Spiritual Motivation and Insight

[CrimsonTide4]

THE SCULPTOR'S ATTITUDE

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or... I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or... I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or... I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or... I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or... I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or... I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or... I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or... eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or... I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

What will you choose to do with Today? Have a Great Day...unless you have other plans.

~Author Unknown

[Honeykiss1974]

I want to encourage you today, that whatever you are waiting for from God, don't be afraid to wait. Satan wishes you to move into fear, while God desires you to stay in faith. Remember, "Perfect love casts out all fear." If we seek the perfect love of God, and seek to do only that which is loving, we will be able to move beyond the past, quit reaching constantly for when "things will soon be better for us," and capture the moment.

Too often we're busy binding and breaking, when we should be finding and making a place for God's grace to fill our lives to face what is, and isn't before us. The devil doesn't make us do anything, and he or his demons certainly don't overpower our will. God didn’t create them with that much power.

Try not to spend much of your prayer-time in Fear based-praying. Fear based-praying is praying from a place of what we think we need and feel we need, but may have absolutely nothing to do with faith-based prayers. Faith based-prayers are prayers of choice based on truth, which remain unchangeable.

Facts may change, but truth does not. God's word and will is the only truly Godly prayer we can pray. Anything else apart from it, results in "asking amiss," that James talks about. We can ask for whatever God wills for us. Be encouraged to wait in faith, which works by love. Let me say this a little differently.

[size=large]FAITH DOESN'T WORK EXCEPT BY LOVE. LOVE DOES NOT CONTAIN FEAR. FEAR IS A WEAPON OF THE ENEMY. [/size]

God does not seek to reveal His will, only to paralyze us with fear, and then say believe, hope for the best, hang in there, it will get better. I know how tough the devil is, but bless your little heart, my son is praying for you here at my right hand.

God made the devil. God made hell. God made the darkness. God made every principality, the possibility of every stronghold, every ruler of darkness, as a creator. Who rules? God does. We do not have to fear what God has power over and tells us we have power over.

Our problem is that we don't really believe in the grace to face, the power to overcome, and that God will do for us, what we watch him do for everybody else. We think, “I'm nobody with any favor from God, and we hang our heads and say woe is me” (I've been there! I've done this). I know what the temptation and pattern is to believe how we've been taught to believe-the devil is strong, watch out, be careful, as soon as you get blessed, look out, another trial is coming. Well, if this is true, then why don't we learn to deal with life, and learn whatsoever state we're in to be content?

We miss the opportunities to learn, grow, change and become who we are eternally destined to be-creatures of enormous power to love, heal, bless the Father, bless others, and be image bearers of truth. Again I want to say...BE ENCOURAGED. GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU. STEP INTO THE MOMENT and experience God right where you are and right where He is.

God can not possibly fail any of us, but we can fail others and ourselves. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Where you have been does not determine where God says you are and where God says you are going. His word is what we all must stand on, and get our minds, and words in tune with, so that we activate the power of faith.

Truth has nothing to do with what anything feels like, or looks like. Truth is whatever God has to say about anything. JUST BELIEVE. His word and His Spirit, always reflect the truth.

[CrimsonTide4]

Your True Family

It may surprise you to know that Jesus had a difficult family. Mark quoted Jesus' hometown critics as saying, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?
If your family doesn't appreciate you, take heart-neither did Jesus' brothers appreciate him. "A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house"

Jesus had gone to the synagogue, where he was asked to speak. The people were proud that this hometown boy had done well-until they heard what he said. He referred to himself as the Messiah, the one to fulfill prophecy.

Their response? This is no Messiah! He's the kid from down the street. He's the accountant on the third floor. He's the construction worker who used to date my sister.

One minute he was a hero, the next a heretic. Then they "led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way"

What an ugly moment! Jesus' neighborhood friends tried to kill him. But even uglier than what we see is what we don't see. Notice what is missing. Does the text go on to say, "They planned to push him over the cliff, but Jesus' brothers came and stood up for him"?

We'd like to read that, but that's not what happened. When Jesus was in trouble, his family was nowhere to be found.

