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GOD IS WORTHY OF OUR FAITH
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Sep 2, 2005 1:21 am
642 Views
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*HE IS YOUR PROTECTOR...
when you feel lost, weary, and afraid
*HE IS GOOD...
when it's time to renew your perspective
*HE IS HOLY...
when you yearn for someone greater than
yourself
*HE IS YOUR GUIDE...
when you need guidance
*HE IS NEAR...
when you long to feel His presence
*HE IS A FAITHFUL FRIEND...
when you yearn for His company
*HE IS JUST...
when you need to leave justice in God's hand
*HE IS ALL-POWERFUL...
when the battle is too much for you
*HE IS GRACE...
when you need forgiveness
*HE IS LOVE...
when you feel orphaned by life
*HE IS MERCIFUL...
when you need a Savior
*HE IS MAJESTIC...
when you're filled with awe by His creativity
_________________________________________________
Lisa Tawn Bergren,Condensed from "God Encounters"
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20 TOUGH QUESTIONS
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Sep 2, 2005 1:07 am
676 Views
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1. What specifically are you going to work on in
the next week to become closer to God?
2. What do you feel is a little thing stopping
you from getting closer to God?
3. What is one thing you need to confess this
week?
4. When did you conquer sin this week?
5. In what areas of your life do you find it
easiest to compromise your standards?
6. Does your faith point others to Jesus?
7. What are you going to give Jesus in the next
week?
8. Can you give a recent example of a time you
had to depend on God?
9. Where do you know you need humility in your
life?
10. What would improve your prayer life?
11. Who was the last person you shared your faith
with?
12. When was the last time you asked God for a
miracle?
13. Do people who don't know you personally know
that you're a Christian?
14. How has your walk with Christ changed over
the last year?
15. When was the last time you had a quiet time
with God on a consistent basis?
16. Do you talk about your sins with someone on
a regular basis?
17. Are you regularly giving a portion of your
income to God's work?
18. Are you truly a servant to people around you?
19. Have you been making an effort lately to
portray Christ to those you come in contact
with, even for only a few moments?
20. When did you last spend time in total
solitude with God?
_________________________________________________
Josh Warren, "Tough Questions"
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WATER-WALKING (2)
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Sep 2, 2005 12:53 am
681 Views
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"WHEN HE SAW THE WIND...HE WAS AFRAID."
MATTHEW 14:30
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The truth about water-walking is:THE FEAR NEVER GOES AWAY! If you want to grow, you must go into new territory. And each time you do you'll experience fear. Give up trying to make fear go away! Fear and growth go together, it's a package deal. The decision to grow means choosing between risk and comfort. Each time you get out of the boat you become a little more able to get out the next time. It's not that the fear goes away, you just get used to living with it. You realize that it doesn't have the power to destroy you. On the other hand, every time you choose to stay in the boat rather than heed the call of Christ to "Come", the voice inside you gets a little quieter, till finally you don't hear it at all.
Did Peter fail? No. Besides Jesus, He's the only man who ever walked on water. Failure isn't an event, it's just an opinion. It's not what happens to us, but how we think about it. Only Peter knew the joy of being empowered by God to do what couldn't humanly be done. Walking on water changes you forever. And only Peter knew the grace of being lifted by Jesus in a moment of desperate need. He understood in a way the others couldn't that when you take baby steps of faith, the Lord will never let you down. He had an experience with Christ the others didn't have. SO, FAILURE ISN'T SINKING IN THE WAVES, IT'S NEVER GETTING OUT OF THE BOAT!
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WATER-WALKING (1)
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Aug 31, 2005 6:23 pm
696 Views
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MATTHEW 14;29-"PETER...WALKED ON THE WATER."
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Here are some things you need to know about water-walking:
1.) EVERYBODY HAS A BOAT. Your boat is whatever
gives you your greatest sense of significance
and security. It's what you're tempted to put
your trust in, especially when life gets
stormy. Want to know what your boat is? Your
fear will tell you. Ask yourself, "What is it
that most produces fear in me - especially
when I think of leaving it behind and
stepping out in faith?"
