The Difference!

The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. Proverbs 18:11 NIV
Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12 NIV
To answer before listening— that is folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13 NIV

How can a person respond to anyone--intelligently--before hearing what is said or asked?  When they respond without hearing the whole matter, it creates confusion and in many cases, after a person has had a chance to think about what they said--before hearing--they end up back-pedaling or switching positions on an issue or the question posed to them.

If a person has knowledge about a subject or is at least willing to seek knowledge from those who are wiser than he/she is--they might respond without hearing the whole matter out of anticipation. But if they anticipate the wrong question, the answer won't make any sense at all. The wise course of action--hear a matter--in its entirety before speaking and when an answer is not known--don't try faking knowledge because the truth will be exposed and that's when the back-pedaling begins.

We must check our hearing to make sure we understand every nuance of every word before we attempt to respond to questions. We must be aware of our surroundings and check our sensitivity monitor. We cannot say the same things in every venue without regard for those who are listening to us. This does not mean we cannot speak truth--we simply need to be mindful of who is listening and phrase the truth without offending the hearer.

Of course there are those who are so arrogant and high-minded in thinking whatever they say is appropriate they never think before speaking. As a result, they always have to pull their foot of their mouths within hours of speaking rashly. It is this arrogance and haughtiness that will eventually expose them for who they are and then--they shall be humbled before the masses.

In certain venues or circles--those who have great wealth tend to think their wealth entitles them to say anything that comes to mind. They believe their economic status provides them with fortification/safety not afforded to others and they won't suffer any wrong they do. Not so--the wealthy and the high-minded shall fall prey to their own arrogance and then some--if not most--will blame the media and anyone else for their downfall. They will whine louder than a petulant toddler who has been allowed to have their way about everything. Wise parents teach toddlers that they cannot have their way about everything and they must follow rules. When we see overage toddlers acting out--pouting, and whining--we know they never learned that lesson; but the lesson will be learned.

The difference between thinking one is fortified by economic status and those who know the name of The Lord is a strong tower--the righteous run into it and they are saved--from themselves and those things over which they have no control. When a person does not know The Lord--they don't realize the measure of surety and safety they have in Him. In the midst of the storms--regardless of how devastating the damage from the "natural" storms or the spiritual storms--Believers know--everything will be all right. We can stand on our faith in The Lord and face whatever storms come--knowing we'll be victorious.

Let's pray for wisdom and then carefully listen to God when He responds so we'll know how to respond to others--after we've heard the entire matter. That's the difference between the wise Believer and the foolish faking they Believe.

Think First, Then Do!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8,9 NIV

Yesterday, I shared a photo (below) with Donald Duck pondering, "I wonder if common sense will ever make a comeback." Common sense seems to have disappeared when we look at how things unfold in the media. It makes one wonder if common sense even exists anymore.

Yet, here we read Paul's admonition-having been around for centuries, but not many heed what he says. "Think" about the right and good things and then whatever we learn, put it into practice. When will the God of peace be with us? The God of peace will be with us when we think about doing good and right things. This is why there is so much violence and hatred in the land because no one is thinking about the good and right things. If people are not willing to think, common sense won't have a chance to survive.

Since I've already written extensively about this passage of scripture, I won't repeat myself, but I do encourage all reading today to check out the link  myBook.to/ThinkingOnThings .


Of course, there will be those who have a differing opinion about how to solve our societal dilemmas, but I'm a strong proponent of doing things God's way! If we learn to think first--before we do anything--and think beyond the moment, we could change the atmosphere of violence and hatred and know peace in the land.

                             

I believe in miracles and I want to see peace in the land!

Think On These Things!

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

When I look at the reactions of people to hearing "negative reports" about situations and people, I am reminded that the end is truly near. We pulverize people with our negative comments and innuendo without having all the facts about anything. That is truly amazing to me that we--take one sound bite--one tiny misrepresented piece of information--and then blow it all out proportion, condemning people who have not been tried or found guilty of anything other than being foolish. We take sides and give no thought to the lives being ruined and reputations being tarnished--all to appease an apparently innate desire to speak or write without thinking--of the consequences of what we do or say.

Are we so insecure and unhappy that we live to destroy others as a means to entertain ourselves?

Is there nothing else in the world we could think about--solving some problems--rather than creating them?

Without proof of anything other than what we have heard--we loudly proclaim our ignorance when we expect people to defend themselves and provide more fuel for the idiots to consume and spew into cyberspace--becoming obnoxious by the second and still not knowing truth.

Even Paul wrote this centuries ago, there is applicable truth to what he says. Instead of meditating, thinking, and spouting the negatives about people, we need to change our mindset and think--really use our brains and common sense (if such a thing still exists) to logically approach a matter before we become part of the rumor mill spreading lies.

When we don't know the whole story about anything, our response should be to pray--for all concerned and then wait--until the whole truth is known before we take sides and condemn others for things they may not have done.

