Open our eyes to be compassionate

Greetings:
The first verse to a popular Christian song “Mighty to Save” by Hillsong, which was written by Rodney Claswson shares a strong message for all Christians today.
It says:
“Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing, let mercy fall on me
Well, everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior, the hope of nations.”
How true this is. The principle of compassion is the very heart of Christ. The ministry of Jesus flowed from His heart of compassion toward those in need.
Compassion is a word of action. It is the heartfelt care for another with both the intent and action.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments the revelation of God's compassionate character is revealed through his acts of kindness and concern for human suffering. From the beginning of creation God reveals himself as a God of covenant love — one who deeply cares for his people.
Though man sinned, God again and again performed acts of kindness and love to the  people.
Through the demonstration of his life, Jesus calls the people of God to practice love, kindness, compassion, discipleship and servanthood toward those they encounter on a daily basis –– our neighbors, the people we work wit, the people who go to church with, the people on the community in which we live.
The uniqueness and the power of Jesus' ministry rests in his concern for others
The poor, disenfranchised, suffering, and those looked down in society are precious in God's eyes. Jesus cares for the oppressed and downtrodden – those are the people of our own personal mission field right in the backyard where we live.
God's overall view of caring with compassion for those who are suffering can be summed up in Galatians 6:10 (KJV), which reads: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
Notice it says we are to do good to all men as we have opportunity.
I once attended a newly-founded church in Morganfield, KY, that was called “Household of Faith” that had a mission to do just what Galatians 6:10 talks about.
It was a church of action that helped many in the community with an open, non-judging heart. The church exhibited love to many, including my family and I in a time when things were not going well for us financially or spiritually. They church's members reached out and helped us, encouraged us, taught us the Word of God and simply accepted us with Christ-like love.
It made a life-changing difference in our lives to which we will remain forever grateful.
Do we have eyes and ears to see and hear the opportunities to do good to those around you?
Doing 'good' is action.
Doing 'good' is not just seeing a hurting individual, but taking a step further to do something about it.
Doing 'good' is doing more than just praying for a person. It is doing what we can to meet the physical and spiritual needs of that person.
Doing 'good' might mean some sacrifice of time and a portion of our wealth. Meeting needs sometimes does cost money, but it is income that God has provided us with anyway so it is really his, so give with an open heart, with a heart of love and a heart of compassion.
When we are a receiver of works of compassion, we also have to learn to receive it, which requires the tearing away of ego and pride, which is not easy.  But we have to learn that God wants us to long for and expect to receive.
We have to become a gracious receiver.
In Isaiah 30:18 (Amplified Bible) we read: “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!
The Church and we as Christians can do no less.
Let us seek to be compassionate –– to walk in it daily.
The Church is to be the conduit through which people experience the steadfast love and compassion of God. It is the responsibility of the Church to minister to those in need, to bring the healing and comforting touch of Christ without partiality.
Be blessed and be a blessing on this day.

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Time to get serious - with God

