Simply Put

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 116. It’s one that reminds us to just stand up and tell the truth. Simply put, “Get real,” it says. LOL I want to focus on verses 5-7, but I hope you’ll read the entire psalm for yourselves. It’s a good check point.

“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful. The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.”

Did you get that part about God being righteous and merciful? The one reason we’re afraid to get real with Him, I think, is because we don’t get that. God always judges rightly. He sees our hearts. God is always merciful. It may not seem like it when the stuff hits the fan in your life. but God is always merciful. All that stuff is what you’re reaping from something you’ve sown. Even then, God is merciful to us and deals bountifully with us. He gives us the strength to get through it, and the wisdom to learn from it, if we allow Him to. That’s where that “get real,” thing comes in. You can’t play games with God; He knows everything! So, if you’re not fooling Jesus, who are you fooling? That’s right; you’re fooling yourself. I’m speaking from personal experience. It works so much better and so much faster when you just get real; with Him, and with yourself. Then, your soul can be at rest (peace) to learn, correct, and overcome that thing that got you. Before you know it, the mess is cleaned up, God loves you and has you loving yourself even more than you did back then, and it’s all good. LOL

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Let’s Be Faithful One To Another

Today’s message comes to us from Psalm 55. The importance of faithfulness to one another is addressed in this psalm. This is important, not only in friendships, but in all our relationships. There’s a heads-up here on just how easily and readily the enemy uses those closest to us to wreak havoc and destroy. How easily we can fall to his devices.

Verses 4-8 give us a picture of the heartache and spiritual distress caused by unfaithfulness. “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me, and horror overwhelms me….” That death doesn’t have to be a physical death; the end of a close relationship is death to a lot of things. Things like trust, joy, peace, and security are destroyed. Verses 12-14 are eye openers. “For it is not an enemy who taunts me—then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. ” (ESV) Do you see the reference made to being within God’s house? That’s so unfortunate! God’s children especially should be on alert against those wiles of the devil. And of course, he knows the ones who know you best can hurt you the most.

Verse 15 is also a powerful one. “Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.” (ESV) That lets me know I need to be aware of what thoughts I’m entertaining-daily, hourly, from minute to minute. This is where Proverbs 11:27 comes to mind: “Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it.” (NIV) When we entertain thoughts of envy, malice, judgment, bitterness, etc., our hearts become filled with them. Your mind and heart are your spiritual dwelling places. What goes in comes out. When we determine not to impute or assume the worst (no evil intent) to anyone, but seek the good in one, about that one, in that situation, etc., we will be inclined to do good unto that person, and in that situation. You can’t do good without it coming back to you. We reap what we sow.

Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” (Matt. 20:26) That’s so easily accomplished, and means so much more than we allow it to, or acknowledge it does. Romans 13:14 says it best: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Go, And Sin No More

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, gives us a powerful revelation about Jesus’ words in John 8:11 – “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” The message bids us to “feel that between us and all scorn and indignity is a strong shield.”

We are also reminded that we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Being human, we are bound to do things imperfectly at times. We are limited in patience, and even in perseverance at times. Of course, it’s always easier to give up, isn’t it? That’s because we have a tendency to be self-condemning. Sometimes, we’re even harder on ourselves than others are.

Jesus spoke those words to a woman caught in the act of adultery. The whole scene changed from one of self-righteousness and condemnation to one of self examination, repentance, and opportunity. The men who were ready to stone the woman to death had to admit their own sinfulness, and repent of their condemnation of her. The woman was saved from them, and forgiven by Jesus, and given the opportunity to correct herself. Jesus didn’t require anything from her, but to get up and go forward; onward.

We can do that very same thing when we miss it. We can do it each and every time, if we just determine to step up and forward into the opportunity, learning from the mistake, without judging or condemning ourselves. Psalm 119:1 says it like this: “Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.” (NIV) Now, if you give it little thought, you’ll realize that can also be applied to being non-judgmental, non-condemning…to learning what caused the failure, and correcting it, rather than focusing on who caused it. Remember, God does not impute wickedness to us. We ought not to either, then. I, for one, do not attempt something with the intent of failing at it; do you? Yeah, I didn’t think so either. *Something I learned from my son when he dropped the bag of cookies at the store is that that’s the way the cookie crumbles. LOL PS – they’re just as good crumbly as they are whole.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

You Can Be All of Them Too

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Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that Jesus is all things to all men. He meets each and every one of us at our deepest and immediate needs. Did you need a comforter when you came seeking Him? He came as a comforter to you. Did you need strength? He came as your strength. Whatever it is, He fills the need. He is in all and is all. (Ephesians 4:6) Yes, He is; He said when we we’ve seen Him, we’ve seen the Father, right? So, we are encouraged to see Him and His provision in each and every need of our own.

“The weak need My Strength. The strong need My Tenderness. The tempted and fallen need My Salvation. The righteous need My Pity for sinners. The lonely need a Friend. The fighters need a Leader.” – direct quote from the message. Have you ever had to be strong for a friend or family member? Have you ever hugged someone that needed to be hugged so very much? How about being salvation to someone who’s had too much to drink or who is too ill or otherwise able to help themselves? You were that to the man who fell on the street and needed someone to stay with him until the ambulance arrived. Did you know that? I don’t like the word pity; I prefer grace and compassion. Sometimes that’s the hardest one, isn’t it? No judging, just loving them anyway and walking it out with them. I think you get the picture. You are so very much more to those around you than you realize at times. Don’t ever sell yourself short, because wait until Jesus shows you in Heaven all you were to the world you live in. And believe me, it does multiply like those fishes and loaves. Don’t be afraid to reach out, and never think you have nothing to give, or nothing of value to share. God put it all within you.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu