Follow Your Bubbles

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:11 (NIV).

Vern Treat tells about a scuba diver who said that when you're in deep water, you're encircled by light, so there's no way you can tell which way is up because the water diffuses the light. You're also totally weightless, so you have no sense of gravity. The only way you can tell which way to get out of the water is to go the direction the bubbles are going.


Surrounded in an aura of light and weightless, it's very easy to lose all sense of direction and get disoriented. You may sense that this way is up and that your air bubbles are going sideways. You may be so convinced that your perception is true that you decide to ignore your bubbles and go the way you think is up.


One of the first things we were told when learning to scuba-dive, Trent said, was to always trust your bubbles—to always follow your bubbles. No matter how you feel, no matter what you think,  your bubbles are always right.


Life can be like that at times too. If we base the rules of life on our feelings, perception or what we think, we can be very easily led astray. The philosophy, "If it feels good it must be right," is a dangerous guide to follow because our feelings can play all sorts of tricks on us. If something is wrong, it is wrong regardless of how we feel or what we think. True, it's important that we don't deny or repress our feelings, because we can learn to trust them;  but what we can't always trust is our interpretation of them.


The only safe guide to follow when it comes to the rules of life is to trust God and his Word, the Bible. Therein lie the "bubbles of life" to follow. These "bubbles" are always right. Always!

Humility is a Virtue

“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate…”
-Luke 1:51,52


Keep in mind that God’s economy isn’t the same as ours. Humility is a virtue that we should cling to more fervently than the things that attempt to motivate our human longings.

After God Made You, He Broke the Mold

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:1-20


Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! - Psalm 139:14. 


Crosby was spooked. Minding her own business walking through the mall in her hometown, suddenly she saw her twin sister.


That wouldn't be so weird if Crosby had a twin sister.


Crosby's head spun. Maybe she and this look-alike girl had been separated at birth. Or maybe Crosby's parents had secretly cloned her. Or maybe a freak mutation had produced a girl who looked amazingly like her.


All right, all right. That was all made up! Truth is, you'll live your whole life and never run into anyone who matches you perfectly-inch for inch, pound for pound, nose to nose, ear to ear, hair to hair. Even "identical" twins display physical differ­ences. And even if your outsides happen to look similar to someone else, no one can even begin to describe the differences on your insides. We have an obvious variety built into our brain. Our background creates even bigger differences. All of those things add up to make each of us a wildly unique person.


When it came to making you, God crafted you to be one-of-a-kind. Of the bil­lions of people alive right now on Planet Earth, no one is just like you. You fill a place in God's perfect design. You might not know all the details of why God de­signed you exactly the way he did. But he knows. Even before you were born, he had every moment of your life already laid out.


Maybe you're brainy and wish you were good at sports instead. Or maybe you're quiet and would prefer to be the life of the party. Yet every quality has something valuable about it. So don't waste your life wishing you had someone else's hair, body, talents, or abilities. Every minute you focus on becoming someone else is time you're missing out on being you.


God is overjoyed by variety. So there's no way we should expect him to make people all alike. His love for our differences shows in the way he created us. Tall, short, fat, skinny. People who need glasses. People who like to grow beards. Brown eyes, blue eyes. People of all different skin tones and hair colors. God made them all.


God has given you special personality qualities and skills-things that make you you! Only when you appreciate those traits will you develop them to the fullest. And only when you put to use all the gifts God has given you will you be everything God planned for you to be!


TALK: Think of the special qualities that God has given each member of your family. How can you each use those gifts to serve him?


ACT: Show your appreciation for each family member's uniqueness today.

Successful Living

"God's laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light." - Psalm 19:7 (TLB).


Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Nature never breaks her own laws." Fortunately for us it doesn't. If it weren't for the law of gravity, for example, the earth wouldn't stay in its orbit and we'd all fly off into outer space. If we try to break nature's laws—such as the law of gravity, we can't. It will break or even kill us!


