God Works Great Things Even Through Small People

What a change takes place in your mind and imagination when it dawns on you that you are not the star of your own play, when it dawns on you that you are actually working for God and not vice versa. You are an employee in his company! That means that he sets up your job description, assigns you a salary, and determines your benefit package.

What a relief it is when it dawns on you that your earthly life is not the be-all and end-all. This is training time. God is using us as he needs us, and we often can't see our influence or roles clearly. Sometimes we serve his agenda by being strong, sometimes by being broken. Sometimes we serve his agenda by being famous as achievers and sometimes by "failing." What matters is to accept his guidance eagerly and accept his place and opportunities in life cheerfully.

Here is the bright hope that draws us on: "Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs" (Isaiah 61:7).

God always gets the last word. Even when you feel like a failure now, his last word is Winner!
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There Is No Condemnation

The Lord Jesus, God from all eternity, took on human flesh and came to live on earth in person for a number of reasons. But the chief of them is to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death, as the writer to the Hebrews puts it in the second chapter.

Jesus lived a replacement life for us, submitting to all laws of God and man and keeping them all perfectly. He offered his body to abuse and suffering, knowing that in this way the punishment that we deserved was being diverted totally upon him. Finally, he surrendered to death itself, and through the great exchange that happened on Calvary, our death became his death and his innocence became ours.

The upshot? "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1,2). Here is why you need never fear God again. Your sins were pardoned, all of them, objectively, freely, long ago, without reference to your performance. It is inheritance, not wages. It is yours--all who believe it have it.

God really means it--no condemnation means no condemnation. You can exhale now.
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Are You Afraid of God?

It's all very well and good to hear beautiful promises about how good the believers have it and how their future will be even better. But what if you’re not sure if you've ever been a believer? Or worse--what if you once were an active believer and churchgoer and then lost interest?

What if you've closed up your feelings about God for a long time? What if you're terrified of actually facing up to the fact that you have ignored and defied your Creator, Owner, and Judge? What if you are afraid that any religious talk now coming out of your mouth will just sound like pathetic, self-serving hypocrisy?

Let that fear become repentance. Let these words come out of your heart and mouth: "O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. For your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down upon me" (Psalm 38:1,2). The guilt and fear that you feel are not proof that you are condemned.

What they are is proof that the Lord is making you uncomfortable with your sinful choices. That’s good news for you--before he can fill you with his goodness, he must first empty you of your pride.
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God's Angels Are Everywhere

On the surface of things, it certainly seems as though Satan is lord of the earth, doesn't it? There are a half dozen major wars going on at any given time. Suicide bombers throw away their own lives to take as many others to the grave as they can. Drug merchants coldheartedly sell chemicals that enslave people and destroy their health and families. Little children are neglected and beaten; the unborn are killed by the hundreds of thousands each year.

That's what it looks like on the outside. Behind the scenes there is another reality. God is still in charge of every aspect of this sinful and broken world, and he is making everything work together for the good of those who love him. Behind the scenes his holy angels work to carry out his long-range plans, plans that always have a happy ending for all believers.

"He will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Psalm 91:11,12). Think of that! Nothing in your life happens by accident. You are under the constant loving surveillance of a God who guarantees your eternal happiness and has many divisions of angels ready to carry out his detailed instructions. Don’t be afraid!
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Afraid of All the Violence in Society

Have you ever had your car broken into? Have you ever been mugged or sexually abused? Has your home ever been broken into? Not only can sad events like those hurt you materially and physically, but they can leave you with more or less permanent fear. They can rob you of your feeling of safety no matter where you are and damage your ability to trust other people.

Our society has too many weapons. Too many unstable people roam the streets. There are too many people whose judgment is distorted by drugs, religious fanatism and alcohol. How can you not worry about your safety? How can you not be concerned about the world we are bequeathing to our children?

King David was not always the serene ruler on the throne of a peaceful kingdom. In his early adult life, he spent years on the run in the southern deserts, afraid for his life. In later years he suffered the humiliation of being driven from his throne and capital city by his son Absalom. It must have seemed to him as though the world had gone crazy mad with violence.

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3).

