Good morning everyone,
At some point in your life there will be brokeness and the only way to really repair that is to pick up the pieces and let God restore it His way! We can choose to use the broken pieces and let God begin to use His creative power of restoration. Choice is something that God gave each and everyone of us so that hopefully we would learn from our mistakes. When we make a bad choice, He doesn't say that He is done with us! Instead, He gives us an opportunity to rebuild from those mistakes. Just be prepared that when you begin rebuilding your life His way, you will run into opposition. For many years the walls around Jerusalem lay in ruins and Nehemiah set out to repair it. As he began to rebuild the wall, the enemy began to taunt him. When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble---burned as they are?" We are all just a pile of rubble when we try and live our life on our own! With God as our chief architect, He can create a magnificent structure that will sustain even the worst setback! Having Him as our foundation is the key to overcoming any and all obstacles so that we carry on like He intended for us to do: To be a shining light for the whole world to see!
Your brother in Christ,
p
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
How patient is He with you? 2 Peter 3:9
Good morning everyone,
These last few days, I've ask the Lord to show me a better sense of what He is doing? I'm not really testing Him; I'm simply trying to understand Him better. This morning you may think God has given up on you, but I want to tell you He is just getting started. You may think His patience has run out, but 2 Peter 3:9 should give you a new sense of hope! It says, 'The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.' As long as you have breath to breathe, He is willing to forgive all (not some) of your past mistakes and clean your slate. There is nothing that you have done in your past that He is not willing and able to forgive you so that you can have a fresh start. There is one requirement and that requirement is for you to approach Him and ask Him to forgive you. Maybe He should have put the hammer down on you because others think of you as a 'low life', but God created you and He is able to change you in the blink of an eye so that He can still work out a miraculous ending even for the least of these! Pride is the number one problem with asking God to forgive you and a lot of times that self inflicted injury is the one thing that seperates you from Him forever. Proverbs 16:17-19 tells us, 'The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.' Don't wait any longer; let history be made with you being a victory in His story.
Your brother in Christ,
p
These last few days, I've ask the Lord to show me a better sense of what He is doing? I'm not really testing Him; I'm simply trying to understand Him better. This morning you may think God has given up on you, but I want to tell you He is just getting started. You may think His patience has run out, but 2 Peter 3:9 should give you a new sense of hope! It says, 'The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.' As long as you have breath to breathe, He is willing to forgive all (not some) of your past mistakes and clean your slate. There is nothing that you have done in your past that He is not willing and able to forgive you so that you can have a fresh start. There is one requirement and that requirement is for you to approach Him and ask Him to forgive you. Maybe He should have put the hammer down on you because others think of you as a 'low life', but God created you and He is able to change you in the blink of an eye so that He can still work out a miraculous ending even for the least of these! Pride is the number one problem with asking God to forgive you and a lot of times that self inflicted injury is the one thing that seperates you from Him forever. Proverbs 16:17-19 tells us, 'The highway of the upright avoids evil; those who guard their ways preserve their lives. Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.' Don't wait any longer; let history be made with you being a victory in His story.
Your brother in Christ,
p
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I'm about to lose control and I like it! Matthew 16:25
Good morning everyone,
As I start today's devotional, I'm reminded of the beautiful thought of being drawn closer to Him. What a precious feeling it is to know that He is in control when I lose it. A number of years ago the Pointer Sisters sang a song entitled, 'I'm so excited!'
Even though they were not referring to the Savior in their song, I think there are several lines of the song that could relate to a relationship with the Lord. First of all, God wants you to be excited about the relationship with Him. In their deperate plea to want to know a certain person in the song, He wants to know you intimately. As we draw closer and closer to Him, it is certain we will lose control of our life because we are no longer the one calling the shots! See, you can't serve man and God. Matthew 16:25 tells us, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it." Don't hide the fact that God is doing something big in your life. Ask Him to let you know Him, know Him, know Him, and keep asking Him. He gets excited when you place Him as top priority in your life and then you too will lose control and the excitement will be incomprehensible!
Your brother in Christ,
p
As I start today's devotional, I'm reminded of the beautiful thought of being drawn closer to Him. What a precious feeling it is to know that He is in control when I lose it. A number of years ago the Pointer Sisters sang a song entitled, 'I'm so excited!'
Even though they were not referring to the Savior in their song, I think there are several lines of the song that could relate to a relationship with the Lord. First of all, God wants you to be excited about the relationship with Him. In their deperate plea to want to know a certain person in the song, He wants to know you intimately. As we draw closer and closer to Him, it is certain we will lose control of our life because we are no longer the one calling the shots! See, you can't serve man and God. Matthew 16:25 tells us, "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it." Don't hide the fact that God is doing something big in your life. Ask Him to let you know Him, know Him, know Him, and keep asking Him. He gets excited when you place Him as top priority in your life and then you too will lose control and the excitement will be incomprehensible!
