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Hebrews 10:22 "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."  NIV

            It is so wonderful to pray and know that we are being heard by the Father.

The Conscience?  What is our conscience?  How do we get a conscience?  Do we automatically have one?

Do we all have the same conscience?  Is the Christians' conscience the same as or better than the non-Christians'? As a Christian do I need to be careful of damaging the conscience of another Christian?

I believe the Lord continues to purify our consciences' before Him as we walk with Him through life.  

The apostle Paul says:

Acts 24:16 "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man."

And again he says: 

2 Cor 1:12 "Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace."

It is found in God's Word that He is the source of our conscience.  For He places His awareness in the heart of each one of us, whether we acknowledge it or not.   

Here is the warning concerning the conscience in scripture:  Paul says to Timothy about false teachings

1 Timothy 4:2

"Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."

Our conscience can be over-rulled by the mind and by our selfish desires.  We can and do justify our actions easily when our motives are not constantly challenged by our associations with the Godliness fond in our relationships with other (Christians) and in what we continue to put in our minds through the reading of God's Word.

"ETERNITY IN OUR HEARTS"

Eccl 3:9-11

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. NIV

We are eternal beings

From our text we see Solomon recognizing this fact when asking the question, AWhat does the worker gain from his toil?" Eccl 3:9....

You are missing something very valuable if you think that all you gain from your working for a living is a paycheck.

‑‑ Vincent T. Lombardi said this:

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."

We can recognize eternity in life and pursue it in the immediate or the “now” by an act of our will.

Prov 16:3

3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. (NIV)

Prov 21:5

5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. (NIV)

There is an eternal realm we must deal with

Jesus spent a great deal of time dealing with this subject. Jesus worked wonders and miracles for the soul purpose of moving our thinking from the natural to the supernatural. He used the miraculous in the immediate the “now” to prove the existence of the eternal yet to come. Yet in the final analysis this course of action only further establishes faith already held and can cause deeper darkness for those who refuse to believe.

If you’re waiting for a miracle before you allow yourself to believe, it will never come. One reasons for this:

A. Miracles are seen by everyone but only faith can see beyond the miracle to the purpose and source of that miracle.

Philip dealt with this problem.

John 14:8‑11

8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. (NIV)

Jesus and the Holy Spirit

John 14:15-17

15 "If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you. 16 I will talk to the Father, and he'll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. 17 This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can't take him in because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was lead by the Holy Spirit. Jesus was dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the one who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.
If Jesus was so dependent upon the Holy Spirit it seems only right that we too should seek and be dependent upon the Spirit of God.

One day our church copier broke down. I am mechanically minded, but I called the repair shop to see if they could tell me what the problem was and if I could do anything about it. I quickly discovered, however, that I didn't even know how to describe what was broken. I didn't know the names of the parts or what was specifically wrong. I just knew the copy machine didn't work.

So the repair shop sent out a technician. While working on our machine, he also called the shop. Unlike me, he knew how to describe what was needed. He used words I didn't understand, but the person at the shop did, and soon the copier was repaired. My need was met because someone came and communicated to headquarters in words I could not express. The apostle Paul teaches in Romans 8 that this is also what the Holy Spirit does for us. When we don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit knows precisely what we need and prays in a language the Father perfectly understands.

Ask Jesus to fill you to day with his Spirit. I believe there is a new life a new experience for you to find and fill you today.

Eph 6:18

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (NIV)

Mark 16:17

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; (NIV)

God’s Great Objective!

God delights in glorifying His Son. He wants to see all people saved. Yet there is a specific, ultimate goal that He goes to great lengths to accomplish.... What do you suppose it is? What is God after today, right here and now? What is it that God wants? He wants you and me, and He wants all of you and me...
2 Tim 2:19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." NIV

God has one great objective for all people. That non should be lost and all come to repentance.
God is relational and he wants us to understand that either he is Lord of all or not Lord at all. God will, can and does intervene in areas of our lives all the time and we need to make room in our lives for that eventuality.

A Higher Standard

Luke 12:48 "From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Whether we like it or not, we are called to a higher standard than the average person. We cannot afford to be critical or selective. As Christians we are obligated to be loving and merciful and that in an ever increasing measure. "For to whom much is given, much will be required."

Our testimony becomes worthless unless our walk matches our talk. If we have a poor work ethic take long breaks, read the Bible on company time, we alienate ourselves as elite and leave others feeling like they are somehow inferior. Jesus attitude was to put himself on their plain socially in order to minister to their need.

