Winston Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means that you’ve stood up for something sometime in your life.” There are times in our lives when we have to stand up for something. If you never stand for something you will fall for anything. We must submit our feelings and emotions to God’s authority. If we do not, we will be moved by every philosophy that comes our way. As Christians, we have been bullied long enough by the social media. We have been bullied to be silent and to sit on the sidelines when it comes to important issues. If we dare to speak up, the media will bad mouth us and paint us to look like fools. We have to be strong and stand up for God’s Word. We cannot be so concerned about what others think of us or whether or not they like us. We can no longer hide our faith. We are called to let our light shine so that the whole world can see it.

If we are to please God with our lives, then let us be His friend. Being friends with the world is to be God’s enemy. Truth is good news every time. What is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Have you ever thought about atheism within the church? Atheism is the doctrine that there is no deity (God). A person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being is an atheist; basically, it is a person who doesn’t believe that God exists. Now think about people, maybe even ourselves, who come to church. They might even give some of their time to serving others, but they compartmentalize the rest of their lives. To really believe in God means to believe in His Word (the Bible) and to purpose to act on it. I have heard of this term “sexual atheist”; now think about the 63% of people who attend church and will either plan on or will have sex outside of marriage and believe that it’s ok when God’s Word says that it’s absolutely wrong. What does that say for people who claim that they believe in God, come to church, but think it is ok to indulge in sex before marriage? How about the people who attend church and profess to believe God but yet year after year they don’t give their tithe or give offerings? I think the term “financial atheist” would be appropriate. You believe in God until you either want to do something or don’t want to do something.

Nobody is perfect, but to knowingly go against God and His Word is a very dangerous place to be. To compartmentalize our lives, to separate them based on our own desires, to ignore God, and to categorize my life in such a way that permits me to live a double life, is not what God wants or desires. It’s dangerous ground. Let’s be people who believe in God in every area of our lives. Luke 6:46-49

Just a Thought,

PSS

Time is something that we all have. How we spend our time will determine how successful we become. People will say, “I just don’t have time to get everything done that I need to do.” Or they will claim that “there is just not enough time in the day.” I believe that if we do an inventory of how we spend our time, we will soon discover that most of us have plenty of time to get everything done that we need to. If we assess how much time we waste in unproductive activities, such as watching TV and talking or texting on the phone, it seems that we always have enough time to do what we really want and never enough time to do the things that we need to do. It really comes down to setting realistic goals and managing our time better. Once time is spent, you can never get it back. I encourage you to do an inventory of how you spend your time. I believe that we will find places in our daily schedule where we could spend our time more efficiently and to get done the things that we want. Procrastination, putting things off until some future moment or when it seems to be a more convenient time, will cause stress on your life. Spend your time wisely and you will discover that you had more time than you thought you did.

What prevents people from being committed? At times, people do not fully commit because they are looking for the next thing, the next step, the next job, or relationship.  The problem with this mindset is that it does not allow for you to become fully engaged where you are at. Leaving your options open is not necessarily a bad thing or a wrong action. However, it can be if it interferes with you being able to give your best at the moment. Being only halfway committed to something is not commitment at all. It is usually not fair to whatever you are doing at the moment. When I got married, I fully committed to my wife and family. I was going to give my best. Because of our commitment, no matter how well or how badly things went, I was willing to work through the issues. Today people are too flighty; they are in one day and out the next. This kind of attitude will not get you very far. You will end up being moved by every circumstance that arises. You will gain the attitude of “when things are good, I am happy; when it’s bad or tough, I want to quit”. If we are not careful, we will develop the habit of quitting. No matter what your hand finds to do, commit to doing and giving your best. Let’s learn not to be moved by every circumstance that comes along. Commitment is not a bad thing; it is a great thing. It keeps you focused and allows you to pay attention. It will help create a pattern of success in your life.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com

In our everyday lives, we will encounter moments or situations that will need to be dealt with. In other words, we may need to confront some issue with someone in order to resolve some dispute or a disagreement. The word “confront” is defined as coming face to face with, especially with defiance or hostility. It can also mean to come against, encounter, to face especially in challenge, and to cause to meet, or bring face to face.

Do you get the picture? To confront means that I’m going to come face to face with someone and deal with an issue. In our society, people have come up with the notion that it is better to leave issues alone, rather than confronting them. A person may think, “I don’t want to start a problem.” However, the real problem is that having this kind of mindset will prevent anything from ever getting resolved. In life, there will constantly be conflict present. I believe that it’s better to deal with issues than to keep packing hurts, disappointments, and lack of understanding away and trying to manage it emotionally on your own.

Confrontation is good when it is done in a proper manner. Never do it in anger; if you do, the person you are confronting will see only your anger and not the issue. You also need to be willing to see the other side; sometimes we deal with things from our own perspective; when you hear the other side, understanding can come. You need to also understand that simply because you think something, doesn’t make it so. Don’t work to be right, as much as you work to resolve. Always look for places to find agreement. Remember, confrontation done in the right way, with a proper perspective, is always good.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Legacychurch.com