The moment you start hating someone, you become their slave. The cancer of bitterness can destroy families for years. Those who are bitter destroy their joy, their testimony, and their power with God.
Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
God's love and grace grants us supernatural power to forgive others, the power to overcome resentment, and the power to redeem relationships.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see The Lord.
We learn about real forgiveness at the foot of the cross where Jesus Christ shed His blood to pay for the sins of the whole world.
When you forgive, you set two people free and one of them is you.
We should tithe because we are commanded to, and love obeys God's commands.
Malachi 3:10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith saith The Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Over the years I've heard stories from believers who paid tithes when they didn't think they had the money, but God blessed them in surprising ways. You can never out-give God. The word "tithe" means "tenth". Tithing is God's method for funding and furthering His work.
Paying ten percent of your income is not something you try, it is something you trust God by doing. It is an act of worship and obedience.
Whether you give more than ten percent or less, it is nobody's business. It's between you and God.
We tend to make too much of the few bad days in our lives and make too little of the many good days.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by The Lord; and he delighteth in his way.
It is God who shapes our days. It is humbling to realize how little we had to do with so many important issues in life. We didn't choose our parents or pick out the place of our birth. God did. We didn't decide the genetic make up that would determine the color of our eyes and hair, the size of our frame, and our I.Q. We don't make the ultimate decision of how short or long we live on this earth. God does, and He is always with us in every task, trial, and triumph.
Psalm 118:24 This is the day which The Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
We shouldn't spend our days complaining. "Happiness" is tied to what is happening to us. "Gladness" is about what is going on in us. "Joy" is surrendering ourselves so fully to God that the genuine life of Jesus Christ in us works its way out.
It is God's will for us to rejoice and be glad all the days he has given us.
The house of The Lord is not about a place or people or some light-hearted entertainment; its about The Lord of the house and His special presence. It is where we do business with God about our soul.
Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of The Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of The Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of The Lord and to enquire in his temple.
The reason the house of The Lord is no longer our priority and passion is because The Lord of the house is no longer our priority and passion.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to thee.
God puts His compelling beauty on display in His house through His mercy and grace and love toward His people. Church is about getting to know God better. It is spending time learning about how great, how good, how gracious, and how generous He is.
Prayer is God's idea. You don't have to spend hours on your knees or carry a cross five miles to show God you really mean business. He's your Father. He wants to hear what you have to say.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.
Jesus' death on the cross opened the way to God. You don't have to be a priest to come into God's presence.
Romans 5:1,2 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand.
What about unanswered prayers? If the request is wrong. God says, "No." No is an answer to prayer. If the timing is wrong, God says, "Slow" -- answer delayed. "Wait" is an answer. God's timing is perfect. Wait on The Lord.
Unholy motives, unconfessed sin, an unforgiving spirit or an unstable faith will postpone God's answer to our prayers.
We can see the power of God manifested in answer to prayer.
