Do not judge

     A middle-aged couple who were recently saved attended our last church. During Sunday School someone asked them what their perception of Christians was before they were saved. Their answer was that Christians were judgmental. I wasn't surprised and often see us (as a whole) as being judgmental and self-righteous. 

     Don't be offended. I'm not saying that each of us is like that, but there are times when I do see a bit of the Pharisee mentality rear its ugly head. Most of the time it's when we mix "values" with politics. It's on both sides, too. I won't go into the issues. I just want to suggest that we need to look at ourselves from a non-believer's standpoint once in a while to see if we are being Christlike in our own lives while we're eagerly pointing out the sins of others.  As Jesus said, "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Matthew 7:5 NKJV

     Personally, to help keep myself from being (overly) judgmental, I remind myself of John 8:7...“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” It's really difficult not to pass judgment on people who are different than us, and it's really easy to get angry and hold a grudge. However, as Christians, we're called to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. (paraphrased; Mark 12:31)

     Today's Daily Bible Verse made me think about all of this.

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. 

Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. 

Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Luke 6:37 NKJV

He equipped us

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, 

the shepherds and teachers, 

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, 

for building up the body of Christ,

Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV

With your heart you believe

For with the heart 

one believes unto righteousness, 

and with the mouth 

confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:10 NKJV

Be a servant

Jesus was humble. He washed the feet of his disciples. Can you imagine that?! (John 13:4-5). There are times when I'm so full of pride and resist being a servant because I'm afraid it will make me appear weak. But, if Jesus, the Son of God can wash His disciple's feet, how could I possibly ever put myself above anyone? I can't. He calls us to serve. It's an honor and a privilege to serve.

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Take delight in the Lord

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 NKJV

Call to Me

‘Call to Me, 

and I will answer you, 

and show you great 

and mighty things, 

which you do not know.’

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

Peter is the rock

And I tell you, you are Peter, 

and on this rock I will build my church, 

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 ESV

Peter is the rock. Jesus is the Cornerstone. We are the church.

The Lord is Good

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:5 NKJV

Pray for the health of The Church

When I felt compelled to make this our constant prayer for the coming week, I thought it was for the health and growth of individual churches. My husband and I spent several months visiting (nearly) all of the area churches. We were looking for a good fit, but we didn't know what that looked like. We just went into each church with an open mind and an open heart. Our beliefs dictated a lot of our decision but unknowingly, God was directing us to a healthy church. Not to take anything away from the other churches because, like I said, we didn't know what we were looking for. We were also curious as to how other denominations did things, their beliefs, etc. Our community is definitely rich in churches; there aren't enough people in town to fill all of them.
As I was researching the subject for this week's topic of prayer, what I found could be applied to The Church, not just individual churches. "The Church" as a whole is in just as much trouble as the churches are. We are living in an ungodly world. This country was founded on Christian values and those values are in jeopardy.
So, what makes a healthy church?
A belief in what the Bible actually says; not a loose interpretation invented to give everyone a warm, fuzzy feeling. Our Bible is very straightforward. "You need to do this." "Don't do that." "These are the consequences."
A strong leadership structure - not just a Pastor. There need to be others to help and advise, Elders or Deacons or Shepherds. Just as Jethro suggested to Moses, there need to be many levels of responsibility. Not all of the burden can fall on one man. Our government is based on this model, businesses, families, so it only makes sense that our churches should follow the same model.
A healthy church should serve. We should serve each other, our communities, our world. This can be at any level. Each of us is called to serve. When we serve in unity, we can accomplish great deeds; individually, or in masse, we show the image of God when we serve.

These are the main attributes (that I was able to research) of a healthy church, whether it be a small country church or The Church. It doesn't matter if you have a congregation of ten or of hundreds or thousands, what matters is that you are doing what a church should do.

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:1-5

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the health and growth of The Church. Please ask God for guidance as to how to be Christ-like and an image bearer. Ask for guidance as to what you can do to help the Church be healthy. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Thanksgiving and gratitude

This past week has been a trying one. I'm not here to bemoan all of my small, petty problems, but more for the opportunity to share with you how easy it is to get bogged down. Last week started out in a positive way; I felt that I overcame a small situation at home and at work and was promoting that this is an excellent time for all of us to count our blessings as part of a prayer group (7th Hour Prayer Power). As the week wore on, another "bad thing" happened, and then another and another. I don't even remember what they all were, that's how insignificant my troubles are, but in the end, I let it all weigh me down. I'm very empathetic and so I take on others' bad feelings as well as my own and it's very easy to just say "chuck-it", curl up under my blankets and wait for the storm to pass.

