Life is hard for most people

(J. R. Miller, "Counsel and Help" 1907)

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,

bearing with one another in love."

Ephesians 4:2

We should train ourselves to such regard, to such respect for others, that we shall never hurt the heart of one of God's creatures, even by a disdainful look!

Our love ought also to be patient. Our neighbor may have his faults—but we are taught to bear with one another's infirmities. If we knew the story of men's lives, the hidden loads and burdens which they are often carrying, the unhealed sore in their heart—we would have most gentle patience with them. Life is hard for most people; certainly hard enough without our adding to its burdens by our censoriousness, our unkindness, our jeering and contempt.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

There Must Be A Difference

(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Matthew" 1856)

"You are the salt of the earth." Matthew 5:13

"You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14

Surely, if words mean anything, we are meant to learn from these two figures, that there must be something marked, distinct, and peculiar about our character, if we are true Christians.

It will never do to idle through life, thinking and living like others, if we mean to be owned by Christ as His people.

Have we grace? Then it must be seen.

Have we the Spirit? Then there must be fruit.

Have we any saving religion? Then there must be a difference of habits, tastes, and turn of mind, between us and those who think only of the world.

It is perfectly clear that true Christianity is something more, than being baptized and going to church.

Daily Supplies

(Thomas Vincent, "Love to the Unseen Christ")

Such as are very wealthy, are greatly loved by the poor and indigent—if they find them also to have large hearts and open hands—ready to distribute unto their needs and necessities.

Consider Christ's fullness and all-sufficiency. None have such fullness and plenty as the Lord Jesus Christ—and none are so willing to give unto the needs of such as are poor in spirit, and sensible of their need.

"It has pleased the Father, that in Him all fullness should dwell!" Colossians 1:19. There is not only fullness in Him—but all fullness! Not the fullness of the cistern—but the fullness of the fountain! Not the fullness only of sufficiency for Himself—but the fullness of redundancy for His people! Not some fullness for some good things—but all fullness for all good things! Not fullness for some time, and to continue but for awhile—but all fullness dwells in Him, and abides for all His people throughout all generations!

Christians have need of daily supplies of Christ's grace. They have need of Christ . . .
when they are dark—to enlighten them;
when they are deadened—to quicken them;
when they are straitened—to enlarge them;
when they are weak—to strengthen them;
when they are sad—to comfort them;
when they are tempted—to support them;
when they are fallen—to raise them;
when they are in doubts—to resolve them;
when they are under fears—to encourage them;
when they stagger—to establish them;
when they wander—to restore them!
None but Christ can do all this—and more than this, for them!

You are empty—Christ is full!
You are poor—Christ is rich!
You are indigent—Christ is all-sufficient!

Christians, will not you love Christ—who is able to do for you beyond what you are able to ask or think; and is as willing as He is able to supply all your spiritual necessities? Will you not love Christ—who is an overflowing and everflowing fountain of goodness; who has inexhaustible treasures of graces and comforts in Him, which are set open before you, and unto you—and every day you may freely come and fetch such jewels out of His treasury as are of higher worth, and of greater use, than any earthly riches!

True Friendship Is None of that Sissy Stuff

So I get this in my inbox today from BF Jennie in Kansas City . . . (thanks so much; just had to pass it along to the rest of the posse and all other members of the Sisterhood out there in bloggerland) --

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good,
But never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.
You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card-
Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will jump on the person who made you sad
like a spider monkey.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay away from me until you are well
again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsiness.

Attitude

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head.

“Well,” she said, “I think I'll braid my hair today.” So she did and she had a wonderful day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head.

“Hmm,” she said, 'I think I'll part my hair down the middle today.” So she did and she had a grand day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. “Well,” she said, “today, I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and she had a terrific day.

The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. “Yea!” she exclaimed. “I don't have to fix my hair today!'


Attitude is everything.

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Live simply,

Love generously,

Care deeply,

Speak kindly.

Spiritual Growth

O Thou most high,

In the way of thy appointment I am waiting for thee,
My desire is to thy name,
My mind to remembrance of thee.

I am a sinner, but not insensible of my state.

My iniquities are great and numberless,
but thou art adequate to my relief,
for thou art rich in mercy;
the blood of thy Son can cleanse from all sin;
the agency of thy Spirit can subdue my most powerful lusts.

Give me a tender, wakeful conscience that can smite and torment me when I sin.

May I be consistent in conversation and conduct,
the same alone as in company,
in prosperity and adversity,
accepting all thy commandments as right,
and hating every false way.

May I never be satisfied with my present spiritual progress,
but to faith add virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity.

May I never neglect what is necessary to constitute Christian character,
and needful to complete it.

