Excercise Your Faith Muscles Everyday!
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Jun 10, 2008 4:36 am
Mood: Working Out!,
709 Views
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I love this definition of faith from the Amplified Bible:
Now faith is the assurance, the confirmation, the title-deed, of the things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see, and the conviction of their reality--faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.
Hebrews 11:1
Faith involves assurance and conviction. When your faith is solid, it stands under every situation and supports it with assurance. It is being convinced, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God will take charge of the situation.
Faith always relates to something yet future. The word "hope" points to the future. We must see tomorrow in light of God's abilities, not our own. Faith will prepare us for the adventure instead of fear, because of our assurance that God can handle all things.
Faith has as its object "things not seen". Faith is fixing our attention on what we cannot see. It is thinking broadly, beyond the realms of natural expectation.
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
In order to please God, we must have faith in Him. Just like growing up as children, as babes in Christ, it's easy to grow in faith at the beginning of our walk. But, as we mature, more is required in order for our faith to grow. If you will practice these 5 excercises everyday, as part of your workout plan, your faith will continue to grow.
1. Begin Every Day with a Faith Picture of what You See God Doing.
As you meditate and pray about your day expect God to speak to your heart what He has in store for you. What do you see Him doing in every aspect of your life.
2. Begin to Confess to One Another the Things You See God Doing.
What do you desire to see God doing in your life on a daily basis? You must confess these things to one another and to God. Make your faith declarations!
3. Faith Comes By Looking For and Finding The Biblical Solution.
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17
Learn to go to God’s Word and study it for the help that you need. It has all of the answers contained in it. It is the word of God that establishes our belief and faith.
4. Your Faith Picture Must Be Put Into Action.
..if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save Him?....Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead....
James 2:14
You see, neither faith nor works can stand alone. They are twins that cannot be separated!
5. Expect Changes To Occur.
After you have firmly established a faith picture of what you desire in your lives, begin to expect a real change to occur. It takes a heart of anticipation and expectation for faith to be fully released.
Life should be lived like this: Yesterday is a cancelled check; we cannot negotiate it again. Tomorrow is a promissory note; it can't be utilized until it arrives. Today is cash in hand; it must be invested. Look at this way: Faith is like a muscle...it must be exercised. Invest your workout time excercising your faith today, and as it grows stronger, the dividends will pay off tomorrow.
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The Choice Is Ours!
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Jun 9, 2008 5:41 pm
Mood: Choosing Life and Love,
657 Views
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I love the fact that God gives us choices! We can choose what we want to do, how we want to do it, and with whom. We can choose to smile or frown, forgive or be angry, believe or not believe. Every moment of every day, we make choices, some significant, some not, we choose what our outlook will be and how we will respond to life.
Please read the following:
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. He continued, "..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and replied, 'Gravity'." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own!"
Matthew 6:34.
After all, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. How did it turn out? Worthy of your worry?
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Sanctification Is An Ongoing Process
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Jun 9, 2008 4:35 am
Mood: Sanctified,
804 Views
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The basic idea of sanctification is that of separation or setting apart. In the Bible the words sanctification and holiness are interchangeable.
At the time a person receives Christ, he is sanctified, (1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11), which means he has been separated from his past life of sin and is now dedicated to God.
May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Thessalonians 5:23
From Scripture we find that the Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies. (2 Thessalonians 2:13)
The Bible is clear in teaching that Christians should continue living a life separated from sin and dedicated to God because, as the apostle Paul tells us, this is His will for us. (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). This is the progressive aspect of sanctification. The Scriptures speak of it in a variety of ways, such as growing in grace (2 Peter 3:14) and being gradually transformed spiritually.-2 Corinthians 3:18.
The purpose of the sanctification process is that believers might become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though Christians may not achieve absolute perfection in this life, we are expected to make every effort to live a holy life, because "without holiness no one will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14).
Some churches teach that sanctification is a one-time experience that takes place after a person has become a Christian, at which time he is made perfect. It's my opinion that sanctification takes place at the moment of salvation and then progresses as the believer continues to submit to the control of the Holy Spirit. My life is living proof. It is an ongoing process and will continue until Jesus returns.
