Mind Your Own Business

We’ve all heard the old saying, “Curiosity killed the cat”.

Don’t be too nosy, you just might end up being hurt.

The mind of man is a busy thing; if it is not employed in doing good, it will be doing evil. It is an excellent, but rare union, to be active in our own business, yet quiet as to other people’s.

From “The Message”:

Leviticus 19:16 

  Don’t spread gossip and rumors.

          Don’t just stand by when your neighbor’s life is in danger.

I am God.

Proverbs 20:3

It’s a mark of good character to avert quarrels,
   but fools love to pick fights.

King James:

2 Thessalonians 3:11 &12

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

1 Timothy 5:13

And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Don’t be NOSY and have a blessed life!

 

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Ever Been Discouraged?

Discouragement causes weariness to creep into our lives.  It causes us to say and do things we would never consider saying or doing otherwise.  Discouragement breaks down our perspective.  Sometimes it comes even when we have just completed something great for God.  It will tell us that we are useless, hopeless and abandoned.

The story of Elijah has always captured my attention.  (I Kings 19) Here is this great prophet of God, after he has won a mighty victory over the prophets of Baal, hiding under a tree.  What ever for?  God has just used him to prove that he is the true and mighty God and Elijah is off hiding somewhere and begging God to just go ahead and take his life. This was all less than a day after the fire fell from heaven.  Hmmm…before we are too quick to judge Elijah, let’s look at our own life.  How many times have we come from a “mountain top” experience, only to plummet to depths of discouragement.  Discouragement will make you hide.  Are you trying to hide today because of discouragement?  In the 5th verse of I Kings 19, an angel of the Lord appeared to Elijah as he slept and woke him up and said, “Arise and eat”.  When Elijah awoke there was a cake, baked on the grill and a bottle of water for him to drink.  Elijah ate and drank and then went back to sleep.  The poor man was exhausted.  Yes, he had just been through the ringer, so to speak, but he had also allowed discouragement to make him weary.  The angel of the Lord came the second time, woke him up, had a meal prepared and said, “Eat, for the journey is too great for you”.  To make a long story short…The Lord allowed Elijah a few days to rest and in the process took care of him with food and water and an angel guard as he slept.  However, when the time was right, just a few verses down in the same chapter, Elijah is bemoaning the “fact” that he and only he was left as the servant of God.  The Lord allowed him to say this a couple of times and then He said, “Elijah!  Look around you.  There are 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal or kissed him.”  In other words,  It is time for you to get over your pity party and come join the rest of us. 🙂

Remember this, even in times of discouragement….God will not leave you or forsake you.  He will give you time to rest.  He will supply your needs (a cake baked on the coals and water).  He will send His protecting angel to stand by you as you gather yourself together.  And, then….He will let you know, in His good way that He is still good.  The church is moving on.  There are thousands that still believe and trust in the one true God.  It is time to shake the discouragement off and continue to go about the Lord’s work.

If it’s time for you today to come out from under the broom tree, then get up! Shake yourself and Have a GREAT day, knowing He is still in control.  “Jezebel” can’t harm you.  People that have tried to “take you down”  won’t be able to.  God is your fortress.  He is your right, left, front and back guard.  NO ONE can separate you from the love of Jesus.

Keep on keepin’ on!  Let discouragement go today.  As you do this, you will find peace and healing for your hurting heart.  Will everything be perfect?  Of course not.  We haven’t made it to heaven yet.  However, life will be much better, knowing that God is in control.  Your enemies are under His feet.

Be Blessed!

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A Prayer for Our Country

The first response to any crisis is prayer; urgent and honest prayer. Before we turn to money managers and governments, let’s turn to the Maker of the Universe.

Max Lucado

You Have Our Attention, Lord
A prayer by Max Lucado – October 2008

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing
This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous –
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What’s Next?”
What is next?
We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.
You told us this would happen.
You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, You warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.
You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.
We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have.
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor.
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it?
We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?
Of course You can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.
This disorder awaits your order. So do we.
Through Christ,
Amen

God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them. (Luke 18:7 NCV)

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Pouting! You Think?

My sister-in-law, Ginger sent this picture to me of my twin great-nephews, Cayden and Cole. It is just so cute I had to share it with you all. They had just been reprimanded for not sharing their toys.  The parents are Jimi and Shara Wilson.  Jimi’s grandmother, Beverly Putman took this picture.  She said, “They must sit quietly until ready to say they are sorry”.  That could be a long time from the look on Cole’s face.  And Cayden doesn’t look like he’s turning around to make amends any time soon.   LOL 

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Me, Myself and I

Who am I?  Why am I here?  Where am I going?  These are all questions we have asked ourselves at some point in time and I think they need to be answered.  I am pleased to say that when I repented of my sins, was filled with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost and baptized in the saving name of Jesus that all these questions were answered.  There is something about complete surrender to God’s plan and His will for one’s life that brings such peace and contentment.  The rhetoric of “I don’t know who I really am” and “I need to go find myself” is nothing more than an old spirit of deception that has re-surfaced with a new face on.  I like to say it like this,  “the same old woman dressed up in a new dress”.  This attitude of ME, MYSELF and I is nothing more than good ole’ selfishness. 

The scripture tells us in Luke 9: 23-25–Amplified Version: 

23And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight ofhimself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].    24For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death].

    25For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself? 

Luke 14:26 (Amplified Bible)
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of

indifference to or and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters–[yes] and

even his own life also–he cannot be My disciple.

These scriptures and many more let us know that we need to totally surrender to God and His plan for our lives.  This may sound harsh or even cruel if we don’t understand what the Lord is saying, especially in Luke 14:26.  Our love for our loved ones should in no wise even compare to our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have seen it way to many times, (as I’m sure you have), people will give up living for God or turn their back on His plan for their lives because of family (mother, father, sister, brother, grandparents, etc.).  How tragic this is.  I wonder if they know the benefits of the surrendered life. In Luke 18: 28 I think Peter might have started to complain a little bit to the Lord when he said, “We have left ALL to follow you”.  And I love the Lord’s response in the next 2 verses (read below).

Luke 18:29-30 (King James Version)
 29…..There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom

of God’s sake,

 30Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

I have also seen (as I’m sure you have) people who have learned how to surrender to God’s plan for their life and seen the blessings of God overtake them.  You cannot out-give God!  He will not be indebted to any of us.  I love how Jesus used the word “manifold” in verse 30. In the Noah Webster 1828 dictionary, manifold is defined as: Of divers kind; many in number; numerous; multiplied.  O Lord, how manifold are thy works!… Ps. 104:24    2.  Exhibited or appearing at divers times or in various ways; applied to words in the singular number; as the manifold wisdom of God, or his manifold grace.  Eph. and I Pet.

So, I like to think that if we “leave all” to follow God’s plan that we can expect to receive many different kinds of blessings in many various ways and at different times.  I love it when God just gives us unexpected blessings! I know sometimes we all get a little selfish but I pray sincerely for a heart that is willing to follow after Him and not get into the selfish, “ME, MYSELF and I” syndrome of the modern day we live in.  This attitude is not of God as is well seen through scripture but is the “spirit” of the selfish age we live in. If we want to “find ourselves” and “find out who we really are” we must surrender to God’s will and plan.  He is a loving master and knows us better than we know ourselves.  He will not ask us to do or be anything we cannot.  “I can do All things through Christ who strengthens me.” 

 I am: a child of God, a wife, mother, friend, etc.  that’s WHO I AM.  I am not my own! I am bought with a price! and I am happy about it!    

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