When we are young and growing up it seems so important to "fit in" . According to the dictionary to fit in means to "be socially compatible with other members of a group". A synonym for "fitting in" is to "conform". To put it in simple terms it is when you try to be like everyone else. According to an article in Psychology Today, " If we’re doing the same as everyone else, we must be doing it right, and finding a reflection of ourselves in those around us is a form of validation. The need for acceptance is a basic human instinct – although some value it more than others. We all want to fit in, to belong. " This is how the world views "fitting in". This is not how we as Christians should view it nor is it how Christ viewed it. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15: 18-19 Doesn't it seem strange that Jesus, who loved people and healed them of sickness, who taught in the temple, "as one who had authority" (Matthew 7:29), would be hated. Jesus would be hated, despised, and rejected to the point where He would be given a criminal's death on a cross. And for what? Because His teachings were not of "the world". Jesus tells us that we are also not "of the world". In John 16: 33 Jesus tells His followers this: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jesus doesn't say you may have tribulation, He says you will have tribulation. He says that in the face of this tribulation you can still have peace. Where will we find this peace? In Him. Our peace is not of this world. Our peace comes from trusting God. We are to take courage in our tribulation because Jesus has "overcome the world." The word overcome is from a Greek word that we translate in English as the word "Nike". Nike was a Greek goddess who represented the victory of a conquering hero. Notice that Jesus says "I have" overcome the world, which shows that His victory is ongoing, not a onetime event. In John 17: 14-16 in Jesus's wonderful prayer for His disciples (and for us) He says: "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." Jesus prays to the Father and asks Him for our protection from Satan. We live in this world, we work, we marry, we live our day to day lives like those around us, and yet Jesus says again that we "are not of the world." In Romans 12:2 Paul reminds us: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Paul says don't be conformed, in other words, don't fit in. Maybe you have heard the expression that Christians should be "in the world, but not of the world". What does that really mean? It is difficult, not just difficult but extremely difficult, because we are called as Christians to "not fit in". We are representatives of Christ on earth. The only thing many people know about Jesus is what they see in us when we interact with them. Some people choose to try and follow Christ by completely removing themselves from the world. If we do this then we remove our influence on the world. Some people choose to try and compromise with the world. They don't want to look "too different". They may go to church on Sunday but they aren't going to stand out from their friends as being that different. But how can we live this differentness out? How can we "be in the world but not of it" successfully? By praying every day that we would be guarded from temptation and by studying the word. Jesus continues in John 17: 17 to pray this: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." Sanctified means "set apart" or "holy". This sanctification comes from the word of God because the word is truth. Like John says at the very beginning of his gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. " When we become a Christian, we are signing on to be hated, persecuted and to endure tribulations. Doesn't sound much like "fitting in" does it? Can we expect to be treated any differently than our Savior was? And yet we can still find peace, the peace that "passes understanding" (Philippians 4:7), and we find that peace by living our lives in Christ. For more on this topic click here. Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

When people don't believe in God, trying to explain the love and forgiveness of Jesus isn't usually well received. Many people come to God in their need. Often the need has to be overwhelming before a person realizes that there is something, someone, outside of themselves that is an answer. When all else fails that's when many of us reach out to Jesus. When we hit rock bottom in our lives, we come to realize who it is that is the real rock. For some people rock bottom comes from addictions, some the tragic loss of a loved one, some money woes, others failed marriages, infidelities, or betrayal. Those of us who have found God in other ways, as a child walking down an aisle or on a high school retreat or summer Bible camp should never look down on those who come to God in their greatest need. As Jesus says in Luke 5:32, He says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. " And to those who have hit bottom, especially because of their sins, the Lord has this to say in Luke 7: 47 "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” The realization that "Christ died for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8) can be overwhelming. The thought that Christ loved me that much is almost unbelievable. We grow up hearing that God loves us. But when we realize this as total truth, truth for me personally, that is when we, in profound humility, can finally accept Jesus as who He truly is. That is when our life is truly transformed. (For more on a transformed life click here.) When the Prodigal Son hit rock bottom Luke 15 tells us he found himself feeding pigs and so hungry "he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything." (Luke 