But the fruit of the Spirit is….patience…. Galatians 5:22
Jesus, as a mom, there isn't a day that goes by that my patience isn't tried. And if I were honest with myself, most days I fall flat on my face – patience lost before the clock strikes noon! So – today I will CLING to the promise that YOU will show patience to my precious little ones through me. Put my day into perspective, enable me to lighten up, and love through me, I pray. In Jesus Name, Amen.
- Carrie Rogers
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Believe God
One of the greatest tools the enemy uses against us is tempting us to simply not believe God. It keeps us from experiencing the fullness of Him in our lives. Unbelief is a stronghold that I struggled with for years. These 5 statements helped pull me out of it and keep me out of it still. When I feel doubt creeping in, I re-read these TRUTH'S from God's word and meditate on them:
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is alive and active in me.
-Beth Moore, "Believing God"
1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is alive and active in me.
-Beth Moore, "Believing God"
Saturday, January 24, 2009
For all who are brokenhearted.............
Morning Will Come
Brokenhearted:
How Can I bear the pain?
So many plans...permanently interrupted.
So many dreams...shattered.
Hopes...dashed.
All gone.
Why?
Why this?
Why us? Why me?
Helplessness...hopelessness...
Life will never be the same again.
Is it even worth living?
Where are you, God?
God:
I'm right here beside you, my child.
Even though you may not feel my presence,
I'm holding you close under the shadow of my wings.
I will walk with you through this dark night.
Do not shrink from weeping.
I gave you tears for emotional release.
Don't try to hide your grief.
Let it become for you a source of healing,
A process of restoration,
For I have planned it so.
Those who mourn shall be blessed.
I'll be holding on to you,
Even when you feel you can't hold on to me.
Seek my face, child of mine.
Receive my promise,
Impossible as it may seem now,
That joy will come in the morning.
It may take much time,
But I will heal your broken heart.
I know the night seems endless,
But morning will come.
I have promised!
-author unknown
(Psalm 34:18)
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
(Psalm 147:3)
"He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds."
(Isaiah 61:1) - (old testament prophesy pointing 700 years forward to Jesus Christ)
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed."
Brokenhearted:
How Can I bear the pain?
So many plans...permanently interrupted.
So many dreams...shattered.
Hopes...dashed.
All gone.
Why?
Why this?
Why us? Why me?
Helplessness...hopelessness...
Life will never be the same again.
Is it even worth living?
Where are you, God?
God:
I'm right here beside you, my child.
Even though you may not feel my presence,
I'm holding you close under the shadow of my wings.
I will walk with you through this dark night.
Do not shrink from weeping.
I gave you tears for emotional release.
Don't try to hide your grief.
Let it become for you a source of healing,
A process of restoration,
For I have planned it so.
Those who mourn shall be blessed.
I'll be holding on to you,
Even when you feel you can't hold on to me.
Seek my face, child of mine.
Receive my promise,
Impossible as it may seem now,
That joy will come in the morning.
It may take much time,
But I will heal your broken heart.
I know the night seems endless,
But morning will come.
I have promised!
-author unknown
(Psalm 34:18)
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed."
(Psalm 147:3)
"He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds."
(Isaiah 61:1) - (old testament prophesy pointing 700 years forward to Jesus Christ)
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
My God is mighty to save
I love the powerful lyrics to this worship song:
Mighty To Save
Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.
Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.
My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus
Mighty To Save
Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.
Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.
Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.
My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.
Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Prayer needed for the unborn
Thought I would post this TODAY! Very timely!!
Prayers against The Freedom Of Choice Act
For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) [also know as freedom to kill act] is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sad chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law, virtually all limitations on abortion will be lifted, which will result in the following:
1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals would be required to perform abortions upon request. If this were to happen, some U.S. Bishops have indicated they would consider closing down Catholic hospitals rather than perform abortions - more than 30% of all hospitals in the United States are Catholic.
2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.
3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.
4) Parental notification will no longer be required.
5) The number of abortions could increase by as much as 100,000 annually.
Perhaps most importantly the government would then have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (down syndrome babies, etc) and coul d even regulate how many children a woman is allowed to have.
Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.
The Plan :
To pray along with fasting to stop the FOCA. I would ask that you pray until Jan 22. The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact. We have very little time so we all must act fast. Please start praying, and fast as you can, until Jan. 22.
Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable. If you are against the killing of defenseless children then the time is now to do something about it!
"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007
Prayers against The Freedom Of Choice Act
For those of you who do not know, the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) [also know as freedom to kill act] is set to be signed if congress passes it on January 21-22 of 2009. The FOCA is the next sad chapter in the book of abortion. If made a law, virtually all limitations on abortion will be lifted, which will result in the following:
1) All hospitals, including Catholic hospitals would be required to perform abortions upon request. If this were to happen, some U.S. Bishops have indicated they would consider closing down Catholic hospitals rather than perform abortions - more than 30% of all hospitals in the United States are Catholic.
2) Partial birth abortions would be legal and have no limitations.
3) All U.S. tax payers would be funding abortions.
4) Parental notification will no longer be required.
5) The number of abortions could increase by as much as 100,000 annually.
Perhaps most importantly the government would then have control in the issue of abortion. This could result in a future amendment that would force women by law to have abortions in certain situations (down syndrome babies, etc) and coul d even regulate how many children a woman is allowed to have.
Needless to say this information is disturbing, but sadly true. As Catholics, as Christians, as anyone who is against the killing of innocent children, we must stand as one. We must stop this horrific act before it becomes a law.
The Plan :
To pray along with fasting to stop the FOCA. I would ask that you pray until Jan 22. The hope is that this will branch and blossom as to become a global effort with maximum impact. We have very little time so we all must act fast. Please start praying, and fast as you can, until Jan. 22.
Remember that with God all things are possible and the power of prayer is undeniable. If you are against the killing of defenseless children then the time is now to do something about it!
"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Senator Barack Obama, speaking to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, July 17, 2007
Monday, January 19, 2009
Jesus and the Atheist
A fellow Christ-follower blogger visited my site and I just visited his. Here is the link to his blog:
www.jesusandtheatheist.blogspot.com
You must go here and read his story. It is truly amazing! There is absolutely no way anyone can "explain away" what happened to this man. God literally reached down and saved his life. His story is full of things that don't "just happen". These events are not coincidences, but they are miracles!
Believe and enjoy!
,Brandi
www.jesusandtheatheist.blogspot.com
You must go here and read his story. It is truly amazing! There is absolutely no way anyone can "explain away" what happened to this man. God literally reached down and saved his life. His story is full of things that don't "just happen". These events are not coincidences, but they are miracles!
Believe and enjoy!
,Brandi
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Whom have I in heaven but you?
Psalm 73:23-28
"Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."
Lord, thank you for these wonderful Psalms! Thank you that in our times of need, we can cry out to you "Abba Father" and you will be our shelter. What in the world would I do without you! You are my everything! Thank you that you are mine, forever! How reassuring that although our time on this earth will come and go, we will be with you for eternity! You will forever be the strength of my heart.
I love you Jesus!
Amen!
"Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."
Lord, thank you for these wonderful Psalms! Thank you that in our times of need, we can cry out to you "Abba Father" and you will be our shelter. What in the world would I do without you! You are my everything! Thank you that you are mine, forever! How reassuring that although our time on this earth will come and go, we will be with you for eternity! You will forever be the strength of my heart.
I love you Jesus!
Amen!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Lord is my light and my salvation
Psalm 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
4 The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
6 Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
7 Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
11 Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
12 Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
13 Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
What is the purpose of life?
Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California, in the interview by Paul Bradshaw said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into an other one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
God's Blessings on you today.
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into an other one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness. This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.
God's Blessings on you today.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Come boldly!!
Hebrews 4:14-16 (New Living Translation)
Christ Is Our High Priest
"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
Wow, what a contrast to the old testament days when only the highest priest of the land had the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies one day of the year to be in the presence of God. Now, we who have trusted Jesus with our lives, have the Holy Spirit in us and therefore can bask in his presence 24/7. We don't have to be afraid to approach him, like we would be a mighty, earthly political figure or king. Yes, He is the King of kings, but He is also our father, our "daddy" and we are free to come to Him boldly with anything on our minds. This verse in Hebrews clearly states that any request you feel like making, any tear you feel like shedding, any fear you feel like venting or any tantrum you feel like throwing, is OK with God. He can take it! He has been there because he came to this earth, in the flesh, and lived here just as we do. He faced all of the junk that we face, yet never sinned. He can identify with our hurts, our pain, our "stuff." He wants us to be real with Him (I mean duh, He already knows everything in our hearts and minds anyway, so why try to hide from Him.) He is God, the creator and ruler of the universe but at the same time, He is our Abba Father who loves us more than we can ever imagine. So, let's be ourselves before Him. Don't think that He ever forgets about us, that we are somehow on God's "backburner". Beth Moore said that "God never wants to be anonymous in your life, ever!"
