Playing Favorites

No matter what the weather or the time zone you are in as you read this blog today, it is a glorious, blessed day! Each day of our lives is a gift -- a gift of TIME, one of the commodities that can't be bought for any amount of money. How you and I choose to use that gift today is up to us. Part of that choice is deciding who I will spend time with. Our blog today has to do with this choice. This is Katrinka writing again on this Friday. Let's begin with reading the first 13 verses of James 2. It has some great practical advice for us today.

Especially notice the first 7 verses that talk about how a rich man is treated when he comes in, and the contrast with how a poor man is treated in the same assembly. The rich man is honored with the best seat in the house, while the poor man is shunted aside and treated with no respect. James, the inspired writer, goes ahead to explore the motives of such behavior by saying:

"Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world

to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom

promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor.

Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?"(vv. 5-6)

It is just human nature to put some people on a pedestal. For example, when someone from a "royal family" gets married, it makes the news all over the world. That is especially true if the bride is young and beautiful and the groom is handsome and rich! Movie stars attract huge crowds who wait for hours just to get a glimpse of them in person as they walk the red carpet. Yes, it is human nature to want to associate with the rich and famous. We honor them with our admiration and our hard-earned money!

On the other hand, we don't stand in line to see a homeless man search through trash to find something to eat. Human nature turns away from such a sight, despising the man and wanting to stay as far from him as possible. His clothes are dirty and he does not smell of Chanel No. 5. He has nothing to offer us in the way of prestige or contact opportunities! We do not give a party in honor of the poor man who cannot pay his mortgage. Instead, we look up to people who have boo-koos of money which we will never have any part in. It is just human nature, but this is not the Christ-like, spiritual way to live.

"If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,

'Love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right.

But if you show favoritism, you sin..." (vv. 8-9)



The Bible is an amazing book for many reasons, but this is one that validates it's authenticity and inspiration. No ordinary book would be telling us to treat the poor with the same honor and respect as we treat the rich and famous! No ordinary book would be telling you and me to offer food and work to a homeless man just because that is what I would want if I were in his shoes. No ordinary book would tell me to help the woman with several children and not enough food in the house just because I like to eat and have my children going to bed full instead of hungry.

Of course, we need to all be responsible for our own family first, but we should also actually search for opportunities to give someone in need help and comfort. Why? Because if I were in that same place, in that same circumstance of need, I would desperately want someone to reach out and help me. That is why One Life Church has gone into the streets of downtown Houston and offered sack lunches to the homeless. That is why they have collected and passed out warm blankets to help warm the poor in bitter cold weather. When we do such things we are serving our Lord in the way He told us to. We honor the poor in the best way we know how.

Beyond that, Jesus taught us to do that by both His words and His example. He left Heaven and came to earth to live a humble life and die a terrible death just for you and for me! He gave us His new covenant and in it he told us to be merciful and to love our neighbor as ourself. We can't take care of everybody who has need, but we can surely reach out and touch someone -- as many as we are able to help in a responsible way. Physically helping someone often opens their heart to receive spiritual words that can save a soul. Bring light into the darkness in every way that you can! Jesus did.

There was a commercial by a phone company several years ago that said, "Reach out and touch someone!" The thought today is that we can reach out and touch the poor, normal people in need, instead of giving rich and famous people our honor and resources. We can possibly put this into focus by thinking about who we might invite as guests into our home. Why not invite someone who has not got the resources to repay you? that is true giving.

President Obama, Brad Pitt, Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Queen Elizabeth, or Frank Thompson who just lost his job and house -- if I could choose one of these to come to my house for dinner tonight, who would I choose? I still remember that my dear daddy used to say of the President, "He still puts his pants on one leg at a time." Funny, but true! People are just people. We are all equal in God's sight. By reaching out and helping someone who is poor I can show honor to my Lord. Doing this I follow in the footsteps of Jesus because he was of the humble folk and not of the rich and mighty in this world. And now He is reigning at the right hand of the Father in heaven!

Dear Lord, help me to open my eyes to my personal prejudices. Help me to see more clearly the opportunities I have to do good and help others in this world. Make we wise enough to realize that the rich and famous of this world are not to be my "heroes." Instead, give me Jesus Christ as my example and Supreme Lord. To Him be the honor and glory, not to a mere human being!

