Am I stuck in my own world, afraid to see the truth that God is trying to speak in His infinite words. He is always trying to show us something through His word, through His teaching, through the songs we hear, the messages that are on the radio, they are intended not just to give us hope, but to show us the way to His truth. Those very messages are to ingrain us in Him, the one that loves us, the one that sent His son to die on the cross for us.
It is easy to go to church or even going through life with a mask on. If I come to work with smiles, someone will ask how I am doing and the very thing I am not doing is good, but the first response that I give is good. That is the mask talking, it is the mask that tells us what people are thinking, even though I have no idea what people are thinking. I listen to the lies of the mask, because it is ingrained in me to hear what only I want to hear, not the truth. I can enter each day wearing a mask and soon that mask is a part of who I am, no longer am I who God wants me to be, but a clone of a person I think that is right for the occasion.
I go to church and sit in a seat, listening and singing the songs, but do the songs really mean what they should to me, or am I so engrossed in my own thoughts, that I would sing anything they put on the screen? Am I lost in the thought that I just don't matter or all I am doing is just a ploy to get through the day. Then the Pastor gets up on the stage, speaks what is on his heart, but do I apply it to my life or just think they are just words that he is speaking, just not to me. I continue this existence of nothingness, because I have made a choice that anything that people say is not for me, because I am different. I have made a choice in my mind that no matter what someone says, it isn't for me, that I am just going through the motions of time and space to get through the day.
But what if, what if that all changed? What if I actually started to see that my choices, my decisions mattered, that how I treat others is exactly how I want to be treated? What if I started paying attention to my own actions, what would change? What if I started living intentional instead of living and going through the motions of life? Do you think that things would change for me? I truly believe that God has said that it take intentional to live, to move to have our being in Him, it isn't just that I wake up in the morning and expect it to happen, but I have to make a choice to live for Him. If I allowed my human side to decide everything, I would base everything on feelings, wants, desires and so on and soon I would be lost in a sea of ugh... Yes ugh, I wouldn't know which side is up anymore, because I would be like the world, just going through the motions in a day to day existence of what is or isn't real. I wouldn't truly believe and in not believing I could and would treat anyone like I want to treat them, because it doesn't matter. Are you following me?
God has said it very very clearly, He says treat others the way you want to be treated. Wait so am I giving someone an attitude? Well, I guess that is the same attitude I want to get back, because I am treating them just how I want to be treated. He talks about rolling our eyes, do you know that the Bible talks about that too, haughty eyes,
We seem to think that the Bible doesn't apply to us, that only when I feel like following its instructions, but the rest of the time I can do what ever I want, the Bible doesn't matter, but that is where we are wrong. God has given us direction for a very purpose of making us more like Jesus Christ, the more like Him we are, the less it matters about self, about what I want and transforms me into what He wants. Can you imagine actually taking a week, yes 7 days and living life to how Jesus wants me to live? Is that impossible? No, Jesus says if we love Him, we will obey His commands. Wait if I love Him, I will want to honor Him, it will be like the pull-volt jumper that when he heard the national anthem play, he actually stopped and stood at attention, because he wanted to honor his country, but yet we can't even take a moment to honor our Father in Heaven. Isn't it time that we start looking at ourselves; are we living the way God wants us to live each day? Are we putting on a mask and just going through the motions?
Friday, August 26, 2016
God Is On The Move
I woke up this morning singing this song. God is moving, are we willing to move with Him or are we stuck? It is time to move, He wants us to grow in Him, to learn, to act and not be like the world. Today what is God saying to you? If you can't hear Him, when was the last time you were in His word? Have you sat and listen to Him, just resting and trusting in Him regardless of what is in your way. There is nothing and I mean nothing that is impossible to God, we are the limitations of it all. Don't say it can't or wont happen, don't say it is impossible, because Nothing is impossible for God.
God Is On The Move
Anytime a heart turns from darkness to light
Anytime temptation comes and someone stands to fight
Anytime somebody lives to serve and not be served
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
Anytime in weakness someone falls upon their knees
Or dares to speak the truth that sets men free
Anytime the choice is made to stand upon the Word
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
I see your generation standing on the truth
In each and everyday saying God is on the move
Anytime the Gospel stirs a searching souls
And someone says “send me, here I go”
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
I see your generation standing on the truth
In each and everyday saying God is on the move
Anytime a heart turns from darkness to light
Anytime temptation comes and someone stands to fight
Anytime somebody lives to serve and not be served
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
Anytime in weakness someone falls upon their knees
Or dares to speak the truth that sets men free
Anytime the choice is made to stand upon the Word
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
I see your generation standing on the truth
In each and everyday saying God is on the move
Anytime the Gospel stirs a searching souls
And someone says “send me, here I go”
I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
In many mighty ways
God is on the move, on the move
Hallelujah
God is on the move
On the move today
I see your generation standing on the truth
In each and everyday saying God is on the move
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Serving God (read at your own risk)
Joshua 24:15 "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.""
