Open Your Mouth (When To/When Not To)

 It seems like for the last several years, people have felt the opportunity to open their mouths to run someone down. To make comments on how they look or dress. What kind of car they drive. Where they work. What sports team they cheer for, etc. etc.

What gets me is how people feel like they can just comment on how somebody does something that they don't like. Dress a way that they don't like. Cheer for a team that they don't like. Drive a vehicle or whatever it is. Seems like everyone has an opinion on how things should be done, according their tastes!

The Bible specifically warns against this. It says that we are supposed to lift each other up, not tear each other down.

Ephesians 4:29 Living Bible

29 Don’t use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing.

Seems like more and more, people have the audacity to run people down. Speak their minds about someone's weight. Body type. They are very vocal about things that they deem are not up to their standards.

You're a plus sized person, you can't wear that outfit. You're to old to dress like that. Have a hair cut like that. On and on it goes. Just wrong in my opinion.

I would never use words to run someone down. I try to lift up as much as possible. Encourage one another. World is negative enough, without someone adding more negativity to it. We don't think that words have power, but they do. I still remember things said to me in middle school. Many, many years later!

Proverbs 16:24 New Living Translation

24 Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

I wish I could say that what I mentioned above was totally true, but it's not. I had an event happen last summer with someone that I love very dearly. Something happened and vile, hateful words spilled out from my lips. I could not believe that I was speaking such unkind evil words to this loved one. It forced them to make a choice that was not the best for them. I hated myself for that. 

Like I said, words have power!

Proverbs 18:21 The Message

21 Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.

That night I chose poison! I have apologized over and over again, but I don't think that I can apologize enough. After that happened, I changed my thought process on the way that I speak. I try to think before I speak. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. 

Colossians 4:6 New Living Translation

6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone.

I am a Christian, still under construction. I am not, nor will I ever be perfect this side of Heaven. God is still working on me.

So I encourage you. Let's be kind to each other. Let's lift each other up and encourage. This life is tough enough without people piling on with negative comments about others lives!

Know when to open your mouth. Know when to keep it shut!

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Tribute!

 One of the most famous quotes from the character Katniss Everdeen from the movie "The Hunger Games" is "I Volunteer As Tribute." She makes this quote to step in to take her sisters place in the game about to be played. The game pits other people against each other in a fight to the death. By volunteering as tribute for her sister, she chose to possibly die instead of her sister.

This made me think of Jesus, volunteering tribute for us. He voluntarily went to The Cross. He didn't have too, He chose to. To take on the punishment due us! Our sins should lead us to death as The Bible says.

Romans 6:23 New Living Translation

23 For the wages of sin is death

But Jesus came to take all of our sins upon himself. Not one or two, but all. Every single person. Doesn't matter who you are. Race, ethnicity, gender, tall, short, He volunteered as tribute for everyone!

Galatians 3:28 New Living Translation

28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile,[a] slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Jesus calls Himself our friend, but most of all He is our Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Provider, Protector, our Heavenly Father. So he went to The Cross for His friends (us) and took the punishment that we deserved! 

John 15:13 New Living Translation

13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

He didn't have to! He could have called down a legion of angels to save him, but He loved us so much that He went through with His fathers plan for Him.

How many of us would take the place of someone else that we love, so that they could live? How many of us would volunteer as tribute? He did that for us, even though we were (are) still sinners!

Romans 5:8 New Living Translation

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

So I pray that with what Jesus did for us, the crucifixion, the scourging, the piercing, the nails. Everything that He endured for us so that we may live, we live good Godly lives. I know that we will still sin, but try our best to live like Jesus.

1 Peter 2:24 Amplified Bible

24 He personally carried our sins in His body on the [a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been [b]healed.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.

Hot Fudge Sundae!

 My wife and I stopped for ice cream last night after dinner. I ordered a hot fudge sundae. Love them. We got our order from the window and went to sit in the Jeep and enjoy. Had the top off, enjoying the night sky, breeze, ice cream and each others company.

Anyway,

I put my spoon into the dish and I noticed, like every other place that I have gotten a hot fudge sundae from, the hot fudge was just on the surface. Not all the way through it. So after taking it all off the top, all you're left with is vanilla ice cream. Bleh!! I mentioned to my wife "why can't they mix the hot fudge all the way through the sundae?" "So you get some in each scoop?"

At McDonalds, when I am standing at the counter, I catch them sometimes and have them put some hot fudge in the bottom before filling the container with the ice cream and then put some more on top. They charge me for extra topping, but I don't care. I would rather have more, than not enough.

Anyway, once again.

So as I'm eating said sundae, trying to mix it all together, I had a thought. Isn't this just like us and Jesus. How many of us just have a topical relationship with Jesus. After we go though the top layer, there is nothing left. Our top layer may be going to church on Sunday. Listening to the pastor speak from the Bible, hear some good worship music and then go home back to our lives. We've experienced the topical Jesus, but didn't go any deeper.

It reminds me of the parable of the soils. (Luke 8:4-15)

It talks about the different kinds of soil that people plant seeds in. Some take root, and run deep and produce good fruit. Some do not. Some get washed away as soon as a good rain storm comes along. Some take root for only a  little while, but get withered away from lack of caring for it.

To have good roots, we need to be in God's word, daily. Prayer and fellowship with other believers. Serve one another.

Colossians 2:7 New Living Translation

7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

 Shallow soil falters because of the next new thing that comes along that seems better. Which ever way the wind blows, people will follow.

Matthew 13:7 New Living Translation

7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.

Many things can come along and choke out the seeds that have been planted. Life happens. But if you are rooted in Him, life can happen differently!

I encourage you today. Let the seeds that God has planted in you, deepen. Grow down deep into Him. Then which ever way the wind blows or rains come, you are steadfast. You will not be shaken.

I will never look at a hot fudge sundae the same way again.

God bless.

Rev. Kev.