Category: love

  • They’re Watching

    Do they see us love one another?

    squirrel playing peek-a-boo

    As we walked down the wooded trail, this curious squirrel was keeping an eye on us. He was curious but didn’t fully trust us. He was wise to be careful because we might have been predators.

    In the same way our furry friend was keeping a watchful eye on us, our friends, neighbors, and coworkers who aren’t believers are watching.

    They might appear indifferent, or even overtly hostile, but they are watching. Is this faith thing real? Do we live it out? What happens when we stumble or bad things happen?

    Sometimes, they are watching to make fun of us, but God can change the hardest of hearts. Sometimes, the hardest skeptic becomes the most enthusiastic of converts once the Lord gets a hold of them. The apostle Paul is an excellent example of that.

    At other times, they might be curious but leery. At “the cowboy church,” we had a motto: “Don’t scare the sheep.” We were overtly and strongly Christian but strove intentionally to welcome everyone.

    It takes time for hearts to soften. At “the cowboy church,” we ran ads in the local newspaper. Each ad featured a different picture and included a pithy or scripture quote. Over time, we learned that many people, including unbelievers, stopped to check out the ads each week, to see what we had to say.

    It took most people about a year from the first time they saw the ads until they showed up for a service. Even then, they were watching to see if this was for real.

    People need to hear the truth, but we need to be in a position to share it with them. As Christians, we need to strive to live the life Jesus calls us to and be transparent about our failures and His grace.

    God doesn’t put watchers in our path as projects. They are there for us to love and bear witness to.

    A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

    And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31

    Allow them to see our love for God and for them. Let them see us love one anither. Show them His faithfulness even when we stumble.

    The Spirit will witness to them through our lives. Let them watch.Show them how we love one another

    Engage them in spiritual conversations when you can, but spend as much (or more) time listening as you do talking. Get to know them and learn where they are coming from.

    Invite them to church when it seems appropriate. Don’t give up if they reject the offer, try again another time.

    Be present, be yourself, and let the Spirit do His work.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

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  • Beautiful Roses

    A prolific bloom of roses

    These blooms are on a miniature rose bush in our backyard. It was given to us as a gift by visiting friends some years ago. We eventually moved it outside. 

    It has been moved several times, and almost died at least twice, but it keeps on growing and blooming. It is a hardy plant.

    When I took the photo yesterday, my mind wandered back many years, to a time when I was working in a bank. 

    I walked into the florist to pick up some flowers as a gift. As I stood paying for my purchase, I noticed some roses tossed into the trash can.

    I inquired about them and was informed that they had been damaged in shipping, with the outer petals frozen. They looked fine to me, and I persuaded the florist to give them to me.

    I took the roses to my office, placed them in a vase, and set them in the sunny window. They opened over the course of the next few days. The outer petals turned black, but the rest of each rose was beautiful and fragrant.

    To me, the dark outer petals framed the beautiful inner beauty of the roses. I don’t recall ever seeing roses that beautiful before or since.

    That is how the Lord sometimes sees us. We have been damaged on the outside through circumstance or bad choices, and the world seems ready to discard us.

    He rescues us and places us in a warm and safe spot. We bloom under His care. Our past imperfections provide a beautiful frame to show off our newly revealed beauty.

    His love, forgiveness, and acceptance let us bloom to our best. We slowly open and become more and more like Him.

     Paul alludes to this idea as he speaks of our becoming like Christ and God’s promise to finish His work in us.

    I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:3-11 ESV

    Until next time, may the Love of Jesus fill you with joy and allow you to blossom and become all God has created you to be.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

    What’s your favorite book of the Bible?
    A Lesson From the Lilies – no need to worry
    In Bloom – In God’s perfect timing