Have A Glass of "O"

Have A Glass of “O”

Is your glass half full or half empty?

By: Machelle McDowell

2 Timothy 1:16

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

Are you a Onesiphorus? Or do you have a Onesiphorus? A What???

Onesiphorus is not a what, but a who! 

Paul had a friend that the Bible doesn’t say much about, but what is said spoke volumes about him! His name was Onesiphorus. 

I picture him as one of those friends you could depend on that  didn’t ask if you needed a hug, he just knew. 

A friend that breathed life into Paul’s spirit when he felt depleted, anxious, and weary. A friend that refreshed Pau’s very soul and did it often! That was Onesiphorus!

Is your glass half full or half empty? You might ask, “What do you mean by that?” 

I think Onesiphorus was a person with a glass half full!  Let’s call it, the glass of “O”.  He looked for ways to refresh others! He was positive, joyful, encouraging, and consistent. 2 Timothy 1:16 says that, “O” often refreshed Paul! 

We could all use a tall drink of “refreshment.” The definition of refresh is: to give strength or energy; to reinvigorate. 

We don’t want to partake of a of cup half empty. Woe is me, always seeing the downside. The negative Nancy sinks to the bottom of the glass and drowns in her own dismay, taking others alongside her.  

The COVID-19 is running havoc in our world. We can look at it with our glasses half empty or half full! 

Not to make the situation any less serious, but to accept what we cannot change and have the wisdom to change the things we can. 

We can certainly decide what glass we are going to drink from . I choose the glass of “O.” The glass half full!

I would like to challenge all of us to become a Onesiphorus!

Let’s refresh one another often! Use this down time to spend quality time with your God and your family. 

Call or text (10) random people each day and pray for each one! Share your favorite scripture with them or just tell them how much they mean to you! Be a Onesiphorus! 

I hear this often, “Busyness is my worst enemy.”

We have been placed in a time of stillness! Utilize it. Listen for God’s still voice in the midst of the chaos.

If each of us look out for the other! “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves, let each of (us) look not only to his own interest but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2: 3-4.

Be a glass of refreshment today for someone! Be a Onesiphorus!  

Easter 2020 - Dying Well

Have you ever watched someone die?  It can be disturbing and troubling.  But in some situations death can be peaceful and beautiful.  Some die well through their peace with God.  Some demonstrate unwavering trust in Jesus’ divine plan and timing.  Some overflow loving words overflowing even through their final breaths.

Watch Jesus.  Hear the prophecies from Isaiah, written over 700 years ahead of Easter.  Listen in to and watch Jesus as He fulfills these prophecies, walking with intentional courage to His own death out of love.  May Jesus’ death guide us in each day, but also into our final days.

May we learn the wisdom of silence.  Let’s be slow to speak and quick to listen, that our words may be few but powerful.

Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth” (ESV)

Matthew 27:14 “But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”

May we live in holiness and righteousness. Let’s speak, act, think, and feel in ways that the presence of God within us is undeniable.

Isaiah 53:9 “And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

Matthew 27:23 “And he (Pilate) said, ‘Why? What evil has he done?' But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’”

May we trust in God’s plan and timing for our suffering and death.  Let’s find God’s grace and power sufficient to sustain us in the trials of life and death.

Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt”

Matthew 27:50 “And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.”

May we live and die out of a love for God and the salvation of others.  Let’s humbly consider the needs of others as more important than our own.

Isaiah 53:11 “the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

May we petition the Lord for His forgiveness to fall on our family, friends, coworkers, and community.  Let’s aim for our lives and our deaths to point everyone around us to the amazing Good News of Easter Sunday: we find hope and life through the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus!

Isaiah 53:12 “he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

Luke 23:34 “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

1 Timothy 2:5 “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (ESV)

Easter is coming.  Eternity is coming.  May we be ready to meet our Lord and Creator!

p.s. If you enjoyed these, I think you would really love John Piper’s Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die (free here: www.desiringgod.org/books/fifty-reasons-why-jesus-came-to-die )

Worrier or Warrior?

Psalm 91:4 “God will protect you with his pinions; you’ll find refuge under his wings. His faithfulness is a protective shield.”

Worrier or Warrior?

By Machelle McDowell

Are you a Worrier or a Warrior? 

Does your worry list outweigh your prayer list? Do you choose worry over trusting God? 

