Character: Contrite, Devout, Faithful

    This is the second set of characteristics we need to have as Christians, in our daily walk with Jesus.  Come with me and look at the next three characteristics we should follow, so that the world will see Jesus through us.

4.  Contrite:  "'For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, Whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with a contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite...'"  Isaiah 57:15.

"For my hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being'", declares the Lord.  "'But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word'".  Isaiah 66:2.

     Being contrite in spirit because of our sin is a character trait that is honorable to God.  To be sorry for the wrong we do is the first step actually, that we should take.  Humbly accepting our failures and going to God with them.  He will revive us when our hearts are right with Him.  Accepting the fact that we sin, on a daily, if not hourly basis, tells God that we do indeed have to depend on Him to get our hearts straightened out.

5.  Devout:  "Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him".  Acts 8:2.

"A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing near me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight'!  And at that very time I looked up at him".  Acts 22:12-13.

    Devotion to God is a love that is pure and true, and we must be devout in our relationship with Jesus.  It is what keeps our hearts, mind, soul and body in constant communication with our Lord.  Without devotion, there is no relationship.  God honors those who devotes him or herself to Him.  It is a true Christian heart who is devoted.  It is a must when ministering to a lost and dying world.

The last of the three is being faithful.  Are we faithful?  And if not, how can we be?

6.  Faithful:  "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.  These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful".  Revelation 17:13-14.

     Being faithful is being loyal and trustworthy.  Are we loyal and trustworthy to Jesus?  Devotion and faithfulness goes hand in hand to me.  Without loyalty and trustworthiness we are not faithful.  It takes faithfulness to Jesus to witness to the people around us, and being faithful to those people also.  Gaining trust and being loyal to the people around you will show them the true meaning of Christianity, and how a Christian is suppose to act.  We must go and make disciples, as Jesus commanded, and if our character is out of place, we fail. 

Blessings to you today and the rest of the week.  More to come on how our character should be while we walk with Jesus and minister to others.

Sabrina

*Note:  I will not be blogging tomorrow due to me being out of town.  Friday I will resume.  Thank you.

What is Our Character?

     I want to take three or four blogs to go through what our character should be as Christians in ministry.  I will start with three today.

1.  Attentive to Christ's voice; 1 John 1:3,4

"What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ".

     Our character must be willing to listen to the voice of Christ and the Father's Will for us.  Our selfishness must banish.  We need to be willing to serve others first, so they may fellowship with Jesus.  Listening and being attentive to Christ's voice is essential in ministry.  Doing ministry in our own way will lead to failure.

2.  Blameless and Harmless; Philippians 2:15 "So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among you who appear as lights in the world".

     Our character must remain blameless and harmless.  Live out our lives the way we minister to others and do not harm one another.  Be doers of the Word and not just hearers.  We are God's children, and must not warp our ministry with our sinful nature.  If we do sin, confess and repent, and always forgive those who sin also.

3.  Bold; Proverbs 28:1 "The wicked will flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion".

     This is the last character for this blog.  Being bold in our witness and not backing down in the face of opposition is very important in our ministry.  Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and we must stand against him with boldness for our testimony for Jesus to stand strong.  God says many times in the Bible to "be strong and courageous".  It is crucial that we stand boldly when facing our enemy.

I hope all of you are blessed by God this week and remember that our character and integrity count for our eternity and others' eternity.

Blessings

Sabrina

How Well Do You Live Your Life?

In view of past events since the shooting of Michael Brown, the suicide of Robin Williams, the death of Lauren Bacall, and things that just happen in our life in a tragic and untimely manner, my focus on humor will be preempted for now.

     I was on a cruise to Alaska, having the time of my life, when on the news came tragedy.  The Michael Brown shooting.  The suicide of the great comedian, Robin Williams, and the death of a great legacy, Lauren Bacall.  The death of the teenager who was apparently gunned down, unarmed caused riots in Ferguson, Missouri.  Whether or not the boy was guilty or not, unarmed or armed, it still caused a family to lose a child, and an officer to face ridicule, and riots to break out.  It was sad no matter the true situation.

     Robin Williams was a funny, talented and giving man.  So much so, he didn't have time for himself.  He was lost in a world of pain and suffering and didn't know how to reach out.  He made people laugh and made them feel special but he had something missing in his own life.  He suffered from emotional conflicts and drug addiction that ultimately led him to the most extreme despair.  He had "it all" on the outside, fame and fortune, but was empty on the inside.  We all ask "why"?, but we will never know.

