In 1 Chronicles 28:9 We read that the Lord searches every heart. Nothing can be hidden from God. He sees and understands everything in our hearts. David found this out the hard way when God sent Nathan to expose David’s sins of adultery and murder (2 Samuel 12). David told Solomon to be completely open with God and dedicated to him. It makes no sense to try to hide any thoughts or actions from an all-knowing God. This should cause us joy, not fear, because God knows even the worst about us and loves us anyway.
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Completely open with God
Posted: August 2, 2010 in Battle of the Mind, Bible Study, Fear, Fear of rejection, Happiness, Inspiration, Justice, Security, and Happiness, Personal Growth, Security, UncategorizedTags: Fear of rejection, Happiness, Justice, Security, Spiritual Food for the Day
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Follow All Commands of the Lord your God
Posted: August 2, 2010 in Battle of the Mind, Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fear, Happiness, Justice, Security, and Happiness, Security, UncategorizedTags: Happiness, Justice, Security, Spiritual Food for the Day
David told Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:8 to be careful to follow every one of God’s commands to to ensure Israel’s prosperity and the continuation of David’s descendants upon the throne. It was the king’s solemn duty to study and obey God’s laws. The teachings of Scripture are the keys to security, happiness, and justice, but you’ll never discover them unless you search God’s Word. It we ignore God’s will and neglect his teaching, anything we attempt to build, even if it has God’s name on it, will be headed for collapse. Get to know God’s commands through regular Bible study, and find ways to apply them consistently.
Fear of Rejection
Posted: May 8, 2010 in Acceptance, Battle of the Mind, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fear, Fear of rejection, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Daily Motivation, Fear of rejection, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Spiritual Food for the Day
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”- James 5:16
Thursday, May 6, 2010
You won’t get anyone to say yes unless you’re willing to take the risk that they’ll say no. To get the answer you seek, you must ask.
When you ask, there is the possibility of rejection. And though rejection may seem like something to avoid, is it really so bad?
What’s much, much worse is to live in fear of rejection. When you never even ask, the answer is always no.
What if you could simply let go of that fear of rejection? The fact is, you can.
Some people will value what you say, what you do, what you seek, and other people won’t. Keep reminding yourself that’s their concern, not yours.
Choose to do what you know is worthy and what you know is best. Let go of the useless and limiting fear of rejection, and feel the freedom to truly soar.
— Ralph Marston
Cooperating with the Holy Spirit
Posted: May 7, 2010 in Battle of the Mind, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Fellowship, Healing, Mind, Money Problems, Motivation, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
Let the Spirit change your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:23 by Rick Warren
Throughout the Bible we see an important truth illustrated over and over: the Holy Spirit releases his power the moment you take a step of faith.
When Joshua was faced with an impassible barrier, the floodwaters of the Jordan River receded only after the leaders stepped into the rushing current in obedience and faith. Obedience unlocks God’s power.
God waits for you to act first. Don’t wait to feel powerful or confident. Move ahead in your weakness, doing the right thing in spite of your fears and feelings. This is how you cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and it is how your character develops.
The Bible compares spiritual growth to a seed, a building, and a child growing up. Each metaphor requires active participation: seeds must be planted and cultivated, buildings must be built – they don’t just appear – and children must eat and exercise to grow.
While effort has nothing to do with your salvation, it has much to do with your spiritual growth. At least eight times in the New Testament we are told to “make every effort” in our growth toward becoming like Jesus. (Luke 13:24 NIV; Romans 14:19 NIV; Ephesians 4:3 NIV; 2 Timothy 2:15 NCV; Hebrews 4:11 NIV; Hebrews 12:14 NIV; 2 Peter 3:14 NIV)
You don’t just sit around and wait for it to happen.
Paul explains in Ephesians 4:22-24 our three responsibilities in becoming like Christ.
- First, we must choose to let go of old ways of acting. “Everything . . . connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it!” (Ephesians 4:22 MSG)
- Second, we must change the way we think. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking.” (Ephesians 4:23 CEV) The Bible says we are “transformed” by the renewing of our minds. (Romans 12:2) The Greek word for transformed, metamorphosis (used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18), is used today to describe the amazing change a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly. It is a beautiful picture of what happens to us spiritually when we allow God to direct our thoughts: we are changed from the inside out, we become more beautiful, and we are set free to soar to new heights.