You may be a worrier if: 

1. You are quick to try and fix the situation before you go to the God who can. 

2. You move ahead of God instead of waiting on His timing. 

3. You lay awake at night tossing and turning because your mind will not stop. 

4. You doubt Biblical principles and question God’s promises.

5. You turn to others for advice instead of going to your knees. 

6. You may be a worrier if you maneuver situations before allowing God to move. 

7. You may be a worrier is you step in and take charge without being led by the spirit. 

8. Your thoughts are consumed with trouble instead of scripture.

9. You choose to wallow in issues instead of laying them at the foot of the cross.

10. You cannot give it all to God without picking it backup.

How to become a Warrior over a Worrier? 

It starts with trusting God. My favorite verse of all time is Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in God with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path.” 

Worry is part of our flesh. The only way to overcome it is with God’s help. If we are worrying, we are not trusting. If we are worrying, we are acknowledging our own power. If we are worrying, we are directing our own path.

I love the Serenity Prayer! There is so much wisdom in it: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference. Such wisdom in these words! 

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

The good news is to not let worries about the future overwhelm us; turn to the Lord for help in the now. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Why waste time worrying about something that might happen?

A prayer warrior cries out to God, “In my distress I called upon the Lord to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” Psalm 18:6. 

A warrior for the Lord knows where his/her strength comes from. Isaiah 41:10- “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. We are not alone in this battle we call life. We have a comforter! 

Be a Warrior not a Worrier!

Easter 2020 - The Best Death Ever

By: Jonathan Carl

Too weird of a title?  Too predictable of a topic?  Too early to talk about Easter?

Jesus’ death and resurrection are the most amazing events in human history.  It is easy for us to remember the facts of Easter but, in our familiarity, lose the awe we should have of His majestic love.

How amazing is it that God promised the sending of His Son through Isaiah over 700 years ahead of time. Here are a few biblical truths about Easter from Isaiah 53:2–6:

Isaiah 53:2 “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” (ESV)

We live in a world focused on external appearances.  As he grew up, Jesus was not outwardly impressive to the culture around him.  As Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” His Father “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.”  May we long for the day that our Lord Jesus returns and when “every knee should bow” and “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:8–11) .

Isaiah 53:3 “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (ESV)

Our world rejected Jesus. Dishonored Jesus.  Hated Jesus.  So did we.  In our sinfulness we prioritized ourselves over the Creator of the Universe.  May we never cease to marvel at the fact that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Isaiah 53:4 “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.” (ESV)

Jesus came to carry away the sin of the world, but the crowds chanted “crucify him!”  While he bore the weight of the cross towards Calvary, the crowds mocked His suffering.  May we honestly admit that in a similar way, in our lostness, the cross was “foolishness” to us too (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (ESV)

Jesus took the beating and died the death that we deserve.  He sacrificed His life so that we may have eternal peace with our Heavenly Father.  His wounds forever healed us from the sepsis of sin.

Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (ESV)

May the prophecy of Isaiah open our eyes to the seriousness of our straying from God.  We all loved ourselves and the creation more than our Creator.  We all trusted ourselves more than the King of Kings.  Easter is the most magnificent gift we could ever receive. Thank you Father for sending your Son!

“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all” (Romans 8:32)

p.s. If you enjoyed these, I think you would really love John Piper’s Fifty Reasons Jesus Came to Die (free here: www.desiringgod.org/books/fifty-reasons-why-jesus-came-to-die )

Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Do you want to see God?

I resolved at the beginning of the year that I was going to try to memorize the sermon on the mount found in Matthew:5. Each time I read this passage, it tenderizes my heart to the point where I am humbled beyond what I can bear.

I want these blessings known as the beatitudes imprinted upon my mind and heart so that I can be reminded of the message Jesus tenderly spoke to His disciples.

In the midst of my resolution I have found myself encamped upon verse eight, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. I set out on a journey to fully understand the meaning of this verse. How do you become pure in heart? I feel strongly that it is a byproduct of Matthew 22:37-39. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

This is the great and first commandment. And second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I truly believe that the condition of our hearts determine whether or not we see God in our

fellowship with Him.

You might say, “No one has seen God!” I am not speaking of the physical realm. I am speaking

in the spiritual realm.