Your brother in Christ,
p
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
When tugged in a direction, listen for His voice! John 14:16; 26
Good morning everyone,
The world tells us we only need to live by our instinct and we need to pursue our dreams like a whirlwind. The results are selfishness, greed, and recklessness if we don't have a leader. As I embark on my trip for the week to Laporte, Indiana, I'm intrigued by learning much about the Holy Spirit. Do you realize what the Holy Spirit does for you? John 14:16 tells us what Jesus says: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, the Holy Spirit, that He may be with you forever." John 14:26 says, 'You have access to the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in His name, and He will teach you all things.' Ladies and gentlemen, a couple of key words in these verses really stand out. Forever is a really long time so we don't have to worry about losing that relationship. Teach means to show us what is really important for us to retain because all things that He has for you are the most important! The more we tune into the Holy Spirit, the more we will understand how we can be used for His purposes. If we don't have the Leader, we may be successful in the worlds eyes, but we miss out on the true measure of success! When it is all said and done, spending a life being directed by the Creator will identify how He can use even our messes and turn them into His masterpieces!
Your brother in Christ,
p
The world tells us we only need to live by our instinct and we need to pursue our dreams like a whirlwind. The results are selfishness, greed, and recklessness if we don't have a leader. As I embark on my trip for the week to Laporte, Indiana, I'm intrigued by learning much about the Holy Spirit. Do you realize what the Holy Spirit does for you? John 14:16 tells us what Jesus says: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, the Holy Spirit, that He may be with you forever." John 14:26 says, 'You have access to the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father has sent in His name, and He will teach you all things.' Ladies and gentlemen, a couple of key words in these verses really stand out. Forever is a really long time so we don't have to worry about losing that relationship. Teach means to show us what is really important for us to retain because all things that He has for you are the most important! The more we tune into the Holy Spirit, the more we will understand how we can be used for His purposes. If we don't have the Leader, we may be successful in the worlds eyes, but we miss out on the true measure of success! When it is all said and done, spending a life being directed by the Creator will identify how He can use even our messes and turn them into His masterpieces!
Your brother in Christ,
p
Monday, June 25, 2012
The God of more than enough! John 16:33
Good morning everyone,
Do you know that you serve a God that is more than enough to take care of anything that you might come up against? There is nothing that you can face that He has not already faced! In John 16:33, Jesus tells us, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I will overcome the world." See, we serve a God that never said it would be a cake walk, but if we stay faithful, we can have all the cake that we want to eat. So many times people get discouraged and disheartened to the point of giving up because they feel as though they are alone. They wonder how they could have ever gotten to the point they are at: Lowest of lows! They may even blame the God that created them for the mess they are in and they simply turn their back on Him! By believing in the scriptures, there is promise after promise assuring each of us that He will carry us when we need to be carried and He will deliver us when we need to be delivered. In the midst of turmoil there is peace, if you allow God to be your peacemaker! So when you have trouble and you will, remember to take heart and He will help you overcome each and every obstacle. Ephesians 1:13-14 says it's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this message of your salvation), found yourselves free --signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
Your brother in Christ,
p
Do you know that you serve a God that is more than enough to take care of anything that you might come up against? There is nothing that you can face that He has not already faced! In John 16:33, Jesus tells us, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I will overcome the world." See, we serve a God that never said it would be a cake walk, but if we stay faithful, we can have all the cake that we want to eat. So many times people get discouraged and disheartened to the point of giving up because they feel as though they are alone. They wonder how they could have ever gotten to the point they are at: Lowest of lows! They may even blame the God that created them for the mess they are in and they simply turn their back on Him! By believing in the scriptures, there is promise after promise assuring each of us that He will carry us when we need to be carried and He will deliver us when we need to be delivered. In the midst of turmoil there is peace, if you allow God to be your peacemaker! So when you have trouble and you will, remember to take heart and He will help you overcome each and every obstacle. Ephesians 1:13-14 says it's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this message of your salvation), found yourselves free --signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.
