Anyone willing to share?

"To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child." Proverbs 29:15


I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share what the Lord has taught you about discipline.

Prayer: Lord teach and train us to become devoted followers of You. Amen

You will always be... my baby, lover, and prince!

To my sweetest Avery,

  Four years ago Jesus brought you into this world and placed you in my arms and it was a moment that took my breath away. Daddy and I fell madly in love with you, and we are still madly in love with you.

 Avery, mommy loves you so much. I cannot believe you are four years old today. My precious baby I pray that this day will be filled with so much joy, love, and laughter. I am so thankful to Jesus for finding me favorable enough to be your earthly mommy. I pray that as you and your brother continue to grow that you will also continue to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

   I want nothing more for you than for you to love and hunger for Jesus as much as your daddy and I do. You sweet boy fill this home with more joy, laughter, excitement, and fun than you will ever know.

  I will never forget the morning I woke up to you laying on the floor face down praying. I pray you will have many more intimate days on your face before your Heavenly Father. Thank you for displaying Jesus at age 4! Thank you for teaching mommy what unconditional love and purity in Christ looks like.

    You are our sweet boy that has the biggest heart, you show no favoritism and you never want anyone to be left out. You want all people to receive the same amount of love. Some of my favorite moments are seeing you take care of your baby brother, you are so nurturing and Dax is truly blessed to have you!

   Avery you will always be mommy's baby,lover and prince and I hope you never get tired of telling me that, no matter how old you get! Thank you for being mommy's spider-man and saving me from the dragon's keep. I know every time you pray that prayer that Jesus smiles from ear to ear and so do I!

   Dear Jesus today I praise You for 4 years of Avery's life. I praise You for his health, his love, his laughter, his hugs, his kisses, his ability to run, walk, talk, hear and feel. I praise You for loving Garrett and I so much that You entrusted one of Your precious angels into our lives to raise according to Your word. I pray that as Avery continues to grow that he will grow in the knowledge and wisdom of You. I pray for Your biggest and strongest angels to surround him all the days of his life. Lord I ask that You fill him with wisdom beyond his years so he is able to discern right from wrong. I pray that You will place friends in his life who are as passionate about You as he is. Fill him with a burning desire to seek You and to study Your word. Thank You for shining through him in all the ways that You do. Thank You Jesus for creating such a beautiful, precious, smart, loving baby. Thank You for August 15, 2006 when he entered this world and was placed in my arms. That was a day Lord when You showed Garrett and I just how faithful, loving and mighty You are. May You show Avery the path where he should walk O' Lord. Point out the right road for him to follow, lead him by Your truth and teach him all the days of his life. Amen


Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet baby, lover and prince!

Mommy

Discipline…discipline…and some more discipline

"To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child." Proverbs 29:15

"Don’t fail to correct your children. They won’t die if you spank them. Physical discipline may well save them from death.” Proverbs 23:13

“If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don’t love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them.” Proverbs 13:24

“My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” Proverbs 3:11-12

“Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don’t, you will ruin their lives.” Proverbs 19:18

“Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” Proverbs 22:6

“To learn you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.” Proverbs 12:1  

“A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness but discipline will drive it away.” Proverbs 22:15

Here are just a few passages to show how important discipline is to the Lord…just in case you didn’t know!

Prayer: Lord instill discipline within us. Amen

A by-product of me

“To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” Proverbs 29:15

Today is such a somber day for me, my heart has become so saddened by a revelation the Lord has just revealed to me.

My boys are a by-product of me. They are like lumps of clay that have been placed in my hands. And thus far I have shaped them to behave just as I behave.

When I lose self-control… they lose self-control.

When I yell… they yell.

When they see me disrespect Garrett… they disrespect Garrett.

When I am lazy… they are lazy.

When I get frustrated… they get frustrated.

If I tell them the moo-moo’s ate their pappy and he didn’t I am teaching them to lie.

When I gripe and complain… they gripe and complain.

If I am constantly putting myself down, I am teaching them self-condemnation.

If I put Garrett down or others down, I am teaching them disrespect and gossip.

If I have a negative attitude …they have a negative attitude.

If I am impatient…they are impatient.

 If we watch a TV show that has cussing and inappropriate behavior, then I am allowing their eyes which is a lamp for their body (Matthew 6:22) to be filled with filth.