2.) YOU MUST KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SAVIOR, NOT
THE STORM. When did Peter sink? When he "saw
the wind." We all know what it's like to see
the wind, don't we? You begin a new adventure
full of hope. Maybe it's a job or a new
relationship. Maybe you're trying to succeed
in anew venture. At the beginning you're full
of faith; it's blue skies; then the reality
sets in. Setbacks. Opposition. Financial
challenges. Life's full of surprises so we
should expect it, but somehow trouble still
has the power to blindside us. Because of the
wind some of us never leave the boat. But the
truth is, there's no guarantee that life in
the boat will be any safer. Everything's
risky! Baseball's greatest hitters fail 2
times out of 3. But if you don't step up to
the plate you'll never know the joy of
hitting a home run. Understand this: if you
live in the boat you'll eventually die in the
boat, and you'll end up wondering what your
life might have been if only you'd been
willing to step over the side.
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When You're DISAPPOINTED, DISCOURAGED, DEFEATED...
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Aug 30, 2005 11:38 pm
787 Views
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ARE YOU AWARE OF SATAN'S DEADLY DEVICES?
.................................................
Has disappointment in a person or a situation ever caused you to go into an emotional tailspin?
Have you ever felt you might drown in your discouragement?
Have you ever fallen into a well of dejection and despaired to the point where you were so demoralized that you simply sat down and didn't attempt to climb out?
Then, my friend, you have engaged in warfare with the Evil One, who desires to take you captive; and you have allowed him to penetrate your line of defense with his armored division and his foot soldiers
You have done battle with SATAN'S FIVE DEADLY D's and tasted their awful wretchedness.
The first DEADLY D is DISAPPOINTMENT. To counterattack disappointment you need to launch the Christian's Strategic Defense System (SDS) of faith that in meekness praises God in every situation by seeing it as God's sovereign appointment. CHANGE THE D OF DISAPPOINTMENT to an H, and you have HIS APPOINTMENT.
If you refuse to do this, if you refuse to give thanks in everything, believing that this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, then the next deadly D the enemy will launch against you is DISCOURAGEMENT.
To become discouraged is to become disheartened-to be weakened, to lose your courage so that you think there is no way you can win. When this happens, you throw up your hands and say, "I'll never make it!" I'll never survive. It's no use, I'll never get out of this one."
Unless you deal with discouragement -head it off at the pass-there is no way to be the victor.
After Moses died, God was careful to admonish his successor, Joshua, to "be strong and courageous" as he led the children of Israel into the long-awaited Promised Land. God repeats himself three times as He says to Joshua: "Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-9) COURAGE RATHER THAN DISCOURAGEMENT WOULD BRING THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL INTO THE PROMISES OF GOD.
Years earlier, the children of Israel had lost the battle of discouragement at Kadesh_Barnea. Instead of being strong and facing their enemies in faith, the Israelites had believed the report of the ten spies, who had become discouraged by the sight of giants in the land. As a result, they had spent forty years wandering in the wilderness.
What about you? Have you listened to the world's analysis of your condition or your future rather than being strong and courageously believing your God?
If so, then you have found yourself mired in the mud of DEJECTION.
Instead of the joy of the Lord being your strength, as Nehemiah exhorts his people (Nehemiah 8:10), you are about to faint (Isaih 61:3) When dejection pulls you down into its depths, you face lowness of spirit and emotional fatigue. The oil of gladness has been exchanged for mourning, and you have not covered yourself with a spirit of praise. Either you praise God in pure, gut-level faith, whether you feel it or not, or you will continue to weaken.
Then you will find yourself in DESPAIR, having lost or abandoned hope. Despair leaves you apathetic; your mind is numb. And if this goes unchecked, you may find yourself acting recklessly, not considering the consequences of your actions. Desperation is energized despair, and in this state you do things which you later greatly regret, but which many times bring lifelong consequences.
Often you see examples of this when people suddenly find themselves confronted by the infidelity of their mate or the demand for a divorce, or when they are faced with financial reversal. During the Great Depression in America, many despairing businessmen opened the windows of their offices and jumped to their deaths. Others put a gun to their head and pulled the trigger! They reacted in the flesh and the rationale of their own minds, and the consequences were deadly.
When you find yourself in a state of despair, you need to say with the psalmist,
"WHY ARE YOU IN DESPAIR, O MY SOUL? AND WHY
HAVE YOU BECOME DISTURBED WITHIN ME? HOPE
IN GOD, FOR I SHALL AGAIN PRAISE HIM FOR THE
HELP OF HIS PRESENCE." Psalm 42:5
When you are in despair, write down why and then look for a specific promise of God to write next to each cause of your despair. If you don't, you'll find yourself DEMORALIZED. And demoralized people run in circles-if they even have the strength to run! They are cast into disorder. They cannot get their act together in their home or in their business affairs or in any of the disciplines of life. Many times they are simply paralyzed with fear.
