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How often does God move you? I don't mean from here to there. I mean emotionally and spiritually. If you are only feeling God's presence in your life every once in a while then I believe there are things you can do to change that. Invite God into your daily life by doing these things: Give Him a personal invitation through daily prayer; Keep scripture fresh on your mind through daily reading of God's Word; This next one takes stepping out of most of our comfort zones but I've found it to be the most rewarding. Introduce the topic of Christ into as much casual conversation as you can find an "in".
I've found that I seem to have very little casual conversation this way. Isn't what God is doing in a friend or even stranger's life far more important than the weather? There is so much joy in serving God and seeing what he means to others. Open real conversations. Don't be afraid to mention to a nonbeliever or stranger that you are "blessed" or "God has been good" to you. Just mentioning His name often sparks questions from others.
Many are afraid to talk about God or pursue their curiosity because they are embarrassed to ask questions or don't know who they can ask. With your bluntness about your love for Christ, it is an open invitation to the curious nonbeliever, the struggling believer searching for prayer support, or the recently moved who is dying to share their story with someone who can relate or appreciate what has happened to them. Don't miss these opportunities for God to show His awesome power to you. Take action to bring Him into every aspect of your life and watch Him move you constantly.
1 Peter 4:10
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Share what you’ve learned, seen, and heard pertaining to God. It is all a gift and should not be kept to yourself.
How has God moved you lately? What are some things you do to keep your focus on God in your daily routine?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thankful Always
As a Thanksgiving message, I offer these passages Hebrews 12:1-11. It is easy to be thankful when the Lord rains down blessings on us. But sometimes it is difficult to be thankful when things don’t seem to be going all that well. This passage reminds me that everything God gives us is with His amazing love. We are His children and He is training us as our father.
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:28-29 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
Have you found thanksgiving in hardships? What training are you thankful for?
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:28-29 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29for our "God is a consuming fire."
Have you found thanksgiving in hardships? What training are you thankful for?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
What Can We Do About our Government?
Let’s talk politics. Well this is more than just politics; it is our lives as we know them that are in danger of detrimental change. Our country that was founded by God fearing men is now being ruled by just the opposite. They are looking to take away everything our constitution stands for and are doing it in a way that is very deceptive to We the People. They (President Obama and his administration) are trying to make us believe that their goals are to help the needy “level the playing field” says Obama. In a way, this can be looked at as commendable. After all, the Bible states you will be rewarded by the Father for giving to the needy but what else does it say about giving to the needy?
Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to do your acts for righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Giving to the poor and the needy is to be done by the body of Christ. We as individuals are suppose to be taking care of our family members, our neighbors, and anyone we see needs help that we have the means to help them. We can trust that the Lord will provide when we are doing His will. The government is now taking full control over who we will give our money to. This is no secret, I’m sure most of you are aware of what our president is doing with our tax money. I’m not announcing anything new, especially to Christians. He is controlling who receives our money and then he is taking all the credit for it like he is a savior to our American people.
I would like to bring up a point about missionaries. When missionaries reach out to the needy in the name of Christ, they search for a need of the people. By satisfying that need, the peoples’ hearts are softened to receive the truth of our Heavenly Father. However, when the needy receives our money in this forced government manner, they are now softened to nothing other than the reign of Obama and how he is their savior. If he keeps taking our money, there will be no more to give. The only thing these people who are accepting this charity are learning is that all they have to do is keep doing what they’re doing (or not doing) and there is more where that came from. This is not the way the churches operate when they distribute our tithe. They teach them about Christ, they link them with members of the church who may have something they can use. It is one big family that the needy person then becomes a part of and has a heart molded to do the same for others. They give something back whether it is sharing the love of Christ, sharing their materials, or a meal with a hungry friend, they don’t just take and take. They learn to give back in the name of God.
The number of the needy is growing due to these new taxes taking care of them. There is a huge incentive now not to work. I’ve heard the working man who can’t get his insurance to cover his diabetic strips for his machine say, “If I wasn’t working, it would be paid for.” Do you hear this INCENTIVE? It is true. The rich (which has simply become the working) has to pay horrific amounts for their insurance then the insurance isn’t covering the things it needs to so the working has to pay more money out of pocket. The nonworking does not pay anything! The government health plan is not the answer here. All that will do is lower the quality of health care we receive and the working man will still be footing the bill.