See you tomorrow for God's assurance
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God Can Be Trusted With Your Secrets

God's omniscience and omnipresence can be a terrifying thought. Someone can read my mind? Someone has watched all that I have ever done? Even believers in their weaker moments dread the realization that their thoughts and lives are an open book to the God who reads all and sees all. Does he despise me? Will he punish me? Will he see to it that all the dirt comes out?

It was just for this very purpose that the Son of God needed to come to earth in person. He came as a true human being, as human as you and I, but without the sin. His stainless life and innocent death were offered to God as the perfect substitute for our soiled lives. Through faith in him you are forgiven of everything--the obvious sins and the secret sins, the ones that show and the ones you are hiding.

King David wrote, "Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me" (Psalm 19:12,13). David nailed it. We can trust God for the forgiveness of our rotten past and imperfect present, and we can trust him to give us strength to overcome our sinful weaknesses.

Isn't it sweet to realize that your heavenly Father is more interested in building you up than in condemning you?
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God Will Give You Strength to Love

One of the sweet features of Christianity is that God never calls us to his way of living without also giving us the wisdom we need and the power and strength to carry it out.

He knows all about how hard it is to choose to love someone who is treating you poorly. God often compared himself in the Bible to a husband with an unfaithful wife (a metaphor for his often backsliding believers). He even instructed his prophet Hosea to marry an immoral woman as an ongoing visual aid: "The LORD said to me, 'Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods'" (Hosea 3:1).

True enough--some marriages can't be saved. But as we reflect on God's unconditional love and forgiveness for us, we are strengthened to love difficult people. As we reflect on God's tremendous patience with us, we find strength to be patient with the sinners around us. As we reflect on his optimism and hope in our future, we will find strength to stay positive as a sacrifice of praise to him.

To all who fear that their marriage has become loveless, know this: only the gospel changes hearts. Nagging, retaliation, and the silent treatment only make the angry angrier. Only love can create love. #YouversionBible

God Makes You a Winner No Matter What

God Makes You a Winner No Matter What

The Bible is full of stories about how Christ, the prophets, and the apostles used God's miraculous power to heal diseases, restore those with paralyzed and withered limbs, and drive out demons. But some people weren't cured; they lived out their lives with illness and disabilities, and some had lives drastically shortened because of them.

God may have miraculous healing for your physical brokenness. He may have "ordinary" medical solutions (i.e., modern-day miracles) for you. Or he may allow you to give him glory and advance his agenda by allowing you to struggle a lifetime with your weakness, as St. Paul struggled year after year with his "thorn in the flesh."

But we win either way. Even when we finally succumb to our final illness, we will bolt from our graves when the archangel Michael sounds the trumpet. Your disabilities are temporary; your complete physical restoration will be eternal. "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy" (Isaiah 35:5,6).

You are a winner no matter what. You will experience new health either now or later. In heaven, absolutely every weakness of body and mind will vanish. Fear not!

Sorry for the break in transmission. Have an amazing weekend!

A Witness That Shines: God’s stars pray

A Western tough guy explained to a padre why he didn’t pray much: “Prayin’ is beggin’. Ah don’t beg nobody fer nuthin’.” This hombre took self-reliance to a sad extreme. In fact, prayer is not beggary. Human dads love to hear from their children, and they love to help children in their time of need. How much more does our great heavenly Father absolutely love the intimate spiritual communication that he invented, blesses, and guarantees?

Here is the concept: the Master of the universe invites all believers to send messages to the throne via their Savior Jesus. He promises to answer all requests in the way that will do us the most good. He is loaded with good things to give us and is intentionally waiting to be asked. What do you need right now?

Here are St. Paul’s wonderful words of encouragement for you: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Note to self: This ain’t beggin’. This is respondin’ to my Daddy’s sweet invitation.

A Witness That Shines: God’s stars forgive

Why is it so hard to forgive other people? There are many compelling explanations. Here’s one. As any accountant could tell you, a debt owed to you is a type of asset. If you are holding a debt that someone else owes you, you have moral leverage over that person. You can feel superior, nobler, better than that person. If you give it away for nothing, you could feel as though you just squandered an asset.

