Saturday, September 18, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
LIFE PRINCIPLES
The 30 Life Principles for everyone. Lord, help me live by these principles. Have your perfect work in me.
1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
11. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.
12. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
13. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
15. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
16. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
17. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
18. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
19. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
20. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
21. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
22. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
23. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
24. You can never out give God.
25. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
26. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
27. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
28. Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.
29. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
30. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
1. Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives.
2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.
3. God’s Word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.
4. The awareness of God’s presence energizes us for our work.
5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.
7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish His purpose in us.
8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.
9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.
11. An eager anticipation of the Lord’s return keeps us living productively.
12. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.
13. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.
15. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.
16. God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.
17. Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness.
18. Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.
19. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.
20. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.
21. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.
22. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.
23. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
24. You can never out give God.
25. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.
26. God blesses us so that we might bless others.
27. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.
28. Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.
29. No Christian has ever been called to “go it alone” in his or her walk of faith.
30. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
ON THE OTHER HAND....
If you've ever tried to make a decision and went back and forth saying, "on one hand.....", and then said, "but on the other hand....." We've all be there. God's desire is to give us guidance so if you want His direction for your life start with making a decision to partner with Him.
God is the one who made you, thought up your plans, prepared a family for you, and called you to be that which only He can help you become. Here's a quick list of top ten things to go through when making the biggest decision of your life and choosing to either reject His offer to work together, or to accept all that He has for you. So use one hand to count through the below 1-5, and use the other hand to go through 6-10, and see which hand you'd rather go with.
1. ASK YOURSELF, 'WHERE AM I?' Ask God to reveal where exactly you are in His plan for you. He frequently wants us to check in with us so that He doesn't have to come looking for us. (God asked Adam, after the first sin in the garden, "Where are you?" (Adam stupidly hid from God, probably something you or I have never done. Yeah, right!!.)
2. ASK YOURSELF, 'HOW FAR AM I WILLING TO GO ON MY OWN, WITHOUT REALIZING I NEED GOD'S HELP? Proverbs 12:14 Tells us, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end is death." Of course your way seems right. Original sin is when we decided to make our own 'right' and 'wrong.' Have you reached your wall? When we're lost we don't know how far we are lost. Half truths will not help us. Partial truths will not help us. If your GPS cuts out only a couple of times, you can still be way off course. Total truth is the only help we have.
3. WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN YOU COME TO THE CROSSROAD? Lash out, go shopping, have a drink, blame someone? The focal point here is the word, 'will'. You will respond. It is a matter of how.
4. SURVEY YOUR OPTIONS? Hopefully you have people in your life that will lead you to seek God for help, peace, protection, forgiveness, life etc. If all your friends want to do is to tell you to have a drink or go take a day at the spa then they offer only temporary and surface help, which means that you'll end up probably back in the same place, in just a matter of time..
5. WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE? Hint, Jesus says, choose Him. Repent and turn to Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. If you choose another 'temporary fix' option then return to number one, up top. Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200. If you choose to surrender to the sweet call of the name of Jesus then proceed to bonus round number 6, switch hands to count off 6-10.
6. WHAT WILL CHANGE? By choosing Jesus He is able to make all things new for us. Not some things, but all things. By the blood of Jesus when we repent and turn to Him we can have our sins washed white as snow so that we can blamelessly and boldly come into the thrown room of God. Jesus has purchased you at the cross, so receive that your debt has been paid in full, walk away from the chains that held you down and turn with your whole heart in surrender to Jesus.
7. HOW WILL YOU KNOW THAT YOU CHANGED? When you choose Jesus he has promised to set you free from the old sinful life and to come live on the inside of you and to help you. Your old sinful nature will be washed away as you receive the Spirit of Jesus to live on the inside of you. As you delight in Him, and get to know Him, you will want less and less of the, 'old life.' Jesus wants to be your friend, and to guide you with His word, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. He wants to bless you with love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control. Until we see the fruit of the Spirit, referenced above we take by faith that those fruits are on the way!