But God has not given you "the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1 KJV). His is the power, the glory and the victory; so when the Five Deadly D's are launched against you, you can be more than a conqueror of this enemy of your soul.
"FOR WHATEVER IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMES THE WORLD; AND THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD-OUR FAITH." (I John 5:4)
_________________________________________________KAY ARTHUR, "HIS IMPRINT, MY EXPRESSION"
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Where have you searched for SIGNIFICANCE?
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Aug 29, 2005 6:00 pm
758 Views
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JEREMIAH 6:16--This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
Over the centuries, good people have tried every conceivable method to have their life labeled as significant. They have sought stardom, completed risky goals, left architectural legacies, created memorable artwork, amassed wealth, destroyed enemies, and broken achievement records. They have been passionate environmentalists, creative lobbyists, dedicated humanitarians, superstar athletes, brilliant scholars, and stunning actresses. Some have found the secret of true significance in Jesus, but many have not.
God created you to feel significant in his eyes, but most of us don't focus on the "in his eyes" part of that sentence. We search for significance through our job, hobbies, friendship, relationships and ministry. What about you? How have you attempted to leave your mark of significance?
Today is all about being significant in God's eyes-the only place his gift of fulfillment can be redeemed. Settling this issue will free you up to serve Christ more wholeheartedly.
Dear Lord, You said to me to stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and I will find rest for my soul." I humbly ask You to bless my efforts to put You first in my life today. Guide me in my understanding of You as being the Only One Who is truly significant and the Only One Who will make my life matter. Teach me to lay my worldly attempts at your feet and seek you first.
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HOW TO SAFEGUARD YOUR CHARACTER
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Aug 25, 2005 9:13 am
781 Views
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*Take regular time for reflection and restoration
of your soul.
*When faced with an ethical choice or temptation,
consider the example you set for others.
*Make yourself accountable to a small group of
trusted friends.
*Focus on integrity, not image.
*Grow deep in your faith.
*Deal firmly and uncompromisingly with hidden
sin and character flaws.
*Make a commitment to pursue lifelong character
growth.
___________________________
Pat Williams, "The Paradox of Power"
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RETURN TOME
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Aug 25, 2005 9:04 am
Mood: exhausted,
738 Views
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JEREMIAH 2:1-2 - The Word of the LORD came to me: "Go and announce directly to Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: I remember the loyalty of your youth, your love as a bride- how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown."
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Dear Child of Mine,
I remember the excitement of your early faith - the way you loved Me, the way you followed so trustingly as I led you to the other side of that "desert time" you were going through. Always your first thoughts were of Me. I was never far from your heart back then. You give Me the first fruits of your time, your energy, your attention. YOU NEEDED ME, AND I WAS THERE FOR YOU.
WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? I HAVEN'T MOVED. I AM STILL HERE, LONGING TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU.
Your Loving Father,
God
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TWO KINDS OF HEART...
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Aug 23, 2005 11:14 am
Mood: eager,
728 Views
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ACTS 13:22..."I have found David...a man after
My own heart, who will do all My
will."
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The heart God delights in is a heart that is compliant, cooperative, and responsive to Him and His commands, a heart that obeys.
Today, we are going to examine the heart of David and the heart of king Saul in relation to their relationship and obedience to God.
In I Samuel 13, the prophet Samuel, who spoke on behalf of God, rebuked Saul, the reigning king of Israel, for failing to obey God's specific instructions. Again and again in I Samuel, Saul overstepped his bounds, the ones God set for him. On several occasions he specifically disobeyed God. Although he was careful to offer prescribed sacrifices to God, Saul failed to offer God the ultimate sacrifice - OBEDIENCE FROM A HEART WHOLLY DEVOTED TO GOD (I Samuel 15:22). Clearly, Saul was not responsive to God or His laws.
Finally, after one extremely serious act of disobedience, God sent Samuel to Saul with a two-fold message: "YOUR KINGDOM WILL NOT CONTINUE" and "THE LORD HAS SOUGHT FOR HIMSELF A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART" (I Samuel 13:14. God was saying, "Saul, you're through as king. I've put up with your rebellious, unresponsive heart long enough, and now I've found just the right man to serve me. This man who will take your place is a man with a responsive heart, a man with a heart of obedience, a man who will follow all my commands, fulfill all my desires, and do all my will."
