Give and Be Blessed

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Mark Shields

As explained in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, the motivation for giving should be to share in the service of the Lord’s people. Giving should be out of the love of the Lord that overflows so that others are blessed.

Excel with a desire to share with others. Generously feed souls and ask God to open doors so your treasure accrues in the hearts of many and fulfills a purpose that only God could imagine.

As explained in today’s passage, faith grows even more when giving is done out of the love of our Lord for what we have been blessed with and a joyous experience because we get to witness what our part can contribute to helping those in need.

For many years now, I’ve been involved in the annual American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Below is a photo of the opening lap of one of the events. Giving of your time and money may require some sacrifice but there is a rewarding feeling afterwards.

Relay for Life

This day with You Lord, we take ownership in Your work by giving. We use our time and resources to glorify You.  Our habits change, our choices change, and we desire to share with others in need. Amen.

 

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Cheerful No Matter What

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Mark Shields

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As noted in the post “Comfort for the Downcast”, we can offer God’s Good News to someone today.

Let us be inspired and encouraged from today’s song Rescuer (Good News) by Rend Collective. There is Good News today for God is our rescuer. Give praise to our Lord today! 
 

 

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Comfort for the Downcast

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Mark Shields

Reading in 2 Corinthians 7:5-16, Paul’s appointed disciple named Titus had visited the Corinthian church and now rejoins Paul at Macedonia. The report to Paul was a good one because the Corinthian church had received Titus and were ready to receive Paul (v. 13).

Paul was downcast before the report from Titus because of the opposition and persecution he faced in Macedonia but finds optimism in how the Corinthian people had treated his appointed disciple named Titus.

This report from Titus cheered up Paul who was now convinced that the opposition in Corinth was from a small group of dissenters and that the majority of the congregation wanted to do what was right.

God brings comfort for the downcast and can turn a bad day into a good day. Just as the weather in Texas can change from one extreme to another in a matter of hours so can our Spirit be uplifted from one extreme to another.

The pictures below shows a morning back in 2015 with snow on the ground. The next photo is from the same office on the same day looking out the same window showing a sunny and clear day.

Morning

Afternoon

This day with You Lord, we can change a person’s day from a bad one to a good one by offering Your Good News. They may be going through a difficult time but we can bring comfort to them and inspire them with optimism for their future. Amen.

 

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Ordinary to Extraordinary

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Mark Shields

This Easter weekend, be confident in the ONE that has made the impossible possible. You are being transformed daily to engage in a bright future. So step ahead; feel free to explore and discover ways to dispense this same power that raised Christ from death on the Cross.

Mark Shields's avatarStep Ahead

The gospel message
Turns the ordinary
Into something
Extraordinary.

For the gift of Christ
On the Cross freed
All believers
And meets every need.

Each and every day,
Show your reverence
To God’s powerful Word
And being in His presence.

Step ahead today
Seeking to explore
And work with others
To discover more.

Passionately
Focused on what you’re doing
And never holding back
In your pursuing.

Poem by Mark Shields – © 04-04-2019
Image Source – Bing Images

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Worship of the ONE True God

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Mark Shields

You cannot serve both God and money. – Luke 16:13

Brought out in the study of 2 Corinthians 6:11 through 7:4 and shared in the post “One Common Link” is the difficulty of mixing the worship of idols with the worship of the ONE true God because righteousness and wickedness do not mix together.

Paul faced this challenge in establishing the Corinthian church and we all face these challenges today.  When faced with a challenge, that’s when the focus is the highest. Fellow believers need to focus on what God provides and pull for each other. That the Spirit moves in each heart so the body of Christ is functioning in concert.

I remember helping my daughter set up her fitbit a while back. It wouldn’t work because it wasn’t synced up to the correct model. Sometimes we just need to be synced up to the ONE that provides what we need; the ONE true God.

You may be at home right now and need a lift. You may be at work struggling with an issue. For more peace and to get synced up, take a few minutes to listen to the song Overwhelmed by Big Daddy Weave.

Let us put our attention on God first. He will provide what we need so we can organize, prioritize, and reorder our day with a plan. Then all we need to do is step ahead towards that plan with a purpose in every step. 
 

 

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