Thursday, January 15, 2015

Desperately Seeking______?

Deuteronomy 15:11
For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, "You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land".

     As I look out my sliding glass door to my patio, I see trees and humming birds, among other birds flying from tree to tree.  I see cars passing by in the parking lot of my apartment complex, and I see the lot behind us and the traffic on the street on the other side of the lot.  I see people walking to and from their cars and apartments.  Then, slightly north, I see a dumpster, that we take out our trash to almost daily.  It just sits there in the sunlight of the day, and in the moonlight of the night, waiting on us to fill it up.  There is a peculiarity about it when it is topped with the trash, just before dawn, and after dusk, though sometimes in between.  The peculiarity is that desperate people come along and climb into the bin and rummage through it for their "treasures".  Most are from the streets, with no job, and nowhere to lay their heads at night.  They look for plastic or cans and paper to gather to collect money just to eat, or maybe to obtain other substances, or maybe food itself, whatever the case.  These are desperate people looking...looking for something...desperately seeking.

     Desperate people doing desperate things.  Seeking something...or...seeking Someone.  The poor will always be.  Poor because they have no means, or poor spiritually, though it could be both.  We look out our windows and see them searching, and we do nothing, as we sit comfortably in our chairs.  Giving to the poor doesn't always mean giving them money.  Maybe it's a bite to eat, a place to lay their head, or maybe it's food for their soul...the gospel.  Are they sick?  Are they in prison?  Go and help them.  Many people are afraid to go up to a homeless person.  Though there may be some that are harder to approach than others, we can pray for them, or give them a smile.  Everyone needs Jesus.  

     Digging through the trash to find something of value is like us digging for something we yearn for in our hearts.  We seek out things that we think might make us happy and yet they don't.  Nothing we rummage through makes a difference until we find Jesus.  We just need to find the right place to find our treasures.  The poor need that more than ever, because they are mostly forgotten by their family and by society.  They are outcasts.  But you want to know the truth?  So were we.  And, Jesus was basically and outcast in society's eyes.  He did not have a home of His own, and most people ignored Him.  We need to love our neighbor's as ourselves.  Our neighbors are not just those who have a house across the street.  Our neighbors may not even have a house.  Don't ignore those who seem so different than yourselves, just because they aren't as fortunate as you.  Help those in need and God will reward you.

The next time you see a homeless person walking down the street, if nothing else, just say hello.  It may just make a difference.

Sabrina

     



     

     

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Food and Fellowship and Choosing God Over Others

Isaiah 40:11
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather His lambs with His arms, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who with young.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

     We all need to be fed.  We all need others.  And we all need to make a choice between God and others or other things.  If we are going to be ministers to each other, we must first put God first, at all cost, and get fed by the Word of God, and if we must also have fellowship with others.  God gave us a choice in the Garden, Him or ourselves.  We chose ourselves.  We lost fellowship with God and we lost fellowship with each other.  Adam and Eve felt naked and ashamed.  They also could no longer get food for their souls because they were set apart from God.  Adam and Eve made the choice to put their desires first, but should we?  If we are ministers of the Word, whom should we choose?

     We have so many distractions on Sunday morning.  In the fall, there is football.  We also may want to get away for a day, and the day we have left on our calendar is Sunday.  There may be your child's sports or family visits.  Or you may just not want to go to church that day for no good reason.  Are you putting God first and getting fed by His Word?  Like our bodies, our souls cannot function without food.  And we need each other to be accountable to each other and to have the support of fellow brother and sisters in the family of God.

     Let's put our own desires aside for a moment and give God our full attention, not just on Sunday, but everyday.  Keep in fellowship with others as much as you can.  Busyness can keep us from so many things, but we have to make God our first priority or we will starve.  Who is your god today?  And are you hungry and lonely?

Seek ye first the kingdom of God this weekend, and all week.  Be blessed!

Sabrina
     

Thursday, January 8, 2015

The Warrior Is A Child


     Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

     There are sometimes when a warrior gets weak and wants to just go home.  Sometimes we just want to go to our Heavenly Father and cry.  Weariness sets in and we become weak.  Others may see us as strong believers, but we all have our days when we just want to be comforted in our Father's arms.  The Armor of God is there at our own dispense.  God gave it to us to use against the devil's schemes.  Sometimes the devil pierces us so, that we fall down.  But we can get back up, with the help of Jesus.  

     Don't worry when you fall.  Jesus paid the penalty of our sin and He is right there to pick us up.  There is no fear in love, and He loves us.  Being a warrior in Jesus' army is a tough job.  We must always be watchful and we must always be prepared.  We do not, however, need to be discouraged when we fall down.  Stand.  Stand up.  Take a stand, at all costs.  We are fighters until Jesus calls us home to heaven, so stand until then.  We have a friend that loves us better than a brother, and we do not need to fear the enemy, satan.  He is already done for, and his place is in hell.  Our place is with our Father in heaven.  We fight a daily battle, but we have already won in Jesus, so stand up.  And if you fall down, Jesus will be there to pick you up.

There is a warrior in all of us that know Jesus.  God bless.

Sabrina

Thursday, January 1, 2015

What Do You Expect From 2015?

Isaiah 42:8-10
I am the Lord, that is My Name; and My Glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and things new I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of the.  Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

     There are no flying cars.  There are no time traveling vehicles, there are no flux capacitors (that I know of).  We don't use trash for fuel, and skateboard still travel on wheels too, yet, here is the year 2015.  We have however, did travel through time, whether it was from 1955, 1985 or other previous dates.  We had a birth, a childhood and adolescence, and quite possibly now in young adulthood, middle aged, or as we fondly, but mistakenly call, "The Golden Years".  I know it's a bit corny to reference Back to the Future in this blog, but that's been my joke for 2015.  We have no flying cars!  Technology has stopped in it's tracks on that point.  

     What we do have is a new beginning.  A New day, a New week, a New month and of course, a New Year to start afresh.  What do you expect from 2015?  What do you expect from yourself or from God?  Or should the question be, what does God expect from you?  If I were to make a New Year's resolution (which I find mostly useless), it would be to be more compassionate, loving, kind and to help those in need and share the Gospel with many people.  Most resolutions are pointless and unattainable, but if we attain to be more Christ-like, the Holy Spirit will guide us.  There may be trials and tribulations this year, but only so that we can grow in Christ and walk His path.

     2015 will be a very good year.  God makes each day, so it's all good.  What we do when trouble strikes depends on how good we make our days.  I once heard a man say that every day is good, no matter what happens.  This is true in every sense.  This year we all need to make a difference in our behavior, our attitude, our lifestyle, and our walk with God.  God expects from us our devotion, our faithfulness, our trust and our willingness to "go out and make disciples".  This year draw closer to Jesus and do what He commands you to do.

Happy New Year and welcome to 2015 (without flying cars)!

Sabrina