You Big Bully!

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You Big Bully!

2 Sam. 9:1

Now David said, “Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Davud showed kindness to Mephibosheth. Who was Mephibosheth? He was the son of Jonathan, David’s best friend. He was also the grandson of King Saul. In spite of the fact that Saul tried to kill David, he still loved and honored Saul’s position and God-given authority. As a result of this, he wanted to bless someone in Saul’s family, and that was Mephibosheth.

That is the backstory. But the rest of the story is found in 2 Sam. 4:4, which tells us that Mephibosheth was “crippled in both feet”. This happened at the age of five, when his nurse dropped him. Mephibosheth was disabled, and he looked at himself that way too. He probably had to put up with people making fun of him as he was growing up, and had to have been aware of people staring at him and making comments behind his back.

I hate bullies! I hate what they did to me, particularly one that I had from first grade through middle school. I hate what bullies do to others that I know and love. I am writing this to honor a friend of mine whose son was bullied. She and I want you to know how hard bullying is, not only for the victim, but for the whole family. People need to realize this. They need to understand how hard it is.

From a Christian perspective, what can we do? I would like to suggest several things we could do: Pray for the victims and their families, pray for the teachers and schools that have to deal with this, and pray that the Lord would change our hearts and deal with any unforgiveness that may remain there. Finally, we need to lock arms and support victims of bullying and their family, especially parents, grandparents, and other caregivers. We also need to support schools who need to be aware of and deal with this scourge on our society. We need to stand together in all of this.

A note to pastors and churches – you have an opportunity here to minster to many people. Not only can you show them the love of Christ, you can even lead them to Christ, if needed. Victims, families, and even bullies themselves need to hear the Word preached and see it lived out. I would like to see churches start support groups for families and friends of victims of bullying. This is not a problem the church can ignore. Show the love of Christ to all these people. Minister to them, and Christ can touch their heart. And definitely pray for them all.

Ransomed

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I wrote this the day I returned from the Calvary Chapple women’s conference in El Passo Texas I just took some time and journaled My prayer is that this is a blessing to you the reader and that you will grow in Christ.

 

How can I find words to explain what I encountered, so much more than a religion so much more than just an average God of the Christian faith, so much more… what is the gospel? It is a romance offered by the lover of our soul, who sees us even in our deepest need so much more than a payment for Sin he ransomed us from the slave block of death, and the master called Hell we were bound to it, but Jesus out of love, nothing but pure love, of a kind we cannot even take hold of came and died, to ransom us, and take the key from the master, and lead us from the block. What does he want in return? He wants our love. And if we love him, we will obey his commands.

This isn’t a quick pro quo oh, you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours. Not only does he pay for our debt, but then, when the Holy Spirit comes to us, to live inside of us, we then suddenly want to obey his commands, out of love for him, an all-consuming love we are not being held over a barrel what Jesus is saying, is if you have accepted my love then you will want to obey, your desires will change. You will want to please me because you love me.

And on the matter of pleasing God, what do we have to prove, to the one who knew us so completely so fully, and yet still, chose to love even the worst filthy sinners of us? We can prove nothing. to even to attempt to do so, is the depths of pride, and an insult to God. Of this, I have been guilty.

Why?

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If God is a god of anything’s possible,

then why does he sometimes not?

If God is a god of healing,

then why does he sometimes not

Why is it sometimes the questions we ask, hoping to find release?

Are given answers with untenable remedies.

Can someone tell me why? Cause I’m still asking.

Still chasing answers I wonder if I’ll ever find.

Because his ways are not mine.

Yet I know that he can be explained in one simple phrase

“I love you, You are Mine”

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

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Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

Today’s tip – “We can rest for awhile, but we can never quit.”

To be honest, I have struggled how to approach this last of eight tips that Brother Paul lived by and taught to his sons, Josh, Sam, and Paul Henry. I have tried in these writings to honor both Brother Paul, and Jesus, who Brother Paul preached, loved, and shared with so many. I want to represent both men.

I loved his pastor’s heart, his love for Jesus and his deep love for his congregation, and really for everybody he ever met. I want to honor his legacy.

At the heart of Brother Paul’s messages, and the heart of the Bible, was the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God, who died for our sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead, thus conquering sin, death, and Hell. Jesus is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, and the savior to all who would believe.