If Jesus himself couldn't force his family to share his convictions, what makes you think you can force yours? We have to move beyond the naive expectation that if we do everything right, our family will respond the way we want them to. They may, or they may not. If your father is a jerk, you could be the world's best daughter, but he still wouldn't tell you so. If your mother doesn't like your career, you could change jobs a dozen times and still never satisfy her. If your sister is always complaining about what you got and she didn't, you could give her everything, and she still might not change.

[btb87]

But if so, let's Thank God for it again anyway!

Dear God:

I want to thank you for what you have already done.
I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards,
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better,
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they
stop talking about me, I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears,
I am thanking you right now.
I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves,
I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house
is quiet,
I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get
the job,
I am going to thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my
life that has caused me pain or grief,
I am going thank you right now.
I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the
challenges are removed.
I am thanking you right now.
I am thanking you because I am alive.
I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.
I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.
I am thanking you because I have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.
I am thanking you, GOD.. because you have not given up on me!
God is just so good, and He is good all the time.

[CrimsonTide4]

Daily Devotional
from Called to Conquer
Monday, March 01, 2004
You Are Not in a Mess; You Are in a Treasure Hunt!

Today’s Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:3–6
Key Verse: Philippians 1:3, 6


I thank my God upon every remembrance of you . . . being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever made a mistake? Perhaps you thought, Lord, I did that all wrong, and I am in the middle of a mess!

I know both of us have, and it does not matter. The important thing is that you are where God led you. If God led you to where you are, then He has something for you there. Do not allow the devil to discourage you and turn your focus toward your failures and shortcomings. This is not the time to dwell on your inadequacies. God, in His sovereignty, loves you so much that He has brought you to where you are—and it is the place of promise.

The Lord says, “Even though it seems you live in a land of famine, I have great blessings and coverings for you. I have hidden your blessings and provision around your enemies. If I put them anywhere else, other people would have gone after them. Yes, you are where are supposed to be.”

God knows all about the lazy saints, the ones among us who refuse to dig or pursue anything. They operate by sight and not by faith. God is looking for those who have matured enough to trust Him. They know that if God tells them to enter a lions’ den, then He has plans to give the lions lockjaw.

You are not in the middle of a mess; you are in the midst of hidden treasure! Now shut that toothless lion’s mouth and dig that treasure out!

[CrimsonTide4]

Focus on the Promise, Not the Problems

Today’s Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 5:32–6:12
Key Verse: Deuteronomy 5:32–33


You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

Ten of the twelve spies Moses sent into the promised land ran into trouble because they were worried about being in the same territory as their enemies. Joshua and Caleb saw the inhabitants of the land, but they kept their focus on the grapes instead. There are blessings in the midst of all your tests and trials, and God does not want you to be distracted. He is there.

Are people talking about you? Let them talk. “Somebody is trying to get me fired.” Let him do his best. Your promotion comes from the Lord. “Somebody is trying to take my spouse.” Let him try. God ordained you to be where you are. If anybody tries to touch you or your belongings, you should feel sorry for him! Why? Because when he attacks or steals from you, he is attacking and stealing from God.

People who ride with me while I drive usually pray a lot because my driving is much like that of Mr. Magoo, the nearly blind cartoon character who insists he can see just fine. I have had a few fender benders, and they usually happen when I take my eyes off of where I am going to look somewhere else at someone’s urging.

When God tells you to go someplace, do not worry about anyone else’s presence. You have been ordained to be there, so anyone who tries to distract you must deal with God.


Today's Prayer:

Lord, help me to keep my focus upon You and Your promises. There are always distractions awaiting me, and I am all too willing to look aside and feed my fears, my appetites, and my curiosity. Help me to seek You and find the blessings in the midst of every trial. In Jesus’ name, amen.

[Honeykiss1974]

Dear God:

I want to thank you for what you have already done.

I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am
thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better, I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me, I am thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears; I am
thanking you right now.

I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the children are asleep and the house is quiet, I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get a/the job, I am going to thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief, I am going thank you right now.

