God moves on our behalf when we focus on Him instead of on our fears. The feeling of fear or fearful thoughts is simply our enemy Satan trying to distract us from God an His will for us. Let us therefore come to God as living sacrifices holy and well pleasing and devoted to God. Romans 12:1 Allow God to use all of you. The more of yourself and your life you release to God the more peace and joy you will experience.
Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. Col 3:23 When do we get our first clue that [Jesus] knows he is the Son of God? In the temple of Jerusalem. He is twelve years old. His parents are three days into the return trip to Nazareth before they notice he is missing. They find him in the temple studying with the leaders… As a young boy, Jesus already senses the call of God. But what does he do next? Recruit apostles and preach sermons and perform miracles? No, he goes home to his folks and learns the family business. That is exactly what you should do. Want to bring focus to your life? Do what Jesus did. Go home, love your family, and take care of business. But Max, I want to be a missionary. Your first mission field is under your roof. What makes you think they'll believe you overseas if they don't believe you across the hall? Just Like Jesus (Max Lucado) "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and
by knowledge the rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." - Proverbs 24:3-4 When we marry we believe that if we're both Believers in God that we will build a godly marriage. Oh, if it were only this simple! Yes, the "chances" that we will have a godly marriage are greater if both spouses are godly, but that's not the only determining factor. Building a godly marriage takes more than saying wedding vows and then living together. It takes determination and intentionality to actually live out and apply your wedding vows. The Bible says in James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." The principles for building and living out a godly marriage are the principles for loving as it talks about all throughout the Bible. But you have to actually apply what God says in His Word for them to work. God, whose very name means LOVE, can teach you how to love each other and build a godly marriage but you need to call upon Him to help you and then apply what He tells you to do. Then, your house WILL be filled with "knowledge" and rare and beautiful treasures" as it tells us in Proverbs 24. But it won't be easy --especially in the same way we thought it would be before we married. For some reason so many of us think that we'll glide into marriage with ease. (Sadly, Steve and I fell into that trap.) After all, if we love each other, and we're both Christians before we marry -- won't our love just grow stronger as the years progress? That would make sense in theory --sure! But in reality it's much more difficult. It's like what Dr. Ed Wheat spoke of in his book, Secret Choices: "It has been said that marriage presents one of the most difficult personal problems in life, because the most emotional and romantic of all human dreams has to be consolidated into an ordinary working relationship. Many of us would agree. And yet the statement is not precisely true, for marriage is no ordinary relationship. God designed it to be the IDEAL partnership in which each partner supports and compliments the other; a partnership which is continually renewed and refreshed by the presence and power of love." Building a godly marriage is about being partners and working through the many issues that come up with intentionality and holy determination and perseverance --being dispensers of grace and mercy. It's the same kind of grace and mercy we want from God, and we are to apply in our marital partnership. There's one thing about marriage that's for sure: "At prime moments, God will use your marriage to show you how to love the unlovely." (Dennis Rainey) It's amazing how "unlovely" your spouse (and you) can appear at times. It's like what Bridgette Dunk, from GTO Ministries said, "Marriage is a union of two individuals who have come together from different families, each with a different set of expectations concerning marriage. For this reason, it has its challenges. Both spouses have been shaped by positive and negative experiences within their own childhood homes. Because of this, each has a predetermined idea about how conflict should be handled, the value of money management, religion, children, and what it means to love someone." Again, it will take applying the principles laid out in the Bible to learn how to do that in order to build a Godly marriage. And it will take hard work and determination. As Dr. Steve Stephens said in his book, Marriage: Experience The Best, "Many of us grew up with the Hollywood fantasy that once married you automatically live happily ever after. Wonderful relationships should just happen, shouldn't they? If relating is too much work, it's not worth it. Tony Compolo writes, 'Love becomes nonexistent and marriages collapse primarily because most people don't work hard enough to create love and build marital relationships.' We fail to realize that things of value cost us time and energy. Marriages are demanding and draining. Good marriages don't come easily." Dr Stephens also said, (which we whole-heartedly agree): "It's a sad state of affairs when we take better care of our cars and houses than we do our marriages. We change the oil, fill the tank, check the tires, and periodically tune up our cars. We change the light bulbs, wash windows, paint walls, unplug toilets and re-roof our houses, but what do we do to maintain our marriage? "The truth is more damage is done than repairs are made. How important is your marriage? Is it more important than your car or home? Are you willing to put in the time and energy and whatever else it takes to prove to your partner how valuable the relationship truly is to you?" So, what it comes down to, if you want to build a Godly marriage is the following: 1. Read and apply the principles for loving, as outlined throughout the Bible. 2. Ask God, whose very name means LOVE, to teach you how to truly love your spouse --not with human love, but with a Godly, Christ-honoring love (which won't come naturally). 3. Live in partnership throughout your marriage with each other and with God. 4. Realize that you have entered into a union, blessed by God, with someone who is very different than you (and probably very different than you thought THEY were also) but still, you determine to persevere through whatever circumstances in which you find yourselves. 5. Know that it will cost you time, energy, and that it won't come easily. 6. Come to terms with the fact that anything of value will cost you something. And because marriage is something that God values, you should too. It will be worth it all for your sakes and for the sake of God's Kingdom work. 7. And finally, "Consider it all joy, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything." (James 1:2-4) Within your marriage relationship, "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance" (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Cindy and Steve Wright Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:18