To the end, Brother Paul preached Jesus and invited people to come to him, to repent of their sins, and commit their lives to Jesus, to trust Him. We are all at some point on that continuum, we all need to grow in our relationship with Jesus and need to get keep working on our commitment to Him. I want all who read these writings to be challenged, encouraged, and motivated to get closer to Jesus.

Brother Paul was a fighter and a lover. He fought hard against the cancer that eventually conquered his body, but not his spirit. It was so obvious that Jesus lived in and saturated his heart. He soaked Him and and poured Him out. Jesus kept him going. He rested when he had to, but never quit in his commitment to Jesus, to growing in Him and sharing him with everyone. He led over 1,000 people to Christ. I want to be like Brother Paul, and in some way to carry on his legacy. I am trying.

To sum this all up, I have two questions: Do you know Jesus, and are you learning from and growing in Him? That is the heart of Brother Paul’s life and message, and that is the heart of the gospel?

Scripture: Colossians 1:27 – To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, for those of us who know You, may we grow in you daily. And for those who don’t know you, may they surrender their life and their eternity into Your hands. In your Name we pray. Amen.

Serving From a Godly Heart

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Serving From a Godly Heart

Today’s tip – “Don’t serve the Lord for money, fame, or importance.

The ministry is its own reward”

Brother Paul had the right idea here. Many have gotten in the pulpit with ulterior motives, and it has caused damage to the Kingdom, and given Jesus a bad name. It’s not Jesus’ fault, but He definitely gets the blame for self-centered preachers. Brother Paul was not one of those. He preached from the heart and he preached the truth.

What is it about ministry that makes it rewarding? What was the appeal to him and to other godly preachers? I think there are three things that kept his eyes focused on integrity; truth, love, and the power of gospel.

Godly preachers, like Brother Paul, love the truth of God’s word, the Bible. They want people to hear it. They want them to understand it, and to absorb it deep into their hearts. Brother Paul knew that if they heard the truth, and their hearts were open, they would receive what the Lord had planned for them, and receive it at the deepest level.

As said before, Brother Paul oozed out and poured our love to everyone around him. He saw the power of love to transform hearts, to reach deep inside and touch souls, and to soften those hearts to receive the truth we talked about just a minute ago. Brother Paul knew the power of the gospel, the power of God’s love. The reason Brother Paul could pour out that love is that he kept his love tank full with Jesus. He connected with Jesus. He introduced over 1,000 people to Jesus. The power of the Word of God and the love of the Savior. But one more key ingredient completes this love package, and that is the gospel.

Just a simple message with an eternal power and truth – Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. Simple, but profound. That was important to Brother Paul. That was his focus, and when one thing comes into focus, all else around it seems to disappear. When the ministry is centered around the truth, power, and love of the gospel other things – money, fame, self-importance – pale in comparison. They don’t matter.

Scripture: “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.” – 1 Cor. 9:18

Prayer: May we live and share the truth of the gospel, walk in the Holy Spirit’s power, and share the love of the Savior with all around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Created by God

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a baby's hand grasps an adult's finger on a bright yellow background

I remember the day I first found out my daughter would have special needs, and when I faced a very important question.  You see, my husband and I scheduled an appointment with an obstetrician who specialized in high-risk pregnancies.  He looked at the results from all the tests that had been done, along with the x-rays, and asked my husband and me if we were sure we wanted to keep the pregnancy.  In this moment the very question was so repulsive, how could this man ask such a thing, as if murder of an unborn child was even an option?  Now yes, I know the arguments, that it’s a woman’s right to choose, and that it’s not really a child.   But all that is just brain washing to justify a guilty conscience.  In that moment, I remember my husband’s reply as well as my own, I told the doctor, that I would not commit murder, and Mike’s answer was “no way in Hell.” You see, we both knew that no matter what happened, no matter the trials was that would come, we both knew and believed that the little girl that was growing inside of me was uniquely created by God, and that she was knit together in my womb as it says in Psalm 139.  Did it mean that the rest of the time it took to bring Mandy to term would be challenging? Yep, I spent 6 months on bed rest, and I had to deliver her by C-section.  Was that worth it? Yes. My daughter is 10 years old, and while she has special needs, I would not trade her for anything in the world.  What do you think?  Do you agree that a child is uniquely created, or are they expendable at the altar of choice?

