Posted by Pastor Bruce on June 21, 2010
Remember something called “manners”? It used to be taught in homes and schools.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. (1Co 13:4-5 AMP)
Acting rude or unmannerly is a sure sign of no love and selfishness because love has manners and is not rude. To learn manners and practice them shows how much of the love of God you are allowing to flow through you. Can you imagine Jesus being rude? Do you think that He would continue to dominate a conversation and never let the other person speak? Would Jesus bump into you and never say, “excuse me…”? Would He borrow something and never return it or promise to call you and never follow through? Would He continue to talk to you after you have let Him know that you have another appointment to get to and that you need to go?
Rude is acting in any way that is inconsiderate. To have manners and act mannerly means to consider others before you speak or act. Be sensitive to those around you by thinking of them first. Your manners can open a door that you can use to tell someone about Jesus. Powerful stuff! Commit to the Lord to be a person of impeccable manners.
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Filed Under: love
Posted by Pastor Bruce on May 20, 2010
How many things do you love? Or better yet, how many things do you ”SAY” that you love?
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]. 1 John 4:7 AMP
God is love and love comes from (or springs from) God. Without God there is no love. These are absolutes, this is THE TRUTH from the Word of God.
We have weakened the power of love by our nonchalant and overuse use of the word “LOVE”. We love chocolate, cars, vacation, starbuck’s coffee, walking on the beach, sunsets, ice cream, sports teams, (and the list goes on and on)…
We say that we love things that do not have the ability to love us back. Because we use the word love so much we do not have a handle on what we really do love.
The Word of God says that we should love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and strength! (every part of our being!) He is to be Lord and Master of our universe. Then He tells us that we should love people (our neighbor, our brothers, spouse, children, family, friends, co-workers and everyone). People have the ability to love us back. (sidenote: we do not love those that only love us back but everyone that we come in contact with)
We should check up on the way that we use the word LOVE and make sure that we are not overusing it. Instead we should say “like” when we are speaking of an object that we appreciate. Guard your affections and make sure that you are only loving God and people. Begin to use the word love with a new sensitivity of the power in love and new awareness that only God and other people are worth your full affection, attention and admiration!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on March 3, 2010
How do you know when you have changed?
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him – Col. 3:9-10 NKJV
OLD MAN vs. NEW MAN…you choose.
We have the responsibility to walk (live) according to the Word of God and act like Jesus. We can say that we are “trying”…but how hard are we trying?
To grow up into Jesus is to change the way that we act, think and speak. We have the power (and the responsibility) to change for ourselves. No one can make you change and no one can change for you. You decide when and if you are going to change.
Our disadvantage is that we live in a society of convenience where we do the least amount possible and expect the greatest result. We want all the shortcuts and we want them right now!
Real and lasting change is not based on convenience, it is based on the how much of the Word of God we are putting to practice in our lives. We must determine that we will do whatever the Word says for us to do as quickly as we see it in the Word! To change we have to change, period. How much have you changed lately?
Posted by Pastor Bruce on March 2, 2010
Eating your words is not a fun thing to do.
Proverbs 29:20
(AMP) Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a [self-confident] fool than for him.
(BBE) Have you seen a man who is quick with his tongue? There is more hope for a foolish man than for him.
(CEV) There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
(GW) Have you met a person who is quick to answer? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
(NKJV) Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
One problem that everyone of us deals with is OUR TONGUE. The book of James talks a lot about the power of the tongue and the fact that what we say will direct our lives. (Read James for a great source of help in this area!)
We should practice the discipline of thinking before speaking but in a lot of instances we are way too quick to speak without thinking. Someone said, “make sure that your words are sweet because you will eat them”, and this is true.
If you have been too hasty to speak in the past just determine today that you will begin to “bite your tongue” (for the count of 10) before you say anything. Instead of talking so much learn how to ask other people questions and listen to what they say. Learning how to listen is the cure for talking too much. Don’t be a fool, hold your peace, bite your tongue and enjoy the results.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 11, 2010
Examine your words…it is the best self examination that we can perform.
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. – Matt 12:33-35
The old saying that “you are what you eat” is true in the natural sense but also in the soul and spiritual sense. The things that you are consuming all day long with your eyes and ears are forming what you believe in your heart and will eventually come out of your mouth.
If you want to locate where someone is spiritually just listen to them speak for about 5 minutes. Your words tell where your heart is. Take a whole day and do half the amount of talking and just listen to the words that you use. Are they filled with faith or with doubt? Are they filled with fear and criticism and love and kindness?
