Changed Point of View

How you live life is emphatically impacted by how you view life. This blog is dedicated to challenging and changing the way you view life and changing your point of view.

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So thankful for people who find a way to be involved in ministry. Last week ladies in the church sent baked goods and now 75 cupcakes were homemade and provided for the Released Time students from R.C. Edwards today @pleasanthillbaptistsbc #rcedwards #pcreleasedtime #thankyou (at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church)

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Letters from students inb#rcedwards #releasedtime thanking the church for the opportunity to learn from the Word of God. #touched #encouraged #praiseGod (at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church)

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“For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” Psalm 25:11 #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc #forgivenesswillsetyoufree

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O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth forever. - Psalm 136:3 #apsalmaday #givethanks #pleasanthillsbc

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Praise ye the LORD. Praise he the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. #apsalmaday #praisehim #pleasanthillsbc

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Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. - Psalm 51:8 #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc #rejoiceinallthings

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Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. - Psalm 66:16 #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc #testify

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This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD. #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc #reminders

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For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? - Psalm 56:13 #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc #heisable

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For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. - Psalm 36:9 #apsalmaday #heisthelightoftheworld #pleasanthillsbc

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Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. - psalm 37:1 #apsalmaday #pleasanthillsbc

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I will sing of MERCY and JUDGEMENT: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. Psalm 101:1 #apsalmaday #truthbomb #faithfulandtrue

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Happy 16th anniversary to my love, my rock, my encouragment, my best friend. Words will never do justice to what we have. God knew what He was doing when he brought us together. One would think that after 16 years of marriage, I would be able to put into words exactly what you mean to me...but the words escape me because the love I have for you, and what you mean to me is above and beyond any explanation. I will will always remember the day you walked across that room. I will never forget how I was rendered speechless (imagine that) when I first tried to talk to you. I will never forget the day you surprised me by showing up at my birthday party. I will never forget those words at the playground of my apartment complex. I will always remember the day I asked and you said yes, and how I was afraid I would drop the ring off of the cliff because I was so nervous. I will always remember how you looked the day the door opened and you walked down the Aisle of the church. I will forever be grateful that you said I do, in front of family, friends, and God. I don't understand how you have put up with me and my flaws and faults over these 16 years, but I am forever blessed because you haveYou are the love of my life, the Godliest woman I have ever known, and the greatest mother our children could have. Everyone who knows you is blessed because they know you. You are my balance, my encourager, and my forever partner. You are the most beautful and gracious part of my life. I love you forever...I promise, promise.

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#truthbomb #jesussaves #christislord

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Jesus, His love, sacrifice, and salvation He offers is the answer.

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A Personal Complaint

Constant griping and complaining is never Biblical, spiritual, or Wise.  In fact it is the opposite of what a believer and follower of Christ should be doing.  

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. - Philippians 4:4

More and more in todays world it is seen or heard: Complaining.  

We complain about the weather, we complain about our jobs, we complain about the news, and we complain about politics.  We complain about our family, our friends, and our neighbors.  We complain about what eat, where we eat it at, and those that serve us what we are eating.  We complain in person, in private, and on every form of social media that we can get our hands on.  Sometimes it seems there are some people who don’t seem to have time for anything else but complaining.  

The problem is that constant complaining is a poison that infects, and damages the complainer and anyone else who takes the time to listen to it.  

Think about it:  A person who constantly complains almost always has a negative outlook on life.  Nothing is ever right, good, or at least, good enough.  Someone is always doing you wrong, doing you dirty, or out to get you.  

God does not intend for you to live that way.  God does not want you to view life that way.  The Bible says “Rejoice always!”  Nearly 200 times there is an admonition to rejoice in scripture!  Obviously God knew the importance of rejoicing while living this journey called life.  God knew that there would be times we would be tempted to grumble and complain.  But, He also knows that if you “count your blessings and name them one by one” it would lead to rejoicing to the point where you have no time nor see the need to complain.  

Paul tells us here in Philippians to Rejoice always.  The admonition is to let your life be marked and filled with rejoicing.  Now, before you say, “Paul doesn’t know what I am going through” you should know that Paul was giving this admonition while he was in prison.  

Paul had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, mocked, and imprisoned.  He would later give his life as a martyr for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Yet, he encourages us to rejoice always.

Paul knew what we must remember:  We can always rejoice, no matter our circumstances, because of the Love of God, because of Christ’s sacrifice and redemptive work, and because God will never leave us.  When we weigh our slights, and difficulties in the light of His love, it will always lead us to rejoice.  

Rejoicing despite your troubles leads to joy.  Joy changes your perspective on life and leads to happiness.  Happiness and joy are infectious and will impact others for the good instead of impacting them for the bad.  

People want to be around a joyful, happy, positive people.  People want to talk to you when you are pleasant and fun to be around.  People will listen to you and why you are so joyful.  That is when you can make a difference and share why you are rejoicing...so that they can rejoice as well. 

Realize the love of Christ, and rejoice today! 

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Tell the True Story

O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: 

You with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free;  

For not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. - Psalm 44:1-3

It seems that there is something lacking in today’s culture.  I suppose there are many things lacking but this morning as I read these verses I realized that there is a lacking of the art of story telling.  I don’t mean making up of stories and spinning fabrications, but rather there has been a loss of the passing down from one generation to the next of how things used to be.  

My grandmother may be the best story teller I have ever met.  She could entertain me for hours as a child (still could as an adult) as she told of how things were when she grew up.  The way she could paint a picture of her time as a child, and even her adult life were fascinating to me.  That ability seems to share the truth of history seems to be missing today. 

But aside from loss of entertainment value of hearing a good story of days past, is the loss of learning the truth of God’s wondrous working in peoples lives.   

The Psalmist here in this passage is writing a song of praise for the Fathers who passed on to the next generation the true stories of what God had done, how he had miraculously acted, and guided, protected, and defended Israel.  Without these facts being shared with the next generation, people may have come to the conclusion that it was man, or men who had done the miraculous.  Or they may have come to the conclusion that God was not active in their lives. Perhaps they might even have not considered God and his power at all!

Oh fellow Christian, how we must never forget to share with others, especially the younger generation, what God has done through the ages.  Our children and grandchildren must be told of God’s wonderful love, power, and grace!  They must learn that it is God that has the power to save, change lives, mend wounds and diseases, and defend against all trouble.  

We must tell them of the past and shed light on the truth of the past and the present.  That it is an almighty God to whom we can look to, call on, and trust.  Because he not only did the redemptive work of the cross, but is alive and working in lives today!

Won’t you tell the true story to someone today?  If not who will tell?