Greetings:
Time stands still for no one.
Each day we grow older as life's clock continues to move with each second's tick.
Standing still is something age never does.
As time goes on, we and the people around us create memories.
We should cherish each and every one of those memories because we don't know the hour or the second, when life as we know it on this earth will end.
In that light, our prayers and actions should be sincere and focused on God, helping others and filled with a yearning to know more and do more.
Let's get it straight.
There are only two spiritual Kingdoms – the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil.
The Kingdom of God is the place where Jesus is King. In God's Kingdom there is peace, there is love, there is hope for the future. There is joy, healing, mercy, justice and living faith.
In Satan's kingdom is pride, lust, disappointment, anger, hatred, bitterness, mockery, anguish, torment and strife.
Anyone who is living for themselves is pleasing the devil because the devil stands for independence from God and a rejection of God's authority to rule. Our separation from God costs us more than we could possibly imagine, and part of the tragedy is that so many people don't see it.
They are so deceived by a different spirit.
We must develop a hunger for God and his Word. We must yearn for more of God and thirst for his teaching, his praise, his worship and his holy presence.
Do you get itchy if your church service goes over an hour, or the preacher takes an extra 10 minutes? Is one service per week your limit?
Look at Acts 2 and we learn that people of the early church met together in the temple every day. They spent their time learning the apostles teaching, sharing, breaking bread, and praying together every day.
Church group wasn’t a hobby, or a part-time commitment.
So what was the secret? What drew these faithful fellowship fans? Was it their cutting-edge media presentations, on plasma screens or an app on their smart phones?
Or maybe it was that their lives were easier, and they were just kicking back with nothing else to do?
That's hardly the case. Everything about their lives was harder, took longer, and was less convenient. There was nothing modern, stream-lined or with short cuts.
And yet, their encounter with Jesus transformed their priorities so much that they hungered to gather in the presence of God, and believe His promise that, ‘Where two or three gather together as My followers, I am there among them’  as it says in Matthew 18:20 NLT.
Taking God seriously means spending time with Him meeting other Christians, hearing His Word together, and encouraging one another as we read in Hebrews 10:25.
It’s a time commitment thing.
There is nothing more true, right, pure or excellent than God’s Word. We are to embed His Word in our heart - run God’s Word through our mind - think about the Word of God often.
God's Word is our offensive and defensive weapon in the spiritual battle with evil.
If you want to know what Jesus said in the Bible – red the red-colored words. Those are his Words. Follow them.
We are in a mighty battle - don’t just sit there and think that it doesn’t concern us - that it doesn’t affect us. It’s time to make a stand and get serious about God - the enemy is serious and he’s out to destroy each of us. Do we really believe God exists? Do we believe his Word?
Then we must act like it, talk like it, and believe it. This is not a recreation game. It's a war.
Be blessed.
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Seek widsom to find peace

Greetings:
Our daily prayers ought to include some petition for wisdom. Oh, how my life would have been filled with much less pain and suffering for myself and my family, if I had used a portion of wisdom that God has already granted to each of us.
Decisions need to be based on Godly wisdom, not on feelings, emotions or on what we 'think' is the right thing to do.
There are several keys to gaining wisdom –– prayer and reading God's Word are essential.
In the Biblical sense, wisdom is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding.
The Wisdom teachings of the Bible follow from the two great themes of the Ten Commandments and the Greatest Commandments of Jesus : reverence to God our Creator, and respect for all persons, everywhere.
A set of commandments or rules can give us important examples of wisdom, but they are only examples. No set of rules can cover all situations, and it is up to us to generalize the commandments to all cases.
Wisdom means always acting according to the spirit of the Commandments and understanding the consequences of our actions and words before we act or speak. Wisdom means having the knowledge and understanding to recognize the right course of action and then having the will and courage to follow it.
Look at James 3:13-18 (NIV) to understand the blessings that follow wisdom.
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But 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, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Look all through the Proverbs for other example of Godly wisdom. Solomon, believed to be the wisest man who ever lived, is the author of the Proverbs.
Following the ways of wisdom helps bring us in harmony with God because these ways are in accordance with His will, as revealed in the Bible, and are pleasing to Him.
Wisdom also brings us in harmony with ourselves, giving us a sense of self-worth and inner peace. This inner peace is achieved because we are acting in accordance with our consciences and avoiding the shame and guilt of following our instincts.
Be wise and follow the advice from King Solomon in Proverbs 4:5-7, which reads:
“Get wisdom, get understanding;  do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have,  get understanding.”
Be blessed.
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Overcome fear with the Word