There are universal moral laws, too, without which our society would fall apart.  If we defy these laws, they will also break us, or rather; we will break ourselves against them. Most man-made laws are important too. They make living together possible. Imagine driving on today's highways without any traffic laws!


There are also laws that govern human development. For example, every child needs considerable nurture, unconditional love, acceptance and approval throughout his developmental years. When this law is violated, so are our children—many of whom are left with broken lives. There are also laws that apply to adult health, happiness, and well-being. Defy, ignore or break these laws and we break ourselves.


God has also given us spiritual laws ... not to take away our joy or freedom, but to give us the fullness of life as well as eternal life. We defy these laws to our eternal destruction.


We heed these laws not because we are legalists and have to obey them, but because we want and choose to obey them because we know we need to for our own well-being and that of our loved ones. As the Psalmist wrote, "God's laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light. God's laws are pure, eternal, just. They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb. For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them." - Psalm 19:7–11 (TLB).

What is a Good Christian Family?

What is a Good Christian Family?

By: Wanda Ball 

(Article source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-is-a-Good-Christian-Family?&id=2280760)

In today's society, we define families in many different ways. We have single parent families, same sex parent families and father-mother families. And all of these families are acceptable in this world. Some of us were primarily raised in a single parent home and even though mistakes or sin was committed, with God's help, we turned out fine. No family is perfect. Just as no one is perfect. We bring all of our issues, problems and concerns to the table and usually take it out on the people who are closest to us. Families weren't designed to hurt one another, but to love and comfort one another. For Genesis 13:8 says, "So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers."

Even though we all come from different types of families, how does the bible define a family? The basic biblical family consists of one man, one woman (his wife), and their children (biological or adopted). Genesis 1:27-28 says, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it..." And in Genesis 2:24, the bible says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh." So this scripture clearly states what God's definition of a family is. The extended family may consist of grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. And all of these people can create strong family bonds.

The man of the household is ultimately in charge and responsible for his family. His job is to provide for the family, by working and doing what's necessary to protect them. He should be a Christian first and vow to follow God and his commands. For 1 Timothy 5:8 says, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." They are also responsible to their children by teaching and training them about God. So that they can lead good and productive lives. Fathers should not discourage their children or talk down to them. (Colossians 3:21) Also Colossians 3:19 says, "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Even though husbands and wives disagree and fight, this scripture tells us to love one another and not be cruel or hurtful, because love should never hurt.

The woman of the household should be the nurturer and caretaker of the family. Women were designed to be the man's helper and to have children. It's not uncommon for the woman to take over the household and be in charge in today's society. We have risen to the top of the ladder in our jobs and in some cases make more money than our spouses. I'm not saying that woman shouldn't be successful, but we have to remember that a Christian family consists of the man being in charge of the household as God commands. For Ephesians 5:22-24 says, "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Also husbands who are non-believers that may be married to wives who are believers, may change their belief by observing their wives Christian actions or behaviors. (1 Peter 3:1-2) Husbands and wives are also to remain together for a lifetime, because God hates divorce. (Malachi 2:16) Woman are also to teach and train their children in the Lord. For children are rewards from God. (Psalm 127:3) And children are to obey their parents by honoring them, so they may also live long and prosperous lives. (Ephesians 6:1-3)

The bible gives us clear definitions of what a Christian family should be. The family should make a commitment to God for their lifetime and maintain the roles that has been given and explained. Marriage was not created by man, but by God. And if we make sure to always put God first in our households, then we will have peace and harmony in our lives for the years to come. "For me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Faithful in All He Does

Bible Reading: Psalm 33:1-15


For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. - Psalm 33:4, NIV.

"THE Court calls Abraham of Ur to the stand!"


A bearded figure leaning on a tall stick walks slowly to the front of the
courtroom. The bailiff swears him in, and the man sits down.


"You are Abraham, originally of the city of Ur?" asks a lawyer in an expensive suit. The old man nods. "You did not always understand the defendant or agree with him, did you?" he asks, pointing to the defense table, where another attorney sits next to an empty chair.


