"It's just words"!

One of the biggest blessings I experienced from my stroke in 2007 was the only deficit that I have from the stroke.  My "Word Recall" isn't back to where it used to be.  People tell me that not being able to find the right word is just part of getting older!  But, I know when it is hitting me and I clam up because I don't want to say anything that might offend or embarrass.   

The "tongue" can be a blessing or a curse!   How many times have you regretted saying something? Proverbs 18:21 says " Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits."  Proverbs 21:23 follows that with"Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. ". 

Maybe GOD is showing me through the stroke that sometimes it is more important to "Be still....and KNOW that I am GOD"!   A quote that I am reminded of is... “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”! 

LORD remind me that words, whether kind or cruel, can NOT be taken back!   

"Now FAITH is...."

Mark 6:5-6

"And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. "

FAITH is a funny thing!  Hebrews 11:1 says that "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."   In 2007 I was "miraculously" healed, according to my own doctor's records.   My faith that I was going to be healed was non-existent as the medicine I was given to put me in the COMA made sure of that.   My wife says her faith was not anything special, she just knew I was going to be okay!   

But, isn't that what faith is all about! She KNEW I would recover.  She did not hope or wish!   She KNEW!  These few people in the book of Mark  who were able to be healed were in a position to be helped.  "A few sick people" is all we know about them.  They could have had a cold or they could have been suffering from Leprosy!   But when we are sick, we look for help!!

According to scripture, JESUS could do no mighty work in Nazareth.   Luke 4:24 says "And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown."   People attempt to rationalize or reason away things that GOD supernaturally does!   I have done it!  

LORD, work on me not to marginalize the works of YOUR hand in my life!   YOU ARE GOD and I PRAISE YOU!!!

I am WEAK!

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

I am NOTHING without HIM!  Whenever I forget and start to proceed in life on my own, HE has a way of reminding me where I could/should be without HIM!  "For when I am weak, then I am strong.". 

Lord, keep it always on my mind how YOU make/made me what I am and where I would be without YOU!!

ZACCHAEUS!

Luke 19:1-10

He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through.  And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature.  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.  And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."  And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

JESUS saw a need.  Zacchaeus had heart problems (Divine Diagnostic Tools) and JESUS healed them!  The rich need JESUS too, it is just harder for them to see the need!  We must not forget that rich and poor, young and old, sick and healthy need Christ.   Many people "grumble" when others are blessed.  Others rejoice with them. 

LORD, help me be one that rejoices when others find success and not be a "grumbler"!

Game of CHANCE!

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.". Matthew 19:26

GOD did not "hap harzardly" write scripture!  HE did not just throw words out there and take a chance that we MIGHT need them one day. When HE wrote this verse by divinely inspiring Matthew, HE used just the words HE wanted us hear and the words we needed to hear.  

The verse starts out with "But Jesus looked at them"!  Can you imagine JESUS, the SON of GOD, looking at you with those eyes!  When you imagine the eyes of the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE meeting your eyes. And for HIM to say "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."   How "One on One" can you get?   

We cannot do some things.   Some things can ONLY be done by HIM!  HE and HE alone gets the GLORY! If we could do something's, we would take credit and praise for doing those things.  GOD is GOD!   

Seventy times seven!

Matthew 18:22

"Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven."

If GOD forgives my sin, why can't I forgive someone else's sin.  GOD chooses to blot out my iniquity, covering the sin with the precious blood of CHRIST.  Though my lack of worthiness is not something to EVEN be discussed, HE lovingly forgives and forgives.  

How can I fault someone for their sin when it cost the very life (BLOOD) of Christ to keep me?  I am not even worthy to be called a "Christian".  But, I thank GOD that HE, through HIS mercy and grace, called me to serve HIM!  

GOD, lead me to become more forgiving as YOU forgive me.  

The Last shall be first!

Last shall be first! 

Matthew 20:1-16

1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.'

5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'

7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'

8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'

9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,

12 saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'

13 But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.

15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'

16 So the last will be first, and the first last."

I always get a bit riled up when I read this part of scripture.  It really ticks me off that someone could live like the devil for 40 years and THEN start living for the LORD for a few years and get the same reward I get! How does that seem fair?  Where is my "union boss" who protects me from discrimination?  

But, then I am reminded of Isaiah 64:6 that say MY BEST is but filthy rags before a Holy GOD.   A couple of verses later scripture points out that HE is the potter and I am just the clay.  A potter may make and remake a piece of pottery many times until he works out ALL of the imperfections!  

A WISE OLD MAN once told me that "We try to be MORE than GOD intended for us to be!"  LORD, help me to be just what you desire me to be.  No more, no less.  I surrender to YOUR plan for my life!