Greetings:
The Lord slowed me down yesterday and I had a lot of time to think and pray. God showed me about fear.
For me, I have a fear of snakes or any critters that crawl on their bellies, high places and driving at very fast speeds.
I also fear dark, confined places like caves
On a very personal level, I have a fear of failure, but God is showing me my fears are simply a lack of faith.
As I laid in bed yesterday recovering from some kind of a flu bug, the message I kept hearing in my spirit was “There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to fear. There is no reason to fear.”
I was assured that God is bigger than any of the fears that can come into my mind and my soul and spirit are guarded if I speak the Word.
Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt assured people as the nation approached World War II by saying, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
The Bible makes an even bolder promise: We have nothing to fear, period.
This doesn't mean our lives will be trouble-free -- far from it. But the message of God's Word is that fear -- of enemies, of the future, of failure, whatever -- need not dominate our lives and paralyze us.
Psalm 23:4-6 (New Living Translation) says,
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”
Fear is a very powerful emotion and can have a negative effect on our spirit, soul, and body. We all have things that we are afraid of, and life provides us with plenty of things to worry about.
Joyce Meyer writes, “Listen to me on this: Everyone experiences fear. There are big fears that we’re very aware of and little ones that we may not even realize we have. Fear is a tool the devil uses to make us miserable and destroy our lives. Because it’s such a common way that Satan attacks people’s lives, I think of it as the master spirit he uses to manipulate people and keep them out of God’s will.”
Being a Christian does not mean we will never experience fear or have worries. The Bible does not ignore this very human emotion. Instead, it offers us an alternative to living in bondage to fear. Are you afraid? Fearful? Worried? Anxious?
You can overcome fear and worry!
Fear seeks to strip us of power, strip us of love and cause us to lose all sense of control of who we are. Fear robs us of our identity in Christ and ultimately causes us to bring down others with us. Because after all, misery loves company.
We must repent of our fears.
Fear is the opposite of faith.
Until we understand that we are an heir of the kingdom, we will continue to live like an orphan. Only orphans live in fear because they have no one to care for them. We are not orphans. This isn’t something we have to strive for. It is ours. We simply have to receive it.
The word repent literally means “change of mind”. The enemy comes with intimidation tactics. Once we stand our ground, he has to flee. It’s time for the sons and daughters of God to take their place and resist the spirit of fear.
Be blessed.
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Look to be joyful

Greetings:
Joy is something that should be a part of every Christian's life. It is not merely icing on the cake to be tasted once in a while.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We often consider happiness or joy as something that happens to us, not something that should flow from us. We don’t consider joy as a duty to be performed, but as an emotional state to be received passively and involuntarily. But when we look at the concept of joy in the Bible, it is expressed as something we do by faith.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.…”
Unhappiness and a lack of joy, in many circumstances, is a manifestation of the flesh. Certainly, there are times when we are filled with sorrow. We must understand that it is legitimate to feel sorrow and grief. But a person can have a sense of joy even in the midst of mourning and profound grief. This is because our sorrow is directed toward a circumstance, but our joy is focused on and flows from God.
Joy, therefore, not being opposed to sorrow, is a fruit of the Spirit. It is our duty to be joyful: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Being joyful is a matter of the will. The key to being joyful all the time is “in the Lord.” If Christ is in me and I in Him, that relationship is constant. Therefore, there is always a reason for joy. That is why, in the midst of difficulties, we can rejoice in Christ—or because He is always present in us.
Remember the words of John 15:11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full".
Be blessed.
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Are we there yet?

Some of the most vivid memories I have from when our two daughters were growing up were the road trips we would take to go back to my hometown in southern Indiana to visit with family.
Back then, we didn't have DVD players in the back seat to watch a movie or smart phones to play games on to keep the girls quiet and content on this road journey.
 So on those trips, there was always one question that they would ask over and over again, "Are we there yet?"
I would imagine that now that they are grown up, married and have young children of their own, they can fully understand the plight their mother and I experienced on the road trips.
But in a way, we all still ask that question all the time. We may not vocalize it, but when you and I go through troubles in this life… and we sense that longing for heaven's touch deep down… we quietly ask, "Are we there yet?"
The Bible is clear that God has placed in the heart of every believer an eager anticipation for our heavenly home. God wants us to long for that day and to use that longing as a motivation to finish well in our short time here on earth.
I love how the apostle Paul describes these feelings of longing in Philippians 3:10-20 (New International Version). It reads:
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.  For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
The day you and I, as believers, come face to face with Jesus in heaven will be glorious. There's great hope in what's to come if you know Jesus personally.
I attended a beautiful celebration life funeral service this week and that fact was brought forward by all who spoke. Death is the beginning of our new happiness, a reunion with those who have passed before us. A time to relish victory because we have arrived at the place we are seeking – heaven.
We should all rejoice when another believer passes on because they have ran their race here on this earthly soil and now is their time of rest and eternal contentment.
It's so important to remember that this life is a temporary stop. As the Scripture says in James 4:14, life "is… a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."
It is also wise to recognize that while we are here on earth, God wants us to lean into him when things get tough. The Scripture is full of exhortations for believers to remain steadfast in the face of hard times. In fact, you are even told to "Count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds"  in James 1:2.
Even though we may be going through a difficult situation where we're asking, "Are we there yet?", it is in these difficult times that we need to cling close to God and his promises.
The hope that we have is that our present sufferings are temporary and, as the Scripture says, "are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). So whatever it is in our life that's making us long for home, it's my prayer that you will stay strong in Christ and finish well!
Do you know what the best part of those long road trips were? It was when the car would pull into the driveway of my in-laws home and I would stop the vehicle and say, "We're here!".
One day when we as a believer in Christ reach heaven, our heavenly Dad will look at us and say, "You're here!"
Until that day comes, push forward in sharing God with others and let us follow him passionately in every aspect of our lives.
The final destination is worth the wait, but take full advantages of the opportunities we all have each day to let our light shine and impact the lives of others by what we say and what we do.
Be blessed.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box. Also, all of the photos in my daily blog are for sale. Contact me for pricing.

