Simon Says.....(But Christ said....Don't Do it) LUST

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV - Lust : "27 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

This is Cherilyn and I, on our 5 year anniversary, and boy do we look happy. We were on a ship on Lake Michigan enjoying food, each other and the beautiful scenery. We are now 10 years in the running, and we have both begun to feel the true rigors of marriage. We have many friends that have divorced because of growing apart, adultery, finances....etc. But we have persevered and it's been rough for us both at times, but GOD! Today scripture talks about lust & adultery, and the truth of it is, this is not just for married couple (this devotional today) it's for everyone that claims to have a relationship with GOD. We have ALL LUSTED (after men, women, cars, neighbors goods)& COMMITTED or ARE COMMITTING adultery according to Christ's standard. If we are all honest a glance has turned into a stare, that turned into a thought about. Maybe your bed looked and appeared much more comfy that the missions trip, or going out on Saturday night was more appealing then getting up Sunday morning....sure He understands.....He understands that He's not FIRST! Here's how you beat out the wandering or lustfilled eyes.....FOCUS! FOCUS on what you committed to, and vowed. FOCUS on what could happen if you don't. FOCUS enough on the other person to put yourself aside. This weekend Cherilyn and I will be going to the "Art of Marriage" conference at our church, not because we are perfect, but because WE NEED our FOCUSES shifted, and we need to be able to encourage others. Whether your relationship is with__________________ or GOD, we've all cheated in some shape, form or fashion.....let's STOP and see if this is the direction we really want to send our lives in, and make whatever changes necessary through praying GOD's grace and strength for us all to be the examples He created us to be.

it is LOVE GOD (enough to do the right thing) and LOVE PEOPLE (enough to do right thing) LGLP

Simon says....but CHRIST says LOVE & BLESS THEM

Luke 6:27-28 AMP : "But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [[a]in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred,
28Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God's blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]."

If you look close enough you will see a dirt road in the rt corner of the picture that I have termed in this particular photo the "hard walk." This was a road into the Tsilitza Village in Lilongwe. I called it hard because the road was unpaved, it was terrible terrain and even after 2miles you then came upon the actual community where you saw people living in extreme poverty and kids playing on broken dirt soccer fields but radiating from what appeared to be a depressing scene was JOY. The kids were laughing, playing and when they saw us they ran towards us embracing us with hugs an clothing us with a contagious laughter. Physically this was a hard walk much like this scriptural challenge Christ present to those who are called His disciples. Physically it is hard to LOVE people whose hearts are set against you. You can see their plans are to bring you down & humiliate you but Christ instructs us to love them & then bless them. WHY? Well first of all He created you & them, and like children you hate to see your kids fight. Second, you know we have an adversary, who wants nothing more than to see us kill each other, so if you can first see that Satan & selfishness is at the root of the disagreement you should be able to then move towards step 3. BLESS THEM; construct prayers that are loving that you see their needs and desire God fulfills them. DO something.....buy them lunch, grab their reports off the copier, ask them how___________ is doing, figure out ways to be a cold blooded assassin of hatred/malice. Like our walk if you take it in stride, knowing that JOY awaits you, it will be well worth it, for in the end GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED and you will be rewarded for your efforts!

Review: 1. Identify your sibling. 2. Recognize who has come between you and your sibling. 3. Do something (PRAY, BLESS, and kick SATAN's but by LOVING him away!)

It's all about LGLP!

Simon says....Oops JESUS SAID (Don't Kill...the person or their character)

Matthew 5:21-22 AMP : 21You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be [a]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court. 22But I say to you that everyone who continues to be [b]angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be [c]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be [d]liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You [e]cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be [f]liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire."

So just a few days ago a Black man was beaten, then ran over in Jackson, Mississippi by a group of teenagers, and long before they drove into town looking for a black citizen to exact their hatred in their hearts they has already committed the crime. Jesus took the commandments so serious that He wanted to communicate to us that killing was not just about ending someone's life physically but maliciously even speaking against them. I have a mutlitude of friends (probably more associates but that's not an option on Facebook) that span several races, political parties, economic backgrounds etc, and you know some of them say some ignorant things, never thinking about the feelings of others. When this is done we rest on our "Constitutional Rights" but do they wholly reflect the heart of this particular passage? I read clearly that anyone continuing to use the words (Raca) fool or idiot laced with anger & malice will be unable to escape the fires of hell. Think about how ofter such words have been used recently regarding our last two Presidents.