     Lauren Bacall died at the age of 89, of, I believe, a stroke.  She lived her life apparently well.  Her career lasted decades.  She had beauty and grace, and left a lasting legacy.  I have admired her in her films and she seemed to handle life well.  Her family was with her when she died.  God gave her a long life.  It was sad to hear that she had passed, just as it was sad to hear of Michael Brown and Robin Williams.  But with Miss Bacall it was a different life than the others.  It wasn't tragic.

     Coming back from my cruise I came home to some issues of my own.  What is called everyday life, with it's unexpected twists and turns.  How we choose to live our lives in a chaotic world is what really defines us.  Do we choose to live in violence?  Do we choose to give up so easy under pressure?  Do we live life with grace and purpose?  How do we live?  Sometimes discouragement gets in our way and we feel like it will never get any better than this.  Sometimes we vie for rights of others that turn to tragedy in and of itself.  Sometimes we look at discouragement in its face and say, "I've had enough of you, go away"! How well do you live your life?

     James 1:2-8 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf off the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways".  Trials are always a part of our lives.  They are inevitable.  You are either going into a trial, in the middle of a trial, or coming out of one.  The way in which we handle it is our choice, and will ultimately steer your life in one direction or another.  A violent life will lead to violence.  A hopeless life will lead to suicide.  A life with honor will lead to honor.  How well do you live your life?  

     Jeremiah 29:11 says God knows His plans for us and gives us hope, if we'll just accept it.  I was where Robin Williams was 8 years ago.  I came too close to giving up, but by the Grace of God I cried out to Him and am here to tell you about hope.  Praise Jesus!  I'm not trying to preach, I am just sharing that for almost 30 years I wanted to quit this life, and I have found hope.  God is amazing.  I don't always live my life well, but I have hope.  I make mistakes, get discouraged, and even get a little angry at times, but then I look up and realize Who holds my future, and I again cry out to Him.  How well do you live your life?

     These three people will stick in my mind for a long time.  The loss that occurred and how it occurred will never leave me.  One may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.  One had no hope.  One life was long and fulfilled.  What is your life like?

Blessings to each one of you today.  May your life count as something no matter what your situation is today.

Sabrina 

God's Sense of Humor

     Abraham and Sarah laughed at God.  Jacob lied.  David committed adultry and murder.  Jonah ran away.  Mary was a virgin and gave birth to Jesus.  Matthew was a tax collector.  Peter needed anger management.  Thomas doubted.  Martha worried.  The woman at the well had many marriages and was living with a guy.  Barnabus had words with a Paul.  Timothy was just a kid.  Paul hated Christians in the beginning and had them killed.
     Yes, God has a sense of humor.  He used all these people in their sinful ways and in Mary's case, an impossible way, and gave us a life--giving Gospel, despite human error.  He even illustrates us as sheep, in a round about way saying we are stupid.  Yes, humans and sheep alike are stupid.  He loves us so much though that through these men and women, we have His-story, and Jesus came through these people, so that we may be redeemed from laughing at God, lying,  committing adultry or murder, running away from God, cheating people out of money, getting angry, doubting or worrying, or being faithful to one spouse. 
     He also came so that we may not break friendships with harsh word, or not worry about being to young, and worry what others will say about it.  He came to change persecutors lives and make them powerful preachers.  The last laugh is from God.  If you say, "I can't be used".  God will use you in that area you doubt, so watch out and be careful the next time you mess up and think you're in the clear.  God'll get you then.

Lord? Where Are You?

Lord?  Where are You?

"Right here".

I don't see You.

"You're not looking closely".

I don't hear You?

"You're not listening".

I don't feel You.

"You're too far away".

What Lord?  What do You mean?  I'm standing right here.  

"But that's not where I am".

Lord?  Where are You?

"Right here".

OK, Lord, You're fooling with me (little laugh).  Playing hide and seek?

"No, seek and you shall find".

(Scratches head) I don't get it.

"Have you prayed to Me"?

Uh, no.

"Have you read My Word"?

Uh, no.

"Have you gone to church"?

Well...um, no.

"Try doing those things".

A few weeks go by and she prays, reads and goes to church.  

Lord!  There You are!  It's great that You're here!

"I have always been here.  It's great that you're here.  I've waited a long time.  Welcome home.

The Lord puts her in His arms and she is happy.