Think on the positives, the praiseworthy, the noble, the virtues, the good reports--not those things that become part of character assassination without having full knowledge of a situation.

What we must remember is this--the same judgment we show towards others will come back upon us. Never judge a matter without having all the facts unless we want someone judging us in the same manner.

The truth will set us all free--from lying lips and tongues and character attacks meant to destroy. Remember this--it is Satan's job to steal, kill and destroy and he uses everyone who is willing to be used as a tool by him.

Think On These Things available on http://www.amazon.com/Mary-M-Hall-Rayford/e/B00BAW31CQ/

Thinking--Beyond Now!

"In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2,3 NKJV).

Preparation time is never wasted time, but it is time that few people ever use appropriately because they lack initiative to think beyond the moment.

Look at what Jesus said to His disciples--"I go to prepare a place for you..." How long ago was that? Whether we count the time as two thousand years or two days, we have to see the plan--for us whenever we leave.

Lack of preparation and planning are the main reasons why many people never taste success at anything. We cannot succeed if we do not plan and prepare. Preparing for eventualities means we have to consider all the possible outcomes and plan for them.

Taking a trip requires preparation--determining the cost, the method of conveyance, appropriate clothing, checking weather conditions, having sufficient income to cover emergencies.

With Jesus' preparations He determined the cost was His life; He's conveying us to heaven by supernatural means; we'll be clothed with white robes, the weather will be glorious every day, and there are no emergencies to consider (no more sickness, no more dying, no hunger). Hallelujah! Praising Him for His preparations!

What are we doing? Have we considered our behavior and how it impacts the lives of others beyond this moment?

Retirement--(I've recently learned the hard way) takes consideration of all possible events and saving as much income as one possibly save--in order to make sure one can live (and not just exist) when they retire.

Death insurance--(commonly called life insurance)--is needed so there won't be a burden on those left behind to put us into the ground. There are enormous costs associated with dying and many people don't prepare for that eventuality. Unless Jesus returns before we die, we will die--and remain asleep until He comes.

Obesity--(a pet peeve)--causes a number of problems for people other than the one who has overeaten. Has any consideration been made for the possibility of someone else having to lift or carry them? Have they considered the possibility of their being harmed if they cannot move fast enough to get out of a burning house or car? Have they considered the negative impact that obesity usually has on their body? No one enjoys food more than I do, but I must also consider what would happen if I fell or needed assistance and no one being available to help me because of my weight. We need to think beyond the moment that food is in front of us and prepare for the future.

Care--for children and elderly--if parents are no longer able to care for children or elderly no longer able to care for themselves--who is going to do it? What preparations have been made for that possibility? Someone needs to prepare--in writing--if necessary plans for this possibility.

No one succeeds at anything without preparation--not athletes, not actors, not musicians, or singers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, parents, students--no one. If we really need a lesson in preparation--we can look to The Word and look around us at the squirrels and other animals that prepare for the winter and other seasons.  We can "watch the ants" and learn from them.

Learn to think beyond the moment and prepare for all those moments beyond the here and now!

Consider Your Ways!

"Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways" (Haggai 1:5).

People are often amazed at the senseless violence, loss of life, destruction of families, and crimes of such magnitude that all we can do is simply shake our heads.

Inconsiderate people are incapable of thinking beyond the moment or about how their actions impact others. We see it all the time. Carelessness with campfires or even cigarette smoking--fires burning out of control, destroying property, taking lives, and ruining memories. Inconsiderate people drink and drive with no other thought other than to make themselves "feel good" when in actuality, they only feel worse. These people cause accidents-maiming and killing--and some never stop drinking and driving.

Inconsiderate people speed through neighborhoods--with no thought of children or others in wheelchairs or the elderly who cannot move as fast as they used to move. They hit people with cars and run from the scene like the cowards they really are. The cowards often leave people dead or dying and they do not care. They gave no thought to their actions.

Inconsiderate people are often greedy people who will stop at nothing to obtain what they want by any means. They rob people at gunpoint, with shovels, with knives, with threatening notes in banks and stores and care not one wit about how actions will leave a life time of tragedy in their wake.

Inconsiderate people think everyone around them wants to hear their loud, crass, raunchy music--so they play it loud enough to shake windows and interfere with other drivers and their ability to hear what is going on around them.

Inconsiderate people play pranks without thinking about all the possible consequences and some pranks have led to the death of people.

Inconsiderate people think the world evolves around them and therefore they have a right to do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it and then they complain when they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. They have never learned to "consider their ways."

If we want to see a change in the world, we must begin in our homes and learn to be considerate of others in all we do. Loving others will bring about consideration because we would do not harm those we love. Loving others leads to considering others above ourselves. So the lack of consideration demonstrates a lack of love among many. If we cannot love self, we cannot love others. Consider your ways--do your actions demonstrate love or do they demonstrate total inconsideration regarding others. Think-love-consider all so we can live in peace and harmony and families won't have to mourn the loss of loved ones.