I praise God for revealing this to me now and not when my boys are grown. I am so thankful to have such a loving Father who is willing to teach me the importance of the example I set for my children.

You could say that it is I who has needed the most discipline this week.

My boys spend every moment with me and I am the one who will answer to the Lord for the example I have set for them. I will either set the example that leads my boys to be heaven bound…or hell bound.

I have been given one of the greatest responsibilities in this life and it is to shape and mold my two boys to be Christ-like, to love Christ first and foremost, to obey Him, respect Him, honor Him, and to love others. And it all begins at home... with me!!!!

If you ever wonder why your children act and behave the way they do, stop and look at how you act and behave. 

Prayer: Lord help my boys to become a by-product of You. Lord when my boys look at me, please let them see You. For then they will have the perfect example set before them. Lord thank You for loving me so much and opening my eyes to the importance of discipline and consistency.Amen

How can we…

“To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” Proverbs 29:15

How can we discipline our children if we ourselves are not willing to be disciplined?

How can we expect our children to have self-control if we ourselves do not practice self-control?

How can we ever expect our children to do what is right if we discipline them according to the worlds standards?

How can we pass our God-given responsibility to discipline and instill Jesus Christ in our children onto others?

How can we expect our children to know Christ if we don’t teach them at home?

How can we expect our children not to lie, cuss, cheat, drink, steal, be angry, rude, disrespectful, have pre-marital sex, etc. when they see us do it at home?

Should there be laughter at our child’s poor behavior? Christ doesn’t find it funny or cute.

As my husband puts it best, there are three kinds of parenting:

1. Parenting without Christ.
2. Parenting that is lukewarm-one way at home and one way at church.
3. Parenting that is Christ-like, God and Scripture centered.-this one takes work, discipline, consistency, and a love for Christ.

Prayer: Lord instill Your word, love, and Your very presence within Garrett and I, so we can become the parents that You desire us to be. Parents that live and breathe You.Amen

Disciplining out of frustration or anger…it’s not right!

 “To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” Proverbs 29:15!

One of my biggest weaknesses in disciplining is doing it out of frustration. You know like when you are trying to pick up the house and they are messing it up as quickly as you pick up. Or when you are trying to get some work done for your actual job and they are pulling all your papers off your desk, opening the drawers, grabbing your pens, etc. My favorite is when they wait until you get on the phone and they begin yelling! I remind you they are 1 ½ and 3 ½ .

At first I will react with calmness and self-control. The second time my frustration begins to creep up and I raise my voice a little louder, more stern, and give them a look. The third time frustration has taken complete control and I am now yelling like a crazy woman, getting in their face, and telling them the same thing I told them the first time only it is now their third warning. If you do it again I am going to spank you! (Yes I spank)

Now I believe all of the above are good reasons to get on to them, but then there are the times when they are simply being boys that I get frustrated and lash out on them. And that is when it becomes a problem. Let me share with you a meeting Jesus called to order just today with me.

There is a difference between disciplining My way and disciplining your way. You must be careful not to lash out on your children because they are getting on your nerves. To be honest Kristi there are many times you get on my nerves but I do not lash out and discipline you. Remember the purpose of Godly discipline is to teach your children right from wrong, so when they depart from you they will be able to discern it for themselves.

When I the Lord discipline I do it out of love-always! “My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.” Hebrews 12:5-6

Like I said yesterday, we are all learning a lot! Just as Christ does with me, disciplines me out of love, I want to do the same for my boys, discipline out of love not frustration or anger. If you really think about it the only reason we act out of frustration is because we in those moments are a little self-absorbed.

Day two and we did not cross the tape one time!

Prayer: Lord thank You that You do not discipline out of Your frustration because I would be non-existent. Lord help me to shape and mold these two precious gifts into godly men who are filled with wisdom, discernment, and respect. Amen

This mommy will not be disgraced!

“To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.” Proverbs 29:15

As a mother I have lacked consistency in the area of discipline and as a result I have allowed some bad behaviors to become rampant within my 2 year old. He is not a horrible child by any means; he just has gotten away with a little more than he should, which has resulted in less fear and respect.

The Lord knows best and He knows this week needs to be a week of learning consistency and discipline and the importance of both. Not just in my four year old and two year old but also in me.

