Where the Streets Have No Name
Watch this video as you read these scriptures. This helped my perspective today. It reminded me of where we are going and whose glory we are seeking- the Lords.
Mat 6:19-21 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
Rev 21:21 " The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass."
Isa 60:19 "No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory."
Mat 13:44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field."
Rev 21:3-7 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." And the One sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then He said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." And He also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be My children."
James 1:12 "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
Colossians 3:2 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
A Call To Love
It can be so hard to deal with people some times. People can ignore and disrespect you. They can choose to not follow directions, and affect others in a negative way. They can pour on the insults. It can be frustrating when others won’t listen. What do we do?
Whether it’s someone in authority or someone under our supervision, it doesn’t matter because the way we handle things is the same.
• First, we must choose to follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me." We need to ask our self if the battle is worth waging and if so, why. Are we out for our own interest? Are we seeking God's will and plans? Are we choosing to build others up in this?
• Secondly, we need to remember that we are Christ ambassadors and people are watching us to see how we react. Of course we will mess up sometimes, but God has declared us holy and righteous. Are we taking up the cross with harsh or gentle words? Are we teaching with our actions? James 2:17 "So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." So our declaration of Jesus as our Lord is to be demonstrated thru our words and actions. This is probably the most difficult thing to do as a follower of Jesus when hard times or difficult people come around. (I am still working on this.)
• Thirdly, we are to walk a life of love. Ephesians 5:1-2 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Sometimes we have not had great examples in our life of “living a life filled with love”. So thankfully Jesus gave us an example to show us the way to forgive, extend mercy and grace. We can look to the cross for the perfect form of love and God's Word will tell us truth about how to do it.
• Lastly, never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 "Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit." We can have plans for our lives and plans for our kids. Things may not turn out the way we would like. It can be so hard to accept a different way. But God doesn't want us to stop praying for those we love and those we feel are our enemies. We are to keep on striving to love everyone, no matter the circumstances.
Colossians 3:14-15 "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."
Lord, I pray that we would remember to be on our knees, looking up at You to be our everything. Anything else will not fill us up or strengthen us the way you do. Please fill us with Your love and grace for all people.
Whether it’s someone in authority or someone under our supervision, it doesn’t matter because the way we handle things is the same.
• First, we must choose to follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me." We need to ask our self if the battle is worth waging and if so, why. Are we out for our own interest? Are we seeking God's will and plans? Are we choosing to build others up in this?
• Secondly, we need to remember that we are Christ ambassadors and people are watching us to see how we react. Of course we will mess up sometimes, but God has declared us holy and righteous. Are we taking up the cross with harsh or gentle words? Are we teaching with our actions? James 2:17 "So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." So our declaration of Jesus as our Lord is to be demonstrated thru our words and actions. This is probably the most difficult thing to do as a follower of Jesus when hard times or difficult people come around. (I am still working on this.)
• Thirdly, we are to walk a life of love. Ephesians 5:1-2 "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Sometimes we have not had great examples in our life of “living a life filled with love”. So thankfully Jesus gave us an example to show us the way to forgive, extend mercy and grace. We can look to the cross for the perfect form of love and God's Word will tell us truth about how to do it.
• Lastly, never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-19 "Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit." We can have plans for our lives and plans for our kids. Things may not turn out the way we would like. It can be so hard to accept a different way. But God doesn't want us to stop praying for those we love and those we feel are our enemies. We are to keep on striving to love everyone, no matter the circumstances.
Colossians 3:14-15 "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."
Lord, I pray that we would remember to be on our knees, looking up at You to be our everything. Anything else will not fill us up or strengthen us the way you do. Please fill us with Your love and grace for all people.
Philosophy vs The Bible
Act 17:11 "The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true."
This verse is talking about the Bereans who kept their minds open to hear the things of God. They did not just rely on Paul’s words or their own feelings; they chose to compare everything to God’s word.
There are so many philosophies out there today. Talk shows hosts, commentators and different religions will all have their own way to address issues like abortion, homosexuality, drinking, who God really is and materialism. There are false teachers/pastors that will tell people just what they want to hear which leads to not following God's plans for order and peace. That is why we live in a place of chaos. Pride and sin play roles in this and Satan loves to prey on our character flaws. He is at work today to destroy and cause division.
Some pastors teach that you don’t have enough faith if you don’t get what you want. Isn’t this leaving out things like; 2 Corinthians 12:10 “That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” And Matthew 8:20 But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head." False teachers tell people to name it and claim it. Isn't it more important to seek the will of God then go after our own? He is there to help us pull through whatever hardships we face.
God's ways are the truth. We live for His will to be done, His Kingdom to come. God has great plans and purposes for all of us. Colossians 1:16b “Everything was created through Him and for Him.” The sooner we realize that, the easier it will be to let go of the worlds ways, counterfeit happiness, and serve our Lord Jesus.
People may try to explain their way to greed or sin and justify it according to their own thoughts. They may claim they don’t need saving because they are good people. But the Word of God would say different. Romans 3:23-24 tell us that “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins." God also says in Romans 8:1 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."
So let’s be like the Bereans, and not rely on our own understandings or a preacher. If we are Christ followers, the best way to know what God says is to read His book, the Bible. It's not just for collecting dust on a shelf. So which will it be…Philosophy or the Bible? Which source makes more sense to go to for advice?
Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Lord I pray that whoever reads this would understand how valuable Your Word is and how it will arm us for the battles of this world. I pray that we would all fall in love with your Word more and more each day.
This verse is talking about the Bereans who kept their minds open to hear the things of God. They did not just rely on Paul’s words or their own feelings; they chose to compare everything to God’s word.
There are so many philosophies out there today. Talk shows hosts, commentators and different religions will all have their own way to address issues like abortion, homosexuality, drinking, who God really is and materialism. There are false teachers/pastors that will tell people just what they want to hear which leads to not following God's plans for order and peace. That is why we live in a place of chaos. Pride and sin play roles in this and Satan loves to prey on our character flaws. He is at work today to destroy and cause division.
Some pastors teach that you don’t have enough faith if you don’t get what you want. Isn’t this leaving out things like; 2 Corinthians 12:10 “That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” And Matthew 8:20 But Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head." False teachers tell people to name it and claim it. Isn't it more important to seek the will of God then go after our own? He is there to help us pull through whatever hardships we face.
God's ways are the truth. We live for His will to be done, His Kingdom to come. God has great plans and purposes for all of us. Colossians 1:16b “Everything was created through Him and for Him.” The sooner we realize that, the easier it will be to let go of the worlds ways, counterfeit happiness, and serve our Lord Jesus.
People may try to explain their way to greed or sin and justify it according to their own thoughts. They may claim they don’t need saving because they are good people. But the Word of God would say different. Romans 3:23-24 tell us that “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins." God also says in Romans 8:1 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."
So let’s be like the Bereans, and not rely on our own understandings or a preacher. If we are Christ followers, the best way to know what God says is to read His book, the Bible. It's not just for collecting dust on a shelf. So which will it be…Philosophy or the Bible? Which source makes more sense to go to for advice?
Ephesians 6:12 “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Lord I pray that whoever reads this would understand how valuable Your Word is and how it will arm us for the battles of this world. I pray that we would all fall in love with your Word more and more each day.
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