Abraham shakes his head. "No. But there is no friend more faithful. I often let him down-in Egypt, and at Gerar, and many other times-but he never let me down."


The lawyer calls another witness. A man named Joseph, wearing a multicolored robe, takes the stand.


"You were in trouble a number of times because of the defendant, weren't you?" the lawyer asks.


"I was in trouble, all right-twice. I was sold as a slave because of my own
arrogance. And I was imprisoned because I was wrongly accused of a crime. But he," Joseph says, nodding to the empty chair at the defense table, "stuck with me through thick and thin. He delivered me from these troubles-he didn't cause them."


The lawyer dismisses Joseph and calls a third witness, Jonah.


"Your so-called friend nearly made fish bait out of you, didn't he?" the lawyer
asks.


Jonah answers. "I gave him every reason to give up on me. In fact, when the fish swallowed me, I thought that's exactly what had happened. But he didn't give up! He never gives up." Jonah stands. "My friend-my God-is faithful. Not sometimes. Not most of the time. All the time. He is faithful in all he does. And you want to know why? Because that's just who he is. Faithfulness isn't something he does. It's who he is!"


Jonah gazes at the lawyer with a mixture of contempt and compassion. "And you, who have brought this case against the God of heaven and earth, cannot truly judge God's faithfulness, because it is his nature alone that shows you what faithfulness is. And his nature alone shows you that faithfulness is right and unfaithfulness is wrong."


The lawyer turns away, but Jonah is not done speaking. "If your actions had been like God, your soul would be at peace. But your actions have always been wrong, Judas Iscariot, because you are not like God, who is faithful in all he does."


REFLECT: If you were called to testify in court about God's faithfulness to you, what would you say? What evidence would you give of God's faithfulness?

Andy and the Lion

Bible Reading: Matthew 5:1-10

One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. This is what he taught them. . . . God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:1-2,7.

THE People of ancient Rome told the story of Androcles, a slave whose master was cruel. Androcles ran away and hid in the woods for a long time. He was happy to be free but had a hard time finding food, so he began to get hungry and weak. Finally, convinced that he was dying, Androcles crawled into a dark cave and lay down to sleep.

He was awakened by the loud roar of a lion that had entered the cave. Androcles thought the lion was going to eat him, but he watched in fascination as the lion limped in circles around the cave, constantly whimpering and occasionally roaring in pain.

When the great creature finally lay down, Androcles approached the lion care­fully. To his surprise, the lion allowed him to gingerly lift the injured paw. Androcles discovered that a long, sharp thorn had lodged itself in the lion's paw. With one quick motion, he pulled the thorn out. The lion licked the tender paw while Androcles still held it in his hand, and soon both man and animal fell asleep.

The next morning the lion brought food to Androcles, and it continued to do so every day until a band of soldiers came into the cave and recognized Androcles as an escaped slave. The soldiers arrested him and took him to Rome.

In those days runaway slaves were forced to fight wild animals in the Colosseum for the entertainment of the people. After a few days in prison, Androcles was taken to the Colosseum. His guards dragged him out into a dirt arena and left him alone. He trembled as he heard the roars of a hungry beast.

Finally, a gate was opened at the other end of the arena, and a mighty lion raced in, roaring and baring his teeth. The creature leaped upon Androcles in a single bound as the crowd watched in astonishment to see Androcles and the lion he had befriended roll over and over in the dirt in a happy reunion. When the crowd heard the slave's story, they cried out for Androcles and the lion to be set free, and they were.

This fable illustrates an important truth. Jesus put it this way: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7, NIV). The person who shows mercy to others often receives mercy back, while the person who refuses mercy to others is cheated out of many good things.

It's just another way that obeying God's commands protects us and provides for us.

REFLECT: Have you ever been blessed by someone who has shown you mercy? Have you returned that blessing? Have you ever been blessed by being merciful to someone else?

