Paul the Apostle came from a long line of faithful followers of God. He passed that faith baton on to Timothy. However, he now remembers this son in the faith, with tears as day and night he lifts him up in prayer. He is worried that Timothy would be discouraged and cease to preach the Gospel. So, he reminds him of the gift of God that the Holy Spirit had placed in him.

2 Timothy 1:6 (ESV) — 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands

Since the beginning of the COVID outbreak many Christians have become very discouraged. The source of our encouragement used to be our coming together to worship God. However, it has been many MONTHS since we all came together.

Knowing this, one of our widow ladies has sent me a note ofencouragement EVERY WEEK. Here is the 1st and last note of encouragement I have received:

• April 5: Thank you for feeding us so abundantly!!,

• Aug 16: Outstanding lesson!! Words fail me…. we are so fortunate to have you impart the word to us. Thank you

Friend, in these dark hours, are you part of God’s army that tenderly seeks to encourage one another daily?

Father God, thank you for placing within each one of us gifts to be used for the building up of your Body. Help us to never be guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit by using abusive words to kill or crush another’s soul (Eph.4:29-32).

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  Colossians 3:14

I moved my daughter into her dorm at Harding University this week.  I was filled with many emotions but mostly I am excited for her to start this next journey.  I think she is exactly where she is supposed to be.  She will be able to get a great education at a school that puts God first, focuses on serving others and builds relationships with like-minded faculty and students. 

The raw emotions that I might experience at this time were heightened by the many questions and disagreements that surround us all at this time. Should children be in school or should they not be in school?  Should we wear a mask, or should we not wear a mask?  Do we continue to social distance or can we get back to normal distance? And those seem to be the easy questions.  The debates over politics will only increase as the political party conventions kicked-off this week. And the struggles to overcome racism, which should have been happened long ago, continue. But, thankfully, we know the victory is already won through Christ Jesus.

As I helped shop for dorm supplies, I saw a poster that contained the following quote.  “Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people. A heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad, and a soul that never loses faith in God.”  It reminded me that we must always try to look at the world through God’s eyes.  When we do, we will know that we will never look into the eyes of someone that God does not love.  It makes it easy to “love your neighbor as yourself.”  As the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 3, “put on…compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another…forgiving each other…put on love.”

In Colossians chapter 3, Paul explains true Christian behavior and outlines what Christians should do to help us live for God day-by-day.

1. Imitate Christ’s compassionate, forgiving attitude (v. 12, 13)

2. Let love guide your life (v. 14)

3. Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart (v .15)

4. Always be thankful (v. 15)

5. Keep God’s Word in you at all times (v.16)

6. Live as Jesus Christ’s representative (v.17)

Colossians 3:1 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”

Setting our hearts on things above means concentrating on the eternal rather than the temporary and striving to make heaven a priority. The Christians real home is where Christ lives.

In verse 10 Paul writes, “put on the new self…” which means that your conduct should match your faith. If you are a Christian, you should act like it.

Easier said than done, but Paul tells us that we should imitate Christ’s compassionate, forgiving attitude. The key to forgiving is remembering how much God has already forgiven you!

All the qualities that Paul encourages us to develop are perfectly bound together by love, which holds all of the other virtues in place.

But it all starts with putting on Christ as your savior through baptism and letting Christ live within us, so that He can shape us into what we should be.

What does it take for you to be whole in every aspect of your life?

In Mt.6:19-34, Jesus promises if we would seek first the Kingdom, God would take care of us. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:34 ESV).

This does not mean living a life free from suffering while wallowing in prosperity. These humanistic teachings have misguided truth-seekers for far too many years. To live a life free from anxiety does not mean avoiding stress. So, take the next few minutes, identify your stressors, and take them to the Father in prayer (Phil.4:6-7; James 5:13).

Identify the following in your life (past, present, and future):

• Kids. Will they do okay at school?

• Parents. Will they be able to age gracefully & with dignity?

• Employment. Will I lose my job and if so, be able to replace it?

• Money. Will I have enough?

• Progress. Will I move forward in all areas of my life or slip?

· Grown children. Will they make it?

• Transitional stress. Will I get through current valleys?

• Midlife. I should have been further — I am a disappointment.

• Health. How will I work and/or pay bills?

• Golden years. I feel useless and a burden.

· Future. I fear being left alone.

• Accidents. I worry about loved ones getting hurt.

Lord, I lay my burdens at your feet.

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:14-16

The human brain has a remarkable capability to categorize and store
information so that we can recall it later, in the form of facts that join together to form ideas, principles and even attitudes.  Every parcel of information that we consume affects the previously formed attitudes —  and the attitudes affect how we perceive the information.  It is an amazing process that could only have been designed by God!  The effect is that we form deeply held beliefs that are often immune to the facts we encounter as we go through life. 

