March 13, 2016

DJ

Matthew 12:34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

I wonder if you have been called a snake before? I know I have been whilst at boarding school. We used it as a term for calling someone a liar.

If we do not have goodness and mercy in our hearts, then we should not expect to be able to talk and do good and merciful things because whatever is in our hearts will come out in what we do one way or another.

I’m pretty sure the people Jesus was addressing would have taken this to heart themselves and not liked it one bit. It is not nice to have someone point out your bad side when you want to promote a good side.

Don’t focus on the bad but rather try to focus on the good we can do in our lives; good for Christ!

March 12, 2016

DJ

Psalm 141:4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

It is very easy to get carried away and give in to temptation doing bad things; but actually making a conscious effort to go out of your way and do something bad is very different.

Our laws define a difference between premeditated murder and killing someone because it is the act of planning something like that which is the true evil part.

God does try to give us advice and guide us as we walk in this world; if we are not making an effort to listen in to Him we risk losing it all!

March 11, 2016

DJ

Psalm 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

This last stanza in this chapter of the Book of Psalms shows how the psalmist wanted God to hear every prayer they lifted up, to consider each one and to answer them.

Why? Because they believed in their hearts God was and is the Good Shepherd who will look out for His sheep just as He had said He would.

Believing God’s Word can be very comforting and uplifting. Knowing God’s Word and carrying it with you is comforting and uplifting.

Believe and trust in our awesome God who can be and is our Good Shepherd.

March 10, 2016

DJ

Luke 15:4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

When Jesus was speaking to the tax collectors, scribes and Pharisees, they would have understood this parable because they were talking about jobs and positions which were current in that day.

When you want to tell people about Christ, how do you talk to them? Do you rattle off a whole string of Old English words you have read in the bible, or do you use life lessons like Christ?

Don’t leave Christ out of the gospel is what we hear a lot of; but why leave the world out of your discussions when you talk about Jesus?

Relate to people as best you can; you are talking to real people!