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Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go….hmm…where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.

Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think ‘where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

The Buzzard, the Bat, and the Bumblebee

THOUGHT PROVOKING…………..

THE BUZZARD:
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
THE BAT:
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place.. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
THE BUMBLEBEE:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE:
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That’s the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.

Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up! Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and trust in our Creator who loves us.

Trouble Makers, Social Clubs,etc.

I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.

Romans 16:17-18 (NIV)

Why Go To Church

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now… In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this… They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are DOWN to nothing… God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

The Tragic Demise of a Christian

Colossians 4:14–”Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.”

Philemon 1:23-24–”Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.”

2 Timothy 4:10 -”-for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica–Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.”

This is the story of the demise of a Christian–one who began well, but faded before the finish–a story that is repeated many times every day.

In Colossians 4:14, Demas is listed as being among those who were with the Apostle Paul.

In Philemon, verse 24, there is a very descriptive adjective attached to his name–”fellow laborer.” The original Greek word means ” one who works with another.”

Collossians and Philemon were apparently written at approximately the same time.

But then comes the tragic statement in 2 Thimothy 4:10. He had departed from Paul and gone to Thessalonica.

Now listen to what Paul says in the Greek original is the reason for Demas’ departure. “For Demas forsook me, having loved the now age…”

Did you catch that ? ” Loving the now age.” Have you heard anything like that before ? It is almost verbatim what you hear in some of the Media advertising that you hear today.

To be popular, you must be part of the ” now ” generation. If you are part of the ” now” generation, you will drink this, wear that , drive a certain kind of vehicle, use the right perfume, etc.

I’m sure that, if you think about some of the people who have come and gone in the Church over the last few years , you will recognize the same pattern in their lives as that in Demas”  life.

When you see someone  begin to drift in their philosophical outlook toward the principles (or the lack of ) that characterize the world, you know that, unless they  get turned around somehow, it won’t be long until they depart from serving the Lord.

Inner Purity = Outer Power

Inner purity results in outer power.

In Psalm 24:3, David ponders, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” Then, he answers: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior” (Psalm 24:4-5).

Here, David tells us that in order to stand before the Lord, you must have “clean hands and a pure heart.” Such inner purity results in a “blessing from the Lord and vindication from God.” What an excellent reward for keeping a pure heart!

Intuitively, to have God’s power flowing through you requires a clear “path” through which it can flow. In other words, if you want God’s power to be working in your life, you must keep a clean conscience and a pure heart. It’s no surprise, then, that Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

Having outer, visible power requires having a developed, mature inner life. A believer who tries to have a powerful outer life but lacks that pure inner life is like a tree with lots of branches that lacks roots. When the storm comes and the winds blow, the tree topples, because it has no roots. Likewise, you must develop solid “roots” in your inner life, if you ever want to bear strong, stable fruit in your outer life.

What People Should See

The Fruit of the Spirit ought to be the trademark of every believer.

How can you identify Christians? Not by their outward appearances, their WWJD bracelets, their Jesus bumper-stickers, or any other superficial items.

Instead, Jesus tells us that we are known by our fruit: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them“ (Matthew 7:16-20).

The “fruit” that Jesus is talking about is the Fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). In other words, when the world sees Christians, they should see the Fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, etc.

When you see the “golden arch” you can identify that building as a McDonalds restaurant, and when you see the “swoosh” you can identify that article of clothing as part of the Nike brand. Just like those things, when people in the world see someone consistently displaying the Fruit of the Spirit regardless of the circumstances, they should be able to identify that person as a Christian. Believers need to be marked by the Fruit of the Spirit.

Watch Your Words

We must deliberately choose to speak positive words; otherwise, we will instinctively complain and be negative—for that is human nature. Thus, it is no surprise that Ecclesiastes 5:2 tells us, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.” Similarly, Proverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Usually when you “hold” your tongue, you’ll catch yourself before you say nasty things about others and cut them down with your words.

Lastly, it is important to understand that whatever you say is a reflection of your heart attitude. Matthew 12:34 says, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (also see Luke 6:45). In other words, your words are simply an overflow of what’s in your heart. If you think poorly about others, you’ll speak poorly about them. On the other hand, if you think positively about others, as the Bible instructs us to, then you’ll speak positively about them.

Since words carry power, make a decision to use your words as building blocks not battering rams.

Don’t follow fickle feelings; follow God.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “fickle” as “Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable.” Your emotions and how you feel are unstable and liable to change. So, if you follow your feelings, then your life, your choices, and your actions will sway like a tree in strong wind.

Because your feelings can be unstable, it is important not to follow them exclusively. For example, there will probably be some days when you don’t feel like being nice to your spouse. If you follow your feelings and act impulsively, then your marriage will have problems. Because feelings are unstable and unpredictable, someone who lives based on their feelings will also be unstable and unpredictable.

Indeed, James 1:8 says that someone who follows his feelings “is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

Instead of following our feelings, we need to follow God, for He is the only source of true stability. We need to take the same attitude as an old hymn, which says, “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.”