Warriors and Not Worriers

It’s easy to tell someone not to worry when I’m not facing the challenges they face.  To say, “I’ll pray for you” is a commitment that is made between the person saying it and the individual needing help, whereas I believe a statement such as this is also a contractual promise between God and the person volunteering to pray.

The antonym of ‘promise’ is the word ‘breach’.  I would also consider another word that says it quite well; the word is ‘lie’, and we all know what that means.  As I see it, to breach a contract or lie to the Holy Spirit is like walking on thin ice or like the idiom “one step forward, two steps back.”

Yes, God is long-suffering and forgives sin and we are living in the dispensation of grace, and not under the law of Moses, but I am sure God expects better from us.  I believe He wants us to become warriors, standing strong in faith and believing in the power of prayer rather than being a worrier and giving into fear.

I am aware that it’s easy for me to sit here and give my two cents concerning people and their faith or lack thereof when I don’t know the circumstances surrounding their need, but this I do know, prayer changes things and gives hope to the hopeless that enriches their faith in God when He answers prayer.

I will not soon forget that I am a walking miracle because of the barrage of prayers that people prayed on my behalf.  Fervent prayers produce warriors out of worriers, because God’s strength becomes their strength.

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

A quick side note: how many times do you think the following statement has been made to people in stress by meaningful souls, yet having little follow-through in what they promise?  The sensitive statement is this: “I’ll pray for you.” 

Sometimes I wonder if these words are spoken out of habit or rote, because of concern in the moment, or did they want to appear spiritual because they felt it was the right thing to say at that moment in time?

I know I’m meddling, and being a bit facetious, but if I were to go my separate way from a person having a need and vowed to pray for that need but failed to do so because of a short memory, my question is this: How does God feel about broken promises?  Remember, it is a vow to God as well.

(Ecclesiastes 5:4-5), “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools.  Pay what you have vowed.” (vs 5) “Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”

I’ve been there.  I did exactly this, because of my busy schedule and things that were pressing my mind, but is this an excuse acceptable to God?  We may be held accountable, because of our lack of due diligence.  I don’t really know, it’s just a thought, but it is certainly something to ponder.

To make a promise and break it is not good.  In my opinion, there is no excuse or way to justify inactivity when breaking promises to pray.  I felt distraught when I finally remembered the person that I was going to pray for but didn’t.  I quickly asked God to forgive me when I realized what I failed to do.

I’m confident God forgave me, because I believe we learn by our mistakes, which taught me to be deeply mindful of the importance of follow-through with things I commit to do.  I am more diligent regarding my promises now, and confident that I will do better with future commitments.

Allow me to propose the following solution that works for me.  This is my suggestion for people that have good intentions yet fall short in keeping their ends tucked in regarding promises made, promises kept.

Try this: Pray for the person’s need where they stand no matter where you are.  Believe with all that is within you that God will move in their situation and send a miracle.  Be brave and refuse to allow your spirit to become intimidated or embarrassed because of people that may be around. Maybe they too will be touched through your prayer or perhaps bring back memories when God meant something in their life.

Before hanging up the phone after learning of a person’s need, immediately pray for that individual and the needs they have.  Don’t tell them that you will pray and then forget.  It’s better to pray now than being embarrassed before God if we forget to pray as we promised.

Through prayer, we become warriors of the faith as we step out in the power of the Holy Spirit to help worriers become strong believers when prayers are answered and miracles take place.  We need to move with the same boldness of power that accompanied the apostles of Jesus after the Holy Spirit descended upon each of them, being filled with power from on high.

Our obedience could ignite revival-spirited attitudes that would rekindle Holy Ghost faith by reaffirming that God’s presence is still active today as He was in the early church.  God never changes.

The Lord is the same God that parted the Red Sea, healed the leper, the blind man, and the woman with an issue of blood, to name a few.  The God of today is the same God that raised Lazarus from the dead and the young boy that was being buried after his funeral procession. 

Our Lord is the same God that turned water into wine at the wedding feast, and fed the Children of Israel, Manna from heaven as they trekked across the desert to the promised land.  God is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.  Christians must mentally and spiritually galvanize the fact that they walk in Christ, while guarding against becoming weak in faith through compromising one’s commitment to Him.