I wish I could tell you that everything is great now and I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the world, but it doesn't work quite that way; what I can tell you is that on top of our daily praying focusing on the positive instead of the negative, today's sermon was about "gratitude". It was the icing on the cake. I'll share the link as soon as it's uploaded to iTunes but in the meantime, I wanted to share one part of it (paraphrasing of course)...
There was a man, Matthew Henry who was a well-known Bible commentator among other things. His journal was found after his death and one of the entries was about being robbed. I think most of us if we were robbed, and if we took the time to journal afterward would be complaining and angry and feel violated which is why this journal entry was so amazing. Matthew wrote what he was thankful for that day.
- he was thankful that he had never been robbed before this.
- he was thankful that the robber only took his money and not his life, and
- he was thankful that he was not the robber.

What an amazing illustration of being Christ-like, and what an extraordinary way to look at life. When something wrong happens, how much less it would affect us if we only took some extra time (& strength) to look at it differently, to see that there is good with every bad. A young man at work tends to get the brunt of my "venting" because he's so calming and easy to talk to. No matter what I throw at him he always shrugs his shoulders and says "it could've been worse." What can you say to that except "yeah, you're right"?
No matter what happens, try not to let it crush you. One great way to do that is to count your blessings. I've counted mine and they are numerous and I am full of gratitude. My Father takes care of me, comforts me, and listens to me. I am thankful.

Chronological Reading Plan Week 5

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 5
29. Genesis 48-50
30. Exodus 1-3
31. Exodus 4-6
32. Exodus 7-9
33. Exodus 10-12
34. Exodus 13-15
35. Exodus 16-18

Honor God with your body

Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. We need to remember that our bodies are temples which house the Holy Spirit. If we keep that in mind and take care of our bodies and our Spirit, think how well we will shine as those made in His image!

For you were bought at a price; 

therefore glorify God in your body 

and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV

Do not be anxious

This is one of my favorite passages for when I'm feeling anxious, worrying about some problem that will most likely never occur, but it's also a great passage to remind us that God takes care of our every need. We have so much to be thankful for.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:30-33 ESV

The light of the world

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “

I am the light of the world. 

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, 

but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 NKJV

God will supply every need of yours

And my God will supply every need of yours 

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

We have so much to be thankful for! Rejoice in the Lord's blessings!

God of patience and comfort

Now may the God of patience and comfort 

grant you to be like-minded toward one another, 

according to Christ Jesus,

Romans 15:5 NKJV

Your wonderful deeds

To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David. 
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; 
I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. 
I will be glad and exult in You; 
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2 ESV

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4 NKJV

Be thankful with your whole heart

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;

I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

Psalm 9:1 NKJV

Happy Thanksgiving

Please add to your prayers today for those who are suffering mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Today can be a difficult time for many. Those who are spending their first Thanksgiving without a loved one, either because of death, divorce, or distance. Those who are spending this day with family members who are abusive in some way (including emotionally and verbally). Those who are pushing the limits of their physical, emotional, mental abilities in order to spend time with friends and family. Those who are spending this day alone for whatever reason. Pray for this day to be a day of healing and let us bring the peace and calm to the day's festivities as we are His image bearers. Allow others to see our joy that results from knowing Him and trusting in Him. Meditate on your prayers of praise and thanksgiving. When we focus on His blessings, our mood and disposition emanate and emulate the love of Jesus to everyone around us.

And 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 dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing 

one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:15-17 ESV

Please follow along with our prayer group where we come together with one voice during the 7:00 hour to pray for the people around us. Please join with us this week as we give thanks to our Lord and Saviour.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

instagram @archadia27

facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Honor and praise

O Lord, You are my God.

I will exalt You,

I will praise Your name,

For You have done wonderful things;

Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

Isaiah 25:1 (NKJV)

When you've had a bad day

There are times when we don't feel thankful, when we bemoan our lot in life or feel defeated after a bad day. It's easy during those times to pray only for our own needs and not give thanks, not praise Him, and not think of others' needs. During those difficult times, we maybe pray very little, put off reading His Word, maybe even pull away from our church family. It seems to snowball very quickly which makes the initial reason we turned away even more difficult to handle.
That's what happened to me in the early 1980's. The snowball effect was so great that I forgot about Jesus all together and tried to go it alone. For nearly 30 years I tried to handle everything by myself and those 30 years were the worst of my life.
I can tell you from experience that no matter how bad things get, without Jesus the burden is unbearable, but WITH Jesus, all things are possible and He will never give you more than you can bear. He is there for you to give Him all of your problems, worries, struggles. If you pray, He will listen and He will answer. When things are at their worst, it just means you need to be even more fervent in your prayer life, giving thanks for what is good in your life, counting your blessings, praising Him. Be in the Word, be in fellowship with other Christians.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

Please follow along with our prayer group where we come together with one voice during the 7:00 hour to pray for the people around us. Please join with us this week as we give thanks to our Lord and Saviour.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

instagram @archadia27

facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

I will lift up my hands

"Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name." 

