April 26, 2024

Thanks Giving

November 17, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Be joyful always,
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances
for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

My dear sisters, anything that is God’s Will…I will do it!  For it means I have no choice but to obey.  Acts of disobedience will lead to destruction.  And, in fact in this case, thanks giving is an act of love.  As a child, you do thank your parents for buying you shoes (even when you don’t love the shoe).  You always thank them for the nice shoes as a token of your appreciation.

This is the same way we are to treat God.  Already it is His Will for us to do so.  Let us “…be doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22 ESV).

Thanks giving should be our lifestyle not an option.  See the following and meditate on these Scriptures.

When you have eaten and you are satisfied
praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.
Deuteronomy 8:10

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise
Give thanks to Him and praise His Name.
Psalm 100:4

Let them sacrifice thanks offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:22

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share
in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of light…
Colossians 1:2

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
Since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

So being thankful is a calling; do not despise it.  Let us do it diligently always for we are called to do this.  Let us please the Heavenly Father in this, dear sisters and friends. Since it is His will we will be measured according to that.  How have we faired in this area?  Where you are and how are you doing it?  All of these matter.  Meditate on the Scriptures shared and make a choice to give thanks always…as per the calling.

 
Father, I thank You for calling me/us to this noble duty!  Father, sometimes we have not done Your Will…forgive us.  And I pray for Your grace to abide in us and cause us to do those that which You require us to do.  The grace should instill in us the spirit of thanks giving through our works, words, deeds, clothing, personality (and even those areas that I have missed).  May You do it, Lord, for You know us very well.  Thank You for what You did for us over 2000 years ago—sending Christ to die for us a shameful death and providing a rewarding life to the lost.  We give You praise and honor always!   In Jesus’ name, I pray, AMEN!

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What Truly Matters

April 23, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.  That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Matthew 5:9 MSG

This verse immediately made me think of the peace I experience internally. To have the ability to spread the Prince of Peace’s peace sounds awesome! But first we need to make sure we are showing what peace looks like in the Church.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

Formal clothes…jeans.  Tie…no tie.  Saturday…Sunday.  Three hour service…one hour service.  Bible study…no bible study.  Some things which we allow to come between us as a Church are… trivial.  God called us to be One Body.  One.  Yes, we all have different functions, but we are still one Church.

So then, let us aim for harmony in the Church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat! Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

Romans 14:19-20

I’ve been told before, by non-believers, that they don’t believe in God because of the inconsistencies in churches. This, along with “not living right enough,” and religion (vs. relationship) are common reasons I’ve heard.

To me this is saying that we as the Church need be mindful of how we represent our God. It irks me when Christians teach/preach the Bible and it’s incorrect. If someone came to me with a list of things I couldn’t do, I’d be turned off by it, too. Tell me about a Maker who cares about the hurts and heartache of this world AND wants to have a relationship with me and you’ve got a better chance!

Yes, sadly there are going to be those people/organizations that claim to do things in the name of the Lord that are off-balance, but our representation of the One, True, Living, Loving God can outshine anything. God’s character is so fantastic and we have got to portray it right!

As long as the true Gospel, from the Bible is being preached (nothing more, nothing less), we the Church, should be able to link together and represent a united and whole God to the world.  One God.  One Christ.  One Church.

*  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

Lord, help us not let our differences hinder people from seeing You.  Instead let the Church’s light shine bright on the path leading to You because You care more about people than traditions and appearances.  Thank You that we do not have to shine Your light on our own, but have brothers and sisters to help us! Help us to be kind to one another and stay focused on who truly matters—You!  Amen.

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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Restoring Broken Relationships

August 9, 2013 by

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Dear Coach Megan,

A very horrible situation happened several years ago between one of my family members and I.   Ever since then, we have not had any contact with each other.   I am very unsettled in my heart and spirit about this and I feel God pushing me towards reconciliation with this person. My question is in how I know if this is something I should pursue or not. I hope you will be able to help me with this.  Bless you, P.S.

Hello, P.S.!

