NCarolinian

Where would we be if everybody, believer or non-believer, was content with their life? There would be no advancement, no promotion, no growth and/or maturity. For the Believer in Christ, my belief is that Contentment in Scripture does not mean thinking you have arrived where you need to be for the rest of eternity once you accept Christ as your Savior. It does not call for the believer to sit on his/her butt or be inactive. I believe The Bema Seat Judgment will prove this out when believers will be rewarded for their deeds by a purifying, Holy fire - some escaping the flames with just their salvation ( 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 ). So, if Contentment is not idleness what is it? Contentment is not being anxious about anything, but trusting God in everything. The song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" applies here. But more than just being happy and waiting on God to move, many times he calls for believers to be proactive. Psalm 46:10 states "Be still and know that I am God....

What kind of water spring do you have flowing from your speech, flowing from your life? Are your words like salt to wounds and contain a sting or sarcasm that is hurtful? Is your life full of bitterness or a judgmental spirit that nobody enjoys keeping company with? Or when you speak do your words resemble fresh water, the kind that is encouraging, uplifting and supportive in it's nature? Is your life pouring out and drenching others with "pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good, impartial and sincere" (James 3:17) actions? James 3:7-12 explains it like this....... James 3:7-12 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this sh...

"Don't you want more? More horsepower. More gigabytes. More legroom. More testosterone. Nothing silences grumps [like me] like gratitude. To say thanks is to cross the tracks from have-not to have much,.... Gratitude is a dialysis of sorts. It flushes the self-pity out of our systems. In Scripture the idea of giving thanks is not a suggestion or recommendation; it is a command. 'Give thanks in everything.' (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Satan focused on the single fruit they [Adam and Eve] could not touch. 'Eat it, he hissed, and you will be like God.' (Genesis 3:5 NLT)  What if gratitude had won the day? Suppose an unbedazzled Adam and Eve had scoffed at the snake's suggestion. 'Are you kidding? Begrudge what we cannot eat? Have you seen this place? Strawberry patches. Melon field. Orange groves. Blueberry bushes. Let us take you on a tour, snake. We will show you what God has given to us.' Had they chosen gratitude, would the world be differen...

The point in God establishing The Law was for humanity to realize it can only be kept by a perfect person. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. - James 2:10  God is love. The only way to break the cycle of the Jewish annual sacrifices and include the rest of the world in the plan of salvation was for (1) God's Word to become human, (2) live a perfect, sinless life, fulfilling The Law and (3) then die for everyone's broken, sinful condition upon a cross. Jesus said,  "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." - Matthew 5:17 Our relationship with God from physical birth until acceptance of Jesus as Savior is damned.  whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:18)  Praise God - "Mercy triumphs over judgment!" ( James 2:13 ) Fi...

An individual, or in the case of this writing - a government/nation that operates with envy and selfish ambition, like America, will soon see the end of it's days. "if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." ( James 3:14-16 ) Do we not find "disorder and every evil practice" even at the very top of the American government? Yes, we unfortunately do. Our nation's source of wisdom has shifted drastically over the years to ourselves. Now that God is dramatically fading from the national picture, the times where God is called upon is even with the wrong intentions. "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't g...

There is a gripe I have that I wondered if God shared with me. I feel strongly and practice to the best of my ability - Remembering. What did you say? Exactly my point! Sarcasm included. There are important dates, times, and events that I share with family and friends who turn around and forget what I have shared with them. The forgetfulness can be on the scale of covering several weeks with me reminding them within those weeks to just forgetting five minutes ago. I forget things too. However, there seems to be a lot of forgetting with me and what I have been sharing with others lately. I allow for people who have a busy schedule and know that the world does not revolve around me - I get that! However, when this happens repeatedly with the same people, I begin to wonder if they sincerely care. Doesn't it mean the world to you when you have shared personal information with someone you trust and they check up on that subject with you later on, especially when you least expect it...

Let me be honest with you, sometimes my words and actions are not very Christ-like. I am definitely a work in progress. However, there are times when I have wished for my words and/or actions back, realizing it did not represent who I want to be in Christ. The Holy Spirit has given no leeway, no wiggle-room in living as an Ambassador for Him. God should not give the Believer any variance to the left or right because of the tremendous price He paid for our redemption - His own Son, Jesus Christ. But, praise God His mercies are new every morning.  Indeed,  He died for me, I'll live for Him  should be our life's mission statement. Such a vow is strongly supported in 1 Peter and Colossians.  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God . If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so ...

In "The Wizard of Oz" the Tin Man's journey led him to finding a heart. The Lion's journey found him courage. The Scarecrow's journey granted him smarts. Dorothy's adventure resulted in observing all these and that Love binds them all which for her was found at home. In a similar way, the Christian's journey must take a path that develops one's integrity. The heart, courage (especially to witness), knowledge, and love that a Believer in Christ matures in is crucial for personal growth and a healthy appreciation of our true Home - New Jerusalem and New Earth. Scripture deals with each one of these areas. Proverbs 4:23 mentions the importance of the heart -  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Wellspring in the original Hebrew, tôtsâ'âh  tôtsâ'âh (to-tsaw-aw', to-tsaw-aw') means the outgoing issues. So, whatever issues you hold dear in your heart, guard those because they will find their way...

Mom used to say, "If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything." Well, if you don't warn or notice the bad things then others may succumb to a deception or "pothole". However, there is some wisdom in that statement. Ephesians 4:29 admonishes the Christian -  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Paul continues a chapter later by stating -  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. (Ephesians 5:4) That is where I believe my mother was operating from - a clean speech policy - God Speak in the house and anywhere. Isn't this "help" the sole reason Christians open up their mouths and share anyway? We have the best encouragement, hope, and answer for anyone. In his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul says, It is w...

A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.  On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD. When even...