Giving money to the Lord is good and proper, but what God really wants us to give is ourselves.
Forgive…Be Forgiven
Something’s Fishy
Sin may appear attractive, but it’s a deceit, and it will leave you cold and hardened. We are all subject to it’s lure at one time or another, but with the encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can resist it.
Share the Load
Jesus said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30). When we join with our brothers and sisters in Christ in a yoke of love, it makes our burdens lighter.
The Right Track
“all these things” referred to in this verse are all the things we need to live, as stated in the previous verses: food, clothing, shelter, etc. Jesus tells us that they will “be added to us” as we “seek first the kingdom of God”.
Be Still
When you find yourself in a situation that’s over your head, don’t give in to fear, but trust that God is able to sustain you in the midst of trouble
King James Version
A Different Map
Living a life according to the Word of God means taking a different path than the rest of the world.
Bouncer revised
revised version of “Bouncer”
We should be discriminating about which words we allow through the door of our lips.
‘Bouncer’ is a cartoon I have long thought needed a revision. I like the idea of the guard keeping “watch over the door of my lips” being like a bouncer at an exclusive night club. He has to be very discriminating: desirable guests are allowed in, undesirables are banned. I thought it depicted how we should be with words. My original cartoon showed a well dressed lady being admitted to the “Club Lips”, and a vagrant being denied. The idea was that these people represented words, but I’m not sure that idea was conveyed very well. At least one person wrote to complain that I was making fun of homeless people, which was not my intent. Also, I thought it might be inferred that the vagrant represented specifically profanity, which was also not my intent.
The revised cartoon replaces the lady and the vagrant, who were to represent words, with actual words, or drawings of words, complete with faces. This is much sillier, which I like. But also, I hope, does a better job of conveying the message.
original version of “Bouncer”
Revisiting this cartoon also made me wonder who, exactly, is the bouncer? In the verse, the person asks the Lord to set a guard over his lips. Who is the guard? In James 3:8 it is stated that no one can tame the tongue. We can’t do it on our own. We need someone to help us. That someone, I believe, is the Holy Spirit. He is there, with us, and in us. He can help us choose our words more carefully.
Mike Waters
Wait for Wings
If we put our hope and trust in the Lord, and wait for His timing, we will exchange our poor strength for His great strength, which is able to overcome any obstacle.
Prayer Booster Rockets
Praise and thanksgiving are the entrance into the courts of God, and the booster rockets to our prayers.
