If you don't have anything good to say.......

“Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus remained silent........””

Matthew 26:62-63 NLT -- http://bible.com/116/mat.26.62-63.nlt

If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.

This might be the "go to" quote of my life. I'm not saying I'm the best at following it, but I do think about it often. I share its wisdom with my students, and believe it is very biblical. The power of the tongue is also very biblical. The words from our mouths can do wonders to lift people up and to tear them down. As Christians, we better be more about lifting people up with positive comments than being mean and cruel with our mouths. There is nothing that can destroy our witness more than our own cruel words. How can we exude the love of Jesus if we attack people with hurtful words? The world sees through our shallow faith when we can't control our tongue.

It is time for Christians to stand up and hold each other accountable for our own words. We must be careful and make sure our words are words that Jesus would speak. We need to make sure our love shines stronger than our hate. How can we bring others to know Jesus, or better yet, how can we even earn the right to share Jesus, when we speak cruelly of the world. Something has to change.

Lord, help us to tame our tongues. Help us to live by the mantra speaking good or speaking nothing at all. I praise you Lord, for your patience with us even when we don't represent your love as we should. Amen!

Today and Always

“I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.”Psalms 34:1-3 NLT -- http://bible.com/116/psa.34.1-3.nlt

Sometimes you have to repeat these verses over and over again in order to survive the day with Love in your heart. 

You have heard me sing the praises of the Lord often in these pages. It's so easy to do that when life is good. But, when life is NOT so good, that is the true test of faith. I don't have those days very often. But sometimes my work  colleagues and I don't see eye to eye. Sometimes my family and I "but-heads". Sometimes I blow up or I am misunderstood or someone blows up at me. It's those days I need to praise God the loudest. I need to shout his name from the mountain tops and get excited for his love. 

I praise you Lord. I exalt your name above all others. I am rescued by your powerful hand and rejoice within your strong embrace. My life has its ups and downs, but your love for me is always the same and I praise you for that "everlasting" love. I love you Lord, today, and always! Amen!

Still a heavy heart!

“May those who rejoice at my troubles be humiliated and disgraced. May those who triumph over me be covered with shame and dishonor.”  Psalms 35:26 NLT -- http://bible.com/116/psa.35.26.nlt

I am still struggling a bit with the tragedy last week in Oregon. The fighting and use of this tragedy for political gains is disgusting and appalling. The enemy rejoices at the turmoil unleashed by this lone gunman. I wil say it again and again and again, you can not legislate morality. You can't change hearts with the signing of a law. People that are not grounded in the reality of life, that don't value the lives of others or even their own life, will not live by ANY law created by man. We need to do everything possible to create citizens with hearts for love, that care deeply about their own. 

Satan is laughing with every moment he can distract us from our one mission, turning cold hearts to warm hearts for our savior. When we lose focus on bringing the lost to a saving relationship with Jesus, we lose hope. Satan does not win, our hope is real and that hope remains forever in Jesus. It does not matter what Satan does, it does not matter how humiliated or disgraced you feel, we are triumphant now and forever.

Dear Lord, I sincerely come to you with a heavy heart for the families of those lost on Roseberg. Make your presence known to them. Give them comfort and oeace in this time of great grief and shock. We know you are in charge and the enemy is already defeated. Help us to defeat that enemy here and now. Amen!

Gorge Fest!

““The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come! “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.”

Matthew 22:2-6 NLT -- http://bible.com/116/mat.22.2-6.nlt

There is not a more fitting verse in the Bible, right now, than this. It is a parable of today. I know people that would do anything to get invited to a free, all-you-can-eat banquet. Modern day weddings are exactly that. They are "gorge" fests for the invited. You know in your heart if  you were invited you would make sure you would attend. No one in their right mind would refuse. 

That's the key. 

No one in their right mind would refuse the gifts that Christ promises. There are no restrictions. It's free and the extravagance is well beyond your imagination. But, in our modern world, people are ignoring the invitation, rejecting the offer and persecuting the messengers. We are being systematically destroyed. We are being Insulted, beaten, and in some cases killed. Jesus is our only hope in this dark and hostile world. 

Lord help us. Protect us from the evils of this planet. Give us hope and remind us of your ultimate victory. We need you, Lord, now more than ever. Amen! 

This is the answer to stop mass shootings

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.””    Matthew 22:37-40 NLT -- http://bible.com/116/mat.22.37-40.nlt

I am saddened, deeply, about the Oregon mass shooting. I am even more saddened we can't figure out why. The answer is simple and becomes blatantly clear with this particular incident. 

Jesus Christ himself is under attack. Christians are under attack. The followers of Christ are being systematically attacked by Satan. He is using the countless number of lost souls to target our faith. You will be asked if you are a follower of Jesus. What will you say!? 

Until we start standing up for Jesus, evil will flourish. Our leaders need to stand up for him. The world needs a revival. We need to win the hearts of the lost, serve the homeless, the orphans, and love the unlovable. We need to battle all that is evil with the only power we have. The power of the love, mercy and grace of Jesus, is the only answer.

Dear Lord, I pray deeply for those that lost their lives in Oregon because they follow you. I pray peace for their families and comfort through this tragedy. The world needs you no more than ever. Help us to fight the battle with your power and might. Amen!