Proverbs 28:26 "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."
What does serving God really look like? To serve God, we must make a choice, just like the above verse states, chose you this day. It is a daily choice that we must make, to put God first, to love God more, to actually want to honor Him above ourselves. I can say I am honoring God, but am I more concerned about what others think of me? Am I saying I am honoring God, but ignore the wisdom of those around me? Am I saying I am honoring God, but worry more about myself then about what God thinks of me.
Honoring God means to put self aside and care more about loving God, honoring Him, choosing to walk with Him first and foremost in my life. If I say I am to tired to spend time with God, well who am I putting first? If I say I have no time to pray, but spend hours in front of the TV, who am I putting first? See it is easy to come up with reasons to honor self more, but when it comes to Sunday it is easy to put on a mask and wear it proudly that I am this great guy who honors God because I go to Church, but know what??? God sees and knows my heart. So who am I honoring more, myself or God?
God wants me to make a choice, to serve Him or myself, that is what He cries out to us. He says that our desires in our hearts are evil, but when we chose to put God on the throne of our hearts, that those desires are no longer about self, but about God. That means that I must die to what I want, to who I want to serve and say Lord you are it. It is coming to a place of absolute surrender and saying no longer is it what I want, but what you want. I heard a statement, with absolute surrender, comes absolute power, because it is no longer about me, but God.
I believe it is easy to say; if God wanted me to read His word He would put that desire in my heart, but know what, that isn't the way it goes. He wants us to desire to spend time with Him in prayer, in reading, in learning. It is taking the easy road waiting on Him to do it, instead of taking the much harder route and saying God, because it honors You, I will lay what I want aside, because You come first to me. It comes down to a choice, no longer is it about self, but about God. God wants us to continue to make the choice to serve Him no matter how we feel, it is than not about self, but about God.
I think our relationship with God is much like our human relationships. We want our spouse to want to spend time with us, we don't want it to be because they feel they have to, but because they make a choice to chose you over the things of the world. Where are you choosing to spend your time, is it in front of the TV or computer? The desires of your heart.
If your heart is more interested in what it feels then who it serves, it is serving self. When our hearts serve because that is what God desires, it is no longer about self, but the honoring of God. He calls us to honor Him above all else, that means above ourselves. It can't be about me, but You God.
Last thought, there will always be something that seems more important than God, until God takes His rightful place in our hearts. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 12:15 "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice." Proverbs 11:14 "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."
Proverbs 28:26 "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered."
What does serving God really look like? To serve God, we must make a choice, just like the above verse states, chose you this day. It is a daily choice that we must make, to put God first, to love God more, to actually want to honor Him above ourselves. I can say I am honoring God, but am I more concerned about what others think of me? Am I saying I am honoring God, but ignore the wisdom of those around me? Am I saying I am honoring God, but worry more about myself then about what God thinks of me.
Honoring God means to put self aside and care more about loving God, honoring Him, choosing to walk with Him first and foremost in my life. If I say I am to tired to spend time with God, well who am I putting first? If I say I have no time to pray, but spend hours in front of the TV, who am I putting first? See it is easy to come up with reasons to honor self more, but when it comes to Sunday it is easy to put on a mask and wear it proudly that I am this great guy who honors God because I go to Church, but know what??? God sees and knows my heart. So who am I honoring more, myself or God?
God wants me to make a choice, to serve Him or myself, that is what He cries out to us. He says that our desires in our hearts are evil, but when we chose to put God on the throne of our hearts, that those desires are no longer about self, but about God. That means that I must die to what I want, to who I want to serve and say Lord you are it. It is coming to a place of absolute surrender and saying no longer is it what I want, but what you want. I heard a statement, with absolute surrender, comes absolute power, because it is no longer about me, but God.
I believe it is easy to say; if God wanted me to read His word He would put that desire in my heart, but know what, that isn't the way it goes. He wants us to desire to spend time with Him in prayer, in reading, in learning. It is taking the easy road waiting on Him to do it, instead of taking the much harder route and saying God, because it honors You, I will lay what I want aside, because You come first to me. It comes down to a choice, no longer is it about self, but about God. God wants us to continue to make the choice to serve Him no matter how we feel, it is than not about self, but about God.
I think our relationship with God is much like our human relationships. We want our spouse to want to spend time with us, we don't want it to be because they feel they have to, but because they make a choice to chose you over the things of the world. Where are you choosing to spend your time, is it in front of the TV or computer? The desires of your heart.
