Following Christ, Not Culture

“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”—1 John 4:4 (NLT)

A revival starts with us. The cause of the decay of our culture isn’t from all the nonbelievers. It is from both Christians and non-Christians. Lukewarm Christianity is contributing to it as well. Complacency needs to end. There are church’s that aren’t preaching what is Biblically sound doctrine. Practicing tolerance and not speaking the truth with gentleness in love is leading many misguided people astray.

Jesus’ words to us in John 14:6 are, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He doesn’t tell us there are multiple avenues to God. He is very clear the only way to have a relationship with the one true God is through Him. Many find this offensive because it isn’t all inclusive. Being politically correct may stop some Christians from sharing this truth.

We can’t have one foot in the world and one foot in the Bible. We need to be all in. Our reality is that those who choose not to believe the Gospel will be offended. Currently, I am in the New Testament in my Bible plan. I have been reading about all the accusations Jesus faced for preaching God’s truth.

Jesus is our model on how to handle the opposition He faced at every turn. Despite it, He continued in obedience and brought glory to His Father in all His actions. We are to do the same. The division found during Jesus’ teachings are still happening today. We see it now with what is happening in Israel. There has been turmoil over religion in this region for over 2200 years. Yet, we cling to the hope knowing, one day Jesus will come back and restore moral order. He will triumph over evil.

We need a sense of morality back in this world. Speaking up and speaking out isn’t easy. As a Christ follower, being a coward in this area, isn’t an option. When we have an opportunity to witness but stay silent, we are denying God. As God’s people, we have a higher level of accountability because of what we know and the access we have to His Word.

As we share our faith in this crumbling world around us, we never know whose heart will be changed from it. God has chosen all of us for a time such as this to share our faith. Let us cling to 1 John 4:4. It tells we belong to God and have won victory over evil because we have the Holy Spirit living within us that is greater. Loving Jesus pushes out our love for the things of the world.

Father God,

Forgive me when I fail to stand-up to cultural norms that clearly don’t align with scripture.  I ask for strength to cling to the truth and values found in Your Word. I pray for restoration of moral order in our society. I ask for peace for anxious hearts as they watch what is unfolding in other parts of the world. What is happening is not a surprise to You. I lift those up to You who are facing persecution. Give them strength when they feel weak. Thank You for giving me, Jesus, the perfect example of how to live during these times of opposition. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen

October Verse

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”—Psalm 28:7

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make

Working Together for a Greater Purpose

“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.”—Colossians 2:2 (NLT)

Overcommitment is not God’s will for us, nor is trying to do it all on your own. I need to be careful in this area of my life. There is so much to do for God’s Kingdom, but I can’t say, “yes” to every opportunity. The Knit, Pray, Crochet church ministry I am leading is a perfect example. Currently, there is one woman who I call my “top performer.” Every week she brings, hats and blankets she has made. Could I make more items to donate each week? Probably, but it would stress me out to do that. That is not my gift. My gift was starting the group and trusting God would provide the manpower and number of needed items.

I will never be the person that cranks out 50 hats or 5 blankets a month. I am lucky to get 2-3 hats made. God gave me the gift of leadership to spearhead the ministry. The group isn’t making hats because we expect recognition from the pulpit. We do it because it is a way for us to evangelize outside of the church walls. There is power when we do things together. People are drawn toward light. When I am with my sisters in Christ knitting each week, together we shine the light of Christ even brighter.

In our group, age isn’t a disqualifier. The lady I mentioned who produces the most is in her early 80’s. When she broke her wrist a few months ago, not only did our production go down, but we also missed her presence. She has been instrumental in getting the word out about us. Please say a prayer Wednesday morning for her as she undergoes heart surgery for a new heart valve.🙏🏻

We all have a part to play in growing God’s Kingdom. When we find our cause where we can serve, we find our purpose. Not only has my knitting helped guide my hands with what I create, but it does the same for those in my Knit, Pray, Crochet group. We know what we create will warm a person, child or baby’s head. This brings joy to our hearts. It is highly unlikely we will ever see the recipient wearing what we have made, but we know the love and prayers woven into what we make will be felt by them.

Yes, we can serve Jesus on our own, but when we do it together, it gives life more meaning. It may be outside of your comfort zone to join a small group where you may not know anyone, but what I can tell you is, life is better when I connect with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Father God,

Thank You for knitting women into my life who help me to shine the light of Christ in my community. Continue to lead others to help grow Your kingdom using the gifts You have given them. I lift up my sister in Christ, Jo Ann, who will be having heart surgery this week as well as any others who have health issues. You know each by name. I pray for those searching for friendships to help them grow in Christ. Open their eyes to where they can serve to meet others who are on a similar faith path. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

October Verse

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”—Psalm 28:7

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make

Limited Time

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”—Psalm 90:12 (NLT)

If you knew the exact day you were going to die, would you live your life differently? We don’t know because regardless of when that day is, we know our time is limited. Because of this, we should have an urgency for being bolder and more confident in our faith with both those we know and those we don’t who haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Psalm 90:12 tells us life is short. Each day we are given is a gift God has entrusted to us. Any time of the day, I can read God’s Word to grow in wisdom, which helps me to prioritize what is important in life.  If I look around me, I get the chance to love like Jesus to those put in my pathway; from personal encounters to an email, text or message on social media.

A few years ago, when a close family friend was dying, I kept thinking, God would use someone else to talk to him about his salvation. However, God chose me. We can’t tell ourselves (like I did and still do), God is going to use another person to tell them about Jesus. I will just do the planting of the seeds. If God puts an opportunity in our pathway, we don’t question it. We do it.

Of course, we don’t ever stop the seed planting. God may need us to tend to them to help them grow or we may even be blessed enough to see the person accept Jesus into their hearts and lives. We pray about it. Either God will open the door for the conversation, or He won’t. The last thing we want to become is the person who pushed them further from God. Like I said, we pray and then obey.

I did have a situation a few weeks ago at my mother’s assisted living. It was brought to my attention one of the gentlemen at my mom’s dinner table didn’t have the same beliefs as me. I don’t exactly remember what I was talking about, but I made a comment about “one day in heaven.” In a bit of a condescending tone, he said, “so you believe in that? My husband was with me. He gave me the eye that I needed to change the topic. He was right. At dinner with a table full of other residents wasn’t the appropriate moment to have some type of theological debate with him. Should the opportunity present itself at a better time with him, I won’t shy away from the conversation.

Our days here on earth are brief. The things we do for God are what have eternal value. Physical death is a part of our reality. We can’t avoid it. “My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope.”—1 Thessalonians 4:13 (CEV)

This scripture tells us that people who don’t know Jesus will grieve over their loved ones because they don’t have the hope of knowing when they die, they spend eternity with their Heavenly Father. I don’t know about you, but this makes me sad that so many are hopeless after the death of a loved one. We can change that by sharing our faith with others.

We know death is not the end but the beginning. We are promised we will spend eternity with our Creator We have no need to fear the end of our life for we have a Savior who dwells with us now and forever. Where or who can you give this message of hope to someone?

Father God,

Forgive me when I question an opportunity You have put in my pathway to share the Gospel. Help me purposefully live my life as a disciple of Christ. I ask for you to give me the right words to speak with those who don’t believe in Jesus. Whether You are asking me to plant some seeds or grow what someone else has planted, I know You can use me as a vessel to share Your Truth to those who are lost. Soften hearts to hear Your message of hope and healing. I pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen

September Verse

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”—1 Peter 5:6

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make