The world is watching. We need to live the life we say we do.
Need to use our free will to give our will to God so we can do His Will (with His help) :)
We are to be dependent on Him. Cannot do anything on our own.
If you want to do something bad enough, you WILL. Not "I can't help myself."
Everyone has the same amount of time. It's a matter of what those people choose to do with it.
Need to make a decision we are not going to live a half-baked life. Stop making excuses. Don't ook at what you don't have, look at what you DO have.
Need to look at what God can do, not just what has been done to us. Everything in the Bible is for our good. If you won't let God use you, He'll find SOMEBODY.
Romans 12:1--"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
He's not looking for sacrifices, He's looking for obedience.
Everything God does, there is a reason. There is NO injustice in God. Just because we don't understand it doesn't make it not right.
Saul--did not do all God had told him to do, and THEN built a statue of himself because he thought he did so well!
1 Samuel 15:12--"Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”
We often let our mind get too involved in spiritual matters. We often think it can't be God talking because it might be uncomfortable or sacrificial. Let us not have fat heads and lean hearts.
To be led by the Spirit, you need to be able to take some risks. Take a chance on being wrong to find out if you're right.
[Joyce was being told by God to quit her full time job to stay home and study the Word for the "ministry" she was going to begin. She for a long time held onto her jobknowing they were comfortable financially. Then she got so miserable, she finally quit only then to get a part-time job to help pay bills. She wanted to trust, but could not fully commit to Him just yet.]
Friday, April 19, 2013
"The High Cost of Low Living"--Part II
Stepping out of the comfortable "sameness" everything else does--but that can reap so many benefits!
1 Peter 4:1--"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
You can do without anything, but you cannot do without God.
If what I'm trying to do what is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused.
1 Peter 4:1--"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin."
You can do without anything, but you cannot do without God.
If what I'm trying to do what is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused.
Friday, April 5, 2013
"The High Cost of Low Living"--Part I
"Compromise"--go just a bit below what we know to be right. But everyone else does it, right??
Compromising lowers our standards of living. What we spend our time doing is what is important to us. No time for God=God not important.
It's okay to have things, but it's not okay for the things to have you. It's not the cost of what you give, it's how much it means to you. We are a channel, not a reservoir. Many times God gives us stuff to give away, not keep. No person on their death bed asks for their bank balance. They ask for their family and friends.
It's OKAY to let go of a person who is toxic for you! Do not keep them just to keep a friend. It's okay to be lonely for God. I'd rather have nobody than a lukewarm Christian.
There is a price to pay for a strong anointing on your life.
We cannot melt in with everyone else in this current society. Take a stand no matter what it costs you.
If what I'm trying to do is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused--focus on God's Will and things that will add to your life and not things that are just stealing your life, stealing your time, and stealing your energy.
Compromising lowers our standards of living. What we spend our time doing is what is important to us. No time for God=God not important.
It's okay to have things, but it's not okay for the things to have you. It's not the cost of what you give, it's how much it means to you. We are a channel, not a reservoir. Many times God gives us stuff to give away, not keep. No person on their death bed asks for their bank balance. They ask for their family and friends.
It's OKAY to let go of a person who is toxic for you! Do not keep them just to keep a friend. It's okay to be lonely for God. I'd rather have nobody than a lukewarm Christian.
There is a price to pay for a strong anointing on your life.
We cannot melt in with everyone else in this current society. Take a stand no matter what it costs you.
If what I'm trying to do is not God, then I really don't want to do it. We need to guard against things that will distract us and pull us away from our relationship with God. It is important in the world we live in today to stay focused--focus on God's Will and things that will add to your life and not things that are just stealing your life, stealing your time, and stealing your energy.
"Finishing What You Start"--Part II
Gave to dedicate EVERY AREA of life to God:
**We are educated WAY BEYOND our level of OBEDIENCE.** How many times do we have to hear "Love thy neighbor" before we actually do it??
Hebrews 6:11
**Can't wait to FEEL the right way before you DO the right way.**
**People don't so much pay attention to what we say, but they pay attention to what we do.**
Sometimes we make commitments in the flesh. We need to either ask to be released from the promise or just follow through with it even though God may not have anointed it.
**Dedicating you reputation to God** (what others think; their opinions)
NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LIKE YOU!!
Will have to learn how to deal with some rejection.
The only way we will be respected by non-Christians is to live the life we say we believe in.
Galatians 1:10 Moses and Noah had folks who thought they were nuts. Even Jesus' brothers thought He was crazy.
- your mouth
- thoughts
- ears
- eyes
- entertainment
- social life
- way you dress
- friendships
- appetite
- finances
**We are educated WAY BEYOND our level of OBEDIENCE.** How many times do we have to hear "Love thy neighbor" before we actually do it??
