Orange Moon "A Special Blessing"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

 

"A Special Blessing"

 

    My wife Frances shared a thought with me the other day that greatly blessed me (something she does all the time, of course!).

 

     "I have decided that when I go to work, I am going to ask the Lord to allow me to be a special blessing to at least one person while I am there."

 

    Those of you who know Frances are aware that she is a special blessing to far more than one person, wherever she may be.  However, I love the particular commitment expressed by her determination.  It makes me think that the desire to be "a special blessing to at least one person" would be a great prayer to offer to the Lord regarding wherever we go.

 

    "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all" (Galatians 6:10).

 

   What if we join Frances in asking the Lord to grant opportunity to "do good" to at least one person as we journey to our places of work and responsibility?  Or to the store?  Or to church?  Or to a restaurant?  Or to the doctor?  Or in our neighborhood?  Or in our own home?  Such a desire wrought by the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and such a prayer prayed to our Heavenly Father in the name of the Lord Jesus, will surely find Him working in us to bless somebody, and doubtless many somebodies.

 

    "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

 

    Allow a few more "What ifs?"   What if the workplace is far more about ministry to others than making money?  What if we go to the store not only to access supplies, but to even more exemplify the Lord Jesus in our countenance, demeanor, attitudes, words, and actions?  What if we go to church far more to minister than to be ministered unto?  What if we go to restaurants not first to eat, but to bestow some measure of the Bread of life to others?  When we must visit the doctor, what if we go not first to be treated or healed, but to bestow some form of God's caring to those who provide care for us?  What if we live in our neighborhoods not primarily because we like our location or house, but because our Lord placed us in a venue where we can shine as lights to our neighbors?  And what if our homes are actually temples where the wonders and responsibilities of family serve as opportunities to be God's blessings to one another?  

 

    None of these possibilities are "What ifs?"  They are actually "What is."   Everything in our lives as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ involves first and foremost our privileged responsibility to glorify God and bless others.  The Christ who "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" now lives in us by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 20:28; Galatians 4:6).  We must therefore understand and interpret our existence as opportunity to serve, or in Frances's terms, to "be a special blessing to at least one person."  Again, in God's terms, when we make that commitment, "one person" will become many as His Spirit of love leads and enables us to view ourselves and our lives in the glory of our Savior's devotion to the Father and to others.  This is life, the life of Christ as revealed in all who, like Frances, respond to His moving within us to be "a special blessing."  There is no other...

 

"To live is Christ… Walk even as He walked… God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts… Walk in love, even as Christ hath loved us, and given Himself for us and offering and a sacrifice to God… Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God… Here am I. Send me."

(Philippians 1:21; I John 2:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 5:2; I Corinthians 10:31; Isaiah 6:8)

 

Weekly Memory Verse

   "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

(Philippians 2:4)

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Orange Moon "Who Is This For?"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

 

"Who Is This For?

 

    Pain, loss, sorrow, difficulty, and illness must be addressed in the personal sense.  We trust and submit to God for His comfort, help, solution, and healing, as He sees fit.  We seek the Light that "shineth in darkness" in order to be illuminated, and to honor our Lord in dealing with hardship. "Glorify ye the Lord in the fires" (John 1:5; Isaiah 24:15).  However, another path proceeding from the challenges of life also presents itself whenever we are hurting.

 

    "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation" (II Corinthians 1:3-6).

 

    Trouble, in whatever form or measure, provides preparation and opportunity to minister to others.  The love of God dwells within born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning that we first and foremost exist for the glory of God and the blessing of people (Romans 5:5).  Thus, while our Heavenly Father works in our challenges regarding our own walk with Him and growth in His grace, He also allows and adminsters our difficulties and His working therein to make possible our ministry to people.  As the Apostle Paul declared, the comfort we receive is the comfort we give out.  "Whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation" (II Corinthians 1:6).

