In Increasing Measure

                                            

               “And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:7-8(NIV)

               Brotherly kindness—we exercise it by greeting one another, sharing concerns and griefs. A practical aspect is praying for others, communicating gentle thoughts when another is in turmoil.

               Love—we demonstrate the practice of patience and kindness especially during another’s time of grief or turmoil. Peter tells us of a positive aspect to possessing these qualities increase in our hearts. We will be more effective and productive in what we know of Jesus.

               Several years ago, I had occasion to pray and cry at an altar with a devout Christian lady. We were in a revival. An event happened with some of the congregants that tore the rest of the people apart. I choose not to repeat the sin that was uncovered. We were all devastated. I remember us crying to the LORD together. We became closer because of our shared grief. Several of the people I worship with in another church were in that meeting. We all came away from that service closer to God and closer to each other.

               We all should treat one another with love and kindness, no matter what issue we face.

Make Every Effort

reviveourhearts.com

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

 and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control;

and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness.”

2 Peter 2:5(NIV)

               Our faith consists more than belief. The demons believed in the existence of Jesus. (See James 2:19) We are to live out what we believe. Because we know in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins, we attempt to live our lives without sinning. We study God’s words and apply the messages to our hearts.

               When we take God’s message into our hearts and minds, we learn to maintain balance with what he expects from us. We also learn to continue our advancement on the path chosen for us no matter the stresses we encounter. As we walk with God, we become more like Him.

               As me mature in Christ, we see these qualities come to life in others and ourselves. We learn to stand firm for our beliefs. We know that Jesus died for our sins. We keep plodding along, when the way seems rough. And we reflect God.

His Great Promises

www.daily-inspirational-quotes.net

“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,

 so that through these you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption

 in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)

               God gives us promises—eternal life, peace, and His presence in order that we may become godly and not get caught in the trappings of the secular life caused by selfishness, egotism, vanity and pride.

               We sometimes fall into the trap of “me”-isms—“What’s in it for me? What do I get out of it?” As followers of Christ we learn not to think of ourselves better than we are. We learn to live by the Golden Rule. When we ask ourselves “What Would Jesus Do,” God’s word reminds us that Jesus always put others before Himself. He healed the sick at times when He was needed some alone time with His Father. He forgave the woman caught in adultery without saying one word about her sin. His parting words were “Go and sin no more.”

               

Everything We Need

missionventuresministries,wordpress.com

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life

and goodness through our knowledge of him who called us by his glory and goodness.”

2 Peter 1:3(NIV)

               Peter continues his thought. He tells us God has given us everything we need for living the life He wants us to have. He imparts these thoughts to us as we come to know Him as we spend time in prayer, meditation and Bible study.

               As we learn of Him, we become energized by what He gives us. We witness His glory as we experience His goodness. It is my desire to be able to communicate this message to those who struggle with their faith. In order to do this, I have to stay close to Him and learn from Him every day.

               I remember my mother saying, “I learn something every day.” When we walk with the Lord this is especially true. We have to be receptive in order to learn in any setting. But when we read and study God’s Word, He educates us on what He expects of us and the things He will do for us, His children.

Book Review: "Wounded Women of the Bible"

By Dena Dyer and Tina Samples                                                 

Sub-title: Finding Hope When Life Hurts

Ms. Dyer and Ms. Samples relate stories of Biblical women who underwent some soul-wounding experiences. From the two women in Solomon’s court through Mary and Martha the relating of these stories show us the miracles of God. One chapter deals with women unable to bear children.

               I love the dedication Tina Samples wrote:

To all the women who have been deeply wounded and have no idea

 what to do with the wound—this book is for you. May it touch the

deepest part of your wound and bring healing beyond your understanding.

               Each chapter has at least one scripture reference about the circumstance of the woman or women in the chapter. Interspersed in each chapter are experiences of the authors or people they know.    The authors include a study guide suitable for in depth group study at the end of the book.

 I enjoyed this book because it gave me a better understanding of the Biblical women included in the work and opened my eyes to the issues faced by modern women who have been wounded. I would recommend this book to women who have endured traumatic experiences and Christian therapists who work with them. Also pastors would gain information in ways to help women conquer injuries to their spirits.

               I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications through Book Fun (aka Book Club Network). All they asked me to do was read this book and give an impartial review.

Grace and Peace

gardenofpraise.com

“Grace and peace be yours in abundance 

through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ”

2  Peter1:2 (NIV)

This is a departure from this month’s  planned topic. I found a section in that writing journal I rediscovered that spoke to my heart. I hope you benefit from these thoughts as much as I have.

               Grace, God’s unmerited love-or receiving something we don’t deserve. It comes to us as a gift when we ask Jesus into our hearts.

               Peace, the presence and experience of a right relationship, a desire, a goal, and a gift from God. True peace belongs to those who turn away from their sin and ask the Father’s forgiveness.

               Peter tells us we can have these gifts in abundance when we have an intimate relationship with God through His Son. I need to possess these qualities in my life as I write for Him and as I communicate with other people. I desire God’s help in the way I present myself especially when I face harsh circumstances not of my choosing.

Wisdom Yields Patience

whatchristianswantoknow.com

A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)

               What makes a person wise? I once heard that knowledge was what we learned and wisdom was found in how we applied said knowledge.      
   

               Solomon tells us that when we apply what we know to a circumstance we receive patience .I have seen this played out in my life in the past few days. If I dwell on an issue that affected our son, I find myself worked up and that is not good for me. I just realized that my getting upset takes away from my witness for Christ.

               The mother in me wants to communicate with these people and tell them the hardship they could have caused by their neglecting to inform our son of the extra time for them to complete the job he had hired them to do and for their lack of customer service skills when he made inquiry about the end result. Some people would say this is not my problem but I believe it is because it affects our son.

               Solomon says that a man will be seen in a better light if he overlooks the wrong doing. Could this be from God’s perspective or from man’s? I realize God has allowed this circumstance into our lives. This could be a test of our faith, our son’s creativity, and all our patience. I believe I may have initially failed this test.  All this circumstance brought out frustration in me. Stress and frustration cause me physical problems.

               Some offenses can only be overlooked by handing that condition over to God. This has to be one of them. I know the company will not listen to me or to our son because this company, while working for individuals and families, is still a business entity and has to look out for itself.

               But God can guide us through this time of waiting. He will get the victory.