Well that’s not all. Our taxes are not at a stand still. They keep going up and will continue to do so like we (the working) are a never ending money distributer. I’m angry about all of this and I imagine many of you are too but it gets worse. At least now, we can share our concerns on the internet, on news programs, and we can assemble and discuss our concerns thanks to our forefathers and the men who have given their lives for our freedom. This may be changing and this is the most concerning thing to me of all. Yes our dollar will probably crash, we’ll probably have a new socialist health care, abortion may become legal in all of America, same sex partners will probably have all the same rights as the man and woman married under biblical principles, and we could very well be amidst the end times but at least now we can share our concerns and the truth can be told. The government is trying to control that too. Freedom of speech will be no longer unless you are freely speaking in support of Obama and his goals for what was once known as OUR country.
I am afraid for what is becoming of our country. I want to stop this evil. I want the government to stop stealing my money and I want incentives for the nonworking to become the working. I must say that I realize people have lost their jobs due to economic crisis and many have worked all their lives. I’m not referring to those people in the group of the “needy” that I’ve referenced in this post. You are commendable and God has given you the skill and desire to find a way to provide for your family and you will find that way. I’m talking about the lazy, entitled, self-centered generation that has erupted. A generation without pride, without the value of earning one’s own dollar, and without a conscience letting them know that what they are doing is wrong. What can we do to stop this madness? Can we get the value of our constitution back or is it too late?
Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to do your acts for righteousness before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Giving to the poor and the needy is to be done by the body of Christ. We as individuals are suppose to be taking care of our family members, our neighbors, and anyone we see needs help that we have the means to help them. We can trust that the Lord will provide when we are doing His will. The government is now taking full control over who we will give our money to. This is no secret, I’m sure most of you are aware of what our president is doing with our tax money. I’m not announcing anything new, especially to Christians. He is controlling who receives our money and then he is taking all the credit for it like he is a savior to our American people.
I would like to bring up a point about missionaries. When missionaries reach out to the needy in the name of Christ, they search for a need of the people. By satisfying that need, the peoples’ hearts are softened to receive the truth of our Heavenly Father. However, when the needy receives our money in this forced government manner, they are now softened to nothing other than the reign of Obama and how he is their savior. If he keeps taking our money, there will be no more to give. The only thing these people who are accepting this charity are learning is that all they have to do is keep doing what they’re doing (or not doing) and there is more where that came from. This is not the way the churches operate when they distribute our tithe. They teach them about Christ, they link them with members of the church who may have something they can use. It is one big family that the needy person then becomes a part of and has a heart molded to do the same for others. They give something back whether it is sharing the love of Christ, sharing their materials, or a meal with a hungry friend, they don’t just take and take. They learn to give back in the name of God.
The number of the needy is growing due to these new taxes taking care of them. There is a huge incentive now not to work. I’ve heard the working man who can’t get his insurance to cover his diabetic strips for his machine say, “If I wasn’t working, it would be paid for.” Do you hear this INCENTIVE? It is true. The rich (which has simply become the working) has to pay horrific amounts for their insurance then the insurance isn’t covering the things it needs to so the working has to pay more money out of pocket. The nonworking does not pay anything! The government health plan is not the answer here. All that will do is lower the quality of health care we receive and the working man will still be footing the bill.
Well that’s not all. Our taxes are not at a stand still. They keep going up and will continue to do so like we (the working) are a never ending money distributer. I’m angry about all of this and I imagine many of you are too but it gets worse. At least now, we can share our concerns on the internet, on news programs, and we can assemble and discuss our concerns thanks to our forefathers and the men who have given their lives for our freedom. This may be changing and this is the most concerning thing to me of all. Yes our dollar will probably crash, we’ll probably have a new socialist health care, abortion may become legal in all of America, same sex partners will probably have all the same rights as the man and woman married under biblical principles, and we could very well be amidst the end times but at least now we can share our concerns and the truth can be told. The government is trying to control that too. Freedom of speech will be no longer unless you are freely speaking in support of Obama and his goals for what was once known as OUR country.
I am afraid for what is becoming of our country. I want to stop this evil. I want the government to stop stealing my money and I want incentives for the nonworking to become the working. I must say that I realize people have lost their jobs due to economic crisis and many have worked all their lives. I’m not referring to those people in the group of the “needy” that I’ve referenced in this post. You are commendable and God has given you the skill and desire to find a way to provide for your family and you will find that way. I’m talking about the lazy, entitled, self-centered generation that has erupted. A generation without pride, without the value of earning one’s own dollar, and without a conscience letting them know that what they are doing is wrong. What can we do to stop this madness? Can we get the value of our constitution back or is it too late?
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