Sunday October 11, 2009

¹²Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I cannot improve on this. I just need to live it out, to clothe myself in compassion, and do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, who after all, was the kindest person ever to walk the earth. Whoever thinks kindness and gentleness is equivalent to weakness is deceived and doesn't understand the kingdom of God. We want a world that's kind to us, and expect heaven to be that way, but find it hard to be kind to others right here on earth? Today people laugh at the idea of sitting around the campfire singing "cum by ya" and think it's pretty pointless, but it's actually an example of what the scripture is calling us to do. No excuses about not being gifted in this area. Everyone who follows Christ has this gift.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. James 1:17
The "Father of lights," illumines our life and shows us the path we should take. Without his light we couldn't see the blessings he bestows everyday. Today He gave us beautiful weather, an uplifting morning Bible study, and the time to communicate with Him.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Well, I'm thankful for the glorious day we had in Washington, D.C. I went downtown and put a gospel brochure in various museum cafeterias. Everyone was so happy and relaxed, enjoying the day with family, and luxuriating in the blessings of a free country. Americans have so much to be thankful about, and I guess the museums and galleries in Washington testify to that fact. Some of the greatest benefits of freedom are transparent--freedom from fear, the feeling of belonging, and the knowledge that as a citizen you actually are a part owner in this experiement in democracy. Thank you Lord for giving us such a great country.