Psalms 63:4 NKJV

Giving thanks daily

I saw this post on Facebook last month and it has stuck with me ever since. I once heard a sermon where the Pastor preached on this; he said we shouldn't just thank God for what He provides, or for His many blessings, but we should thank Him for specific things. The same is true when we ask for forgiveness for our sins; don't just make it a general blanket statement, but confess our actual individual sins. I did it for a while following the sermon, but got lazy within a short period of time and went back to those blanket statements, until I saw this. This made me stop and go, "Whoa!" (yeah, I really said the word "whoa".) With the multitude of blessings the Lord gives me on a daily basis and everything he provides for me to exist in this world, the very least I can do is thank Him personally, and specifically for as many as I can think of on a daily basis. When something happens that He helps me with, I thank Him then and there; no sense in waiting until "prayer time." This week of Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start this habit or continue it, as part of our daily, unified prayer.

Please follow along with our prayer group where we come together with one voice during the 7:00 hour to pray for the people around us. Please join with us this week as we give thanks to our Lord and Saviour.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

instagram @archadia27

facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Chronological Reading Plan Week 4

Chronological Reading Plan

Week 4
22. Genesis 30-31
23. Genesis 32-34
24. Genesis 35-37
25. Genesis 38-40
26. Genesis 41-42
27. Genesis 43-45
28. Genesis 46-47

How To Grow A Writer

   Last Sunday I went to Books & Co. at The Greene to hear Fredrick Marion, founder of DaytonLit.com, speak  about "7 Secrets to Unlocking Your Writing Potential." This was just one of a series of informative talks offered by Antioch Writers' Workshop. I learned so much and felt inspired and motivated to get back to writing on a daily basis.
   Fred began by telling the story of a man who wanted to make his fortune at a young age so that he could spend the rest of adulthood living the writer’s life. But, then, of course, life happened and things didn’t go according to his original plan. Unfortunately, I was late to the talk and only grasped a small part of the story, but it turned out that Fred was really telling his story (and I believe it’s a dream that many of us shared at one time or another).
   He illustrated “How to Grow a Writer” by handing out a small packet of pumpkin seeds to each of us. I love what was on the envelope:

“Contents: 1 Repressed Writer. Needs space, food, time 2 grow.” 

   On the other side, he wrote that the seed was a “fairytale pumpkin” seed. I still love fairytales even though I sadly don’t believe in them anymore.

Fairytale Pumpkin

   Fred had several wonderful quotes from a diversified pool of writers. A couple of my favorites were:
“If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." from the Gospel of Thomas, part of the Gnostic Gospels.
Another quote was by Ellen Degeneres:
“Never follow anyone else's path, unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path. Then by all means follow that path.”
   There were many more, all equally poignant, some funny, some deep, but all relevant to the daunting task we who write (or attempt to write) face every single day.

Fred’s 7 Secrets are:
1. Define what it means to be a successful writer. Success is defined differently for each person and for each act.
2. Know your goal.
3. Genre = Freedom
4. Set itsy bitsy teenie weenie goals (this was the most helpful advice to me, personally and has helped me crawl out of a seemingly, somewhat nasty bout of writer’s block).
5. Ideas + Work Ethic > Writing Ability
6. Learn the “story formula” desire - conflict - resolution
7. Give your seed time, food, and space to grow.

   Be sure to sign up for Fred’s weekly newsletter at DaytonLit.com. I always look forward to reading it. He’s a talented and inspirational writer who will show you the world through a different lens. The added bonus is that the newsletter has a list of upcoming, local literary events. Additionally, check out the Antioch Writers' Workshop’s website so you don’t miss any upcoming opportunities to learn from established writers. The next free mini-workshop will be in January. I hope to see you there!

Respect and honor

"Give to everyone what you owe them: 

If you owe taxes, pay taxes; 

if revenue, then revenue; 

if respect, then respect; 

if honor, then honor."

Rom 13:7 NIV

Let's give our veterans and those who are currently serving our country the respect and honor they deserve. When you meet someone who serves or has served, thank them for their time and sacrifices, for fighting for our freedom. Pray for them. Pray that they heal from any negative feelings, memories that haunt them. Often those that survive feel guilty that they live when so many of their friends didn't make it. Let them know we're thankful that they're here with us and that they have our respect and gratitude.

Thankful for our Veterans

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." 

John 15:13
Even though Jesus was speaking of Himself in that quote, it is what our military does for all of us. Spending only one day a year to honor them and thank them isn't nearly enough.