May I cultivate the expedient,
develop the lovely, adorn the gospel,
recommend the religion of Jesus,
accommodate myself to thy providence.

Keep me from sinking or sinning in the evil day;
Help me to carry into ordinary life portions of divine truth
and use them on suitable occasions, so that
its doctrines may inform,
its warnings caution,
its rules guide,
its promises comfort me.

from The Valley of Vision

A Timely Word from Rick Ezell

One Minute Uplift
Your weekly one minute inspiration from Rick Ezell
02-21-08

What Does Sabbath Mean?
By Rick Ezell

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Ex. 20:8 NIV).

Rest and relaxation are not optional. Rest was never meant to be a luxury, but a necessity for growth, maturity, and health. Rest is so important that God included it in the Ten Commandments. We do not rest because our work is done; we rest because God commanded it and created us to have a need for it. The Sabbath was made for man because God knows that our physical, emotional, and spiritual well being demands periodic breaks. The old proverb is true, "If you don't come apart, you will come apart."

The Sabbath reminds us that life has a rhythm. When you listen to an orchestra, all the parts work together in harmony. The music has balance and rhythm. Without rhythm, the music is awkward and out of sync. It just doesn't flow right.

Have you ever felt as if your life isn't flowing right, as if you've lost the rhythm? To have rhythm in your life, four ingredients are necessary: rest, worship, play, and work. Too many of us change and reverse these ingredients and end up with work, work, work, and perhaps a little play. Gordon Dahl wrote, "Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play, and to play at their worship. As a result, their meanings and values are distorted. Their relationships disintegrate faster than they can keep them in repair, and their lifestyles resemble a cast of characters in search of a plot." Or to keep with our metaphor, their lifestyles resemble a song in dire need of rhythm.

The Sabbath renews our reverence of God. "And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy" (Gen. 2:3 NIV). The Sabbath is a holy day because it is God's.

This usually raises some questions like these: "Does that mean it's all right to watch television on Sunday? Is it all right to go to a ballgame on Sunday? Can we eat out, read the newspaper, play softball, or go grocery shopping on Sunday?" Those are good questions. The only thing wrong with them is that you have asked the wrong person. It's not my day. It's the Lord's Day. Ask him, "Lord, how can I honor you on this day?"

The word holy literally means set apart. Let me encourage you to set apart one day a week as a Sabbath to reverence God and rest your bodies. When you do, you not only gain a physical and emotional benefit, but a spiritual benefit as well.

The Sabbath renews our reliance on God. The Sabbath is a testimony of trust. Perhaps one reason we hurry so much, has little to do with poor time management or economic necessity, as much as it does with faith in God. Perhaps we simply do not believe that God will be true to his word. Perhaps we are not confident that God will take care of our needs.

There's the story of the two birds perched high above a busy city watching all the people busily scurrying from one activity to another. The Robin said to the Sparrow, "Why do those humans scurry to and fro?" "Perhaps," said the Sparrow, "they do not realize they have a heavenly Father like ours that cares for them so."

The Sabbath restores our souls. Do you remember snow days? As a child, when it snowed, you would get up in the morning and immediately turn on the radio to see if school was going to be closed, and when it was canceled, you rejoiced. You had a free day, completely unplanned, in which you could do anything you wanted. It was a gift.

We need to create our own snow days, or at least some snow time. We need blocks of time on a regular basis to recharge our souls, or as the Africans would say, to let our souls catch up with our bodies, in order to remain free of burnout and breakdown. That time, that snow day, is the Sabbath.

The Sabbath is a day of remembrance. The Sabbath is more than simply resting our bodies. It's greater than merely restoring our souls. It's higher than recharging our minds. The Sabbath is foremost a day of remembering God's role in our lives. Remembering, worshipping, and resting are acts of contemplation. Yet in the midst of our busyness, we are starved for contemplation. We need that time to remember what God has done for us in our lives. First and foremost, the price he paid for our salvation, and then every good and perfect gift that comes from the Father. Let's remember him.

Rest is not just a psychological convenience; it is a spiritual and biological necessity. "Remember the Sabbath" is more than simply a lifestyle suggestion. It is a commandment, an ethical precept as serious as prohibitions against killing, stealing, and lying. To forget it is dangerous-personally, morally, and socially.

Copyright 2005 Rick Ezell
About the Author
Dr. Rick Ezell is a husband, father, author, pastor, consultant, coach, conference leader, and communicator. Rick has a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Master of Theology in Preaching from Southern Baptist Seminary. He has published over 450 articles and sermons in various Christian publications. While authoring six books he has served over twenty years in pastoral ministry. Rick, Cindy, and Bailey currently reside in Greer, South Carolina.
www.rickezell.net