| Monday, February 22, 2010 | Print Article Leave a Comment |
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| Loving God’s People Bishop Walter S. Thomas Hebrews 10: 24-25 says this: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” It goes without saying that often in life we feel alone. We feel as if we are standing against the storm alone, fighting the rising tide alone, dealing with the difficulty alone, and living the great moments alone. Life has been so unkind to so many of us that we have failed to cultivate or revisit the art of being close to persons and knowing the joy that comes from true and genuine fellowship. We can find ourselves seeking to be alone because we feel it is safer and we won’t be hurt. The real truth, however, is that we are missing out on what God has purposefully put in our path: His people. God knows we cannot make this journey by ourselves and still know the fullness of the joy God has for us. What God has for us is intricately woven into fellowship and cannot be fully experienced until we allow ourselves to embrace the community of which God has us a part. He has given us His people and now we must learn to love again. Jesus said that we would be known as his disciples ‘by our love one for another.’ God allows us and teaches us how to love and just what love means. He teaches us that within the confines of God’s family, we must learn how to love and to forgive. We must learn how to care and to be compassionate. We must learn how to celebrate and to serve. I must admit…I love the people of God. They have been my instructors in life, my companions in suffering, my cheerleaders in success, and my friends in life. The writer of Hebrews said that we should not take this love ‘for granted.’ We should seek out ways to build upon it and to encourage one another. We have a community that is always looking for new ways to inspire and to edify us. In the midst of a world that wrestles with the meaning of love, God has placed us in a community that seeks to practice love. Let us not be naïve; the church is far from perfect. It has its flaws and makes its mistakes, but it is the bride of Christ being prepared for her Lord. A love for God’s people can help us all to realize that we should not live out our lives’ journey by ourselves.
© Bishop Walter S. Thomas all rights reserved. |
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Posts Tagged ‘Daily Motivation’
Fellowship is Important
Posted: February 22, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Job Opportunity, Money, Money Issue, Scripture Memory, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Mind, Money Problems, power
No Secrets of Instant Sainthood
Posted: February 7, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Job Opportunity, Mind, Motivation, power
| Sunday, February 07, 2010 |
| There is No Secrets of Instant Sainthood by Rick Warren |
| “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed.” (James 1:4 Msg)
Be patient with God and with yourself. One of life’s frustrations is that God’s timetable is rarely the same as ours. We are often in a hurry when God isn’t. You may feel frustrated with the seemingly slow progress you’re making in life. Remember that God is never in a hurry, but he is always on time. He will use your entire lifetime to prepare you for your role in eternity. The Bible is filled with examples of how God uses a long process to develop character, especially in leaders. He took eighty years to prepare Moses, including forty in the wilderness. For 14,600 days Moses kept waiting and wondering, “Is it time yet?” But God kept saying, “Not yet.” Contrary to popular book titles, there are no Easy Steps to Maturity or Secrets of Instant Sainthood. When God wants to make a giant oak, he takes a hundred years, but when he want to make a mushroom, he does it overnight. Great souls are grown through struggles and storms and seasons of suffering. Be patient with the process. James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed.” (James 1:4 Msg) Don’t get discouraged. When Habakkuk became depressed because he didn’t think God was acting quickly enough, God had this to say: “These things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Habakkuk 2:3 LB) A delay is not a denial from God! Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be. Years ago people wore a popular button with the letters PBPGINFWMY. It stood for “Please Be Patient, God Is Not Finished With Me Yet.” God isn’t finished with you, either, so keep on moving forward. Even the snail reached the ark by persevering! *** *** *** *** Rick Warren is the author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” now available in paperback from Saddleback Resources. Â |
God is working, regardless of how you feel
Posted: February 6, 2010 in Bible Study, Encourgement, Happiness, Inspiration, Money, Money Issue, UncategorizedTags: Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Encourgment, Job Opportunity, Mind, Motivation, power
| God is working, regardless of how you feel by Rick Warren |
| That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away. (Hebrews 2:1 TEV)
As you grow to spiritual maturity, there are several ways to cooperate with God in the process – Believe God is working in your life even when you don’t feel it. Spiritual growth is sometimes tedious work, one small step at a time. Expect gradual improvement. The Bible says, “Everything on earth has its own time and its own season.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 CEV) There are seasons in your spiritual life, too. Sometimes you will have a short, intense burst of growth (springtime) followed by a period of stabilizing and testing (fall and winter). What about those problems, habits, and hurts you would like miraculously removed? It’s fine to pray for a miracle, but don’t be disappointed if the answer comes through a gradual change. Over time, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into pebbles. Over time, a little sprout can turn into a giant redwood tree towering 350 feet tall. Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned. This is not a diary of events, but a record of what you are learning. Write down the insights and life lessons God teaches you about him, about yourself, about life, relationships, and everything else. Record these so you can review and remember them and pass them on to the next generation (Psalm 102:18; 2 Timothy 3:14) The reason we must relearn lessons is that we forget them. Reviewing your spiritual journal regularly can spare you a lot of unnecessary pain and heartache. The Bible says, “It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.” (Hebrews 2:1 Msg) *** *** *** *** Rick Warren is the author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” now available in paperback from Saddleback Resources. |
Here to there
Posted: January 29, 2010 in Daily Motivation, Encourgement, InspirationTags: Daily Motivation, Motivation, power
Verse of the day
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”- Ephesians 6:12-13
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Here to there
You can get from here to there. In fact, you’ve already begun the journey.
You can live the life you envision. So fill that vision with sound and color, with texture and rich detail.
Right now, as the result of what you are doing, you are going somewhere. Choose to make it somewhere you truly want to be.
The fulfillment of your dreams may seem to be a long way off. And yet, even in this very moment you can feel the joy of living those dreams.
Get busy and get on your way, for the path stretches out in front of you. Keep yourself inspired and in motion with your vivid imagination of how it will feel to arrive.
You know you can get from here to there, and you know how truly fulfilling it will be. Already, you’re making great progress.
— Ralph Marston
Under Gods Command 