Believers in Jesus should always trust God’s word and believe His promises without wavering.  The same Spirit dwells within Christians, today, that dwelled in the apostles of Jesus when they did miracles in His name.  We need to stand firm in our faith and become God’s warriors and stop worrying whether He will embarrass us by not answering our prayers when we pray for people.

One man or woman plus God is the majority.  The power of Almighty God is within all Christians.  We just need to recognize Who’s we are, and who we are in Him; then act accordingly in the power of Jesus name.  Pray, believe God, and leave the answers with Him.  We are then warriors and not worriers. 

In the following scriptures, Jesus is speaking.

(John 14:12-14), “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” (vs 13) “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (vs 14) “If you ask anything in My name I will do it.”

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd

I Embrace Your Character

 

Have you ever met a person that stood out in a crowd as someone you would like to emulate?  Individuals that I’ve observed had pleasing personalities that were blessed with an amazing character.  Their pleasantries were pleasing and not only appreciated, but they were also approachable.

I think most people could do with a little life changing improvements in openness and congeniality, especially people like the select group of students that strutted around the campus of my old Alma Mater, many years ago.

These students related to and were a part of the 'In Crowd' as other students called it.  A few of them were real snobs, to put it lightly.  They wore expensive designer clothing, thinking they were privileged and above everyone else, many of which had a ‘me, me, me’ type personality.  It was all about them and their close nit compadres.

These kids could be spotted right away through their actions, demeanor, and the words they used.  Everyone called this group high society or white shoes.  They were in a club all to themselves, a ‘click’ that included a few individuals that hung together with their noses in the air.

As my memory serves me, I was concerned about their health and safety if it were to rain.  With their noses turned up they would have probably drowned.  Of course I’m exaggerating.  They perhaps were not as bad as I am making them out to be.  No doubt I was jealous that I wasn’t a part of the 'In Crowd'.

I was just a person on the outside looking in and wishing I was in the group, because of their popularity.  I didn’t agree with the way some of them, not all, treated other students that were not in their circle of friends.  They had little to offer, because of their self-centeredness, and for this reason I was not drawn to them. 

For me, I didn’t look down on anyone. My desire was to connect with students having compassion, and concern for others.  Something was missing inside me, and I needed someone to be my friend; a person that I felt comfortable embracing with their character.

Allow me to refocus on my thoughts.  I would rather take the rest of our time together reminiscing about people that have giving-type character traits that cause others to be drawn to them like a magnetic field that pulls metallic items to itself. 

I’ve noticed through the years that something special exudes from certain people that made me want to embrace them.  They were born-again Christians that had this wonderful quality and beautiful air about them.  I sensed something different regarding their demeanor at first glance.

It was the aura of Christ and His character that I was seeing.  The feeling I had made me want to embrace and even emulate their personality and character, were it possible.  I’m here to tell you that it is indeed possible to possess humility and at the same time show the character of Christ.

It takes leaving the self-indulgent demeanor of self, behind in the wake of positive changes in one’s character that is brought about through Jesus, God’s Son.  God’s Spirit was within each person, which drew me like a magnet before I became a Believer myself. 

It seemed like their flaws were far and in-between because they showed kindness to me.  Their heart had been changed by God.  They did not exalt themselves above me nor did they think they were better than I was.  It seemed that they were someone special and I wanted what they had and to know their inner thinking.

Now that I am a Christian, my desire is that people will see and perceive, from my aura, that there is something different about me as well.  I want the aura of godliness to shine brightly from me.  My desire is that my countenance and actions exemplify Christ, showing that I am a man of God with godly integrity that personifies the character of Jesus Christ.

I may be too bold to suggest that you ask yourself the following questions, as I will.  Am I quick to anger?  Am I long-suffering?  Do I exude kindness with a smile?  Do I present the fruit of the Spirit spoken of in the Bible?  Is this fruit active in my life every day or just on Sundays?

If the answers are somewhat hesitant, then we need to go back to the basics of our faith, our first love, and visit the altar-of-submission to revisit our communication skills with the Lord God Almighty. 

The awareness and implications of “not my will but Thine be done” are difficult to abide in and live up to at time, but as we yield our desires, emotions, and self-will to the Holy Spirit, He helps us to walk in the Spirit and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.