By the way, the Holy Spirit placed this verse in front of me, Hebrews 4:14-16, on a day recently when I desperately needed it. The thing I was facing in my spirit needed this verse "something terrible!" Then, for whatever reason, after hearing it and reading it, I failed to mark it and write it down. I realized I had "lost it" and was so trying to remember where the verse was. Then, that very afternoon, I turned on my radio to KLOVE while driving in the car and their "encouraging scripture of the day" just so happened to be none other than Hebrews 4:14-16.
Wow, not a coincidence! God is soooooooooo good!!
Christ Is Our High Priest
"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
Wow, what a contrast to the old testament days when only the highest priest of the land had the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies one day of the year to be in the presence of God. Now, we who have trusted Jesus with our lives, have the Holy Spirit in us and therefore can bask in his presence 24/7. We don't have to be afraid to approach him, like we would be a mighty, earthly political figure or king. Yes, He is the King of kings, but He is also our father, our "daddy" and we are free to come to Him boldly with anything on our minds. This verse in Hebrews clearly states that any request you feel like making, any tear you feel like shedding, any fear you feel like venting or any tantrum you feel like throwing, is OK with God. He can take it! He has been there because he came to this earth, in the flesh, and lived here just as we do. He faced all of the junk that we face, yet never sinned. He can identify with our hurts, our pain, our "stuff." He wants us to be real with Him (I mean duh, He already knows everything in our hearts and minds anyway, so why try to hide from Him.) He is God, the creator and ruler of the universe but at the same time, He is our Abba Father who loves us more than we can ever imagine. So, let's be ourselves before Him. Don't think that He ever forgets about us, that we are somehow on God's "backburner". Beth Moore said that "God never wants to be anonymous in your life, ever!"
By the way, the Holy Spirit placed this verse in front of me, Hebrews 4:14-16, on a day recently when I desperately needed it. The thing I was facing in my spirit needed this verse "something terrible!" Then, for whatever reason, after hearing it and reading it, I failed to mark it and write it down. I realized I had "lost it" and was so trying to remember where the verse was. Then, that very afternoon, I turned on my radio to KLOVE while driving in the car and their "encouraging scripture of the day" just so happened to be none other than Hebrews 4:14-16.
Wow, not a coincidence! God is soooooooooo good!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Fruit
Galatians 5:22-23
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"
So often, I fall short in these areas. I often find myself walking along, as if the very spirit of the living God is not living inside of me. Like I am alone and in control of my own life. When I choose to live this way, that is when these fruits are not evident in my life.
I am so thankful that we have a Father in Heaven who never leaves us, never lets go of us, even when we choose to ignore His presence in our lives. When we turn away from Him, He is always there, waiting for us to turn around and embrace Him, once again.
Psalm 51:10-12
"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you."
I am so thankful for this cry for help from David. What an example for us of how we too can cry out to God, no matter what we've done, and he will listen! Lately, I've been starting each day with this verse and sometimes coming back to it once the world starts coming at me! Sometimes I need to "re-center" myself before I even leave the breakfast table!
"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"
So often, I fall short in these areas. I often find myself walking along, as if the very spirit of the living God is not living inside of me. Like I am alone and in control of my own life. When I choose to live this way, that is when these fruits are not evident in my life.
I am so thankful that we have a Father in Heaven who never leaves us, never lets go of us, even when we choose to ignore His presence in our lives. When we turn away from Him, He is always there, waiting for us to turn around and embrace Him, once again.
Psalm 51:10-12
"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you."
I am so thankful for this cry for help from David. What an example for us of how we too can cry out to God, no matter what we've done, and he will listen! Lately, I've been starting each day with this verse and sometimes coming back to it once the world starts coming at me! Sometimes I need to "re-center" myself before I even leave the breakfast table!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Question of Calling
The Question of Calling
TGIF - Today God Is First
Volume 2
by Os Hillman
1-07-2009
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? (Eph 1:18-19).