Most of us look to friends and colleagues for rewards: a slap on the back, a hero’s medal, applause, a sincere compliment. But according to Jesus, the more important rewards await us after death. It’s possible that the most significant human acts of all are carried out in secret, seen by no one but God. In a nutshell, the message of the kingdom is this: Live for God and not other people. As Jesus explained it, we are accumulating a kind of savings account, storing up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20) rather than on earth—treasures so great that they will compensate for any amount of suffering. The Old Testament has dropped a few scant hints about an afterlife, but Jesus spoke plainly about a place where “the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43). In their quest for a kingdom, the Jews of Jesus’ day had been looking for signs of God’s approval in this life, primarily through prosperity and political power. Beginning with this speech, Jesus changed the focus to the life to come (ch.6). He discounted success in this visible world. Invest in the future life, He cautioned. After all, rust, a thief, or a lowly insect can destroy all else that we accumulate (v.20). Reward in eternity does not depend upon recognition in life. Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me. To see reality--not as we expect it to be but as it is--is to see that unless we live for each other and in and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily; that there can really be life only where there really is, in just this sense, love. Frederick Buechner
If you forget me, one of the ways I remember who I am will be gone. If you forget me, part of who I am will be gone. Frederick Buechner If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, that is to say like artists, we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces. Here it is love that is the frame we see them in. Frederick Buechner First John 3:16 shows that true love is climaxed by our being willing to lay down our lives for fellow believers. Theodore Epp Loving the world destroys our relationship with God, it denies our faith in God, and it discounts our future with God. David Jeremiah Do we approach God from a beggar's perspective or as His cherished child? If we have any difficulty seeing Him as our loving Father, we need to ask Him to help us develop a healthy Father/child relationship. David Jeremiah Love is commitment; love is a relationship that never gives up. Author: Jerry Falwell When life on earth is ending, people don't surround themselves with objects. What we want around us is people – people we love and have relationships with. Rick Warren Four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship to God while the other six deal with our relationships with people. But all ten are about relationships. Rick Warren Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle. The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others, as Jesus did, instead of ourselves. Rick Warren EPHESIANS 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
I believe that when you pray in the Spirit, that is, in tongues, a shield goes up all around you—a watery shield. But why do I call it a “watery” shield? Let me share with you what the Lord showed me. Once, I was meditating on Ephesians 6:16—“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one”. At first, I thought of a Roman soldier’s wooden shield. But three words kept repeating themselves in my mind: “quench” and “fiery darts”. Then, the Lord said, “Son, if it is a wooden shield, the fiery darts will burn it up.” He showed me a watery shield instead, one which was able to quench the fiery darts. You may ask, “Where did the water come from?” Remember that Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) The next verse says, “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit...” (John 7:39) Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit, which He likened to rivers of living water flowing out of us. So when we pray in the Spirit, rivers of living water will flow, quenching the devil’s fiery darts thrown at us! This happened one day when I was having supper with a church member. Now, I don’t often pray in tongues when I say grace over my food. But that night, I felt prompted by the Spirit to do so. So I prayed in tongues as I laid my hands on my packet of nasi lemak (coconut-flavored rice). Soon, we were tucking into our food and talking when suddenly, I bit on something hard. I spat it out quickly and realized that it was a nail! Then, I realized that this was the reason the Lord wanted me to pray in tongues. Though the devil was trying to “nail” me, he failed! My friend, put up the watery shield that God has given you. Pray in the Spirit and quench the enemy’s fiery darts! My juk is sag en My las is lig ~ Matt 11:13 Dikwels word ons deur die lewenslas neergedruk en die juk wat ons moet dra, word te swaar. Dit is gewoonlik die juk van die wereld of die juk wat ons self gekies het, wat te swaar word. So is daar meer as een wat gebuk gaan onder 'n juk van sonde ~ somtyds die sonde van ongeloof, van kommer en sorge. Ons is ontevrede, ons is in opstand teen ons lot ~ dit is hier waar die juk so swaar word en die las ons neerdruk.Nou kom Jesus en Hy bied vir ons aan die juk, die las wat Hy gedra het ~ die juk van volkome oorgawe en volkome onderwerping aan die wil van God. Daardie sagte juk wat onder alle omstandighede die sielerus in ons gemoed bring wat die gesangdigter ondervind het toe hy gesing het:"Rus my siel, jou God is Koning,Wees tevrede met jou lot;Kyk hoe alles hier veranderEn verlang alleen na God."