8. HOW CAN YOU STAY CHANGED? We stay changed, remain, or abide by the grace of God as we continually seek His face. He has promised to be found when we seek Him. As we seek Him we are changed. As we serve Him we are changed. As we approach Him in childlike faith and continue to grow in Him we are changed. We are designed to go from glory to glory. We are designed to reflect the glory of God.
9. WHY SHOULD I ABIDE, OR REMAIN? We should abide and walk in God's ways because that is what He made us to do. We were created to have an intimate relationship with God. When we choose comfort, achievement, and purpose in anything that is not of God we put barriers up that make that intimate relationship less than what it should be. God's highest priority for us to to know Him in an intimate way.
10. WHAT IF I MESS UP? Go back to number six if you mess up. At some point in our lives we all mess up. We will all have times to go back and to step through the questions above. As we apply scripture to our lives and live in obedience those times of mess up become fewer and farther between. Jesus is the perfect example of the life and surrendered heart we should try to obtain, but we can only do it with God's grace and with His help. So repent, turn from sin and receive the gift of forgiveness, then get back into that thrown room and serve and love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength.
God is the one who made you, thought up your plans, prepared a family for you, and called you to be that which only He can help you become. Here's a quick list of top ten things to go through when making the biggest decision of your life and choosing to either reject His offer to work together, or to accept all that He has for you. So use one hand to count through the below 1-5, and use the other hand to go through 6-10, and see which hand you'd rather go with.
1. ASK YOURSELF, 'WHERE AM I?' Ask God to reveal where exactly you are in His plan for you. He frequently wants us to check in with us so that He doesn't have to come looking for us. (God asked Adam, after the first sin in the garden, "Where are you?" (Adam stupidly hid from God, probably something you or I have never done. Yeah, right!!.)
2. ASK YOURSELF, 'HOW FAR AM I WILLING TO GO ON MY OWN, WITHOUT REALIZING I NEED GOD'S HELP? Proverbs 12:14 Tells us, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end is death." Of course your way seems right. Original sin is when we decided to make our own 'right' and 'wrong.' Have you reached your wall? When we're lost we don't know how far we are lost. Half truths will not help us. Partial truths will not help us. If your GPS cuts out only a couple of times, you can still be way off course. Total truth is the only help we have.
3. WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN YOU COME TO THE CROSSROAD? Lash out, go shopping, have a drink, blame someone? The focal point here is the word, 'will'. You will respond. It is a matter of how.
4. SURVEY YOUR OPTIONS? Hopefully you have people in your life that will lead you to seek God for help, peace, protection, forgiveness, life etc. If all your friends want to do is to tell you to have a drink or go take a day at the spa then they offer only temporary and surface help, which means that you'll end up probably back in the same place, in just a matter of time..
5. WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE? Hint, Jesus says, choose Him. Repent and turn to Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life. If you choose another 'temporary fix' option then return to number one, up top. Do not pass GO, Do not collect $200. If you choose to surrender to the sweet call of the name of Jesus then proceed to bonus round number 6, switch hands to count off 6-10.
6. WHAT WILL CHANGE? By choosing Jesus He is able to make all things new for us. Not some things, but all things. By the blood of Jesus when we repent and turn to Him we can have our sins washed white as snow so that we can blamelessly and boldly come into the thrown room of God. Jesus has purchased you at the cross, so receive that your debt has been paid in full, walk away from the chains that held you down and turn with your whole heart in surrender to Jesus.
7. HOW WILL YOU KNOW THAT YOU CHANGED? When you choose Jesus he has promised to set you free from the old sinful life and to come live on the inside of you and to help you. Your old sinful nature will be washed away as you receive the Spirit of Jesus to live on the inside of you. As you delight in Him, and get to know Him, you will want less and less of the, 'old life.' Jesus wants to be your friend, and to guide you with His word, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. He wants to bless you with love, joy, peace, goodness, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, and self control. Until we see the fruit of the Spirit, referenced above we take by faith that those fruits are on the way!
8. HOW CAN YOU STAY CHANGED? We stay changed, remain, or abide by the grace of God as we continually seek His face. He has promised to be found when we seek Him. As we seek Him we are changed. As we serve Him we are changed. As we approach Him in childlike faith and continue to grow in Him we are changed. We are designed to go from glory to glory. We are designed to reflect the glory of God.
