We were so proud of Reagan as she gave this speech for her school and thought that it spoke so much of something that we as Christians can learn from and apply in all of our lives. Let this bring a smile to your face and bless you!
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Kindness
A Brand New Start
One of the toughest we will ever face as human beings is not the fear of failing but the fear of repeating failure.
As we set out to make a new start we struggle to let go of the past (past failures, past attempts, the unkind or harmful words spoken by others, past defeats, past disappointments). The past can be your biggest enemy in the moment hindering you from your future.
1) We must forget the former things – Isaiah 43:18-19
18 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
2) A fresh start is God’s gift to us – 1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
3) There is nothing that can hold us from our future – Revelation 21:4
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
4) Let us come for a brand new start – Acts 3:19-20
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
It’s Way More Than Fabric
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How well that you embrace change demonstrates how great the spirit is in your life to help you adjust.
Your environments may change…
Your support may change…
Your enemies may change…
Your circumstances that hinder you may change…
Yet the one thing that can be a constant is your faith for change.
Joseph not only adapted to the situation but evolved by faith to make the best of it. Just because he lost his coat did not mean he lost what the coat represented to him. He still wore favor by faith! It is way more than fabric, favor is worn by faith!
Genesis 37:1-4
[1] And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.
[2] These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
[3] Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
[4] And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
In the history of Joseph we begin to see something of Christ, who was first humbled and then exalted. It also shows us as Christians who through many forms of tribulation are saved. As you are saved, God gives you (through the Holy Ghost) favor (or grace and kindness). This same favor will in-turn begin to produce opportunities to receive the spiritual word that leads you to a closer walk and blessings that are to come. And as the brothers looked on with envy, so does the devil look on at you with every intention to destroy you. God gave Joseph dreams of advancement to not only show what is ahead but to let this support and comfort him under his long and grievous season of trouble.
Genesis 37:5-11
[5] And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
[6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:
[7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.
[8] And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
[9] And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
[10] And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
[11] And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Notice he dreamed of his favor and not his trouble. Such as we are when we go out into the world: we think of nothing but prospering and never of trouble. And while the brothers (and our enemies) made an attempt to destroy it they in-turn become the instruments of accomplishing it. Thus the Jews understood what Jesus said of the Kingdom, that he should not reign over them, they consulted to put him to death and by his crucifixion made way for the exaltation they designed to prevent.
Genesis 37:12-22
[12] And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
[13] And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I.
[14] And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
[15] And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou?
[16] And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks.
[17] And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
[18] And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.
[19] And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.
[20] Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
[21] And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him.
[22] And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.
Joseph was a type of Christ: for though he was the beloved son of his father, and hated by a wicked world, yet the father sent out of his bosom to visit us in humility and love. He came from Heaven to earth to seek and save us; yet the malicious plots were laid against him. His own not only received him not, but crucified him. Thus he submitted to, as part of Gods design to redeem and save us!
Take The Time To Take Your Time
No matter the situation it seems we are in, there is always the part of us that is demonstrated in the moment: the need to love or care for others on demand. I admit first and foremost that at times it is hard to do, or even feels impossible as emotionally affected as we can get. Let me share some quick tips with you that has been inspired by God and the wisdom of some great elders to me.
1) If someone takes the time to have a conversation about you or something that concerns you, make sure you take the time to return the favor by doing likewise (or indicating why you can’t). We should always be subject to one another and do unto others as we would have them do unto us! Doing so demonstrates a love for people which in turn demonstrates love for God and beyond yourself. It’s very key to note that it’s in the very small things you do in your every day life that will demonstrate the power of your ministry.
2) Take time to help those who cannot help you. It is so easy just to either deny people simply by the right of judgement or denial that they really “don’t need me to care”. What we neglect to realize is how much of a difference being charitable can be. Remember to help those who cannot repay, for this truly shows the kind of love that Jesus gave to us when he gave His life for us!
3) Finally, the time we have to live is a gift from God, so do not waste it! Live in love and live for loving others! Make time for God each and every day not only in prayer but in acts of love and kindness towards others. Beyond that, have a heart that will show that driven love and kindness beyond what would try to drag you down!
Use God’s time to build yourself up as well as the lives of others!
A Churches Love
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Hagar’s Love – Represented to love and compassion
Genesis 21:16-20
[16] And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
[17] And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
[18] Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
[19] And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.