I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed. I am thanking you right now.

I am thanking you because I am alive.

I am thanking you because I made it through the day's difficulties.

I am thanking you because I have walked around the obstacles.

I am thanking you because I have the ability and the
opportunity to do more and do better.

I am thanking you because you have not given up on me!

God is just so good, and he's good all the time so just THANK HIM!

[TonyB06]

A preacher and a the president of a soap manufacturing company went for a
walk together.

The president said, "What good is Christianity? Look at all the trouble and
misery of the world! Still there, even after years, thousands of years, of
teaching about goodness and truth and love and peace. Still there, after
all the sermons and teachings. If Christianity is good and true, why should
this be?"

The preacher said nothing. They continued walking until he noticed a child
playing in the gutter.

Then the preacher said, "Look at that child. You say that soap makes people
clean, but see the dirt on that youngster. Of what good is soap? With all
the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I
wonder how effective soap is, after all!"

The president of the soap company protested, "But preacher, soap won't do
any good unless it is used!"

"Exactly," replied the preacher. "Exactly."

[CrimsonTide4]

Soul Food



I love the taste of T-bone steak,

Delicious every bite,

But there's nothing like the Word of God,

For my spiritual appetite.



The Word of God has milk and meat,

And even ice cream and cake.

Take a slice of the Bread of Life,

And coffee to keep us awake.



Open your Bible and turn to Psalms,

For David's famous buffet.

You can drink all the wine of the word you want,

And still feel fine the next day.



There's enough of the Word for everyone,

And no one has to cheat.

The Word of God is a smorgasbord,

So take all you are able to eat.



Let's have a little long suffering,

Job gives the recipe.

Patience is the main ingredient,

Self denial is the fee.



Wrap that up in temperance,

It may not make much sense,

Cover that with contentment,

Then add some joy for strength.



Let's have love for dessert,

Jesus made this dish,

Cream of joy and peace together,

Sift out all selfishness.



Add some deeds of righteousness,

Enough to make it sweet.

Humility is the frosting,

That makes the dish complete.



Or are you on a diet,

Cause the race seems hard to run.

For a weight losing menu,

Try Hebrews 12 and 1.



Are you suffering from malnutrition,

And don't know what to do?

Your spiritual growth seems hindered,

Try I Peter 2 and 2.



If when every time you battle,

the enemy always wins,

Try some Holy Ghost Protein,

And spiritual vitamins.



God's Word can feed millions,

And still have plenty left.

Because the Word of God is Soul Food,

Sent from the World's Greatest CHEF.

[Honeykiss1974]

Praise Him for the Closed Door!

We need to learn to praise the Lord as much for a closed door as we do an open door. The reason God closes doors is because He has not prepared anything over there for us. If He didn't close the wrong door we would never find the right door.

God directs our path through the closing and opening of doors. One door closes it forces you to change your course. Another door closes, it forces you to change your course again. Then finally you find the open door and you walk right into your blessing.

The Lord directs our paths through the opening and closing of doors, but instead of praising Him for the closed door (which keeps us out of trouble) we get upset because we "judge by the appearances". You have an ever present help in the time of need who is always standing guard. Because He walks ahead of you He can spot trouble down the road and set up a road block or detour accordingly.

But through our lack of wisdom we try to tear down the roadblocks or push aside the detour sign. Then the minute we get into trouble we start crying "Lord how could You have done this to me?" We have got to realize that the closed door can be a blessing.

Didn't He say that No good thing will He withhold from them that love Him? If you get terminated from your job - praise God for the new opportunities that will manifest themselves - it might be another job, it might be school.

If that man or woman won't return your call - it might not be them, it might be the Lord setting up a roadblock (just let it go).

One time a person had a bank they had been in business with for many years to tell them "No!" to a ten thousand dollar loan. The Lord put in their spirit to call another bank. That bank gave them forty thousand dollars at a lower interest rate than the first bank was offering.

