Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say”? John 8:3-5

 Back in elementary school, some children were quick to tell the teacher what someone else had done wrong. We called them “tattle tales”. Although their report about the misbehaving student was correct, they had alternate intentions, by making that child look bad making themselves look good. Sadly, for some people, this tattle tale behavior continues into adulthood.

 Jesus said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” John 8:7

 Jesus response to the scribes and Pharisees put them on the same level as this woman caught in adultery. He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone. In essence He was saying, no one is sinless, no one is perfect, and his statement I’m sure brought shame to that lady’s accusers. When we see someone’s reputation being tarnished on social media, we are quick to judge, wishing them ill will. I too have been guilty of that, and today’s blog is probably meant as much for me as it might be for you.  What should our response be then when we see someone caught up in wrong choices?

 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avail much. James 5:16

 If you are truly a child of God, have compassion on those who have wronged you OR have done wrong in society, and pray for them. There is only One judge, and that is God, leave the judging to Him. You be obedient to pray for that person, in hopes that through their situation, God will intervene to change their heart, by bringing them out of their darkness and into God’s light. God bless!

 As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who call sus by glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3

 I’ve always had a fear of heights. I feel very comfortable standing on the ground and holding a ladder for someone else. One time I attended a leadership team building event and participants were asked to go through a high ropes course, 20 feet off the ground, with everyone tied in to a safety line. Just looking at the ropes course made me sweat, and as you can guess, I declined. That was just outside my comfort zone.

 Sadly, there are many people today who reject Jesus Christ’s offer of salvation, a personal relationship with Him, which involves forgiveness of sins, because it’s just outside their comfort zone. There are many reasons for rejecting this free offer, which include: don’t want to give up the worldly pleasures they enjoy, unsure what to expect, offended by so called Christians who live a double standard. The list is endless. Maybe you have an excuse of your own why you don’t want any involvement with church, Jesus Christ, or God.

 Today’s verse gives hope for those who are unsure about this Jesus issue. Once you accept Jesus free offer of salvation, you have everything you’ll need to live the kind of life Jesus lived while on earth for His 33 years. Will you ever be perfect like Him, NO. Is any Christian perfect like Jesus, NO. No one will live a perfect enough life to match the holiness of God, but it’s more about the relationship than your works.

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

 Friend, don’t let your fears, uncertainty, or pride exclude you from eternity in Heaven.  Take the first step by asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart, ask His forgiveness of you of your sins, and commit your life to Him. After your decision, He will provide what’s needed for your life as a child of God. Jesus is calling to you, won’t you answer today?

 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps. 1 Peter 2:21

 As you youngster growing up on the farm, I would always try to plant my feet in my dad’s footprints, especially if conditions were muddy or snow covered. By doing so, I knew my footing would be secure and he knew where to go safely. It was difficult at the first, as my legs were shorter and feet smaller, but as I grew, it became easier to keep up with his stride.

 Today’s verse encourages us to keep in stride with Jesus Christ. He is God in the flesh, and provided the perfect example of how we are to live our lives while here on earth (as documented in the bible). As a new Christian, it will be difficult to follow His example, past temptations will try to divert your attention away from Christ’s holiness, but as you mature in your faith, you’ll soon find it easier to avoid those fleshly temptations so you can more easily keep in stride with Christ. As humans, we’ll never reach perfection this side of Heaven, but on the day we enter His paradise, we will be like Him.

 How do you mature to be able to follow in His footsteps? By reading the bible, praying, and turning away from those things, people, and temptations that are toxic to your relationship with Jesus. It truly is a slow process, as it should be, so you can consistently grow stronger in your faith and see that His way is always the safest and secure as you journey through your life. Whose footprints are you following?

 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered. Proverbs 28:26

 After years of making decisions, I’ve learned there are two ways it can go: the right way OR the wrong way. I’ve also learned that wisdom is always connected to the right way, and the heart is usually associated with doing things the wrong way. Looking back, I’ve made decisions based on how my heart felt and the majority of the time it caused me a lot of pain and regret. On the other hand, when I relied on wisdom to make decisions, things usually went well and benefitted me and those impacted by my decision.

 How do you know which resource to rely on? As a child of God, you have been gifted with the Holy Spirit, God’s messenger. God always looks out for His creation (mankind) and provides wisdom in the decision-making process. You have a choice to follow the wisdom the Spirit provides, or go in the direction of your heart. God always gives you free will to choose, He never demands you follow His lead (but it’s always best).

 The heart is deceitful above all things, and wicked. Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

 Jeremiah 17:9 sums up the heart; its deceitful, wicked, and difficult to understand. Many people have entered into relationships, business ventures, or made large purchases through the prompting of the heart, myself included. Things at first might feel good, look good, and appear to be right, but later, as the dust settles, it’s pretty obvious a rushed decision was made and you knock yourself in the head asking….”what was I thinking”.