(Galatians 5:22-23), “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” (vs 23) “gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law.”

The attributes of Jesus can be ours if that is our true desire.  As we magnify His goodness to those around us, they will recognize, right away, that there is something different, something desirable that is showing through our smile.  They will want to embrace and be around these kinds of characteristics.

It takes work to emulate the Lord and His character; it just doesn’t happen.  It is sometimes easier to yield to the flesh and the old nature from whence we were delivered, than to discipline flesh of which the new-birth-experience set us free from when God saved our soul and forgave our sins.

When we ask the Holy Spirit to be the watchman at our mouth to bridle our tongue and to speak loudly to our heart when things don’t go our way, He helps us maintain our emotions before we blow up and do or say the wrong thing.

When we allow this act of obedience time to mature, we will stand steadfast in God’s strength.  Before long it becomes second nature to just give it all to Him and walk away in victory.  Let’s face it, we cannot do it on our own merits.  It takes God to help us—and He does.

(Romans 12:1), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Don’t give up on yourself.  Keep trying and changes will come in due time as you remain patient and true to the Lord.  We need to lean upon Jesus and give Him a chance to work in our behalf.  There is nothing better to hope and strive for than to be like the Lord.

I make it a point of saying, “I embrace Your character.”  God’s Spirit in us will draw people to Him.  It’s like building a fire when camping in the woods.  The company we are with, if cold, will huddle around the fire to get warm.  Likewise, people will want to embrace our warmth, because of the beauty and inviting warmth of our character when they see Jesus in us.

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd

Seeing is Believing

The essence of the title is not always true, but in the case of ‘Doubting Thomas’, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, believing was made so.  He would not believe that Jesus resurrected on the third day after being crucified on the cross until he could verify for himself, with His own eyes, the Lord’s nail-scared hands and pierced side.

Jesus came to where Thomas was.  Standing amazed when he beheld the piercings, he saw and believed.  In his world of doubting, now resolved, we can say on his behalf, “Seeing is believing.”

Some people are taken in by what seems right, beguiled because of trickery.  A good example is magic shows.  Even though a person knows the hand is quicker than the eye, tricks are amazingly believable if done correctly. 

It is hard not to believe what is taking place before their very eyes at times.  It causes the mind to sputter and become enthralled with what they think they are seeing.

A person should not believe everything they see with untrained eyes.  These shows are meant to deceive and tease our minds into thinking—maybe it’s real.  This is deception at its best depending on the believability of the magician performing the tricks.  A seasoned prestidigitator, as they are called, is a dedicated performer that can make a person fall into a false sense of ‘seeing is believing’.

I am thinking of a seasoned sorcerer having tricks that catch the eye of unsuspecting people to believe a lie and be damned.  The deceiver or performer of deception in this scenario is Satan.  He puts on a believable show to win our confidence and eye gate.  He is nothing more than a liar and fraudster in sheep’s clothing, presenting falsehoods.

Satan puts on a big show of worthless glitter, with smoke and mirrors to try and pull the wool over our eyes to make us believe that what we see is truth and that we can count on what we see or hear.

When a person is led by the Spirit of God, seeing and accepting something as factual is NOT always believing when it comes to the treacheries and cunning performances of Satan.  It’s not for mere entertainment that he throws illusions our way, his antics are well planned out, intended to lead us astray down the wide road to destruction with death following, void of life.

Every person must stay alert to sidestep the devil’s sideshow of him trying to convince us that what we see and hear is real.  The Bible says that we must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Allowing oneself to be hoodwinked by Satan’s activities does not help our steadfast faith that we depend on.  I thank God for giving me spiritual eyes to see through the devil’s misuse and twisting of the truth.  The Lord wants us to walk in the Spirit so that we are not blown about like a leaf in the breeze; tossed about by every wind of doctrine and beguiled by the devil’s slide of hand.

The windstorm of supposed believability is well rehearsed and crafted such that even the very Elect can be misled.  His techniques have proven to work from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to present day dealings with him.

We must keep our minds stayed upon the Lord and not take things at face value.  Jesus will reveal the hidden plot behind Satan’s ruses and con jobs.  The believability of something we see is not always factual.  It may be a counterfeit that appears as truth.  It is imperative that we guard our minds from Satan’s showboating and not believe everything we see or hear.

