| 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. |
Posts Tagged ‘Daily Motivation’
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
The Church Family
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Acceptance, Daily Motivation, Encourgement, Fellowship, Inspiration, Personal Growth, winningTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Fellowship, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
| A church family is a laboratory for love by Rick Warren |
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| All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NLT)
You are not the Body of Christ on your own. You need others to express that. Together, not separated, we are his Body. A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation. The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God’s family. It is a lab for practicing unselfish, sympathetic love. As a participating member you learn to care about others and share the experiences of others: “If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it. Or if one part of our body is honored, all the other parts share its honor.” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NCV) Only in regular contact with ordinary, imperfect believers can we learn real fellowship and experience the New Testament truth of being connected and dependent on each other. (Ephesians 4:16, Romans 12:4-5, Colossians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 12:25) Biblical fellowship is being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. God expects us to give our lives for each other. Many Christians who know John 3:16 are unaware of 1 John 3:16: “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (NIV) This is the kind of sacrificial love God expects you to show other believers—a willingness to love them in the same way Jesus loves you. |
Show you believe by belonging
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Fellowship, Happiness, InspirationTags: Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Job Opportunity, Motivation, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
| Show you believe by belonging by Rick Warren |
| Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35 (NLT)
The Bible says a Christian without a church home is like an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock, or a child without a family. It is an unnatural state. The Bible says, “You belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” (Ephesians 2:19b LB) Today’s culture of independent individualism has created many spiritual orphans—”bunny believers” who hop around from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. Many believe it is possible to be a “good Christian” without joining (or even attending) a local church, but God would strongly disagree. The church is so significant that Jesus died on the cross for it. “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.” (Ephesians 5:25 GW) Except for a few important exceptions referring to all believers throughout history, almost every time the word church is used in the Bible it refers to a local, visible congregation. The New Testament assumes membership in a local congregation. The only Christians not members of a local fellowship were those under church discipline who had been removed from the fellowship because of gross public sin. (1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1-5) The Bible offers many compelling reasons why you need to be committed and active in a local fellowship. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. I can’t claim to be following Christ if I’m not committed to any specific group of disciples. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35 NLT) When we come together in love as a church family from different backgrounds, race, and social status, it is a witness to the world. (Galatians 3:28 MSG; see also John 17:21) |
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) |
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. |
Demons Confess Jesus Christ
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Memorization, Motivation, power
Rob Henry, Under Gods Command in the Army of Christ
Luke 4:40-41 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.
(Whey didn’t Jesus want the demons to reveal who he was? (1) Jesus commanded them to remain silent to show his authority over them. (2) Jesus wanted his listeners to believe he was the Messiah because of his words, not because of the demons’ words. (3) Jesus was going to reveal his identity according to God’s timetable, and he would not be pushed by Satan’s evil plans. The demons called Jesus ‘Son of God’ or ‘the Holy one of God’ because they know he was the Christ. But Jesus was going to show himself to be the suffering servant before he became the great King. To reveal his identity as King too soon would stir up the crowds with the wrong expectations of what he had come to do.)
Jealous God
Posted: March 22, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Job Opportunity, Memorization, Mind, power
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous GOD ( God is a consuming fire. Because he is morally perfect, he hates sin and cannot accept those who practice it. Moses’ sin kept him from entering the promised land, and no sacrifice could remove that judgment. Sin kept us from entering God’s presence, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin and removed God’s judgment forever by his death. Trusting in Jesus Christ will save you from God’s anger and will allow you to begin a personal relationship with him. Jealousy is a demand for someone else’s exclusive affection or loyalty. Some jealousy is bad. It is destructive for a person to get upset when his or her spouse talks to someone of the opposite sex. But other jealousy is good. It is right for a man to demand that his wife treat him, and only him, as her husband. Usually we use the word jealousy only for the bad reaction. But God’s kind of jealousy is appropriate and good. He is defending his word and guarding his high honor. He makes a strong, exclusive demand on us: We must treat only the Lord, and no one else in all the universe as God.)
Activate the Power of Prayer
Posted: March 16, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Daily Motivation, Job Opportunity, Memorization, Mind, Motivation, power
Activate The Power Of Prayer
Pastor Paula White
Do you need to tap into an intimate line of communication with God? The Bible instructs us to cast all our cares to God in prayer, making our requests known to Him with an attitude of thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).
