“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.” (Phil 4:8)

Be careful about your thought life

The Bible says that “we are what we think about.” (Prov. 23:7). That is why it is important to be careful what we put into our minds; the kind of tv shows and movies we watch, what we read and even the musical lyrics we listen to. It all becomes a part of our thinking and affects us negatively or positively. What goes into our mind will eventually affect our opinions, our attitudes, and our behavior in some way. You must be careful to guard what goes in because everything you do flows from it. (Prov. 4:23)

Take captive every thought

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5)

Therefore

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23)

Quote

“You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.” - Marianne Williamson

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Rom. 5:3-5)

Character

Character is defined in the dictionary as the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Character is one of the most important things you have. It is what people see in you, what people say about you, and what defines you. It is what people will say about you after you die.

A person of good character walks in integrity

“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways." (Prov. 28:6)

“O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.” (Psalm 15:1-5)

A person of good character treats others well 

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." (Col. 3:12-15)

“In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)

Quote

Goodness is about character - integrity, honesty, kindness, generosity, moral courage, and the like. More than anything else, it is about how we treat other people. - Dennis Prager

Psalm 65:9 “You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.”

God has provided you with everything you need to be successful! He has filled the earth with  everything needed for growth of all kinds. He has given you  the ability to grow, excel, and be fruitful.

Grow  and be multiplied!

“But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.” (Acts 12:24)

He supplies and multiplies seed for growth

“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor. 9:10)

Your faith is greatly enlarged and your love grows ever greater

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater.” (2 Thess 1:3)

Grow in grace and knowledge

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)

“I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”—John Newton

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 KJV)

No one knows the exact date of the birth of Jesus, but December 25th is traditionally set aside to recognize that wonderful day. Unfortunately, it has become so commercialized and blurred that the true meaning and importance of who the baby Jesus was is often missed.

About who this baby was and still is today

The passage of Scripture at the top of the page tells us that Jesus was “born unto you." And in this passage, we learn three important things about who Jesus is: He is Savior, Christ, and He is Lord!

•       Savior: One who saves someone or something from danger, ruin, or defeat.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1 John 4:14 ESV)

“And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” (Luke 1:47. ESV)

•       Christ: The anointed one. The Greek translation of the Hebrew word is rendered “Messiah”; the official title of our Lord, occurring five hundred and fourteen times in the New Testament. It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. He is Jesus the Christ. 

“He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” (Acts 17:3 NLT)

“When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.” (Acts 18:5 NIV)

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 3:18-19)

•       Lord: One having power and authority over others; a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due. 

Therefore

“For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11)

“…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9)

Quote:

“There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.” - Billy Sunday

“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Rom. 8:11 NIV)

God has poured out His Holy Spirit on you abundantly! 

“God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:6)

The Spirit brings life and peace!

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6 NIV)

The Holy Spirit teaches you!

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.” (John 14:26)

The Holy Spirit helps you proclaim His message boldly,

“When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God’s message with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

The Spirit’s presence in you is for the good of all! 

“The Spirit’s presence is shown in some way in each person for the good of all.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

The Spirit helps you to pray with power

“In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26)

Therefore

“But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Jude 1:20)

“Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” (Gal. 6:1 NLT)

Christian should NOT be devouring one another!

It breaks my heart to observe often that those who call themselves fellow Christians, attack another brother or sister in Christ who may have publicly failed in some way, or who they simply disagree with theologically. It shouldn't be that way.

“But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.” (Gal. 5:15 ESV)

No one is perfect

All stumble and do “fall short.” (Rom. 3:23).  Therefore, always be kind, tender hearted and forgiving!

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32 ESV)

Outdo one with genuine love!

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Rom. 12:9-13 ESV)

Have sympathy,  brotherly love  and a tender heart!

“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.’”

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." (Matt. 9:2 NIV)

Most Christians are missing out!

