Walking In Your Brother's Shoes

Jesus spoke to us through his teaching in the Scripture about peace.  A peace that comes to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Today in many of our churches people are desperate to find peace. Peace for their broken hearts; peace for their broken families; peace for their broken spiritual lives.

How can we as Christians, those who proclaim to be followers of Jesus Christ help others to find the peace they are yearning for?

It is easy to say to a person, here read this book or I will pray for you! But have you really allowed yourself to get to know that person. Have you spent time listening to their story?

Jesus did just that, Jesus spent time with the people who needed what he had the most!

Jesus sat and ate with them, Jesus walked with them...all over the place...Jesus washed their feet, Jesus fed them.

Can you say that you have done any of these things this past week?

Have any of you walked with someone so that you could truly understand their ideas that may be different than your own? Not saying that you agree with them. But have you taken the time to listen!

Can you honestly say that you care enough about your neighbor to take the time and have a meal together, to show that person that they have sacred worth?

Jesus did just that. He showed the woman at the well how to not be thirsty, he spoke to the woman found in adultery, he chose Judas to be a part of God's big plan for our salvation.

Let me take a moment to challenge each one who reads this, to do something this week for someone besides yourself.  Take some time to walk in your neighbor's shoes!

Cloudiness

     Sometimes the cloudiness in our vision is because there is a problem that causes us to not see clearly; this cloudiness could be caused from a medical condition, like the forming of a cataract. 

    It might be caused from a weather condition, fog has rolled in off the seashore. 

    Sometimes it might be cloudy because of an agenda that a group of people have on a political issue that they are trying to get others to agree with.

Cloudiness is something that we could legitimately see every day if we live in certain areas of the world. We could see this cloudiness in our own lives every day. 

This reminds me of the Scripture story that talks about the Israelites that followed the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night: Exodus 13:20-22

"They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people." (The Message)

Moses knew that without the cloud the nation of Israel could get lost...Remember these folks were lost for 40 years in the desert!

One thing that comes from this story is the fact that if cloudiness is on our lives it might be GOD made and GOD sent for us to follow. BUT we must first discern that the cloud is a God thing or a nature made thing.

Moses knew God because he had an encounter with the Creator on the mountain. My belief is that Moses was the right man for discerning that the cloud was GOD given. 

My question is: have you experienced a visitation from God lately; to help you figure out if the cloudiness in your life is nature made, man made or GOD provided?

My suggestion is: we spend time with God every day to learn the difference between cloudiness that is caused by disease or a cloud that is placed before us out of a life of oppression, sin and separation from the ONE who loves us more than we can comprehend!