My biggest prayer for my boys has always been that they will be filled with wisdom beyond their years, but in order for wisdom to develop there must be discipline and consistency.

Okay so as of today with the help of my uncle we have started day one of boundaries. It begins by taping off an area I do not want the boys to be in, which would be the kitchen.

            

Once the tape is up you tell them, we do not cross this tape. We don’t go under, over, or through it. Then this is where the consistency comes in. Once they cross that tape you pick them up without saying a word and place them in a special chair for two minutes while you stand behind them, still not saying a word. When the timer goes off you walk away.

Can I just tell you that this has been the greatest thing EVER! Not just for the boys but for me as well, and I am happy to say we only had to sit in the special chair three times today!

We are all getting something wonderful from it. My boys are learning boundaries and I am learning to actually follow through on something.  I am also learning self-control in the area of my tongue. Which the Lord knows I need thus aligning all this up as He did.

Do you have some areas you are struggling to stay consistent in? Maybe it is your quite time or prayer life. Maybe you need to put up some boundaries in your own life boundaries that will keep you from falling into temptation, whatever it might be seek the Lord for help. Ask Him to help you desire Him more. Ask Him to help keep you from running through your boundary and into sin.

“But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.” Psalm 33:11

Prayer: Lord help me to imitate Your consistency. Help me to produce wisdom within my boys through consistency and discipline so they can grow up and discern right from wrong. Amen

Giving up ourselves

"For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want." John 6:38


How has life been this last week knowing that your main purpose on earth is to do absolutely nothing but serve God and be like Christ?

I have found it to be freeing, less stressful, more exciting, and a lot easier in decision making.

I want to finish up this week with what I believe to be the second greatest purpose we have. Giving up ourselves.

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." Matthew 16:24-25 

This week take on the same mindset as Christ when He says, "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Prayer: Lord thank You for teaching me this week that my purpose is ALL about You. 

It’s just that simple

   ”For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.” John 6:38

Lord You have created me and have called me to be:

1. A child/woman of God that serves You, loves you, and honors you
2. A part of the body of Christ that works together for Your good, Your glory, and to bring others to know You.
3. A wife that honors and glorifies You by honoring, respecting, encouraging, and helping my husband.
4. A mother that talks the talk and walks the walk. A mother that lives and breathes You and Your word and that teaches and instills Your word and love within my boys.
5. A daughter that brings joy and honor to You by bringing joy and honor to her parents
6.  A sister that listens first to You, so I in return can be a listener for them.
7. A friend that loves, encourages, holds accountable, and listens. All of which is done through the Holy Spirit within me.
8. A teacher that lives by example according to Your word, that speaks the truth, and one who always points to You at all times.
9. A writer that writes when prompted by the Holy Spirit, which in returns brings Your amazing word to life.

Lord You have sent me down from heaven to do Your will, not to do what I want.

You have a purpose!

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.” John 6:38

Whether you are the groom that sweeps your new bride off her feet and carries her down the aisle or the husband that comforts your grieving wife who just buried her father. You have a purpose!

Maybe you are a mom that has been interceding in prayer for your lost son who is addicted to drugs or your daughter who is 16 and pregnant. You have a purpose!

Maybe you are mourning the death of a child, husband, or wife and you are so broken you can’t even lift up your head. You have a purpose!

Maybe you are the mom, sister, husband, wife, brother, or father that holds the hand of your loved one as they receive the first injection of chemo into their body to fight the cancer that is trying so hard to take their life.  You have a purpose!

Maybe you are the woman who is so desperate to be loved that you will do just about anything. You have a purpose!

Maybe you have turned from God because you or a loved one has become ill or has died and you are angry. You have a purpose!

Maybe you are the mother or father that has become so overwhelmed with the stresses of life that you have been contemplating suicide. You have a purpose!

My sweet brethren you have a purpose! You have a purpose to run to the Son of God and believe in Him. Believe in the one who promises to help you, strengthen you, comfort you, and heal you. Believe in His unending love that surrounds every inch of your body.

Believe Him when He promises to deliver you from the pain that entangles your soul.

Your purpose is to stand under the wings of your Savior, believe in who He says He is, and believe He will do all He says He will do.

Your purpose is not to question when tests and trials come your way, your purpose is to just believe wholeheartedly in the one who will guide you, protect you, comfort you, love you, and stand beside you.

