Aches and Praise Five Hundred & Sixty Seven

July 29, 2022
 
 
Dear friends,  
 

Does it seem like the summer is flying by? It has been filled with a variety of weather, including a tornado warning yesterday in southern Quebec. For those of us with cell phones, you couldn’t help hear the loud incoming message. In many ways, the Bible is like the alert message that was sent yesterday. God’s Word clearly portrays man’s sinfulness and how we can have our sins forgiven through faith in Christ.            There are many areas in life where we need to heed God’s warnings. The following article, available at https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/10-warnings-in-the-bible-we-don-t-take-seriously-enough.html, examines ten areas. Today, let’s look at the first two.

“1. Resist Being A People Pleaser

In this age of Social Media, it’s so easy to get caught up in gaining others’ “likes” and “shares,” and dwell too much on being accepted rather than speaking God’s truth.

If our goals are to be popular and well-liked, maybe we need to consider the following promise:

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. This is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19)

Having “haters” doesn’t necessarily mean we are on the right track, but if we are committed to speaking truth instead of flattery, not everyone is going to respond with praise and affection. All over the world, believers are persecuted and rejected because of their commitment to sharing about the life of Jesus.

Whatever you face in your context, instead of shrinking back, or pleasing others out of fear, find encouragement and boldness knowing we all are in good company with Jesus.

2. Be Very Careful How You Live

With so many voices and opinions bombarding our thoughts today, us humans can be swayed off-track without even realizing the direction we are headed. Ephesians 5:15 warns to, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.”

How we choose to live matters. The daily choices we make add up to a lifetime, so in making daily choices it is good to consider how we might look back at our decisions twenty years from now, and how they may affect our life overall.

Romans 12:2 urges, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Focusing more on God’s truth, rather than what the world says is truth, will renew our minds, transform our thoughts, and lead us to follow His will for our lives.”

Even though it may seem that the summer is going by quickly, we can take comfort that God has great things in store for us, as we trust Him and walk in His ways.

Scripture for the weekend: “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”2 Timothy 1:13 (NKJV)

Thought for the weekend: “Historically, Christians have been adaptive in ministry without compromising our beliefs or our message to an unsettled and confused world. These unsettling times will prompt reflection on how we are the Church and how we can go about living our faith. The context within which we work out our faith will always be changing, but the gospel remains true and sure.” – Bruce J. Clemenger (from the July/August 2022 edition of “Faith Today” magazine)

 

By His grace,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
Steve

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