In Jesus' name I ask it, Amen.

Face in the Mirror

Thursday morning and the week is coming to an end. Don't some weeks just seem to fly by? Let's stop what we may be doing for a couple of minutes so that we can reflect on what God wants to say to us from his Word. We will still be focusing on James 1 today and specifically on verses 19-27. This is Michele again and I am so glad to be able to share with you what God is laying on my heart. I hope that you will share your thoughts as well.

But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For is you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. (v. 22-24) 

Oh boy....does this not speak to my heart right now and bring complete conviction to my spirit! I have always had an over active conscience. For as long as I can remember, I've had a deep need to let others know when I've done wrong and have truly needed to feel that I am forgiven and free of the guilt that comes along with my wrongdoing. As a child, that was my mother. I would tell her some of the silliest things because I just had to confess to someone. I was raised in the church but that was the extent of my spiritual upbringing......it did not extend into my home. Therefore, I was not taught to take my confession to the Lord. But.....I always felt deeply when I had done wrong. I saw it and desperately wanted to do better!

Have you ever gotten up in the morning and as you look in the mirror you notice that there are some things that need to be fixed before you can go about your day? Maybe some bed head, pillow lines on your face, or gunk in your eyes? If you're like me, you probably want to change those things before moving forward. It's great when we do and we then feel much better, but sometimes we just ignore what needs fixed and we continue to feel undone.

It is the same way with our sin life. Often times, we recognize that we are being sinful but we just simply go on. We know good and well what God says about the issue at hand but we ignore him. Or, we feel convicted and deeply want to change in that area, only to fall again. Knowing what God's word says is great and wonderful but we also have to apply it to our circumstances. Always easy? A resounding NO!! Facing sin is not something that is meant to be done alone......we need God's help. God will always be available to assist us.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (v. 25)

Now that I am a devoted Christian who has put my faith and hope in the Lord, I realize that true freedom comes from God alone. Although confessing sin to others is very important, especially to those we have sinned against, we will only find true freedom in Christ. The law is available to us so that we will know when we are being sinful and be aware of what God expects of us. Knowing this does not take away our sinful nature because we are still fallen creatures. We will still sin but freedom comes from the grace that God continues to extend to us. It is only by his grace that we are able to pick back up and move forward. Only by his grace are we able to make the changes in our lives that mold us into the people that God wants us to be. The best part is that God promises to bless us if we will put this into practice.

Lord, I want your blessing in my relationships, in my work, in my every situation. I want to live my life as an example of your life changing salvation. Help me to apply your word to my life today and every day to follow. I want to leave a legacy of holiness with the ones who I am an example to and I can only do that by applying your truth to my life. I love you and need your guidance and wisdom to be all that you want me to be to the ones I love. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Please share your insights. It is always great to hear from you.

Times of Testing

Good afternoon and happy Wednesday to you all! This is Michele writing for you today. We have completed the first book of the Psalms and are now moving into the book of James. Living out our faith life is the central theme of this book. I am excited to see how God will speak to each of our hearts as we join together to study this portion of his Word. We are beginning with James 1:1-18. Go ahead and read it for yourself. Pay close attention to what God is saying to you personally. The following are the verses that struck me as I read:

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (v. 2-4)

This text does not say if, but when, troubles come your way. Life as a Christian does not mean a life of ease. Troubles are a part of life and James is reminding us that they will come our way.....guaranteed. This text also tells us how to respond to the troubles in our life. In fact, the text tells us we are supposed to consider them an opportunity for great joy. What!!! How can we be joyful when we are going through struggles? James is actually telling us that, in the long run, our struggles can bring us great joy as we persevere through them. We certainly should not pretend to be joyful as we struggle.

How about those of us who are parents, maybe starting our own business, or venturing into a brand new chapter in our lives? All of these are bound to bring trials! Trials help us to grow and become the people that God wants us to be. Many successful parents and entrepreneurs had to muddle through very hard times in order to raise their wonderful adult children or grow their business. In the end, they have great joy!! That is, if they were dependent upon God to develop their endurance along the way. And, God will give us wisdom as we persevere: "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you, he will not rebuke you for asking" (v. 5). The encouraging promise here is that we always have God to lean on. We will not have real wisdom without the help of our Heavenly Father. It is just a matter of asking!

