Revelation 12:10 - The accuser of our brethren is cast down.
Did you know that God can speak to us in dreams? There are many Biblical examples of God sending warnings, encouragement, rebuke, and direction to his people through dreams. Of course, not all dreams come from God, but he does speak this way. In light of that, I would like to share a dream with you.
In this dream I say a person who was trying to establish his reputation as a preacher. Two other people were telling things about the person's past. They were convinced that God could not/would not use this person because of past sins. As I watched, a man suddenly appeared, looked at the two accusers and said "You are doing the same thing. You are murdering this man with your tongue."
When I awoke the scripture came to mind about the accuser of our brethren. This is a name the Bible gives to Lucifer. I suddenly realized that when we are constantly accusing people of things, such as past sins that may be repented of, we are aligning ourselves with Lucifer. It is his job to still, kill, and destroy. It is the Christian's job to build up and give hope.
Are you struggling today to forgive yourself or someone else of past mistakes? Do you constantly remember things someone else has done to you? Maybe you feel guilt yourself over things done in the past. Allow me to tell you today, these accusing thoughts do not come from God. If you have asked God to forgive you, He has. The Bible says he has removed our sins as far from us as the "east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12). I don't know how one can measure where the East stops and the West begins, but I know that the sins I have repented of are a long way from me.
God is a merciful God who is quick to forgive. The only way he doesn't forgive is if we will not forgive others. God hates that attitude because it says that I am worthy enough to be forgiven but someone else isn't. When I constantly bring up someone else's past mistakes I am unwittingly aligning myself with Satan. Thank God for his mercy toward me. I have been forgiven of much and I must remember to show that same mercy to others.
Lord, help me today not to murder anyone with my tongue. If I am tempted to slander, let me remember the things I've been forgiven of. Help to show the same grace to others that I would want shown to me. Amen!
Sincerely,
Sullivan Jones
5/20/13
5/16/13
I am not Superman
Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
All of us like to hear messages about faith. It is one of the most popular things to write about. We try to encourage each other with words like "just have faith." The reason it is such a universal topic is because all of us have our struggles. All of us have those things we deal with in private (and some not so private) that try our endurance levels. Even the most stalwart of us have those times of uncertainty when we wonder how things are going to work out. It is times like these when we need faith the most and yet struggle with it the most.
Faith is often misunderstood. It is not just a mental exercise in believe. I can believe I'm Superman all day but if I jump off a building I'm going to fall and break my neck. Why? Because I'm not Superman and I can't fly. What gives faith its power is the one in whom we have faith. When we understand that the God we serve has never lost a battle, never made a mistake, and never run out of answers it is easy to trust him.
It is not about how strong or weak my faith is. The gospels tell a story about a man who needed healing for his son. Jesus told him that he would receive if he could believe. His answer still speaks to us today. "Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief." He received his miracle. It is ok to admit that our faith is wavering. I believe God likes our honesty; He knows anyway. In the end it is not up to my great faith. It is up to Him anyway and he knows exactly how to handle my situation. Who wouldn't want to serve a God like that.
Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief!
Sincerely,
Sullivan Jones
All of us like to hear messages about faith. It is one of the most popular things to write about. We try to encourage each other with words like "just have faith." The reason it is such a universal topic is because all of us have our struggles. All of us have those things we deal with in private (and some not so private) that try our endurance levels. Even the most stalwart of us have those times of uncertainty when we wonder how things are going to work out. It is times like these when we need faith the most and yet struggle with it the most.
Faith is often misunderstood. It is not just a mental exercise in believe. I can believe I'm Superman all day but if I jump off a building I'm going to fall and break my neck. Why? Because I'm not Superman and I can't fly. What gives faith its power is the one in whom we have faith. When we understand that the God we serve has never lost a battle, never made a mistake, and never run out of answers it is easy to trust him.
It is not about how strong or weak my faith is. The gospels tell a story about a man who needed healing for his son. Jesus told him that he would receive if he could believe. His answer still speaks to us today. "Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief." He received his miracle. It is ok to admit that our faith is wavering. I believe God likes our honesty; He knows anyway. In the end it is not up to my great faith. It is up to Him anyway and he knows exactly how to handle my situation. Who wouldn't want to serve a God like that.
Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief!
Sincerely,
Sullivan Jones
5/15/13
Seize the Day!
Did you ever wish life had a rewind button? I know I sure have. Like the day I stuck my finger in hot, melted chocolate to see if it was ready for pouring. I jerked it back out quick enough but the damage had been done. What about those times we say things we shouldn't say. A co-worker of mine once walked up an told me that another co-worker had caught her sleeping in the closet. The boss was standing right next to me when she said it. OOPS! Rewind!
Unfortunately life doesn't give us that pleasure. We have to make the most of every situation while we can. There is an old Latin expression, "Carpe Diem" , that seems to sum it up. Simply put it means "seize the day". Take advantage of the right now. There are so many things around us that need doing. There is always something we can find to be productive in right where we are. Seize the day!
I can only speak for myself. I have wasted for too much time in life worrying about the yesterday I can't change and the tomorrow that may never arrive. It is time to seize the day. A portion of time, once spent, can never be regained. We must make our choices carefully. There are some things that we can not undo.
I am thankful that God forgives and restores. He can renew us when we have fallen and need his grace. But I am not necessarily thinking of sin. I am thinking about the hasty decisions we are prone to make and then wish we wouldn't have. The old saying is "act in haste, repent at leisure." We know the young are liable to make quick decisions without considering the consequences. But I have seen some "not-so-young" folks make bad decisions as well. My thoughts were, "they should have known better."
Now I'm not saying we should be afraid to make decisions. Being afraid to make a decision is not healthy either; it holds back any progress. I'm only saying that we need to be careful to think things through. If I have one shot in life, I want to get it right. In life there is no rewind button.
Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!
Thoughtfully,
Sullivan Jones
Unfortunately life doesn't give us that pleasure. We have to make the most of every situation while we can. There is an old Latin expression, "Carpe Diem" , that seems to sum it up. Simply put it means "seize the day". Take advantage of the right now. There are so many things around us that need doing. There is always something we can find to be productive in right where we are. Seize the day!
I can only speak for myself. I have wasted for too much time in life worrying about the yesterday I can't change and the tomorrow that may never arrive. It is time to seize the day. A portion of time, once spent, can never be regained. We must make our choices carefully. There are some things that we can not undo.
I am thankful that God forgives and restores. He can renew us when we have fallen and need his grace. But I am not necessarily thinking of sin. I am thinking about the hasty decisions we are prone to make and then wish we wouldn't have. The old saying is "act in haste, repent at leisure." We know the young are liable to make quick decisions without considering the consequences. But I have seen some "not-so-young" folks make bad decisions as well. My thoughts were, "they should have known better."
Now I'm not saying we should be afraid to make decisions. Being afraid to make a decision is not healthy either; it holds back any progress. I'm only saying that we need to be careful to think things through. If I have one shot in life, I want to get it right. In life there is no rewind button.
Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!
Thoughtfully,
Sullivan Jones
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