"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 KJV.
You well know that if we want to have friends we must be friendly and the first thing we must do is be considerate of others..In the book of Colossians it says,
"12Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:12-17.
Boy sometimes that is hard to do, be humble and kind when we see and hear some of the things that are happening around us..but you know i have noticed that those who disregard the feelings and rights of others are the first to complain when their achievements go unnoticed..so we need to take time to consider the feelings and and regard the rights of others..
And then we must be concerned about others.. 1 John 3:17 says,
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?"
Too many people nowadays are self centered,and are overly concerned with their pains, and their problems, and caring only about themselves. dear friends i have been there . i have had my pity parties and then i realized that God is in control and He promised me his "grace was sufficient for all my needs" so i now have that peace that passeth all understanding deep down in my soul..Glory to God!!!..folk there ain't no eraser on God's pencil cause He don't make any mistakes..
We need to have concern for the needy and the unsaved and have compassion on the afflicted and comfort those who are discouraged and down hearted..you'd be surprised what a smile and a handshake or a hug will do for a persons spirit..
and we must work together in unity and harmony and not be quarreling and arguing over every thing that comes along..yes we should speak out when we see something is against God's will but we need to do it in a Christian way, with love. "And walk in love, as Christ hath also loved us, and hath given himself for us.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:1-2
"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"
Yes, now is the time for salvation for we know not what tomorrow might bring.. I got word today that a Pastor friend of mine's 19 year old daughter went to be with the Lord..we never know do we? are you ready? if you died tonight are you 100% sure you will be in heaven tomorrow? If not please accept him as your Lord and Saviour now..God bless you all andlet's singthis old hymn.
1. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.
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wayne
"There's room at the cross for you."
Excellent message brother, I have found that as we help others we realize just how greatly God has blessed us. This whole Jimmy situation makes me realize just how many blessings God has poured out to me, being raised by great loving parents, being able to provide for my family all of their real needs and still have the ability to help a young lad in need.
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The Tazman aka Martin Price
Proud father of a Devil Dog
Take Time For Others.
