Are We Any Different?

The Good News Today Is...we are able to grow in our faith.

This from EBulletin:

The crowd retorts with, what must we do to be doing the works of God? There is but one work, according to Jesus, that leads to eternal satisfaction, believing on the one whom God has sent. The work that is necessary is the exercise of faith. They must believe. Then Jesus offers himself not only as the object of belief but as the very Bread of Life. Amazingly this crowd, who only hours before had witnessed Jesus feeding in excess of five thousand people, immediately asks for a sign from him so they can believe him. We may be taken aback at their lack of faith and seeming audacity in asking for a sign when most of the crowd had undoubtedly witnessed a number of signs already. But are our own responses so very different? Do we recognize, appreciate and meditate upon the signs of God’s presence and power in our own daily experience? Do we recognize the sacred in what we so often take for granted as the “common” things of life?

Walk through your day knowing that Jesus is in it and revel at the many miracles you witness at every turn. Make your faith solid in Him and be satisfied.

What I Think I Heard

The Good News Today Is...Christians can communicate...you just have to know the lingo. This published by the Evangelical Press Association-enjoy...I did.

As a public service, here are some common phrases used in the church, along with their English-language equivalents:

Christianese: "If it be God's will."
Translation: "I really don't think God is going to answer this one.

Christianese: "Let's have a word of prayer."
Translation: "I am going to pray for a long, long, long time."

Christianese: "That's not my spiritual gift."
Translation: "Find someone else."

Christianese: "Fellowship"
Translation: "Organized gluttony."

Christianese: "The Lord works in mysterious ways."
Translation: "I'm totally clueless."

Christianese: "Lord willing . . ."
Translation: "You may think I'll be there, but I won't."

Christianese: "I don't feel led."
Translation: "Can't make me."

Christianese: "God led me to do something else."
Translation: I slept in instead of going to church.

Christianese: "God really helped me with this test."
Translation: "I didn't study but I guessed good, so I'm giving God credit in the hope that He helps me again."

Christianese: "She has such a sweet spirit!"
Translation: "What an airhead!"

Christianese: "I have a 'check' in my spirit about him."
Translation: "I can't stand that jerk!"

Christianese: "I'll be praying for you."
Translation: "There's an outside chance I'll remember this conversation later today."

Christianese: "Prayer concerns"
Translation: "Gossip"

Christianese: "In conclusion . . . "
Translation: "I'll be done in another hour or so."

Christianese: "Let us pray"
Translation: "I'm going to pretend to talk to God now, but I'm really preaching at you."

Christianese: "You just have to put it in God's hands."
Translation: "Don't expect me to help you."

Christianese: "God wants to prosper you!"
Translation: "Give me all your money."

In Pursuit

The Good News Today Is...we have many ways to pursue God. I found this review of Anne Lotz Graham's Book; Pursuing More of Jesus on the Christianity.com website. It gave me a lot to think about as I go through my day today. It made me realize that I often live and I am comfortable with, leaving Jesus in the background. Here are the bullet points - I think I will post them somewhere I can't ignore them, so I remember Jesus throughout the day.

• Go for the maximum, not the minimum.
• Pursue more of His voice in your ear.
• Pursue more of His tears on your face.
• Pursue more of His praise on your lips.
• Pursue more of His death in your life.
• Pursue more of His dirt on your hands.
• Pursue more of His hope in your grief.
• Pursue more of His fruit in your service.
• Pursue more of His love in your home.
• Pursue more of His courage in your convictions.
• Pursue more of His nearness in your loneliness.
• Pursue more of His answers to your prayers.
• Pursue more of His glory on your knees.

Truly those who seek shall find...those who pursue will be blessed. Have a blessed day!

The Lion and The Lamb

The Good News Today Is...the lion will lay with the lamb....


Ever since I was very young this has fascinated me. Imagine, the mightiest and fiercest laying with those they have hunted and killed, in perfect harmony. So gentle, a small child need not fear being around them. The imagery of the lion and lamb together without conflict is a powerful image today and probably more so in Isaiah's time. Think of this - the prophet proclaiming, "They will neither harm nor destroy on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isa 11:9) Hallelujia!

