Month: February 2019

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Live Life Now!

Live Life Now!

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (Philippians 4:11-12 NLT).

I have read this Holy Scripture many times and still struggle to understand it.  I am confused how Paul can essentially have the same joy with plenty or with little.   I have traveled to several developing countries and have witnessed wide spread poverty beyond anything in the U.S.  As I reflect back on these trips and my interactions with the local people, I recall their pure joy.  I wonder if their joy is due to the absence of stress.  Most of us would be stressed out if we woke up and found ourselves in severe poverty.  However, there seems to be an inner peace that these kind souls have that is lacking in the developed nations.

I wonder if this inner peace is due to a lack of stress.  We are stressed out today because of a lack of contentment, but Paul learned how to be content with nothing except God’s grace.  We learn in 2 Cor. 12:9, “ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  This is a high standard for us in the modern world.  We have an inherent drive for more – money, fun, power, control, etc. 

The apostle Paul shows us another way to live.  “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.” 

Do not be deceived and think that Paul lacked ambition. This is the same man that took the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire and wrote many chapters of the New Testament.  God taught him contentment.  His ambition did not wane due to his contentment and neither should yours.  They are not mutually exclusive to any of us.

Contentment isn’t laziness, complacency, or apathy.  It is living life now and not waiting for something better (job promotion, new bass boat, etc.) to come along.  We all want to make professional and personal progress, and that is fine.   We should not let our yearning for something in the future preclude our ability to enjoy our blessings of today.  Contentment is the ability to find happiness in your current situation.

I think Paul was using his knowledge of contentment to advise the Thessalonians in 5:18 by writing, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  It is extremely important that he is urging us to give thanks in all circumstances and not for all circumstances.  We are not to give thanks for tragedy, but we can still be thankful in the tragedy because His grace is sufficient for us.

Prayer:  Dear God, We give you thanks and praise in all circumstances because we know that you will bring about good from the bad.  Help us dear Lord to be live life today because tomorrow is not promised.  Each day is a blessing from you and we will surely rejoice and be glad in it because we know that you walk with us in good times and bad.  We love you, need you, and praise you.  Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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  • The Holy Covenant of Marriage – Part 4: Divorce

    The Holy Covenant of Marriage - Part 4: Divorce “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9 NIV).   If marriage is a Godly uniting of a couple together, then divorce is a secular process to separate what God has united.  The separation is not done with surgical precision and results in a “tearing apart.”   The result is ugly and does not honor God. It is well known that approximately half of all first marriages end in divorce, and the divorce rate for subsequent marriages is even higher. I think this is because...
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  • The Pillars Of A Powerful Prayer

    The Pillars Of A Powerful Prayer “Then [Nehemiah] said, ‘O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands, listen to my prayer! . . . I confess that we have sinned against you . . . Please remember what you told your servant Moses: “If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I...
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  • Finding Joy While Suffering

    Finding Joy While Suffering “God lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2 NIV). One of the more common questions from Christians is about suffering.  Why does a God that loves us as His own children allow suffering?  Perhaps the greatest challenge to our faith is to understand pain and suffering. Many people point to the Book of Job to understand suffering.  God did not cause Job’s suffering but allowed the devil to cause suffering.  Job was tempted and tested.  Job struggled...
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The Unforgivable Sin?

The Unforgivable Sin?

The Unforgivable Sin?

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.   For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:22-24 NIV).

Years ago a dear friend, let’s call him John, confided in me that he had made the “unforgivable sin.”  I was expecting him to tell me about how he had committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.   In Mark 3:20-34, Jesus is accused by his parents of being “out of His mind” and the Pharisees said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul!”  Jesus called them to Him and began to speak in parables beginning with “How can satan drive out satan?”  He concluded by stating, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:28-29).  Context is always important in understanding Scripture and the next verse helps in this regard.  “He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit” (Mark 3:30).   Jesus was clearly not an impure spirit, but rather the impurity was in the heart of the Pharisees.

John went on to tell me that his sin was that had lust in his heart for another woman that was not his wife.  His sin was based on Matthew 5:27.  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  John had indeed sinned, but he had earnestly turned from his sin, repented, and asked for God’s forgiveness.  I assured him that based on what he told me, his sin was surely forgiven.