9. WHY SHOULD I ABIDE, OR REMAIN? We should abide and walk in God's ways because that is what He made us to do. We were created to have an intimate relationship with God. When we choose comfort, achievement, and purpose in anything that is not of God we put barriers up that make that intimate relationship less than what it should be. God's highest priority for us to to know Him in an intimate way.
10. WHAT IF I MESS UP? Go back to number six if you mess up. At some point in our lives we all mess up. We will all have times to go back and to step through the questions above. As we apply scripture to our lives and live in obedience those times of mess up become fewer and farther between. Jesus is the perfect example of the life and surrendered heart we should try to obtain, but we can only do it with God's grace and with His help. So repent, turn from sin and receive the gift of forgiveness, then get back into that thrown room and serve and love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, strength.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
AVOIDING THE DRIFT OF SELF
If left to our own way of life we will drift to old behavior patterns. Slowly but surely we will drift. The drift of self leads to sin and to ultimate trouble. Recently God showed me a picture of me fishing on the side of a stream. Though I have only fished on a bank once I can attest to the fact that it doesn't take long for the bobber at the end of the line to start to drift toward the bank. So our life drifts into sin when we do not purposefully, carefully, and continually pursue God.
If you have ever said to yourself, "How did I end up here?", you have experienced the drift. The drift of sin takes us farther than we want to go, it keeps us longer than we want to stay, and it costs us more than we want to pay. We must recast our line in a fresh way and in new effort toward God. We must carefully focus on His word and continually seek Him in a new way. Don't let your line drift to the bank or worse - get caught and entangled in the lines of others!
Avoiding the drift of self/sin requires us to RE-CAST. It requires purposeful action. Cast off in a new way in the direction of Jesus. Direction, not intent, determines our destination. In order to make sure we are not drifting we need to ask ourselves, and often:
1) Where am I? Pause and take a look.
2) Where do my actions appear to be 'taking me'?
3) What was the last thing I did to cast a fresh line?
Maybe a fresh cast is to go to a mid-week church service, or keep the radio off in the car and speak to God while you drive to work? Maybe a fresh cast is to get up an hour earlier and to make a gratitude list of all God has done for you or to forgive someone who has wronged you? Maybe a fresh cast is to quit complaining for a day or to show love and be of service? Ask God to reveal to you fresh ways to seek Him and you will experience His redeeming power and life in a grand way!! He promises to be found when we diligently seek Him. When we cast a fresh line into the word and in prayer we will come to know Jesus more. God will give you creative ways to put your life before him in a new way and you will shine and sparkle like a rich jewel.
So cast out a fresh line as often as you can!
If you have ever said to yourself, "How did I end up here?", you have experienced the drift. The drift of sin takes us farther than we want to go, it keeps us longer than we want to stay, and it costs us more than we want to pay. We must recast our line in a fresh way and in new effort toward God. We must carefully focus on His word and continually seek Him in a new way. Don't let your line drift to the bank or worse - get caught and entangled in the lines of others!
Avoiding the drift of self/sin requires us to RE-CAST. It requires purposeful action. Cast off in a new way in the direction of Jesus. Direction, not intent, determines our destination. In order to make sure we are not drifting we need to ask ourselves, and often:
1) Where am I? Pause and take a look.
2) Where do my actions appear to be 'taking me'?
3) What was the last thing I did to cast a fresh line?
Maybe a fresh cast is to go to a mid-week church service, or keep the radio off in the car and speak to God while you drive to work? Maybe a fresh cast is to get up an hour earlier and to make a gratitude list of all God has done for you or to forgive someone who has wronged you? Maybe a fresh cast is to quit complaining for a day or to show love and be of service? Ask God to reveal to you fresh ways to seek Him and you will experience His redeeming power and life in a grand way!! He promises to be found when we diligently seek Him. When we cast a fresh line into the word and in prayer we will come to know Jesus more. God will give you creative ways to put your life before him in a new way and you will shine and sparkle like a rich jewel.
So cast out a fresh line as often as you can!
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