The pure in heart can capture the very essence of God. A pure heart can see God in nature, in scripture, and in and through the church family. In the everyday events of our lives his hand is ever present! The pure in heart receive the most wonderful reward!!

We either love God or we don’t! Loving Him is acting like him. Revelation 3:16 speaks of the lukewarm Christian being neither hot nor cold. God gives a grave warning in this verse, “I will spit you out of my mouth.” He desires his followers to be pure in heart.

If we love Him in the way we are commanded, our hearts will be pure in that we admit to His

presence and Awe.

• We experience His glory!

• We give life to his hands and feet on earth.

• Our words are gentle and filtered before spoken.

Our life is an offering to our Lord and presents a sweet aroma before His throne.

• A pure heart is free from deceitfulness and it does not choose the world over God.

• It is humble and meek.

• A person with a pure heart will live to be an example inviting to others and not an obstacle of discouragement.

Wow! I have learned much about the pure heart. I Cannot produce it on my own. Only through the spirit of the Lord is a pure heart made possible! And only by loving Him with all of my heart, and with all of my soul and with all of my mind and by loving others the way Christ loves me (and you) will produce a pure heart.

“A pure heart may get hurt many times but it never loses its purity because the light inside it always shines brighter than the fire outside it. (Souvik)

The Beauty of the Bible

By: Jonathan Carl

Have you discovered how amazing the Bible is?  Here are 10 amazing truths about the Bible!

1) The Most Evidenced Book In Human History.  The amount of archaeological, scientific, historical, manuscript/documentary, internal and external evidence for the Bible is overwhelming.  God has evidenced the trustworthiness of His book more than any human book that we might trust Him.  Check out some of the evidence here: www.trustworthyword.com/evidence-for-jesus 

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21 

2) The Voice of God.  God wants to talk to us.  We get to listen and hear the voice of the Creator of the Universe through the Bible.  What an incredible conversation we can have with the Bible and prayer!

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

3) Connects Us to Jesus. The Bible is the vehicle which brings us to meet Jesus.  They point us to Him and share who He is and what He has done with us.

“the Scriptures…bear witness about me” - Jesus in John 5:39-40 (ESV)

“the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:10-17

4) Our Only Hope for Salvation.  We live in a difficult world filled with despair but God speaks to us so that we may know and experience His love forever in Heaven.

“receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” James 1:21

5) A Weapon Against Satan. We have a real enemy in Satan and the demonic and we are hopeless in that battle without the Spirit of God and His sword: the Bible.

“take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:17

6) A Light In A Dark World.  The darkness of our surroundings is scary but God’s light guides us through it.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

7) Protection from Error.  How do we know what is true? The Bible.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?’" - Mark 12:24

8) Forever Unchanging.  Our unchanging God describes His unchanging nature can character clearly to us.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1:17

9) A Tool for Tough Days.  Life isn’t easy but the Bible gives us supernatural wisdom and understanding.

“rightly handling the word of truth” 2 Timothy 2:15

10) A Guide to Life. Our Father in Heaven desires to instructs us through the ups and downs of life and we find courage through His presence and voice.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Joshua 1:7-8

Here is a helpful resource for ideas of how to study the Bible!

www.trustworthyword.com/how-to-study-the-bible

How to Get Rich Quick & Stay Rich Forever

By: Jonathan Carl

If you could…would you…get rich quick?  Whether it be an inheritance, an investment, or an insane winning, wouldn’t it be great?  It would be wonderful to relieve the financial woes and pressures that many of us feel with our currently obligations and debts.  Could you imagine the excitement you would feel if you knew that your riches were guaranteed to continue forever?

Luke 12:15 “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’” (ESV)

Unfortunately, human wealth almost never works that way.  Even those who gain a large amount of money overnight often lose much or all of it as time passes.  Jesus warns us through the Bible about the dangers of the love of money being a “a root of all kinds of evils” (1 Timothy 6:10).  Wanting what others have (covetousness) does harm to our soul.  Storing up goods on earth is eternally futile as they ultimately pass on to others at our death.  Jesus also speaks to the opportunity to gain a wealth that you will never lose…

Luke 12:20–21 “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’” (ESV)

Being “rich toward God” comes through faith.  When we trust, treasure, and love Jesus more than anything we discover “a living hope” that brings a guaranteed “inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven” for us. (1 Peter 1:3-4)

Focusing on earthly possessions and treasures can cloud our mind and warp our daily priorities.  What should we do when we realize we’ve loved and pursued and trusted money too much?

