What Does It Mean to be a Christian? (Part #6)

What Does It Mean to be a Christian? (Part #6)

Words matter. Words make a difference to the one speaking them, and the one hearing them.Years ago, many of us were taught the phrase of “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” In our younger years, we used this phrase to deflect the harmful words of others. But words hurt. I would imagine you have been hurt by words.

Words not only hurt, but words can influence others. James writes, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brother, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” (James 3.1; ESV)

The influence of words is like that of a ship’s rudder. Even though a rudder is small, it can influence a large ship and take it where it wants to travel. (James 3.4)

What steps can we take to be sure we are using words properly?

  • Change your mind. What proceeds from your lips is a product of what lives in our hearts. (Matthew 15.18) Our minds should be focused on things above (Colossians 3.2) and we should meditate on the higher things (Philippians 4.8).
  • Are the words I speak helping? Are the words you are speaking encouraging to others? (Hebrews 3.13) Are the words we speak spoken out of love? (Ephesians 4.15)

Just some thoughts,

What Does It Mean to be a Christian? (Part #6)

What Does It Mean to be a Christian? (Part #4)

Christians are people of action! Being a Christian transcends beyond mere belief; it’s an active pursuit of a life modeled after Jesus Christ. This journey is not confined to Sundays but is an everyday commitment to living out one’s faith through actions that draw one closer to God.

First, if you ask God in faith for the wisdom to go through trials, He will grant you wisdom. (James 1.8) Faith is not just about weathering storms but seeking the wisdom to navigate them. When faced with trials, a Christian’s faith is a request for divine guidance, a wisdom that God promises to provide generously.

Second, the man who stands firm throughout trials will receive a reward from God—a crown of life. (James 1.12) The crown of life is a promise from God, just as Paul spoke in 2 Timothy 4.6-8)

Third, God is the giver of ever perfect and good gift. (James 1.17) We know this to be true because every spiritual blessing is found in Christ. (Ephesians 1.3) We know God will take care of His children. Matthew 6.19-34)

Fourth, we still must act. James writes, “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (James 1.22) If we only hear the word and then do nothing about it, we deceive ourselves because our actions do not follow through with our beliefs.

Do your beliefs align with your actions?

Just some thoughts,

 

 

 

Is the “Deal” Really a Deal?

Is the “Deal” Really a Deal?

Do you check prices when you go grocery shopping? Do you read the sales to be sure the “deal” you are getting is a “deal?”

In 50 Secrets Your Grocer Won’t Tell You, Jeff Weidauer revealed that the 10-for-$10 is one of the most effective promotions. Sales volume takes off when a grocery store offers this option even though it’s not uncommon to charge the consumer more.

He explained how they’ll take 89-cent cans of tuna and flag them with a “10-for-$10” sign to increase sales. Shoppers will unwittingly pay the extra $1.10 because they think it’s a deal. Temptation works the same way. That which seems irresistible is costing us more than we think. (Reader’s Digest, February 2014, p.142)

Satan makes sin look wonderful, but the consequences are eternal punishment. Sin is made to look glamorous, but its wages are death. (Romans 6.23) No one is beyond of scope of being tempted by Satan. He will use every available means to pull you away. (Ephesians 6.11; 1 Peter 5.8)

Each Christian needs to strengthen themselves so we are not pulled away (James 1.14)

How can one continue to strengthen themselves against sin?

Here are a few suggestions on growing in Spiritual Strength:

  • Surround yourself with people trying to get to heaven (Hebrews 10.24, 25)
  • Spend time in the Bible (God’s words on avoiding sin) (1 Timothy 2.15)
  • Communicate with God (Matthew 11.28-30; 1 Peter 5.7)
  • Change your life to live for God if you have not (Acts 2.38)

Just some thoughts,

Is the “Deal” Really a Deal?

Are You Looking for Answers?

For thousands of years, people have searched for answers. Some are searching for the meaning of life, while others are searching for a simple answer to a simple question.

When we are searching for answers, where do you go? Google? A friend? The Bible?

When you have a Bible question, where do you look?

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick told an Eastern Tale that tells of the search for truth. *

A traveler passing through a village spotted a man on the ground, obviously searching for something. Wanting to help, the stranger stopped and asked what he was trying to find. The man explained he’d lost his key.

Together they searched through the dust and leaves for more than an hour but found nothing. The traveler asked the old man if he was sure the key had been lost in this area. The elder told his new friend, “Oh, no! I lost it in my house.”

Irritated by the waste of time, the traveler demanded, “Then why are we looking out here?” The wise man, who used such opportunities to teach others, replied, “Because out here the light is so much better for looking.”

*The Great Cholesterol Con, Malcolm Kendrick, 2007, p. 206

Many people look where they are comfortable instead of the place to find the genuine answers. God has provided us all things for life and godliness (2 Peter 1.3) and the words of the Bible are written so we may believe (John 20.31).

How much time are you spending searching the Bible for life’s answers?

Are you searching the Bible more than Google?

Just a thought,

Is the “Deal” Really a Deal?

When Everyone Left

The walls of the pit must have seemed higher than a building as it blocked out the sun while his brothers looked down at him. The only thing he had done was to share the dreams he had over the past few nights. His brother became furious at his interpretation of the dreams. His brothers disliked the more he obeyed his father. Now, he is in a pit… just waiting.

The next step would take him farther from home. His brothers ended up selling him to slave traders. He ended up being sold again to the captain of the military guard in Egypt. Now he was a servant in a foreign land far from home. In a short time, he went from being the most loved son of his father to being a servant in a God-less kingdom.

Even though he was in a foreign land, the Lord watched over him and brought him to a place of prominence in the empire. Long story short, he ended up in prison for doing what was right. His choice of the right thing ended up putting him in the wrong place.

How can a man stay true to who he is called to be when, at every height, there is a rocky bottom?

Whether a pit or a foreign prison, he was at the bottom again?

What do you do when everyone turns their back on you?

  1. Joseph stayed faithful. The Lord blessed Joseph in prison and each blessing brought him success. (Genesis 39.21-23)
  2. Joseph uses his abilities. Not only was Joseph faithful, but he used his gifts to bless those around him. (Genesis 40.1-15)
  3. Joseph remembered God. As God remembered Joseph, Joseph remembered the way God had blessed him and he looked into the future. (Genesis 41.50.52)

Just some thoughts,