How pathetic our grudges must seem to the One whose boundless mercy forgave a world of sinners. The chasm he bridged to reconnect holy God with sinful people is far greater than any gap between people. Christian star-behavior looks like this: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).

There’s a treat for you here. Forgiving other people not only shows obedience to a direct command of God. It also frees you from the prisons and poisons of your own anger.

A Witness That Shines: God’s stars model Jesus’ love

People use the word "love" all the time. Generally they mean that they respond favorably to things and people who are lovable. People love flowers, chocolate, sports, and cars. People love other people when they are nice or good-looking.

Jesus’ love is different. Jesus loves the unworthy, the dirty, the broken, the failures. Jesus didn’t “fall” in love with us. He chose to love us. His love is unconditional, universal, and free. His love is not a reward for our worth. His love gives us worth.

He invites--commands--his sisters and brothers to reflect and radiate that kind of love out into our loveless world. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10). Jesus’ sad prophecy was that over time the love of most would grow cold. What an absolutely marvelous way for his stars to bear witness--to love as he loves.

Look around you. Who needs your love today?

A Lifestyle That Shines: God’s stars see the finish line

Ever think, “What am I doing here?” Maybe you’re a husband trapped in a long afternoon of shopping with your wife. Maybe you’re a wife trapped in a long evening of drinking and sports television at someone else’s home. Maybe you’re a teenager trapped in a visit to relatives where no one is your age.

You know what’s worse? Wondering what you are doing on earth in the first place. A distressingly high percentage of people I’ve met have no clue that their lives have--or should have--purpose. They drift through life and wonder why nothing satisfies in the long run.

There’s a better way. Do you know where you are going? Do you see the finish line? St. Paul has some words of inspiration for you: “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14).

The purpose of my life is not to get rich, get famous, or get pleasure. The purpose of my life is to get close to my Savior Jesus and give him glory. What finish line are you heading for?

A Lifestyle That Shines: God’s stars live like travelers

Do you possess your possessions? Or do your possessions possess you? I can always detect materialism in other people, but I don’t see it quite so readily in myself. The only reason I’ve stopped acquiring more stuff is that my house is already overfull. Think how many people have to park in their driveways because their garages are packed full of other stuff!

Some people have lives uncluttered by possessions because they are poor. Poverty does bring some spiritual advantages, doesn’t it? Much harder, isn’t it, to travel light when you have much. St. Peter calls us aliens and strangers in the world. How can you be that when your life is so loaded down with stuff?

Here is some wisdom from St. Paul: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). Having stuff is not evil in and of itself. The real questions: Where is your heart? What do you value most in life? Since we must leave behind absolutely every material possession, let’s keep looking up and traveling light.

Have a nice weekend!  #stayblessed

A Lifestyle That Shines

Christian talk without a Christian life to ba A Lifestyle That Shines ck it up just makes the talk sound like religious gas. The words may well be true. But without the matching actions, others will be turned off and find reasons to ignore your words. If people think you are a hypocrite, it doesn’t matter how true your words might be. St. James tells us bluntly, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17).

People are starved for real Christianity. They are not necessarily impressed by traditions, rituals, labels, forms, arguments, majestic buildings, or family loyalties. They do notice and respect acts of compassion, generosity, acceptance, and unrepaid kindness. The hot-button words today: "real," "authentic," "genuine."

Are you up for throwing a little more starlight into a sin-darkened world? Let’s let God’s Word challenge us to grow our Christian lifestyle in several wonderful ways. Ready?

Speech That Shines: God’s stars encourage others

How I love kind words from other people! Kind words bandage up my wounds. They give me hope when my day has been bleak. They restore my self-confidence when I have been crushed. They make me feel as though I’m valuable when I have been feeling worthless.

You know, I don’t need any personal training in how to lap up praise. Where I could use improvement is in building other people up. It is slowly dawning on me that one of the reasons for my earthly existence is to be an encourager. I need your praise and you need mine.

St. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, by his later years had become a masterful recruiter and encourager of others. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).