Hebrews 6:11
**Can't wait to FEEL the right way before you DO the right way.**
**People don't so much pay attention to what we say, but they pay attention to what we do.**
Sometimes we make commitments in the flesh. We need to either ask to be released from the promise or just follow through with it even though God may not have anointed it.
**Dedicating you reputation to God** (what others think; their opinions)
NOT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO LIKE YOU!!
Will have to learn how to deal with some rejection.
The only way we will be respected by non-Christians is to live the life we say we believe in.
Galatians 1:10 Moses and Noah had folks who thought they were nuts. Even Jesus' brothers thought He was crazy.
"Finishing What You Start"--Part I
Good majority of people don't finish what they start in the way of spiritual goals.
If you make a decision to do something, DO IT.
We like quick fixes. But that's not how God works. Sow, then reap. Takes time for things to grow.
Romans 7:15-21
Before, the law controlled people. Now we have the Holy Spirit to control us.
The difference between flesh and spirit: If God asks us to do something that's hard, we always try to find an easy way around it. Many of us have run around the same mountain over and over and over and we never get anywhere because we're not doing it God's way.
"Flesh"=body and soul (mind, will emotions)
3 Stages to Christianity:
1-Baby Stage: "What can God do for me?"
2-Transition Stage: "What can I do for God?"
3- Mature Son or Daughter of God: reap rewards
The flesh is a gambler. "Maybe I'll be the one to try drugs and not get addicted....."
**God will deliver you by you listening to what He says and then you do what He says. It's not necessarily God coming in and miraculously delivering.**
MIRACLES DON'T MATURE YOU!!
The flesh starts of with a BANG! (Light a 4th of July sparkler and see it sparkle tons....for like 30 seconds. Then it fizzles fast.)
If you make a decision to do something, DO IT.
We like quick fixes. But that's not how God works. Sow, then reap. Takes time for things to grow.
Romans 7:15-21
Before, the law controlled people. Now we have the Holy Spirit to control us.
The difference between flesh and spirit: If God asks us to do something that's hard, we always try to find an easy way around it. Many of us have run around the same mountain over and over and over and we never get anywhere because we're not doing it God's way.
"Flesh"=body and soul (mind, will emotions)
3 Stages to Christianity:
1-Baby Stage: "What can God do for me?"
2-Transition Stage: "What can I do for God?"
3- Mature Son or Daughter of God: reap rewards
The flesh is a gambler. "Maybe I'll be the one to try drugs and not get addicted....."
**God will deliver you by you listening to what He says and then you do what He says. It's not necessarily God coming in and miraculously delivering.**
MIRACLES DON'T MATURE YOU!!
The flesh starts of with a BANG! (Light a 4th of July sparkler and see it sparkle tons....for like 30 seconds. Then it fizzles fast.)
"The Anatomy of a Habit"--Part II
Your body can only love what you allow it to get used to!
Always think about COST first. But we need to think about the BENEFITS!
"When there's a hill to climb, don't think waiting will make it any smaller."
You really save a lot of time and effort if you just do the right thing first.
1-The God Habit
Always think about COST first. But we need to think about the BENEFITS!
"When there's a hill to climb, don't think waiting will make it any smaller."
You really save a lot of time and effort if you just do the right thing first.
1-The God Habit
- time with God and be in the Word
- will help all other things fall into place
- will drive other bad habits out
"The Anatomy of a Habit"--Part I
"Habit"=something we do without even thinking about it. Did it enough that we made it a part of us. Miss it if we don't do it. Have good habits and bad habits. 40% of everything we do are habits!!
Types of Habits:
1-Emotional
2-Physical
3-Spiritual
4-Financial
Got to start somewhere to break bad habits--no time like the present.
Bad habits are your enemy. Keeping you from being the person you're supposed to be.
Everyone wants good habits, but not everyone is willing to WORK for them.
"I know I shouldn't do this but...."
If you don't follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, you could not only be harming yourself, but also others.
Can be so much fun to be a Christian if you follow the Holy Spirit for yourself and not for anyone else. never know what God has in store for you--what GOOD things He has in store.
Hebrews 12:2
God has given you friends called "self-control" and "discipline".
We need to be sorry for our mistakes, but not regret them.
Types of Habits:
1-Emotional
2-Physical
3-Spiritual
4-Financial
Got to start somewhere to break bad habits--no time like the present.
Bad habits are your enemy. Keeping you from being the person you're supposed to be.
Everyone wants good habits, but not everyone is willing to WORK for them.
"I know I shouldn't do this but...."
If you don't follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, you could not only be harming yourself, but also others.
Can be so much fun to be a Christian if you follow the Holy Spirit for yourself and not for anyone else. never know what God has in store for you--what GOOD things He has in store.
Hebrews 12:2
God has given you friends called "self-control" and "discipline".
We need to be sorry for our mistakes, but not regret them.
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