 

    Fewer more revolutionary truths exist in the pages of God's Word.  Our native tendency regarding trouble involves becoming inward and self-centered.  "Why is this happening to me?" Again, a place exists for this question as we must address our difficulties in the personal sense.  However, what if our challenge also bears much significance regarding our being prepared to honor the Lord Jesus and minister to others?  Regarding his own troubles, the Apostle Paul affirmed, "The things which have happened to me have fallen out rather for the furtherance of the Gospel" (Philippians 1:12).  The presence of the unselfish Christ in Paul's heart resulted in the Apostle's realization that his life was not about himself.  The same Christ lives in every believer's heart, including yours and mine.  We must therefore join the Apostle in knowing that our Father works to turn us inside out, as it were, by wrenching primary focus on ourselves - "Why is this happening to me?" - to the perspective based on the love of Christ: "How can I honor the Lord Jesus and help others because of this challenge?"

 

    Whenever sharing this Biblical truth, I like to emphasize the special opportunity for prayer that exists in our difficulties.  Certainly it is proper to pray for ourselves.  "I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me out of His holy hill" (Psalm 3:4). However, we face no challenge that is not "common to man" (I Corinthians 10:13).  Countless others are sharing our experience of pain, loss, sorrow, and difficulty.  What if our own bearing of a particular cross actually builds an altar in our hearts to pray for others?  It does.  A primary way we bestow the comfort of God we receive involves asking our Lord to provide the same to others experiencing challenges.  Indeed, intercessory prayer for others offered from our personal altar of challenge greatly enables us to avoid sinking into ourselves when we hurt.  We rather arise and set forth in the others-centered love of Christ to prayerfully use our challenge as the means whereby others are helped.  Again, Paul greatly illuminates us in this holy matter: "So then death worketh in us, but life in you" (II Corinthians 12:9).

 

    A final point.  Perhaps in Heaven, some fellow citizen of that holy place will encounter us along a glimmering street of gold.  "Do you recall the prayer you prayed for me on January 4, 2021?" they might inquire.  "On that day when you were hurting, you prayed for 'somebody, somewhere' who was also facing great difficulty and pain at the time.  I was that somebody, or at least, I was one of them.  Our Heavenly Father answered your prayer for others, prayed from your altar of pain.  Through your intercession, He led and enabled me to face my challenge."  Certainly, we will join that brother or sister in even more prayer on such an occasion, falling to our knees on a street of gold to praise the God whose love leads us to  emphasize not ourselves, but rather the Lord Jesus and others.  "Why is this happening to me?"  A place exists for the question.  However, a far larger place exists for a far more blessed inquiry, prayed from the indwelling love of our glorious Lord Jesus: "Who is this for?"

 

"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

(I Corinthians 10:31)

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

(Philippians 2:4)

 

Weekly Memory Verse

   "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

(Philippians 2:4)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Orange Moon "Deeper, Further, Higher"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe… 

 

"Deeper, Further, High"

 

   We trust someone to the degree we know them.  When a person communicates faithfulness to us in word and deed, we feel confident in committing our trust to their trustworthiness.

 

    "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). 

    "Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice" (Psalm 63:7).

 

    As we step beyond the threshold of time into a new year, we do well to seek a greater confidence in our Lord's involved presence in our lives.  This involves the determination to know Him better and understand the truth of His Word more adequately and accurately.  A growing faith and the fruits thereof do not simply happen.  God must do His part, which He accomplishes perfectly.  "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure."  We must also do our part, as led and enabled by the Holy Spirit.  "Work out your own salvation… Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might" (Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 6:10).  We can do no better than to seek growth in knowing our Lord and His truth better because everything in our walk with Him proceeds from His grace received by faith.  "By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (I Corinthians 15:10).

 

   God can be known to a greater degree than we have experienced.  His truth can be understood in a more abundant measure.  Everything in our lives flows from this realization of appreciation for that which we do know and understand, but also the vital yearning to dive deeper, journey further, and fly higher into the One of whom Scripture declares, "He is thy life" (Deuteronomy 30:20).  An endless adventure awaits us in both time and eternity, beckoning us to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18).  Greater faith will ever be required for the journey, which  requires greater knowledge and understanding of our Lord and His truth.  Yes, we trust someone to the degree we know them.  No greater realization and accompanying resolution can be enbraced as we cross the threshold of this new year than the response to our Heavenly Father's call of deeper, further, and higher into Himself and His truth…

 

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

(Proverbs 4:18)

 

Weekly Memory Verse

    I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before Him."

(Ecclesiastes 3:14)

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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