If your heart is more interested in what it feels then who it serves, it is serving self. When our hearts serve because that is what God desires, it is no longer about self, but the honoring of God. He calls us to honor Him above all else, that means above ourselves. It can't be about me, but You God.
Last thought, there will always be something that seems more important than God, until God takes His rightful place in our hearts. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 12:15 "The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice." Proverbs 11:14 "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."
Monday, August 22, 2016
Change Up
Good Morning and Happy Monday.
Today is a brand new day and God has given us a new start, in Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." They are new every morning, because Acts 17:28 "For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" Because great is His faithfulness to us, to me.
When I live and move and have my being in Him, I want to honor God, to serve Him, to love Him, to put Him first in all I do. He calls me to be thankful in all things in Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Give thanks to Him, praise His name, rejoice and be glad. Wait I have to rejoice and be glad? What is there to be glad about?
God has given me a new day to live, to be alive, to make the choices that He wants me to make. He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit." When I read that verse, if I do not give thanks to the Lord am I actually causing my ungratefulness to quench the Spirit? It is very clear, do not quench the Spirit. In everything I must give Him thanksgiving. I can't see why I am going through a hard place, but that hard place is forming me and making me into who He wants me to be. It isn't easy, but the refining fire is not easy, to purify us, Zechariah 13:9 "And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”" 1 Peter 1:7 "So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."He turns up the heat to shape us into who He wants us to be. Look at the purest metals, they don't become pure just by sitting there, they become pure by having the heat turned up and the bad metals are melted away, just the same in our lives. The bad junk is melted away from our lives, because God turns up the heat. He wants us to be a pure people and all the junk gone from our lives.
Is He turning up the heat in your life? Take it as a blessing, because He is purifying you, He is making you what He wants you to be. He wants to make us more like Jesus. Are their area's in your life that He is trying to change? Is He turning up the heat? It is time to praise Him in the storms, to thank Him even when it is tough. Have a heart of thanksgiving and praise Him in the storms, it will change our perspective, no longer are we grumbling and complaining about the heat, we are praising Him for it.
Do you have a grocery list of things you want God to change? By changing our prayers from asking to thanking, we change our perspective from the wanting, to the walking by faith. He says ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open. They are all action items that we must do, ask, seek, knock all are things we must do and then walk by faith and not by site. It isn't just sitting waiting, but actually living according to what God wants us to do.
1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." So next time you think you are going through a hard time, give God praise, thank Him for this time that is meant to change you, to make you more like He wants you to be. For He is faithful to carry us through, He wants us to be a pure people, this time is for our purification.
Thank you Lord for Monday's and for new days.
Today is a brand new day and God has given us a new start, in Lamentations 3:22-23 "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." They are new every morning, because Acts 17:28 "For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'" Because great is His faithfulness to us, to me.
When I live and move and have my being in Him, I want to honor God, to serve Him, to love Him, to put Him first in all I do. He calls me to be thankful in all things in Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Give thanks to Him, praise His name, rejoice and be glad. Wait I have to rejoice and be glad? What is there to be glad about?
God has given me a new day to live, to be alive, to make the choices that He wants me to make. He says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit." When I read that verse, if I do not give thanks to the Lord am I actually causing my ungratefulness to quench the Spirit? It is very clear, do not quench the Spirit. In everything I must give Him thanksgiving. I can't see why I am going through a hard place, but that hard place is forming me and making me into who He wants me to be. It isn't easy, but the refining fire is not easy, to purify us, Zechariah 13:9 "And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”" 1 Peter 1:7 "So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."He turns up the heat to shape us into who He wants us to be. Look at the purest metals, they don't become pure just by sitting there, they become pure by having the heat turned up and the bad metals are melted away, just the same in our lives. The bad junk is melted away from our lives, because God turns up the heat. He wants us to be a pure people and all the junk gone from our lives.
Is He turning up the heat in your life? Take it as a blessing, because He is purifying you, He is making you what He wants you to be. He wants to make us more like Jesus. Are their area's in your life that He is trying to change? Is He turning up the heat? It is time to praise Him in the storms, to thank Him even when it is tough. Have a heart of thanksgiving and praise Him in the storms, it will change our perspective, no longer are we grumbling and complaining about the heat, we are praising Him for it.
Do you have a grocery list of things you want God to change? By changing our prayers from asking to thanking, we change our perspective from the wanting, to the walking by faith. He says ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open. They are all action items that we must do, ask, seek, knock all are things we must do and then walk by faith and not by site. It isn't just sitting waiting, but actually living according to what God wants us to do.
1 Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." So next time you think you are going through a hard time, give God praise, thank Him for this time that is meant to change you, to make you more like He wants you to be. For He is faithful to carry us through, He wants us to be a pure people, this time is for our purification.
Thank you Lord for Monday's and for new days.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)