Bear One Another's Burdens?

In my reading the other day the writer referenced the scripture Galatians 6:2;
📖  Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (NKJV)
And they listed some of the difficult situations in which we "pull alongside" and help;  illness, tragedy, etc...which is what we are called to do as Christians.
BUT that list just made me think....
What about all the other "non burdened" moments in people's lives.
Shouldn't we be there too?
📖 A friend loves at all times, Psalm 17:17a

📖  And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42 (NKJV)

📖  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:25

📖 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

📖 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited. Romans 12:15-16
We must cultivate and grow relationships so that we can bear the burdens.
It is harder to shoulder someone's grief when we hardly know them...don't get me wrong...we can be a help, comfort and support to total strangers
📖 Luke 10:25-37  The Good Samaritan click on the link to read how Jesus told us to do that.
BUT bearing one another's burden, to me, implies a level of intimacy that comes from a basic foundation of friendship.
Jesus can offer to bear our burdens
📖  "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
Because He has established that friendship.
📖 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15
He calls us friends and can take any burden we have!
BUT do you grow that friendship?  Do you continue to be close when things are going along smoothly, or do you only call on Him when in need?
Do you talk to Him daily ?  Study His word regularly?
That is the most important relationship we can grow.  Without it, all the rest have no solid foundation.

🙏 I pray that you continue to grow your relationship in Christ, so you can, in turn, build the relationships that God has given you.

Hold It To the Light

Have you been shopping and had the store clerk mark your $20 with a marker and then hold it up to the light?  I believe they do the same with a  $100 bill as well, but I don't know from personal experience! 😉
They authenticate the bills that way...the light shows "ghost" numbers that aren't visible without the light behind.  The marker is a special marker which remains fairly colorless on the treasury paper.
All of this got me thinking....
An important test for us as well!  Every thing should be held to the Light and deemed authentic.
We listen to and read a lot of things written by many different individuals. But if we are reading things (like this blog for example) written by other Christians... people who are writing to educate, encourage, influence.  Then we should be able to "hold it to the Light" and see it's authenticity.  Hold it to the Light of Gods Word and see if it holds up to the truth of God.

📖 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11

Because we know God's word to be from Him and be the final authority. 

📖 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

📖 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Acts 4:12

We can do that with everything in our lives..from our worldly influences to our decisions.  How do they hold up in the Light of Christ?

Then let's go a step further.....me, you, as a believer and follower of Christ....
Can we be "held to the Light"?  Can we stand in the presence of God pure and unblemished?  ONLY because of Jesus Christ..through His blood shines His light and we can show the mark of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and be pleasing in Gods sight.

📖  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:7-10

By making sure we are surrounded by things authentic according to God's word, that we "test everything", we can be confident in our walk with the Lord.
I believe Paul sums it up in his letter to the church of Thessalonica.  He says it better than I can!
And his closing statements are my prayer for you!

📖 We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,  and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.  And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies,  but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.    1 Thessalonians 5:13-24

So, just as we hold a possible counterfeit bill to the light to see if it is authentic....so must we hold the things we surround ourselves with to the Light of His truth.

Can You HEAR Me Now!?

For a while a cell phone carrier's slogan "can you hear me now?" was everywhere.  It became a catch phrase not just when our cell service was poor, but when bringing to someone's attention you were trying to make a point.  Or as a joke when a comment wasn't heard.

Then the statement, made by many when comforting someone; "I am here for you." crossed my thoughts.
I have made that statement myself....but the question came to my mind..."If I am HERE for them, do they have to ask..."can you HEAR me now?"
I hope not.
I hope that being "HERE" for someone in their time of need or any time, means that I also HEAR their words and their heart.
If we are ministering to a friend...let's not be distracted or have our minds focused on our own agenda or relevance to the situation.

We need to make sure that we HEAR what they are saying. The only way we can truly love and minister to someone's needs is to listen to their hurt.

📖  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26

The same goes with celebrating God's blessings with then...if we are to rejoice with our brothers and sisters,  then we have to HEAR them without jealousy or judgement.

📖 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

And the only way we can do any of that is to be HERE for them. Be present, engaged and an active participant in the relationship. We have to be present and active with our faith.

📖 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:15-17

If we call ourselves followers of Christ we have to have evidence that our faith is alive and real.
Look around you....
It may be someone we barely know needing an ear or a shoulder.
Or a close, dear friend, or relative...but regardless we can be IN the moment with them.
Sometimes the moment is a long period of time, but remember God has placed you there as a helper for as long as needed.

📖 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:10-16

As followers of Christ we are called to love those around  us.
Jesus explained that what we do for those around us, those in need, we do for HIM.
📖 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,  I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 
"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for.  Matthew 25:34-40

So as we listen and meet those needs we are doing it for Christ.

📖 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8
Can we say; 
"Friend I am  HEAR for you!"
"Family I am HEAR for you!"
If so....you are doing what is right!

Relevant to Time

This is not how I intended to start the 2020 year of Coffee Time!  But I know Time is in His hands!
I pray "Less of me..more of Thee"

I don't know exactly why, but while I was reflecting on the New Year, the old year, etc
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
Came to mind...maybe how they relate to time, place and status?
We always seem to reflect on those things in a new year.
How and where we spent our time, what we did in the past year.
and projection of those same elements in the coming year.
but then my mind goes, of course.....

Who?

📖 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

^📖  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13

 ^📖 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. Exodus 3:14a

📖 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” John 10:29-30

What?

📖 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

📖 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

📖 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

When?
📖 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”  

📖 I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:2b

Where?
📖 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   Matthew 28:20b
📖 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

Why?

📖 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

📖 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

📖 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

and I am going to throw in
HOW?
📖 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12-13

🎵 How Great Is Our God Chris Tomlin