Here we witness two very different kinds of heart - the heart of David and the heart of Saul.
*In his heart, David was willing to obey, but
Saul was satisfied with merely external acts
of sacrifice.
*David served God. Saul served himself and did
things his way.
*David was concerned with following God's will,
but Saul cared solely for his own will.
*David's heart was centered on God; Saul's was
centered on Saul.
*Even though David didn't always obey God, he had
what mattered over the long haul-a heart
after God. In sharp contrast, Saul's devotion
to God was impulsive and sporadic.
*Although David was well-known for his physical
prowess and might as a warrior, he was humbly
dependent upon God, trusting in Him and
repeatedly aknowledging, "The Lord is the
strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). Saul, on
the other hand, was proud: he relied on his
own skill, his own wisdom and judgment, and
his arm of flesh.
God gave both of these kings opportunities to lead Israel, but in the end they walked down different paths - Saul away from God and David toward Him. Saul's heart was unresponsive to God's will, while David's was devoted to obedience.
They were like two different musicians, one who sits down at a piano and plunks on it, here a little, there a little (everyone can play "chopsticks"!) and the other who sits for hours at a time, a disicplined, faithful, and dedicated student. The first creates immature irregular, discordant sounds that fade away, while the other learns, grows, excels, and lifts the hearts and souls of others as he fine-tunes himself to the Almighty. Saul's song- his walk with the Lord- was impulsive, transitory, and undeveloped. But David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, offered up to God the purest of melodies of devoted love and committed obedience. Truly, DAVID'S HEART WAS A HEART AFTER GOD!
How can we follow after David in our devotion to God? What can we do so that God can grow in us a heart committed to obedience? A heart committed to doing God's will is an important ingredient when it comes to living out our love for God.
GOD CALLS US TO TAKE CARE OF OUR HEART. GOD TELLS US TO "KEEP YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, FOR OUT OF IT SPRING THE ISSUES OF LIFE" (Proverbs 4:23). As we walk this path of life, God says, we are to ponder the path of our feet (verse 26) and look straight ahead, not side to side (verse 25). Rather than turning to the right or to the left (verse 27), we are to follow ways that are established by God (verse 26.
THE KEY, GOD SAYS, TO LIVING A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE - A LIFE THAT STAYS ON HIS PATH-IS THE HEART. IF WE KEEP OUR HEART, IF WE DILIGENTLY ATTEND TO IT AND GUARD IT, THEN ALL OF THE ISSUES, THE ACTIONS, THE "ONGOINGS AND THE OUT-GOINGS" OF LIFE WILL BE HANDLED GOD'S WAY.
A HEART RESPONSIVE TO GOD AND HIS WAYS LEADS TO A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE.
_______________________________________________
An excerpt from a Book, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George
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HOW TO BREAK A BAD HABIT
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Aug 21, 2005 8:59 pm
Mood: hopeful,
774 Views
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1.) ASK WHY?
Why do I want to change?
Why is this habit interfering with life?
2.) WRITE OUT YOUR ANSWERS.
Be honest and concrete in your description.
Listing consequences gives motivation for
change.
3.) CONFIDE IN A FRIEND.
Confession is good for the soul.
Accountability helps you succeed.
4.) BE PURPOSEFUL
Establish a plan.
Good intentions alone accomplish nothing.
5.) TAKE THE FIRST STEP.
Beginning is often the hardest part.
Don't expect God to do what you can do
yourself.
6.) PERSEVERE.
Remember, habits feel comfortable.
New habits "scratch" and take time to
embrace.
7.) AVOID TEMPTATION
Flee when the old habit tempts.
Go a different direction; call a friend.
8.) THINK, DON'T FEEL
Feelings change moment by moment.
Make wise choices based on knowledge.
9). READ SCRIPTURE.
Saturate yourself in the Psalms.
They contain promises for strength.
10). RELY ON GOD'S HELP.
Remember, God is there to help you.
"Call to me and I will...tell you great
and unsearchable things." (Jeremiah 33:3)
_______________________________________________
Glenda Hotton, Professor of Home Economics, Master's College
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To link to this blog (GODRULESGLO) use [blog GODRULESGLO] in your messages.
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