15:16) Once he realized his great need he returned to his loving father. Instead of relying on himself he relied on, his Rock. Instead of building his house, his life, on sand, on his own strength, the Prodigal built on the firm foundation of his father. His life built on sand had washed away but the solid rock of His father would never wash away. "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”" Matthew 7: 24-27 When we see those we love struggling it is hard not to reach out and protect them from reaching rock bottom. But many times this is what they actually need so that they can find their way to their Savior. Even the Prodigal Son's father did not stop him from reaching that lowest of the low places in his life. These difficult times, these low places that we have been through and the love and graciousness of our Lord to bring us out of them, are OUR story. It is what Jesus tells us in Mark 5:19, ...“Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” People need to hear your story. And importantly, you don't need to forget it yourself. No one wants to repeat those rock bottom moments. God reaches out to us even now. We don't have to be at rock bottom. If you haven't sought Him, now is the perfect time. "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55: 6-7

Jesus Meets Us in the Ordinary After the resurrection, the disciples returned to what they knew best—fishing—but even that night ended in emptiness. Then, on the shoreline at dawn, a stranger’s voice broke the silence and everything changed. What followed was more than a miraculous catch of fish. It was a moment of restoration, renewal, and quiet grace as the risen Christ prepared breakfast for His weary followers and began to restore Peter after his failure. This is the story of Jesus meeting us in ordinary places and turning them into sacred encounters. A Retelling of John 21 The sun was coming up and we were tired. We had fished all night, the seven of us, and had come up empty handed. Hard to make a living when you have no catch. Looking back toward the shore I could see a figure standing looking in our direction. I couldn't tell who it was. Then the person shouted to us wanting to know if we had any food. Nope, we shouted back. Nothing to show for a whole night of fishing. Throw Out Your Nets Then the man said something kind of odd. He told us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat. What?? Nobody who knew anything about fishing would suggest something like that, but what did we have to lose. We decided to humor him, so we threw out the net, laughingly, until we felt a very hard tug on our net. It was fish and a lot of them! It's Jesus! It was John who realized it first. The man was our Lord! It was Jesus! Appearing to us again as he had before. Not until we caught the fish did we realize just who it was that was directing us where to place the net. As soon as John said something, Peter excitedly jumped into the water and swam ashore. The boat was too slow for him. Nets Overflowing The rest of us followed in the boat, dragging the net filled to the brim with fish. There, Jesus was standing by a fire He had made with freshly cooked fish and bread. Jesus, always the servant. Jesus, always doing more for others than for Himself. Teaching us to serve because he served. Breakfast smelled so good in the clean morning air. Jesus instructed us to bring Him some of the fish we had caught. Peter raced into the water and hauled that heavy net in by himself. Peter counted 153 fish. What a haul! Come And Have Breakfast Jesus then invited us to breakfast, sharing the fish and bread He had prepared. "Come and have breakfast, friends." How I had missed these moments with our teacher, Jesus. Three times now Jesus had showed Himself to us since His death and resurrection. But now he wanted to talk to Peter. He wanted to ask Peter some questions. Do You Love Me? Three times he asked Peter if he loved Him. Three times Peter said yes, but by the third time you could see that Peter's heart was aching at having to continue to reassure Jesus that, yes, he really loved Him. Each time Jesus's reply was similar and yet different. The first time Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs." The second time Jesus replied, "Tend my sheep." and the last time Jesus replied, "Feed my sheep." Asking Peter this question three times must have brought back to Peter the three times he had denied even knowing Christ. Peter, sadly, denied Jesus even after he had said that he loved Him more than any of the rest of us. How terrible Peter must have felt. Follow Me: Peter's Restoration Peter understood that Jesus meant that the sheep were His people. Peter's job was to care for them, teach them and grow them up in the knowledge of Christ, for we all like sheep have gone astray. Jesus went on to let Peter know that, from then on, he would be faithful to Jesus. Even faithful to a death like Jesus's own, on a cross. Jesus' last words to Peter were, "Follow me." Now that Peter knew exactly what his fate would be, Jesus encouraged him. Jesus's first words to Peter had been "Follow me" and now they were His last. For John, Jesus would have a different fate, but for Peter, the road had been laid before Him. Peter took up his cross and never looked back. He was His master's faithful servant from that day forward. The lessons from Peter's life, his failure and restoration, help us understand God's purpose for us. I will never forget that beautiful morning when we were met with a delicious breakfast served to us by the Son of the King, the Holy One of Israel who served us with His very life. I adore you O Lord and I praise you. For by Your Cross and Resurrection You have set us free.