The Fear of the Lord

Verse of the Day: "The fear of The Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding" - (Job 28:28). 


"You learn something new every day, you know that?" Brad slapped his friend, Andrew, on the back as he sat beside him in the youth group room at their church.


Andrew tossed his head to brush his hair out of his eyes and look at his friend. "You sound like my dad."


"Have you ever heard adults talk about 'the fear of God'?"


"Yeah," Andrew answered. "So?"


"Well, for the first time in my life, I think I understand what they're talking about. . . . You remember how Mr. Phillips started our first driver's ed. class last Tuesday?"


"Yeah," Andrew said with a shrug. "He gave us some speech about how we should 'be afraid, be very afraid' when we get behind the wheel of a car."


"Right! He said we should respect driving, because, while driving a car could be really good for us-getting us to school, taking us to the amusement park, stuff like that—it could also take our life or our passengers' lives away like that—" he snapped his fingers—"if we're not responsible drivers."


"Yeah," Andrew said, as if waiting for the punch line of a joke. "He said we're not ready to drive a car until we're 'afraid, very afraid.' So?"


"Well, I was reading my Bible this morning, and I came across the verse that says, 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.' And for the first time, I understood what the fear of God is all about. It's not being scared of him, but it's realizing that he's God, he has the power of life and death, and he's the judge of good and evil."


Andrew smiled and nodded with understanding.


"So," Brad finished, "just like we're not ready to drive a car until we 'fear' it, we're not ready to know and serve God until we understand how awesome and powerful he is."


"And how happy we should be that he loves us," Andrew said.


TO DO: As a family, come up with your own definition of what it means to "fear the Lord." Then hang your definition in a place where everyone will be sure to see it.

A Dirty Way To Fight

"Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly—and so become more and more in every way like Christ." - Ephesians 4:15–16 (TLB).


Having worked in the area of relationships for some time, I have discovered that one of the major problems (and challenges) seems to be the inability for couples to communicate and resolve conflict effectively. In fact, according to counselors, this is one of the major reasons why relationships fail.


Relationships are based more than anything on emotions. Men may disagree with me here but I don't think our female readers will. In my experience, the number one complaint I have heard from wives over the years (on both sides of the Pacific Ocean) is a variation on the theme, "My husband doesn't share his feelings with me and doesn't listen to or understand mine."Surprise? Surprise!


True, we men know how to put a man on the moon and how to talk to him while he is there, but some of us don't know how to effectively communicate with our wife or kids while we're in the same room! 


However, it is not always we men who are at fault. Again, in my experience, nearly as many men as women bemoan the fact that their spouse withdraws when her feelings are hurt.


Withdrawal is a downright dirty way to fight.


It can be a form of passive hostility, self-pity, or self-justification. It can be caused by a fear of conflict, a fear of being dominated by the other person, or any of a number of other reasons. However, when one party withdraws, there is no possible chance for resolution. It's even worse when both parties withdraw. 


What we need to learn is to "fight" like a Christian!

The Blind Men and the Elephant

And now, 0 Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but. . . to observe the Lord's commands and decrees?. - Deuteronomy 10:12-13, NIV.

There's an Old story about four blind men who encountered an elephant.


One man placed his hands on the elephant's thick leg. "An elephant is like a tree," he announced, "thick and strong."


Another man gripped one of the elephant's ears in his hands. "No, my friend," he said. "An elephant is like a great palm leaf, thin and flexible."


A third man grabbed the animal by the tail. "You are both wrong," he said. "An elephant is like a rope, long and lean."


The fourth blind man leaned against the elephant's massive body. "You are all as stupid as you are blind," he said. "An elephant is none of those things. It is strong and hard, like a mighty wall."


Those four blind men are like you and me in our efforts to learn right from
wrong. You may have already discovered that no two people have the same ideas of right and wrong. No one can seem to agree on what's good and what's evil. Some people say, "It's wrong to do that," and others respond, "No, it's wrong to say that's wrong; it's really right."


