How will they know if they DO NOT SEE?

 Jesus never said they will know you are my disciples by the number of people that show up in your buildings… Or by the number of books that you sell… Or by the amount of money in your bank account… Or by how fancy a car you drive… Or how big a house you live in… Or how many people adore you and think you’re wonderful and a great orator and a wise and impressive pastor!

No, none of these things were ever mentioned by Christ as being the mark of one of his disciples. His measuring stick was far far beyond the measuring stick of our fleshly and worldly viewpoint. He said the world would know we were his disciples but how we LOVE one another!

How do we love and show that love to one another? 

Perhaps we can all agree to all agree that love is measured by our actions and not our words, so let’s look at it from that point of view and I’m going to speak from my own personal perspective.

When we come in to fellowship with the body of believers and everyone waves and greet us and says hello and hugs us and tells us they love us- that feels good for the moment. But then when they don’t return phone calls, when they don’t want to get together and have lunch, when they don’t want to spend any actual time with you getting to know you it is clear there is no love. When a group forms and then excludes others, there is no love.When things get difficult and you really just need some support and encouragement and prayer, but outside of that one person designated as pastor for the group, no one else has time for you, there is no love!

Love is doing life together; love is including anyone and everyone who wants to be included; Love is following through when you say you were going to do something or be somewhere.

Love is not only encouraging continued growth in your own life and in the lives of others, but love is also making room for that growth, and accommodating that growth when it occurs rather than continue to relate to that person by how they used to be rather than how they are as a new creation in Christ!

1 Corinthians 13 has become so popular as pithy memes and wedding filler. Paul, speaking by the unction of the Holy Spirit, revealed some deep spiritual truth about love that we all need to examine in light of our own hearts and behaviors and ask God to work that incredible true work of love in us and through us, that we might truly example what it is to be a disciple of Christ. Not by how good we are or how much we do or how nice we behave; but by loving according to his standard and showing how good he is, and how much he has done, and how he behaves!

Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and begin to do your own serious word study of each of the words Paul declares love is… And see where you might incorporate that more fully into your walk with Christ, drawing blessing to your self and pouring blessing out on others!!

Consider this; to truly love your neighbor is truly loving yourself and the entire body of Christ!

Love and Trust the Christian Way

My Dad used to say the sweetest things, to let me know he cared about me and was thinking of me.
He'd tell me he always thought of me once a day, every day, all day long.
I never doubted that he loved me.

Our decision to trust and obey God works like that.  We don't make it once, one time and it stays in place forever.  Our flesh is too fickle for such an easy way as that.

It is a decision we must make daily.

Once a day, every day, all day long; we need to choose to yield to the Holy Spirit.

Once a day, every day, all day long; we must decide we will obey the commands we were given.  To love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  And to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Many of us think we have the "Love God" part down really well, even if we do struggle with the "love the neighbors" part.

God says if we aren't loving the neighbors, we aren't loving Him.

1 John 4:20

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Jesus put it clearly as well.  

John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.

To love is to forgive, show mercy, encourage and think the best of others.

Show the Love of God to those around you today.  You'll be amazed at the results. You'll be amazed at the blessings that are showered down on YOU!

Ballerina or Tap Dancer - my minds made up!

I was bold and courageous when I was six years old.  The world hadn’t worn on me yet, and my natural personality traits – stubborn and confident and brash - were at their peak.

I was preparing to take to the stage at my very first dance recital with Miss Connie’s School of Dance and I had my tap shoes firmly in place on my feet.

This was in spite of my Mom arguing emphatically with me in the dressing room when I insisted on putting them on, since she saw that the ENTIRE rest of the cast was putting on soft shoe.   

I tapped my way noisily as we all trooped onto the stage that evening.  I was immovable in my conviction. I'd heard what Miss Connie had instructed us and I could not be persuaded otherwise.

So it was very satisfying when Miss Connie herself came on stage to apologize, profusely, that the show would be slightly delayed while the girls – EVERY ONE OF THEM – except little miss me – would need to change their shoes.

I was six and stubborn and opinionated and confident I knew what I was doing and willing to stand, ALONE if need be, for what I believed was right.

I wonder how it would have affected my life if I’d been wrong that evening?

But I had listened very carefully to the instructions given that day at our last rehearsal before the recital.  For that reason I was confident in my decision.

When we took to the stage my confidence in trusting what I knew to be true was rewarded, and as a bonus I got to do a little solo tap dance while I waited for the other girls to change their shoes.  

