Friends / Mrs Chandra Horton

Mrs Chandra Horton

Pastor's Wife

Faith Independent Baptist Church

Sevoy, TX

Friends

It always amazes me how small the Christian world can be! You can meet someone for the first time and begin talking and realize you both know someone in common. I always think that is so fun! I think it is because of this we ladies are able to find friends so easily.  We all need friends or even need that one friend for what you are going through. How do we make friends? 

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18.24 

Don't be afraid to be friendly! Have you ever seen a lady from a distance and thought to yourself, "I could see us being friends!"? Go talk to her! Be friendly to her and start that friendship!!

We all need that friend that calls and checks on us and you on them! A friendship that goes both ways. I have had friendships where I was not invested and the only time I talked to them was when they contacted me first. I am sure we have all done that. Be the friend that calls or texts! Don't always wait on someone else. And be there in the good and the bad. There may be times where we have no clue what to say or do, just he there. Sometimes  all we need is a listening ear!

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 17:17 

Also, be smart about your friends! If your friends are not helping you to grow closer to the Lord, are they pulling you down? Do they encourage you or discourage you? We can be influenced by what our friends say and do and it is a place where we need to be on guard!!

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
Proverbs 27:17

If you have one of those friends that calls, texts or even after going for a while without seeing and talking to one another you can pick right up where you left off. A friend that is there for you no matter what hard times you may face. A friend that encourages your walk with the Lord, then you should thank the Lord for these friends and pray that you can be the right kind of friend to her as well!!

Praise the Lord for Friction! / Mrs Terri Cannon

Mrs Terri Cannon

Pastor's Wife

Hope Baptist Church 

Bettensdorf, IA

Praise the Lord for Friction! 

If the mountain was smooth, you couldn’t climb it.

I am going to make a confession to you, my friends. You may want to sit down because this is going to be shocking. Are you ready? This is it. Too often, I grumble when I’m talking to my Lord. I have faced some incredible obstacles in my life. We all have had our fair share but sometimes, I think I’ve had WAY more than my fair share and I gripe to God about it.

I know! You are stunned! Take a minute and gather yourself before we go on.

Ok. Whew. If you’re still with me, you must not judge me too harshly. I was doing this the other day. It went something like this, “Lord, why does everything have to be so hard?! Why does it feel like I’m constantly fighting against things? Could something just be smooth without any opposition for once?”

And the Lord answered me. No, He didn’t whisper in my ear. He didn’t impress a great truth upon my heart. He spoke through the sweet 5-year-old granddaughter sitting next me.

Her name is Lesli and she is a kindred science nerd with her Nana (me). She often gives me lectures. Last night, I listened to a 5-minute lecture on punctuation, particularly the exclamation point and its use.

But this day, I’m sitting there silently grumbling and asking God why things just can’t be smooth and Lesli pipes up, “Nana, I need to tell you about friction.” I’m thick-headed and I didn’t make the immediate connection. She continued on, “Friction makes thing hard to do. When you’re walking, friction makes it harder to walk. When you’re moving stuff, friction works against you.” (No kidding, this is what she was saying.) “But Nana, if we didn’t have friction, it would be a terrible world. If we didn’t have friction, we could never go anywhere. It would be like walking on ice in totally smooth shoes. There’s no friction when you do that, but you don’t get anywhere either. Friction is a force that works against us, but we have to have it to get anywhere.”

And she went back to watching KidsTube and I sat there in stunned, humbled silence. “Really, Lord, you’re gonna use my granddaughter to put me in my place? Ok. I get it. You allow friction in my life in order to let me move forward. Let me move where you want me to go, and I’ll embrace the friction.”

Psalm 119:71 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”

Compassion / Mrs Lisa Butler

Mrs Lisa Butler

Pastor's Wife

Word of Life Baptist Church

Mattoon, IL

Compassion

I have been thinking a lot about having Compassion on others, and how I fall very short in this area. God commands us to have compassion on others: I’ve noticed with myself that if a person or group of people don’t look, act or live the way I think they should, I don’t have the compassion on them as I should.

