Your life and your words……

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“Establishing and strengthening the souls and hearts  of the disciples,

urging and warning and encouraging them to stand firm in the faith,

and [telling them] that it is through many hardships and tribulations

we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Acts 14: 22

 

Paul strengthened, urged, warned and encouraged the saints.

What’s important is how he did it. He didn’t try

to sugar coat the truth. He was honest with them, transparent.

He made sure what he taught was what he was living out.

He didn’t say, life was a bed of roses. He didn’t try to hide what life was

really about.

When Paul said “it is through many hardships and tribulations

we must enter the kingdom of God” you better believe he was talking

from a place of experience.

Before Paul spoke to the saints about hardships and tribulations look

at what happened to him prior to that talk.

 

“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the

crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city,

thinking he was dead.

But after that the disciples had gathered around him he got up

and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left

for Derbe “

Acts 14: 19

 

It was directly after being stoned that Paul strengthened, urged, encouraged

and warned the saints!

He was real about what was going on.

 

Are you being real with the people around you?

Are you being transparent about what’s happening in your life

or are you sugar coating it?

Are you living out the advise you are giving out to others?

 

Bless you friends

 

Rolain

 

 

Who are you surrounding yourself with?

“Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about

six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children.

A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds-a great

deal of livestock.”

Exodus 12:37, 38

 

When the Israelites left Egypt they left with a mixed multitude. The bible doesn’t

say much about the mixed multitude.

They could of been running away from the Egyptians.

Maybe as they saw all the miracles God performed they

thought they would see more miracles where they went.

Maybe some left because people were leaving.

 

Whatever the case Israel never left alone. At first you think nothing

of it but things aren’t what they seem.

 

“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving;

so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat?

We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons,

the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up;

there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!”

Numbers 11:4-6

 

My question to that is, who made the Israelites remember??

 

As I read these scriptures I couldn’t help but think of the people we allow

in our lives. We need to be very careful who we allow in our lives.

 

I know I can’t blame the mixed multitude for all the Israelites problems.

The Israelites were to blame for a lot of the bad that happened along the

way. But at the same time I can’t ignore the fact that the mixed multitude

were part of the problem!

 

Having the wrong people in your life could be disastrous.

You need to be very careful who you call friend.

Who are you walking with?

Do they have your best interests in mind?

Are they positive or negative people?

Do they challenge you to pursue the dreams God has put in

your heart no matter how impossible it seems or do they shoot

them down??

Are they always complaining, always whining, always speaking

about the bad?

 

This is a hard post to write but it must be written. If you are to grow

in the Lord, if you are to pursue the dreams God has put into your heart

you will need to look at the people you have surrounded yourself

with.

 

Make sure you have people who will push you to trust in the Lord.

Surround yourself with people who will encourage you

Surround yourself with people who will challenge you and be real with you.

Surround yourself with people who will remind you of God’s promises.

 

Don’t tolerate negativity in your life.

Be wise in choosing your friends.

 

God bless you friends

 

Rolain