Never Say Never to God

I left California in 1983.  I grew up there for 21 years.  I never liked it there, living in the desert area of California, in a small town where nothing ever happened except the occasional tipping over cows or in my case, mooing at them and they just stare back at me in curiosity, wondering if I was insane.  Oh sure, as teenagers, we would cruise the main streets on the weekends and hang out at a local shopping center, and yes there would be an occasional drag race.  But to me, I enjoyed bigger and better places.  I dreamed of living in big cities with tons of stuff to eh' keep me in trouble.  I wanted to travel the world and see everything and people of different cultures.  

My first step was a Bible College in Phoenix, Arizona.  A great chance at a "big" city.  Back in 1983, Phoenix was less than a million people, but to me, it was big.  I tried college, and my best class was sleeping in.  Colleges should never allow a 7 a.m. class, especially in a Bible College.  It's a sin to get up that early!  Didn't quite make the college scene and dropped out in 1984.  Got married in 1985 and thought this was going to be great.  Later we had our first son, and Lo' and behold we moved back to California, but to a bigger city near L.A.  Exciting, right?  The problem with a big city is traffic.  That soon got old.

We eventually moved to Montana and had our second and last son.  Montana was fabulous, but troubles entailed.  What could go wrong in Montana?  Well, things happen.  We moved again to the capitol of Montana because my husband went to a trade college.  He graduated and got a good job, but then we decided to move back where his family was, in Illinois.  Exciting, right?  It started out all wrong, but the church I finally settled into there, I loved.  More trouble ensued and there seemed to be no way out.  I loved living in different states, but despised moving.  And guess what?  We ended up in a small town in Southern Illinois.  No more big cities.  Frankly, after Phoenix and L.A. and traffic, I wanted a small town to raise my kids in.  Ironic?

I never knew where God wanted me to be, and I was never happy in a sense.  I had my demons to deal with in spite of everything else.  Life never agreed with me.  God kept prodding me, and I kept ignoring Him.  I came to a place where I found my faith was no faith at all and hit bottom.  I found my new faith and was ready to go where God wanted me to go, as long as it wasn't my hometown.  Two years later, I felt God prodding me to go...and guess where?  Yes!  My hometown in California, with my mom.  Yes, God has a sense of humor in getting our attention to minister to others, when we don't listen.  There are still struggles, but not hopeless struggles as before.  There is hope in our struggle when we walk in faith.  And always remember to never say never to God.  God will look at you and say, "Oh yeah?  We'll see about that".

More on the humor side of the Christian walk to come.  Thank you for reading.

Sabrina

What If?

A Short Story with a Funny Take on Serving Jesus, but Maybe Not So Funny

A scruffy old man was late walking into a large beautiful church.  He had on the rattiest old, torn clothes, while he walked up to the front of the church, walking by nicely dressed people sitting and staring and shunning him.  He reeked because he was homeless and hadn't had a bath in a week.  There were whispers of displeasure that he walked in.  They all gasped at the smell and mocked his dress.  The pastor was preaching eloquently, as always and suddenly stopped, as the old man made it to the altar.  "May I help you?  I am in the middle of a sermon old man".  The old man sat right in front and listened, saying nothing.  The preacher was put out and so uncomfortable, and the deacons asked the man to leave, but he continued to sit and listen.  The people in the seats started to insult him and wanted him to leave, but he sat and was ready to listen to the sermon.

The preacher was indignant, all dressed in the finest suit and tie, with his hair all in place.  He couldn't go on preaching.  "Look mister, you don't belong here.  Go find a shelter", the preacher insisted.  The old man then stood up very boldly and insistently and ask what the preacher was preaching on.  The preacher hesitantly told him Matthew 25:31-46.  The Judgment.  "May I read the passage"?, the old odorous unkempt man asked.  The pastor and all the congregation laughed but let him.  "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.  Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to me.  

Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?  And when did we see You a stranger, and invited You in, or naked, and clothed You?  When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?  Then the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly, I say to you, to the extent you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.

Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me'.  

Then themselves will also answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?  Then He will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me".  These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life".  Every face in the crowd paled as he was talking, including the preacher.  Men and women fainted in their seats and screeched in horror.  Right in front of their eyes, as the old man read, the old man began to change into a beaten, bloody, nail scarred young Man...it was Jesus who walked into the church that day.  Funny, though it may not seem.  Isn't funny how we set standard for others, who can walk into our churches, how they should dress, how they should come from the right background?  But Jesus came for the sinners not the righteous.  And Matthew 25 states if you feed and clothe and help strangers, you are doing it to Him.  I think Jesus in this story got the last laugh, but also grieved for the people who denied Him.