She arrived at church with one thought. She would love those she saw. It was difficult because she knew what many had said or done behind closed doors but then who was she but a sinner saved by grace. She spoke to those around her and then felt the chill of someone who had made it quite clear that they did not care for her. She extended her hand, with genuine warmth, and was met with an obligatory hand shake. She held the eyes of the person for just a moment. Thinking to herself she wanted to will the person to see she cared, but off they went to speak to someone they liked. But love not returned was still love. Going home she saw the news and was horrified by the evil on display. She saw it for what it was. Those who did those things with no regard were serving the evil one. She had to turn it off. She couldn't stand to see such things paraded as good. She began to think of the blessings she had. Her family, her home, her food, her health, her salvation. She thought of those who loved her and thanked God for the good in her world. As she went about her chores that day she tried to put others first. She opened the door for the stranger, she gave to the poor on the street corner, she prayed for the friend who was ill, she spoke kindly to the grumpy neighbor. She spent time studying God's word. She repented of her sin for not being fervent enough for God. She served God in the simple ways she was able to. She was not a famous TV evangelist, nor was she a learned scholar, but she could bless those who made fun of her faith, she could show others her hope was in God and she could show people the virtue of patience when things did not go well. She was known as a good listener. Her joy was genuine. When you were happy, she was happy for you. When you were sad, she wept with you. Her friends came from all walks of life. Those who were well to do and powerful, just as much as those who had little and weren't valued in society. She was a true friend to all and opened her doors to each. When she was wrong, she would gladly admit it. She did not think she was "all that". She was quiet more than she spoke. Many of her friends considered her wise. She herself thought others were wiser. When she was mistreated for being humble and kind to all, she wished no evil on anyone. She longed for them to love God as she loved God. She longed for them to receive His forgiveness as she had. She didn't worry about "getting back" at someone because she knew that God would repay evil. Her goal was peace. Peace between herself and those who mistreated her. God indeed had said that she should overcome evil with good. So who is this woman? Oh to be like her! To put God first and self last, to show true love, to be kind and generous. She is a person like Paul was describing in Romans 9: 12-21. In this passage Paul describes the ideal behavior of a Christian. If I take out the word 'she' in the paragraphs above and replace them with my own name how much of what I read would still be true? In Romans 13:12 Paul tells us: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." We can't just read the passage in Chapter 9 and give up. These words should be our goals. We can't say living a life of virtue and righteousness is impossible. Paul tells us "the day is at hand". We have armor - it is the light of Christ - let's armor up and go love! There is a beautiful old hymn called "Make Me A Channel of Blessing" by H. G. Smyth. Listen to it here The chorus to this hymn goes like this: Make me a channel of blessing today, Make me a channel of blessing, I pray; My life possessing, my service blessing, Make me a channel of blessing today.

What does the cross mean to you? Is it a fashion statement that you wear? Does it remind you of your faith? When Jesus preached and said, "Take up your cross and follow me." What did the cross mean to the people who heard those words? Jesus was telling them that to follow him meant death. The cross was, at the time, viewed as a cruel and horrific way to die. Did Jesus mean that to follow Him guaranteed a literal death? No, of course not, although for some followers it would mean that. He meant that to follow Him you would have to die to self every day. Dying to self means giving up what you want and wanting only what Christ wants. Dying to self means doing those things that we might not want to do. Or not doing something that we want very much to do. Do I really have to forgive the person who betrayed me? Yes! Do I really need to abstain from sex before marriage? Yes! Do I really need to step out in faith, outside of my comfort zone, and speak to people about my faith? Yes! In Luke 14: 27 our Lord says this, "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." So is the Lord saying that the only way we can be His disciple is to be miserable and without joy. No! In fact quite the opposite. In Matthew 10: 38-39 Jesus tells us, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." So Jesus tells us that to find our life, to find our purpose, to find our place in God's plan we should lose our life. Bearing your cross and denying yourself, this is where