Ready? Let’s practice: “Nice job!” “Love your hair.” “Don’t worry--get it next time.” “Great outfit!” “Thank you for everything you do around here.” All of a sudden you’ll wonder why you have so many friends.

Happy new month to YOU

Speech That Shines: God’s stars speak the truth in love

Okay, so I’m going to use my mouth today to build up, not tear down. But what if I see things that aren’t right? What if a woman I know is flirting with a married man? What if my niece and “nephew” are living together without marriage? What if my coworker is stealing from the company? What if my friend is cheating on his wife? Should I tell my friends about their teens’ drug use?

God’s stars speak the truth in love--not to puff themselves up, not to feel superior, but to rescue precious human beings from paths of destruction. St. James writes, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:19,20).

We are too often silent because we don’t want to “judge.” We are all too aware of our own failings and don’t want to be hypocrites. We don’t want to risk a friendship or risk rejection.

Speak up anyway. As long as your words of correction are drawn from God’s words and come from a loving heart, they can only heal, not destroy. Speak up. If people are saved because of you, they will have an eternity in heaven to get over their irritation.

God's Strength Will Be Shown in My Weakness

When you are stressed, two agendas compete in your heart. One is Satan's. He will try to spin your hardships, especially economic hardships, as proof that God is incompetent. Or weak. Or senile. Or absent. Or dead. Or that he has given up on you, loves you no more and probably never did, and you are left alone to languish in your struggles.

The other agenda is God's. It is a great surprise as you grow in your Christian faith to discover that God gets his loving and saving plans accomplished not only by giving us things but also by taking things away. He blesses us both with pleasures and with hardships.

St. Paul knew both bounty and privation, and he had learned to see God at work in both scenarios. He had learned to be thankful for his easy days. But he had learned also the value of drawing strength from God when he was empty. "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10).

When you are empty, you can watch God make a way out of no way. You can watch the miracle of manna, miracle bread, reenacted before you. You can accept his hardships as antimaterialism therapy. You can celebrate his just-in-time providing of everything you need

Speech That Shines: God’s stars manage their anger

It takes no brains to lose your temper. It is so easy to go off on someone else, even someone you work with or live with, even someone you love. Angry words cut. They destroy love, destroy trust, destroy joy. Once out, they are like toothpaste--impossible to get back in. They live forever in people’s memories and come back to haunt you over and over.

How do you find your temper again once you’ve lost it? Here are St. James’ words of counsel for tongue use: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (James 1:19,20).

You can’t unspeak angry words. What you as a Christian star can do is acknowledge responsibility for your previous temper outbursts, ask for forgiveness, and grow in the grace of tongue control. You can rebuke the selfishness in your own heart that thinks that the universe is all about YOU. You can grow in a Christ-like servant mind-set that uses ears a lot and the tongue to build up, not tear down.

Start right now--who around you needs a word of kindness from you today?

Speech That Shines: God’s stars are respectful

Aretha Franklin got it right. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” People are starved for respect. That craving leads young men to join gangs, pack weapons, and pick fights. That craving leads young women to obsess over beauty and peddle their bodies for attention.

Here is a better path toward self-respect: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” (Romans 12:3). And another: “In humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Why is this so hard? It’s because each of us struggles so much with self-hatred and depression that we can’t give props to other people without seeming to make ourselves smaller by doing so. But listen to this: through our Savior Jesus, God now looks at us with affection, approval, and admiration. Let those waves of mercy and goodness wash over you. Then let them flow from you to bless other people.

The more you respect other people, the bigger you will get. Think I’m kidding? Shock people and try it.

An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars are hopeful

People hope for all kinds of things--championships for their favorite sports teams, a huge lottery win, a big promotion, great weather, and rising stock prices. Sometimes those things happen. Often they do not. Our hoping for them does nothing to make them happen.

God invites his all-star team to be hopeful. That doesn’t mean to wish on a star. It means to be utterly convinced that our future will be better than the past. It means that we can be optimists, since God lives in our future already and is making things better for us right now.

Here’s his promise to you: “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:19). Here’s the beauty of it--it’s not our doing. It’s God’s. We can bear anything because we know everything in our lives will get better in the future. We hope that. We know that.