Your purpose is to share of the great things the Lord has done in you, through you, and for you. Your purpose is to be the hands and feet of Christ, your purpose is to comfort those who are hurting, mourn with those who are mourning, celebrate with those who are celebrating. Your purpose is to join in with other brothers and sisters interceding in prayer, and your purpose is to look at each person through the eyes of Christ.

Prayer: Lord You alone are our purpose. You are the reason we exist! May we use our existence to fulfill Your very purpose for creating us. Amen

We are blessed to even get a piece

"For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want." John 6:38

Here is a great Scripture to test your real motives for why you pursue the purpose in this world that you do.

 “Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who present their own ideas are looking for praise for themselves, but those who seek to honor the one who sent them are good and genuine.” John 7:17-18

You might find this week to be extremely repetitive, but we cannot choose a self-centered purpose in this world and expect great things to happen, believe me it will come to an end. Our purpose has to be God centered.

If you are struggling with how to fulfill your God given purpose, try spending some time with Him in prayer and in His word. The more you search His word the more clear your purpose will become.

Here is the bottom line-our purpose is to become more and more like Christ every second of our lives. Which means you just can’t have your cake and eat it to. It is Christ’s cake, He made it, and He gets to eat it, we just need to be thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us enough to give us a piece.

How many ways can your purpose be said?

Prayer: Father thank You for sharing the most delicious piece of cake ever made. Forgive us for the times when we have tried to take the credit from You. Amen  

Where do you seek purpose?

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.” John 6:38

Is your purpose self-motivated or Christ motivated?

Do you search the world to find purpose and meaning for your life or do you search the word of God to find His purpose and meaning for your life?

Do you notice when you try to fulfill your own purpose it never goes quite like you expected. Even the road getting there is difficult and once achieved it results in short satisfaction.

How about the times you seek to fulfill God’s purpose-how is the outcome, yes it’s true the road might still have some bumps, but do you notice you get over them a lot easier than you did the ones you tried to get over on your own? That’s because God’s purpose comes with a helper!

And what about the results, once Christ has achieved His purpose through you, have you noticed the joy and satisfaction lingers and lasts?

I really believe that Christ when upon that cross, having known that He had and was about to complete the purpose of His Father felt a satisfaction that is unexplainable. Our Savior lived and breathed the purpose of God, and we too should live and breathe the purpose of God.

Prayer: Lord You set the perfect example of what it looks like to fulfill God’s purpose. Thank You. Amen

How Lord?

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”  John 6:38

The biggest mistake I have made is trying to figure out what “my” purpose is. I have gotten so caught up in asking God who, what, when, where, and why, when I should have been asking Him how. Lord how can I fulfill “Your” purpose for today?

I believe when we start asking about “our” purpose it is because we have taken our eyes off of God and placed them upon ourselves, which makes complete since why overcoming “me” is SO important.

If you have noticed in our Scripture this week Jesus says I have come to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what “I” want.  He also says over in John 10:10, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.”

Before we can even begin to know His purpose for our lives we must begin to understand Christ’s purpose. So for today my purpose is to become even more Christ like than yesterday; it is to do the will of God who created me, and to please Him and not myself or the world.   

Prayer: Lord change me from within making me pure so I can become a utensil You can use for Your purpose. May all I do and all I say be pleasing to You. Show me how Lord I can fulfill Your purpose for today. Amen

Each title has a purpose…a God purpose.

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do what I want.”  John6:38

Do you ever wonder what your purpose is?

As I began to research God’s word on purpose, a list began running through my head of all that I am and what purpose I have wearing these titles.

1. I am a child/woman of God
2. I am a part of the body of Christ
3. I am a wife
4. I am a mother
5. I am a daughter
6. I am a sister
7. I am friend
8. I am a teacher
9. I am a writer

After I looked at this list I began to pray that the Lord would reveal to me the exact purpose that He has for me right now, right where I am, and with each title I hold.

As overwhelming as it can be at times wearing so many names, it is not impossible! Nothing is impossible with the Lord, and though there are times when I am at my wits end with all these titles I am reminded of the cross and the title Christ wore that day.

1.       Savior

Savior! Savior, Savior!

