Shalom, welcome to October 3^rd


><//>--------------------Thought for the Day

How do I talk with new prospective believers? Am I always trying to dominate the conversation? Do I lay down the law and tell prospects what they will have to do? Do I judge them privately and feel that they have a small chance of making it with the Lord’s way of life? Do I belittle them to myself? Or am I willing to bare my soul so as to get them talking about themselves? And, then, am I willing to be a good listener, not interrupting, but hearing them out to the end? Do I feel deeply that they are my brothers or my sisters?

Will I do all I can to help them along the path to Salvation?


><//>--------------------Meditation for the Day

Blessed Assurance

Be still and know that I am God. Only when the soul attains this calm can there be true work done, and mind and soul and body be strong to conquer and to bear.

   The Peace is the work of righteousness – living the right life, living with Me. Quietness and assurance follow.

   Assurance is the calm born of a deep certainty in Me, in My Promises, in My Power to save and keep. Gain this calm, and at all costs keep this calm. Rest in Me. Live in Me. Calm, quiet, assured – at Peace.


><//>--------------------Prayer for the Day

Father, we pray that we may attain a state of true calmness. I pray that we may live in quietness and peace. Amen.


A Disciple’s Reflections – Inner Peace, Quiet, and Calm.

Beloved, words like Serenity, Peace, Quiet, and Calm sounded so beautiful to me when I first began to consider having them added to my life. I had no idea that it would be so painstaking and disorienting to attain them. Nor did I ever believe I would have to acquire a taste for them and come to appreciate them over time.

Allow me to share, beloved, from my own experience in adding these essential qualities to my life.  I believe all may be able to relate and be blessed.

One would think that something like quiet, the absence of sound, would come easy. But, alas, as many of us have learned, it doesn’t!

Upon being blessed with the Holy Spirit and the conviction of Sin, I was also made aware of my sorry state. You see, beloved, I have what is known as an addictive personality.  Now, I know I’m not alone, since we all suffer from this disorder, but I’m sure many of us have heard this infamous phrase, “Some of us are sicker than others.”

This simply means that we each have deep and differing sensitivities in certain areas of our lives. As for me, I’m easily addictive in some areas of my life. I’m prone to obsess in my areas of weakness, and then I find compulsive thinking turns quickly into compulsive behavior, no longer under the control of my unaided will.  In this state, I am powerless to help myself with the use of will power alone and I need the help of our Savior.  I need His help in this life now and not only in the next life later.

This is also a condition that God explains to us in the Bible as the "bondage to sin".  Yes, dearest, believers can remain in bondage to sin, though the confining gates have been swung wide open by our Lord, unless we diligently seek the power and help of Messiah, the Christ, to be delivered from this condition.

We all have unhelpful behavior to concern ourselves with as we work out our salvation in Messiah, and this is one of mine. The real problem is breaking free from those harmful behaviors and attitudes that have gotten deeply embedded within me while being of no harm at all to someone else. 

For example; I live alone, and it has just become a matter of habit to turn the television on when I get home. Perhaps it’s just that other voice in the room, I don’t know. Well, the other day I made a conscious decision to leave the TV off and experience the peace, calm, and quiet the Lord was talking about.  Well, the experience was horrible.

Apparently, I’ve gotten myself so addicted to noise and disturbance that I can’t even appreciate quiet without getting real jumpy and edgy or noisy within, like a heroine addict needing a fix.

I have been addicted to passion (excessive emotion); therefore I wasn't able to enjoy or appreciate peace. I have been addicted to excitement; therefore I wasn't unable to relish the calm, and I've been addicted to sound, so I couldn't even enjoy quiet on too much of a steady basis.

I can not begin to tell you how much these things have controlled my mind and behavior to the opposition of Christ. All these that I have mentioned are purely self-serving and have kept me from Jesus, and obeying God as He deserves. I could not be a true friend or a worthy servant unto Yeshua, Jesus, unless this is dealt with, nor could I love with the purity that brings success in relationships with others.

I've had to experience an emotional and spiritual detoxification as any drug addict would experience in becoming free of these things. A cleansing of my emotional and spiritual system of these unseen feelings that have such a great cost and absolutely are of no benefit at all is absolutely necessary if one is to serve the Lord.  This is one of the reasons our Messiah went off to the wilderness to be tested in these very areas just prior to the beginning of His amazing ministry.

The world's noises are most often parasites and leeches that steal our thinking and living power that could best be used for God and for our loved ones. I’ve been through this process once before with alcohol and drugs, so I’m no stranger to the process. I do know this though, that so often this has been the reason I would be unable to just sit still, read the Bible, pray in the Lord, and just keep Him company.

I believe with all my heart, that with our unaided will, we cannot do this on our own. We do believe that God would and could help us to victory if we seek Him, and leave in His able Hands our will and our lives. As always, our past, present, and future, and all that we are or ever will be are His to do with as He pleases. These are Steps One, Two, and Three – done as well as a mere human can.

Now, beloved, with my television off, and draping myself in my newfound peace, calm, and quiet in the Lord, I shall prayerfully pick up my favorite book and rest. “In the beginning…"


Our Own Faults are More Than Enough

[Jesus said]: "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?"
– Luke 6:41 (NKJV)

If there is one thing we humans are good at... it is criticism. We can find the faults in just about anybody at anytime. Even the smallest details cannot escape our notice. And yet, we scarcely find a thing wrong with our own lives or ourselves. Many times we cannot relate to the person's circumstances to which we criticize. Simply put, we are prone to make judgments without all the facts. If we could just walk in the other person's shoes, we would have a clearer understanding of their personal challenges. Oft times, compassion for the struggles of others is absent when criticisms are hurled.

Of course, the real danger is that pesky ole plank in our own eyes. Be assured that the old adage, "what goes around, comes around" is a true statement indeed. And the best way to avoid the trap is to carefully consider our words and actions before passing judgment or leveling criticism. There is a proper time and place for constructive criticism, but there is no place for the kind of criticism that is judgmental. Remember that by the same measure we choose to judge others, it will be measured back to us. It is so easy to get caught in judgment’s snare. Let us be on our guard so that we may avoid this trap today and thank God for His abundant grace!

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." – Matthew 7:1-2 (NKJV)


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Please have a blessed day, be hopeful, be encouraged, and know you are not alone.

“God Calling” compiled by A. J. Russell.
"Twenty-Four Hours A Day" Hazelton – adapted.
Greg Candelaria writes My Own Faults Are More Than Enough.
Barry Gray writes A Disciple’s Reflections.