There was a man who worked somewhere near our office twenty-plus years ago who had vanity plates that said Iwo Jima (or some variation of letters, but you knew what it was saying). I didn't know any better back then, but now I wish I would have sought him out and at least shook his hand. I wish I would have told him "thank you". My grandpa, dad, and late husband were all very knowledgeable about the wars. I would watch the movies with them, and I visited a lot of museums, but I never did any sort of personal gesture.

Since remarrying, I've watched my husband go out of his way to acknowledge the veterans he comes in contact with. If he sees one at a restaurant, he'll secretly pay for the veteran's meal, or if he meets one on a street, he'll at least stop the soldier, tell him "thank you," and shake his hand.  These are just small, easy things to do, but how many of us do this? Where would we be without these brave men and women? By even just acknowledging them, you're letting someone know that they are seen, recognized, noticed.

Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for our veterans and active military soldiers. Please ask God for guidance as to how to honor these men and women; ask for the unsaved soldiers to receive salvation, and ask that any residual effects from the wars leave them so that they may enjoy the rest of their lives in peace.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Chronological Reading Plan Week 3

Chronological Bible Reading

Week Three
15. Job 40-42
16. Genesis 12-15
17. Genesis 16-18
18. Genesis 19-21
19. Genesis 22-24
20. Genesis 25-26
21. Genesis 27-29

Discuss and share

As iron sharpens iron,

So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

Discuss important matters such as: theology, current events, arts and science. In sharing, we foster meaningful friendships. In knowledge, we build character. Both will increase our peace and joy as it makes us better image bearers of Christ.

Corinthians’ Repentance

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, 

let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 

perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)

The greatest sacrifice

"so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. 

To those who eagerly wait for Him 

He will appear a second time, 

apart from sin, for salvation." 

Hebrews 9:28 (NKJV)

Grace and truth

Pure joy

My brethren, count it all joy when 

you fall into various trials,  

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1:2-3 (NKJV)

Hate crimes and compassion

   When I was praying, asking God for direction as to who to pray for this week, I came across an article about a Jewish nurse who treated the suspect of the Tree of Life Synagogue. The nurse's name is Ari Mahler and he chose to show the suspect compassion, saying that he didn't see evil in the suspect's eyes, just confusion.
   I'm ashamed to say that I don't think I could do that. When Christians were being murdered, no - when they were being executed and the executions were being broadcasted, I was angry. I wasn't just angry with those who did this, but with everyone who shared their faith, even though the perpetrators had twisted the beliefs of their religion to include executing non-believers of their faith.
   Forgiveness is a huge part of Christianity, and I sometimes struggle with it. We're to love our neighbors as ourselves, ("our neighbors" meaning everyone). I try to do both of these, even when it's extremely difficult because I believe it is paramount if we are to ever put an end to crimes of hate.

Please join me in praying for the Tree of Life Synagogue victims and their families. Please pray to end hate and hate crimes.

Consider following along with our prayer group where we come together with one voice during the 7:00 hour to pray for the people around us. Please join with us this week as we pray for the victims of hate crimes.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

The path of the wind

As you do not know what is the way of the wind,

Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,

So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NKJV)

Chronological Reading Plan Week 2

Chronological Bible Reading

Week Two
8. Job 17-20
9. Job 21-23
10. Job 24-28
11. Job 29-31
12. Job 32-34
13. Job 35-37
14. Job 38-39

The Scriptures will be fulfilled

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” Matthew 26:52-54 ESV

Walk with the wise - not with fools

This verse evoked so many events from my youth (not that any of MY friends are fools, lol). Standing at the top of Taylorsville Dam, staring down the snow-covered hill, intertube in hand, my friends encouraging me. I did it, and it was fun, but I injured my wrist, and the really foolish thing was I kept on intertubing, I guess to see if I couldn't get hurt a little more. I was so accident prone as a child (okay, if I'm being honest - I'm still accident prone) yet I loved adventure and trying new things. Maybe this was a bad example, but you get it.

He who walks with wise men will be wise,

But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

Proverbs 13:20 (NKJV)

God's Kingdom

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will

set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, 

nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. 

It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and 

bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,

Daniel 2:44 ESV 

Hallelujah and PRAISE THE LORD for this promise!!!

True humility

By humility and the fear of the Lord

Are riches and honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4 (NKJV)

Only justice you shall follow

Our government has a duty to us:

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 ESV 

Why am I discouraged?

Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 42:11 (NKJV)

Kingship Belongs to the Lord

For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations. 

(Psalm 22:28 ESV)

Please follow along with our prayer group where we come together with one voice during the 7:00 hour to pray for the people around us. Please join with us this week as we pray for all levels of our government.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

instagram @archadia27

facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power