If you find that you are not speaking what you should be speaking then change what you are feeding on. Turn off the negative news and put more of the Word of God in you. Dwell in His Word and let His Words dwell in you…then you will begin to hear great things proceed from your heart and mouth! Words that will bless and heal…words that will attract people to Jesus and not to yourself. Good in, good out…
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 25, 2010
Need healing?
and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. – Luke 5:15
And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases – Luke 6:17
It is time to hear…when you need healing… Hear the words of Jesus the Healer! Most people put more faith in the words of the doctor than they do the One who created them. (and it only produces fear, dread, doubt and unbelief)
Quit listening to the doctor as final authority and begin to read, listen and meditate on the words of Jesus! Proverbs 4 says that the words of God are life to those that find them and health to all of our flesh. Time to feed on the word when you are in need of healing…more than the medicine that the “experts” have prescribed.
Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God and faith is what is needed when you are believing God for what seems impossible. With God all things are possible…to them that believe.
Hear the Words of Jesus on healing. Believe. Allow those words to fill your mind and heal your body!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 20, 2010
When you speak you give yourself away.
…How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. – Matthew 12:34-36 AMP
These were Jesus words to the religious leaders of the day. This was in response to their accusation that He was casting out demons because He had a demon. Their words gave voice to what was in their heart.
All you must do in order to locate people is let them talk for about 5 minutes. If their words are filled with hate, fear, doubt, criticism and pride then it is evident what is in their heart.
(But to hear what someone has to say you must let them talk. This “exercise” also helps us develop the all important skill of listening.) The more that you begin to listen to people the more aware you are of the words that you are speaking, then naturally you begin to judge your heart and words to make sure that they line up to God’s Word.
Your heart and mouth are connected. It is useless to use the excuse, “Yeah, I said that but I really didn’t mean it…” Change what is in our heart and the words that are coming out of our mouths will change.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 13, 2010
Weak enough to crumble or strong enough to stand…it’s our choice!
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. – Matthew 7:24-27 KJV
It does not depend on God whether our house stands or falls in the storm…It depends on us. He wants our house (life) to stand always. He created us to stand but we have to choose to do one thing in order for His will to be done in our life. We have to choose to do the Word…the sayings of Jesus.
One great thing stands in the way of doing what Jesus said. Most people do not know what Jesus said. They have not studied to show themselves approved unto God… If you are not sure what Jesus did when He was on the earth how can you begin to ask WWJD – what would Jesus do? It all begins by finding out what Jesus did while He was on the earth. You find out what Jesus did and what He said from the Word of God. Begin digging deep today.
Join us as we read a chapter a day from the New Testament and find out what Jesus said and did.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on December 23, 2009
Mary said it and it is worth us saying it too – “my soul magnifies the Lord!”
And Mary said, My soul magnifies and extols the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, – Luke 1:46-47 AMP
To magnify the Lord is to “declare great” or “enlarge”. When we magnify the Lord we are enlarging Him in our lives. (He already is the largest being in the universe!) But when we begin to look at His size and lift Him up in our life by declaring Him great and making a big deal about Him, then He is magnified!
“God is greater” is an absolute statement. If you ask “God is greater than what?”, the response is always, “God is greater than all!” The creator is always greater than the creation. He reigns over all. Declaring His greatness in your life causes all things to be put in proper perspective. Everything bows it’s knee to the Name above all names – Jesus! And when we magnify Him and lift up the Name of Jesus, everything in our lives begins to bow it’s knee.
Magnifying the Lord is a powerful act of faith! It is worshipping the Lord to the highest degree and declaring Him Lord over all. We have the awesome privilege of declaring the greatness of God! Let’s do it today!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on November 30, 2009
Can’t never could.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13 NKJV
We were created to be DO-ers and not quitters. The key is allowing God to empower you. Waiting on Him until you are empowered with His strength. Getting so full of His Words that the word “can’t” will not exit our mouth! Every time a thought from the enemy comes that says, “you can’t” we answer with “according to the Word of God in Philippians 4:13 – I CAN do all things through CHRIST and His strength in me…Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 15:57)”
He has made us to win! But we must win over our mouth before we will experience the victory that He has provided us. The book of James teaches us that when we control our tongue that we will control the course of our lives.
Never again should you allow yourself to say “I CAN’T”. Instead replace it with God’s Word for you today – “I CAN – through the strength that Jesus gives me!”