 

P.S  If you want to see the other side of the right to choose, then I strongly encourage you to listen to this podcast where Melisa Ohden speaks out about her experience of being an abortion survivor.

How Do You Feel?

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How Do You Feel?

Today’s tip: “People will forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.”

Some people you just feel better being around. They seem to bring out the best in you. I would like to honor some of them in this writing. In doing so, I want to honor Brother Paul’s memory, and Jesus’ heart for a lost and fractured world.

Right now, I have two piano students. One is an older man. I enjoy just hanging out with him and sharing spritual things with him. He is a unique learner, like me, and a good worker. He helps me think on my feet, be flexible, and keep seeking the Lord for wisdom. All this is good. The other one is a fourth grader who is super sharp, very sweet and respectful, and open to talk about Jesus. She became a Christian about a year ago at camp. I just sense Jesus all over this girl.
She makes me want to be kinder, gentler, more positive, and more focused.


Family is also a blessing to me. Because of Jesus’ love in my wife’s heart, she loves me unconditionally. As such, she is very supportive of me in my struggles to remember things. I l literally may forget what she says, but I will never forget how she makes me feel – loved and secure.

Finally, I want to honor Brother Paul, who loved with all his heart, with the love of Jesus. Jesus’ love just poured out of the man. What made this possible? It was the love of Jesus, and His gift of eternal life to Brother Paul and to all believers. Brother Paul loved others and preached the gospel. The gospel makes it possible for us to be a part of the kingdom of God and of His family. The gospel is Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Do you know Jesus? Have you asked Him to forgive you of your sins? and have you turned from your sins? Have you turned to Jesus, and asked Him to save you? Jesus makes the difference in my life. Jesus made the difference in Brother Paul’s life. And Jesus can make the difference in your life too.


“For God so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

Lord, help us to be kind to others we meet. We are Your representatives, your ambassadors to the world around us. Please help us to share Your love with people along our path, so they can see Jesus in us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Just Do the Right Thing

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Just Do the Right Thing

Tip for today: “There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing. There’s never a right time to do the wrong thing.”

While there may be a wrong way to do something right, but there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. I think our goal, as Christians, is to share the love, truth, mercy, and grace of Jesus with everybody we can, as the Lord sends them our way. I agree with Brother Paul on this, and I think he would agree that we also need to set aside our own prejudices, moods, thoughts, and feelings as we seek to rest in and share Jesus’ love.

The opposite is true too. There is never a right time to do bad things, to do wrong, to do something that harms other people’s bodies, minds, or souls. I know I have to watch my attitude sometimes and not let it rule me. That attitude comes out sometimes either on my grumpy dumpy face or in angry or frustrated words. Not everybody needs to hear my venting, and I don’t need to have a sour attitude. There is never a time to promote or glorify our sin nature in all the ways it wants to come out – attitudes, actions, words. When we let these things take hold, that interferes with doing good. There is never a right time to do a wrong thing.

If we are going to share Jesus’ love, mercy, grace, and truth, we need to spend time with Him and allow Him to saturate our hearts and remove anything that gets in the way of His plans to minister through us. We need Him to deal with our sin and fill us with His presence. When we allow this, then we can do the right thing by sharing Him with the world. We cannot love, give, or serve from an empty or self-absorbed heart. We need the Lord to take care of all of that from the inside out.

My prayer is that we will all keep seeking to do as much good as we can for the Kingdom as the opportunity arises. May God help us all to do just that, to do the right thing.

“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” – Prov. 3:27

God be with us all as we seek to share His love.

What is crouching at your door?

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Grey brick wall and cement ground with a bright blue door in the middle of the wall. A shadow of a person reaches for the handle on the door.

[spp-tweet tweet=”If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. – Genesis 4:7″]

The 4th chapter of the book of Genesis tells the story of two men who took very different paths in life.  These men were the brothers Cain and Abel.  The Bible says that Abel brought a sacrifice to God of the best of his flock, while Cain brought the leftovers of the crops that he grew.  God looked favorably on Abel’s offering, but rejected Cain’s.

This is the backdrop for what would come next and where I want to focus. Cain became very angry with the Lord and God responded.

