Happy Midweek Everyone!
There’s nothing really to journal from yesterday… just a BLAH day without a real highlight. This morning has been fun so far… I read First Corinthians again for like the fourth time in three weeks. For some reason I keep ending up back there… hmmm, why I wonder? Speak Lord for your servant is LISTENING.
Here’s something that stood out this morning… Paul was talking to his Corinthian friends about how they were always arguing about who’s right and who’s wrong. He was really bothered that Christians were taking other Christians before secular courts to argue their cases… and the embarrassment that must have brought on the Church. In this, there is a HUGE MESSAGE about how we should respond to unfair treatment.
1Corinthians 6:5-8 “I am saying this to shame you. Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues? But instead, one believer sues another-right in front of unbelievers! Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you yourselves are the ones who do wrong and cheat even your fellow believers.”
I don’t know if you’re anything like me… but when I am wronged, something bad triggers deep inside my heart. Let’s face the truth… none of us take pleasure in unfair treatment. In fact, we hate it with a passion. And this is one small way that we are far different from our savior!
1Peter 2:22-24 “He (Jesus) committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
Why are you and I so bent on being justified in the eyes of other humans? Why do we cling so tightly to our rights and our possessions… as if we do not have a God who watches over us? For me, I fight the hardest during those times I am praying the least. In brief moments of insanity, I forget that I have a Father of JUSTICE… and I take matters into my own hands. And EVERY time I do this… the bloodshed is horrific.
The older I get, the more I desire for God to justify me… in his perfect time. When I was a child, I fought like a child… fighting with the words, “its mine… give it to me now or I’ll beat you up!” These days, I’m learning to live before an audience of ONE… living to PLEASE my master no matter what other humans may think of me or do to me. For it is God before whom I will give an account for this life of mine… and it is God who promotes the faithful. Before Him I stand or fall. There is no human or spiritual force that has the ability to CURSE what God has already decided to BLESS.
Let us understand that God is not obligated to defend us when we chose to defend ourselves. In the days to come, may we hold to the truths of this blog more and more, entrusting our lives to God ALMIGHTY.
That’s about it for this morning… tonight is Emily’s birthday party at Destiny Family Center… starts at 7pm, please come if you’re able… and bless my amazing wife with you’re presence and your presents! Chat with everyone later!!








Good Morning Pastor Chuck,
Tell Emily we all said Happy Birthday from all us "Smeads" !!!!!!! Hope you are all doing well, we are hanging in there, working for me, school for Tim. I enjoyed you blog this morning, it is very true, we all focus on what others think way too much. May God Bless you and your family abundantly today!!!!!
Hey thanks Smeads!! Hope you're doing well… miss not chatting with you guys! Glad to hear your energy and feel the smile on your hearts… have a super day!!
WOW! As my favorite Pastor likes to say about things like this: "That would preach!". Thanks for this timely word Pastor. Sorry Helen & I missed Emily's party tonight. Helen seems to have caught that nasty little bug that's going around. We're disappointed we couldn't give our regards to Pastor Emily personally, but we didn't want to give the bug to anyone else, (especially Callie). So please let Emily know that we wish her a Happy Belated Birthday.
Amen!!!! When we try to fix things ourselves they just get worse. God is quite capable of justifying us and bringing the truth to light. It might not happen when we want it to, but God's timing is perfect.