My heart aches for you, knowing how grave the pain is when any relationship {family or otherwise} is ripped apart.  Not much makes me happier than to see relationships restored to even better than new, but you and I both know that sometimes, that isn’t what ends up happening. Reconciliation is the act of settling or restoring differences.  While a relationship will not always be salvaged, the spirit of reconciliation will ALWAYS reflect the heart of God.  Read with me Romans 12:18.

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Most people do not know the when for reconciliation, but the Bible does state two specific times:

  1. When you have wronged another {Matthew 5:23-24}
  2. When you have been wronged {Matthew 18:15-16}

In order to pave the road for reconciliation, you must 100% sincerely commit to forgive and be reconciled in the relationship.  This does not need to go both ways, but your heart must be pure in motives and sincere.  1 Peter 3:9 says: “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

With this in mind, use the following as guide in beginning to pave your road for reconciliation….

Prepare your heart for seeking reconciliation. Be willing to:

  • view the conflict as an opportunity for growth
  • learn what God wants you to learn
  • discover that you are partly at fault
  • expose your weakness
  • be open with your feelings
  • risk the relationship
  • accept a negative outcome
  • pray for God’s will to be done

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body
you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

 Know that the refusal to seek reconciliation affects the intimacy of your relationship with God. Humble your heart and pray:

  • “Lord, I don’t want to be prideful and unbending”
  • “Lord, I want Your favor in my life, not Your disfavor”
  • “Lord, I want to reflect Your character and be open to reconciliation”

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Seek forgiveness and apologize for words that have hurt the other person

  • “I have tried to see our relationship from your point of view”
  • “I realize I have been wrong in my attitude of _______”
  • “Will you forgive me”

Proverbs 6:2-3

you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth.
So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:
Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest!

Recognize the ground rules of communication:

  • Offer unconditional acceptance
  • Confront the problem, not the person
  • Listen without interrupting
  • Verbalize your feelings
  • Use words that build self-worth
  • Aim for mutual understanding
  • Give more than you take

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Be kind and gentle

  • Don’t harbor resentment
  • Don’t make excuses for yourself
  • Don’t get drawn into arguments
  • Don’t fail to pray
  • Don’t have expectations of immediate acceptance

2 Timothy 2:24-25

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome 
but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 
Opponents must be gently instructed, 
in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth

Reflect the character of Christ in ALL you do.

In order to prepare your heart to reflect the character of Christ, pray:

  • “Lord I die to my personal rights” {Galatians 2:20}
  • “Lord, I die to defending myself” {Psalm 28:7}
  • “Lord, I die to relying on my own abilities” {Proverbs 28:26}

Enlist a mediator if necessary

  • Pray for God to prepare the heart of your opposer for mediation
  • Seek a person whom your opposer can respect
  • You can say, “At times an outside person can have a different perspective that is more objective. Would you consider having a mediator help us think through our problems with the hope of reaching a successful end?”

Matthew 18:16

But if they will not listen, take one or two others along,
so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

Do not hold yourself responsible for the outcome

  • When reconciliation is refused, do not live with false guilt.
  • You cannot force reconciliation to occur
  • Everyone is individually responsible to God

Romans 14:12

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

Rest in the knowledge that you have done all that you can do to seek peace

  • Continue to show love and treat the other person with forgiveness
  • Thank God for giving you the desire to be at peace with everyone
  • Praise God for His commitment to orchestrate your own spiritual growth

Romans 12:18

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Dear P.S., if your efforts are refused, remember that if your heart has been repentant, you have God’s total forgiveness {1 John 1:8-9}.  Be sure to pray for those who refuse reconciliation and for their unmet need {Matthew 5:44}.  Know that God never leaves you when you suffer the loss of a close relationship {Psalm 34:18}.  Be careful to control what you say about those who refuse reconciliation {Romans 12:14}.  Do not be vengeful toward them.. in time, God deals with those who do wrong {Romans 12:19}.  Know completely that God will bring something good out of the pain {Isaiah 43:18-19}.

In closing, my friend, please keep in mind that reconciliation is restoring a relationship based on restored trust. It requires repentance and is to be extended only when earned. Pray to God for discernment on this and I so hope that you will be able to use this as a guide when preparing your heart, mind, and spirit.

Blessings,

Coach Megan 🙂

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