Between Sundays

I have just finished reading "Between Sundays" by Karen Kingsbury and it really got me pondering on how important between Sundays are. I recommend everyone grab a copy and read this novel.

Each Sunday we sit in church, singing, nodding and smiling at everything our priest says and reads, acknowledging what God expects from us but how serious do we take it? Do we consciously make the effort to try or do we often use the excuse "I don't think this week's message was meant for me".

What happens after Sunday? This novel is about teaching a famous football player about the importance of having God in his life but also how important between Sundays are.

As believers, we think we are doing our best to be more like Jesus in the way we conduct ourselves, treat others and our general being but how important is it to us? Are we keeping it front of mind at all times? I don't think so.

Bottom line, as in the novel, the saying goes: What you do between Sundays is more important!

In other words, yes, it's great that we praise and visit with God every Sunday, learning and listening but it's what we do when we are not in church that really counts. It is how we conduct ourselves outside in front of others. That's what God really wants! He wants us to show others how great He truly is.

What's the point of smiling, singing and nodding on Sunday if we don't keep it going from Monday to Saturday as well? How do we expect others to believe in our God, find comfort in knowing Him if we aren't expressing our saving grace through our words, our actions, our morals and values.

Never forget that the smallest act could mean everything to someone. God didn't make us all preachers but He did give us what we need to make a difference in any size.

So, I urge you this Sunday, when you sit and pray in church to ask God to help you be more like Jesus where it counts.....BETWEEN SUNDAYS.

Sshh....it's a secret!

  Sssh....I can't tell you, it's a secret sin. 

This week, two words keep popping into my head. SECRET SIN.

Sin is all around us and as much as we try not to sin, we do. God is our Father and like all parents, He wants us to be perfect. But unfortunately, like our parents tell us, we can't always get what we want.

Do you have a secret sin?
I do. And no, I'm not telling.

Why do we keep it a secret?
Deep down, we know we shouldn't and most times when we are aware of it we feel guilt, humiliation and shame in secret. Let's be honest, we also think that those around us can see our secret sin but they can't unless we tell them.

Should we keep it a secret?
NO. God wants us to turn to Him for help, forgiveness and the skills we need to to stop. If not God, then someone. In society today, we are told to be more open and honest with those around us, but how many times when we do this, do those around us judge us.

Personally, I say stick with talking to God. He knows it anyway and God loves talking to us behind a closed door, in silence. What parent doesn't like having a one-on-one with their child, especially when their child is being open and honest, desperate for help and guidance.

We shouldn't be ashamed of sin because we do sin. We should however keep trying to stop. Temptation strikes and as much as we try, the devil gets his way and we can't resist sometimes. Like my blog before, don't let the devil become a capital letter in your life. Let's God's angels wrap their wings around you to protect you from the devil's flames of hell.
 

The Holy Spirit whispers in our ear to tell us not to. We just need to believe in our willpower and strength received from the Holy Trinity to not even consider the thought of sinning in secret. I know it is easier said than done but with God it is easier done than said. 





 
 Sshh...it's a secret NO MORE!

Lord, I am in great trouble,

so I call out to you.

Lord, hear my voice;

listen to my prayer for help.

Lord, if you punished people for all their sins,

no one would be left, Lord.

But you forgive us,

so you are respected.

I wait for the Lord to help me,

and I trust His word. 

I wait for the Lord to help me more than night watchmen wait for the dawn,

more than night watchmen wait for the dawn.

People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord because He is loving and able to save.

He will save Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 130

Capital Letters

In the English language, we learn that any word that has a Capital Letter is naming something. And in many cases, that something is important and to be noted as it has a title, a name, belonging to something or someone.

My name, your name is important. Our names are written with a Capital Letter. When reading my Bible for my writing, I noticed something I found very interesting. I read the scripture when Jesus was tempted by the devil. When we write about the devil, we often give his name a Capital but in the Bible, his name is not written with a Capital “D”. So, what is that telling us?

Well, it is telling us that first of all, the devil doesn’t deserve having a capital letter in his name. It also tells us that he has no place in our life. His name is not as important as yours or mine. God gave us parents who named us with a Capital Letter. We are important, to be noted, to belong.

The devil clearly not having a capital tells us that even the people who wrote our scriptures don’t see him as important, be noted or belong anywhere in our life. God doesn’t see him as important anymore. The devil tempts us, urging us to sin and for whatever reason, we often allow his temptation to win us over.  But he doesn’t deserve our weakness and even our sin.

Who gave him a Capital in our life? Who made him important in our life? Who made me noticeable?  Who made him belong in our life? I did, you did, and we did. And he doesn’t deserve it!

But then you debate with me and say, “Okay, but the word “Satan” is written with a capital letter and I reply, ‘Yes, you are right’. And here is why. Because like I’ve mentioned before, Satan is important, should be noted and does belong.

Huh! Satan is importantly unimportant in our Christian life. Important because we need to remember that he is not important, is unnoticeably noticed and doesn’t belong anywhere in our life yet he seems to belong because he tempts us regularly. God wants us to know about Satan so we can be appear of how he can affect our life God has given us and how to not be tempted by the empty promises and lies.

Don’t allow the devil to gain a Capital Letter in your life! Don’t let the devil become important, noticeable! Don’t allow him to belong in your life!

There is only one person consisting of three people that has the right to have a Capital in our life. That one is God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all have capital letters in the Bible which tells us they deserve capitals in our life too.

Allow God to be important in your life, allow Jesus to be noticeable in your life and allow the Holy Spirit to belong in your life.

We all get tempted in our life but remember like the devil, the word “temptation” doesn’t have a capital in the Bible either.

So give yourselves completely to God.

Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.

James 4:7