(Source: ohhmisserin)

Acts 3:6  Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Chris of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

A little back story here: Peter and John had gone to the temple to pray at the appointed hour encountered a lame man begging by one of the gates. What ensued was healing of the lame man and Peter and John being tossed in jail. The words used for the crowd was strong rhetoric that would have gotten anyone arrested in that time. But let’s go back to the beginning of the encounter with the lame man.

Peter stopped, noticed, and engaged the man in conversation. He didn’t avoid him or walk around him-he stopped. He didn’t whisper disparaging comments to John. He didn’t mock the man or humiliate him. He didn’t tell the lame man to get a job. Peter was honest with the guy. I don’t have any money on me but here’s what I do carry with me: God.

We are so conditioned to think of giving as handing money to the poor. The guy with the cardboard sign at the intersection. The Salvation Army’s red kettles. United Way campaigns. We need to start thinking about other ways we can give.

I read once, that someone loads 5 or 10 dollars on McDonald gift cards and hands them out to those begging. Or how about taking a pair of socks or gloves-I always have extras laying around-and placing them in bags in the car. Reach out and say, I don’t have any money, but I do have this.

Better yet, if you have the time, pray with them. Share Jesus. Serve the homeless whether through your church or a ministry. I can’t help but think of Matthew 25:40:  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 

Giving can be and should be more than money. I encourage you to spend some time asking God where and how can I give today.

Romans 2:1-2, Message version  1 Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors.2 But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done.

God’s been talking to me a lot here lately about judging. I have a boss at work that just doesn’t seem to get “it”. It’s so incredibly easy to gossip about her, to talk negatively on her, judge her with every conversation.

It’s been harder to love her. To speak positive things-or even see those positive things. The changes she has been making have been rough to adjust to and it’s become easier to just judge.

God has been challenging me to pray for her. And more than just a “Dear Lord let her get a job somewhere else,” prayer. Honestly pray for her, her family, and her career. 

Judging is so easy. But we are not called to take the easy road. We are called to take the higher road. To be above this world. To pray for those that we judge.

(Source: leadme2thecross1)

Today I have a short word for you and it’s based on why I haven’t spent time in the word. This week a good chunk of the fall TV shows have returned or premiered. I was super excited about Castle on Monday, and have shows on the DVR I am looking forward to watching tonight.

Instead of sitting down, and doing my Word study tonight I sat down and started watch saved DVR shows.

Just a thought-shouldn’t we be as excited about Jesus’ return as we are about new TV shows? 

“But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.” Matthew 24:36