REIGN OVER

Scripture:

Genesis 1:28
(NLT)

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful
and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign
over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and
all the animals that scurry along the ground.” (NLT)

Reflection:

"Reign over" What does God mean to "Reign over"?
He means to have absolute authority and control
over it.  I honestly believe God has the ultimate rule
over earth, and lucky for us, He exercises His authority
with loving care.  So when God delegated some of His
authority to us, the human race.  He expects us to take
responsibility for the environment and the other creatures
that share our planet. So we must not be careless and
wasteful as we fulfill His charge.  God was very careful
in how he made this earh,  WE MUST NOT be careless
in how we take care of it.

PK
­­­

THORNS

Thorns assert themselves. They protrude outward
and prick anyone who comes near them. A rose,
on the other hand, is soft and gentle. It spends its
life opening up, offering those who come close a
gift of beautiful fragrance and a pleasing sight.
The rose and the thorn are two visual aids for
understanding what it means to be a person of
kindness or a self-centered individual. Selfishness
is closed to others, sharp, and ugly. Kindness is
open to others, giving, and beautiful.

We live in a world where selfishness reigns.
People are far more focused on what they can
get than on what they can give. In this
me-centered world, life can get a little thorny,
people are pricked and bleed. Our mission is to
be “the rose among the thorns,” to be a bastion
of kindness in a sea of selfishness and a true
reflection of God’s love. We need to offer hugs
and smiles, food and warmth. We need to give
generously and love passionately.

NOTHING IN THE WORLD IS MORE
BEAUTIFUL THAN THAT!

REFLECTION ON HIM

Scripture:

“Praise him, sun and moon;
Praise him, all you shining stars.”
Psalm 148:3

Reflection:

In my daily devotions, I have been reading a great
deal about Praising God.  This is one of the
greatest themes in the Bible.  Praising God is an
act of worship.  

We generally think that praising God means
saying or singing something. However, there
is another, perhaps even more powerful, way
to praise our Creator — by being a creation
that reflects His glory. When we are kind,
people learn that God is kind. When we are
compassionate, we teach that God is
compassionate. Everything we do — the good
and the bad — is a reflection of the One who
made us.

When we reflect God’s goodness to others,
we become His greatest praise.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

REBEL

God is always calling us back to him

Have you ever rebelled against God?

"My wayward children," says the Lord, "come back to
me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."
Jeremiah 3:22 NLT

"When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and
miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night
your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength
evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I
confessed all my sins to you and you stopped trying to
hide them. I said to myself, 'I will confess my rebellion
to the Lord.' And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone."
Psalm 32:3-5 NLT

"Create in me a new heart, O God. Renew a right spirit
within me... Restore to me again the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you."
Psalm 41:10,12

A tug-of-war with God

The rebel rejects the expectations, rules, and power of
the organization or individual holding authority.

Rebellion can be good, as when we rebel against unjust or
sinful societal pressure.

Rebellion is like a great tug-of-war; the authority figure holds
one end of the rope while the rebel pulls on the other. The
picture changes dramatically if we imagine the rebel's feet
being mired in quicksand. Such is rebellion against God.
God pulls on the rope, not to ruin our lives, but to lead us
toward safe footing.

From the TouchPoint Bible with commentary by Ron Beers
and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale) p 1257.

WAR

(to all those who think violence is the
answer or the way to get the answer)

Scripture:

 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not
evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy
right cheek, turn to him the other also.
(Matthew 5: 39)

."War, rather than any foreign state, is the
supreme enemy of country and mankind.
One day citizens will covet for this nation
the prestige of being the first to escape the
shackles of war."

Jessie Wallace Hughan
Founder of the War Resisters League
(1876-1955)

LET US STAND FOR PEACE NOT WAR
LET US REALIZE ITS NOT IMPORTANT
TO BE NUMBER ONE BUT BE THE ONE
FOR PEACE!!!!!

TREASURES OF THE HEART

Scripture:
Matthew 6:16-21

Reflection:

During the third-century persecutions Emperor Decius
ordered the looting of the churches. The Roman magistrate
gave St. Laurence, a deacon to the Church of Rome, three
days to bring all their riches into the church. Laurence
used the time to prayerfully inquire of the Lord what riches
to gather. The magistrate returned on the third day to find
the church filled with the poor, the lame, orphans, and
widows. "These," Laurence said, pointing to the destitute
people around him, "are the riches of the Church." No truer
words were ever spoken, but the magistrate was not
amused. He had Laurence roasted on a spit. The personal
lesson in this story is that a believer’s true riches will
always be the things Jesus holds most dear to his heart.
When you make choices that fulfill God's purposes-
whether with money, time, or in some other form of
obedience-you are making eternal investments that store
up, in Jesus name, treasures in heaven.

THERE IS NO HIGHER CALLING!

Prayer
:
Lord Jesus, even you came not to be served, but to serve,
and to lay your life down for others. Help me to see where
I can serve another today in your name.  Amen

(The Covenant Home Alter, Daily Devotions, Tom Eisenman)

A PERFECT TIME

This week is the perfect time to focus on saying
less and doing more. Surprise someone with a
thoughtful gift or do a random act of kindness
spontaneously. Show up at the home of someone
who’s lonely, or make an unsolicited gift to a charity.

"MY ONE PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO GLORIFY GOD
AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER!"