Genesis 4:6-7 (NIV) reads:

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Because of his jealousy, Cain killed his brother and suffered the consequences of that action for the rest of his life. However, let’s look at this scripture from a different angle: doesn’t sin crouch at our doors every day? And are we not called to crucify the flesh every day, so that we can live for God?  (Galatians 5:24)

God calls us to be masters of our sin and slaves to Christ.  The important question is how exactly we can do that faithfully, every day.  One of the first things to ask yourself is this: in what area am I not submitting to Christ’s authority? I ask myself this often, and I find that it pops up as I go through out my day.  Am I letting my thoughts rule me, instead of me taking each and every single one of the blasted things captive? (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Cain let his bitterness rule him, and in the end, he killed his own flesh and blood out of anger. Do we do the same? Jesus said that if you hate someone in your heart, you have already murdered them. (Matthew 5:21-26)  Hmm, that sounds a little convicting doesn’t it? What about lust?  Our Lord said that if you lust after a woman you’ve already committed adultery in your heart.

There are many more examples I could give that the Lord speaks to, but you will find one common theme with all of them – it starts with the heart. The Bible says to guard your heart, because out of it comes the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)  It is in our heart that we decide daily whether we are going to serve God or serve our sin.  Cain learned this the hard way but luckily, we don’t have to.

I hope this was helpful to you, and you can always contact me if you have any questions.

In Christ, Teresa Blaes

 

 

First Shall be Last?

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First Shall be Last?

Today’s tip – “Go to the back of the line, and let others go first.”

Matthew 20:16 says “So the last will be first and the first last; For many are called, but few are chosen” This applies to all areas of our lives. I would like to share three ways we could reach out and put others first.

When we put others’ needs and concerns ahead of ours, we are showing three things. We are showing respect for them, integrity for ourselves, and love for Jesus, who told us to put others first. I know you have heard the acronym for Jesus – J.O.Y – Jesus first, others next, and yourself last.

We show respect for others when we put their needs above our own, when we take time to listen, even when we are tired, or to meet a practical need, even when we have pressing needs of our own. Let’s take time out of our busy day and see what others around us may need.

We show integrity for ourselves when we put others first, because we are making a choice to do what the Lord tells us to do. That doesn’t mean pride. It just means that we choose to do quality work and spend quality time with those that the Lord sends out way, so we may minister to them.

Finally, we show a love for Jesus when we serve others and put them first, and we show a love for His kingdom when we tell others about Him. I know Brother Paul would agree, and he certainly lived that out.

Lord, help us to put others first, even when we don’t feel like it. Let us go to the back of the line and make others a priority, and serve others with our whole heart and our undivided attention. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Just Do the Right Thing

Tip for today: “There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing. There’s never a right time to do the wrong thing.”

While there may be a wrong way to do something right, but there is never a wrong time to do the right thing. I think our goal, as Christians, is to share the love, truth, mercy, and grace of Jesus with everybody we can, as the Lord sends them our way. I agree with Brother Paul on this, and I think he would agree that we also need to set aside our own prejudices, moods, thoughts, and feelings as we seek to rest in and share Jesus’ love.

The opposite is true too. There is never a right time to do bad things, to do wrong, to do something that harms other people’s bodies, minds, or souls. I know I have to watch my attitude sometimes and not let it rule me. That attitude comes out sometimes either on my grumpy dumpy face or in angry or frustrated words. Not everybody needs to hear my venting, and I don’t need to have a sour attitude. There is never a time to promote or glorify our sin nature in all the ways it wants to come out – attitudes, actions, words. When we let these things take hold, that interferes with doing good. There is never a right time to do a wrong thing.

If we are going to share Jesus’ love, mercy, grace, and truth, we need to spend time with Him and allow Him to saturate our hearts and remove anything that gets in the way of His plans to minister through us. We need Him to deal with our sin and fill us with His presence. When we allow this, then we can do the right thing by sharing Him with the world. We cannot love, give, or serve from an empty or self-absorbed heart. We need the Lord to take care of all of that from the inside out.

My prayer is that we will all keep seeking to do as much good as we can for the Kingdom as the opportunity arises. May God help us all to do just that, to do the right thing.

“Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.” – Prov. 3:27

God be with us all as we seek to share His love.