Taking things at face value is dangerous, spiritually.  The eye and ear gates are Satan’s access points to our eternal souls.  By cutting him off at the pass, we walk in victory through Jesus Christ, God’s Son.  When we keep our minds on Truth, Jesus, the prestidigitator of deceit, trickery and dishonesty will take flight.  Seeing is believing.

(James 4:7), “Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd 

There's No Time Like The Present

I’m sure the core thought of the title to this writing may not interest or even gel with procrastinators, per say.  Whether a person makes the most of 24 hours in a present-day scenario depends on the attitude, nature, and disposition of that person’s mindset.

The older I get; I find myself procrastinating a little more than usual.  It is out of the norm for me, and I realize when I toss around whether I want to do this or that, I am reminded that I’m not as young as I used to be and it takes a little longer to get things done.

People have their reasons for putting off things, and perhaps it’s just their nature and personality.  Watching them and their actions or lack thereof, speak louder than words.  I can see by their emotions and playbook of habits that their motto for living may be, “Live for today and let tomorrow take care of itself.”  I can only speculate.

Things today are not like they were when my dad was younger and raising a family.  Real Greenbacks exchanged hands rather than credit cards.  It is understandable and quite common for people to be tempted to buy things, now, instead of waiting for a time they can afford them.

Banks make it easy to buy and pay later at an extra cost.  It’s called interest payments.  Society is prone to spend what money they have and then use plastic money as if there were a money tree growing in their backyard to ‘Pick and Pay’ from.

I cannot entirely agree with this course of action when buying on credit.  A person’s thinking and philosophy for going in debt is not for me, because I’m an old-school thinker, with old-school ideas.  That’s just me.

I believe in sacrificial saving, which means I make decisions in the present to lay instore whatever money I can for probable obstacles in the future.  My dad called it, “Making hay while the sun shines.”

An untouched savings account is a way to avoid stress when an unexpected problem knocks on the front door and money is needed to remedy the situation.  It’s most important to anticipate future challenges and do something about them and not procrastinate.  There’s no time like the present to begin this regiment of self-control saving.  People that do so will be happy that they did later.  

The fable about “The Three Little Pigs” is an example of good planning vs. bad preparations.

God wants us to be wise when making financial decisions and not fall off the cliff of unnecessary spending or become trapped in high interest payments, because of indebtedness.  It’s not in the nature of some people to wait a while to buy something until good financial planning makes it possible to purchase a little later.  It makes good sense to wait.  Money problems we can do without.

I believe that God expects us to be good stewards of our money, and at the same time not forgetting Him regarding the finances it takes to spread the Good News that God forgives sin through His Son, Jesus.  It’s called tithing, which is a tenth of one’s earnings set aside for God’s work in the church.  Allow me to continue.

It takes money to keep foodbanks stocked with food, local food kitchens to provide meals for the hungry, Christian outreach programs to canvas neighborhoods for the cause of Christ, and as the Bible says in (Mark 16:15), “And He said to them ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’ ”  It all takes money.

I’m sure people have their own ideas and slant on this controversial subject of tithing.  Whether tithing has become a way of life or not, it is entirely between an individual and God as to what they do.  I’m just expressing my point of view of giving.  We must work out our own salvation.

(Philippians 2:12-13), “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (vs 13) “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

As for me, I have tithed on my income since becoming a Christian.  A close parallel to tithing is the giving of offerings of goodwill to others.  As the Holy Spirit moves upon my wife and me to give to a special program to help the needy, or help an organization doing God’s work, we feel blessed that God uses us to be His hands outstretched to those less fortunate as He supplies the means to do so.

My wife and I try not to close our heart of compassion.  With God at the helm and the head of our household, we, together with God are a super-special team.  As we are obedient to God, His will is being done in our lives and others.

I am thankful that the returns on our investments are lost souls becoming Christians; having a born-again experience, because of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  The knowledge that we are helping those in need is worth it all.  Sacrificial giving goes hand in hand with the following Bible scripture.

