Now I Know How God Feels!

The other day I wanted to talk with my family and friends. I had something I wanted to share with them. But everyone I called would not answer their phones. Now I'm beginning to understand how God feels. He calls out our name. He too, has something He wants to share with us and He wants to spend time with us...........yet we're to busy doing other things and we don't answer.............

I called my sister three times but she was busy doing other things and really didn't have the time to talk to me. Yeah, she called me back. Said she was "BUSY" combing her hair. She even text me some pics until she had time to talk to me. LOL!!! But my point is, she was still to busy to answer my call. Combing her hair, brushing her teeth, Excuses, Excuses......Busy doing other things....just no time to talk when I call........Like I said....Now I know how God feels.........What excuses do we give when He calls to talk to us?

I then tried calling my best friend, Patty and her phone rang and rang and rang. She was home but she never heard it ringing. Just too busy doing other things......it really makes me stop and think.......How many times Has God called for me to spend some time to talk with Him and I was to busy? Has there been times when He called me and I was so busy I didn't hear Him calling? I better make sure I am in tune with that still small voice of God. I don't want to miss His call.

I tried calling my youngest daughter twice and she too, did not answer. All I got was her voice mail. When God calls us what does He get? Do we answer or does He get a busy signal, our voice mail, or do we just let the phone ring? Think about it?

I thought to myself, How many times has God called to speak to me and yet I was to busy to stop to talk to Him for a few moments? How many times have I been so busy that when He called, I didn't hear Him?

My sister called me back as well as my best friend Patty, and my daughter when she got off of work. But when my sister called me back, I was busy with the baby and really couldn't talk, so I had to call her back after the baby was taken care of. I thought about my sister's return call. When she called me back, I was then to busy to talk to her. What "IF" God would be to busy for our return calls? He has called out to us so many times and we don't answer. We let the phone ring, or we let it go to voice mail, or He gets a busy signal and we think nothing of it. We will get back to God in our own good time. But what "IF" in our own good time is when we REALLY need Him and then He should be to busy to answer? I'm glad He is not like us! But don't take Him for granted.....One day you just may cry out to Him in need and He won't be there to answer your call. "And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…" Genesis 6:3

Jesus is calling you today! Won't you answer Him? "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: "John 10:27
Do you hear his voice today? Are you in-tune with Him? Are you following Him? He's NEVER to busy for you, Please don't be to busy for Him. Answer when He calls.

Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.

Cleanliness....Is It Next To Godliness?

Today's bible reading really caught my attention. The reason being is I have seen people who are guilty of both parties of what goes on in this chapter. I must say that I have even been guilty of thinking "How gross!" After reading todays WORD, I have a new outlook on this whole aspect.

Matthew 15: "Some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat?" Question - How many times have we looked upon people with disgust because we watched them eating with dirty hands and/or they were dressed beneath our standards, dirty and smelly? Think about it.......passing judgment on them?

Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’”

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Let me say right here, that many times I have seen people get offended over the preached Word of God. Over what thus, is Written in the Book of Life. They got offended when Jesus spoke, and there are those who still get offended today when the preacher speaks. Why? Because it reveals who they really are, and what they are really doing. The WORD gets down to where they are living and they don't like it.

He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"

Hmmmmm..........I think it's time we clean up our OWN hearts and our OWN speech before we pass judgment on the one's with dirty, smelly clothing and unwashed hands.

Remember Matthew 15:20 the next time you sneer at someone eating with unwashed hands. Someone you consider beneath you. Stop and check your heart real close.....you just might have a few things that needs cleaning out yourself.

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'

So back to the title...Cleanliness.....Is It Next To Godliness? When it comes to our heart I say yes!

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10