I must admit that I've gone on to become a stubborn, opinionated and confident Ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ.  Not because I was raised that way, for I wasn't raised in the church and my family didn't even attend church with me when I went.  

I was given a Bible the summer after the recital, and I read it.  Since then, I have never wavered in the trust and belief that God created all the heavens and the earth, He created me and He loves me!

I could recite incident after incident here of the many ways He has made Himself known to me.  If you read this page with any regularity, you've been exposed to much of it.  

For the sake of time let's just say that as sure as I knew Miss Connie told us to put our tap shoes on first at that recital so many years ago, I am that certain that in the beginning God created and He’s never withdrawn or changed the plan.

The plan is simple and as straightforward as the strong personality He blessed me with.

He is love and desired to shower that love outward.  So He created Man in His own image and lavished Man with love. 

And when Man and Woman sinned, (separated themselves from walking in perfect obedience to their Creator), He continued to shower them with Love in the form of forgiveness through sacrifice.  

The wages of sin are death.  

Right from the beginning that was always the price that had to be paid.  

Why?  The Bible never clearly says why, but there are plenty of verses that added together point to a conclusion.

God is LIFE, He is the source of all LIFE, so as long as we are in relationship with Him, there is LIFE.  

Separation from LIFE is death, so sin, which separates us from LIFE, is also DEATH.  

(I'm guessing on this point, but I think Lucifer didn't "die" but was cast out of Heaven when he sinned because he was a spirit being and not flesh.)

Then God, not wanting His creation, which He loves, to be separated from Him for all eternity, decided to provide a solution that would also be eternal.  

He  became flesh, came in the form of a man to the earth, then willingly DIED as a substitute sacrifice for each of us, once and for all time, to pay the price of SIN.  

And only He could do it, because the only death that could pay for all eternity, for every human ever, was His.  A perfect, sinless LIFE. 

He had to create a way to do it without breaking any of His laws that He'd already put into being throughout His Creation.  

1. His laws cannot be broken without consequence.

2. No one, particularly the devil, could ever accuse Him of being unfair and circumventing the laws he'd put in motion.

The PERFECT solution.  

And He is perfect. 

Perfectly Holy, perfectly Just, perfectly Righteous in ALL His ways!

I've discovered something else, which I believe to be a truth that affects a great many people also, which I'm going to take this opportunity to share.  

After many years in the religious world, both in the pews and behind the pulpit, I believe that most of the objections people have about God actually have nothing to do with God Himself.  

The objections are usually more about the religious rules and regulations and actions of MAN.  

People don't like the way a church does something.  Or they don't like something a church teaches.  Or they don't like the behavior of a person who claims they represent the church, and God.

The objections then, are really about mans inability to properly represent God.

Because God is infinitely LOVABLE!  Following His commands lead to JOY, PEACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS and best of all, ETERNAL LIFE!

  

God is LOVE.  It is not that God loves, it is that God IS LOVE.  

Just because we don’t understand everything He does, well, that’s because His ways are far above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts.  

The created thing can’t out think it’s Creator – that makes perfect sense.

I do not have to understand why air breathed into my lungs makes my whole body respond by being ALIVE.

It does.  I do it.  I live.  It does, you do it, you live.

We do not have to understand why God set things up the way He did.

He did.  I believe it.  You believe it.  Then we live, eternally, thank you Jesus!

This Resurrection Season, I hope that you'll discover how GREAT is our God.  How DEEP is His Love.  And how POWERFUL is the forgiveness He offers through Salvation!

BFF

We all have that "Best Friend Forever" right?  and that person has never, ever let us down, have they?  What?  They have?  There has been a time when even with the BEST of intentions, not meaning to, our BFF let us DOWN?!?!

Yes, it happens.  Our closest confident repeats words whispered in confidence.  Our dearest friend just isn't "there" for us when we feel like we need them the most.  

Or, worse, it's been US who is the BFF that let someone down!  We didn't mean to, we didn't want to, but our own needs, our own lives just got in the way of "being there" for them.

But there is a friend who truly NEVER lets us down.  Who is always present, always loving, always seeking our best interest and not His own.

But we miss it if we think that friendship comes with no price.  As in ANY friendship, it is a two way street. We expect that our earthly friends will have expectations toward us, because we also have expectations toward them.  Yet there is a friend who willingly gives far more than He ever gets - and He expects no more!