It is all to easy to categorize people. Either we like them and we will talk to them or we do not like them and avoiding them. The Lord expects us to hold ourselves to a higher standard of wisdom, humility and grace. When criticized we cannot afford to become defensive. Jesus always took the high ground by always looking for an opportunity to minister even to those who were critical of him. By responding to our coworkers with patience, love and compassion we have an opportunity to make an impression on them which when mingled with prayer can break down the barriers and allow Christ into their lives. Our lives preach the only sermon some people will ever hear.

He Knows Your Name!

John 10:3
3 "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." NIV

They look pretty much the same to me but the shepherd knows them all by name. I, unfortunately, have trouble with remembering names so I write them out on note paper to remember them. I am so thankful that Jesus easily remembers our names and I found out why.
In Isaiah 49:16 "See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands." (NLT) Wow! To think that we are being thought of by the Lord all the time. My name is on his hand.
This then would also mean that He cares about matters to us. He knows when we are sick or under stress or burdened. The Bible is very specific about how much He cares for us. John also writes, 1 John 3:1 "We really are his children" (NCV) It is almost as though John thought some of us would think "Not me", maybe Billy Graham or Mother Teresa but surely not me. So he made a special emphasis here to make sure we would not miss the message.
You are important to Jesus. Remember that and thank him for it.

Brokenhearted

Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Losing a loved one will always be difficult. When it happens we must remember the only way out is through. There are no easy fixes or pills which can heal the feelings of hurt and loss. The passage of time along with loving friends and family help us heal. Here are some things you can do in the mean time.

1. Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries are difficult so plan ahead if possible. Do something totally different instead of the traditional activities. Do what feels best to you.
2. Let the church family help you. Reach out and let others pray with you. Your friends will not understand unless you tell them.
3. Talk to God. Sorrow is draining. Ask the Lord to strengthen you when you feel down. Isaiah 40:29 7 31 says: "He gives strength to the weary ... those who hope in the Lord ... renew their strength."
4. Keep your expectations in check. Have a reasonable expectation as to how much you can handle. Treat yourself as you would treat your best friend. Be kind and nurturing to yourself.

More Like Jesus

Isa 64:8 "We are like clay, and you are the Potter." (NCV)

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way!
Where did you get the idea that you cannot change? Aren't you glad that God does not consult your past before considering your future? Like the Potter he can take you and mold you and make you a vessel of honor.
Max Lucado in his book "Just Like Jesus" "God can no more leave your life unchanged than a mother can leave her child's tear untouched." Is it possible that this might be a reason for some of the pain you are experiencing lately?

He Remembers

Hebrews 6:10

James Sizoo made this comment: "Glamour isn't greatness, applause isn't fame, prominence isn't eminence. The man of the hour isn't apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle but that doesn't make it a diamond. People may have money but that doesn't make them a success. It's the seemingly unimportant people who determine the course of history. The greatest forces in the universe are never spectacular. Summer showers do more good than hurricanes but they don't get a lot of publicity. The world would soon die but for the fidelity, loyalty, creativity and commitment of those whose names are un-honored and unsung."

You do count in God's kingdom. Listen, "God …. will not forget your work and the love you have shown... as you .. .helped his people." (Heb 6:10) "People look at the outside … the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Sa 16:7 NCV) God knows how hard you have been working behind the scenes caring for others.

Will Rogers is quoted as saying, "We can't all be heroes, somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by." "Don't get discouraged and give up, for (you) will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time" (Gal 6:9 NLT) Remember God keeps his promises.

Pun Lovers

For Pun Lovers

Arbitrator: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.

Avoidable: What a bullfighter tries to do.

Bernadette: The act of torching a mortgage

Burglarize: What a crook sees with

Control: A short, ugly inmate

Counterfeiters: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets

Eclipse: What an English barber does for a living

Eyedropper: A clumsy ophthalmologist

Heroes: What a guy in a boat does

Left Bank: What the robber did when his bag was full of loot

Misty: How golfers create divots

Paradox: Two physicians

Parasites: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower

Pharmacist: A helper on the farm

Polarize: What penguins see with

Primate: Removing your spouse from in front of the TV

Relief: What trees do in the spring

Rubberneck: What you do to relax your wife

Seamstress: Describes 250 pounds in a size 6

Selfish: What the owner of a seafood store does

Sudafed: Brought litigation against a government official

Job 8:21
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. NIV