I walked up to the man and said, "Hello, my name is Os. What's yours?" His name was also Os - Os Guinness. It was the first time he had ever had such an experience. We chuckled about our unique names.
Os Guinness was named after Oswald Chambers and was born in England just as Chambers was. He has become a well-known contemporary writer and has a real interest in the subject of "calling" just as I do. He has written a masterful work entitled, "The Call." In it he shares some important truths about "calling".
"What do I mean by 'calling'? For the moment, let me say simply that "calling" is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.
There is a distinction between a later, special calling and our original, ordinary calling. Selfishness prefers the first, but stewardship respects both. A special calling refers those tasks and missions laid on individuals through a direct, specific, supernatural communication from God. Ordinary calling, on the other hand, is the believer's sense of life-purpose and life-task in response to God's primary call, 'follow me,' even when there is no direct, specific, supernatural communication from God about a secondary calling.
In other words, ordinary calling can be seen in our responsibility to exercise a high degree of 'capitalist-style' enterprise about how we live our lives. For example, the servants in Jesus' parable for the talents and pounds were assessed according to how they 'got on with it' when the master was away. In this sense no follower of Christ is without a calling, for we all have an original calling even if we do not all have a later, special calling. And, of course, some people have both."*
We are all called to Someone first, then something. As we grow in our knowledge and obedience to Christ, God fulfills our calling in life.
Amen!
TGIF - Today God Is First
Volume 2
by Os Hillman
1-07-2009
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? (Eph 1:18-19).
I walked up to the man and said, "Hello, my name is Os. What's yours?" His name was also Os - Os Guinness. It was the first time he had ever had such an experience. We chuckled about our unique names.
Os Guinness was named after Oswald Chambers and was born in England just as Chambers was. He has become a well-known contemporary writer and has a real interest in the subject of "calling" just as I do. He has written a masterful work entitled, "The Call." In it he shares some important truths about "calling".
"What do I mean by 'calling'? For the moment, let me say simply that "calling" is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service.
There is a distinction between a later, special calling and our original, ordinary calling. Selfishness prefers the first, but stewardship respects both. A special calling refers those tasks and missions laid on individuals through a direct, specific, supernatural communication from God. Ordinary calling, on the other hand, is the believer's sense of life-purpose and life-task in response to God's primary call, 'follow me,' even when there is no direct, specific, supernatural communication from God about a secondary calling.
In other words, ordinary calling can be seen in our responsibility to exercise a high degree of 'capitalist-style' enterprise about how we live our lives. For example, the servants in Jesus' parable for the talents and pounds were assessed according to how they 'got on with it' when the master was away. In this sense no follower of Christ is without a calling, for we all have an original calling even if we do not all have a later, special calling. And, of course, some people have both."*
We are all called to Someone first, then something. As we grow in our knowledge and obedience to Christ, God fulfills our calling in life.
Amen!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Embrace the desert
James 1:2-4
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Why does God put his servants into such awful predicaments? Why does he leave them in such lonely places? Because that's where we meet God on his terms. The place where Moses met God wasn't a sparkling Egyptian palace but a dull and desolate wilderness. That's where we find God and that's where we find ourselves.
Why does God drive his people into deserts? He wants to train them as his ministers that they may be well equipped and prepared for all emergencies. What we learn there is not just information or knowledge, skills or techniques. We don't just sharpen our communication skills to gain quick success, sudden fame, flashy prizes. There's far more to learn from the desert.
In the desert those who have trusted only in themsleves and others learn to put their faith in God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers. Yes, the curriculum is devoted to suffering, but that's where the lambs become lions. That's where ordinary people become extraordinary men and women of God.
So we shouldn't flee from the desert. Rather we should run toward its undriendly sands. We shouldn't be afraid of life in the desert; we should embrace it wholeheartedly.
- Joshua Choonmin Kang, Deep Rooted in Christ
"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."
Why does God put his servants into such awful predicaments? Why does he leave them in such lonely places? Because that's where we meet God on his terms. The place where Moses met God wasn't a sparkling Egyptian palace but a dull and desolate wilderness. That's where we find God and that's where we find ourselves.
Why does God drive his people into deserts? He wants to train them as his ministers that they may be well equipped and prepared for all emergencies. What we learn there is not just information or knowledge, skills or techniques. We don't just sharpen our communication skills to gain quick success, sudden fame, flashy prizes. There's far more to learn from the desert.