Third, we must put on the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. Your character is essentially the sum of your habits; it is how you habitually act. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24 NIV)
God’s point of view
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Fellowship, Spiritual Food for the Day
| Perspective: see from God’s point of view by Rick Warren |
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| Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:14 (NLT)
Perspective is understanding something because you see it from a larger frame of reference. It is the ability to perceive how things are interrelated and then judge their comparative importance. And, for believers, it means seeing life from God’s point of view. In the Bible, the words “understanding”, “wisdom”, and “discernment” all have to do with perspective. The opposite of perspective is “hardness of heart”, “blinded” and “dullness.” Psalm 103:7 says, “He (God) made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.” The people of Israel got to see what God did, but Moses got to understand why God did it. This is the difference between knowledge and perspective. Knowledge is learning what God has said and done. Perspective is understanding why God said it or did it. Perspective answers the “Why?” questions of life. The Bible says that unbelievers have no spiritual perspective (1 Corinthians 2:14). Likewise a lack of perspective is a mark of spiritual immaturity (1 Corinthians 3:1-2, 13:11, 14:20). God’s reoccurring complaint about the nation of Israel was that they lacked perspective. Many of the prophets rebuked this weakness (Isaiah 44:18, Jeremiah 4:22, Micah 4:12). In contrast, having perspective is evidence of spiritual maturity and our ability to recognize the difference between right and wrong. |
Love your spiritual family
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Beliefs, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Fellowship, Inspiration, Spiritual Food for the Day
| Love your spiritual family by Rick Warren |
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Love your spiritual family. 1 Peter 2:17b (MSG)
As I mentioned yesterday, the church is a body, not a building; an organism, not an organization. For the organs of your body to fulfill their purpose, they must be connected to your body. The same is true for you as a part of Christ’s Body. You were created for a specific role, but you will miss out on this if you’re not attached to a living, local church. You discover your role in life though your relationships with others. The Bible tells us, “Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?” (Romans 12:4-5 MSG) If an organ is somehow severed from its body, it will shrivel and die. It cannot exist on its own, and neither can you. Disconnected and cut off from the lifeblood of a local body, your spiritual life will wither and eventually cease to exist. (Ephesians 4:16) This is why the first symptom of spiritual decline is usually inconsistent attendance at worship services and other gatherings of believers. Whenever we become careless about fellowship, everything else begins to slide, too. The Bible says, “Love your spiritual family.” (1 Peter 2:17b MSG) Membership in the family of God is neither inconsequential nor something to be casually ignored. The church is God’s agenda for the world. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:18 NLT) |
Trusting God when I don’t understand
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Acceptance, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Encourgment, Fellowship, Inspiration, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
| Trusting God when I don’t understand by Rick Warren |
| “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
When the children of Israel were finally set free from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they started marching out to freedom and the first thing they came to was the Red Sea. There were impassable mountain ranges on two sides of them, the sea in front of them. Behind them, in hot pursuit, was the Egyptian army because the Pharaoh had changed his mind about letting them go. The path before the Israelites looked like a dead end. But God knew exactly what He wanted to do. He had not made a mistake. He could see what they could not see. He opened the Red Sea and they walked through to safety. Years later, the Israelites looked back and sang, “Your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalm 77:19 LB). You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, relational—but God can see a path that you don’t know about. If you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, He will make a way. It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day” (NIV). One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path He specifically chose for you. What do I do in the meantime? You do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” What does He mean “don’t lean on your own understanding”? You don’t need to try to figure it out. In truth, you’re not going to understand most of the things that happen in your life until you get to heaven. Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what’s best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays — all the things that make you ask “why” — one day it will all be clear in the light of God’s love. But for now, we’re learning to trust God. |
Tuning in to God
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Encourgment, Fellowship, Inspiration, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
| Tuning in to God by Rick Warren |
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“God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” Job 33:14 (NCV)
After we ask in faith for God’s guidance, we need to listen for God’s response! Did you know that the room you are in right now is filled with radio waves? You can’t see them but if you had the right type of receiver – like a radio – to tune them in, you’d be able to hear them. God designed you to hear His voice. There is a receiver in you that allows you to get guidance from God. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it.” We don’t understand when we’re not tuned in. What channels does God use? The primary way that God speaks is through the Bible. The Bible is God’s guide book. It’s like a road map to guide us along the way. It helps you negotiate the mazes you face in life, giving you the directions you need. This is why we need to read the Bible very day. God’s will is found in God’s Word. God also speaks through godly Bible teachers. Have you ever been in church or at a Bible study and you feel like the teacher is speaking directly to you? In that moment, God is speaking directly to you. God not only speaks through teachers, he also speaks through every Christian. He even speaks through you. If you’ll stay in tune to Him and learn His Word, sometimes God will use you to say things to people that He wants to say to them. It’s not something special reserved only for pastors; God speaks through every believer at different times. God also speaks through your circumstances and your pain. God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain. God is speaking all the time. But we must listen. Tune in to God and He will lead you on the right path. |
Just Ask
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, UncategorizedTags: Daily Motivation, Fellowship, Inspiration
| Just ask! by Rick Warren |
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| “If you want to know what God really wants you to do, ask him . . . but if you don’t ask in faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.” James 1:5-6 (LB)
The Bible says when we ask God for guidance, we need to believe he will give us that guidance. Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9 NIV). Ask, seek, knock—ASK. God wants you to learn to ask. God is willing to give wisdom: “If you want to know what God really wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; but . . . if you don’t ask in faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer” (James 1: 5-6 LB). God wants to direct you in life, but two things need to line up: You have to ask the right person—God, and you have to ask with the right attitude—in faith, expecting an answer. Have you ever asked God for something and didn’t expect to get it? That’s why you didn’t get it. God works in our lives according to faith. So many times we say, “God, please guide me!” and we walk away not even waiting for guidance. We just immediately start to work. We say, “God, I want you to give me wisdom, help me make the right decision.” But we don’t really expect Him to do that. We think it all depends on us. God has promised to give us wisdom, if we will ask. Wisdom is seeing life from God’s point of view. Wisdom is the ability to make decisions the way God makes decisions. Think about this: God never makes a bad decision. He never makes a mistake. He says if we trust Him and listen to Him, He will guide us. But we must ask in faith. |
Under Gods command 