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (v. 12) 

We are all tested and tempted in this life. We always need to remember that God will test us but only Satan will tempt us. Satan will use the people or situations in our life that mean the most to us in order to bring temptation. This text goes on to tell us that if we give in to our evil desires sin will fester and ultimately bring death......in a very progressive manner. Death to our Christian convictions, our morals, and our values. If we depend on God to help us endure, we will not have to face our evil desires on our own. We have the conqueror of all evil on our side! I certainly want to receive all that God has promised me.....even if that means enduring whatever life on this earth will bring!

Dear Lord, please fill me with wisdom to live my life in a way that will honor you. Help me to depend on you, knowing that you have all my trials already solved. Please help me to persevere as I face whatever this life brings my way. Help me to keep my eye on the prize of ultimate eternal life with you. That is great joy!! Amen.

Please share your thoughts about this text with us! There is so much to gain from sharing with other believers. Please join in! We would live to hear from you!

"Help! I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up!"

Hello bloggers! How happy it makes all of us to be together again! This is Katrinka writing today. Please help by adding something to the thoughts I have written today. It blesses us all to share! I love to read your comments! Chris and Michele, along with the children, are enjoying a rare "time out" from their busy schedules. I pray their time is a happy and blessed one!

Maybe you are old enough to remember the commercial that this title is taken from? It was funny, but if you are in that situation, it is definitely NOT funny! Life is like that, isn't it? Many times in our life we are brought to a point where we really have very little control over our circumstances. Without a helping hand, we just can't get up! That is one of the great blessings of being a child of God -- we can lean on Him and know that He "has the whole, wide world in His hands." He is our Helper and our Comforter. Help is on the way!

At the same time, Jesus has made it really clear that He wants all of his children to be a helper, to be a blessing to others in this hard old world. Remember that Jesus said: "Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7). Today, in this chapter -- Psalm 41 -- I was struck with that same promise:

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; 

the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.

The Lord will protect him and preserve his life" (v. 1)

Only in Jesus have we been taught to treat other people just like we would like for them to treat us. This principle of caring for others is a constant thread that weaves the Christian's life together. Because God loves us, we should love other people. God uses you and me to be His hands in this world. When we show that we care, in every way that we can, we show the love and compassion of God. On the other hand, when we look around at the selfishness and "me first" attitudes that most people have, we witness what happens in the world when Jesus and God are left out. It's not a pretty sight.

One day while in a foreign land I saw this contrast clearly demonstrated. I was walking up long, steep stairs leading from a subway station. I was hauling a few shopping bags and my legs were getting tired. In front of me I saw an old woman -- stooped and lame. She was struggling to drag a huge, heavy sack of potatoes up the stairs. People rushed by her rudely. Some people ran into her and gave her a dirty look because she was in the way, holding up traffic. No one offered to help. No one put themselves into her shoes and realized how hard it was for her to go on alone. There was no sign of mercy and no compassion in anyone there.

I was with a young man who is a sincere Christian. He saw what was happening and went over to help the old woman. He reached down and, with a smile, was about to pick up her bag of potatoes and carry it up the stairs for her. I will never forget the look on her face. I saw her suddenly transform from a weak, old woman into a furious, raging maniac! She was yelling her head off and pounding the young man with her fists! The problem was that she had absolutely no clue that someone might try to help her. It was inconceivable that a young man would care about her problem! Instead, she misjudged him completely because the concept of helping was beyond her. In the mind of this old woman, the young man was a thief who was trying to steal her precious potatoes! There was no alternative.

Such is life when people grow up without mercy or caring. It is a "dog-eat-dog" world -- and that is such a cold, sad state of mind and soul. Even in atheistic societies it is not unusual for people to take care of those they love, to help their own family and friends. What is totally strange is for a person to help someone they do not know at all. The ability to even notice that someone may need help -- that comes from  the Lord. Our Jesus taught that true religion is to help the orphans and widows (people who cannot take care of themselves so well) and to live a pure life as much as we can. When there is no religion at all, mercy and care vanish.