When Jesus asked the disciples who the crowds thought he was, they gave predictable, relatively safe answers that he must be one of the great prophets that they knew from their history.  Only Peter, with his mind opened by the Holy Spirit, took the leap to confess that Jesus was so much more than that.  He stepped out of what he knew from experience and allowed that Jesus was more than he could process. 

The beliefs and assumptions you hold about Jesus are vitally important to your Christian life.  If you put Jesus into predictable categories like – cosmic Santa Claus, vengeful taskmaster, impersonal force for good, or any of hundreds of other misguided attempts to collect him into something manageable – you miss the whole point of Jesus.  You must continually battle your mind’s tendency to compartmentalize that which is beyond understanding.  As the Psalmist said, “Be still and know that I am God.” 

I hope you will spend time reflecting on what limits you are putting on Jesus while you ask God to break those limits.  What a beautiful thought – every time we break down our limits on God, he expands to fill us with awe all the way to the next boundary we draw.  We can spend our whole lifetime watching him exceed everything we can imagine over and over.  What a mighty God we serve!

This week I heard a young professional mother say that her two little children bring her no joy. But don’t judge her. The year 2020 has brought so many unbelievably hard challenges. So much so that some of our fellow humans are barely hanging on to a semblance of sanity.

When trials are overwhelming and all the thoughts in our minds are depressingly negative, it helps to clarify our vision through God’s eyes.

When our Heavenly Father looks at our children, He sees something so very precious. Psalm 127:3–5 (ESV) — ³ BEHOLD, CHILDREN ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. ⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! …

It also helps to consider those who are struggling to have children. I have a nephew and his wife who tried for many years to have children. Finally, after at least ten years the news came that she was expecting. She is now almost 28 weeks pregnant. Psalm 113:9 (ESV) — ⁹ He gives the barren woman a home, MAKING HER THE JOYOUS MOTHER of children. Praise the LORD!

I have also met parents who are overwhelmed. It is as if they are trying to carry twenty full buckets of water at the same time. They are constantly hindering their children from having access to God. Parents let your children SEE GOD IN YOUR HEARTS. And, when safe, RETURN TO WORSHIPPING IN PERSON. Summit tries to make it safe by enforcing social distancing, circulating the air over industrial sized UV filters, and sanitizing the building before every 11 AM Service. Luke 18:15–17 (ESV) — ¹⁵ Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. ¹⁶ But Jesus called them to him, saying, “LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME, AND DO NOT HINDER THEM, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

And, finally, parents please do not punish your children by venting your frustration. Rather, out of a calm heart, discipline your children for their benefit. It is important not to shout and always be consistent. Don’t say “please pick up your toys”. Rather acknowledge the emotion you see in them and issue a command with two choices. For instance: “I see you are frustrated. Pack your toys away. You can start with the red or the blue. Which one are you going to pack away first? Proverbs 12:1 (ESV) ¹ Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Our Father in Heaven, thank you for all the precious children in the world. Keep these tender hearts and minds safe as their parents navigate these tough times. In Jesus name we pray. And the church said …

There are so many lies and so much anger in our present world. It reminds me a little of the “religious” mob that crucified Christ. Several times Pilot went back and forth with this mob.

John 18:38 (ESV) — ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I FIND NO GUILT IN HIM. John 19:4 (ESV) — ⁴ Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I FIND NO GUILT IN HIM.” John 19:6 (ESV) — ⁶ When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I FIND NO GUILT IN HIM.”

Even though the courts and the judge found Jesus consistently not guilty, the mob got its way. May God be with our world when a lawless mob is seen as innocent and the innocent as guilty.

Either you are part of breaking down God’s children or you are part of building them up. If you are building up the Body, you will only be speaking words that are kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving (Eph.4:29-32).

History teaches us that in AD 39 Pilot committed suicide. Friend, I hope those you interact with can say they leave you FEELING BUILT UP.

Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

In the Old Testament we read many examples of this.  If we look at Joseph’s life we see that his brothers sold him into slavery and told his father Jacob that he was killed by a wild animal.  In Gen 39:2 the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered.  Joseph could have been depressed and held a big grudge against his brothers.  He could have been consumed with worry and anticipation of what would happen to him.  We know the rest of the story.  Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of his palace, and set him gathering food during the seven years of abundance, then placed him in charge during the famine.  When Joseph was making himself known to his brothers he said,  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive  Gen 50:20. 

God told Abraham to leave his country, his people and his father’s household and go to the land God would show him.  Abraham went.  God told Abraham he would make him a great nation, and his offspring would be like the dust of the earth.  When God asked Abraham to offer his only son Isaac, he obeyed God knowing God would provide a sacrifice for him.

Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. 

Moses knew God would take care of him and the Israelite nation.  We need to trust as Moses did.  God will also take care of us.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Brothers and sisters, submit yourselves to God.  Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.  Humble yourselves and he will lift you up.   We are living in a difficult age full of uncertainty; hate and unrest run rampant. As man struggles to sort these things out put your faith in the Lord and trust his plans for his people. Stay connected to your church family and in God’s word.