Dogs, Swine and Lovingkindness
I was recently enjoying my weekly phone call with my friend, Pastor Glenn Holderread. He mentioned that he had been meditating on Matthew 7:6. He said, it reminded him of a time when he refused to enable a drug addict to continue in his sin by giving him the money the man asked for. Pastor Glenn said he recently found out that this man had gone to a rehab center. It changed his life and now, two years later, he was a productive citizen in God’s kingdom. In Matthew 7:6 (NKJV) it says, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”
It is easy to quote Matthew 7:6 as justification for the attitudes that harden our hearts and thus, our actions. Moments after Pastor Glenn read this verse to me on the phone, God said to my heart, “Look for the grace and lovingkindness in your refusal. It might just be the open door to somebody’s freedom.” I realized God was saying that refusal to agree with sin, when done for the right reasons, is a demonstration of righteousness and grace, but also of lovingkindness. Think about this. When you do what is right for the wrong reasons, it may not really be right unless it is done with righteousness, grace and lovingkindness working together. Now that is worth meditating on.
Here are a couple questions worth a few more moments of your time. When you consider someone’s request for help, do you make your decision based solely on what is convenient or easy? How do righteousness, grace and lovingkindness influence your decision? Oh, one more thing before you answer – Be sure your answer includes the lessons of Psalm 103. It says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul…, {4} Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,”
Dogs, Swine and Lovingkindness
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On the Ocean at Midnight
In 1997, my wife, Nancy and I found ourselves in an open boat traveling between two small islands in the South Pacific. We were on our way to a meeting in which I was to preach that evening. It was an open boat, about eighteen feet in length. (more…)
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The Key to Refreshing
I have been thinking all the people I have recently encountered who need a refreshing in their spirits. So many of us can become mentally, emotionally or spiritually fatigued from what our circumstances have offered us. (more…)
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Yes I Will!
In a recent meeting, I heard Pastor Dale Gentry say this. “The next step beyond “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”” is “I will do all things through Christ.” Of course, Pastor Dale was (more…)
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The Proper Perspective
When it comes to what we think about people, it is human nature for our prior opinions to influence our current judgments or choices. In addition, we are easily tempted to compare ourselves to others by (more…)
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When the Natural Conclusion Stinks
You are probably familiar with the narrative in John, Chapter 11, which tells of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Do you remember Lazarus’ sister Martha’s response (more…)
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Staying Cool when Things Heat Up
I want to ask if you consider yourself “cool?” Here is why I ask. I was reading in my Devotionals recently and came across a Scripture that began to speak to me. It was Proverbs 17:27. In the New King James Version, it says, “He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” The Hebrew word for “calm” is “kar” (k-a-r). It means “excellent,” but it also means “to chill” or “to be cool.” James 1:19-20 in the New King James Version says, “So then,* my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; {20} for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Put these two sets of Scriptures together and you could paraphrase them to say, “A wise person chills out and stays cool when the pressure comes. He or she immediately listens carefully, while measuring how to respond. The response will be good because it will be done with a considered, cool, calm, peaceful spirit.” I’m Dr. Bob. My advice is that we all practice the skill of being “cool” when things heat up. When we do this, we stay in control and can be led by the Spirit. Here is a parting question for you. What is your “hot button” and what can you do to stay cool when things heat up? Think about it.
Staying Cool when Things Heat Up
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Focus on the Opportunity
In the previous Mentoring Minute, I spoke about what happens when your faith brings a lifestyle of testimonies to the caring hand of God. Now, consider this. In difficult times, our expectations always fall short of (more…)
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A Question for God (Sermon by Pastor Nancy Abramson)
This is a forty-one minute sermon my wife, Pastor Nancy, preached at Trinity Church International, in Lake Worth, Florida. I know you will be blessed as you listen to it.
Proper Tailoring, Proper Fit
I want to share an ordinary, everyday experience I recently had, in which God spoke an extraordinary truth to me. It happened as I was taking a pair of pants from my closet. (more…)
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