Category: Love your Neighbor

Be a Godly Example and receive His Blessings

On By Ed AlgreenIn A Lamp unto My Path, Bible Believing, Bold Confidence, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, Forgiveness, Getting Along, God Cares For Us, God’s Word, Healing, Helper, Honesty, Hope, Humility, Imitator of Christ, Listen to the Word of God, Love your Neighbor, Obedience, Our Help comes from God, Pleasing to God, Righteousness, Victorious LifeLeave a comment

Scripture: Genesis 13

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

14 After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west.15 I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.16 And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!17 Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”18 So Abram moved his camp to Hebron and settled near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. There he built another altar to the Lord.  Gen 13:14-18 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In an earlier chapter we saw where Noah pleased God when he created an altar and gave a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God. In turn, he was blessed with a lot more than he thought he would have just coming out of the ark. In this passage we see where Abram was very open in being a peace maker. He was the key leader in this whole journey with Lot, yet when strife broke out, Abram was the one willing to step back and give Lot first preference in whichever land he wanted to settle on with his family, herds and belongings, and Abram settled for whatever was left. Although not specifically said in the passage, it is evident that this peaceful act, this display of family love and devotion, pleased God very much. In fact, so much so, that He met with Abram and showed him everything that would really belong to him. Abram, being the Godly man that he was, settled in and immediately built an altar to the Lord. Today it almost seems to be more important that we strive to be the revenger, the better man, the victor, the winner, to look bigger in the eyes of onlookers or those we try to impress, instead of being the peacemaker like Abram. I don’t believe that it ever hurts to eat ‘humble pie’ and always please God with our actions. This helps us be a much ‘bigger’ person in the eyes of our beholders, as they will realize that it must have been the power of God working in and through us, to face possible condemnation, possible defeat in the eyes of those looking for a fight, but to look and act more like God in what He would do in the same circumstance. In our passage today God has shown yet another example of what it means to represent Him and act in a Christian manner in our everyday lives. As we study His Word we will find more and more ways to look more like Him in all that we do and say instead of jumping in with both feet and doing what self, or the world promotes. Let’s be God-followers, even if it means eating the ‘humble pie’ like Abram did! In all circumstances let us be good examples of God in word and deed.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Your Word is filled with examples of how we should act and what it really means to represent You well while blessed to be here on this earth. Thank You for the example of Abram in this passage today. Today we are faced with equally as important decisions and/or challenges. May I not act in haste and respond in a manner outside of Your will or Your character. May I continue to represent You well in the good times, but may I also learn to represent You even more when old Satan rears his ugly head and tries to bring out the worst in me. May the worst in me be cleansed by You and replaced with qualities pleasing to You so that I may respond to life’s circumstances in a Godly fashion. It’s You I live for and You that I desire to please in all that I say or do, but I need Your constant touch on my life. Please continue to teach me Your ways and give me strength each day to be victorious in being Your representative in all things and in all ways.

Dt 11:22: (The Blessings of Obedience) – 22 “Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.

What is Your ‘Tower’?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Born Again, Christian, Faith, Follow Jesus, God’s Word, Helper, Love your Neighbor, Reaching the Lost, Reflecting Christ, Righteousness, Share God’s Word, Things EternalLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE Studied: Genesis 9-11

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.)4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” Gen 11:3-4 (NLT)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Way back in the days when the earth was just being first populated we read about how the people found the need to build something that they could look on to identify themselves – some great accomplishment that they achieved. God saw that this was leading to pride and bragging rights for this clan so He intervened and placed a stumbling block to prevent them from the selfish desires that He saw in them. In fact, this is where the different languages started, for in verse 7 we are told how this was designed to confuse the people and stop them from self destruction. As I look at our world today I question myself of where our ‘towers’ are being built, and I had no trouble thinking of several that might give the same impression as to what God must have seen with the Tower of Babel:

  • Momentous Church Buildings – yes, we needn’t look very far to see this ‘Tower’. We talk about churches today as ‘The Crystal Cathedral’ (known for it’s beautiful, large glass structure) or ‘Liverpool Cathedral’ (known for its 31 ton bell installed in the tallest tower some 219 feet above ground). I agree that these are beautiful church buildings and I have no doubt that they probably perform great work for the Lord, but is this what we want to be known as? Would it not be good to be known as ‘The Church that ministers to the inner city’ or ‘The Church where folk come to know Christ every week’ or ‘The place where Jesus is found every week’? I believe that the true church will continue to be a ‘great’ church or ministry when it can succeed in any location in which it relocates, or any building in which it meets, or when its leadership is assumed by another leader, when attendees are constantly bringing in friends to meet Jesus, when communities look to that church as a ministry arm of the Lord Jesus Christ, because it reminds them of everything they have every heard about Jesus.
  • Big homes, fancy vehicles, big expensive televisions, etc. – Things that we tend to become know as having. In other words when we are identified by those things acquired, rather than by the Christian principles or character that we display in the best, or worst, circumstances every day, then we have a ‘Tower’ that we have built or bought to represent us.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father I am reminded that You gave all that You had (Your precious Son) so that I may live eternally with You in Heaven. You didn’t sacrifice a great mountain that You created – although You designed and created some real beauties. I pray that people that I come in contact with may later refer to us as the “Child of God that led me to Christ”, or the “Christian that helped me in my time of trouble and despair” or “The friend that visited me when I was sick” or “He’s from that church where many of the folk from my community are coming to know Jesus”! May my church never be known as anything but an extension of Your love and caring for a lost and dying world. Please teach me daily to stay away from building any ‘towers’ that may prevent or distract my witness of You to this lost world in which I live. May the lost see so much of Jesus in and through me that they would have a deep desire to know You.