My Lord, may we truly be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath....for any other way ends terrible for us. LGLP

Instead of excercising our rights....let's excercise our priviledge to pray for whomever it is that is need www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFqGiHpIQJE

Simon...oops JESUS SAID (Come to me when)

Matthew 11:28-29 NLT : "28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

You know there is nothing as peaceful to me, as watching or holding your children while they sleep. I mean, I can remember times when Rajime or Tre (pictured here in a Dallas hotel) would be so zonked that they'd fall asleep in my arms and I couldn't help but become so relaxed with their state that I too would sink into a peaceful rest with them. I honestly believe that often what we experience as parents or caretakers of children are a smaller scaled version of what our Heavenly Father delights in. There's nothing like knowing your chidlren have not a care in the world, because they are safely resting in your arms. Nothing can harm them there, they are safest there.

Christ encourages those of us who are weary (physically or mentall exhausted; impatient or dissatisfied by a heavy burden) to come to Him. In the game Simon says, the whole goal is TO DO (only) what SIMON SAYS, if you don't you lose. In the game LIFE (for Christians especially) the goal is to do ONLY what JESUS says..... when we don't we lose. It's that simple like the game Simon says, if you are caught doing something other than what Simon says you are out. In the game of LIFE with CHRIST you are not out, your are just OUT OF LINE. He invites each of us daily, and even multiple times during the day to come to Him, not complain to others, but COME TO HIM so that in exchange for your exhaustion, dissatisfaction with life and it's circumstances so that He may give you rest. Give yourself a break today, and GO to Him, and rest in His arms.

I've include a song to help you get to the place where Christ wants those who need to rest: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr4XfAc1JBo

LGLP always

Simon Says....ooops JESUS said (Don't Do It)

Matthew 4:7: "Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God."

Pictured here are two of my three wonderful kids having a little fun at the St. Louis Zoo a few years ago. Rajime is is acting as if she is trying to keep the jaws of this beetle from crushing her little brother Tre who seems to have gotten between this oversized beetles jaws. Now why they are having fun, and this is totally make believe....life isn't. While God has blessed us to see, have, and live out this new day, it is filled with blessings, and Satan is up laying boobie traps. He even attempted to tempt our Savior and our Savior's response was simply " we are not to tempt/test God." In other words don't do "STOOPID" things to see if He will rescue you. Don't sign the contract knowing you haven't prayed about it, or feel led to commit to ________________ when God hasn't ok'd it. Don't purposely put yourself in harms way with poor choices and look to God to "bail you out." As my grandma used to say, don't go borrowing trouble......

Father God, bless us with the wisdom to make good choices today, and when and if we don't may your grace cover our human frailty as it has to this very day. LGLP

And the WINNER IS......(One Who Acted)

"Revelation 22:12 - Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit."

You know just looking at this bed makes me wanna just go to sleep, but my mom raised us to pray right before going to bed, and we'd get on our knees and utter the words.." Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake....." And inline with this scripture Jesus is saying to John I am coming and when I do I will have their wages and their reward with me according to each ones actions. Today is just about over, and I wonder what did we accomplish today? What we did accomplish what did it matter tomorrow or 10 years from now? If it won't have any impact at all was it even worth it? Another thing my grandma used to tell me " Only what you do for Christ, will last." And the older I get the truer that is. In Ephesians 1:14 we are reminded WHY HE died for us, and what is the right thing to do in return; praise and bring Him glory? Did you bring GOD any glory today? If you died before you wake.....would their be an eternal reward for your life? THAT's what TRUE WINNING is living for His glory! If you failed to do anything to give Him any Glory, make sure you give Him some praise before you close your eyes, for all He did for you today despite your shortcomings.

LGLP...See you Monday for a new series

And the Winner is.............(THE SHEEP)

Matthew 25:43-46 MSG - : "41-43'Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
44'Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
45'He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.'
46'Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

Pictured here...is couple of the guys from Ntcheu, who felt they needed to honor us (the Calvary Church Malawi Missions Team 2012) by sacrificing a goat to barbecue it for us. When you realize the resourcefulness of having a goat around and that they would kill one just to serve you meat, it humbles you to no end. Goats produce milk, which in turn you can get cheese & butter from. Goats help to dispose of waste because they eat EVERY DARN THING! No lawnmowers...so guess who eats all the grass? So killing 1 is a big deal. But that's not what our devotion is about....it's about ARE YOU WINNING? Are you the WINNER in the game of life. Jesus depicts people as either goats or sheep. Sheep are the winners...they know His voice. They are inherently stupid...(they make mistakes, the are easily misled, they are gentle, at their core pure hearted peace-loving animals.) Goats on the other hand are stubborn, they are mass consumers, they get into arguments, they are selfish, did I say they are stubborn, they don't herd well, and according to Jesus they are good for....hell (my emphasis). So which are you: at work? at church? in your marriage? in relationships? in your community? The sheep will have a eternal reward but the goats have an eternal doom?

Are you in line to recieve a eternal reward (WINNING) or eternal doom (LOSING)? LGLP