He Knows!

"Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely" (Psalm 139:4 NIV).

When we say, we have a relationship with God, we have no excuse to do those things or say them that are contrary to His Word.

Psalm 94:11 tells us that He knows our thoughts, and in this verse, He knows what we will say before we say it. Whatever is in our hearts, usually comes up and makes itself known when we speak.

If evil is in our heart, this is what others will see. If righteousness is in our hearts, this is what others will see.

Changing how we think and what we think, will change what others think of us and we will be more effective in promoting the Gospel.

If we have a filthy mouth, it is because our thoughts are filthy.

If we only think of lust, we will only speak of lustful things and ideas.

If we think about unconditional love and what that means, we will speak and promote love.

Whatever we think about the most, is what we'll become and do. We cannot fool God at any time, and we can only fool man for a moment. Our thoughts become our deeds and deeds our ways and before we say anything, God already knows what is in our hearts and what will come out of our mouths.

God knows, we cannot hide from Him. The psalmist goes on to ask a question in verse seven: "Where can we go that God will not be there?" There is no running away, but we can run into His arms and know we are safe from the enemy. However, it is our choice and before we can even say anything to justify our choices, God knows.

Sometimes, Thinking Hurts!

Writing, as a process, is thinking.
Thinking, random thoughts or focused ones,
Sometimes leads to deeper thoughts.
When I think, I write.
When I write, I think.
Some days, my thoughts are clear.
Some days, my thoughts are cloudy.
I can look at the sky and think about God.
I can look at a newborn and think about God.
I can look at flowers and small creatures and think about God.
I can look at an ocean and think about God.
I can look at a mountain and think about God.
Then, I look at what our society is and think,
How did we ever get so far, from thinking about God?
Does God want us to kill and rob?
Does God want us to hate for no reason?
Does God want us to abuse children and the elderly?
Does God want us to sit back and do nothing--
Never speak of the evils of this world and who's behind them?
When we speak, do we speak Truth as God sees Truth?
Or do we speak, a politically correct truth that has nothing to do with Godliness?
When we lie, do we not understand that lying is the influence from Satan?
When we kill and destroy people or property, do we not see Satan's influence?
When we hate people--for no other reason than they are different,
Can we not see Satan's influence?
If our relationship with God is right, we'll think as He instructed,
And seek to help those in need and take care of families.
If our relationship with Satan is maintained,
We shall soon cease to exist, since his goal is to destroy mankind.
With all that is going on in the world,
With all the thoughts that bombard my mind,
Sometimes, thinking hurts.
But then, I write, and write, and write.

God help us to align our thinking with Yours that we might do what You would do in any situation, guided by love.

Change Our Thoughts!

As I was looking at the news this morning, my heart was heavy as I heard about:  rapes, conspiracies to murder, murders, robberies, and adultery.  These are the travesties that only we, as human beings, can control.  How can we control them?  We must change how we think!

Paul admonished the church at Philippi to "think on those things that will bring honor and glory to God" (paraphrased summary).  Okay, let me break it down this way. "Whatever is true, right, pure, lovely, noble, admirable and praiseworthy, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8)

If every human being on the planet would simply change their thoughts, change how they view other people, change their perceptions of living in harmony and peace, change how they think about what is right in God's eyes, and change their view of God's Word (endeavoring to use it as a model for living in peace), what a wonderful world this would be. We must remember we cannot change what we do until we change how we think!

God cannot bless "stinking thinking" and I'm sure there are many whose thoughts are perverted since I see the results on the news.  Can we change the outcome and not see so much human carnage?  We can pray that God will cause situations to occur in the lives of people to make them "think" differently, think more like Him, and to always consider the consequences of their actions.  Will God make them change?  No, the change must occur when the individuals want it.  That is why I said, pray that God will create a situation for people to see the need to change the way they think.

Why do I care about what people are thinking? I care because there are people out there in the world that I love.  I would hate to hear about a tragedy occurring to them simply because someone did not know how to think. I care because I am instructed to love and in that instruction, I must pray for everyone to align their thinking with God's.  I care because I'm tired of hearing about murders, rapes, robbery, adulterous affairs, sexual perversion, and all things ungodly.  I care about humanity.  I pray that everyone who knows God, cares as much as I do.  We are all in this world together.  Life won't change until we change how we think--especially as it pertains to others and our love for them.

Father, in the name of Jesus, help us to care enough to want to see people change--their way of thinking, their lifestyles, and their attitudes towards others.  Speak to our hearts and point us in the right direction for change.  Create in us--thoughts of love, purity, and all those things worthy of praise, not destruction.  Help us O God to guard our thoughts from the influence of the enemy who wants to destroy mankind.  Help us to love another and want Your best in the lives of all who trust You.  In Jesus' name we pray and thank You, Amen!