A Cup of Cold Water

A line in "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" says "He
prayeth best who loveth best, all things great and small..."
It is easy to love the great things, the big things. Our culture
celebrates power, money, influence, and beauty. But that
same culture ignores the small and seemingly insignificant
things. The good mother, the faithful employee, the day
laborer, the plain looking, the simply dressed, the common
person...these are just faces in the crowd, extras on the
movie set, non-essentials in the quest for perfection. But
I'm glad that God does not judge His people as our society
judges. We may think "It doesn't really matter if I live close
to God, it wont make any difference." "I'm just a nobody."
Yet, the word of God tells us that our labors for God,
however small, are noted by God and will ultimately be
rewarded by Him. Even a cup of cold water is enough
to activate the rewards of God! Can you see the repercussions
of this truth? Every kind word spoken for Christ will be
rewarded. Every handshake, hug or embrace will be
remembered. Every meal cooked for the sick God has
recorded. Every visitation, every Sunday school class
taught, every fellowship meal prepared, every offering....
Don't despair, God will reward kind words and good deeds,
no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Blessings!

Pastor John J. Dodd

THE POWER OF CHOICES

Webster Defines choice as the right, the power and the chance to choose, it means the right to pick out by preference from what is available, to take as a choice. Aren’t you glad God created you in his own image and likeness with the privilege of choice? He created you with free will, so that you can live life with the freedom of your personal choices and decisions.
However there are consequences, either good or bad, to our decisions and choices. In the book of Deuteronomy we are told to choose life or receive the consequences of death. In Matthew we read about two gates, one is straight and narrow and leads to life and the other is broad and wide and represents choosing the easy way that leads to death. As we move through this life, making the choices that will lead us closer to our Heavenly Father is wise. The questions that I have are: What would you like to be true about your life many years from now? And, are you making choices today that will produce the harvest you want? Remember, we do not always get to choose the circumstances of life, but we always have the choice of our responses to those circumstances.

THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF OUR LIFE IS MADE UP OF THE DECISIONS AND CHOICES WE MAKE EVERY DAY OF OUR LIFE.

　
Blessings!
Pastor John J. Dodd