our true joy can be found. In being obedient and willing to give up our desires and our plans and take on God's desires and God's plan. Our true joy is to die to self. The joy of the cross is that it brings reconciliation with God. Remember that when Jesus was saying these things the crucifixion had not happened yet. The ones who heard him speak at that moment only knew the cross as an instrument of death. They could not look back like we can to see what the cross symbolized. Only after His death and resurrection could they look back on those words and understand what following Christ really meant. Suffering is a part of being a Christian (emphasis added). Suffering isn't always physical. Sometimes I believe when we see the word 'suffering' we only imagine it in that way, but suffering can also be emotionally and mentally. "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." I Peter 5: 10 "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5: 3-5 "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Philippians 3: 7-11 When was the last time you heard a sermon about suffering? It is not a popular topic. We want to go to church, at least it seems, to learn how to be a good person, to learn how to get what we want from God, to learn how to be happy. Most people today don't seem to want to know that suffering is, and was, an expected part of the Christian life. The purpose of suffering is to produce the ability to endure, to have a Christian character, to have hope and to know that the Holy Spirit lives within us and allows us to, as Paul says in Philippians, count the loss of all things as rubbish so that we can gain Christ. If we have righteousness according to Paul it is not our own but it is "from God by faith". In James 1: 2-4 he tells us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." So when we suffer, we need to look at what comes from it. Patience, endurance, and hope. Our dying to self, our suffering helps us to remain faithful and to wait on the Lord knowing that in the end, when we endure, we shall have the "crown of righteousness" as Paul tells Timothy in Timothy 4: 8. We can join in prayer with the words of this old hymn, A Sovereign Protector I have : “Inspirer and hearer of prayer, Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine, My all to Thy covenant care I sleeping and waking resign. If Thou art my Shield and my Sun, The night is no darkness to me; And fast as my moments roll on, They bring me but nearer to Thee.” Amen

"Christ always cleans the fish that He catches." Joe Kirby "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1: 5-11 The blood of our Savior has cleansed us from our sins. So do we stop there? No! Peter tells us that we should add to our faith. Peter lists these important additions: virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and finally love. If we don't have these things then we have forgotten that we have been cleansed from our old sins. If we don't want to stumble, if we want to be fruitful, then with diligence, we must pursue these things. We should see a steady progression in our Christian walk towards what 2 Corinthians 7:1 says is "perfecting holiness in the fear of God". We don't just come to Christ and say we're done. No, our walk with God should be one where we can see our virtue increasing. What is virtue? It is not just a person of good moral character but someone who seeks to be the person God wants him to be in every situation. That will be the work of a lifetime. We can't accomplish this on our own. It will be God who will be working in us. In Philippians 4: 8 Paul lists virtues: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." What is knowledge? In this case we aren't talking about worldly knowledge but knowledge of God and His word. "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11 What is self control? Do we do what we want to do or what Christ wants us to do? Are we impulsive? Do we speak or act before we think? "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." James 3: 9-10 What is perseverance? Perseverance means being persistent despite difficulties or delays. Do we give up easily? When things are hard do we lean on God or on ourselves? "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9 What is godliness? It is a devotion to God that is a call to action. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ," Titus 2: 11-13 What is kindness? Kindness is an attribute of God. On Earth Christians should display this tenderhearted forgiveness to others. "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4: 32 What is love? In the Bible love is sacrificial. It is a love that gives all and expects nothing in return. "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." I John 3:18 Thanks be to God that He cleanses us from our sin through the blood of His son, Jesus. As a fish is cleaned and prepared to be food for us, my prayer is that God will contiue to clean and prepare me for the work that He would have me do and that I don't stumble! In Jude 24-25 Jude prays this: "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen."