Jude 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: We ought to do all we can to rescue others out of the snares of the devil, that they may be saved from or recovered out of dangerous errors, This must be done with compassion, making a difference. We are often apt to over-do, when we think we are right.

Jude 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; urging upon them the terrors of the Lord; how much am I doing to win the lost to Christ through my walk with the Lord, am I showing compassion on them? Even though they don’t look or act the same way I do.

One of the first mentions of compassion in God’s word is 2Kings 13:23

And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

The Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them in their miseries and respect unto them. It was of the Lord's mercies that they were not consumed, even in all of the unbelief and disobedience of these people, The Lord was compassionate unto them.

In Matthew 14:14 we see where Jesus was compassionate on the sick and healed them.

Mat_14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Then in Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

We are told that as Christians we are to have compassion on our brethren, this is talking about our brethren in the Lord.

First we see how our God had Compassion on a group of people.

Second we see Jesus having Compassion on the sick.

Third we see the brethren are commanded to have Compassion on other believers.

The definition of compassion:

(Have) pity, spare.

I have to ask myself if I have compassion on my fellow believers especially when they are or I feel like they are doing wrong.

Next do I have compassion on the lost and am I doing everything I can to help bring them to Christ?

This was a very soul searching study for me; I praise the Lord for helping me see my need to have more Compassion.

I’ve been asking the Lord to give me more compassion, I want to have compassion on the lost, I pray the Lord will show me the sinners’ heart and how they need the Lord, I want to be able to look past their faults, appearance, way of life, and pray for their salvation. This is very difficult with some people at times. But my desire is to look past their faults and look at the heart that needs the Lord.

Lessons from the Leaves / Mrs Debbie Copeland

Mrs Debbie Copeland

Faithfully Serving at 

Northwest Bible Baptist Church 

Elgin, IL

LESSONS FROM THE LEAVES 

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planteth by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3 

As I write this, it is the beginning of September and autumn is soon upon us. Personally, I believe autumn is one of the more beautiful seasons. My family and I lived in Connecticut for 2-1/2 years and had the privilege of enjoying the vibrant colors that New England offers. I always thought that the bright colors found on calendar photos were touched up…but they aren’t!!!

In the springtime, the leaves begin as tiny buds. New life bursts forth as a little green leaf. When a person accepts Jesus as Saviour, she, too, springs forth like the little green leaf of spring.

As the season progresses, the temperatures increase, and the warm rains begin, the little leaves grow. When a baby Christian begins to read her Bible, attend church, and get involved, she begins to grow in the Lord. The new life becomes more evident. Perhaps a little rain, or adversity, comes to make her stronger.

The sunshine and heat of summer cause the leaves to become mature – full-sized and green. The leaves join together to provide shade for all who rest below their cover. As the new Christian moves on through this season, she matures and increases in knowledge. She is active and perhaps begins to provide shade for others as she focuses on their needs by serving in ministry.

The autumn leaves are the most splendid of all – rich colors of red, yellow and orange. It is at this stage that they show forth God’s handiwork in a most vibrant way even though their time on the trees is fleeting. The Christian is still serving, still being faithful, although at a slower pace. She vibrantly shows forth the work the Lord has done in her. She shares her wisdom, trains those in the spring and summer of their lives.

The seasons would not be complete without winter when the leaves have become withered and have fallen from the trees. Their lives have ended. Their work is done. The Christian has served faithfully and has gone on home to be with her Lord.

Have you ever taken leaves from the autumn season and pressed them in a book? They leave a legacy of beauty behind that helps us remember that they were faithful through the rains and wind and heat. They fulfilled the purpose for which God made them.

What kind of legacy will YOU leave? Will it be a colorful one that will remind others to serve faithfully – to follow in your footsteps?