Some thoughts from our recent Sunday School Lesson:
It is fair to say that over the years there has been no greater hindrance to the Lord's work than Christian people who bicker and fight among themselves. Such behavior disrupts the fellowship of Christians and presents a bad example to the lost.
Lost people often look at the fights among church members and simply walk away in disgust. Saved people who are outside the fellowship of a New Testament church see little reason to join a group of bickering, sniping, backbiting Baptists. When we misbehave, we imagine that we are defending our rights while we are really placing a stumbling block in the path of a weaker brother.
The simple answer would be for all of God's children to behave as if they knew that Jesus was watching their every action and hearing their every word. Of course, He truly is, but we are seldom aware of this spiritual scrutiny. This is why we need to learn how to live with each other and make the same things important to us that are important to Jesus.
God forgives us ONLY when we seek forgiveness from Him. God does not just issue a blanket forgiveness for every sin that has ever been committed. God also forgives us when we are willing to forgive others, Matthew 6:14,15
An unforgiving spirit will eventually turn into a sour soul. Many do not make the connection, but when you find a child of God who is sour, critical and mean spirited, you have found a person who will not forgive others. The longer we hold onto a grudge, the more bitter we become. That is why we should not even let the sun go down on our wrath.
If God has forgiven you, then by His grace, you can forgive others.
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Quotes
"He who cannot forgive others destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass." -George Herbert
"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back."
-Charles Kingsley
"He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day." -John Bunyan
"You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough."
-William Law
"One of the first things which a physician says to his patient is, 'Let me see your tongue.' A spiritual advisor might often do the same." -Nehemiah Adams
"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend; one human soul whom we can trust utterly; who knows the best and the worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults; who will speak the honest truth to us, while the world flatters us to our face, and laughs at us behind our back."
-Charles Kingsley
"He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day." -John Bunyan
"You can have no greater sign of confirmed pride than when you think you are humble enough."
-William Law
"One of the first things which a physician says to his patient is, 'Let me see your tongue.' A spiritual advisor might often do the same." -Nehemiah Adams
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Loving God
We started our 13th year of homeschooling this week. One of the books my daughter and I are doing this year is called "Noble Girlhood Becoming a Daughter of Victory & Virtue". Today we read about Loving God. As we read this chapter I thought of years past. We had been so busy in the ministry, so caught up in being a 'cookie cutter' Christian. Now after so many loveless years we are finally experiencing true Christian love. Love for the brethren and love for God.
Here is a passage from today's reading: " Are you resting, content in loving Him today? Not just serving, fearing Him, or obeying Him, but in loving Him. For by focusing on the greater, the lesser will follow naturally as fruit of a right relationship...Loving the Lord must be our primary goal as Mark 12:30 exhorts. This is the greatest commandment and the one from which everything must stem...If you are struggling, ask Him to deepen your love for Him. As your love deepens, so the joy in your dedication will multiply."
"I must offer a word of warning to believers. Often the work of the Lord itself may tempt us away from communion with Him. A full schedule of preaching, counseling, and travel can erode the strength of the mightiest servant of the Lord. Public prayer will never make up for the closet communion."
~George Mueller
Here is a passage from today's reading: " Are you resting, content in loving Him today? Not just serving, fearing Him, or obeying Him, but in loving Him. For by focusing on the greater, the lesser will follow naturally as fruit of a right relationship...Loving the Lord must be our primary goal as Mark 12:30 exhorts. This is the greatest commandment and the one from which everything must stem...If you are struggling, ask Him to deepen your love for Him. As your love deepens, so the joy in your dedication will multiply."
"I must offer a word of warning to believers. Often the work of the Lord itself may tempt us away from communion with Him. A full schedule of preaching, counseling, and travel can erode the strength of the mightiest servant of the Lord. Public prayer will never make up for the closet communion."