Be the church

Greetings:
More and more God is impressing on me that we as Christian need to do more to impact our communities.
We can no longer be content with 'just going to church'.
Spending time in prayer, worship and praise is key to satisfy our own spiritual needs and yearnings.
We need to reach out into our community, identify the needs and then become the feet and hands who will see that the 'human' needs of those who live in our neighborhood are met.
We're talking about providing food, clothing, medical supplies and mechanical needs. We need to mentor, encourage those in need and struggling and teach job-seeking skills, business skills, mechanical skills and 'fix it up' skills.
We need to be ready to provide teachings in general life skills such as cooking, shopping, and New Testament in the Bible and see that the Corinthians believers wanted to be loved but did not want to put out the effort of being loving and caring to others. To put it mildly, they were not a warm a friendly church. Instead they were proud and selfish.
What makes us different? What makes us attractive when there are so many other organizations or groups to meet with? Why should I become a Christian and attend a bible-believing church when I can stay home and worship with some other church on TV?
We live in a world that is obsessed with being extra-ordinary.
Some buy only award-winning ice cream, the highest-rated brands of electronic goods  and name brand stuff.
Successful authors write 'best sellers' and chefs only use 'extra, extra' virgin olive oil from Italy.
But spiritually speaking, we seldom reflect how extra-ordinary Christians truly are.
The word 'church' is actually a old German word (kirch) for the Latin term of the Greek word 'called out.'
We as a church are called out to be the compassionate people who reach out to touch the poor, the hunger, the dejected, the shunned, the criminal, the hurting, the searching individuals – young and old – in our communities and shower them with the love, hope and salvation offered by Jesus Christ. But before we touch their souls we must first minister to physical bodies and their minds.
A shift back to the biblical definition of church is is needed.
Do we want to continue to be just a consumer church that merely dispenses some religious words and sings a few hymns or songs of praise and then go home – thinking our duties have been satisfied for another week?
A church of action is a church that has burden to be a missional church that is seen as a body of people sent on a mission who gather in community for worship, encouragement, and teaching from the Word that supplements what they are feeding themselves throughout the week.
Members say, "I am the church"
People can't help but feed deeply on the Scriptures on their own to keep their hearts soft and their minds sharp and ready to give an answer of hope they have to those they interact with.
The missional church people see themselves as ambassadors of Jesus and are motivated to live holy, kingdom-minded lives so that they do not dishonor the name of the King they represent.
We once attended a church in western Kentucky called “Household of  Faith” that was founded on the principal laid forth in Galatians 6:10 (New Living Bible), which states, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.”
God help us to see the opportunities in our towns, cities and our county. Help us to do good when we have the opportunity to do so.
We pray that we will see our church body as a family, as a community on a mission together.
What is needed a change of spiritual attitude among many believers, who are good people but lack the vision to see the need that is living all around them. Too many times we are blind and don't see that which is staring us in the face.
We all have a mission to do. Please don't become content like the Church of Corinth was before the Apostle Paul spoke boldly and truthfully to them. They were encouraged to step out, reach out and display real brotherly love.
We would do well to reach both books of Corinthians and then get on our knees and pray for God's guidance and discover what our purpose and our mission is to make a difference in the communities where we live.
Be blessed.

These morning messages are now available by email. Simply write me with you email address at schneider.nick@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to forward them to your in-box. Also, all of the photos in my blog are for sale. Contact me for pricing.