We are to request what we need and then trust Him to meet our needs. As we do that, God acts – imparting to us His peace, and providing all that is beneficial for our eternal good.
The power of prayer is immeasurable – and the more we reach out to God in intimate communication through prayer, the more we experience His transforming peace.
The peace of God that comes through prayer is one of the most valuable assets and gifts He gives us. It is a peace that transforms how we think. It enables us to answer calamity with calm reason, to see order in chaos, and to know the best direction to pursue.
By reaching out to God in prayer, we combat fears with faith. We experience God’s presence with us — an ally that is more powerful than any foe! His Holy Spirit girds us up, enabling us to function to the maximum of our ability and beyond.
I encourage people to experience the power of prayer and the calming effect it brings throughout the day. When are good times to pray? ALL THE TIME!
But at the very least, I recommend praying at these times:
Each morning when you awake. Morning prayer allows you to begin the day offering yourself to the Lord. As you greet the Lord in morning prayer, you are acknowledging His sovereignty over your life — believing in Him to guide, protect, and inspire you throughout the day.
During the course of the day. Whether you are a homemaker, work outside the home, or go to school, there will be a myriad of circumstances in which you will find yourself needing the peace of God that prayer brings. There is no better way to handle challenging moments than to call on God to guide your actions, thoughts and words.
Upon returning home for the evening. I encourage you to take a moment at some point to thank God for protecting yourself and your family. Ask Him to bring peace to your home surroundings for the evening, and to assist you and other family members in releasing any negative “remains of the day.”
Before going to sleep. While everyone sleeps, not everyone feels the benefits of a good night’s sleep. That is because often, even when the body is resting, the soul is not…it is a bundle of anxieties and insecurities. Praying before going to sleep, and asking God to empty your mind of anxiety and worry, promotes genuine rest for both the body and the soul.
Remember — any time is the “right time” to activate the power of prayer – your intimate line of communication to God!
Smoke Screen
Posted: March 16, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Mind, power, Spiritual Food for the Day
15 March 2010
Written by Rob Henry, Army of Christ, and Under GODS Command
Smoke Screen
How many times do people used another issue to get to what is really on their mind. Does the term Stop Beating Around the Bush mean anything? Let’s take a look at the Bible, and we will see an example of people who argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. Such was the case when Miriam and Aaron came to Moses with a complaint.
Numbers 12: 1-2,
- 1. Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. (It appears that they are concerned about his Cushite wife)
- 2. “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this. (Now they jump from his Cushite wife to a sign of Jealousy against Moses)
People often argue over minor disagreements, leaving the real issue untouched. The real issue was their growing jealousy of Moses position and influence. Since they could not find fault with the way Moses was leading the people, they chose to criticize his wife. Rather than face the problem squarely by dealing with their envy and pride, they chose to create a diversion from the real issue. When you are in a disagreement, stop and ask yourself if you are arguing over the real issue or have you introduced a smoke screen by attacking someone’s character. If you’re unjustly criticized, remember that your critics may be afraid to face the real problem. Ask God to help you identify the real issue and deal with it
You can’t decide without a guide
Posted: March 4, 2010 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Complimenting, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Job Opportunity, Memorization, Mind, Money Problems, Motivation, power
| Thursday, March 04, 2010 |
| You can’t decide without a guide by Rick Warren |
| “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9 (NIV)
The Bible says there are several things we need to do to receive guidance from God, but the very first thing is this: I need to admit I need a guide! Sheep, by nature, tend to wander off the path. The Prophet Isaiah says, “All of us like sheep have strayed away! We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” (Isaiah 53:6 NLT) This is why we often don’t know God’s will. The truth is most of the time we don’t want to follow God or anybody else. We want to go our own way. We don’t want to admit we need direction or that we need a guide. Another thing about sheep is that they have poor vision. They can’t see very far ahead. That’s why, on a path, they don’t know if it is heading toward a cliff, and that’s why they need a shepherd. We can’t see the future. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, much less next year or ten years from now. We don’t even know what’s going to happen this afternoon. God made you so that you would not be able to see into the future no matter how much you try. Even with all the gimmicks to predict the future, you don’t really know what’s going to happen. Why did God do this? He did it so you would depend on Him. Because we can’t see into the future, we often stumble. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (NIV). We’ve all made decisions that at the time seemed right but later on turned out to be wrong. Some paths lead to dead ends and we end up off track. That’s why we need to admit, “God, I need help.” |
Under Gods command 