(Romans 12:1), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” 

My intension here is to shed some light on the positive aspects of giving.  By doing this, my wife and I have found that we can do more with 90% of our money than we can with the full 100%.  It just works this way.  God’s promise in (Luke 6:38) is true and His numerous blessings that flood our bosom are amazing.  We walk in the joy of the Lord.

(Luke 6:38), “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.  For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Does tithing sometimes involve sacrifices when giving?  It does, but these are the times that God speaks peace to our heart through Bible scriptures.  We are encouraged with words like: “Trust me!” and “Step out in faith!”   When we do what God asks, the needs are always met, and we are again blessed beyond measure. 

What greater investment is there than giving to God’s programs and being blessed as we walk in His perfect plan for us and others?  If you feel that God is speaking to your heart to do something nice for someone, there’s no time like the present to do so.  Trust God, step out in faith, and see what happens.

The Children of Israel learned to trust God in the desert after being set free from captivity in Egypt.  Their exodus from Pharaoh’s bondage was indeed miraculous.  When Moses obeyed God, things happened.  The same holds true when we obey God; things happen.  Even if a person feels like they are trekking through the desert-of-faith, the result of their obedience is always positive for those less fortunate.

If you are seeking God’s direction or need answers to unanswered questions, give it all to God, because He cares about everything concerning you.  If you are feeling unstable and need a firm foundation to stand on, I give you Jesus.  There’s no time like the present to turn your life over to Him. 

Ask God to forgive your sins.  He will change your total outlook on living, because He gives life and life more abundantly when the bondage of sin has been broken.

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd

What's The Harm in It

The title of this writing brings a word to mind that reminds me of my father-in-law.  He emphasized his interpretation of the word when I was questioning a dilemma that I was facing.  He gave me sound advice, and I’ve never forgotten it.  I miss his counsel; he passed away too soon.  The word he expounded on was ‘justify’.

He and his loving wife, Marie, impacted many, young lives for Christ and influenced me in godly ways that were extraordinary in the short time that I knew them as Mom and Dad.  They may have left this world but never my heart.

They expressed love in ways that I could feel the very presence of God in their touch and words.  The power of God was no stranger to them.  They were strong Believers and walked in His power, while standing firm in their faith.  The extreme love they possessed poured out on everyone they met.

Dad, as I called him, accepted Jesus as his Savior at the age of forty-two.  A person is never too old for God to save their soul and bring happiness and peace into their life, while freeing them from the bondage of sin.  The devil says, “It’s too late.” but God says in (Corinthians 6:2), “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Regarding the word I mentioned earlier, my father-in-law told me that a person can ‘justify’ just about anything they want to obtain, do, or say, but it doesn’t necessarily make it right with God.  I believe Dad was saying that justification is merely the manipulation of one’s mind to make it right in their own thinking when they know in their heart it is wrong.

My soul desire is to love and please the Lord in the same way I observed my in-laws and their dedication to God when they were with us.  Their example of God’s love remains foremost in my mind.  They lived what they shared with others.

The one thought I would like you to take away from this writing is how important it is to grasp the concept that honesty is the best policy in everything and not try to justify anything. 

In my opinion, even if it means losing out on questionable deals where money is concerned, or when material things become the bottom-line temptation; doing the right thing should always be paramount above desires, greed, and foolish thinking.  To justify and reason out ideas to obtain something is probably wrong, anyway a person tries to justify it.  By doing this, they are no doubt thinking, “What’s the harm in it?”

I sincerely strive with everything in me, and of course with the Lord’s help, to keep my head on straight; to be honest and aboveboard in whatever I do.  I believe in the quote, “Honesty is the best policy.”  There has never been a more accurate statement made in my opinion.

(1 Timothy 6:9-11), “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (vs 10) “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (vs 11) “But you, oh man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.”

If you are in a quandary as to whether or not the next move you make is sanctioned by God and you have a sneaking suspicion or a slight inkling that you are perhaps being manipulated and beguiled by Satan, ask yourself these two questions: “What would I do if Jesus were standing next to me?” and “What would Jesus do?”

I believe the answer will be in the highest percentile that the answer you receive will absolutely reveal what to do next.  It is then up to the individual to heed or ignore the answer they get.  They can yield to fleshly desires and give into crafty manipulations of the devil or be wise and not justify one’s actions to procure something.