Are You Building Up, or Tearing Down?

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Getting Along, Love God, Love your Neighbor, MotivateLeave a comment

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Mark 9 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

Mark 9:42 ~ It will be terrible for people who cause even one of my little followers to sin. Those people would be better off thrown into the ocean with a heavy stone tied around their necks.
(CEV)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I am convinced that God hates sin. After all, He sent His only Son so that we may seek forgiveness of our sin and therefore be one with Him. In other words, without the forgiveness of sin we cannot be one with God. Now seeing how important this is to God in our own relationship with Him, we can imagine how much this verse really speaks of the mind of God when He sees anyone doing things to entice a child of His (a Christian) to sin. Each of us should examine ourselves and determine what we are doing to build up the kingdom of God, to enhance a Christian’s relationship with Jesus. Moreover, we should examine ourselves, and always seek God’s guidance for anything we might be doing that would lead a Christian to stray/sin. The Bible says that it would be better for us to hang a heavy stone around our necks and be thrown into the ocean/water, than to cause one of His children to sin. Let’s remember today and everyday that we are to build up each other. When we are not doing that, we are either tearing down, causing someone to sin, or facilitating the weak environment for someone else to tear that brother or sister down. Remember, God knows our hearts. We may hide our intentions from our spouse, our friends, or our church, but God knows and sees all things. When we say that we will just stand on the sideline and watch for someone to do the ungodly/sin, we are hoping that they will, not doing everything we can to help them not sin. Let us then love one another and lift one another up so that we all may be more like Christ each and every day.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I believe that this is a very challenging thing for any of us to recognize in ourselves, because we would never say that we are facilitating the opportunity for someone to sin. Please then, help me to always lift my brother up. Please help me to love that sister enough to want to see her succeed and do her level best in living a life pleasing to You. I would fight to stop anyone from hurting my child or leading her to sin, so I understand how it would hurt You to see anyone hurt Your children or not help lead them on a right path towards You. I believe that You love us too much to see us go to Hell. Please help us to love our brothers and sisters that much. Help us to promote good instead of evil, love instead of hatred, good works instead of those things that lead others away from You. I believe that Your Word teaches us to love one another like we love ourselves. When we do that we will want them to be as successful as we would like to be. Please help me to help someone overcome sin today.

One Who Reflects Christ

On By Ed AlgreenIn Bible Believing, Christian, Facial Expression, Fruit of the Spirit, Love, Love God, Love your Neighbor, Obedience, TruthfulLeave a comment

A Quality of a Mature, Reproducing Disciple of Jesus Christ

 

SCRIPTURE

Studied: Eph. 4:15, 2 Cor. 3:18, Gal. 5:22–23, Matt. 22:37–39

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

  1. Truthful – Ephesians 4:15 ~ Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head
  2. Facial Expression – 2 Corinthians 3:18 ~ So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.
  3. Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23 ~
    But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
  4. Love God and Neighbors – Matthew 22:37-39 ~ And He replied to him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

  1. Truthful – Our love for, and respect of, the One that we serve, Jesus, should force us to be like, and do just like, Jesus. He always told the truth and so should we. Then according to this verse, we will be more complete in growing to be more like Jesus, our Savior and soon coming King.
  2. Facial Expression – I believe that if my mind is centered on the glorious Savior that I love and adore and who blesses me so immensely every day, then my heart will be overjoyed and my face will surely express that joy that I feel. As a child I sang a chorus ‘I have the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart’, and having that kind of joy in my heart should always reflect in my facial expression. It is almost impossible to have the ‘joy, joy, joy, joy’ in my heart, but yet a sour/unhappy expression on my face. This verse says that having this type of joy to where it is expressed on our faces, makes us more like our glorious Lord!
  3. Fruit of the Spirit – I love how the writer says that there is no law against any of these fruit being expressed in and through us, and what is amazing is that even today there is still no law against reflecting these character qualities. These are qualities of Jesus our Savior. These are fruit of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior. If we struggle with any of these, I believe that we need to go back to the cross and make sure that everything is right in that decision that we thought we first made, because I don’t believe that the Holy Spirit will mess up in not reflecting the ‘fruit’ qualities.
  4. Love God and Neighbors – I love the way that the Amplified Bible emphasizes that our love for God is the first, the great, most important and principal commandment! Wow, that really sums it up on where our allegiance belongs! Of course, additional emphasis is on loving God with everything we have within us – heart, soul and mind. But the later part of this Scripture goes even deeper, because it says that we should similarly love our neighbor (those that we come into contact with daily – those that we should be neighborly to). I believe that this is a lot more challenging, because these ‘neighbors’ sometimes lie, backbite, or even try to harm us, yet God says in His Word that we must love them with all of our heart, soul and mind, in the same way that we love Him and strive to be a reflection of Him.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

All of the above are very tall orders dear God, and I acknowledge today that I can only accomplish these with Your love, strength and guidance. I want to reflect You though my every word and action. Please be my constant guide and director each and every day. Please give me strength and determination to reflect You in every circumstance. Lord, may my life be fallow ground in which Your Holy Spirit will find freedom to reflect all the Fruit of the Spirit, so that You may receive honor and glory.