When you and I give help to others we can be sure that we will receive help in return.That is God's promise. It is true that it is more blessed to give than to receive. But there comes a time when those who have been the "givers" will need care and help themselves. The circle of life is so that God supplies someone to help us after we have done all we can to help others. No one can be only a caretaker. Each of us will come to a time when we must also be on the receiving end. God supplies that help when we need it. He never leaves us with nothing and no one, as long as we are in His family. Jesus said:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds

and praise your Father in Heaven."  (Matthew 5:16)

Loving hearts and serving hands -- that's what this life is all about! And I thank God for all the opportunities I have had to serve others. Now, as I am growing older, I am also thankful beyond words for His human "angels" who come to help me in things I can no longer do. Yes, dear family of God, we ARE blessed in Christ Jesus our Lord! Have you helped someone today? If not, do so! To God be the Glory!

When the Lion Comes

Grace and peace to each of you today, followers of Chris' blog, and more important, followers of Jesus Christ our Lord! This is Katrinka writing today. It is my hope that you will add your thoughts to those which I have written. Sharing makes is so much more fun! I always go back for several days and see what others have added to the previous lessons. It is encouraging to see you here today! Thank you for joining in!

Today we are sharing the reading of Psalm 40. I have read it several times and thought it over, and I hope you will too. What struck me was that it seems to have some of the same characteristics as my real life. That is what is amazing about Scripture, it never gets out-of-date. Inspired writers filled with the Spirit of God gave us food and encouragement for every day and every situation we meet in our modern everyday lives.

In the beginning of this Psalm I see blessed relief and thankfulness! David, as king of Israel, was often in really bad and unpleasant circumstances. His song of relief and thanks for the help the Lord provided comes first:

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry,

he lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,..."

a hymn of praise to our God." (vv.1-3).

As I read this, the word "patiently" jumped right out at me, and I am thinking, "If I were the one sitting in the slimy pit of mud and mire, would I be waiting patiently for help?" I don't think so! I would be panicking! I would be yelling and flailing my arms trying to find something to grab onto! And the worse part would be that I would be thinking about all the snakes, leaches, and other slimy stuff in that mud about to make me their lunch! If it were quicksand and I could not feel anything solid underneath, you can be sure I would begin to pray, but not patiently! I want relief and I want it NOW!

How about you? Do you think you have the calm faith to be praying and "waiting patiently" when things in your life get really out of your control? This quality of faith that David has must come from spiritual exercise. This is a man who has done his "spiritual aerobics" By this time in his life, David has had a lot opportunities to experience the power of God in his life. David knows by now that true help comes only from God, the Lord.

The shepherd boy David still lives in the grown man, King David. Inside his soul still lives the boy who had the faith to meet Goliath the Giant when everybody else was terrified and and running away in panic. This kind of patience that David shows definitely comes from experience, from the fact that God always comes through and "sets his feet on a rock." Here in Psalm 40 we read that David has experienced it again! He has been rescued and put into a place again where he can "stand" and assume control of his life. He praises God in song with his whole heart!

You and I can become strong in the Lord in the same way, by keeping on trusting Him and seeing His deliverance in our lives. Jesus told his followers to "become as little children" if we want to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Our children have their own "heroes" such as Spiderman or Batman. They play and pretend to have such super-powers. They like to be the invincible one who wins every battle because of some special "force" or ability that puts their abilities over the abilities of normal people. This is all in good fun, of course. But Superman and Spiderman cannot give me or my child the real power he allegedly has. But there is One who can! Jesus Christ!

We are God's children if we are washed in the blood of Jesus and set him up in our lives as our Hero! We know about His amazing power --  and that is real power! We know of His amazing love and protection that He gives -- and that is real! We know that He does not have to go into a phone booth to change clothes before he can come to our rescue when we call! We have the Lord God Almighty --  the One who created earth and heavens -- watching over us! We have the King of kings leading our small band of soldiers as we meet the hoards of the enemy, Satan, in battle every day of our lives. Wow! What Power we can call on in time of trouble!

