Love Everyone

            With all the political talk going on right now my heart was so encouraged and corrected by my Bible reading today!

Titus 3:1-7

"Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."

            We as believers are called to show humility to everyone... even the politicians! It doesn't say we have to agree with them, but we need to remember that we ourselves were once foolish and disobedient. We were also misled and slaves to many lusts and pleasures... BUT GOD! God saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done but because of his mercy! Instead of joining the bashing sessions about politicians and non-believers we should be on our knees praying for them, ALL of them! We are called to show true humility to EVERYONE not just those that we like or those that believe the same that we do!

1 Peter 3:8-9

"Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.[a] Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing."

Matthew 5:43-48

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’[q] and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies![r] Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends,[s] how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."

            We are called to love everyone; we are to be “Christ Like” and follow his example! His example showed that while we were still sinners he loved us so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for us! Just as God loved you before you loved him, he also loves every non-believer in this world! Who are we to pick and choose who should be loved? We are not called to judge the world, we are called to preach the gospel and show the world God’s love! Our lives should bring honor to God.

            Before someone accepts Christ’s salvation the only Bible they generally read is YOU! Does your life reflect how loving and amazing our Father is or does it paint a picture of a hateful and slandering God?

            We are called to be gracious and humble! Often when we get fired up about a topic we get all “gung-ho” and we can tend to go overboard! We stand outside institutions that are contrary to the word and picket, with signs telling people how wrong they are… but I don’t recall being instructed by my Bible to yell at unbelievers. No, I see that I am to love them so that all glory and honor will be given to God. It’s like the old saying that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

            No one wants to spend time with someone that constantly points out their flaws! It is God’s job to burn away the dross in the lives of his people not ours! Yes, he may use people to speak truth, but only when it is done out of love can it be effective!

Ephesians 4:29-32

”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.

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own,[e] guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

            Let your words build others up! Remember what your mom taught you “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” If you don’t agree with someone’s life choices, check it with the scriptures. If you find it is contrary to the scriptures your first step to pray for them! Then listen to what God wants you to do! Does he want you to lovingly correct them or does he want you to just love on them? One of the hardest things to remember is that non-believers don’t have the same “standard” they are to live up to! They have not met their amazing savior yet, they are not Christ followers… so don’t expect them to be!

            One final thought; God didn’t ask you to change before he loved you, likewise don’t expect others to change before you show them God’s love!

Faith through trials, a study of Ruth and 1 Peter - Part 1

     God put it on my heart to study the books of Ruth and 1 Peter side by side with my youth group; I myself have been so touched by the study that I feel the need to share it! The study will be broken into nine parts that I plan to post once a week; however I have to play catch up so I have both parts one and two that I will be posting this week. Afterward the youth and I will be going through the book of 2 Peter, I may share those studies as well if I feel they are relevant. I apologize now because these will be a little bit longer than my normal posts.

     I pray that God blesses you through these studies, and if you need prayer for anything that I touch on please reach out to me!

--------------------

Faith through trials, a study of Ruth and 1 Peter - Part 1:

Ruth 1:1-5 and 1 Peter 1:1-12

     Ruth: The central Point of Ruth is that even in times of crisis and despair, it is possible to live life according to the precepts of God and that God abundantly blesses those who do so.*

     1 Peter: The theme of 1 Peter is triumph through suffering. Early Christians lived in difficult times and often paid for their faith with their lives. But this letter shows us that following Christ is worth it, no matter what the price. God knows all that is occurring, and he is working out his perfect eternal plan. We must trust him and live with our eyes lifted up to heaven, realizing that our home is there, not here on earth.*

     Those are some pretty heavy themes, what similarities do you see between the two? Crisis, despair suffering and difficult times... I think we can all relate! It is a fact that we will face hard times in our lives. Why? Because as we see in John 10 the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy our lives. None of us are exempt from challenging times, however, we can walk with the understanding that God is on our side and he has come that we may have an abundant life.

      Ruth 1:1-5 (NLT)

     1 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. ³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. ⁴ The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

     Can you imagine being Naomi at this point in her life? We meet Naomi at the lowest possible time in her life. She is in a foreign land, she has lost her husband, her two sons and on top of it she now has her two daughter's-in-law to care for. We see so many times in the Bible that we are to care for the widows, and there is good reason; a widow didn't have means to provide income for her family, and here we have three widows living in the same house. This is truly a dark time in the lives of these women!

     1 Peter 1:1-7 (NLT)
     This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.^{[a] 2} God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
May God give you more and more grace and peace.

