National Morality

The Law

Matthew 5:17-20 KJV

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Many people think the old testament is obsolete because Christ fulfilled the law. However, as we learn in these scriptures, Christ didn't come to destroy (make obsolete) the law, but to fulfill it. There isn't any part of the law that should be changed until it is fulfilled. The law is good.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that one can earn salvation by living by the law, but that doesn't mean that the law is something to be ignored either. It would do us well to study the law and the prophets and see why those commands were given to the people in the first place.

Let It Shine

Matthew 5:14-16 KJV

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

When we become children of God by accepting Christ's free gift of salvation, we become light to the world. We are to shine for Jesus. We are to share Him with others so they can come to know HIm, too. We can not hide our lights.

First, we couldn't even if we tried because light overtakes darkness. Secondly, what good is a light that doesn't reach those around it? We must share Jesus!

Guidelines for Life

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 KJV

12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

You can learn much by knowing those who are over you. You need to help others by calling out errors, helping those who are poor or weak and making sure to stop evil from escalating. Above all, be ever thankful and always be in prayer.

Do All in Jesus' Name

Colossians 3:12-17 KJV

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We are to put on mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, peace and thankfulness. Dwell (live) in God's wisdom and teach that to others. Sing songs of praise to God and do all things in Christ's name. Follow His example, strive to live like Him and bet thankful for an example to live by.

Saying Yes to One Thing Means Saying No to Something Else

I have been behind on catching up with some old emails. I finally had time to try to get caught up. The following are two devotionals that my mother sent me. How appropriate that I read them both on the same day because they go together.

I have learned (but needed to be reminded) that saying yes to one thing usually means I am saying no to something else. Sometimes, what I said no to is what I should have said yes to.

I pray you would read and ponder these thoughts shared by Pastor Rick Warren.

Learn to Pause and Pray Before Adding to Your Schedule

You Can Accomplish More By Doing Less

He Was Faithful

Daniel 6:3-5 KJV 

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

I was led to read the story of Daniel and the lion's den this morning. When I opened my Bible, I wasn't expecting much as I have read and studied this story many times before, but as always, God surprised me. I shouldn't be surprised-

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ~ Hebrews 4:12

His Word became alive to me this morning and I was able to see something that I am sure I saw before, but it went deep in my soul this morning.

Daniel was a success. As I am sure many people know, there are those who get jealous of those whom experience success and instead of trying to become successful themselves, they try to tear down those who are. That is the case here.

Daniel was lifted to a position of authority in the kingdom and those under him didn't appreciate having to answer to an Israelite. They took it upon themselves to find a fault in him in which to use against him. But guess what? They couldn't find anything!

Oh, how I wish I could say the same thing! This is what bothers me the most about my life. People will look at my life and say that I'm a hypocrite because of such and such. Now, what they see may be a one time mistake in my life, or something that was true in the past but isn't anymore, or it may be something that I struggle with and am learning to have victory over, but that doesn't stop them from using it as a fault against me.

How I wish I could be like Daniel! Those men tried hard to find fault against him and had to make something up to catch him in a fault and even when they did that, it wasn't really a fault--He was faithful to God no matter what! That is as far from a fault that you can get.

My prayer is that I can live a life without fault before my God. I pray that even if others find fault within me that it be a "fault" like Daniel's and not really a fault at all. I pray that I am always faithful to my God and that no fault may be found in me.

Everything is Sacred

Let Go and Let God

Life Preserver

Deuteronomy 6:24-25 KJV

And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Many people see God as a controlling God who gives us rules to follow because He is mean. What they do not realize is that God's commands are not a list of do's and don'ts just to control us. God gives us His commands for our good!

If we follow His commands, we will experience a life like no other-an abundant life. His commands actually give freedom. His commands help keep us safe and healthy (physically, emotionally, and spiritually).

Just as parents give rules and guidelines to our children to keep them safe, so does God. We know more than our children so we use our knowledge to help guide them in the right way. So it is with God. He knows far more than we do, so He guides us on our way through His commands

Life Preserver-

A life preserver restricts you in some ways. It is bulky and sometimes seems as it gets in our way. However, why do we wear a life preserver? We wear one to help us survive!

We put life preservers on our children who do not know how to swim or who are not strong swimmers so they don't drown. We wear them as a precaution when we are in rough waters. Although they are restrictive, we gladly wear them for a short time for our safety.

It is the same with God's laws. They may seem restrictive, but they are there for our safety. They will keep us safe for the short time on this earth so that we can experience eternity with Christ in heaven instead of being in eternal torment in hell.

God wants to preserve you. Put on His life preserver today!

Seek the Lord!

Isaiah 55:6-12 KJV

 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

I've heard many people say they will give their lives to Jesus later. They want to continue in their sin, so they wait. Unfortunately, there will come a day when it will be too late. It may be because their life has come to an end or because Christ has come back. In either case, they should, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near."

God will have mercy on anyone who turns to Him. It doesn't matter how wicked he may have been, God will pardon him.

God does not think the same way we do. His thoughts are so much greater than we can ever imagine. It doesn't matter if you think what you've done is unforgiveable-He will forgive!

His word will not return void.

His Word will change lives! When you accept Him, you will be changed and will experience inexpressible joy at the love and mercy God shows.