~George Mueller
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Thoughts
Only the truth can be tolerant and patient. One sure sign of false religion is that it will never tolerate dissent or a difference of opinion. This was so even to the death of many innocent people whose only crime was to disagree with he falsehoods being preached and taught.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Do you have something you need to do? Something you have been putting off for whatever reason. That garage that needs cleaning, or those patterns that need o be gone through, maybe the kids have outgrown toys or clothes, perhaps the house needs to be painted, weeds need to be pulled, cars washed, ect. Maybe you have something even more important to do like make ammends. This very second could be your last before you slip away into an eternity where no ammends can be made. Perhaps it's time to swallow your pride and just get it done.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
“Delay is the deadliest form of denial.” C. Northcote Parkinson
The peace God will give you when you know things are well aligned in your life is indescribable.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
“Delay is the deadliest form of denial.” C. Northcote Parkinson
The peace God will give you when you know things are well aligned in your life is indescribable.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Making Amends
The Challenge of Clergy Amends
by Dale Wolery
It is difficult for clergy persons to be the ordinary human beings they really are. The universal inclination in our churches is to place pastors on pedestals. Words like anointed, gifted and special are used to describe them. Their careers place them as honored members of every church family at births, baptisms, weddings and funerals. They have the inside track to both the secret pain and the great celebrations of the people in the congregation. Pastors stand in the pulpit regularly to speak for God into the lives of flawed humans.
The peril, of course, is in the perception that clergy are somehow “above,” “better than” or “not as tempted” as earthlings. Looking to the pastor on the pedestal, churchgoers too often see superheroes who don’t sin, don’t fail and don’t feel pain like ordinary people.
This heightened expectation about clergy behavior can have very important consequences for clergy in recovery. No “fall” elicits the whispering or stokes the flames of gossip quite as much as clergy failure. But clergy do fail. And, like everyone else, they need to do inventory and to make amends.
Making amends is a normal part of any recovery journey. It is a spiritual discipline that forces us to face the humbling truth that our personal failure has hurt others. When it is a clergyperson who is making amends there are potential benefits for the entire Church.
Making amends requires looking long enough and carefully enough at one’s failures, addictions, abuses, behavior and sins to determine what appropriate amends are required. Making amends follows telling the whole truth to another human being about the nature of our wrongs. The process is a powerful antidote for the pedestal thinking that can be such a powerful toxin in the life of the recovering pastor.
Making amends grows out of acknowledging one’s wrongs. It is rooted in a heart that seeks to feel the impact that those wrongs have had on others. The resulting feelings are often called guilt, which is a kind of down-and-dirty human emotion. It is reserved for people who have hurt others through their failure. It is not the emotion of superheroes or idealized icons. It is for real people. When clergy own appropriate guilt and act on it by making appropriate amends the humbling, humanizing impact can be significant.
The full impact of grace cannot be experienced until we feel the pain our errors have caused others. Making amends frees a recovering pastor to feel the guilt and experience the grace about which he has preached.
To be sure, when a pastor is guided by a sponsor toward appropriate amends the experience of fully owning one’s failure and carefully and humbly making creative amends has a powerful impact. Pastors who make amends feel their humanity, come to know humility in new ways and join the congregation in the struggles of real life. Making amends requires us to get off the pedestal, to feel the guilt that as resulted from our behavior and to accept the posture of the penitent. Although painful, this is a process that is profoundly good for us. And it will be felt by all who come into contact with us. Making amends makes a difference.
by Dale Wolery
It is difficult for clergy persons to be the ordinary human beings they really are. The universal inclination in our churches is to place pastors on pedestals. Words like anointed, gifted and special are used to describe them. Their careers place them as honored members of every church family at births, baptisms, weddings and funerals. They have the inside track to both the secret pain and the great celebrations of the people in the congregation. Pastors stand in the pulpit regularly to speak for God into the lives of flawed humans.
The peril, of course, is in the perception that clergy are somehow “above,” “better than” or “not as tempted” as earthlings. Looking to the pastor on the pedestal, churchgoers too often see superheroes who don’t sin, don’t fail and don’t feel pain like ordinary people.
This heightened expectation about clergy behavior can have very important consequences for clergy in recovery. No “fall” elicits the whispering or stokes the flames of gossip quite as much as clergy failure. But clergy do fail. And, like everyone else, they need to do inventory and to make amends.