And now I need to ask myself , "If the proverbial  LION comes into my life today, will I call for help from my God and then 'patiently wait' for the deliverance He will surely bring?" I may not get immediate rescue, immediate removal of the lion or the situation immediately resolved, but I have the promise of God that He will bring the Victory! Wait on the Lord, and be faithful for as long as it takes. He will OVERCOME, and I will overcome right along with my God, praise the Lord! Come! Let's follow Him with a song of thanks in our hearts!

Running Out of Time

All of God's blessings to you, my friend! Ready for a conversation with God? Let's do it! But first let's remember to let God be the one who decides what we need to hear. The conversation starts with him, the sovereign King.

I'm taking in the thoughts of Psalm 39 on this beautiful Thursday. It's not expressing the mood I feel today. I'm up and this text is down. But before I move away from it, there may still be something I should hear. So I'm giving it a second read and a third... Here's one thing that I think God wants me to apply:

Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. My life is no longer than my hand! My whole lifetime is but a moment to you. Proud man! Frail as breath! A shadow! And all his busy rushing ends in nothing. He heaps up riches for someone else to spend. (v. 4-5)

Thank you for that reminder, God. But I'm all too aware of it. I think a lot about how quickly the time passes, how fast the years seem to be blowing by. I see it especially in my children as they grow. A lifetime seems long when you think about it, but the actual living of it goes by so fast. And I wonder how many people rush through their lives and one day come to the moment of their death and realize that they never got around to truly living.

I don't want to be that guy! I don't want to waste my life on trivial stuff. I don't want to fail to experience the joy of the little blessings. I don't want to miss out on the big ones either just because I was too afraid to trust God and take a risk. I want to spend the time I should with my kids, my loved ones and my friends, and especially my God. I want to accomplish something I can take with me into eternity, something that will last and continue to make ripples for good after I'm gone. I can't let the clutter of this life keep me from what's most important. There is only so much time...and then it's gone.

It isn't exactly inspiring but it is motivational. God has given me my one life to live here and now. And it's not going to last long.

And so, Lord, my only hope is in you. (v. 7)

I'm going to live a whole lot longer on the other side of death than I will on this side. It's like comparing an inch worm to light ray from the furthest star, multiplied exponentially into infinity. So yes, I'm going to live now in preparation for then. I'm going to make sure that I use this little test run we call "life" to launch me into the real thing yet to come! There's just no other way that makes sense.

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I Feel So Guilty

Welcome to today's conversation with God! I hope these times in God's Word are strengthening to you and bring you closer to God. Today, let's settle into Psalm 38 for a few minutes. Give it a reading. Is there anything that stands out to you or speaks to your life right now? This psalm is a prayer of repentance and a plea for mercy and healing. So it's very specific to those times when we know that we have sinned against God and we feel the distance that our sin has created between him and us.

My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. (v. 4)

Guilt can be good and guilt can be bad. It depends on what is causing it and how you deal with it. There's true guilt and false guilt. True guilt is when you have done something wrong or failed to do something good that you should have done. It's like your conscience's smoke detector. It's going off, alerting you that you screwed up and you need to do something to fix it. False guilt is when you feel bad about something that you really shouldn't. Maybe it's guilt that someone else loads on you unfairly. Or maybe it's just you beating yourself up. But either way, guilt is heavy and it sucks the life out of you if you let it hang around.

So what to do? The solution isn't to lose your conscience. It's there for a good reason! If you keep repeating what you did wrong you'll eventually stop feeling bad about it. But that doesn't mean you're alright. Quite the opposite, it just means you've gone numb inside. You've stopped feeling what you should. You've let the smoke detector's batteries die. The threat is still there; you're just not hearing the alarm anymore.

The thing to do with guilt is deal with it. Figure out the source. Is it true or false guilt? If it's true guilt, the solution is found right here:

I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.... O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior. (v. 18, 21-22)

Give it to God. Own up. Admit it. And ask forgiveness. If you've received Jesus as your Savior, then the price has already been paid for your sin. Claim it. And then celebrate God's mercy and grace!

If it's false guilt, let it go. Identify it as an unfair burden and refuse to carry it. Give it to God, too. Affirm to him that you aren't subject to anyone else's judgment. You only answer to God. You are free to live under his loving rule and let his word be your guide. You are free from the bondage of other people's rules and expectations. God, it's good to be free!

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