BRAG BOOK

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This is what the Lord says:  Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this:  that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these things I delight declares the Lord.  Jeremiah 9:23-24

We are a bragging society.  Television reality shows and game shows provide the opportunity for contestants to show off their knowledge or strength in a very public way.  Others brag about money they may or may not have by purchasing expensive cars and homes.  People brag about what they have and what they have accomplished.  Parents and grandparents brag about their children and love to show off pictures.  Many parents carry little “brag books” to show off pictures of their children and what they have done.  Facebook is the new “brag book” where we can share the fun and exciting things in our lives.

There is nothing wrong with bragging about those we love and sharing the joy they bring to our lives, but the one who loved us enough to die for us accomplished so much more.  Yet many of us are afraid to brag about what He has done for us.  Galatians 6:14 says, “As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  There is nothing any of us could ever accomplish that compares to the kindness, justice, and righteousness of our Lord.  What Christ has done in our lives is an amazing personal experience.  We just need to do some bragging and be willing to share with others the impressions God has left in our lives.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”  (John 3:16).  Many of us learned this verse as a child, and it is the perfect “brag book” to show others how Christ has changed our lives.  Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we may have eternal life, and we need to tell others so that they may also experience salvation.  My challenge for you is to pull out your John 3:16 “Brag Book” and boast of the wonderful things Christ has done in your life, so that others may also experience salvation.

If you don’t already know Christ as your personal Savior, you simply need to pray and:

A – Admit you are a sinner – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of  God” (Romans 3:23)

B – Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again.  – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

C – Confess your sins and ask Jesus into your heart.  “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

If you just accepted Christ as your Savior, you now have your own John 3:16 “Brag Book”.  Share with someone the first and most important thing Christ has done in your life.


REVENGE PRAYER

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Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.  Leviticus 19:18

I often find myself singing along with the radio without even paying attention to the message of the song.  There is a secular song called “I Pray for You” which has such a catchy tune that I was singing along without realizing it is actually a prayer of revenge.  Some of the lyrics say, “I pray your brakes go out driving down a hill.  I pray a flowerpot falls from a windowsill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to.”  I think many of us have suffered a break up or some other life event that made us feel or even say similar words.  Believe it or not, there are scriptures in Psalms which would fit perfectly in this song.  Psalms 109:10-11 says, “May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.  May a creditor seize all he has.”  These verses are a revenge prayer spoken by David.  In his prayer, David was brutally honest with God about his anger and how he wanted his enemies punished.

Is it acceptable for us to pray for revenge?  David’s prayer may sound shocking coming from a man of God, but his actions were actually the best way to handle the situation.  Anger may cause us to behave irrationally or make shocking statements, but who better than God to express those feelings to?  David did not take action against the enemy himself but instead prayed voicing his anger to God.  When we become angry, we need to follow David’s example and pray.  Being honest with God will help  us to let go of the desire to seek revenge.

David also did not voice his anger to others.  Often we vent to a friend which makes us feel better but may leave the friend wanting to seek revenge on our behalf.  Sharing our anger can have a ripple effect as others become angry.  God is just and can handle our anger without lashing out as friends may.  He is not a genie in a bottle that hears our request, says “your wish is my command”, and grants whatever we ask regardless of how it will affect us and others.  Instead He is “slow to get angry, full of unfailing love and truth”  (Psalms 86:15).

There are many instructions in the bible about anger.  Ephesians 4:25 says, “In your anger do not sin:  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”  The issue is not whether anger is appropriate, but instead how we deal with anger.  Matthew 5:44 says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”  By praying for those who make us angry instead of reacting; we are able to express God’s love as we turn the other cheek.

Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”  It takes a lot of restraint for us to keep ourselves under control when we are angry.  It is better for us to pray honestly to God about our anger as seen in the song and David’s prayer than to seek revenge ourselves.