We can sometimes trap ourselves in doubt and discouragement through judging by appearances. I'm so grateful my friends for the many times Our Father has closed doors to me just to open them in the most unexpected places. The Lord won't always say in spoken words: "Go to the left, now to the right"... sometimes He will just close the wrong doors.

[Honeykiss1974]

This is just a good story that is appropriate for Easter. This little boy, just like our Saviour, was thinking of others despite the pain that he was going though. Enjoy!

Posted on Mon, Apr. 12, 2004

Dying boy had a wish for others

BY JIM SUHR

Associated Press


ST. LOUIS - Battling an incurable brain tumor that robbed him of his sight, 9-year-old Mak Shulist made a dying wish that had nothing to do with meeting a celebrity, shaking a president's hand or going to Walt Disney World.

Before his death Friday, Mak got the Make-A-Wish Foundation to do something for his friends -- build a rock-climbing wall on the playground of Ellisville Elementary School.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/eagle/8410298.htm

[Honeykiss1974]

Are you wrestling with a career decision, not sure which path to take? Are you wondering which direction the Lord desires you to go?

If so, you are not alone! Many Christians struggle with making career decisions at various points in their lives. For example, when Kay Marie was a sophomore in college, and a fairly new Christian, she desired with her whole heart to do what God wanted her to do with her life. As a communication major, she was considering getting a master's degree and teaching at the college level. She was concerned, however, that she needed to be in "full-time Christian ministry" in order to serve God most fully. She was haunted by a vision of standing before God some day and instead of hearing Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," He would say to her, "Well, you did...OK." Perhaps you can relate to fearing at some level that you are missing God's will for your career and life.

As Christians, we desire to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. We want to do His will in all aspects of our lives--in the daily choices we make that govern our actions and in the large life decisions we have to make. Scripture does give us clear guidance regarding the moral choices we are to make as God's sons and daughters, such as in the Ten Commandments and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. The Bible gives us instruction as to how we are to live our lives so as to be salt and light in this world, glorifying God with our lives.

The Bible does not, however, give specific guidance about many types of life decisions, including making career choices. No where in Scripture will you find a verse that will specify whether you should become an accountant or an engineer. Nor will you find detailed instructions on how to choose a career when confronted with multiple possibilities. Why doesn't the Bible address career choice? One likely reason is because in biblical times, career choice was not an issue. Men usually went into the family business--whether fishing or sheep herding or carpentry or being a merchant-- and women usually got married and had babies. "What should I do with my career?" was not a burning issue of the times.

Today, however, career decisions can seem overwhelming because of the sheer number of options that are available--more than at any other time in history. We long to make the "right" decision--the choice that proves to be good for us and that is the one we believe God would have us make. So what can we do to make wise career decisions that are within the will of God for our lives? Although the Bible is not a manual on career planning and decision making, it does teach some important principles that can assist you in becoming a wise decision maker. These principles have guided our own career planning as well as our career counseling as we seek to help others through the career decision making process.

PRINCIPLE 1: Our first priority in life must always be to develop an increasingly intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

In our society, we are concerned with accomplishments: what we do, how we perform, what we produce, how busy we are, etc. We may judge the fruitfulness of a pastor's ministry, for example, by the size of his or her church, the number of books written, tapes produced, the presence of a television ministry, etc. Yet Jesus said that all of this doesn't matter unless the person is intimately connected to Him: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned" (John 15:5-6).

Remember that Christ calls us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Mt. 6:33)--not to seek what we can do for the kingdom of God. Being rooted in Christ is a fundamental "prerequisite" to finding God's will for your career. You will not be ready or able to find the career path He has designed you for unless you are seeking Him first. He calls you to love Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength--and to love others as you love yourself. The more passionately you are pursuing these callings, the better equipped you will be to hear His voice and to be the person you will need to be in order to do the things God has created you to do.