Prayer: You are Lord, You are the Son of God, the Great I Am, the Redeemer, The First and Last, Christ, Yahweh, Creator, Lamb, King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Son of Man, the way, truth and life. Shepherd, Faithful and true, the Word, Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, and the bright morning star. You are abba Father, lover, and friend. You are the One and Only! You are our purpose. Amen

Your step by step guide to a new…thought life

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on the cheek turn the other cheek. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

Overcoming your enemies, requires you to overcome the “me”

We all struggle with them from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed. They determine how we act, what we say, and what we do. They are known as our thoughts.  Oh my goodness can we have some crazy thoughts. Just think about all the thoughts you have, good, loving, hateful, selfish, prideful, depressing, and more thoughts of self, self, self. 

That is why overcoming “me” is one of the greatest things we could ever learn to do. I believe that we can begin to love ALL of God’s people in a whole new way, by simply changing the way we think. I remind you this can only be done if you have Jesus living in you.

With that said, Paul gives us the best step by step guide to changing our thought patterns.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24

1. Step one-ask the Lord to test your thoughts and point out any that are offensive to Him.
2. Write out any negative thoughts you might have towards someone.
3. Pray and ask the Lord to forgive you for those thoughts.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”  Romans 12:2

1. Step two-Get into the word of God and let His words become your thoughts. You do this by memorizing and storing His word deep in your heart.

“Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

1. Step three-gather up all of the bad thoughts that enter your mind on a daily basis. Which includes; selfish thoughts, jealous thoughts, angry thoughts, bitter thoughts, lustful thoughts, condemning thoughts, judgmental thoughts, and prideful thoughts. Gather them up, take them captive, and then make new thoughts based off of the word of God.

“Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” Luke 12:34

1. Step four-start putting all your thoughts on a time sheet, when you go to total up your hours how many of them were on Christ? How many were on your enemies or self?  When you do this you will begin to see the things you put into your mind the most.

“Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Philippians 4:8-9

1. Step five- Take action against all negative, unloving thoughts.

                                                              i.      When your thought life becomes negative, worldly, ugly, selfish, angry, jealous, etc.

                                                            ii.      Begin by taking each thought and examining it under the microscope of God’s word.

                                                          iii.      For example;

1.       Is this true?

2.       Is this thought honorable?

3.       Is this thought right?

4.       Is this thought pure?

5.       Is it lovely?

6.       Is it admirable?

7.       Is this thought excellent and worthy of praise?

God’s word is shaper than any two edged sword. Therefore it will cut to the root of our thoughts, slash them in half, and destroy them. Then the Holy Spirit will come down sweep them up, throw them in the trash, and the fire of God will them burn them removing them. I again remind you it is a DAILY process but overtime you will begin, just as I have, to notice a change in your heart, thoughts, action, and attitude.

Prayer: Lord search each of us today and test our every thought. Point out all thoughts that offend You. Forgive us Father for failing to remember that You know our every thought and that when we think of things that are not of You, You are the most offended. Amen

Just keep driving

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

It can happen before you even realize it, and when you trace your steps back, you end up in a place you never knew really existed. It is a place if not tended to can lead to an even greater hate within you, a hate that you never thought possible. It is a place we have all been, stayed, and for some, passed through making only a pit stop. It is a place called jealousy that lies within each of us.

It takes root through our insecurities, lack of attention, and too much self. It has existed from the beginning.

Satan was jealous in heaven, thus being kicked out, he was then jealous of Eve in the garden, thus tempting her.

Then we have Cain who became jealous of his own brother Abel because God found favor in his sacrifice, thus Cain killing Abel.

Miriam became jealous of Moses because she wanted to be just as important as Moses was and in the decision making.

Saul became jealous of David because of the attention David received and because the Lord was with him. Therefore Saul set out to kill David.

Then we have the Pharisees and Sadducees who were jealous of Jesus, thus putting our Savior upon the cross.

And us, we are people of jealousy whether we want to admit it or not, and when we make the decision to act on our jealous feelings, enemies are created.

I believe we have to overcome the “me”, we have to keep our eyes on the cross, on the things that are above, fill our hearts with God’s word, and fall madly in love with Christ. Because when we are in love with Him there is no room for jealousy. And the most important thing is to remember we are all created in the image of God, we are here for His purpose, and as long as we have Christ as our Lord and Savior we have nothing to be jealous of.

