He is All Things

 Rev. 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation reveals Christ in all of His glory. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things. “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.”(Col 1:17). He is our all in all. All things for every circumstance in life. We wake up in the morning and breathe in all that Jesus has given us. We go through our day and submit our will to the one who will work all things for good so that He will receive glory, honor and praise. We end our day with thanksgiving for all the things He has done and will do. He is worthy today and into eternity to be praised and glorified. Who can stand before Him and not bow the knee and worship Him? We worry about many things in life. He knows our frame, that we are weak and need Him to make the impossible happen. We can do all things through Christ, who gives us the power to do what is needed. In return, we give Him all the glory for all the things He has done and will do. We don’t have to wait till we get to heaven to cast ourselves before Him as John saw the 24 elders do. We live each day knowing that He is in control of all things in our lives, and we give Him praise. He is worthy as we lift our voices to Him in praise. We are His creation and worthy of our worship in word and deed.

Give it your Best

 Col. 3:23
Whatever you do, do it  heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 

We find similar admonition in the book of Ecclesiastes 9:10 from Solomon. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” The daily task of the day may not seem significant in light of a life-span or eternity, but our time on earth is given to us by God, and we are to be stewards of this time. “Whatever” is all inclusive, it means in everything we do we need to give it our best. This is the motto I have used to inspire my students over the years I taught. I did not expect my students to be perfect, or even always get the right answer, but I did expect them to give it their best effort. God has given most of us hands to work, and a job to do. Sometimes others may not appreciate the work we do and the effort we give. It may even go unnoticed by those around us, but the work we do is for the kingdom and for Christ. We may ask, “Why should I care, no one else seems to care.” But God sees our hearts and our desire to serve Him. We all desire the approbation of others and as human beings the need to be appreciated and needed. This is not wrong, but our ultimate motivation is to honor God and to do our best to please Him. Whatever lot God has given you, do it to the best of your ability and do it to glorify the Father in heaven.

An Honorable Life

1 Peter 2:12 “ having your way of life honest among the Gentiles, that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.”-

Life of honesty is a life living truthfully. A truthful life is an honorable life. We are ambassador for Christ, representing the Name of Jesus to the world that lives in darkness. The lifestyle we live is to honor God and glorify Him. We our now part of the royal priesthood, a child of God by adoption, and made an heir of His riches. The desire of a true believer is to honor His Father and to avoid anything that would dishonor Him. Peter instructs us to avoid fleshly lust or desires that war with the soul and fight against that which is holy. Flee from sin, and avoid the appearance of evil. We are to seek righteousness and holiness in our life. We are still human with many short comings, but our motive to live holy for God can always be pure. Satan hates God and will attack that which He loves. When we dishonor God by the way we live, Satan wins and we lose. Let us take heed that we seek always to honor God and live a honest life. 

Death of His Saints

Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”-

 It is the fate of all men to live and someday die. The passing of many in the last months brings the reality of death to the forefront to my daily thoughts. Michael, Maria, Doris Meeks, and word yesterday of Spamps mother passing away. The hope of those who live for Christ is that death is but portal into the presence of God. It is the end reward in life to be with Jesus in physical death. The Lord looks down and with great care, views the treasure of heart and extols the virtue of the soul to be of great value. His saint! The one that lives out their life to bring glory and honor to his name. He welcomes them with open arms and treasures His children through out eternity. 

Do it for Jesus

Col 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father by Him.”- 

It is not what we do that counts, but why we do it. No matter the deed and no matter how insignificant it may seem, if it is done out of a heart of mercy and kindness, then God is pleased. The acts that we do may not be seen of men and acknowledge, but God sees them and He will shower His blessings. Such is the life of a true believer. He will access what he does in light of what God desires. It is important that we examine our life to make sure that “whatsoever” we do in life that it will honor Christ and meet with His approval. 

Honoring Mothers

Proverbs 31: 1—15, 20-31
The recognition of honoring mothers goes back to ancient Greece history. Much celebration at this time was given over to idol worshipping of the goddess. During the 1600’s, England set aside a special day called “Mothering Sunday” this special celebration was recognize in very much the same way it is done today. President Wilson in 1914 officially proclaimed a national holiday to honor all mothers.
What does it mean to give honor? We live in a day where honor of any kind is a scares attribute. When a nation ceases to honor God and country, it has lost the respect to properly give honor where honor is due. As Christians, we are commanded to honor our mothers. Not because they are the “perfect mother” but, because they are God’s chosen to bare the seed of His creation. A Christian mother is a special gift that we especially need to take time to give our love and appreciation. A mother that fears God is always striving to be the best she can to see that her children live for God. In my mind, that is a “virtuous women” As mothers, fathers, and children, we strive not for perfection in behavior, but for obedience to the perfect will of God.
Christian Mothers:
M- maternal nurturing love to her children
• Protection of her offspring
• It is not normal to disregard and abuse
O- others come first
• Sacrifices her own needs- rising early to prepare for the day
• Making sure her own children have their needs met
T- thoughtful and considerate to others
• Bearing the fruits of the Spirit
• Always thinking how this will effect others
• Find ways to ease the burden for others
H- home is empty when mom is gone
• Her home is filled with joy and warmth
• A house without a mother’s touch remains just a house
E- everyone is a priority
• She loves her child equally- no favorites
R- Remember all those special occasions
• Hallmark could not stay in business
S- Serves God, family, and the church
• Idleness is far from her
• She fears the Lord and her life is centered around God.
• Her desire to see her children serve God
• Always praying for God’s will to be done
• Her children rise up to honor her