Take Control

We have to take control of our own actions and of our tongue. And to do that we need God’s help. We have to ask Him to help us change. We have to think before we speak and speak as we believe He would speak. So the next time you hear a fellow believer acting or speaking in ways that offend you, have mercy and remember that they are on the same journey as you. ~ DickEvans.org

He lives in us

I suppose there are some who have never eaten an apple or had an apple pie. I don't know anyone like that. But I do know many who have not gotten to know about Jesus Christ. They have not heard the story because nobody has told them. And there are many that have heard and even taken that first delicious bite. They have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. They have become believers. Many stop right there, but there is so much more. Jesus is alive today in us. But we must allow it. We must allow the fullness of God to live in our human body. We must discover who we are in Him and who He is in us. We are only complete through our union with Christ. ~DickEvans.org

We are entitled

As believers we are entitled. We are entitled to all the promises of God. In faith we need to reach out and take those promises, walk in those steps He has for us. We have all of the power of God at our fingertips. But it is not us; it is Christ's mighty power that works within us. As we lay hands on the sick, it is Christ in us that touches them and heals them. But without our stepping forth in faith, using that faith we are entitled to, healing would not occur. Don't take that the wrong way. God will heal whomever He chooses to heal and whenever He chooses to do it with or without us. But when He speaks to us and tells us to step forth and lay hands on that person, it is not us but Christ within us who heals them. ~ DickEvans.org

Expectation

Psalm 62:5 NKJV
My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.

We send missionaries overseas and our expectation is high that they'll come back with stories of marvelous miracles manifesting on the mission trip. Why don't we have that same kind of expectation when we go into the marketplace right here in our own hometown?

The people are still the same; lost. Holy Spirit is the same in us here as there. And yet our expectation seems to not be present.

We get what we expect. And if we don't expect God to move, if we don't expect Jesus to flow through us, if we don't expect that he'll heal somebody right here in America then that's what we get.

It's time to get our expectation in line with our belief and of course my assumption is that we believe; we believe that Jesus is in us. And that our expectation is from Him.

Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness does not keep us from all the blessings God has for us, but it could open up large avenues for satan to step all over us in our attempt to walk forward on the path God has for us. Remember, the Lord forgave us, so we are to forgive others. ~ DickEvans.org

Rules

When we became a believer we learned about what God and therefore what other believers expect of us. Following the rules was easy as far as other believers were concerned. What they see is what they believe us to be. To be what they expect does require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But God knows the truth. He knows what lurks behind the scenes. And He is ready and willing to change us. He is willing to deliver us from our earthly past, our dark side. With Him we can conquer our evil thoughts and desires. ~ DickEvans.org

Leftovers

Have you ever eaten at one of those restaurants that give you enough on one plate to feed the entire family? There is just no way to finish the meal. The leftovers are stuffed into a Styrofoam container and brought home to be eaten another day, fed to the dog, or given to someone else to enjoy. God doesn't give us leftovers. And we don't have to split up our inheritance with anyone. We each get it all. Jesus is the light and as believers we are in Him and He is in us. The inheritance is waiting for each of us to partake of. All we need is to believe and walk forward as He leads. ~ DickEvans.org

Conversations

In Colossians 4:6, Paul tells us to "Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone." When we are in conversation with someone, in person, on a cell phone, or even texting, we need to listen for doors that open for us to testify to what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in our lives. There is always an opening; we just have to listen for it. Then we will be pressing on and doing what He called us all to do by reaching out with the Good News. ~ DickEvans.org

Forgive

Colossians 3:13 NLT 
Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 

There is nobody that is not subject to being offended. And none of us are faultless. We try to always do what is honest and true, but mess up as we do. We open our mouth at the wrong time and say something out of reaction instead of love. Others do the same with us.

I am speaking to our interactions with all people, not just Christians. It happens in church, on the job, and with those who live around us. No matter who it is we must make allowance for them. We do not know what is going on in their life; what just happened at home or on the ride over.

Forgiving is more than saying you are sorry. How many times does an "I am sorry" end with a "but"? But you shouldn't have... It is more than mere words, it is a forgiveness that comes from the heart out of God's love for all His children.

In the heat of the moment our focus is not on God and when that happens we are in sin. God forgave us of all sin when His Son, Jesus, went to the cross for us. He remembers our sin no more. But He hurts for us when we sin, because sin hurts us and our Father God does not does not want us hurting. We repent by changing our focus from our sin back to God. This is new covenant repentance. We are covered by the blood of Jesus and no longer have to sacrifice an animal or bird; Jesus became the sacrifice for us, forever.

Father God, help me to keep my focus on you when confronted with those issues that would have brought me to anger and speak poorly to others. Help me to see them as you see them and show Your love to them in my silence. Give me encouraging words to say in response. In Jesus name I pray.

Duct Tape

James 1:19 NLT
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

So often we can be so quick to respond to someone we don't even hear all they have to say. We are formulating our response while they are continuing to try to communicate with us. The result being never quite understanding what they had to say. So our response sometimes can even be way off target.

No matter what someone has to say to us we have to be careful not to react to their words instead of responding to them. I remember my mother telling me to count to ten before saying anything. I am not sure where that saying originated, but they were words of wisdom.

The more listening you do, the better conversationalist you are. Most people are not looking for a debate. They want an ear to hear what they need to say.

I don't know about you, but there are a lot of things I can fix using duct tape! One way to stop someone from talking is to use it to tape their mouth shut. Only kidding. But how about praying for some spiritual duct tape the next time you have to be with someone that seems to draw out reactions from you?

Keep that mouth closed and listen closely to what they have to say. Encourage them with your quiet response. Show them the love of God they deserve for He tells us to love. May they walk away feeling that love and filled with the peace of God that you brought with you.

Dick Evans speaking on God's Grace

Love

Romans 12:10 NLT
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

As human beings we have a small circle of people we surround ourselves with that we call friends and and even smaller circle of those we say we love.

Of course with apps like Facebook our definition of friends has changed to include even many we do not even know. A friend to me is someone I know more than an acquaintance but I know that if I have a need they will be there for me. I thank the Lord for the friends that I have.

Paul doesn't tell us here in Romans to make friends with everyone even though that seems to be what we're doing on Facebook. God is love. Holy Spirit is in each of us believers. God's love is in each of us and that love should be felt by all we come in contact with. We love others because He loves us. And He loves us with an unconditional love. There is nothing we can ever do that would stop Him from loving us.

We are saved by His grace and will live forever in eternity with Him because of that Grace. The Father never again sees our sin.

Father God thank you for your great love for me. Help me to show that same love as much as I am able to all I come in contact with today. May the love and light of Jesus shine through me to others. It is in Jesus name I pray. Amen.