     ³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

⁶ So be truly glad.^[b] There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

     You are NOT alone! In verse 5 we see that "God is protecting you by his power..." it's not by your might or your understanding! God has got your back. He sees you right where you are, he sees the bills, he sees the depression, he sees the hurt and confusion; and I know it can be hard to remember at times but by HIS power He is protecting you! Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God has a design for you life!

     In verse 6 Peter tells us to "be truly glad." Did you know that you have a choice? Even in the middle of a battle you can have peace and joy! "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." Wait... the trials are a good thing? How can that be?

     One of my favorite worship songs is Start a Fire by Among Thorns:

Start a fire in me,
Let the flames run free,
Burn away the dross,
Holy fire of God. (repeat)

Let it begin, let it be new,
Let me be used for Your sake,
Bringing glory to Your Name.
I can live knowing that You
Reside in my heart.
Oh Lord, You are the fire,
You're the fire of God.

     For me this song always brings me back to this section of scripture. Just as the verse says "These trials show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold..." the song speaks of burning away the dross. Dross according to Merriam Webster is "the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal." Gross "scum," seriously that is a harsh word! The Bible tells us that the trials or hard times we go through are used for the purpose of getting rid of the scum that hinders our faith from being genuine! That puts things into a new light doesn't it?

     So now we see that when we face trials it is an opportunity for the scum to be burned away! That is truly something to be glad about! When there is scum in our lives it hinders our relationship with God! This is why trails make your faith stronger; it gives you an opportunity to examine the state of your heart and deal with the scum.

     One of my all time favorite scriptures is found in James, and if you look back over my blogs you will see that I mention it many times. James 1:2-3 (NLT) "when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." This section of scripture has been my life anthem. I, just like anyone have faced some pretty intense trials, and through them I have clung to this verse! In my own life I can see how much my faith has grown and how intimate my relationship with God has become through facing trials. If I could go back and change the past to avoid those trials you better believe I would NOT change a thing! Every trial I faced God was able to burn away more of the scum that hides inside my fleshly body! I'm not saying it is easy to walk through trials; what I AM saying, is that if you cling to the word of God and allow Him to do a work in you life you WILL make it through the storm! Not only will you make it through the storm but you will be a little less "scummy" than when you started!

     1 Peter 1:8-12
     ⁸ You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. ⁹ The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.
¹⁰ This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. ¹¹ They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward.
¹² They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.

      God prepared the way for you, He sent word through prophets to let you know that you have hope! God didn't just create you and then leave you to fend for yourself; no, he prepared the way for you. When Naomi was at this time of great sorrow in her life she didn't have what we today have. She didn't have the knowledge that Christ came from Heaven, walked this earth, died for our sins and rose again; but we do! We can rest assured that this earth is only our temporary home, and that these trials we are facing are only for a season! We have the knowledge that our inheritance is waiting for us in Heaven, and there is no trial that can take it away or change it! 1 Peter 1:3-5 "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation..."

--------------------

      Father, I pray that you would touch every person that is struggling right now. I pray that you would show them that you are walking through this trail with them. Allow them to see the dross or scum that is being burned away. Give them a joy that is inexpressible and a peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray that you would remind them how much you love them. Shower them with your grace and mercy. Thank you father that we are never alone. Thank you that you have our back and we can trust in you; and thank you that we will make it through this storm. Amen!

--------------------

     Maybe you are struggling right now and as you read verses 8 and 9, you thought to yourself... "but I don't love him and I don't trust him" maybe you thought "I don't even know him." Maybe you, like the prophets want to know more about this gracious salvation that was prepared for you. If that is you, and you want to know God, if you want to have a personal relationship with him just pray this prayer. 

     Father, I believe you sent your son to die for my sins. Thank you for saving me through his sacrifice. I ask you to come and be a part of my life. I want a relationship with you. I ask you to begin burning away the scum that is in my life. Amen.

     It is NOT the prayer that saves you, it is the condition of your heart! If you believe Jesus is your personal Lord and Savior, and confess it with your mouth then you my friend are covered by Jesus' blood and you shall receive your inheritance in Heaven! This is an amazing day! I am so excited for you! I hope by everything you read above you will have figured this out, but if not I need to tell you... you are still going to face trials! I'm sorry but it's true, however, you now belong to the Creator of this Universe and you will no longer be walking through those trials alone! You also now belong to the body of Christ, that means you are part of the family... welcome! If you ever need prayer  or encouragement message me, I want to join with you in prayer and help build you up!

  

* Themes taken from the Women's Sanctuary Devotional Bible