Have you been counting your blessings?

Bro. Scott Hopkins
Youth Pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church

Heirs of a Blessing

I work at a grocery store when I am not at church, and I see many people throughout the day! I hear about their days, some good, some bad. I see their kids and some aspects of their lives. Many of these people have a perspective on life that causes them to look at life in a negative way. Sometimes it saddens me when all hear about is how bad some of their lives are to them. I heard one lady say never have children as she was being bugged by her 6 year old, and she meant it. I have a gentleman come in almost every 3 days, and I am a little petrified to ask him how he is doing or about his day. He complains about something every time, and it becomes so disturbing to see someone constantly negative. The Bible says in I Peter 3:9 "Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing." God has promised us an inheritance of everlasting life! This life will be with our Saviour forever and forever. I realize that these people I meet are most likely not saved, but I find too many Christians that are the same way as the people that I meet in the checkout line at Publix. We as Christians are promised eternity in Heaven with Jesus and what we give for that many times is complaining. Why can't we look at life like Jesus wants us to and live it knowing we shall inherit a promise? Why Go about life in a negative outlook on our circumstances? God says we shall inherit a blessing. Let us live in the right attitude and spirit because we are going to inherit the ultimate blessing! What kind of blessings has God give YOU? If we look at just our daily lives we can find many blessings from the Lord, but what about our hourly lives? Can we see God bless us hourly? Yes, we can! God gives us each breath we take and allows us to sleep and eat. So everything in our lives are basically blessings from God! So, now the real question to help put your life into the right positive perspective.

Have you been counting your Blessings

Consistent Love

By Paul Chappell
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2014

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
Proverbs 17:17
In August of 2011 a terrorist rocket brought down a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan, killing thirty American troops. Among the dead was a Navy SEAL, Chief Petty Officer Jon Tumilson. His body was returned home to Rockford, Iowa, for the funeral. The service was held in a gymnasium, and the family brought Hawkeye, Tumilson's dog. The dog walked to the front where the casket was draped with an American flag and laid down beside it. Hawkeye did not move throughout the service, staying as close as he could to his master.
The world around us regards love, loyalty, and friendship as disposable commodities. Marriages come and go, friendships end over minor matters and the day when “a man's word was his bond” seems very far away. Yet God's plan is for commitment in every relationship. He expects us to be faithful, whether things are going well or going badly. There are few things more disappointing than finding out that someone on whom you were counting has let you down. Proverbs 25:19 says, “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.” That places a great responsibility on us any time we enter into a relationship. We must be willing to faithfully and consistently love the other person.
Changes in circumstances do not justify a failure of love. God does not love us because we are lovely, but because of His nature. Paul wrote, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In the same way, our love should not be based on what the other person does or does not do. Such love will never be consistent. Instead love should be built on the foundation of the commitments we have made and carried through in our lives.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

Be faithful and steadfast in loving your family, your friends, your church, and your God.

When Love Grows Cold

When Love Grows Cold
By: Paul Chappell
 
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
Matthew 24:9-12
The best way to determine what we love the most is not to listen, but rather to look. Most of us will say the “right things” when asked. We will say that we love God, love our churches, and love our families. But the way to truly determine love is to observe where we invest our time and energy. The things to which we give our lives are the things which we love most.
Love must be guarded and tended if it is to be kept alive. Just because we love God today does not mean that we will do so tomorrow. Jesus told us that in difficult circumstances many hearts will grow cold. We see this illustrated in an event from the life of Paul. The great missionary apostle traveled across the Roman Empire preaching the gospel. As a result of his efforts, he endured great hardship, suffered persecution, and would eventually be martyred. Throughout his travels Paul had a number of men who journeyed with him and helped him in the work.
Late in his life, when he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote his final epistle to his protégé Timothy. In it he asked Timothy to come to see him. “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia” (2 Timothy 4:10). Even though he was in the company of great Christians, Demas allowed his heart to grow cold toward God. As a result, he fell in love with the world, and his ministry ended.

Today’s Renewal Principle: 

Keep your heart warm toward God today, or tomorrow you may find it has grown cold.