As my father-in-law pointed out, “Do not justify something and regret it later!”  If we choose unwisely, this defiance, because of selfish desires, will more than likely bring self-condemnation, worry, and sleepless nights, while the closeness to God may fly out the window until such time that forgiveness and/or restoration has been restored.

Experiencing ongoing joy and peace is contingent upon walking uprightly before God in ALL things.  A person reaps what they sow.  The following scripture says it quite well.

(Galatians 6:7-8), “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (vs 8) “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

The Bible says that God will provide a way of escape, a route away from situations when being tempted, but it is up to the one being tested to exit stage right or stay and perform the act of rebellion against God.  Fame, fortune, advancements at work through deception or backstabbing, or coveting someone’s property or cavorting unwisely does not pay good dividends, spiritually or otherwise.

It’s not worth it.  Finding oneself out of harmony with God, because of disobedience is not wise.  The pleasure of sinning is seasonal at best—not lasting.  Then regrets come.  I would be foolish to say that there is no pleasure in sin, because there is, but the wage of sinning is quite high.  Sooner or later, wrongdoing will catch up to a person, at which time the Piper must be paid one way or the other.

No doubt you are acquainted with Newton’s 3^rd law of motion: “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  I believe we can apply this law to the negative repercussions that sin brings.

I thank God that He provided help and forgiveness to everyone that stumbles and falls on their face, because of wrong choices or falling into the trap of justifying one’s actions.  Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for sin.  He gave His life, freely, on a cross for the sins of humanity.  He loved us that much!  This included you and me.

If we fall, I believe God is saying, “Get up!  Dust yourself off!  My strength is your strength!  Keep on keeping on!  A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins!”  He also says the following:

(Matthew 11:28-30), “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (vs 29) “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (vs 30) “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

(1 John 1:9), “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

As I see it, if a person has an attitude of, “What’s the harm in it?” they may be walking on thin ice or playing Russian roulette with their life.  Personally, as I wrote earlier, I want to please the Lord in all things.

If you are facing what seems to be an insurmountable mountain ahead of you, do this.  Speak the name of Jesus over that mountain, and every temptation, question, and shadow that falls across your path.  Give it all to Jesus and look for the EXIT to escape temptation and it will be there.  You will then be able to watch the hand of God move in your behalf.

(1 Corinthians 10:13), “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

I’ve heard that we learn through our mistakes, but when we listen to God’s voice speaking to our subconscious and do what he says to do or not do, I believe that we will cease the verbiage, “What’s the harm in it.” when God shows us a better way to live. 

God gives us an abundant life through Jesus, His Son.  It takes our obedience to God, by allowing the holiness of Christ to live through us, much like my father-in-law, mother-in-law and my Christian parents did while they were alive.

(Romans 12:1-2), “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (vs 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.”

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by, 

Papa Boyd

Give Your Face a Rest

My thoughts are all over the place this morning.  I have no idea where they are going to take us, but God does.  They may be for you and probably for me.  Close your eyes for a minute and think of someone you don’t want to be like.  I already have a person in mind.

I know it’s a strange request, but surely there is someone you can think of, like the person in your neighborhood that has a frown on their face every time you see them.  And if you had to listen to them spout their negative rhetoric, it would be worse than getting a root-canal.

You should pray for that person.  I’m positive that God prefers them to have a renewed spirit to see things differently and experience peace in their soul rather than capitalizing on the negative.  God can put a smile on their face.

I don’t know for sure if it’s true, but I’ve heard that it takes more muscles in the human face to frown than it does to smile, which brings me to today’s thoughts.  If this is factual that there are less muscles, we need to give our face a rest and smile a while.

The last three words above remind me of a chorus I used to sing in church as a kid.  “Smile a while and give your face a rest.  Raise your hands to the One you love the best.  Then shake hands with those nearby and give to them a smile.”

People do not smile enough these days.  It seems like many of them are down in the mulligrubs with depression, hopelessness and sadness.  Smiles elude them, because they feel there is nothing to smile about.

I’m sure you are aware of the importance of staying healthy and physically fit as we age, but I seldom lift weights at a gym or run on a treadmill for thirty minutes each day.  It’s one of those ‘should do’ realizations, but I fail in this area.  I told you this writing was probably for me.