Persistence

The Good News Today Is...persistence pays off. I just read this daily devotional by Charles Stanley. It was exactly the bit of encouragement I needed for today because I have been feeling a bit burned out lately. Sometimes just reminding myself to do the things I need to do daily to keep on the right track seems to be a burden. Usually I read the word of God and have my quiet prayer time and it all seems so wonderful, but there are those days when it seems like it is burdensome...just another thing to do. Ah - but to be reminded that God blesses those who patiently endure - that is the word that makes me go forth in faith. Thank you God for your encouraging words this day!

What Did You Do With What I Gave You?

The Good News Today Is....we have much. I read a devotional today that asked the question, "How will you respond to God when He asks you the question, 'what did you do with all that I gave you?'" This particular woman who wrote this devotional talked about going to Africa and seeing true poverty, yet true happiness, and the spirit of helping others. She compared it to the United States where we have so much - most of us have a roof over our heads, plenty of food and plenty of toys. What do we do with what God has given us? We have more wealth than any other nation, yet we struggle just to pay our bills. We don't give freely of what we have because we want more stuff and more toys. Most of us have at least a high school education and many of us have a college education, also. What do we do with what God has given us? Do we use our education to accumulate more wealth and buy more toys? How will we explain that to God when we see him? The Good News is that we have much and that means we have much to give. Give freely of your money and of yourself, doing good wherever you can. We would live in a much happier place if each of us thought about having to explain to God what we did with all that He gave us.

Black and White and Color

The Good News Today Is...we can take a few moments....please click here. Enjoy!

De-Baptism

The Good News Today Is... we cannot be "de-baptized." I had never heard of this term before until I read an article in Religion Today. Apparently it isn't all that new of a concept - so I guess my head has just been in the sand. Atheists all over the world are having de-baptizing ceremonies and giving out certificates of de-baptism. They are trying to renounce a decision for baptism that they say their parents made, or they were too young to understand, and now that they've "grown up", they understand that reason is better than religion. Well, too bad for them, God will not turn His back on His children. They can turn their back on God - but He will forever be God the Father to them. Baptism was their acceptance into the family of God. It answered the question "Who's your daddy?" once and for all. They will just have to get over it!

Hell No

The Good News Today is.....we can...

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says~~
"Oh Crap, She's up!"

The Church

The Good News Today Is...we are the church. That was the sermon yesterday and that was the topic of another blog I read this morning. I don't usually forget that people are the church and the building is just the meeting house. The important thing that I do sometimes forget is that God has a building plan and a vision for his people, the church. We are the raw materials God has to work with as He is building the church. In light of that we should try to be the people that God has in mind for the church. We sit on a perfect foundation, the cornerstone Jesus Christ. Even so, we do not build a very sturdy church because we follow our own visions and work our own ways. Learning to follow God's vision for our lives would strengthen the church and then, the meeting house would become a place of true worship.....wonderful!

Friends

The Good News Today Is...we have friends. Sometimes that feels like a good thing and sometimes that feels like a hard thing. Friends often say things to us that no one else would. Sometimes it is out of honesty, sometimes out of jealousy. Friends help us when we're down, sometimes, but sometimes they don't. The thing is, friends are people just like us and they can be the best things in our lives, or they can be the most hurtful things in our lives. Remember poor Job. When his life started to go down the toilet (pardon the expression) his friends became judgmental and tried to get him to turn against God. Yet Job held steadfast. In the end he did not hold a grudge against his friends. "After Job prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10). Are you having issues with a friend, or is life hard on you right now? Give it all to God in prayer. You will be okay.

God's Purpose for My Life

The Good News Today Is...there are those who are willing to share their prayers with us.

Lord, I want to know the woman You had in mind when You created me. I don't want to grow old and never know Your purpose for my life. Show me your dreams for my life so I can offer what You want to give to those around me through my unique desires, personality strengths, spiritual gifts, abilities and experiences. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

This is the perfect prayer and I'm glad I found it.

Rebellion

The Good News Today Is...even though we are a rebellious people, we can learn not to rebel against God. I was reading an article written by Charles Stanley about rebellion against God. Of course it is our choice whether we rebel or not, it is the freedom we are allowed. What surprised me in this article was the description of what rebellion against God is. Things like resisting authority figures in our life, refusing God's call on our life, pursuing things that are forbidden morally, pursuing the right things in the wrong way, wanting immediate gratification, not letting go of our past, etc. The list goes on and on. The problem is as I evaluate my life, I can find myself in at least one of these rebellious states...and I didn't even realize that was what I was doing. It is a difficult thing to look at ourselves the way God looks at us and not the way the world looks at us. We need to measure our actions and thoughts in a way that others do not. It is something we need to take seriously everyday- there are consequences for our rebellion. I would rather face the sneers by my peers as I make my choices, than the consequences from God that come from being pressured into acting in worldly ways.