Also, be aware of some of the warning signs that your career (or prospective career) may interfere with your relationship with Christ. For example, does your job require you to act in unethical or immoral ways such as not revealing certain information about a product or service to a prospective customer? Does your work require you--or seduce you--to spend so much time at work that you have little time for anything else including your friends and family, your quiet times with the Lord, church, etc.? Does it tempt you to become prideful, greedy, manipulative, etc.? In other words, is your work leading you away from Christ rather than leading you toward becoming more Christ-like? If so, you would be right in questioning whether this is a career path the Lord would have you to pursue. As Jesus says, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Mt. 16:26).

PRINCIPLE 2: God has created you with the aptitude for particular skills and abilities, and with the inclination toward particular interests. Your design is the most important factor to consider in making career decisions.

John came from a family that was involved in full-time Christian service: his sister was a missionary, his brother was a pastor and his parents were Christian educators. Although he had very strong artistic talents and interests, John felt pursuing an art-related career wasn't an appropriate way to serve God, so he became a computer programmer, working for a large Christian organization. Although he enjoyed parts of his work, he longed to be using his creative talents. He felt a part of himself was dying.

You are God's handiwork. He created your inmost being, and knit you together in your mother's womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:13-14). You have been given work-related gifts that have been chosen specifically for you (Romans 12:6-8). God desires for you to use the gifts He has given you. Working out of your design will bring you satisfaction, will bless and enable you to serve others effectively, and will bring glory to your Designer. To make good career decisions you must have a thorough knowledge of your personality, skills and abilities, interests and values. Without this knowledge, you are not fully equipped to make good career decisions.

PRINCIPLE 3: Being a Christian does not exempt us from the responsibility to become wise decision makers. Therefore, it is your responsibility to use your God-given mind to learn how to make good career decisions.

If you wanted to buy a computer, most likely you wouldn't pray about it and then just walk into a computer super-store and see which computer you felt "led" to buy! Most people would agree that to do so would be foolish. Instead, most people would agree that it's best to research information about the different computers on the market, identify their specific needs, investigate prices at different stores for the computers of most interest, and then make a purchase. Certainly prayer should be a part of the process, but God expects us to do our part in making wise decisions, as well.

Learning how to make decisions is a part of developing wisdom and maturity, both of which God desires for us. The book of Proverbs is full of admonitions about the importance of gaining wisdom to live a life that is pleasing to God. The proverbs are given to us "for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life..." (Prov. 1:1-3). God desires for us to have not only spiritual maturity and wisdom but also wisdom that relates to making decisions in this life.

Career decisions are often scary for people. There may be more than one good option, and seemingly, much is at stake. Unfortunately, many Christians avoid their responsibility to make the best possible decision in the situation. Instead, they let other people or outside circumstances "make a decision" for them. Circumstances or "signs" may be interpreted as God's will for them.

For example, Jackie was working as a file clerk. Bored and tired of earning minimum wage, she was asking God to lead her into a new career. One day, when she left her job for the day, she noticed a real estate office right across the street that had a sign up: Wanted: New Real Estate Agents. Excited at the thought of a better paying job selling houses, she drove home and found a flyer on her door advertising a school to train real estate agents. She concluded this was God's answer to her prayers. She became a real estate agent and found that she hated selling. She left the field soon after entering it, feeling like God had led her astray.

While I don't deny that God can lead through circumstances, Scripture does not support that God wants to bypass our wrestling with making difficult decisions in partnership with Him. (For example, Scripture gives many references in which the Apostle Paul used logical thinking--combined with prayer--to determine his direction. See Romans 15:18-24--especially verse 20--for one such instance.)

Just as you would use computer magazines, knowledgeable computer users and computer professionals to decide which computer would be best for you to buy, there are resources available to you to assist you in learning how to do good career planning and make good career decisions based on the right information about your design and the world of work. God does guide us; He does, however, expect us to take responsibility for using the minds He has given us to the best of our ability.

PRINCIPLE 4: Living out God's will for your career and life will require that you take risks.

Stephanie's mother had always encouraged her to "play it safe" and not take any risks so that she wouldn't get hurt in life. This mind set had resulted in Stephanie, a bright and creative young woman, being tremendously underemployed as a receptionist. In one of her career counseling sessions she stated that she was sure that as soon as she "knew exactly" what God wanted her to do she would be able to take the steps to change careers.