An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars are grateful

“I knew it! I always pick the slowest line! I’m always the last chosen. If only I were making just N10k more! I can’t ever seem to get a break.”

Ever catch yourself indulging in that kind of self-pitying, bitter talk? Satan is trying to poison your mind by suggesting to you that you’re on your own, that nothing ever goes right, and that you are destined to be a loser. He wants you to feel cheated, convinced that God is disengaged from your life.

In fact, if you take a careful look around, you will see that your life has been filled with blessings from God. Blessings are God’s interventions in your life to make it better. Your friends, education, government, rainfall, food, and family are all gifts. They are signs that God loves you!

The antidote for self-pity and bitterness? How about St. Paul’s prescription: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Thankful stars figure out cause and effect in their lives. They look at their happy moments and notice more and more the fingerprints of God all over them.

An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars think of others first

Every time I gas up my car, I get a little reminder of my sinful nature. Above the pumps it reads, “Self Serve.” I love serving myself. I am endlessly fascinated by my own interests, appetites, and ideas. I love it when people do things for me. May I be frank? My agenda seems just so much more compelling to me than yours.

God’s all-stars, though, do a 180°. Jesus said that he himself did not come to be served but to serve. St. Paul learned the joy of denying self and serving people, and he wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

You can start by practicing on the people you live with. You can shine your star-faith by listening to their stories, sharing some of their pain, and looking for things to praise. And then God’s magic kicks in--you start feeling better about yourself. The very best therapy for depression is to do things to make someone else’s life better.

You believe me? Call my bluff. Try it for a week.

An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars appreciate diversity

The same Lord who made every snowflake in a blizzard different clearly enjoys that same diversity among the people he created. And yet the evil one has great success in using our human differences as wedges to drive us apart. Men and women clash; rich and poor fear and resent each other’s behaviors; people who can’t speak one another’s languages can’t understand and so don’t listen; race and class provide endless opportunities for judgmental bigotry.

But you can shine like a star. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). If God cared enough to bridge the huge gap between his holiness and our lowliness, surely we can overcome gaps of mere gender, language, skin color, and income.

Christians have much to learn--after all, over the centuries how many thousands of Christians were slaveholders or Nazis? What resentments still lurk in your heart? Perhaps you have room to grow in the grace of acceptance. Shine!

No Need To Worry

What if? What if? Have you ever dealt with the what-ifs? Entertaining the what-ifs in your life is the first step to being overtaken with worry.

Worry is taking responsibility for things you were never intended to handle. Worry is a lack of trust in the Creator of the universe. Worry says that you can handle it when many times you simply cannot.

Are you worried that you worry too much? You don't defeat worry by worrying about it. You defeat worry by redirecting your concerns to Someone who can actually do something about your situation. It does not mean that you do not take responsibility for the things you are supposed to handle; it just means that you know when you stop and God begins. Worried you don't know enough about it?

Check out what the Bible says!
Proverbs 12:25
Matthew 6:26
Philippians 4:6-7
2 Timothy 1:27
Romans 8:28
Isaiah 26:3-4
Matthew 6:33-34

Still Worry? Read Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars trust their Creator

“What--me worry?” For many years the An Attitude That Shines: God’s stars trust their Creator goofy, gap-toothed mascot of "Mad" magazine always had that slogan underneath his picture. We wish. The reality is that you know people who worry a lot. Maybe the chief worrier in your life is you. It’s one thing to be concerned about the future. It’s another to worry. Worry is fear, fear that you’ve been abandoned, fear that everything is unraveling, fear that God’s throne is empty and his angels are gone.

God’s stars shine with confident light in their world. And you know what? The brightest light comes from the testimony of Christians who have suffered, but who still exude confidence. The Lord Jesus himself was sorely tempted at times to feel abandoned and alone, and yet he comforted his disciples with these promises: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. . . . Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:25,27).

Trusting God means that I am convinced that God’s heart loves me, that his mind has good plans and a good outcome set up for me, and that his hands can reach right into my life to make good things happen for me. I’ll be okay. You will be too.

Read: Matthew 6:25, 27