Making amends is a normal part of any recovery journey. It is a spiritual discipline that forces us to face the humbling truth that our personal failure has hurt others. When it is a clergyperson who is making amends there are potential benefits for the entire Church.
Making amends requires looking long enough and carefully enough at one’s failures, addictions, abuses, behavior and sins to determine what appropriate amends are required. Making amends follows telling the whole truth to another human being about the nature of our wrongs. The process is a powerful antidote for the pedestal thinking that can be such a powerful toxin in the life of the recovering pastor.
Making amends grows out of acknowledging one’s wrongs. It is rooted in a heart that seeks to feel the impact that those wrongs have had on others. The resulting feelings are often called guilt, which is a kind of down-and-dirty human emotion. It is reserved for people who have hurt others through their failure. It is not the emotion of superheroes or idealized icons. It is for real people. When clergy own appropriate guilt and act on it by making appropriate amends the humbling, humanizing impact can be significant.
The full impact of grace cannot be experienced until we feel the pain our errors have caused others. Making amends frees a recovering pastor to feel the guilt and experience the grace about which he has preached.
To be sure, when a pastor is guided by a sponsor toward appropriate amends the experience of fully owning one’s failure and carefully and humbly making creative amends has a powerful impact. Pastors who make amends feel their humanity, come to know humility in new ways and join the congregation in the struggles of real life. Making amends requires us to get off the pedestal, to feel the guilt that as resulted from our behavior and to accept the posture of the penitent. Although painful, this is a process that is profoundly good for us. And it will be felt by all who come into contact with us. Making amends makes a difference.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Jeremiah 32:17-19 King James Version 1611
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name, Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year
2010 Bring it on!!!!!
2009 brought some tremendously good changes to our lives and we are soo excited to see what happens this next year.
Nicholas left for Winter Camp @ 7 this morning. (Pineywoods Baptist Camp) He will be home on Saturday afternoon. We will be ringing in the new year at our Pastor's home with a group of dear friends.
This past year started off like soo many before it; gloomy, suppressed, and almost hopeless. Ever been stuck in a rut? That is how it felt. But...I should have known better just when we were on the brink the Lord led us away from our oppressors.
How, you might ask, can you love people who treated you so terribly. At some point early on, 13 years ago they loved us too. After all, they presented us with the gospel. But somewhere, through time, that love was overtaken by pride. The devil is strong and in this case he won (with them). Ultimately God always wins.
Was is painful? Yes, very.
Was it worth it? God knew His plans. He knows why we were used and manipulated. It is/was all in His plan for us.
I still love the people from our old church and pray that one day they will realize where they are wrong. I am thankful for the firm truths that I learned under that ministry but am now having to start back at square one to discern what is scripture and what was laws/rules instituted by a man.
Wow what a difference a year can make.
So let's get on with it! The devil will not win in my 2010!!!
2009 brought some tremendously good changes to our lives and we are soo excited to see what happens this next year.
Nicholas left for Winter Camp @ 7 this morning. (Pineywoods Baptist Camp) He will be home on Saturday afternoon. We will be ringing in the new year at our Pastor's home with a group of dear friends.
This past year started off like soo many before it; gloomy, suppressed, and almost hopeless. Ever been stuck in a rut? That is how it felt. But...I should have known better just when we were on the brink the Lord led us away from our oppressors.
How, you might ask, can you love people who treated you so terribly. At some point early on, 13 years ago they loved us too. After all, they presented us with the gospel. But somewhere, through time, that love was overtaken by pride. The devil is strong and in this case he won (with them). Ultimately God always wins.
Was is painful? Yes, very.
Was it worth it? God knew His plans. He knows why we were used and manipulated. It is/was all in His plan for us.
I still love the people from our old church and pray that one day they will realize where they are wrong. I am thankful for the firm truths that I learned under that ministry but am now having to start back at square one to discern what is scripture and what was laws/rules instituted by a man.
Wow what a difference a year can make.
So let's get on with it! The devil will not win in my 2010!!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thoughts
Whatever feelings you have within you are attracting your tomorrow.
Worry attracts more worry.
Anxiety attracts more anxiety.
Unhappiness attracts more unhappiness.
Dissatisfaction attracts more dissatisfaction.