1) Repent where we have failed.  We’ve all messed up with money.  We’ve overspent, undersaved, and made unwise decisions.  If we are honest we have all loved money more than we care to admit.

“people will be…lovers of self, lovers of money…ungrateful…without self-control…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

2) Avoid bad influences.  God warns us that “bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  The places and people we associate with affect us.  We need to surround ourselves with godly influences and protect what comes into our mind through our ears and eyes.

“Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:5)

3) Pursue Jesus more than pleasure.  Our time and energy is limited.  Our choices matter.  Let’s work on saying “yes” to things that matter more and saying “no” to free up our time and energy for what is better.  Jesus is more satisfying than any earthly pleasure.

“live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.” (1 Peter 4:2 ESV)

4) Work hard to invest more in eternity.  God has gifted us with varying skills to do our work with excellence and enjoyment.  Hard work still takes discipline but the money we earn at work can be best used for eternal purposes through our local churches and Christian missions and ministries.

Acts 20:35 “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

5) Keep this world in perspective.  Life is short.  We can’t take anything here on earth with us.  Our possessions need to be held lightly and in this perspective.

Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

Let’s be content with what we have and rich towards God, enjoying His presence now and for eternity.

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

"Every time you doubt that you can live on 90% of your income, let the glorious promise of God strengthen your faith: ‘My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:19)." John Piper

The Deadly Danger of Staying Away from Church & the Bible

By: Jonathan Carl

Drinking and driving. Obesity. Illegal drugs. Smoking.  All dangerous for our health. We know it.  We try to avoid them.  We know they lead towards a more limited life and an expedited death.

Know what’s more dangerous to your health?  Missing church. Ignoring the Bible.

One may argue… “I don’t have to go to church or read my Bible to be a Christian!” Yes, you are right if you mean that we aren’t saved by going to church, being baptized, or reading your Bible…but our lack of church attendance and Bible reading can be a symptom of a limited life and eternal death.

Here are four concerns that God has for those whose Bible reading and church attendance is sporadic.

Spiritual Laziness.  Priorities.  Love of the world.  Love of self.  It’s easy to get pulled away from church and the Bible.  We’ve all been there.  It takes dedication and commitment to wake up and roll out to church on a Sunday.  It takes discipline to make time in your daily schedule for Bible reading.  But both are worth it.  Let’s listen to God’s many commands for Bible reading and church commitment.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”

Spiritual Foolishness. Ignorance is not bliss.  We are wrong and make poor decisions when we stray away from God’s truths and His power.  God lovingly speaks to us in the Bible so that we might know and follow Him instead being deceived by Satan, the world, and our flesh.

Luke 6:46 (ESV) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

Spiritual Cancer.  Disconnectedness from a local church is discouraging and dangerous.  The world is a dark place. The Bible and the church are designed to encourage us as a refuge of hope and light.  Just as cancer slowly invades and does serious damage to our physical health, sinful disregard to God’s commands does harm to our spiritual health.

Matthew 7:21 (ESV) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”

Spiritual Death.  Lack of presence with the people of God and lack of communication with God may evidence a lack of love and spiritual deadness.  Jesus summarizes the law of God with the priorities of loving Him and loving others.  Presence and care communicates love.  Absence and apathy communicates hate.  Listening and obeying indicates trust and value.  Ignoring and disregarding indicates contempt.  If we continue to stay disconnected from a local church family and the Bible, we would do well to examine the genuineness of our faith.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”

Here are four steps to take for our spiritual health in 2020!

1) Commit to a local church.  We are better together.  No church is perfect, but if their focus is biblical truth and love then that’s the main thing.  We are blessed to have so much access to many wonderful, biblical churches!  Don’t have a church home? Try one out this Sunday!  Been a little while since your last visit to your church home?  Jump back in with both feet!

2) Care for others.  Your local church is amazing place to be loved and to love others.  Relationships take time and intentionality but they are worth it!

3) Dive Deep into the Bible.  You won’t regret it.  Studying God’s Word is refreshing and energizing.  If you read one chapter of the New Testament every weekday you’ll finish the NT in 2020!

4) Dare to Share.  The world needs God’s hope and truth so look for opportunities to share Bible truths and God’s love as you go throughout your day!