Who Said That?

The Good News Today Is...It is never too late to learn your scriptures. I took a quiz at the Christianity Today site called Who Said That 1. Funny how when you're reading a quote from the bible it sounds so familiar, you know you've read it before, but you just can't remember who said that. I didn't do all that bad, I got 7 out of 10 right. It just seems like I should have known all of them. Taking those little quizzes reminds me that I should spend a little more time reading and learning the scriptures. You never know when you spend a bit of time doing that just how handy the knowledge might be. I mean, other than getting a better score on a quiz, scripture has this way of making us a better person and teaching us to deal with life's little inconsistencies without freaking out. Open your bibles and read today. It will bless you!

What to Do?

The Good News Today Is...God is always with us. I read a great blog post at the Crosswalk site by Van Walton about God's will for our lives. Sometimes we don't always feel like God is too clear about what we should do next or what ministry we should do. I loved this excerpt from Van Walton that reminds us that God is wherever we are and that is how we should live...which will bring us in accordance with God's will.

"It really doesn't matter where you are. You are in me and I am in you. Wherever you live, wherever you go, wherever you work, you will find people who need Me. Introduce them to your heavenly Father. Live a life that encourages others to seek Me. Love all people. Teach them how to live. Use your life, your actions, and My Word. This is what you can do whether you live here or there. Remember, wherever You go, I am with you. Wherever you go take me with you and let your light shine."

We are not going to get step by step instructions and if we keep waiting for them we will miss out on the opportunities that we are presented with to do ministry in our everyday lives. If you really want to do what God is leading you to do follow the above...I don't think you can go wrong.

Kids Say the Cutest Things

The Good News Today Is....we can wrap ourselves in the joy of our children. Children see the world in a pure way. They are ambivalent to social norms and preconceived affronts. Is it any wonder that Jesus told his disciples that unless people come to him as little children, they will not see the kingdom of heaven? We need to drop all the pretenses of religion and open our eyes to look at the wonders of our God as if we are children. That being said, enjoy the way these 4th graders finished the beginning of some of the more well known proverbs. The original article can be found on the Preaching Today Website. Read them and smile....

A 4th-grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in the class the first half of the proverb, and asked them to come up with the rest. Here is what they came up with:
Better to be safe than... punch a 5th grader.
Strike while the... bug is close.
It's always darkest before... daylight savings time.
Never underestimate the power of... termites.
You can lead a horse to water but... how?
Don't bite the hand that... looks dirty.
No news is... impossible.
A miss is as good as a... Mr.
You can't teach an old dog... math.
If you lie down with dogs... you will stink in the morning.
Love all, trust... me.
The pen is mightier than... the pigs.
An idle mind is the... best way to relax.
Where there is smoke, there's... pollution.
Happy is the bride who... gets all the presents.
A penny saved is... not much.
Two is company, three's... The Musketeers.
None are so blind as... Helen Keller.
Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded.
If at first you don't succeed... get new batteries.
You get out of something what you... see pictured on the box.
When the blind lead the blind... get out of the way.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry... and you have to blow your nose.

Peace Be With You

The Good News Today Is....there is peace to be found. Even in the toughest of times and the most hectic days, God is our refuge.

Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace.
Let peace fill my heart,
my world, my universe.
Amen.

Mercy, Justice and Humbleness

The Good News Today Is..."And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Mic 6:8) How we forget these words when we get carried away with emotions and hurts. I am still thinking about being immersed for several days with the extended family and how things happened between sisters and brothers and nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. Harsh words with little mercy become the norm when people are focused on themselves instead of on treating others justly. There is much healing needed in this world and it would do us all well to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. A few random acts of kindness would go a long way also.

Reputations

The Good News Today Is...the party is over. Celebrations are wonderful and having family around is terrific, but there is something to be said for getting back to the routine of everyday life. I am thankful that things are beginning to settle back down. The scripture reading for today is "Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." (Proverbs 22:1) So much has happened over this past week that seems to be teaching this lesson. Several times the younger people in my life, family and friends have made some very bad decisions that have tarnished their reputation. My prayer is that they wake up and smell the roses and learn to choose a good reputation over anything else. Becoming young adults with integrity and good reputation is a worthy effort. Just do it.