Just to remember to keep on driving, don’t stop to fuel up, don’t stop to chat, just keep on driving! (think about that comment for a few minutes)

Prayer: Lord help us to set our eyes on the things that matter and that is You and the lives of those who are lost. May we overcome our jealousies and begin to work together as one body. Amen

"But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek." " You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate." Luke 6:27-28, 36


Can we really talk about our enemies without talking about the amazing grace of the one who displayed the ultimate expression of love towards His enemies.

From the time Mary delivered Jesus He was hated. And guys His enemies were very open about their hate towards Him. They questioned His intentions, integrity, and who He was. They even tried to kill Him several times. And the worst part is they did it straight to His face. Now imagine that for a moment.

I am just going to tell you straight up, it is hard enough when you know there is animosity between you and someone else and it is even harder when that person deliberately goes out of their way to be ugly to your face. 

But can I just tell you, when you start putting things in perspective according to the cross and the persecution, accusations, and name calling that Christ endured, it will make you realize that what you are going through does not even come close to what Jesus had to go through.

And if the Son of God could endure through such hatefulness and still show unfailing love to His enemies, so can we, because we are the children of the Most High, who are filled with His spirit.

Doesn't that excite you? Oh, it does me! So much that I am running full force towards Satan with the word of God yelling, game over serpent, the victory is in Jesus!

 I was once told by my best friend that at the time made no sense what so ever, but now makes absolutley perfect sense. She said,  it is up to us to do what is right and it is up to Christ to deal with the consequences of our obedience.

In other words, if you have done what the Lord has told you to do and done it with the right heart then step back and let the Lord deal with the rest. Let Him deal with the consequences of our obedience by dealing with the actions of our enemies. Make sense?

My precious friends remember showing acts of kindness and love towards others is a daily process. You can't just pick certain days you want to show love to your enemy. Jesus didn't!

It is all about imitating Christ in every aspect of our lives.

Prayer: Lord today we ask that You clothe us with peace that is loving, gentleness at all times, mercy, and the willingness to yield to others. Thank You Jesus for being the perfect demonstration of love. Amen

Just Do It!!

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

Over the next four days I have an activity I want you to try. It pertains to your enemies. Before you bail on me just think about, pray about it, and please, whatever you do let the Holy Spirit guide you. Because if you don't you could end up doing it out of spite which will only make things worse. 

We are people of feelings and being that we base our actions off of our feelings (which we should NOT) there are a lot of times we don't "feel" like showing love, compassion, or even being forgiving, especially towards someone who has hurt us, or our enemies.

So for today if you are a big "feeling" person, you need to shed that and put on your action outfit, because you are going to literally show a kind, loving action toward your enemy. Today we are going to Just do it by DOING GOOD to those who hate us.

I have done this and you will be so amazed how much your heart begins to change. All I can say is it is a God thing and the peace you receive in doing it is indescribable. 

Here is a pick list for you.

1. Call and tell the person you were thinking of them and you want to mend the relationship.

2. If they are in need, help them.

3. Send them a gift

4. If you see them say hi and smile (genuine, my friends)

5. If you know their email send them a quick note

6. Send them a text asking them if you can do anything for them.
7.Call and leave a prayer on their answering machine
8. Write down all the positive things about them (and yes there are positive things about everyone)
9. Send them a letter telling them what you admire about them.
10. Pray for them everyday for 30 days.

Will their be awkwardness at first-absolutely. Will you doubt yourself-YES. Will you make an excuse of why you can't-of course. But just remember to put on the mind of Christ, who never felt awkward to show love, who never doubted His purpose, and who never made an excuse when He was placed upon the cross.

"Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good." Romans 12:21

Prayer: Lord as we put on our action outfits we ask that You examine our hearts and our motives. Align them with Your heart and Your motives which are based off of unconditional love. Lord convict us if we do any of these out of spite. Amen

“Action” packed

“But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other check.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-28, 36

Having enemies is probably just as inevitable as the sun coming up. There unfortunately will always be people who oppose the Lord and oppose those who serve the Lord. But that does not mean we should oppose those who oppose us, and we should NOT allow Satan the opportunity to wound us.

As “true” believers of Christ we need to put on the same characteristics of Christ and pursue Satan and our enemies with love and the word of God. So put on your armor, grab your shield and sword and make sure you have good shoes because we are headed into a battle that is “action” packed.

Here is a list from the Commander Himself that is required.