So, if you haven't attained holiness in your life, cheer up, there's hope for you yet, lol,  When Jesus comes, let Him find us all in the process of becoming more and more sanctified. Desire to become holy unto Him, yield yourself to the Holy Spirit, and see the Lord.
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Moving Mountains
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Jun 7, 2008 5:14 am
Mood: Speaking to my mountains,
809 Views
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...For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to yonder place", and it will move; and NOTHING will be impossible to you.
Matthew 17:20
Recently, some mountains have arisen in my life, not just one or two, but an entire range. As each one has come to be, I've become more and more overwhelmed, until finally, yesterday, the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, had been manifested. I was on the brink of tears the entire day, pushing them down and pushing them down. I was unable to function and pressured to the point of breaking. The impossibilities loomed large over me, no matter what I did, the mountains were winning and defeat seemed ever present. I looked to heaven more than once and said, "God, I can't take anymore!" My flesh yearned for release from the struggle and my natural reaction was to run, as far away from the mountains as I could get. And, run I did.
Upon returning home late last night, I discovered that Jean had been praying and God had given her a Word for me. This was the scripture He had given her, along with some wonderful words of comfort and reassurance. I felt peace come into my spirit and a strength to continue fighting the good fight of faith. Her words were like a healing balm that soothed my weary soul. God's Word became alive and suddenly I realized that all things ARE possible to those that believe. My mountains can be removed and cast away, one at a time, mountain by mountain, until the victory will be had.
Yes, I have faith the size of a mustard seed and so do you. The Bible says that each of us are given a measure of faith. And, even if you have an entire range of mountains before your eyes, God will give you what you need to get to the top, and the steadfast endurance to cast them away.
So, for today, I am speaking to my mountains, through my tiny mustard seed of faith, and have every expectation that they will be removed and cast far away. Just for today, I will not be moved by the intensity of stress and pressure, but focused on Him and the reality of His mountain-moving power. NOTHING is impossible to me and no weapon formed against me shall prosper.
I thank You Father, yet again for Your Word, and for sending me people that love me and cover me in prayer. Your grace is sufficient for all things and greater are You than the mountains before me. I can do ALL things, through Christ, Who gives me strength. Hallelujah! Amen and Amen!
And I thank you Jean, for your obedience to Him, in sacrificial love for me.
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Self
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Jun 6, 2008 2:45 am
Mood: Denying Self,
753 Views
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A Comparative Study of "Self"
The World Says...Self
The Bible Says...Otherwise
Self-assertion***Deny Self-Luke 9:23-24
Self-esteem/respect***Esteem others-Phil. 2:3
Self-sufficiency***Our sufficiency is God-2 Cor. 3:5
Self-actualization***That I may know Him-Phil. 3:10
Self-acceptance***Accepted in the beloved-Eph. 5:18
Self-control***Be filled with the Spirit-Eph. 5:18
Self-love***Love God and others-Matt. 22:37-39
Self-help***The Lord is my helper-Ps. 54:4
Self-interests***Please God-Rev. 4:11
Self-will***Not my will, but Yours-Luke 22:42
Self-confidence***Put no confidence in the flesh-Phil. 3:3
Self-exaltation***He must increase, I must decrease-Jn. 3:30
Self-righteous***Christ is our righteousness-1 Cor. 1:30
Self-image***Show forth God's image-2 Cor. 3:18
Self-motivation***The love of Christ constrains us-2 Cor. 5;14
Self-improvement***Be conformed to Christ-Rom. 8:28-29
Self-pity***Count it all joy when trials come-James 1:2
Self-dependent***Inter-dependent-Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 12:21
Self-conscious***Not I, but Christ-Gal. 2:20
Isn't it amazing how opposite the world's system is from God's system?
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Will There Be A "Rapture" ?
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Jun 5, 2008 2:39 am
Mood: Anxiously Awaiting!,
941 Views
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The word "rapture" does NOT appear in the Bible. However, close examination of I Thessalonians 4:15-17 indicates that the church will be caught up in the clouds after the dead in Christ are risen. Please consider the following scriptures:
[15]"For this we declare to you by the Lord's own words, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede into His presence or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep in Him, in death.
