Actions > Words

"Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." ~ 1 John 4:20-21

So many times we fall for the okie doke and trust people based off of what they say. 

But I'm here to tell you that a person's actions reveal much more than their words can.

It's a biblical principle that John tries to teach us in 1 John 4.

How can we say we're a Christian and that we love Jesus if we're not showing love to our fellow man?

How can we claim to represent Him and we're not doing what he commanded us (John 14:23)?

Actions over words. All day, every day.

God bless,
J.W.

Finding God (Part II)

Despite popular belief, people aren't typically saved by going to church.

As controversial as that might sound, if you search the scriptures, you'll find that most people don't have their first real encounter with God in a place of worship.

See Moses (Exodus 3), Jacob (Genesis 32), and Paul (Acts 9).  They all are devout Jews who probably went to synagogue routinely.  However, they all have their first real encounters with God outside of the church during their daily routines. 

That tells us three things:

1. You can be in church all your life and never develop a personal relationship with God.

2. God is not restricted to the four walls of the church.

3. God meets people where they are.

That's why God instructs to "set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity" in 1 Timothy 4:12. He wants us to let our lights shine in all that we do, so that people might have a personal encounter with God wherever we go.

See, He knows that people aren't saved by going church. Rather, people get saved by watching real Christians live their lives for God.

So, don't restrict God to the four walls of the church. He can do ANYTHING with ANYBODY ANYWHERE.

God bless,
J.W.

Somebody's Watching You

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." ~ 1 Timothy 4:12

Make no mistake, if you're living your life for Christ, somebody's watching you.

Perhaps it's the agnostic on your job who keeps questioning you about God. Or the atheist in your class who thinks you're foolish to believe in a supreme being. Perhaps it's that person who claims to be a Christian whose actions don't seem to match up with his or her words. Or maybe it's that person still living in sin but searching for peace and comfort in the midst of his or her storm. looking for a better way.

Whoever it is, they're watching.

So, what kind of example are you setting?

God bless,
J.W.

Forgetting The Past

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:12-14

Are you holding on to pass issues, past hurts, past pains.

Know that God is always seeking to do a new thing in your life.

But it requires you to have a change of heart, to always look forward, to always seek after that which is to come and not that which is behind you.

God bless,
J.W.

My Onesiphorus

About two months ago, I read an article called “Pit Crew Heroes,” that talked about the importance of the pit crew in auto racing. It pointed out that even though the driver is often the one who gets most of the fame and the glory, it’s the pit crew, working behind the scenes, that is often the difference between winning and losing.

The article goes on to talk about one of the members of the Apostle Paul’s pit crew. His name was Onesiphorus, a mouthful indeed. But despite his hard-to-pronounce name, Paul mentions him in 1 Timothy 1:16. It reads: "May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me. May the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day. You know very well in how many ways he helped me."

As you can see, Onesiphorus, though widely unrecognized, was important to Paul’s ministry. He encouraged and inspired Paul to continue doing the work he was called by God to do. Without Onesiphorus, Paul would not have been as effective in the ministry as he turned out to be.

The truth is that if we were to look behind every successful person, we’d find an Onesiphorus there, waiting in the wings to inspire, encourage, and refresh. Somebody whose absence would have made the difference, and whose presence makes all the difference.

Who is your Onesiphorus? Maybe’s it’s a friend, a neighbor, or a relative, somebody who’s always there to help inspire you to be the best you can be. Maybe it’s your sister with whom you share a special bond. Or your father who was always there to give you guidance. Maybe it’s even your child, who always encourages you to follow your dreams and hold on to your innocence.

Tomorrow being Mother’s Day, I wanted to honor my Onesiphorus, the person who has always been there for me no matter. She’s the one person who never gives me her own advice, but instead, always points me back to Jesus. She is my rock and my guiding light, and today, I honor her for her strength, her courage, and her wisdom. She is truly my angel, the one person I know will always understand.

So Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there, and particularly my mom, for everything you are and everything you do. Thank you for being our Onesiphoruses.

God bless,
J.W.