We are made by God for God. Until we understand this our lives do not make sense. It is in Christ that we discover our purpose ,our significance and our destiny. Eph 1:11-12 You are destined to be awesome just trust Jesus to reveal His plan for your life.
If there is something we are supposed to be doing, the Lord will give us the ability to do it. God is always with us. Isaiah 41:10 He will harden us to difficulties “...stand and see the salvation of the Lord...” (2 Chronicles 20:17, NASB) So many people today run from anything that’s hard. They run from their problems. They run from responsibility. They run from people they don’t like. They run from the past. They run from anything that makes them uncomfortable. Instead of facing the issues and dealing with them, they just take the easy way out and go down the path of least resistance. But if you’re going to live in victory the way God intends, you have to learn how to face your challenges head on. Notice today’s verse doesn’t say, “Keep running until you see the salvation of the Lord.” It doesn’t say, “Bury your head in the sand until God delivers you.” No, God wants us to stand strong, set our faces like a flint, and fight the good fight of faith. And the good news is that you don’t have to do it in your own strength! He’s equipped you with His supernatural power to overcome every obstacle. Make the decision today to stand strong and face the challenges in your life. Be bold and dare to conquer! As you stand in faith, you will see the salvation, the deliverance of Almighty God in every area of your life! Father in heaven, search my heart. Show me any area in my life where I may be hiding. I choose today to stand in faith and invite You to move mightily on my behalf in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen Satan is 'n misleier, Jesus is 'n Openbaarder. Dus, wanneer jy Jesus nader bring, word satan ontmasker en sy planne vir jou lewe gefnuik. Die Skrif verwys na satan as 'duisternis,' en Jesus as 'lig.' Sodra lig inkom, moet die duisternis wyk. So jou eerste prioriteit is nie om satan te verower nie, maar nader aan Jesus te kom; om jou wil en woord in lyn te bring met Sy wil en Woord. In plaas daarvan om te gaan lê en te sê: 'Ek reken daar's niks wat ek hieraan kan doen nie,' staan op in geloof en sê: 'satan, dit is geskryf...' Dis wat Jesus vir satan in die woestyn gesê het toe hy aan 'n ongekende vlak van versoeking blootgestel was. Die Bybel sê: 'Daarna het die duiwel Hom met rus gelaat, en daar het engele gekom en Hom versorg' (Mattheus 4:11 NV). Onlangs het ons gesien hoe bankiers en makelaars terugkom het, na mense wat hulle geld verloor het, met beloftes: 'Hier's 'n ander goeie beleggingsplan; belê daarin.' Maar ons weet nou van beter, nie waar nie? Ons glo nie meer 'n belegging is goed net omdat iemand so sê nie. Hier's 'n geestelike analogie. As jy die waarheid van God se Woord ken en dit as wapen gebruik, verkrummel satan se mure, sy planne met jou torring los en sy skemas val uitmekaar. Sodra jy besef wie jy 'in Christus' is, is jy soveel te meer opgewasse teen die duiwel en kan hy nie langer jou lewe beheer nie. Sielskos: 1 Kron 12:23-15:29; Luk 17:20-37; Ps 119:137-144; Spr 18:22-24 |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
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