John’s fears were unfounded. While there is an unforgivable sin, it is not one that a true believer in Jesus Christ can commit.  The sin of the religious leaders, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, was a refusal to accept the divinity of Jesus and submit their lives to Him.  Jesus addressed the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 16:8, “When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:  about sin, because people do not believe in me.”

The unpardonable sin is not some particularly grievous sin committed by a Christian before or after accepting Christ, nor is it thinking or saying something terrible about the Holy Spirit. Rather, it is deliberately resisting the Holy Spirit’s witness and invitation to turn to Him until death ends all opportunity.  I believe that if you reject Jesus until your last day but on that last day “you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9).  Your declaration must be sincere, and God knows what is in our hearts.

Prayer:  Dear God:  Thank you for the blessing of forgiveness of sins.  We know that nothing we do can separate us from your love.  Please continue to draw us closer to you so we will love what is pure and hate what is evil.  Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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  • Seek Unity Not Uniformity


    Seek Unity Not Uniformity
    Seek Unity Not Uniformity
    “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.   For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.   Even so, the body is not made up of one part but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:21-31 NIV).
    All members of most sports teams wear a uniform.  This designates they are a part of the same team.  However, each member is not uniform in terms of their role or skill on…
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  • The Biblical Roots Of Trust



    The Biblical Roots Of Trust
    Trust is an essential component to any relationship. Trust is essential for a relationship to move past a superficial level to a more intimate and personal basis. Our relationship with God is based on our trust that first, He lived and died for our sins and second, He has our best interests at heart and loves us unconditionally.
    The actual phrase “Jesus loves me,” cannot be found in the Bible but there are examples that support this fact. In John 13:34 Jesus said, “As I have loved you, you must love one another” and in John 15:9 He said, “As the Father has…
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  • Seeing Without Sight



    Seeing Without Sight
    “Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”  So, they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus” (Mark 10: 49-50 NIV).
    I am grateful to have good vision, but yet I wonder how much I don’t see.  I am often reminded of the story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) who sits by the roadside hopefully calling out to Jesus to pay attention to him and heal him. Some of the people in the crowd tried to hush him up. (Probably they felt,…
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If You Want God’s Mercy, Then Give Mercy to God’s Children

If You Want God’s Mercy, Then Give Mercy to God’s Children

If You Want God’s Mercy, Then Give Mercy to God’s Children

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NLT).

We all sin and want mercy.  God is quick to forgive and offer mercy when we approach Him with an earnest desire to repent from our sin.  Why is it then that as children of God we are so reluctant to offer mercy to our brothers and sisters in Christ?  Yes, forgiveness is not easy, but nobody ever promised us that a life with God would be easy.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NLT).  In short, what you give, you’re going to get. You’ve got to learn to give mercy if you want God’s mercy for your sins.  We all want mercy for our sins and transgressions.

But why does God want you to show mercy to others? Why is being merciful so important?  We love the mercy we get from God, but we often feel that we are entitled to withhold mercy from others.  So why should we show mercy to others?

God Has Shown Mercy To Us

Our blessings from God are not meant to be hoarded.  God wants us to pass on the mercy that you’ve received from Him.  Ephesians 2:4-5 reads, “God’s mercy is so abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead in our disobedience, He brought us to life with Christ. It is by God’s grace that you have been saved” (GNT).

God Commands Mercy

God has clearly told us what is required of us. “The Lord has told you what is good. This is what the Lord requires from you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to live humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 GW).

We All Have A Constant Need For Mercy

We will all make more mistakes and sins between today and the day of our death.  So, we will all need God’s mercy in the future as much as in the past.  God will not give to us what we will not give to others.  James 2:13 teaches, “You must show mercy to others, or God will not show mercy to you when he judges you. But the person who shows mercy can stand without fear at the judgment” (NCV).

Showing Mercy Brings Joy

We reach in Matthew 5:7 that God blesses those who are merciful.  “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (NIV).  The word “blessed” also means “happy,” so the more you practice giving mercy, the happier and more blessed you’re going to be.

Prayer:  Dear God:  Thank you for the mercy and forgiveness that you have given to us all.  Please help us to offer mercy to others in the same way that you offer it to us.  Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We welcome your comments below.

Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.

Liked this post?

Read more below or search for more topics…

  • Live Life Now!