Leviticus 19:18

1.       Do not seek revenge

2.       Do not bear a grudge

3.       Love your neighbor as yourself

Proverbs 25:9-10

1.       Discuss the matter with your enemy privately

2.       Don’t tell anyone else, or others will accuse you of gossip.

Proverbs 25:21

1.       Give them food

2.       Give them water

Matthew 5:25

1.       Come to terms quickly with them

2.       Be reconciled to them

Matthew 5:43, 44, 48

1.       Love your enemies

2.       Pray for those who persecute you

3.       Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6: 14

1.       Forgive them

Luke 6:27-36

1.       Love your enemies

2.       Do good to those who hate you.

3.       Pray for the happiness of those who curse you.

4.       Pray for those who hurt you.

5.       Love your enemies

6.       Do good to them

7.       Lend to them

8.       Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate

**Do you think the Lord is trying to get His point across-look at how many times he repeated Himself? It’s important my friends!

Romans 12:9-10

1.       Don’t pretend to love, really love

2.       Hate what is wrong

3.       Stand on the side of good

4.       Love with genuine affection

5.       Take delight in honoring each other

Romans 12:14-18, 20

1.       Don’t curse them

2.       Pray that God will bless them

3.       Be happy with them

4.       Share their sorrow

5.       Live in harmony

6.       Don’t act important

7.       Don’t act like you know it all

8.       Never pay back evil for evil

9.       Live in peace with everyone-as much as possible

10.   Feed them

11.   Give them a drink

12.   Do good

Don’t let the list overwhelm you, put your eyes on Christ, let the Holy Spirit do the leading, remember it is about the glory of God, obeying His commands and showing our enemies the same love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace we receive every day.

Prayer: Lord we ask that You clothe us with compassion, peace that is loving, gentleness at all times, the willingness to yield to others, mercy, and forgiveness. Lord clothe us with strength and the endurance and as we go into battle and defeat the ultimate enemy. Amen

Oyebh…one who hates!

 “But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek.” “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Luke 6:27-29, 36

An enemy is one who entertains personal hatred, grudge, or malice against another.  Enemy translated in the Hebrew is oyebh, which means “one who hates.”

One who hates is one who dislikes, detests, persecutes and has strong emotional aversion.

Do any of these describe how you feel towards another person?

Why do we have enemies? I can understand an enemy that opposes Christ, but an enemy that is a brother or sister in Christ?

Our biggest adversary –Satan walks around with a loaded gun full of temptation, greed, jealousy, insecurity, anger, and dissension. His target is US. He has no greater motive than to cause dissension and discord among believers and non-believers.

I am sure I have a few enemies throughout this life of mine, but I can guarantee you that I have never set out to make them my enemies. And to be honest yes I have had my share of disliking some people, but I have never considered them to be an enemy. So I thought. Until I read the biblical definition of an enemy.

If “enemy” means one who hates and the definition of hate is dislike or detests, than do I have people who I have made my enemy.  What is the real reason to “hate” someone, especially when that someone is created in the image of God?

 Is it because we have taken the armor of Christ off, acted off our feelings, therefore becoming open targets?

I understand that we will have disagreements, but that should never cause us to have or be made an enemy. We must still make the choice to love in spite of our disagreements and differences, just as Christ did when He died on the cross. Hate and love are like oil and water they don’t mix.

The biggest lesson I have learned from studying “enemies” is that if we say with our mouths that we love the Lord, yet “hate” a brother or sister in Christ than we are liars. Let me back that up with scripture. “If someone says, I love God, but hates a Christian Brother or sister, that person is a liar for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God whom we have not seen? And God himself has commanded that we must love not only him but our Christian brothers and sisters too.” 1 John 4:20-21

We can’t let the bullets of Satan wound us, we have to go straight to the healer, allow Him to remove the bullets and bandage the wounds before they begin to poison us with selfishness, jealousy, and insecurity thus causing us to harbor anger and hate towards one of God’s creations. We must put on our armor covering every inch of ourselves with Christ's love and word.

Prayer: Lord reveal to us today any hate that we may have in our hearts towards others. Forgive us Father if we have held on to this hate because of our own selfishness, jealousy and or insecurities. Lord help us to live in confident dependence upon You. May we see all people through the eyes of Your Son who displayed the ultimate expression of love on the cross.  Amen