Is Complaining the Best Practice to Succeed?

Text:

Genesis 3:12 (ESV) 

12  The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate." 

Genesis 4:6 (ESV) 

6  The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 

Observation:

Today I didn't have to turn too many pages in my Bible to discover what it had to say about complaining. It has been around a long time; I found the origin in the book of beginnings.

I remember hearing a former pastor say, "An excuse is a reason with its brains blown out".

Why do people complain so much? Is complaining the best practice to accomplish what you desire? Or, like the quote from my former pastor, is it just an excuse?

It is very difficult, and almost impossible to lead a group of people who are always complaining. It is destructive, debilitating, and discouraging. Notice what it did to God's anointed servant who was chosen by God.

Exodus 17:4 (ESV) 

4  So Moses cried to the LORD, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." 

I was prompted to write on this topic by an article I read earlier this morning. This is the statement that got my attention.

"I continue to be amazed by the hatred of the most beautiful miracle to land in our collective laps in years".

In what context do you think this statement was made?

1. Government 
2. Education
3. Military
4. Media
5. Medicine
6. Family
7. Sports
8. Church

Which one did you pick?

For believers, we can do better than to be named with the complainers. God has so richly blessed us with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the gifts of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) 

22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

23  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

This is the best practice for Christ Followers; it comes from the lips of Jesus, and it is for you; not your neighbor.

John 15:5 (ESV) 

5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I ask that You would stir the hearts of Christ followers everywhere that we would have the faith and the courage to release from within us the power that You have placed in us. Lord, help us to bear much fruit.  In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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Why Should You Do Good to Others?

Text:

Galatians 6:7-9 (ESV) 

7  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 

8  For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

9  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 

Observation: 

I came to this passage of scripture with a different topic on my mind, but God had another plan.

The churches of Galatia that Paul had planted were in trouble. This is the problem that Paul addresses in this letter.

Galatians 1:6-7 (ESV) 

6  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 

7  not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 

Paul considered the false teachers as a threat to the new life that God had given these new believers in Christ. The gospel is not just something Paul preached, it was a miracle he had experienced.

Romans 1:16 (ESV) 

16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

Why did Paul say this to the churches of Galatia?

Galatians 6:6 (ESV) 

6  Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 

Paul wanted them to be aware of the consequences of rejecting the gospel of Christ, and the messenger of the gospel, to follow false teachers.

Galatians 6:7 (ESV) 

7  Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 

Paul had authority from God, and he taught and encouraged the churches of Galatia in the Gospel of Christ. He warns them that God is not mocked. If the readers of this letter were mocking God's messenger, they were mocking God. The message is clear if you reject God, He will reject you.

Notice that Paul begin this letter unlike any of his letters to other churches. Notice what he did not say to the church at Philippi, and what he felt necessary to say to the churches of Galatia about his authority.

Philippians 1:1-2 (ESV) 

1  Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 

2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 1:1-2 (ESV) 

1  Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 

2  and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 

Father, help us to always be mindful of the law of the harvest; we will always reap the same kind that we sow.

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, help us by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to be able to distinguish truth from error, and to not be deceived by the enemy of our soul. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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What Is the Way to Heaven?

Text:

James 4:8 (HCSB) 

8  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! 

Observation:

Are you a believer in Jesus? Have you received Him into your life? Notice what the Bible says.

John 1:12-13 (HCSB) 

12  But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, 

13  who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. 

John 3:3 (HCSB) 

3  Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 

This is the Gospel of Christ in a nutshell.

John 3:16-18 (HCSB) 

16  "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 

17  For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 

18  Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. 

I appreciate straightforward talk. What has Jesus said about how to have eternal life? How can you live forever in the presence of God? How do you get from this world to heaven?

John 14:6 (HCSB) 

6  Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

John 5:24 (HCSB) 

24  "I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. 

These are the lyrics of a song expressing a loving invitation from the heart of Jesus to your heart; the title "Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling".

"Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling for you and for me;

See, on the portals He's waiting and watching,

Watching for you and for me.

◦ Refrain:

◦ Come home, come home,

◦ You who are weary, come home;

◦ Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

◦ Calling, O sinner, come home!"

Prayer:

Father, I give You the highest praise that my heart can render. Father, Your love is so unconditional, Your grace so amazing, Your forgiveness so far reaching, and Your mercies so tender.

Father, I thank You that the power of the Holy Spirit of God draws people to Jesus, and I pray that He would draw any that have not received Jesus into their life  to Jesus before it is to late. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

Why Being Thankful Is Appropriate Everyday

Text:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (HCSB) 

18  Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Observation:

Every thing that we need in our life is an invitation to have a conversation with the Lord.

