“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill ; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say , Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.“–Matt. 5:21-24

Every week weary worn souls go off to church with high hopes that it will lighten their load, brighten their day, solve their problems, fulfill their duties, set a good example, etc. But they leave feeling no better–perhaps even worse than before. They rejoiced to see their friends, loved the music, and was stirred by the sermon, but deep down within they feel the same. Were they to be honest they would have to say, as many do, “I didn’t get anything out of it”. The question is, “Why?”

While there could be many contributing factors, in many cases the root of the problem has to do with unresolved conflict between them and someone else. That “someone” might be 1000 miles away or seated in the pew next to them, but regardless of who the person is or where they are, they are deprived of peace and joy. Regardless of how well the sermon is presented or the choir sings they feel that something is missing. And it will be that way until they do as the Lord commands in Matt. 5:21-24. Until we make every effort to be reconciled to the person with whom we are at odds our worship will be worthless– rejected by God and meaningless to us.

It might be a spat between spouses, conflict with children, bitterness between brethren, competition with co-workers, a clash between class-members, or a number of other things, but your problem with them becomes a problem between you and the Lord. And resolving it should be at the top of your “To do” list. While we can’t force the other person cooperate we can do our best in trying to settle the issue. We are not at liberty to ignore it. Whatever you have planned for the day, if there is a conflict between you and someone else, you should revise your plan, rearrange your schedule, and deal with it before moving on to other matters. According to Jesus it is just that important.

Valentine Day, like no other day of the year, compels us to think about relationships– especially with those of the opposite sex. Whether it is a cute young couple smitten with “puppy love”; newly weds, filled with excitement; a couple with three kids who find it hard to find time for each other; or an old couple with arthritic hands, making sure they don’t squeeze too tight— they are all thinking about love. The chances are good that before the day is over they will have said “I love you”. If wisdom prevails that will certainly happen!

“I love you”–three short simple words, but O so big in meaning! It is a phrase that should be on uttered every day of the year. If real, it is more than a duty, it is pure delight. And it is desperately needed. That short phrase has great power. It can–
–make a small child feel ten feet tall and able to conquer the world.
–make a troubled teen feel accepted, important, and secure.
–make a stressed out housewife feel like a queen.
–make a weary husband feel like Superman.

That little phrase can get attention, break down barriers, transform enemies into friends, restore relationships, calm fears, create courage, banish doubts, instill peace, thrill hearts, provide joy, strengthen the weak, mend marriages, and 1001 other things never imagined.

That short little phrase is more meaningful than a great composition by a famous composer, more beautiful than a sunset, more powerful than a whirlwind, more helpful than an army, more healing than a doctor. This day should remind us to say “I love you” everyday to those who are near and dear to our heart.

It’s strange how certain words stick with us throughout our lives. We not only remember them, we are, for good or bad, greatly influenced by them. I recently ran across a good example of this while reading an article. It said:

Years ago, a “Dear Abby” (Arizona Daily Sun [1/10/99]) column ran a story by a retired schoolteacher. One day she had her students take out two sheets of paper and list the names of the other students in the room. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down by their names.

She took the papers home that weekend and compiled a list for each student of what the others had said about him or her. On Monday she gave each student his or her list.

Before long, everyone was smiling. “Really?” one whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone.” “I didn’t know anyone liked me that much!”

Years later, the teacher went to the funeral of one of her former students, who had been killed in Vietnam. Many who had been in that class years before were there. After the service, the young man’s parents approached the teacher and said, “We want to show you something. Mark was carrying this when he was killed.” The father pulled out of a wallet the list of all the good things Mark’s classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark’s mother said. “As you can see, Mark treasured it.”

A group of Mark’s classmates overheard the exchange. One smiled sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in my top desk drawer at home.” Another said, “I have mine, too. It’s in my diary.” “I put mine in our wedding album,” said a third. “I bet we all saved them,” said a fourth. “I carry mine with me at all times.” At that point, the teacher sat down and cried. And, she used that assignment in every class for the rest of her teaching career.

That story shows how much we all need encouragement.—-THINK ABOUT IT!

“ Who will rise up for me against the evildoers ? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?“–Psa. 94:16

Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician / physicist said, “Give me a standing place out yonder in space, a fulcrum, and a lever long enough and strong enough, and I will move the world!“. God isn’t asking us to move the world. He commands us to stand up and speak up—whether people listen or not.

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”. While that makes a point, it should also be said, If you don’t stand for the right thing it’s because you have fallen for the wrong thing. It’s not enough to put your stubbornness on display by standing for “something“– what we stand for matters. To stand for the wrong thing is just as bad or worse than not standing for anything. While it is best to speak the truth, it is better to remain silent than to speak a lie. Of course we should neither lie nor remain silent, but  stand for the truth.

What you stand for determines what you stand against, and who stands against you—don’t be surprised if some are members of your own household, or those you thought were friends. Those who stand for what is right will always be opposed by those who are wrong. Don’t let them back you in a corner or scare you into silence. Stand up and come out fighting. Let them know that you’re not going to lay down and take it anymore. The problem today is that instead of standing against the world we keep moving along with it, a step or two behind, but with it nevertheless. It’s time that we rise up, stand up, and speak out! As Christians we have the only message that can literally transform lives and meet the deepest needs of man. How dare we remain silent!

“Hope thou in God.” – Psalms 42:11

However gloomy the day, however strange the trials, however distressing the visitation, hope thou in God. He is with you, He is your God, He hath promised to befriend you, He is the faithful God.

He will turn darkness into light, make crooked things straight, and make all grace abound towards you, so that you, having all sufficiency, may abound to every good work. The changes that affect you, cannot affect Him. You cannot rely too simply upon Him, or expect too much from Him. If all, within and without, seem to conspire to distress you, still say, “I will hope in God.”

Expect Him to be to you all a gracious and powerful God can be: expect Him to do all a loving Father and infinite God can do.
Hope for light in darkness, for relief in distress, for strength in weakness, for joy in sorrow, for deliverance when sinking beneath the wave, and for life in death. Hope for all you need, and for all God has promised. Hope thou in God, and in God alone. Hope because God has spoken, because He is true and faithful, and you cannot hope in vain. The foundation of your hope is laid in the blood of Jesus and the oath of God.–James Smith

Hope in the Lord, whose mighty hand
Can all thy woes remove;
For thou shalt yet before Him stand,
And sing restoring love.