Choosing to be Kind

Living our lives among unfriendly, unkind people is difficult, to say the least.

If certain people claim to be Christians, for us, it can be extremely hurtful.

Even so, We can choose to rise above their words and hurtful attitudes of us--the LORD is our comfort: He is our strength.

Colossians 3:12-17

..."So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."...

Ephesians 4:17-32

..."So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

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Those Who Live for Jesus...

-Chatfield 

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Isaiah 40:28-31

..."Do you not know? 

Have you not heard?

The Everlasting God, the Lord,

the Creator of the ends of the earth

does not become weary or tired.

His understanding is inscrutable.

 

He gives strength to the weary,

and to him who lacks might He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,

and vigorous young men stumble badly,

yet those who wait for the Lord

will gain strength; 

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

they will run and not get tired,

they will walk and not become weary."

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Husbands and Wives Should be Similar...

-The Yellowstone Yellow Bus

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 "The husband and wife should be similar to the hand and the eye.

When the hand hurts, the eyes should be crying.

And when the eyes cry, the hand should wipe away the tears."

-Christian, John Chrysostom

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Exhort, being Examples, Firm in Your Faith

-internet

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1 Peter 5

"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. 

Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen."

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God's Amazing Creation in Birds

--Thank you, Josh Atkinson, Marietta, Ohio

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Matthew 6:25-33

..."I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not worth much more than they?

And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

And why are you worried about clothing? 

Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? 

You of little faith!

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 

For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."...

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Do Not Allow Your Liberty to Be Given Up

-Chatfield

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"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

-Benjamin Franklin (1759)

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Strength to Overcome

-meme

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1 Peter 5:6-11

..."Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. 

Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen."...

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The Dangers of Self-righteousness

-P-40E Warhawk

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"Self-righteousness is the devil's masterpiece to make us think well of ourselves."

-Charles Haddon Spurgeon

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Luke 18:9-14

..."And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 

‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 

‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Praise the LORD!

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Tale of Two Artists

 -P-47D,1/48 scale, by Glenn; tole painted stool, by Jill; ~50 yrs ago

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"Marriage isn’t just about falling in love.

It’s about staying in love when life gets heavy.

It’s choosing the same person after long workdays, 

unpaid bill, misunderstandings, and moments 

when both of you are exhausted.

Real marriage is built in the ordinary days, 

not the perfect ones."

-Almost Said

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We must recognize God in Government

"Without God, there could be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. 

"Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first—the most basic—expression of Americanism. 

"Thus the Founding Fathers saw it, and thus, with God’s help, it will continue to be."

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

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"Keep Calm and Carry On in Your Car"

 -Yellowstone FB

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Beautiful animals, but 

respect their comfort zone, 

and your safety:

Stay in Your Car!

The signs are posted everywhere in Yellowstone and yet people choose poorly.

There are signs for us also:

2 Samuel 22:31-34

...“As for God, His way is blameless;

The word of the Lord is tested;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

“For who is God, besides the Lord?

And who is a rock, besides our God?

 

“God is my strong fortress;

And He sets the blameless in His way.

“He makes my feet like hinds’ feet,

And sets me on my high places."...

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Far Beneath the Bitter Snow...

 -internet

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"The Rose”

Some say, "Love. It is a river

That drowns the tender reed"

Some say, "Love. It is a razor

That leaves your soul to bleed"

Some say, "Love. It is a hunger

An endless aching need"

I say, "Love. It is a flower

And you its only seed"

It's the heart afraid of breaking

That never learns to dance

It's the dream afraid of waking

That never takes the chance

It's the one who won't be taken

Who cannot seem to give

And the soul afraid of dyin'

That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely

And the road has been too long

And you think that love is only

For the lucky and the strong

Just remember in the winter

Far beneath the bitter snow

Lies the seed that with the sun's love

In the spring becomes the rose.

-Amanda McBroom

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Good Ol' Ben

-meme

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Another year to live for the LORD and Glorify His Holy Name!

-Charles Schulz

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Partiality, Preferential Treatment, and Distinctions

Sharing Today's Alistair Begg Devotional--------with my own emphasis in colors:

Show No Partiality

"My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory."

James 2:1

A living faith is not only a listening faith but also a doing faith. True belief manifests itself in action—and, in some cases, in inaction. In other words, true faith is known not only by what it does but also by what it doesn’t do—for example, as James points out, by not showing partiality.

Partiality—the sin of treating people differently due to their outward appearance, status, or usefulness—was a clear and present danger in James’ day, and it remains so in our own. James was not condemning all acknowledgment of distinctions, or even preferential treatment for legitimate reasons. A young man who gives up his bus seat for an elderly woman is not running foul of James’ teaching! Rather, what James was making absolutely clear is this: external characteristics, and especially those that indicate wealth, in and of themselves do not mean that someone deserves honor.