God Knows Us Completely Have you ever wanted someone to really know you and still love you. Most of us have. The only being that can honestly do that is God because He is omniscient or all knowing. It is a humbling thought to realize that God knows everything we have done and everything we will do, both good and bad. In Psalms, David tells us this about God's all knowing love, "You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways." Psalm 139: 2-3 God knows the real me. He knows the person I present to others, and He knows the person I am when no one is watching. God is acquainted with all our ways. He understands our thoughts. He knows when we get up in the morning. He understands our path, the way we are headed each and every day. Yet God not only knows our daily lives, He knows the condition of our hearts. We can trust the One who knows our hearts. David also says in Psalm 44:20-21 that God knows when we have turned away from Him. He knows when our hearts are turned against Him. He knows when we put other gods ahead of Him. God's knowledge of us extends even further than our actions and thoughts. Known by God Before Birth Even before we are born our Lord has known us. The prophet Jeremiah is told by God in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah was ordained a prophet by God not just to Israel, but to the nations! God sanctified Jeremiah before his birth, which means that he was set apart for God's special purpose. What purpose has God planned for you and I? Are we fulfilling that purpose? God Knows the Length of Our Days From before we were born to our number of days, God sees our lives. Job tells us this in Job14:5, "Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass." God is our Judge for He alone sees all of our deeds and knows their motivation. We can lie to ourselves about our motivations but we cannot lie to God. "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:10 God Knows Our Needs We all have needs; food, shelter, clothing, and all of these needs are known by our Father. Just as a child trusts their parents to feed, clothe and shelter them, so we should also trust that our Father, who knows our needs even before we ask, will do the same and much more. Our anxiety comes from a lack of faith that God will provide and be faithful to us. “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things." Luke 12:29-30 God knows us so completely, so thoroughly that, even "... the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30). I often laugh when I read this verse. Our Father has to keep up with many fewer hairs on my head now than He used to! God's knowledge of us extends beyond our earthly lives and reaches back before the foundation of the world itself. In Ephesians 1:4-6 we learn that God has known from before the foundation of the world those whom He would call sons and daughters by adoption through Christ Jesus. "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved." Nothing Is Hidden from God We can't hide from God. He knows everything about us. He sees us when we try to hide our sin from the world and sees us when we do good things in secret out of love for Him. He knows our needs and provides for them. He knows, even now, the day we will draw our final breath on this earth and come face to face with Him in glory. He knows the plans He has for us, the paths He wants us to walk. He cares for us, as only the all loving Father that He is could. Praise be to God! Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today — I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by you and directed to my greater good from all eternity. I adore your holy and unfathomable plans, and submit to them with all my heart for love of you. In your Son's name, Amen

It is so uplifting to be around someone who encourages us. And the reverse is also true, how depressing it can be to be around someone who always wants to bring us down. Which one are you? Are you an encourager? The Bible has much to say about being an encourager. "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10: 25 Exhort is a word that means encourage. We need to be stirred up, encouraged to do good works, to love others and, as the writer tells us, this needs to be done even more as we "see the Day approaching". What 'Day' is he referring to? The return of the Lord, Judgement Day. At this time encouragement will be needed even more because sin will abound and Christians will see persecution increase. An example of an encourager was Barnabas. In Acts 4: 36 we read that the apostles changed his name from Joseph to Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement". Barnabas brought Paul to the apostles after Paul's conversion and recommended Paul to them. Knowing Paul's reputation as someone who hunted down Christians, it is doubtful that they would have accepted Paul without Barnabas's recommendation. Barnabas helped support the early church financially. Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch (modern day Antakya, Turkey) to help establish the first church outside of Jerusalem. Barnabas went with Paul on his first missionary journey and mentored his cousin, John Mark, who would go on to help Timothy. Barnabas was a faithful encourager. Ephesians 4: 29 has this to say about encouraging each other, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." (NLT) No one is encouraged by being told that they are stupid or bad at what they are doing. Be positive about what others are doing well and encourage them to do even better. Does your friend in Christ read a few verses of Scripture at church once a week? Be positive about this. Commend them and encourage them to dig deeper. I have a dear friend who is such an encourager. It is her gift I believe. She always tries to bring out the best in me. What a blessing it is to have someone like this in your life. There are plenty of people who tell you that you can't accomplish a goal because it's too hard, plenty of people who will criticize every move you make, either to your face or behind your back. But what a blessing to have someone who lifts you up and who believes in you. Hebrews 3:13 tells us to "exhort one another daily" . Why should we do this? So we do not lose faith like the Israelites did as they wandered in the desert in Exodus. Their lack of trust in God led to their lack of faith and ultimately to discipline from God. So to not lose our faith, encouragement is needed daily. We have a responsibility to our Christian brothers and sisters to encourage them to walk uprightly in their faith. What does this encouragement look like? It can be a simple reminder to others of what God has done for them in the past. Or it can be a story about what God has done for you in a similar circumstance that you share with your friends. It can be sharing a favorite Bible verse. It can be a hug, a listening ear or simply assuring them that you love them as God does. In Paul's letter to the Thessalonians he writes this, "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing." I Thessalonians 5:11 (NLT) It would have been difficult for the early church to survive if, instead of people who encouraged each other, they had been surrounded by naysayers who constantly talked about the impossibility of reaching others for Christ. Ultimately, God is our greatest encourager. When we study His word we realize that He is there for us ALWAYS. He will not abandon us. He seeks our good. He cares and loves us. In Isaiah 41: 10 God says, " Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’" This is the blessing of encouragement. It strengthens us to do the will of our Lord. Father, Thank you for those who encourage me. Help me to be an encourager to those around me. Thank you Father for Your encouragement that strengthens me. Thank you Father for upholding me with Your righteous hand when I cannot go on. In Jesus's blessed name, Amen Enjoy this beautiful hymn, "You Are Mine" sung by David Hass.