[20] And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
Sarah told Abraham to cast out Hagar and the lad. Abraham was feeling very grievous, but followed the instruction of God to hearken to those words and obey what he was told. She (Hagar) first put the child in the shrubs. Hagar then cried out and wept on behalf of the child.
She cried even though they were both cast out on the behalf of another. There are not always going to be perfect situations where you will have the perfect church and perfect pastor and perfect congregation who will always be there for your every need. You might even feel cast out, but you can still come to God!
This is truly a sign of a mother’s love and something the church should begin to learn to inherit. We can learn so much from putting ourselves out of the way and having compassion on the behalf of others, even if we spend out all the energy that we have sometimes!
As we read on, try to remember the Love of a mother as the Love of the Mother Church!
Moses’s Mother – Demonstrated Love Through Obedience
Exodus 2:2-10
[2] And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
[3] And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
[4] And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
[5] And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
[6] And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
[7] Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
[8] And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
[9] And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
[10] And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
She was going against what was spoken by Pharaoh because she saw he was a Godly child! How many of us would be brave enough to do that? How many of us would allow ourselves to be obedient in that situation?!? How many of us would allow ourselves to go against the word of something of higher authority than us?
Are we willing to step out and stand in the gap for those that we care about and face a little or a lot of persecution? It’s scarce to find anymore, but I know that it’s out there if you allow the love in you to grow!
That love looks beyond the battles and is willing to face some consequences from the spiritual battles! Willing to pay the price!
Rizpah’s Love – Representative to sorrow, burdens, and remembrance
2 Samuel 21:6-10
[6] Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
[7] But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
[8] But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
[9] And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
[10] And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
Rizpah lost two of her own sons and five that she was looking after, yet in the memorial she made upon the rock with sackcloth, it moved David. She suffered not anything to stand upon what she had set in their remembrance.
We do not need to forget those out there that are suffering greatly and are spiritually dead today. We need not suffer any enemy or devil that would try and come to destroy them unaware!
That’s what standing in the gap is all about! When we begin to call out on God for them, we need not suffer anything that they speak to you that would hinder your faith! Be understanding to their needs, of course, but begin to speak those things that are not as though they are! That is the true power of God!
The Mother of Solomon’s Time
1 Kings 3:16-27
[16] Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
[17] And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
[18] And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
[19] And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
[20] And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
[21] And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
[22] And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.
[23] Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
[24] And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
[25] And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
[26] Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
[27] Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
A person that would be willing to take a loss for themselves so that others could live is a person walking in love. That’s huge in the Church. Huge. We can’t get anyone to pay the price anymore unless it is conditional to their favor. That’s sad in the world we live in, considering how many people need us to perform so many selfless things!
Surely the Lord was trying to show them and even today about paying a price for our loved ones even if we do not get repaid, recompensed or loved back!
Consider Christ’s Love! Remember the love that was shown to you when you didn’t deserve it! Let it remind you every day when you do things even when you exceed all your energy and resources!
Strength From Humility
Before I begin, let me define my title:
Strength – the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance
Humility – a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride
In the fast paced world that we exist in today, you rarely hear acts of true humility. More time is spent telling you about the stories of despair, tragedy, and destruction. Not that I am taking anything away from that, there (to me) has been such a loss of focus on the great acts that still take place every day.
Along with listening to constant negativity, I find it very hard to see anything good from anyone anymore. In fact, everything that comes to me in conversation is always about what they are going through, who they have a problem with, who doesn’t like them, what makes them upset, what drives them crazy, the list goes on and on. Here is the part that leaves me heavy hearted. There are all kinds of people out there, who stand in terrible need, and yet never get anything but the tough treatment and neglect from everyone. These kinds of people don’t have enough willpower within themselves anymore to be able to stand on one’s own and be able to handle is in front of them. They are desperate for help, and get passed on by. They are looking for humility from others so that they can receive something they don’t have within: Strength.
I know you think I’m going to take a laid back perspective, and say things that we should do, that no one actually will perform. Not only am I going to stray from that view, I will surprise you with this concept:
A self-centered personality can be easily lessened in one’s life by finding strength from humility.
If life is always about you, then you can’t possibly be of help to others. More boldly, if life is always about what you need, how can you ever hear God’s voice telling you to help the person right in front of you?
Let me give you 2 verses to support my following statement:
Proverbs 22:4
[4] By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
1st Chronicles 16:27
[27] Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.
Here is the last part I will leave you with today. If we can take more moments in our life to not just worry about ourselves, but applying Godly humility to others: that is, leading them to a source that will last them far beyond just a little help from just you. And in that Godly humility that you show to someone else, not only will you get strength, but God will strengthen you, and add blessings upon blessings to your life. Just like the old adage, it’s always better to give then receive! And now it should all make sense, strength from humility! God Bless!