AND..........
Joy attracts more joy.
Happiness attracts more happiness.
Peace attracts more peace.
Gratitude attracts more gratitude.
Kindness attracts more kindness.
Love attracts more love.
Your job is an inside one.
To change your world, all you have to do is change the way you feel inside.
How easy is that?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thankfulness
Thanks: Expression of gratitude; an acknowledgement made to express a sense of favor or kindness received.
Thankful: Grateful; impresses with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.
Thanksgiver: One who gives thanks or acknowledges a kindness.
Thanksgiving: Rendering thanks for good received.
A s we approach the Thanksgiving holiday let us remember all the blessings in our lives. All the the good that we are undeserving of yet have we received. Personally I have had a most trying year in many ways. However looking back I now know that there is a purpose for my heartache. I am happier at this point in my life than I have been for several years. It is sad to say that I allowed people and circumstances to control my thoughts, actions, and ultimately my everyday live. I have not been the person that I know to be. But PRAISE BE TO GOD that I gave all my burdens to The One Who Cares-GOD!! I have a peace in my heart today that is not of me but that of my Savior.
I am thankful for a great many things. Hear are just a few:
Salvation (Free to all those that ask)
God's Holy Word (King James Bible)
My Church (Faith Baptist in Freeport Texas)
My Pastor (Bro. James McEntire)
Husband of almost 16 years and friend for almost 20 (Jesse)
My children (Jaime, Nicholas, Christian, Victoria, Isaiah)
God's Faithfulness
Answered Prayers
God's constant provision
My Mom (Pamela Peters)
This country
The vacation my family took in May
Our van
Good neighbors (John & Tasha, Mrs. Doris, Mrs. Thomas, Tyrone as well as others)
Renewed friendships
For the chance to see my family in Kentucky
My nephews and my neice that is on her way
Coupons
Thrift stores
Cheaper gas prices
My husband's job
Blogs
Forgiveness and those willing to extend it
Unexpected blessings
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Cor 9:15
Thankful: Grateful; impresses with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.
Thanksgiver: One who gives thanks or acknowledges a kindness.
Thanksgiving: Rendering thanks for good received.
A s we approach the Thanksgiving holiday let us remember all the blessings in our lives. All the the good that we are undeserving of yet have we received. Personally I have had a most trying year in many ways. However looking back I now know that there is a purpose for my heartache. I am happier at this point in my life than I have been for several years. It is sad to say that I allowed people and circumstances to control my thoughts, actions, and ultimately my everyday live. I have not been the person that I know to be. But PRAISE BE TO GOD that I gave all my burdens to The One Who Cares-GOD!! I have a peace in my heart today that is not of me but that of my Savior.
I am thankful for a great many things. Hear are just a few:
Salvation (Free to all those that ask)
God's Holy Word (King James Bible)
My Church (Faith Baptist in Freeport Texas)
My Pastor (Bro. James McEntire)
Husband of almost 16 years and friend for almost 20 (Jesse)
My children (Jaime, Nicholas, Christian, Victoria, Isaiah)
God's Faithfulness
Answered Prayers
God's constant provision
My Mom (Pamela Peters)
This country
The vacation my family took in May
Our van
Good neighbors (John & Tasha, Mrs. Doris, Mrs. Thomas, Tyrone as well as others)
Renewed friendships
For the chance to see my family in Kentucky
My nephews and my neice that is on her way
Coupons
Thrift stores
Cheaper gas prices
My husband's job
Blogs
Forgiveness and those willing to extend it
Unexpected blessings
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:57
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 2 Cor 9:15
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thought for the Day
I saw this on a sign the other day:
You may tie your shoes this morning.....
The undertaker may untie them tonight!
Are you ready?
You may tie your shoes this morning.....
The undertaker may untie them tonight!
Are you ready?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Thought To Remember
Tough times never last; tough people do.Now it is off to roll up my sleeve and get my free flu shot:(
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A Thought To Remember
It is difficult to have rosy thoughts of the future when your mind is full of the blues of the past.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thought for the day
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Thursday's Thought
You cannot teach people anything.
You can only help them discover it within themselves.
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