Your brother in Christ,
p
Friday, June 22, 2012
What better guarantee can you have? Psalm 121:7-8
Good morning everyone,
When we think about our physical life, we often may wonder just how long the Lord is going to keep us here? Some peoples lives are snuffed out fairly early and some are here for upwards of a 100 years or so! Either way, it is a blip on the radar screen in relationship to eternity. But your spiritual life can be guaranteed right now even though there are no guarantees with your physical life. Psalm 121:7-8 says, "The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Even though He is concerned about eternity and where you will spend it, He is also concerned with your physical life. He wants to know you intimately and He wants that relationship to begin before you leave this place. If you begin right now to give Him your life, how much better can your life be served? This, ladies and gentlemen, is why you were created. We all have a human sense of living this life on our own terms unless we humble ourselves and know that we were created for a much bigger cause! We all have certain gifts that we can do with exceptional qualities! Those qualities were provided by the One who created you. Isn't it time to give Him the attention that He needs so that He can show you how to use those qualities like He intended. He thought enough about you to create you and He has the 'master' plan that He wants to show you if you will let Him! When you see people do things exceptionally well, does their life reflect Who made it possible or do they miss the point and selfishly take the credit? Remember that He wants to shine through you! The least we can do is give credit where much credit is due!
Your brother in Christ,
p
When we think about our physical life, we often may wonder just how long the Lord is going to keep us here? Some peoples lives are snuffed out fairly early and some are here for upwards of a 100 years or so! Either way, it is a blip on the radar screen in relationship to eternity. But your spiritual life can be guaranteed right now even though there are no guarantees with your physical life. Psalm 121:7-8 says, "The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Even though He is concerned about eternity and where you will spend it, He is also concerned with your physical life. He wants to know you intimately and He wants that relationship to begin before you leave this place. If you begin right now to give Him your life, how much better can your life be served? This, ladies and gentlemen, is why you were created. We all have a human sense of living this life on our own terms unless we humble ourselves and know that we were created for a much bigger cause! We all have certain gifts that we can do with exceptional qualities! Those qualities were provided by the One who created you. Isn't it time to give Him the attention that He needs so that He can show you how to use those qualities like He intended. He thought enough about you to create you and He has the 'master' plan that He wants to show you if you will let Him! When you see people do things exceptionally well, does their life reflect Who made it possible or do they miss the point and selfishly take the credit? Remember that He wants to shine through you! The least we can do is give credit where much credit is due!
Your brother in Christ,
p
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Admitting that you can't do it alone is the first step! 1 Corinthians 11
Good morning everyone,
Everyone likes independence but that idea causes havoc with what God asks of you. See, everyone likes to make decisions for themselves because then they feel less of a need to depend on someone else. Making decisions should always be a consultation process with the Lord. Good decisions produce Godly wisdom because you've already consulted the 'Top Consultant!' We tend to look at the decision making process from a selfish standpoint unless we ask Him to give us His wisdom. Godly decisions go against the flow of what human nature would decide. So you have to decide up front that He is in control! More confrontations happen between man and woman, husband and wife, because of selfishness and stubbornness than for probably any other reason. God ask of husbands to be a good example for wives to live by and not to be a hammer that stamps out life. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul describes how he ask the Corinthians to follow him as he follows the example of Christ. He goes on to say that the head of every man should be Christ, the head of every woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Man is responsible as He leads. If we as men don't get Godly wisdom so that we can make Godly decisions, we are going to lead our wives completely down the wrong path! For you single men, start out right now by giving Him control of your life and asking Him to fill your singleness. If He decides to provide you a mate, you will be much more ready than most that jump into marriage. Think about how many women would be better suited if we as men were to completely trust that He knows the mate that we need. Admitting that you can't do it alone is the first step to Godly wisdom. Seek His face and consult Him about every decision as you go forward.
Your brother in Christ,
p
Everyone likes independence but that idea causes havoc with what God asks of you. See, everyone likes to make decisions for themselves because then they feel less of a need to depend on someone else. Making decisions should always be a consultation process with the Lord. Good decisions produce Godly wisdom because you've already consulted the 'Top Consultant!' We tend to look at the decision making process from a selfish standpoint unless we ask Him to give us His wisdom. Godly decisions go against the flow of what human nature would decide. So you have to decide up front that He is in control! More confrontations happen between man and woman, husband and wife, because of selfishness and stubbornness than for probably any other reason. God ask of husbands to be a good example for wives to live by and not to be a hammer that stamps out life. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul describes how he ask the Corinthians to follow him as he follows the example of Christ. He goes on to say that the head of every man should be Christ, the head of every woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Man is responsible as He leads. If we as men don't get Godly wisdom so that we can make Godly decisions, we are going to lead our wives completely down the wrong path! For you single men, start out right now by giving Him control of your life and asking Him to fill your singleness. If He decides to provide you a mate, you will be much more ready than most that jump into marriage. Think about how many women would be better suited if we as men were to completely trust that He knows the mate that we need. Admitting that you can't do it alone is the first step to Godly wisdom. Seek His face and consult Him about every decision as you go forward.
Your brother in Christ,
p
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