daily prayer

Good morning! How are we faithing? God wants us to live upright and wisely. He does not want us to live involved in debauchery and sinfulness. What does that mean? How can I not live in that way with the world as rotten as it is? How do I abstain from things that our culture deems OK? First of all we need to stop pointing fingers at people with hate and personal attacks. What they do is where the problem and the sin lies. We all goof up to some degree and if you sin to a lessor degree, good for you but remember that doesn't make you anymore saved than anyone else. The sin is the problem and when we get on our high horse in attack mode remember to attack the real foe and not the by product. Burying the matchbook while the house burns doesn't help at all. We serve a risen God who died for ALL. That means the person you are at odds with. That means all who seek him will be offered the same gift you were. So now that you have found Jesus and he has helped your life improve greatly, don't think you are somehow better and can point fingers. Call what ever what it is but do it in love and kindness. Love and kindness will not let you belittle and chastise unwisely, like in front of everyone, that is just a case of trying to make oneself look better at the expense of another. Look at these and see the truth in loving and seeking out the heart of God to grow and to be an example, not a ruler;

1 Timothy 6:1-2
Let all who are under the yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine may not be spoken against. And let those who have believers as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles.
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Titus 2
But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored. Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
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Pretty cool! Did you see anywhere said to chastise and point fingers? Did you see anywhere to lord over anyone your good deeds and salvation? Did you see any instruction to go after a person and slam them for what they do? No you didn't. Do we get on people who are doing wrong? Absolutely! But we do not condemn them personally, we condemn the deeds. We concentrate on living upright ourselves, that's a big enough job without worrying about our neighbors deeds. We need to be who we are suppose to be in Jesus and his light will shine for those to see.

remember Emily's placement tests...remember Rodney Raby family...

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for you love and patience with me. Thank you for revealing my faults and teaching me how to fix em. Lord we all are in that place and ask for a heart for the lost and ask for courage to love the unlovable. Teach us to see beyond the sin to the sinner and realize they need you too! Lord we ask for courage to speak and to hold our tongue in the honorable way. Open your Word to us so we may become who you designed us to be. Set your Holy Spirit on all who read this and all we meet. Open our eyes to the needs of those we encounter. Let us cause no pain or harm on your creatures. Let us only heal with kind loving words that lift up and encourage others to seek you. Lord forgive our failures and grant the courage to rectify any mistakes we make. Teach us to be humbly strong in spirit so this world can't get a toe hold on our Psyche, in Jesus name, amen