Relationships

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (NLT) -John 15:13
Helping a friend in need may be just a simple act of kindness, but the importance here is about relationships. We don’t necessarily think about “maintaining” relationships but rather directing our time to things that matter to us. Take a break from your busy life and think of a starving relationship you can feed. It could blossom into something so beautiful only God could have touched it.
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A SOBERING SCRIPTURE

“In the same way you judge others, you will be judged.” Mt 7:2 NIV

Here’s a sobering Scripture: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (v. 1 NIV). Jesus was hard on the religionists of His day because they spent their time nit-picking. They condemned the disciples for not washing their hands, and Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Consider Jesus’ response: “You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me” (Jn 8:15-16 NIV). So here are some questions you need to answer: “Do I judge others based on their actions, and judge myself based on my intentions? When someone’s behavior doesn’t reflect a choice or decision you’d have made, are you quick to comment? When people don’t move at your pace or do something the way you want it done, do you peg them as lazy and worthless? When you hear something negative about somebody, do you repeat it before checking to see if there’s any truth in it?” Ben Franklin said, “I resolve to speak ill of no man…not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of every body.” If you’ve a genuine concern for someone who’s going in the wrong direction and have earned the right to address it, do it in the spirit of love. And remember, you earn that right by consistently demonstrating love and care for them.

Jonah 2:9 Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul “dead in trespasses and sins,” and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both “Alpha and Omega.” “Salvation is of the Lord.” If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord’s strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God’s Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God’s chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: “Salvation is of the Lord.”

Living Our Faith

Get two bulls for us. Let Baal’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God.

Then all the people said, “What you say is good.” — 1 Kings 18:23–24

The portion for this week is which means “when you raise upfrom Exodus 30:11—34:35, and the is from 1 Kings 18:20

This week’s Haftorah portion is one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible. It takes place during the time of Elijah the prophet when the rulers of Israel were the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Not only did they worship idols and encouraged idolatry throughout the land of Israel, they also had murdered God’s true prophets. Their influence was powerful, and most of Israel had fallen into idolatry.

Elijah decided that enough was enough, so he invited Ahab’s prophets to partake in a showdown between the idol Baal and the God of Israel. The plan was for the prophets of Baal and Elijah to each prepare an offering on Mount Carmel and then call upon their god to light the fire and consume the offering. Whichever god answered would determine the true god of Israel.

Needless to say, the prophets of Baal did not succeed. They sang, danced, screamed, and cut themselves, but nothing happened. Elijah drenched his offering in water and then called out to God. In a flash, a fire came down from heaven, consuming the offering, the water, and everything around it! The people were convinced and immediately proclaimed: “The LORD – he is God!” (1 Kings 18:39).

Most of the time, when we read this passage, the focus is on the people’s faith. After reading the story, we reflect on the amazing display of God’s sovereignty and marvel at the clarity and faith that the people witnessing this miracle must have experienced. However, let’s focus on a different angle of the story — not on the faith of the people, but on the faith of Elijah. Think about the faith Elijah must have had to set up this contest and trust God to come through for him with miracles!

Elijah’s demonstration of faith is perhaps even more remarkable than the faith of the people. In Judaism, there are two words that roughly express the idea of faith: emunah and bitachon. There is a profound difference between the two: emunah is believing in God and that He runs the world; bitachon is acting in accordance with that belief. For example, a butcher who believes that his earnings all come from God has emunah. However, if he panics when a competitor opens up down the street, then he is lacking bitachonBitachon means living out the belief that God will come through for us every time. That’s the kind of faith that Elijah exhibited.

This week, let’s challenge ourselves to live our faith like Elijah – not just in abstract ideas, but in concrete actions, feelings, and emotions. Let’s take our faith to a higher level and know unshakably that God is in control and that we have nothing to fear.