In Thine Heart

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 KJV 

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

At the core of life is the knowledge of who God is and how to relate to Him. These two essentials form us and how we live.

The knowledge of who God is-We must study His Word and get to know God. We must form a personal relationship with Him. This leads to how we relate to Him. We must know His commands. We must make them a part of our lives.

Not only must we know His commands, we must share our knowledge with others, especially our children. We should talk about God no matter what we are doing. Our homes should be filled with His Word--not only read and spoken, but on the walls and doorposts. God, and His Word, must be the center of our lives.

As parents, we must be intentional about sharing God with our children. He must be a part of every aspect of our lives.

So many parents see these verses as directives to home school children. We are to "teach them diligently" (emphasis mine) at all times. How can we do that if our children spend a third of their day under the tutelage of humanistic thinking?

The Great Commandment

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 KJV

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

There is one God. There is only one Creator. There is only one.

Some people will say that it doesn't matter who someone serves as long as they serve an higher power, but I'm here to tell you it does matter because there  is only one God.

God tells us that there really is only one commandment as well. If we remember this one, great commandment, then we will follow the rest of His commands out of love.

We are to love God with all we have. All our heart. All our soul. All our might.

God gave His all for us. We must give our all for Him.

We cannot just love Him a little. We can't just love Him 1/2 way. We must give Him all our love. If you do, you will study His Word and seek to know Him better. You will strive to have a relationship with Him.

All Have Sinned

Romans 2:1-4 

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

People often tell Christians that we are not to judge others; however, God's Word tells us that we can (Matthew 18:15-17 and James 5:19-20 are just a couple of examples). The problem with judging others is doing it self-righteously.

If we judge others all the while thinking we are sinless, there is a problem. We are all sinners!

We need to remember that we will be judged by the same standards we use to judge others. God is the only true judge and His judgements are righteous. We will not escape judgement as all will stand before the throne of God.

Just as we will be judged for our wrong doings, we will also be judged for the times we denied His "riches of his goodness". We should welcome with open arms all He has for us. And we should extend those same blessings to others. Just as Christ has forgiven us and shown us grace & mercy, we should forgive and show grace and mercy to others.

Perfect God

Be Refreshed

Isaiah 55 

 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
 6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

When we are weary we can go to God and be refreshed. He will fulfill our needs and grant peace to our souls. We do not need to work hard as it is a gift of grace!

Seek Him! When we search for God, we will find Him. He is in our baby's smile, in the flower that blooms, and in the sun that shines. We can find Him everywhere if we look!

We need to remember that God has a way of doing things that we may not understand and that is okay. He has a reason and a purpose for everything.

Listen to Him.

Read His Word. It will do it's work in you.

Hide it in your heart and it will bring forth fruit in abundance.

We can take joy in what He is doing in our lives.

Even the snow is beneficial to the earth and so can the hard times in our lives be if we rest in His plans for us.

Transform

I was challenged this year to come up with a word for the year for myself. After prayer and consideration, I decided (or rather God showed me) that I truly did need to have a word to focus on for 2016.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

~ Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 tells us to not become like the world, but instead to transform our minds with God's Word.

God's ways are different from the world's and we need to be okay with that. We will suffer if we try to fit into this world and follow God's commands at the same time. We need to change our hearts and minds to be in compliance to His--a change in our soul--a transformation.

I long to be transformed into whom God desires me to be. I desire to be transformed like a woman who God will use for His glory. It is only when I give up my old self and the control I desired before will I complete God's desire/will for me.

A CHRISTMAS STORY TO REMEMBER

A CHRISTMAS STORY TO REMEMBER

Author: Rian Anderson

It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been  enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas.
We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible.
I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though I was too busy wallowing in self-pity.
Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what..
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed.
"I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high side boards on.
After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood - the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, "what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what?
Yeah," I said, "Why?"
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.
"What's in the little sack?" I asked. Shoes, they're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy? Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us; it shouldn't have been our concern.
We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt, could we come in for a bit?"
Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp.
"We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children - sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out.
"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak.
My heart swelled within me and a joy that I'd never known before filled my soul. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his angels to spare us."
In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it.
Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their Pa and I was glad that I still had mine.
At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved away.
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say, May the Lord bless you, I know for certain that He will."
Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough.
Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that, but on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children. For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.

The Black Dot

The following was sent to me in an email. I have no idea who started it, but it is good. If you happen to know, please let me know so I can give credit!

The Black Dot: A Beautiful and Inspiring Story!

This beautiful story has a simple, yet important message. I hope as

many people as possible give it a read. I know I am happy I read it,

as it gave me a few things to think about in my own life. Sometimes

it is the simplest of stories that make us ponder the most.

 

Faith That is Alive

James 2:21-26

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

This scripture gives us two examples of how our faith must be alive with works.

Abraham demonstrated his faith by doing what God said even though it meant putting his only son on the altar. He had faith that God would save Isaac or resurrect him.

Rahab also put feet to her faith when she hid the Israelites and trusted them to keep their word. She could have lost her life, but she trusted God would keep her safe.

Our works show our faith is alive just as our spirit shows our body is alive. Would people come to know Christ if Christians were dead? No! Let us be alive and do good works!