of us.  Some of us will have a good day.
Others will be facing trials and hardships.  One sweet lady I know is starting another
round of chemo today.  There might be some reading this that are in the midst of
heartache over children who are not walking with the Lord.  Perhaps there are those
in the depths of sorrow and grief.  Maybe financial problems have worn you down. 
Whatever our day holds for us, God has promised His peace.

Psalms 121 is my favorite Psalm.  I have clung to the promises contained in these
verses many times over the years.

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help
cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.  He will not suffer thy
foot to be moved;  He that keepeth thee will not slumber.  Behold, He that
keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD is thy keeper:  the
LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.  The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:  He shall
preserve thy soul.  the LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore."

I encourage you today to lift up your eyes to your help, let your mind be stayed on
your Savior.  Allow the Lord God Almighty to bathe you in His divine peace and
comfort today!