[16]For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first.
[17]Then we, the living ones who remain on the earth, shall simultaneously be caught up along with the resuurected dead in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so always, through the eternity of the eternities, we shall be with the Lord!"
Yes, there will be a "rapture", according to Scripture. When Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians "Be caught up", he refers to the rapture of believers which will occur immediately after the resurrection of the believing dead. But it will be so nearly at the same time that both dead and living will "be caught up together." In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Paul writes: "We shall not all sleep [i.e., die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet…and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." Thus not only will the rapture represent a change from the natural body to a spiritual body (as in verse 44), but also this change will take place immediately. Interestingly, it is said that the "twinkling of an eye" will take all of 1/16 of a second.
It should be noted that the background of the rapture, as well as our resurrection, is the "coming of the Lord" (verse 15). This coming is depicted in vivid languag and in my mind, undisputable. After this amazing double event--the resurrection and rapture--we shall be with the Lord for ever more. Hallelujah! Praise be unto Him!
Now, I'm sure that there will be some who come here to refute this truth, but I admonish you, read the scriptures for yourself, give no heed to the words of man, and I'll see you in the clouds at the rapture!
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Unto The Least Of These.......
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Jun 3, 2008 2:17 am
Mood: Give and it will be given,
719 Views
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What is a Christian's obligation to the poor?
Unfortunately, Christians sometimes focus exclusively on certain injustices while neglecting others.
Jesus identifies with the poor
The Bible makes it clear that our Lord identifies Himself with the poor. Jesus told His disciples that when they feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, provide shelter for the homeless, clothe the naked, nurse the sick, and visit the imprisoned, they are actually doing these things for Him. (Matthew 25:35-36). The reverse is also true. In the Matthew passage, Jesus did not welcome into His kingdom those who did not serve the poor and needy. How would it feel to be turned away at the pearly gates because you disregarded the least of these?(Matthew 25:41-46)
Our Lord's close identification with the poor is not just a New Testament concept. The Old Testament attests to this relationship as well. For example, we read that, "He who is gracious to the poor man lends to the Lord, And He will repay him for his good deed." (Proverbs 19:17)
The Christian's duty to the poor
There is no debate among Christians about whether we have an obligation to serve God. However, some Christians seem to show less conviction when it comes to our obligation to serve the poor. Scripture, however, eliminates any ambiguity. For example, consider the following verse:
"If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs."
Deuteronomy 15:v7-8
This verse is soon followed by another, which Jesus alludes to in the Gospels: "There will always be poor people in the land." However, notice the following sentence: "Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land."
Deuteronomy 15:11
Far from being an excuse to ignore the impoverished, the full verse actually reminds us that there will always be plenty of opportunity for us to selflessly and joyfully give to those in need.
Our destiny is linked to the poor
The Bible often speaks of blessings bestowed on those who reach out to the less fortunate. For example, the book of Proverbs says, "He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor." (22:9) We should also understand that there are negative consequences that result from ignoring the poor, "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."
Proverbs 21:13
That's a scary one! Can you imagine crying out to God and Him NOT hearing you?
Jesus is apparently trying to teach us to put special emphasis on helping and comforting those who cannot repay us. God has promised to bless those who bless the needy, and He will NOT look favorably upon those who neglect those in poverty. These verse are very clear.
Be a giver, keep your heart stirred with compassion toward all who are less fortunate than you, it's a two-fold blessing. The one you give to is blessed and you are blessed. And I believe the heart of God smiles.
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Need Wisdom?
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Jun 2, 2008 12:01 pm
Mood: Asking For Wisdom,
789 Views
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If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God, Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
Only, it must be in faith that he asks, with no wavering, no hesitation, no doubting. For the one who wavers, hesitates, and doubts is like the billowing surge out at sea, that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6
So, if you need wisdom today, you now know how to get it.
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Defining Prayer, God's Way
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Jun 2, 2008 5:34 am
Mood: Prayerful,
628 Views
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When I was first saved, I thought I was supposed to pray the Lord's Prayer every day, and I did, many times with a ritualistic tone, just repeating the words, without a real sense of intimacy or power. I had a conversation with my 5-year old grandson yesterday, trying to explain to him, in terms he could understand, how to pray.