John 15: 9-17

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12: This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14: You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15: No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16: You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17: These things I command you, that you love one another."

This Best Friend Forever really is Eternal!

Once a day, every day, all day long

My Dad used to say the sweetest things, to let me know he cared about me and was thinking of me.
He'd tell me he always thought of me once a day, every day, all day long.
I never doubted that he loved me.

Our decision to trust and obey God works like that.  We don't make it once, one time and it stays in place forever.  Our flesh is too fickle for such an easy way as that.

It is a decision we must make daily.

Once a day, every day, all day long; we need to choose to yield to the Holy Spirit.

Once a day, every day, all day long; we must decide we will obey the commands we were given.  To love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.  And to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Many of us think we have the "Love God" part down really well, even if we do struggle with the "love the neighbors" part.

God says if we aren't loving the neighbors, we aren't loving Him.

1 John 4:20

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Jesus put it clearly as well.  

John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.

To love is to forgive, show mercy, encourage and think the best of others.

Love God today.  You'll be amazed at the results.  He promises!

DECEPTION

In the garden called Eden where God had placed the man and woman He had created, they enjoyed incredible FREEDOM.  Not simply the freedom to do as they chose to do; but a freedom from certain things.

•         They were free from worry
•         They were free from adversity
•         They were free from shame
•         They were free from strife
•         They were free from horror
•         They were free from tragedy
•         They were free from SIN and its cost of DEATH and                                 DESTRUCTION

Then along came a serpent.  A slithering, slimy snake bent on just that, both Death and Destruction.  With one action, that of deceiving the woman, which caused the man to join her, this serpent brought down every ounce of freedom the man and woman had enjoyed.  

Suddenly they found themselves confronted with their own nakedness, and with that discovery came worse.

•         They began to worry about being naked
•         They tensed with the idea of being confronted by God
•         They tried to hide from their shame
•         They realized too late the horror of the consequences of what              they had done
•         They understood the tragic loss of freedom they had suffered
•         SIN and its darkness entered their hearts, their minds and their         souls and as a direct result, their fellowship with God was                   destroyed and they suffered immediate spiritual death and                 eventual physical death

This same deceit occurs today with the same consequences of death and destruction still accompanying it everywhere it finds a soul who falls prey to its lie.

Ephesians 6:12

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Satan has no need to wreak havoc in the lives of some.  He is content to leave them alone in the quietness of their own sad desperation.  Because they are no threat to him.  A great deceit has taken place and many are only too happy to accept it. 

It is the deceit that there is no enemy.   No devil, no hell and no spiritual wickedness existing on this earth preying on the hearts of men and women.  We have no need to guard our hearts against an adversary who we have been convinced does not exist. It isn't that we don't "believe in" God.

It is more that if there is no enemy, there is no need of a deliverer.  In this way then, many live in apathy toward the truth God has given us.  After all, if we have no devil, we have no need of a Savior.  This is one of the deceitful ways satan has kept many who live otherwise “good” and “decent” lives from receiving Christ and living the truly ABUNDANT lives of JOY and PEACE and RIGHTEOUSNESS that God actually intends for us.

What then are we to do? 

I can tell you truly that it is not Gods intention that we sit passively and complacently while He spoon feeds truth and deliverance to us.

We are to take action!  

FOLLOW AFTER

DILIGENTLY SEEK

ZEALOUSLY PURSUE

EARNESTLY DESIRE

1 Corinthians 6:9

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites...

2 Corinthians 11:3

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Consider this:  

If I am wrong, if the Bible is a book of fairy tales and there is no God, I've lost nothing by living as if every word is true and absolute.  I'll die when my time comes, and whatever there is, will be.  Meanwhile, I can tell you truthfully that my life has been filled with meaning and purpose beyond myself, and I have personally witnessed  and been the recipient of miraculous things that defy description.

If you who insist there is no truth, no God and no need of a Savior named Jesus; if you have been deceived and are wrong, you will die when your time comes, and you will face unspeakable regret that you did not receive the truth when it was presented to you.  Meanwhile, where do you turn when life is difficult?  Where do you find peace and comfort?  When this world has no answers and you NEED answers, where do you turn?  

God's greatest desire is that ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN HE CREATED will turn to Him, trust Him and receive the forgiveness of sin and deliverance he made available through the sacrificial death on a cross of His only begotten son, Jesus.

WHY?  That's an easy question to answer.

  

John 3:16:  for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever will believe on Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.

Isn't that what all the popular songs we sing tell us? 