If you went to the doctor because you thought you had cancer but he refused to actually tell you that you had it because he wanted to be "loving" and not hurt your feelings, what would you think about such a doctor? I think you would tell me that he didn't really care about you and that he was not loving at all. So are we as Christians when we refuse to let people around us know that they have a disease, as do we all, called SIN. We happen to know a doctor, a great physician, who is willing and able to cure them of their disease. Are we loving when we never tell our friends there is a cure for a disease that will end in their lives being meaningless, without God and heading for destruction? When we go to church do we want to learn how to be healed? Are we going to a hospital for sinners or a hospice for those who can't (or won't) be healed and just want to numb themselves until they die? Do we want to hear a word that can change us? Or do we prefer to be placated and treated, oh so carefully, so our feelings won't be hurt? Our nation needs a doctor too. It is we who need to seek God and pray for forgiveness for the healing of our land. God specifically requires this of Christians, not the lost. It is we, as Christians, who need to humble ourselves and see our sins and confess them. The Lord blesses the humble. He will bless this nation once again if we seek His face with humility and a true "fear of the Lord". Our hope for our journey is God alone. DISCUSSION QUESTION: What is the best way that a normal person, not clergy, can share the gospel? How do we listen to God to know who to share it with?

Have you ever wondered why God allows people to ignore Him for years without immediate consequences? Some assume His silence means He doesn't care. Others mistake His patience for approval. Scripture teaches something very different. God's patience is an incredible expression of His mercy, giving us opportunity after opportunity to repent. But His patience has a purpose, and it should never be mistaken for permission to continue in sin. Consider the following story. A friend of mine, whom we'll call Nabal, shared a difficult situation with me. Nabal had gotten a wonderful job working with a company that he had always wanted to work for. He explained to me how he loved his job so much, but on his second week at work his car broke down and with no way to work he had to miss two days. His boss was very patient and understanding and everything seemed ok. Then he told me that things had gotten so slow at his work that he had taken several personal calls. The boss walked in on one of them and explained patiently that this was not allowed and please don't use company time for personal calls. A few more weeks went by and Nabal had gone out to lunch with friends. They had a few drinks with their meal and made their way back to the office. The boss heard from other workers that Nabal seemed a little too happy when he came back from lunch. The boss sent another supervisor to talk to him. Nabal got very distraught when the supervisor reprimanded him for drinking. He tried to deny it but too many people saw him. This time he got a written reprimand. Time passed, more issues came up with Nabal's performance, things that Nabal thought were minor. He felt like his work was good and minor infringements should be ignored. Then one day, after numerous attempts to get him to listen, the boss called him in and fired him. Nabal was in shock. He told me his performance was good, why was he being punished? He just didn't seem to realize the patience and grace his boss had shown him. Eventually his boss had had enough. ~____________________~ Most people, when they hear Nabal's story think he wasn't very smart. He had been warned many times. His boss had shown him much patience. His firing wasn't a surprise to his colleagues. The patience of God with us is similar. He warns us, through His word, through our pastors and friends, sometimes even through people who aren't Christians. He sends people to us, He even speaks to our hearts through the Holy Spirit, but too often we ignore His warnings. Finally, God's patience but not His love, wears thin and judgment comes. In what manner it comes can vary, but when we ignore His warnings long enough it will come. Judgment comes not just individually, but also sometimes collectively, as a nation. When we turn our backs long enough there will be a price to pay. Paul tells us in Romans 2:4-5, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God," Do we despise the longsuffering of God? Is our heart so hardened that we are treasuring up the righteous judgment of God? Peter also reminds us that there will come a time when God's longsuffering will cease and a day of judgement will come. In 2 Peter 3: 9-10, Peter reminds us that God's patience has a purpose. He delays judgment because He desires people to repent, but that patience will not continue forever. One day the Day of the Lord will come suddenly, just as He promised. Do we think, like the people of ancient Israel in the days of Amos (Amos 4: 4-5), that our fervent worship will be enough to protect us? What matters is our heart. Worship without repentance is meaningless. Jesus taught that loving God with all our heart is worth more than