 Friend, God wants you to have a life full of joy without regrets. He is always ready to impart wisdom so you’ll make right decisions. Sometimes His wisdom takes time to come to fruition….that’s ok because He is probably working out the finer details to make the end result work in your favor. Pray, read your bible, and keep an open ear for His voice (He actually speaks) as He gives you the wisdom necessary to navigate life’s choices. God bless!  

 

 

 Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

In today's world of continuing education, online classes are offered where the student can gain a degree from the comfort of his/her home. What's hard for me to comprehend how a student studying chemistry can have a lab class online? There's nothing like learning in an environment in which you study, handling the test tubes, mixing chemicals, and viewing things under a microscope. You can't gain a true understanding by simply reading online. 

The same is true for people who are seeking God's will for their life. Today's verse provides guidance on how to comprehend His perfect will. The first part says to have your mind transformed. God's will usually never aligns with worldly logic, and when you seek out His wisdom with a worldly view it will seem like a foreign language, it just won't make sense. Example: God many times calls people to the mission field who have no experience, limited funds, and a lot of ties to their family at home. A person with a worldly mindset might dismiss this thought. 

Having a spiritual mindset puts you in God's lab of faith, you are able to see the vision, you have the confidence in God's ability to make a way to get you to the mission field, and you will experience God's blessings when you surrender your life to His calling. 

How do you then transform your mind? Reading God's word, staying fervent in prayer, and listening for God's wisdom and direction. When you do these things, God's will becomes more clear and you'll fall in line with everything you need to fulfill your purpose in this life. 

 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness. Psalm 119:40

 When I retired, I wanted to do something to keep me active instead of just sitting around being lazy (which I never seem to do anyways), so I started going to the gym and walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes to an hour. At first, I struggled to get motivated for exercise, but over time it turned into a habit and my body longed for that exercise. Unless my schedule gets busy, you can find me at the gym, Monday thru Friday, for an hour sometime in the day.

 The author of today’s verse felt the same way as I do about exercise; he longed for the word of God, and because of his reading, it filled him with the righteousness of God. Reading the word of God became a habit for him on a daily basis, and without it he most likely felt empty, spiritually, and probably even physically.

 Today’s question: how much time do you spend reading God’s word? Do you have a longing for it? Do you feel empty inside when you don’t make time for scripture reading?

 Every morning, I make time, first thing, to read God’s word and use several devotionals to guide my studies. In retirement, I have a lot of time to go deep into study, oftentimes studying for hours. I truly believe God allowed me to retire early so I could have this special time to understand God and draw closer to Him. Without my daily bible study, I feel a void, as His words give me wisdom for the day.

 Maybe you are like the average person, you only read it when at church or something comes up and you need a spiritual answer. Getting into the habit of reading your bible might seem insignificant or a burden of your time. But trust me, once you get started reading it daily, it becomes a habit over time and your mind, body, and soul crave it. But, you’ve got to take the first step by starting the routine. And the end result, you’ll have a mindset the aligns with the heart of God. Why not start today! God bless!

 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” John 831

 Years ago there was a slogan that went like this: “What Would Jesus Do”.  That messaged encouraged Christians to live out their faith and life modeled after Jesus Christ. Whenever faced with a decision, that person would ask, What Would Jesus Do, and they had the choice to either follow in Christ’s footsteps or pursue their own path. Still today, many Christians use this slogan in their everyday decision-making process.

 In my personal opinion, today’s verse removes the choice to follow Jesus, but is clear cut by saying, if you are My disciples, you will do what I say. Some of you reading this might take offense to this directive, but if you are truly a child of God, there should be NO choice, you SHOULD follow Christ in strict obedience. There are several reasons I say this:

 1 God knows what’s best for HIS children, that’s why He set boundaries for us to live within. Anything outside of God’s instructions will weaken your faith and make you vulnerable to accepting the ways of the world. James 4:4 makes it clear, that if you are living by the world’s standards, you are an enemy of God.  

 2 As a child of God, you have the responsibility to reflect His character in your everyday life. By doing so, you provide an example for others to follow. Many non-believers might only be exposed to what the Christian life looks like by how you live your life. If you live in the gray, you send mixed messages to those who have the potential to receive Christ. Wouldn’t you hate to know your neighbor, co-worker, friend, or family member went to Hell because the way you lived your life?

 3 When you adhere to God’s standards for spiritual living, you align yourself with His plan for your life and you grow closer to Him. Over time living a Godly life becomes a routine, leaving NO choice but to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

How you live your life effects your relationship with God, and those around you. Let there be NO choice who you’ll follow. If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.