Prayer is communion with God, not just structured, repetitive words, but it is the closest, most intimate relationship with the Creator you can have. It is communication and a "knowing" of Him you can find no other way.
Prayer is not playing magic games, spinning prayer wheels, conducting formulas, reading off a list, or asking for things to be done. It is a communion. "Deep calls unto deep," the Bible says (Psalm 42:v7). In prayer the depths of your spirit are in communion with the depths of the Spirit of God. Out of this can come instruction, guidance, or a burden to pray for certain things.
The apostle Paul said, "For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). There are times when we can emit only wordless groanings because we don't know how to pray about a specific situation.
We can learn much from the Lord's Prayer, the model prayer (see Matthew 6:9-13). The first is that if we are to structure prayer, we should begin with an acknowledgment of the One we are talking to -- God, our Father. We should also include praise and adoration, "Hallowed be Your name." We are to glorify and worship His name, His very Being.
Next, we must be concerned about the extension of His kingdom. We ask that men should come to know Him and submit to Him. "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Next to the name and the person of God Himself, the most important thing in prayer is the extension of God's kingdom, and His love and mercy.
After that, we ask God for our daily bread -- whatever we need to carry out His work. It may be money, a car, food, clothing, a house, or a $20 million budget for a Christian ministry, lol. It may be money to feed the poor. It may be a lot of things. We ask Him to give us, day by day, bread that is sufficient for us. That is the petition part of prayer. The first part of prayer is praise, the second is intercession for others, and the third is petition, when we ask for our needs to be met.
Finally, we seek God's protection that we might not be led into temptation and that God will keep us from evil. We ask Him to keep us walking in His way, so that we might be covered by His power and anointing and not be susceptible to satan's influences.
We must remember that prayer is rooted in forgiveness. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." The relationship of God's people to Him comes about because of continuous forgiveness. If we are going to see miracles in our lives, we have to be willing to forgive other people, even as God is willing to forgive us.
Christians should always be in an attitude of communion with God. Prayer can take place in every circumstance. In my life, as events pass by, I may find myself talking to Him, all throughout my day, wanting to know something, asking for advice and counsel, or for favor and blessing. The Christian's life should be filled with prayer. In addition, we should set aside specific times, at least once a day, for prayer and for reading the Bible. And then, continue to pray without ceasing, as the situations warrant.
As we read the Bible, we should pray, worship God, speak to Him about our needs, and listen to His answers. This should be a time of communication between two spirits that sets the order of events for each day.
My day always seems to unfold into a more positive direction after I have prayed. In addition, when things happen, I am not lulled into thinking of coincidences, but rather that things happen as part of God's perfect plan and purpose, as a result of my prayers. When certain people cross my path, I look for God's purpose in their presence.
NOTHING that happens, happens for NOTHING, especially when you trust that God loves you, hears you, and answers your prayers.
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6
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Did You Throw It Away?
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Jun 1, 2008 5:29 am
Mood: Considering the Day,
658 Views
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I just read this poem at one of my fav websites, and it caused me to reflect. We're each given a new day every day, what will we do with it? At the end of the day, when we're all laying with our head on the pillow, what will we consider to be important, as far as what we accomplished that day? Did we show someone the love of Jesus? Did we forgive those who fell short of our expectations? In what way have we benefitted the Kingdom today?
It's my opinion that the two most important parts of the day are the beginning and the end. If we'll pray first thing in the morning, "Lord, send those across my path that I can be a blessing to today." Then, pay attention to each person, just in case God is answering our prayer, at the end of the day, we'll feel good about the day not being thrown away. There's a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that you touched the life of someone with the love of Jesus. I hope you'll consider this today and everyday.
God gave you this day to do just as you would,
You can throw it away or do some good,
You can make someone happy, or make someone sad,
What have you done with the day that you had?
God gave it to you to do just as you would,
You can do what is wicked, or do what is good,
You can hand out a smile, or just a frown.
You can lift someone up or push someone down,
You can lighten some load, or some progress impede,
You can look for a rose, or just gather some weed,
What did you do with your beautiful day,
God gave it to you, did you throw it away?
Author - Unknown
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