Monthly Archives: August 2024

Help

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He was sitting on the back row of the church near the aisle and obviously not a member. Half the people in church at that moment had already walked by him, yet there he sat in silence. I dropped into the seat beside him and briefly got to know him. Later he told me how grateful he was that I took interest and spoke with him that day. That is an example of why Teri and I go to church early and seek out people who are new, alone, or simply look needy for someone to talk to. It is not an official role but a passion from the heart.

When I’m out and about, I’m always looking for people to engage. The grocery store, gas station, or Walmart are great places to go fishing. It is easy to begin a conversation, and I love to do it. Why?

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Yet, from my experience with many believers, they are reluctant to engage people they don’t know. Consider you are walking in a park by a lake and hear someone crying out for help and see them thrashing about in the water. Wouldn’t you do everything you could to help them? What if you didn’t know them? Would you be embarrassed to help them? Of course not. The problem is that most people on their way to hell don’t know it. If they did, they’d be screaming for help. We must see people we don’t know as if they were calling for help.

Let God’s command to love our neighbor and then seeing them headed for hell motivate us to reach out to everyone we can.

“…he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30b).

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ …” (2 Corinthians 5:20a).

The God of All Comfort

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Trials, tribulations, disappointments, and griefs are regularly part of our lives for one reason or another. We tend to struggle through them.  Scripture, however, gives much to help us as we deal with those on both an emotional and a spiritual level. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 is instrumental in that: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

The focus of this verse is God. He is to be blessed for Who He is – the Father of mercies – and what He does – comforts. That certainly puts our focus where it should be, not on ourselves and our pain, but on the One we need in the midst of it. He is the One Who does what we cannot do – comfort ourselves.

That words comfort, comforteth, and comforted are similar Greek words (paraklēsis, parakaleō) to the Greek word for Holy Spirit (paraklētos) Who is according to Strong’s Expository Dictionary definition: ‘an intercessor, consoler: — advocate, comforter.’ In our sadnesses, hurts, and disappointment we crave comfort! God in His mercy provides that for us.

Have you noticed in yourself or someone else how God’s comfort can be rejected? We probably wouldn’t outright say that, but by our actions we appear to want to stay wrapped up in ourselves with our pain. We allow the hurts and grieving to consume us, focusing on our pain, rather than accepting God’s comfort. We might push back from the one offering us sympathy and love by saying,  “No one understands how I feel.” That person could be the very one whom God has comforted so they can comfort us. We won’t move our mind to God, His Word, and listening to Him but think instead, “I will never get over this.” We cry buckets of tears letting “Why did this happen to me?” run over and over in our minds. In each of those scenarios God wants to comfort through the truth of His Word and Spirit, but it is rejected.

2 Corinthians tells us there is more to God’s comfort than simply for our need and our good. He does it so we can comfort others who find themselves with the same tribulation we have gone through. I remember well the pain and heartache in my own heart when our first grandchild died, just three days after her birth. Even more than that, though, was the grief of our son and daughter-in-law in the loss of their first baby. Seventeen years later, their pain is still there, but we see the spiritual growth in their lives as they let God comfort them. In addition, they have been able to do just what this verse says will happen —comfort others with the comfort they received. They can do that because they walked in the shoes of the one they are comforting. They understand the depth of the loss and the intensity of the grief, like no one else can understand. They let God do what He wanted to do in their hearts, and now they are vessels He uses for comforting.

May I encourage to let God comfort you when you find yourself in a trial or tribulation. It might be the loss of a loved on, a health set back, a rebellious child, financial problems, relationship struggles, and so much more. Whatever it is, God says He comforts us in all our tribulation.

Trusting Jesus,
Teri Maxwell 

PS. Our news! (Steve here) Dear Mommies, hang in there. Bless you bless you for being a homeschooling mommie. I love this dear woman and can you believe we are celebrating God’s blessing of 50 years of marriage? She is a faithful woman, so very very precious to me. God is so good, always good always and worthy of our highest praise. So dear ladies stay the course. 

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Posted in: Mom's Corner

Maybe Great for Showers

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People have many names for it, but whatever the name, it brings back awful memories. No one likes it except dogs. Even the Lord Jesus used it as an example of great disgust. Vomit. What was so distasteful to our Lord that He used such a horrific metaphor? It was those who are lukewarm in their faith. 

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Might the Lord refer to the the current church (in general) as lukewarm? “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

Christianity has been vaporizing in our “post-Christian” era country. How could that be? Life with Jesus Christ is the most precious thing in all the world. Yet like the rich young ruler, other things are more important (Luke 18:18-24).

We love what we fill our minds with, and that is what our heart becomes. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Oh my brothers, abide in Christ.

“For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:44-45).

Eyes, ears => into the mind => into the heart => deeds/fruit

Awkward

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I’m guessing most have experienced something similar to the following scenario. You are out with your child and meet someone. You greet them and desire that your child look at them, smile, and greet them. Instead, your child stares at the ground. Embarrassed, you try to coax your child by offering a few sample words to get them started. Sigh. That doesn’t work either. 

There are few people who aren’t afraid to talk to others, and perhaps even fewer who actually enjoy it. Then there are some who enjoy it, but all they do is talk about themselves. Most aren’t born good communicators. The world desperately needs them. When sharing our faith, it is huge. In almost every vocation the good communicator excels. Between husband and wife and parents with their children, communication is the breath of life. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

Make it a family project to become good communicators. You will be blessed greatly, you’ll bless others, and your children will have a needed skill in being ambassadors. Watch your children’s confidence grow. For help : Making Great Conversationists. 

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Love Ahhhh

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Think back to how you fell in love with your wife. Some say, “Love at first sight!” However, most meet, observe each other awhile, and then decide they want to spend more time together. The relationship develops with time and the communication that goes with it, resulting in love. Ahh. Being in love is such a wonderful thing. Many are married, but fewer in love. “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself” (Ephesians 5:28).

There isn’t that much time left over after earning an income. How much of it will you invest to grow your love for your wife? Time and communication are essential to your marriage. That is why, my brother, quality time with your wife is absolutely necessary to maintain/develop that vital relationship. Invest, invest, invest. 

The same is true for your relationship with the Lord. Grow your love for Him. Spend time with Him every morning first thing in prayer and reading His Word. Developing that relationship is also foundational in loving your wife. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Finally, consider how quality family Bible time every night will help grow your relationship with your Lord, wife, and children!