The Lord extends an open invitation to His people to bring everything to Him in prayer.

1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) 

7  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 

It takes faith in God to pray. This promise in the Word gives us confidence that God hears and answers the prayers of His people.

1 John 5:14-15 (HCSB) 

14  Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 

15  And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for. 

The appropriate way for us to begin the conversation with the Lord is to have an attitude of gratitude. A thankful heart that exhibits faith in God is pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. This is the kind of heart attitude that pleases the Lord.

Psalm 107:21-22 (ESV) 

21  Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 

22  And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! 

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, we praise You for Your great love, and for Your generous provisions for Your people. Father, I pray that we will never appear in Your eyes to be ungrateful.

Father, we offer up to You the sacrifice of our praise, and our gratitude for all of Your goodness, and tender mercies. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

What Do Others See in You?

Text:

Ephesians 4:32 (HCSB) 

32  And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. 

Observation: 

A friend recently shared with me that she heard a pastor say, "The one attribute people look for in people is kindness". Do you find this to be true in your life?

I have many be goals in my life, and one of those goals is to "Be kind". Is kindness one of the attributes you look for in others, then sow the seed of kindness into the lives of others.

I found a quote from Lehman Strauss, a pastor I heard speak at an International Conference of Christian Business Men a number of years ago,  that says this.

"Kindness comes from such words as kin and kindred which means that it treats a person as one's own kin".

There are some things that should begin at home, and those of us who are members of the Body of Christ are brothers and sisters. A good beginning is to be kind to one another. If you belong to Christ, you are family with all of God's children.

If we begin to sow seeds of kindness we will reap kindness. One of the laws of the harvest is that we don't reap in the same season that we sow. However, another law says that we reap the same kind that we sow. So, let's decide to live like this.

Romans 12:10 (HCSB) 

10  Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. 

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I ask that You would stir our hearts, and give us a burning desire to show family affection by being kind to one another. Father, help us to treat others in the same manner that You treat us. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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What Gives You the Most Satisfaction?

Text:

Psalm 119:107 (ESV) 

107  I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! 

Observation: 

I considered taking a break from writing for publication today. But, the Lord had a better plan.

I love my life, and I view it as a gift from God. I love the Lord because He loved me first.

I am so thankful that the Lord led me to this verse early this morning. It was a very timely, and uplifting message for me; it met a need in my life; it was life giving, inspiring, and gave me just what I needed in this season of my life.

These words will stay with me for a long time, "Give me life, O LORD, according to your word". There is power in the Word.

As I reflect upon these words, I was reminded of the importance of relationships. I value relationships above riches. There is nothing more precious to me.

However, I am also reminded daily of the difficulty of having close, and meaningful relationships. The psalmist reflected this in his words, "I am severely afflicted".

What I have found to be true in my life is that the Lord, and His Word gives me life, it gives me power to live, and overcome any afflictions I will face in life and death.

Today, and everyday, I am grateful to God for the life He has given me. I am so blessed by the presence, plan, provisions, protection, peace, and power of God, which are the gifts that I receive daily from the Lord. God gives daily bread to His people.

I will be eternally grateful for the gift of faith that is the key that gives me access to my creator, my redeemer, and my best friend. I am so blessed to be able to talk to God, and to talk to you; my family and friends, about the one who is the source of life, and who gives His children the resources to live the abundant life.

This is my story, and I love to share it with others. I am so grateful for having God in my life; for the faith that enables me to be in a relationship with Him, and to please Him. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) 

5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 

6  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV) 

6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Prayer:

Father, I exalt Your name, and give You praise, honor, and glory. Father, I am so thankful for the blessing of life, and the provisions that You give to enjoy life now, and forever. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry

 

Wishing You A Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving

Text:

Psalm 100:1-5 (KJV) 

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 

2  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 

3  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 

5  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

Observation:

Today as we observe Thanksgiving Day in America, it is my prayer that people everywhere, and every day will give praise, and thanksgiving to God.

Why should we give thanksgiving to God?

Psalm 100:5 (KJV) 

5  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

Not only should we give thanks to God every day, but we should also give God thanks for everything.

James 1:17 (ESV) 

17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 

Prayer:

Father, I am so grateful that we have the privilege of entering into Your presence everyday. With You, there is never a time when You are too busy to meet with us.

Father, with grateful hearts, we join with the family of God in saying thank You LORD for all of our blessings. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

--

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Hear the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

https://soundcloud.com/praying-for-you-ministry