It Is Well
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What a blessed day it is. I awoke this morning and all was well. Did this mean that I had lots of money, no pain, no heartache, no trouble? No that it is not what I mean when I say that All is Well. In 2 Kings Chapter 4 we find the story of the Shunammite woman and her son. Elisha, a prophet of God passed through the area of Shunem often and there was a woman and her husband who showed him kindness by providing him something to eat as he passed through. One day when Elisha passed through, he found that they had built a little chamber on the wall and had put a bed, table, stool, and candlestick in it just for him so that he would have a place to rest when he came by. You might ask why did they do this for Elisha? The bible says that the woman perceived that Elisha was a holy man of God. She wanted to make a special place for Elisha to dwell. In other words, she made place for him. This was a new room just for him. Elisha was pleased that the Shunammite woman did this for him.
If you want God to dwell in your life and if you want to find favor with Him, you have to make a place for Him. He has to be first in your life. He needs to be lifted up in your life just like the room was high on the wall. He called her to him and asked what he could do for her. She said that she didn’t need anything that she lived among her own people and had what she needed. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, told Elisha that he had noticed that the woman and her husband did not have any children. Elisha called the woman again and promised her that she would soon embrace a son. She could not believe what she was hearing. The woman soon conceived and had a son. The woman didn’t ask for anything but God knew her heart. He knew she desired a child. If you are faithful to God, he will be faithful to you. He will give you the desires of your heart. He loves you and wants the very best for you.
Years later when the child was older, it fell on a day that he went out to the fields to work with his father. He fell sick and they carried the lad to his mother. The bible says he sat on her knees till noon and then died. She went up and laid him on Elisha’s bed and shut the door. She called her husband and asked for one of the mules so she could go to Elisha. The husband didn’t understand why she wanted to go find Elisha. It wasn’t the Sabbath or a new moon. Her response was “It shall be well”. I just love this scripture. I find great encouragement in the faith that this little woman had. She had just held her only child in her arms and watched him die. How devastating this must have been. How heavy her heart must have felt. But she said “It shall be well”. You might ask how could she know this?
There is a peace that surpasses all understanding that God gives when he saves you. You have great promises that you can depend on. You know that he will not let you go through more than you can bear and that he can work all things to your good. Just like Job who lost all he had, he still said “Blessed be the name of the Lord”. When great trouble comes God’s people has the assurance that they are not alone and that the God who made the Heavens and Earth is in control. No wonder the little woman could say through tear dimmed eyes, “It shall be well”. I know we live in depressing times right now. Life is hard. But if you know the Lord Jesus Christ you can say “It shall be well”. If you haven’t been saved, then you can’t say this because it will not be well for your soul if you do not accept the salvation that Jesus has so freely given.
We find that the woman and her servant headed out to find Elisha not stopping for anything. When she came to Elisha, he saw her afar off and recognized her. He sent his servant to meet her and to inquire of her. Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with thy child? And she said “It is well”. I have often thought why she changed it from “It shall be well” which means at some point in the future things would be better to “It is well”. She was now with Elisha the man of God. She was in his presence. When she came to Elisha, she caught him by the feet. Gehazi, the servant, came near to thrust her away but Elisha said let her be for her soul is vexed and the Lord has not revealed to me what the problem is. She then said to Elisha, did I not desire a son of my lord and did I not say, do not deceive me? The Shunammite woman had reached the person that could help her. That is why she said “it is well”. When we take our problems to the Lord in faith believing and not giving up, God will move on the scene. He will not push you away but rather He cares for you and wants to help you. He said to cast all your care upon him for he careth for you.
Then Elisha sent his servant ahead to take his staff to lay on the face of the child. He spoke to the woman and said, “I will not leave thee”. He arose and followed her. When Elisha came to the house he found the child dead and laying upon his bed. He went in and shut the door and prayed unto the Lord. He stretched himself upon the child face to face, hand to hand. The relationship that God has with us is personal. He knows our very thoughts, every move we make. His love and strength makes us strong. His grace covers the multitude of our sins. Soon the child came back to life. He called for the Shunammite woman and said take thy son. God is still able to work miracles. No matter what the circumstances of your life are, if you know Jesus, you can say “It shall be well”. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, please call on him. He will answer you and you too can find this blessed assurance that “It is Well”.
