We daily need to choose to think right things and not think wrong things.
Many believe lies Satan tells them.
Proverbs 23:7--"for he is the kind of person
who is always thinking about the cost.
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you."
Basically saying, where the mind goes, the man will follow. We become what we think. The way you talk to yourself is one of the most important things in life.
Thinking prepares you for action.
90% of what we do is oiut of our subconscious, or out of habit.
We have to learn how to think on purpose. The devil can fill your mind with wrong thoughts if you don't know how to fill your mind with God thoughts. You can cast out devil's thoughts and fill your mind with God's truth.
Your tongue is connected to your emotions. Misery is an OPTION.
Colossians 3:2--"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Philippians 4:8--"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Ephesians 4:23--"to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"
You'll do more for other people if you THINK about doing more for other people.
Romans 12:2--"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
First POWER THOUGHT:
I can do whatever I need to do in life though Christ. Philippians 4:13
You are one person you can never get away from so it is very important to have right conversations with yourself.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Humility--Part 2
Proverbs 6:16-19--16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
The Lord hates a proud look (haughty eyes)--when we overestimate ourselves and underestimate others.
Know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Quit wasting time trying to prove something you're never going to prove.
Everything doesn't have to be comfortable. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices.
**You are not FREE until you get to the point where you have nothing to prove and you are not trying to impress anybody!**
**If you know your heart and know who you are in God, you're good." :)**
2 Corinthians 1:8-9--"8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9--"7 or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
We as humans prefer to be independent and self-sufficient.
Job 10:16--"If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion
and again display your awesome power against me."
Job 33:16-17--"he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride"
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
The Lord hates a proud look (haughty eyes)--when we overestimate ourselves and underestimate others.
Know what you're good at and what you're not good at. Quit wasting time trying to prove something you're never going to prove.
Everything doesn't have to be comfortable. Sometimes we need to make sacrifices.
**You are not FREE until you get to the point where you have nothing to prove and you are not trying to impress anybody!**
**If you know your heart and know who you are in God, you're good." :)**
2 Corinthians 1:8-9--"8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9--"7 or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
We as humans prefer to be independent and self-sufficient.
Job 10:16--"If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion
and again display your awesome power against me."
Job 33:16-17--"he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride"
Humility--Part 1
All fruit of the spirit come out of LOVE and are held together by SELF-CONTROL.
Humility--probably the most difficult of the Christian virtues to truly develop. The person who doesn't think they need work on it probably needs it the most.
A humble person is really a happy person because they're not trying to impress anybody. They're not in competition or live a pretend life. They just want to be the best person they can truly be.
Matthew 11:28-30--28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We have a totally worng view of humility (or meekness). "Meek"=strength under control
Instead of paybacks, start by forgiving, praying, then blessing.
We as believer need to fight for these qualities by living them out. We live in a dark world. We can begin to drift. Be a good example to children.
Book="The Love Revolution"
2nd Book="Love Out Loud" (because she felt the need to be louder)
Philippians 2:3-10--
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Humility--probably the most difficult of the Christian virtues to truly develop. The person who doesn't think they need work on it probably needs it the most.
A humble person is really a happy person because they're not trying to impress anybody. They're not in competition or live a pretend life. They just want to be the best person they can truly be.
Matthew 11:28-30--28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We have a totally worng view of humility (or meekness). "Meek"=strength under control
Instead of paybacks, start by forgiving, praying, then blessing.
We as believer need to fight for these qualities by living them out. We live in a dark world. We can begin to drift. Be a good example to children.
Book="The Love Revolution"
2nd Book="Love Out Loud" (because she felt the need to be louder)
Philippians 2:3-10--
"3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,"
God's strength will work through our weaknesses if we allow Him.
PRIDE is the root of ALL sin. Humility is the answer. (Lucifer's main sin was pride.)
Understanding Gifts vs. Fruit--Part 2
Fruit of the Spirit
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
(Love and Self-Control are the "bookends" of the rest of the fruit.)
Character development:
How God looks at Gifts vs. How We look at Gifts
Gifts are given to us; fruit is cultivated.
Matthew 21:17--"And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night."
An angry Christian is an oxymoron~and 80% of the church is MAD!
Quit being concerned about what everyone else thinks about what you can do, and get down to business with God. Get rooted and grounded in God, in the love of God, in the Word of God. Ask God to make you grow up no matter WHAT He has to do to you! And pray and ask God to not use you in any public way until you are mature enough to give Him all the glory in everything you do.
Seek God for who He is, not for what He can do for us.
The inner life is very important to God--imaginations, attitudes, desires, etc. It's not what is on the outside that counts. It's all about integrity--what happens behind closed doors.
Need to run from gossip and criticism faster if it's coming from a Christian than if it's coming from a non-believer.
1 Corinthians 3:1--"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ."
God is not impressed with what you do if you do it all for the wrong reasons and motives.
[God sat Joyce on a shelf for a year. She was miserable, but God needed that year to deal with some character flaws she had. If they had not been dealt with before she went out around the world preaching, it could have been bad. After that year, she knew she had a call on her life, she knew who she was in Christ, she knew she was unique, but not weird, and she was able to move forward to do what she knew she needed to do and not compare herself with others as she moved forward.]
Matthew 7:17-20--"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
(Love and Self-Control are the "bookends" of the rest of the fruit.)
Character development:
How God looks at Gifts vs. How We look at Gifts
Gifts are given to us; fruit is cultivated.
Matthew 21:17--"And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night."
An angry Christian is an oxymoron~and 80% of the church is MAD!
Quit being concerned about what everyone else thinks about what you can do, and get down to business with God. Get rooted and grounded in God, in the love of God, in the Word of God. Ask God to make you grow up no matter WHAT He has to do to you! And pray and ask God to not use you in any public way until you are mature enough to give Him all the glory in everything you do.
Seek God for who He is, not for what He can do for us.
The inner life is very important to God--imaginations, attitudes, desires, etc. It's not what is on the outside that counts. It's all about integrity--what happens behind closed doors.
Need to run from gossip and criticism faster if it's coming from a Christian than if it's coming from a non-believer.
1 Corinthians 3:1--"Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ."
God is not impressed with what you do if you do it all for the wrong reasons and motives.
[God sat Joyce on a shelf for a year. She was miserable, but God needed that year to deal with some character flaws she had. If they had not been dealt with before she went out around the world preaching, it could have been bad. After that year, she knew she had a call on her life, she knew who she was in Christ, she knew she was unique, but not weird, and she was able to move forward to do what she knew she needed to do and not compare herself with others as she moved forward.]
Matthew 7:17-20--"Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."
Wholly Following God--Part 1
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.]
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.]
"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.
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