THAT LOVE IS THE ANSWER!  :O) 

If you need help, there is a loving answer for your situation.  Please fill out the prayer request form in the upper left.  We'll pray.  You pray.  And watch God come to rescue the child He loves unconditionally!

One God and Father of us all.....

The world keeps getting smaller.  it started out small.  it grew a bit.  and then we found a way to make it small once more.

Through radio and television and then the internet, reaching out to the masses of people hurting and deeply in need of and desirous of Gods words of truth and wisdom, like this ministry blog, is no more difficult than my typing out these words, then pressing one button and VOILA' - out over the internet for anyone and everyone to read and comment on.  

Or if I were to put it on video, which is also quite easily done with minimal expense involved, be seen by everyone and anyone who cares to stop by and watch and listen.

It struck me this week as I ministered to people and dealt with many thoughts and feelings and read Gods word and prayed.  Prayed for those in need, prayed for those I was ministering to and prayed for MYSELF - prayed for my thoughts and feelings and confusions and desires and belief and faith - prayed to God for wisdom and understanding - it struck me how our perspective of any thing causes us to believe certain things and we never really know if they are TRUE or not.  We just go along living our lives as if what we think and believe is indeed the truth.

For instance, we think our "world" is split into many different parts.  Europe, Asia, the America's.  Broken down further into separate countries.  

It occurred to me that God doesn't see it that way at all.

We are one world.  One people, created by Him for His purpose.  He has one hope for us.  That we will return to Him the love He has firstly bestowed upon us.  That in that loving exchange, we will understand that there is ONE GOD.  That one God, Who is Spirit, thinks of each and every one of us as His beloved created child.  His desire is that we will fellowship with Him, accept His sovereignty over us, walk in obedience so we receive His blessing, and acknowledge Him by offering Him our Worship and Adoration.

He does not make distinctions according to our country of birth  He does not make religious distinctions of denomination or personally held doctrinal beliefs.  He does not make distinctions based on the color of our skin or language of communication we use.  These of no more consequence to his heart than the color of our eyes or color of our hair or shape of our nose.

He loves us.

He created us to pour His love out into our hearts.

He sacrificed everything He is to pay the debt to FREE us from enslaving SIN.

He allows us freedom of will, to choose Him or not to choose Him.

He LOVES us without conditions put on that love.

There IS ...  one body(His) and one Spirit (Him, What He is), just as we are called (by Him) in one Hope of our calling (that we will put our trust in Him).  There is ONE Lord (Master), ONE faith(the measure of which He gives to all of us), ONE baptism (that of joining by choice to His Body - without regard to the methodology employed in symbolizing that heart condition);

THERE  IS  ONE  GOD  AND  FATHER  OF  ALL,  WHO  IS  ABOVE  ALL  AND  THROUGH  ALL  AND  IN  US  ALL.

The unbeliever who rejects the very idea of God and never once raises his voice in worship or thanks - he surely misses out on the blessings of walking with the Creator, he surely misses out on the JOY of salvation and the POWER of the Holy Spirit, and he misses out on ETERNAL LIFE through Christ Jesus - BUT GOD  LOVES  HIM or HER regardless of whether they ever acknowledge Him or not!  

Think about this.  Believer or unbeliever.  Think about this.  Think about how this truth, His truth, the only TRUTH we cannot claim, for it existed before we ever did and will continue forever when we are gone; think about how the TRUTH  OF  LOVE  effects every life of every person ever born or who ever will be born.   We can argue about many things, but we cannot argue that LOVE exists and is more powerful than we.

GOD  IS  LOVE.  

Of Fools and Wise Witnesses

In our Daily Bible Reading this week, we came across Psalm 53 which opens with as clear a line of truth as any statement made anywhere by anyone at anytime.

The fool has said in his heart “There is no God”.

There are times when the command Jesus gave His disciples to “go into all the world” hits square up against the reality of those who choose NOT to believe.

Should we shake our heads and walk away?

Should we argue with them, point by point?

Should we regale them with stories of miracles until we have no breath left?

Should we tell them they are foolish?

YES!

and NO!

Speaking the truth in love comes in very handy right at this time. 

After making every mistake in this area, here’s what I’ve learned, and I hope it helps you when you run across a fool.

We are to LOVE as Jesus loves.  He wouldn’t argue.  He wouldn’t declare them a fool and walk away.  He wouldn’t waste his breath or time sharing truth endlessly, either.