sacrifices or outward religious acts (Mark 12:33). Worship without love and obedience is empty. Sacrifices and burnt offerings are nothing compared to loving God with everything you have and sharing that love with others. You might be interested to know that Nabal's name means "fool" in Hebrew. To heed our Lord's warnings is wisdom, to ignore them is foolishness. There is a story about another man named Nabal in 1 Samuel 25. He was not wise either. His judgement came and it was very final. Dear Father, Help us to listen and be obedient. Help us to not take your patience for granted. Forgive us for ignoring too often the warnings that you give us. With the help of your Holy Spirit help us to offer up not just empty worship, but a total love for you and our neighbors. In Jesus's name, Amen Do You Heed God's Warnings

Words have power. They can encourage, heal, and build others up, but they can also wound, destroy relationships, and reveal what is in our hearts. Jesus warned us about the danger of idle words because our speech is not insignificant. Every word reflects something about the condition of our hearts. "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36 What Does Jesus Mean by “Idle Words” in Matthew 12:36? What is an idle word or idle talk? Biblically, in Greek, the phrase is rema argos, meaning “careless or inactive or unprofitable words.” They are meaningless, harmful, or careless words that can wound others and even reveal the state of our hearts. The dangers of idle words are many, but for Christians, they primarily harm our witness to others and our relationship with God. Idle Words Reveal the Condition of the Heart Before Jesus warned about idle words, the Pharisees had accused Him of casting out demons using the power of Beelzebub (another name for Satan). Jesus tells them in Matthew 12:34, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." The Pharisees had blasphemed our Lord. Instead of recognizing that His power came from God, they were accusing Him of being in league with the Devil. The idle words they spoke betrayed their hearts. The words coming from our mouths are not easily controlled. They reveal what is already present in our hearts. What Are Idle Words? Practical Examples of Careless Speech Idle words, according to vocabulary.com are, "empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk synonyms; jazz, malarky, nothingness, wind." Everyone has heard, for example, people on television expounding on a subject and actually saying very little. We often use the expression, "talking to hear themselves talk", to describe this. Idle words serve no good purpose. The Bible on Taming the Tongue: James 3 Explained James discusses the difficult problem of taming our tongues in James 3:1-12. "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God." (James 3:8-9) Idle words have no place in the mouths of Christians. The Holy Spirit alone can help us overcome them. The Dangers of Idle Words in Everyday Life Idle words can destroy lives. People have literally had their families destroyed, their jobs lost, and even sometimes their very lives lost because of idle words. Idle words spoken with little care online is an everyday occurrence. When we speak, we need to pause and ask ourselves, "Does what I am about to say serve a good purpose?" That old adage, "think before you speak", has a lot of value. Words don't have to be evil to be sinful. Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." The New Living Translation says it this way, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." So bad language, language that is hurtful, name-calling, all are wrong, but instead we should be the type of person who encourages and helps others. Our spoken words are a reflection of our inner life. Our purpose is to encourage each other. Idle Words in the Digital Age: Social Media, Gossip, and Self-Talk Idle words are everywhere on the internet. People seem to feel as though since they don't know you and will never see you, they can say anything and it's okay. How about speaking about someone behind their back—even if it's true? How about lying to someone just to make them happy or avoid an argument? We can even speak careless and damaging words to ourself. Have you ever spoken to yourself in a derogatory way? Tearing yourself down with your own words. God never tells us to do this. That voice is not His. Have you ever tattled on someone at work for not doing their job properly? It may be very tempting to share something bad about a colleague just to make ourselves look good. All of these are examples of idle words. Do we brag and boast of our accomplishments? Maybe we insincerely flatter people around us that we deem important and helpful to us. On the other hand, perhaps we demean or make fun of people we don't value. Do we use our Lord's name as an expression that has nothing to do with worship? The more we listen to foul language, the more we are exposed to it, the harder it becomes to not use it. Are the movies we watch ridden with foul language? Have we heard G-- D--- so many times that we don't even notice it anymore? Do we say, "Oh my G--" and not think twice? We should be a Christian witness in a divided world. When we were children and others would bully us, we used to recite