    Live Life Now!
    “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little” (Philippians 4:11-12 NLT).
    I have read this Holy Scripture many times and still struggle to understand it.  I am confused how Paul can essentially have the same joy with plenty or with little.   I have traveled to several developing countries and have witnessed wide spread poverty…
    Read More

  • The Power of Prayer



    The Power of Prayer
    “The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place.” (2 Chronicles 30:27 NIV)
    It is important to understand that the power of prayer does not come from us.  Prayer is not special words we say or the special way we say them or even how often we say them.  The length of our prayer is also not important.  Powerful prayer is not made by standing on the street corner with dirt on your face or any other means to show others your piety.  The…
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  • How to be a AAA-Rated Father



    How to be a AAA-Rated Father
    “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.  Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.   How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!  He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates )(Psalm 127:3-5 NLT).
    Each year parents with good intentions will search for books to improve their parenting skills.  As parents we love our children and want them to have a good life and be happy.  We purchase material things to make them happy.  We take them on…
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The Biblical Path To Peace

The Biblical Path To Peace

The Biblical Path To Peace

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9 NIV).

Americans are more stressed than ever.  A 2017 American Psychological Association “Stress in America Survey” showed that those polled were more stressed about the country’s future than at any time in the survey’s 10-year history.  We are stressed about more than our country’s future.  We worry about our families, jobs, and retirement.  Others worry if their car will start in the morning or if they will have enough money to pay for their medications.  Stress is deadly. As of June 2018, suicide rates in the US are up 30 percent since 1999.  Stress is a silent killer that leads to heart attacks, stroke, and other serious health problems.

The Bible tells us over and over not to worry about tomorrow, food, or even what clothes to wear.  In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus exhorts us not to worry because God knows what we need and there is no value to worry.  It won’t add a single hour to our life.  In fact, it will likely reduce hours from our lives!

Chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is another great reminder to not worry.  In fact, it provides the solution to worry – peace.   Imagine the joy if we were not “anxious about anything.”  Paul is suggesting in verse 6 to take each worry captive and turn it into a prayer with thanksgiving for what we currently have and a petition for what we think we need.  Verse 7 is our reward for obedience to verse 6.  The peace of God, which human words cannot even begin to describe, will be ours and it will guard our hearts and minds because we are in Christ Jesus.  If we are in Christ, then worry cannot be in us.  Verse 8 is telling us the importance of our thoughts which is reinforced in 2 Cor. 10:5.  We should feed our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy.  This is health food for our brain.  In verse 9 Paul is telling us that the “God of peace” can be with us.  Obedience to the Word will lead to God’s peace.  This means obedience to Holy Scripture and God.  It is nice to know Holy Scripture, but the key is to obey it and live it.

Prayer:  Dear God, We are stressed out, but we take comfort knowing that when we are weak, we are strong if we abide in you.  Help us to not be anxious but to find joy in all situations.  We thank you for the blessing of presenting our requests to you with thanksgiving.  Dear God help us find the peace that transcends all understanding and keep our hearts and our minds focused on you and your righteousness.  Amen.

Meet the Author

Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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  • Forgiveness


    Forgiveness
    The Power of the Mind
    “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matthew 18:22 NIV).It is inevitable that we will accidentally hurt someone’s feelings, often of those who are closest to us, and need to ask for their forgiveness. Sometimes they are forgiven and, unfortunately, sometimes not. But what happens when the person who hurt us does not seek our forgiveness? In either case, we have a decision to make:…
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  • Service is Ministry


    Service is Ministry
    Service is Ministry
    “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  (Galatians 6:10 NIV)
    We live in a self-serving secular world in which people act to serve their own self interests.  I had a dear friend that has gone on to Glory but on earth he worked as an economist.  He claimed that the entire system of economic theory is so purely deductive that everything in it can be deduced from one essential axiom.   The rationality axiom states that “a rational person maximizes his/her utility.” Some economists will…
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  • Give to Receive?


    Give to Receive?
    Give to Receive?
    “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11 NIV).
    Most Christians understand the need for giving.  For early Jews and Christians, almsgiving was the act of filling a material need for someone less fortunate, usually by giving money. God incorporated the concept of alms into the Mosaic Law when He ordered land-owners to leave to the poor the corners of the fields (Leviticus 19:9-10), and every seventh year, leave the entire field (Exodus 23:10-11). In churches today, “alms”…
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