In the desert those who have trusted only in themsleves and others learn to put their faith in God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are the teachers. Yes, the curriculum is devoted to suffering, but that's where the lambs become lions. That's where ordinary people become extraordinary men and women of God.
So we shouldn't flee from the desert. Rather we should run toward its undriendly sands. We shouldn't be afraid of life in the desert; we should embrace it wholeheartedly.
- Joshua Choonmin Kang, Deep Rooted in Christ
Saturday, January 3, 2009
We can love everyone!
"We can only truly love people who are different, we can only discover that difference is a treasure and not a threat, if in some way our hearts are becoming enfolded in the heart of the Father, if somewhere God is putting into our broken hearts that love that is in God's own heart for each and every human being. For God is truly in love with people, and with every individual human being."
- Jean Vanier, From Brokenness to Community
John 3:16
"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."
Notice, this verse says that God loved THE WORLD, not just some parts of the world, not just certain people but the WHOLE WORLD. To be honest, this is difficult for me to get my mind around. To me, this means every person on this planet, regardless of where they live, where they've been or what they've done. That is a lot of people! I agree with this quote by Mr. Vanier, that we can only love others when God puts the love in our hearts that He already has for every single human being.
What an amazing, crazy, illogical love that He gave his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die for EVERY PERSON in the world. If we believe in Him, we will "never perish but have eternal life." Also notice the "whoever" in this verse.....not just "some people" who believe in Him, but anyone who believes in Him. Salvation through Jesus Christ is God's free gift to every single person on this planet.
Can you imagine how it must have broken God's heart to watch His son die on the cross for us, by taking on the sins of the entire world? How difficult it must have been for Him to hear Jesus cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" That is how much he loves each and every person in the WHOLE World, He gave the life of His own son so that we could be saved!
Wow!
I am praying that God will give me the love that He has, for ALL people. I want to be able to see others the way God sees them and truly love them the way God loves them! I know me and I know I can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit residing inside of me, not through my own strength!
- Jean Vanier, From Brokenness to Community
John 3:16
"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."
Notice, this verse says that God loved THE WORLD, not just some parts of the world, not just certain people but the WHOLE WORLD. To be honest, this is difficult for me to get my mind around. To me, this means every person on this planet, regardless of where they live, where they've been or what they've done. That is a lot of people! I agree with this quote by Mr. Vanier, that we can only love others when God puts the love in our hearts that He already has for every single human being.
What an amazing, crazy, illogical love that He gave his one and only son, Jesus Christ, to die for EVERY PERSON in the world. If we believe in Him, we will "never perish but have eternal life." Also notice the "whoever" in this verse.....not just "some people" who believe in Him, but anyone who believes in Him. Salvation through Jesus Christ is God's free gift to every single person on this planet.
Can you imagine how it must have broken God's heart to watch His son die on the cross for us, by taking on the sins of the entire world? How difficult it must have been for Him to hear Jesus cry out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" That is how much he loves each and every person in the WHOLE World, He gave the life of His own son so that we could be saved!
Wow!
I am praying that God will give me the love that He has, for ALL people. I want to be able to see others the way God sees them and truly love them the way God loves them! I know me and I know I can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit residing inside of me, not through my own strength!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
His presence is our constant desire..........
Deuteronomy 34:4
"This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "I will give it to your descendants."
Like Moses, we will scale the heights this year to gaze over into the promised land, the land of freedom and splendor. But unlike Moses, we will have the opportunity not only to see it but to cross over and live there.
So come with all haste. Come to the place of breaking free. The place where we truly know God and believe Him. The place where we seek His glory and forget our own. The place where satisfaction comes from the only true satisfier of our souls. The place where we experience His peace no matter what the world may throw our way. The place where His presence is our constant desire and daily joy.
-Beth Moore
Happy New Year!!!
"This is the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, "I will give it to your descendants."
Like Moses, we will scale the heights this year to gaze over into the promised land, the land of freedom and splendor. But unlike Moses, we will have the opportunity not only to see it but to cross over and live there.
So come with all haste. Come to the place of breaking free. The place where we truly know God and believe Him. The place where we seek His glory and forget our own. The place where satisfaction comes from the only true satisfier of our souls. The place where we experience His peace no matter what the world may throw our way. The place where His presence is our constant desire and daily joy.
-Beth Moore
Happy New Year!!!
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