Counterfeit Money

"I love you," "I can make you happy," "ALL you need is right here," "I'll take care of you," "You don't need anything else but me because I'll make all your pain go away," "my love for you will take care of everything, just stay with me," "I will fulfill all your wants and desires, you just have to work for it."
What is love? You may say you "love chocolate" or you are "in love with your boyfriend/girlfriend." Someone may say "I love my team!" What if the chocolate you eat is bitter? Do you still love it? What if your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you? Are you still in love with him or her? Now for your favorite team that you love? If they lose, you are sad or even mad, right? So do you still love them?

Now, think of that one person in your life that is hard to love.  Do you? Do you love them? It is difficult to love them and yet you know you are called to love them?
To know what true love is and know how it acts you must have a role model. Would this person be your role model? Probably not. So who is your role model?
What is it that this person does or did to show you love?
You see we have a role model and His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He said to us Love one another just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.
(John 13:34-35 for the whole story)
Have you ever met someone in sheep's clothing? You know, that one person in your life that may have been a sweet talker and a pursuer for your happiness too. Then time passes and found out that person has a bad temper that scares you, actions aren't matching up with words, that person is saying one thing but sounds like something completely different?
This is the counterfeit. 
Look at today's advertisements on television, read the billboards, listen to your advertisements for movies or look at the movie titles themselves. What are you seeing? hearing? believing? This is the counterfeit
I loved the term that R G Lee wrote in his sermon called "Payday Someday!" that I read today. He wrote "The devil pays in counterfeit money."
In Bible class recently we were talking about true love compared to the counterfeit love that the world wants to offer us. I found it rather humorous today.
Money seems to be the root of our issues lately, but is it? I mean I know we need money to survive that is honest and true. What are we depending on though? Is the truth or the counterfeit that we are falling for? The dollar says "In God We Trust"
So, when you yourself are offering love (and I speak for myself also) make sure that it is the love just as Jesus showed us on the cross. His death for our freedom came with a price and it wasn't counterfeit. He loves you just as you are and not asking anything in return. IF you choose to accept Him, you will WANT to change because you LOVE Him. It's a want not a need. He wants you He doesn't need you. You were and are worth loving and meant to be loved.

~Marjorie

I confess that I don't always love with the "true" love that I am suppose to love with. I have to go back to the cross too and watch my role model again.
I'm not perfect, but I am who God says that I am: His.

Moses Went Straight to God, the Disciples Didn't Go Straight to Jesus

As I was reading this morning the chapters 11-13 in the book of Numbers, I thought about how it was written that Moses went straight to God in Prayer.  I reread the story in Matthew 14 about feeding the five thousand.
I thought how interesting the Bible shows a difference in the way people have communicated with God the Father and Son.
The Isrealites were complaining to Moses about wanting meat to eat. The Lord heard it and was aroused with anger.
Moses took their complaints straight to the Lord, asking him why have you punished me? I thought you and I were tight Lord, what happened here? I'm just as upset as you are.  You were the One that said they would enter into the land you promised to their fathers, not me. So what's up with this Lord?
 In lamens terms, God said "fine you want meat? You'll have meat you want until it comes out of your nostrils."

I read this and thought about a parent and child relationship.   Has there ever been a time when your child was sitting at the dinner table and only wanted peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to eat? You fixed this really good and healthy meal and the child only wanted p b and j sandwich.  You, the parent, says "okay fine, eat all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches you want." You serve the sandwiches at dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner again and again and again.  The child will eventually be having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches coming out of his ears.

There were five thousand people who were ready for dinner after hearing Jesus teach all day. 
The disciples saw a problem but didn't go straight to Jesus with it. Instead of going to the healer and miracle man, they decided to complain to Jesus and tell the people to leave and go find a restaurant. They said they didn't have any money or food to feed the crowd with.
The disciples had spent time with Jesus and prior to this particular evening the disciples saw many miracles and signs that Jesus was who He said He was. Let's recount the miracles his disciples saw:
Water turned to Wine
Boy healed in Capernaum
Boatload of fish caught in Galilee
Banished at least one demon and healed many

Now think of your relationship with God the Father and Son today.  Do you fall to your knees and tell Him exactly  what is on your mind the way Moses did or do you complain and tell God what to do like the disciples did?

The best part of God showing me these two passages is that His shoulders are big enough to handle my complaints and His outcome is going to be better than what I can ever think or imagine.

I encourage you to read these two passages and find out what the Lord wants to show you.

Food For Thought
~Marjorie