Stephanie's words, and those we have heard from other clients in similar conversations, reveal that they are expecting God to give them a clear, specific vision of what He wants them to do and exactly how they are to go about doing it. The underlying reason is that they believe a career change will then be risk-free and failure-proof. The hope and belief--often unconscious--is that once they have their clear vision it will somehow magically become reality without them having to face any of the fears that have kept them stuck in the past.

The problem with this mind set is that God doesn't work this way. God doesn't call us to risk-free living, because we wouldn't need to develop our "faith muscles." The typical way God works is to impress upon our hearts and minds a need, a cause, an issue or an interest that we develop a desire to do something about, and then to lead us one step at a time. Jesus' call to His disciples was for them to follow Him, and become fishers of men. They had no idea what was in store for them! When Jesus called the Saul (Paul), He did not reveal to him all that his ministry would entail or require from him.

The same is true for us today! In our own ministry, and in the work and ministries of clients and colleagues, we have seen how a sense of call or vision may not be very specific and it's certainly not accompanied with detailed directions or guarantees on how to pursue the dream successfully. God's guidance is given one step at a time, and often requires that we take some scary steps of faith.

In the Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30), the point is often missed that the first two servants were not told what to do with the talents that were entrusted to them. The first servant "went at once and put his money to work and gained five more [talents]." He used his own reasoning powers to decide how best to work with the talents he had been given. He took some risks!

Learning to take risks is an essential part of following God and living out His will for our lives. Without risks, a person's life becomes a process of digging an ever-deeper rut in which he or she stagnates and cuts himself or herself off from all that God intends life to be. As Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." We know that, as God's sons and daughters, we have already won in this life--we are victors! God calls us to live courageously--to take risks in order to use our gifts and bring salt and light to this hurting world. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Eph. 3:20-21)

[Honeykiss1974]

'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8: 28).'

This verse is a promise from God. He never breaks a promise!

This verse is comforting. It offers an assurance and a certainty that in spite of all the craziness of life we know that God has it all under control.

This verse gives us knowledge about God and His intent for our lives.

This verse gives us hope.

If you look deeper it requires faith to believe it. It forces us to dwell in a state of faith. We have to have a walk of faith in God because the Scripture says it's impossible to please Him without it.

There is assurance that not only are we called -- we are called to His purpose, not a meaningless life of dead ends and hopelessness.

This verse gives us security.

This verse offers a spiritual reward. If we do His will and love Him He causes all things to work together for our good.

This verse is about LOVE.

God again shows us, as He does through thousands of others in the Bible, that HE IS A GOD OF LOVE! He has our interests and our future and our good on His heart and He intends to make it all happen according to His will and timing.

There are seasons of plenty in God and seasons of lack. He says He will never leave us or forsake us. In fact, right now as I am writing this and you are reading it, the Holy Spirit is praying for us, and so is Jesus!

Look at these two verses also from Romans 8:

'And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will (Romans 8: 26-27).'

Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us (Romans 8: 34). '

Have HOPE! God is forever, but no trial is. God is eternal, but seasons are just that, seasons. It certainly can't be all bad if the Holy Spirit and Jesus are interceding for us right now! Hey, at least you can rest in the fact that their prayers are heard and answered.

God loves you and I and He wants us to realize and know it's all under control, no matter how it looks or seems. Rest in that today.

[Love_Spell_6]

HK74,

Just to let you know, I know u didn't author this thread, but there are quite a lot of posts in here by you. On a tough day..I often browse this thread for inspiration..and it helps every time! Thanks for all the great posts in this thread!!

[Love_Spell_6]

When I say..."I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need CHRIST to be my guide.


When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need HIS strength to carry on.


When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.


When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect, My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth it.


When I say... "I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain, I have
my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.


When I say... "I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow.




Author ~Maya Angelou~ Share this with somebody who already has this understanding, as reinforcement. But more importantly, share this with those who do not have a clear understanding of what it means to be a Christian, so that the myth that Christians think they are "perfect" or "better than others" can be dispelled.