This is the point of the illustration in James 2: if two men enter our gathering, one in fine clothing and the other in shabby, and the wealthy man gets the place of honor while the poor man gets shoved aside, then we are guilty of the sin of partiality. To give such preferential treatment to the wealthy would be to make “distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts” (v 4). God does not judge us by such distinctions, and so neither should we judge others in this way.

In His life and ministry, Jesus displayed how impartiality ought to look. He was willing to allow a woman of ill repute to weep over Him and for her tears to wash His feet (Luke 7:36-50). And He was just as prepared to call a rich man down from a tree to take Him to his house (19:1-10). Why? Because He knew that great wealth and worldly honor do not and cannot make someone more valuable in God’s eyes. He was well-acquainted with both the richest of riches and the lowest circumstances imaginable. In descending from heaven, exchanging honor for humility, Jesus set aside the glory which was His due in order to draw near to and save sinners like us—rich and poor alike.

When we grasp the wonder of this reality, we begin to see the true ugliness of judging others on the basis of the external and superficial. Partiality should have no place among the people of God because if we know God at all, it is because He dealt with us impartially. Be honest with yourself, then, and ask the Lord for the grace to see others in the way He does and to show others the mercy and grace He has shown you.

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---Thank you, Pastor Begg

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Virtue is not a Behavior

-Yellowstone FB

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"A virtuous person loves the right and the good. 

Virtue is not behavior, though it nearly always results in behavior. 

Actions are the outworking of a person’s virtue, which is cultivated into his or her character. 

Under this Christian ethical system, any given choice is a function of virtue."

-Battle For the American Mind, by Pete Hegseth with David Goodwin, pg.165

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Troubled Waters

-A. Begg

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Psalm 3:1-5

"O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!


Many are rising up against me.

Many are saying of my soul,


“There is no deliverance for him in God.” 

But You, O Lord, 

are a shield about me,


My glory, 

and the One who lifts my head.

I was crying to the Lord 

with my voice,


And He answered me 

from His holy mountain.

I lay down and slept;


I awoke, for the Lord sustains me."...

Isaiah 25:4-5

..."For You have been a defense for the helpless,

A defense for the needy in his distress,

A refuge from the storm, 

a shade from the heat;

For the breath of the ruthless

Is like a rain storm against a wall.

Like heat in drought, 

You subdue the uproar of aliens;

Like heat by the shadow of a cloud, 

the song of the ruthless is silenced."...

Matthew 5:11-12

Blessed are you when people insult you 

and persecute you, 

and falsely say all kinds of evil 

against you because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad, 

for your reward in heaven is great; 

for in the same way they persecuted 

Matthew 5:43-45

...“You have heard that it was said, 

‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 

But I say to you,

love your enemies and pray 

for those who persecute you, 

so that you may be sons 

of your Father who is in heaven; 

for He causes His sun to rise 

on the evil and the good, 

and sends rain on the righteous 

and the unrighteous."...

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The Lord is Honored by our Self-Sacrifice

-Iowa Back Road

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"When you see corruption 

being rewarded 

and honesty 

becoming a self-sacrifice, 

you may know

that your society is 

doomed."

-Ayn Rand

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"Cool!" for the Hot person!

-PLUGGERS

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When our prayers seem unanswered...

"Someday 

we will understand 

that God has a reason

 

behind every

"no" 

He gives us

 

through the course

 

of our lives. "

-unknown

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If God says no to our prayer, dear heart,

And the clouds hang heavy and dull and gray;

If the rough rocks hinder and block the way,

While the sharp winds pierce us and sting with cold;

Yet, dear, there is home at the journey's end,

And these are the trials the Father does send,

To draw us as sheep to His Heavenly fold,

If God says no to our prayer, dear heart.

-unknown

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Very Thoughtful Wise Words

-Iowa meme

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"Every heart has it's secret sorrows, 

which the world knows not,

and oftentimes we call a man cold,

when he is only sad."

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

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The Joys of Sewing!

-Internet meme 

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Season of Praise and Thankfulness

-Josh Atkinson, Marietta, Ohio

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"A Season 

not only 

of 

Rejoicing, 

but

 Reflection."

-Winston Churchill

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Wisdom from Winston

 -internet

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"WE MAKE A LIVING

BY WHAT WE GET,

WE MAKE A LIFE

  BY WHAT WE GIVE."

-Winston Churchill

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"The Expanse of the Heavens"

 -Alistair Begg

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Genesis 1:1,16-18

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...

God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.

God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good."...

Psalms 8:3

..."When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,

The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;"...

Psalms 19:1

"The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."...

Psalms 33:6

..."By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,

And by the breath of His mouth all their host."...

Psalms 147:4

..."He counts the number of the stars;

He gives names to all of them."...

Isaiah 40:26

..."Lift up your eyes on high

And see who has created these stars,

The One who leads forth their host by number,

He calls them all by name;

Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,

Not one of them is missing."...

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