That's because we're all like those blind men. Each of us can only see a small part of the picture. We can't see the future. We can't even see very well right now. We don't know all the effects our words and actions can have. It would be much easier for a blind man to describe an elephant than it would be for any one of us to see good and evil clearly. But that's OK.


Imagine if someone with perfect sight were to come along and discover those blind men arguing about what an elephant looks like. That person could tell them what an elephant really looks like. They might not believe him, but if they listened, his description would make sense out of their different experiences and perspectives.


That's what God's Word does for us. He tells us what things are right and what things are wrong. And he can do that, of course, because (unlike us) he sees everything clearly and knows everything completely. We may choose not to believe him, but if we will listen to him and obey what he says, we'll discover that we can trust God's view of right and wrong-because it's right!


REFLECT: Do you usually act as if you know more than God or as if God knows more than you do? How does a person act if he or she trusts God's view of right and wrong?

Hill Climbing

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4 (NIV).


Some years ago I prayed and asked God to give me something special that would equip me to better serve him. Did God answer my prayer? I didn't think so for a long time. I got the opposite of what I had in mind when I prayed this prayer, and it turned out to be a nightmare for a long time. But I have to admit that if there is any depth in the ministry the Lord has entrusted to me today, so much of it was learned during those nightmarish years. Now I see clearly that God did answer my prayer and though the experience was, at times, incredibly painful, I do believe I am a much better man as a result.


The words of the following old poem may be simple but, for me, are quite
profound:


For every hill I had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat,
My heart sings but a grateful song—
Those were the things that made me strong.
For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years
And for the hopes that lived in vain;
I do give thanks, for now I know,
These were the things that helped me grow.
'Tis not the softer things of life
Which stimulate our will to strive,
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep our will alive.
Over rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep. - Author Unknown


As I've said before, God wants to use our trials and struggles to make us
better. Satan wants to use them to make us doubt and become bitter. To become better or bitter is each person's choice.

Why a Husband and Wife Team is an Ideal Home Church?

An ideal is the best way to copy for a good model. Ideals are always difficult to duplicate. Idols are followed because of ideals. A home church has no such ideals or idols. It is a concept that God has given us in Matthew 18:20 - "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." The two or three is the ideal number for a church. Church is the concept of God. The Old and New had completely different view points on the people of God.

People of God gather in the New Testament because they are already people of God. In the Old Testament they gathered as people and the church made them qualified through a ritual, ceremony or a sacrifice to be a people of God. They reason the Old Testament people of Israel gathered was first as a people of a nation and then to be accepted to worship the God of that nation.

They were not automatically qualified to come before God. Every time they needed to be qualified through sacrifice. Sin separates them and only a blood sacrifice can atone for a season and bring them to the presence of God. This had to be repeated every time.

Till the new testament that was not so. The people are to gather only after they are already accepted by God. The only ritual, ceremony and sacrifice they needed was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The cross brought people to God. They are accepted and for ever belong to God. There is no reason for qualification to be accepted. They gather because they are accepted for ever by God through the blood the true Lamb of God for ever. They do not need to be repeated any sacrifice again. It is done once for all. The ransomed, redeem are the church.

The husband and wife team are already united together by God in a union and now are qualified to be the first church members to start God's assembly. The best way to unite a husband and wife is to remind them of their love for God individually. They have believed as individuals in Jesus Christ as their Savior. They have done a lot of commitment and promises to God as individually.

The home church altar will bring all that individuality together to merge to become one. It is difficult and very sensitive and delicate phase their relationship. But this is the best thing that will even happen to them in Christ Jesus.

Author - Robert Fenn is a home church pastor, preacher, mentor and bible teacher for over 40 years. His writings reflect his personal daily walk, struggles, victories and failures. He practices home church concepts at home on a daily basis. Loves to share God's unfailing love, protection and guidance to others throughout his life. Article source - Home Church [http://home-church.info/]-Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_R_Fenn