a little poem, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Sadly that is usually not true. Bullying, demeaning others does hurt people and often does have lasting effects. The Lasting Impact of Hurtful Words An example of the danger of idle words is the following story. There was once a person who was very passionate about their work and loved what they did. They had worked hard to get to where they were. They were proud of their accomplishments. One day, they received some feedback from a colleague that was not only negative but also very hurtful. The colleague had criticized their work in front of others and had used harsh words that left the person feeling embarrassed and ashamed. This incident became a turning point in the person's life. They started to doubt their abilities, lost their confidence, and began to second-guess themselves at work. They became much more reserved and avoided speaking up, even when they had valuable insights to share. They stopped enjoying their work and became much less productive, which eventually led to them losing their job. The person's life had been impacted by the idle words of their colleague, and it took them a long time to regain their confidence and find their passion again. How Christians Can Guard Their Words and Reflect Christ My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will bring to my attention the times I say "idle" words. Then I can ask forgiveness and try to continue to be more like Jesus. I want a heart that is loving, one from which kind words can flow. I have failed desperately many times, but my goal is to have the heart of Jesus, to build up and not tear down, to encourage and not discourage the people around me. James warns us to bridle our tongues, and if we don't, we are deceived about our heart. To be religious, he says we must show restraint in how we speak, if we don't our religion is useless (James 1:26). Those are strong words. Those are difficult words to hear. We should be so different from the world around us that we are like a stranger in the earth. We can all think back to moments in our lives when we have been on the receiving end of idle words. You know how it feels. We say we are Christians. As an old hymn says, "They will know we are Christians by our love." Our words are a window into our hearts. Do we truly love? This is why Jesus warned us about the danger of idle words. Our speech matters because our words reveal the heart we are allowing Him to transform. We should pray with David for God's help as he does in Psalm 141:3, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips." The Dangers of Idle Words

Could there be anything wrong with doing what you think is right? The book of Judges ends with an interesting statement: "…every man did that which was right in his own eyes." It might be from way back in the Old Testament but I still hear it a lot in our day. A man at Starbucks named Alberto said he believes he is one of the "good guys" that will be welcomed into heaven one day. Why? "Well I do make mistakes, but God knows my heart and He knows I try to do what I think is right" he told me. What could be wrong with trying to do what we think is right? The problem is that all too often what we think is right is very different from what God thinks is right. Alberto thinks he is one of the "good guys" because he is judging himself by his own standard. And when it comes to setting standards, none of us comes close to the standard of holiness God requires. We're good at making excuses, having good intentions, and calling our sins "mistakes". But we are only fooling ourselves with a false sense of security when we replace God's standards with our own. Jesus said "For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Why would people take a road that leads to destruction? Because they would rather take the route that looks right in their own eyes than look at God's word, His road map for salvation. There was a reason the Israelite's did what seemed right to them - the first half of the verse reads "In those days there was no king in Israel…" People who have no king do what they want. When God is not the king of our lives we do what we want rather than carefully consult His word and commandments. If we do, we will soon find that God's standard is beyond our reach. In fact, we've already broken it. We find out our need to turn from our sin in repentance, which makes us truly aware of our sin and our need for a Savior. We are not the "good guys" we think we are. We need to get off that highway, because it only leads to destruction. We need to get on the King's road, the narrow road of repentance and faith that leads to eternal life. __________________________________________________________________________ Thank you to my guest contributor - Jeff Reiman. Jeff has a YouTube channel that can be found here. My heart examined by God's own eyes, He sees my soul and sees my lies, He knows that I'm in need of Him To pardon me of all my sin. So though it seems a way that's right, I know that God has shown a light, To show me that my path is wrong And teach my soul a brand new song A hymn of love unto my King, My life, my path to Him I bring The narrow road that leads to Thee My path, my life I offer Thee. -- Carol Plafcan