I do stay active mowing and edging my lawns and smiling at my wife as I plant shrubs when she has new ideas on how to beautify things around the outside of our house.  I am what you might call a ‘backyard mechanic’.

I’ve been blessed with the ability to fix and do things myself rather than hiring them out.  It puts a smile on my face that I am still physically able to stay active, while keeping the money in my wallet.

As a person ages, they need to stay fit and develop their muscles rather than allowing them to decline in strength and develop atrophy.  This may be true of facial muscles used for smiling as well.  Without exercise, muscles lose strength, stamina, and the ability to function properly.  They gradually decline in effectiveness due to the lack of usage.

When I look around and see faces with frowns on them, I wonder if the muscles in their faces have become atrophy for lack of using the smiling muscles.  Perhaps if they did more smiling, facial muscles would stay toned and strong with less sagging, thus preventing those ugly frowns.  Yes, I’m exaggerating a bit.

You might ask this question, “How can I stay positive and keep a smile on my face in a world filled with negativism?”  I believe the answer lies in three adjoining, uppercase letters—GOD.

God is the positive side of the “liberty vs. bondage” equation that gives a reset on life for those that accept Jesus as Lord and asks God to forgive their sins.  The Lord is my laughter and the center of my joy when I think about positive things.

(Philippians 4:8), “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

When troubles come, I turn my eyes toward Jesus, whence comes my help.  Things level out, because He makes it so.  The Bible says that God can bring good out of bad.  As we claim His promises, adverse situations grow strangely dim, while hope provides a smile on my face when I surrender doubt and fear to the Lord. 

The following song says it well.  “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

Being born again and having the hope of living in heaven for eternity should keep a smile on a person’s face for the rest of their life.  Salvation equals big smiles.  This is exactly what God put on my face when I became a Christian—a joyful countenance with a smile.

The day after I gave my heart to the Lord, my friends asked me, “What happened?” as they stared at my face.  I had a huge smile on it, whereas I never smiled here-to-fore when I was wandering away from God’s grace.  They literally saw the change.  My attitude was transformed, and I ceased to use inappropriate words.  I found the peace and happiness that I was looking for.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace.  In Him there is everlasting joy and smiles galore.  When challenging trials and bad circumstances put a frown on my face, I look to Jesus and quote this scripture, (Deuteronomy 31:8), “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

We are eternally blessed, because of Jesus.  He died a horrific death, while enduring excruciating pain as He suffered on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  He did this because we are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves us with agape love—everlasting love.

God does not want us to worry, fret, or be downtrodden in any way, shape, or form, but wants us to trust Him in all things and have a smile on our face as we walk with Him.  God’s grace is sufficient for whatever His children encounter.  I know this in my mind, and I believe it, but in the next breath I pray, “Lord, I believe but help my unbelief.”

When it comes to accepting it and living by faith like I were in a spiritual bubble, I cling to faith, which is confidence in God.  If God promised it, He will do it!  God does not lie. 

I don’t know if you are like me, but I sometimes frown, pout, snarl, say the wrong things, and complain when things don’t go my way.  When I fail to give challenging moments to Jesus, right away, the turmoil and irruption in my soul are wearisome. 

After a time of struggling, I finally realized that I’m trying to do things on my own, and that if I had only left them on the altar and allowed the Holy Spirit to enter my dilemma as soon as negatives came, victory would have come sooner than later.

Trust comes when I give God all my challenging moments.  This act of faith is usually accompanied with a smile, because the Holy Spirit is my Comforter when I present things to Jesus and leave them with Him. 

Being human, I am sometimes prone to hand my problems to the Lord and then take them back to work things out for myself, thus promoting frowns, unnecessary complaining, loss of sleep, and worry.  We need to give our face a rest and walk in victory, while smiling through the trials.

God is our heavenly Father, and with this knowledge we need not frown.  He is the I Am that I Am, the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  In Jesus we live victoriously, while giving our face a rest.  You will be singing that song when you walk in faith… “Smile a while and give your face a rest.”

Walking in joy and smiling at everyone you meet demands a smile back; they cannot help themselves.  A smile is contagious like a knee-jerk reflex or reaction in those that see it.

www.wordsfrompapa.blogspot.com

Written by,

Papa Boyd