He would TRUST that the TRUTH, spoken in LOVE and infused with the POWER of the Holy Spirit would work in the heart of the most hardened fool who says in his heart there is no God.

Share truth.  Share it lovingly, as an offering given in grace.  Share it as the Holy Spirit leads you to, with gentleness and all meekness.  Leave them with a blessing of some kind.  A smile, a kind word, a caring reminder that “it’s all food for thought, isn’t it?”

Then walk on, but not “away”.  Not away, because YOU know that the truth is if they don’t receive Christ as Savior, they will spend Eternity in Hell. 

So you pray for them.  Pray for their salvation.  Pray for their deliverance.  Pray for Gods goodness to draw them close to Him, to open their eyes to His love and mercy, to open their hearts to His salvation gift.

In this way, you are at peace, they are at peace and the Holy Spirit is free to move.  He is very good at His job – convicting hearts and leading souls to salvation.

With a little practice, we can get very good at our jobs – speaking the Truth in Love!

Pour a little LOVE on the next fool you meet, and then  let us know, so we can join with you in prayer for their salvation. 

Bear in mind the words of our Savior:

Matthew 18:19  “Again I say to you if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven.” ~ Jesus

LOVE IS....

Remember those Love is....cartoons from the 70's?  Or maybe you don't, so I'll tell you about them.  It was a popular cartoon always of the same man and woman and at the top of every drawing it said Love is..... and then underneath some cute saying about what love is.  Some of them were good, some were great, some were biblical and some were worldly but they all described love in some way.  I Corinthians 13 does that.  Describes what love is.  Only, this description is inspired by the Holy Spirit, so it is never simply "good" but always full on TRUTH.

I'd like us to read that passage of scripture together here - but first, I'd like to ask something of you.  Instead of reading it in light of "how you ought to behave or feel or act toward other people", I'd like to apply these principles of love to  -  ourselves.  When asked "What is the greatest commandment", Jesus answered "To love God with all your heart, all your mind and all your strength."  He did not stop there, but went on to a fuller answer.  "And the second is like it.  To love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF".  Many sermons and speeches have been made about loving our neighbors, loving others, taking care of others.  Few have addresses the idea of LOVING OURSELVES.  This isn't narcissistic self serving, selfish, self centered love.  This is righteous godly love for oneself, for you cannot love your neighbor properly if you do not love yourself properly.  Jesus didn't say "love your neighbor".  He said "love your neighor as you love yourself."

So, please read with me if you will.

ICorinthians 13: 4-8

Love suffers long and is kind;  do you show yourself the patience and kindness you show to others, or are you quick to beat yourself up and declare yourself unworthy or stupid?  Stop doing that!  Allow yourself GRACE - don't excuse bad behavior but do patiently allow yourself time and room to grow in the Lord and be kind to yourself as you go through the process.
love does not envy; Learn to be thankful and satisfied with what God has provided for you.  You do not need to be anything other than who you are.  God loves YOU!  He expects you to be the best you you can be, not a replica of anyone else.  Stop comparing yourself to anyone else or comparing what you do to what someone else does.
love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; and that takes care of the worry about loving yourself leading to self centered or selfish behavior.   
does not behave rudely, This is one of the toughest to apply to ourselves.  We behave rudely to ourselves and don't even notice.  We are often so prone to be so hard on ourselves.  Grace, covering us.  Grace toward ourselves.
does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  Toward ourselves we apply LOVE which means we don't condemn ourselves, we don't think the worse of ourselves.  Not excusing our behaviors, but instead striving for love in our actions and thoughts.
does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; Rather than put ourselves down and call ourselves names, we apply the TRUTH of Gods word to our own selves.  We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.  We are NEW CREATIONS.  We are loved, wanted, and valued by the Creator of all things.
bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Through all life's circumstances there will be many peaks and valleys we will go through.   In each we must hold on to the truth and often, we endure and hope and believe without any tangible reason to go with it.  We bear the burdens of life because we live in a sinful, fallen world, but we endure knowing that we have HOPE in Christ Jesus of Eternal Life!
  LOVE NEVER FAILS..

Don't you fail to love yourself, in order that you can more perfectly LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR!

We at Turn the Tide Ministries hope you find the Sunday Sermons encouraging and we ask you to please share them with others who may find encouragement in them as well.  You are welcome to comment here or write us anytime with a prayer request or a comment.  Thank you for joining us!  Please pray for us as we share the gospel of Salvation!