Many of God’s followers have never had the joy of leading someone to Christ. There are many reasons for this. Some are simply oblivious to their responsibility to share the Good News. Others would do so, but they do not know how, so they don’t even try, although many clear opportunities may come their way. Some believe it is the exclusive responsibility of the clergy, not them. Then, there are those who are simply afraid to share their faith with anyone at all, like my friend Mary Beth. She attended my soul winner’s class at her church as something to do because she attends everything the church presents, no matter what. I taught the group how to use a little booklet to lead someone to Christ. It has Scripture verses and steps they could use to share Jesus with any interested person, and it even has a little prayer they could pray with anyone who wishes to invite Jesus into their life. It is a simple step-by-step tool. Anyone could easily use it to bring someone to Jesus… accept Mary Beth, as she exclaimed very sincerely. She told me she simply couldn't and wouldn't, because she was too shy, was an introvert, and, quite frankly, was just too afraid to do it, period! I told her that once she knew how to bring someone to Jesus, He would provide the opportunity for her to do it. She just shook her head, laughed, and said, “Mike, you're wonderful! You can easily share with anyone. That’s your personality, but it's not mine. I will never be able to do that.”

About a month later I saw Mary Beth at the county fair

She was sitting next to another woman, and they were watching our Gospel Music Show. I was the MC of the program made up of individuals and groups who were taking turns singing gospel songs. One of the singers was a black woman named Mildred Wynette. She had just finished a rousing version of the song, “Jesus got a hold of my life, and He won't let me go!” Her presentation was lively, animated, and enthusiastic. After she finished the song, Mary Beth came up to me and said, “I just can't believe it! I was sitting next to a lady over there on the bench, and we were both tapping our feet to the music in enjoyment. The woman said, ‘Wow, you can sure feel the Lord’s presence when that lady sings!’ And I said, ‘Yes, you can. Are you a Christian, too?” And she said, “No, I'm not! I don't know how to become a Christian. I don't go to church, and no one has ever explained what I should do to become a Christian.” And I said to her, ‘Oh, it's so easy to become a Christian! Let me show you this little booklet I just got at my church that explains it so clearly. I then took the booklet out of my purse and shared the simple steps with her. At the end of the booklet was the little prayer, and she gladly prayed it with me! She invited Jesus to be her personal savior right then and there! I just can't believe it; I just led someone to Jesus!” I said, “Mary Beth, you’re wonderful!”

Be prepared to share!

Mary Beth thought she could never share Christ because she was shy. But she was mistaken! Once she knew how, God set up the opportunity for her to use what she knew. The main reason most people don't share Jesus is because they wouldn't know what to say if they were asked directly by someone who wanted to know. Don't let that happen to you!

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

When I first saw the above verse in the Bible, I was shocked at what it said. That you would get the desires of your heart by simply delighting yourself in God. I thought, “What if my desires are selfish? What if I want something sinful? Would God still give it to me?” Then, I discovered something very surprising about this promise. When you truly delight yourself in God, something miraculous happens. God changes your desires, and you end up wanting what He wants for you. It is a wonderful process. 

It's an often-mentioned subject

The Bible has a lot to say about delighting and pleasing God. According to Baker’s Bible dictionary the idea of delight occurs approximately 110 times in Scripture in various forms. The related concept of "please" occurs about 350 times.

Jesus, as our supreme example

He took immense pleasure in honoring and obeying his father.

“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." (John 8:29 NIV)

And what pleases (delights) Him, should delight us as well!

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” (3 Cor. 5:9 NIV)

And it makes us joyful!

Therefore

“Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands.” (Psalm 112:1 NLT)

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” (Psalm 139:7 NASB)

Practice the presence of God

The Practice of the Presence of God is a book of collected teachings of Brother Lawrence (born Nicholas Herman), a 17th-century Carmelite monk. He did not do all the normal religious things most monks did but instead practiced thinking about God and including Him in all the trivial things he did. He realized the simple truth that God is always present, and you should look for and recognize Him everywhere.

God is continually present

He is always with you whether you realize it or not. The Bible says so! 

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matt. 28:20 NASB)

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5 ESV)

Therefore

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalms 139:7-10 NIV)