Let Go May28

Let Go

Suppose you had a rake with a broken handle and worn claws.

You also had a shovel with worn and twisted blade.

And you kept trying to work your yard with those.

You need knew tools and new experiences.

Let go of the past mistakes. Quit trying to use or redo them.

“And no one puts new wine into old wine skins. . . .” [Mk 2:22, NKJV].

Hoping to Receive May 27

Hoping to Receive

Are you just hoping to receive from God without specifically asking?

“Ask, and you will receive. Search and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you.”  [Mt.7:7, GWT].

The subtle secret of this action is hidden in the word search. Make sure you are seeking from spiritual vitality and not from lazy Christianity.

Is the Universe Moral? May 26

Is the Universe Moral?

Will evil people be able to get by when they trick the universe?

Will all the evil get away with deception?

“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.”  [Mt.10:26, NIV]. 

True Wealth May 25

True Wealth

What did Jesus think about money?

Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot.” [Luke 16:10, GWT].

Four Basic Trusts May 24

Four Basic Trusts

1.   Basic love; allow Christ love to funnel through you.

2.   Basic pureness; practice Jesus thoughts often.

3.   Basic unselfishness; think with Christ how others think.

4.   Basic honesty; no need to justify wrongs, admit.

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” [1 Cor. 4:2. NIV].

All in All May 23

The All in All

2 Cor. 13:14 says it all: “May the Lord Jesus Christ’s good will, God’s love, and the Holy Spirit’s presence be with all of you.” [GWT]

Grace of the Lord Jesus: All He is and did and does.

Love of God: Humans being able to accept Grace of Jesus.

Communion of Holy Spirit: Spirit brings harmony and balance in human life so that H.S. creates in person a plus for living.

Supply and Production May 22

Supply and Production Balance

Scripture indicates a significant balance between an attitude of work and distribution of any efforts.

Verse 8:“We didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, we worked hard and struggled night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you.

Verse 10: Whoever doesn’t want to work shouldn’t be allowed to eat.” [2 Thess. 3: 8; 10, GWT].

The above seems harsh but the Apostle is trying to show a principle of discipline.

The Christian attitude and behavior is found in Acts 2:44, “All the believers kept meeting together, and they shared everything with each other.”

God’s principle of the material seems to be:

1.   Production of what’s needed according to one’s abilities.

2.   Distribution by goods for those in need.

3.   Discipline to balance production and distribution.

Real Christian Growth May 21

Real Christian Growth

What are the stages for your Christian transpersonal growth?

 How do you fill your need to transcend any stagnation?

What are the specific techniques, that having done them, you can really know you are in the process of increasing your Holy Spirit power even 10%?

Live Mt. 5 & 6.

Way To Self Surrender May 20

The Way to Self surrender

When the Apostle Peter made His open confession, Jesus actually made His confession to sacrifice himself.

Verse 20: “. . . he asked, ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, The Christ of God.”

Verse 23: “Then he said to them all, if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

[Lk.9:20;23, NIV].

**We find from the teaching of Jesus that an un-surrendered self at one’s center of life blocks the complete followship with Christ.

Re-thinking Life May 19

Re-Thinking Life

A pastor was concerned about a young teenager in his community. He visited the boy and said,

“Henry, when I die and go to heaven, I want you to have my newly restored ’56 Chevy.”

The boy was amazed. Later that night, he went to bed thinking about the Chevy, but then starting thinking hard about going to heaven.

The next day he went to the pastor and asked how he could get to heaven also.

New Each Day May 18

New Each Day

A neighbor asked his friend:

“Jack, how can you keep going to the same old church, hear the same old songs and see the same old people every week?”

Jack responded: “Don’t you fish in the same old spot at the river every time?”

“Yes,” said the neighbor.

“No you don’t,” said Jack, “because that water flows away and there’s new water to experience every time.”

Special Prayer Thought May 17

Special Prayer Thought

Oh God,

How can I express my gratitude for your amazing love?

Help me to show my gratitude in quiet ways of human helpfulness. Make plain a way to help the next person I meet.

Amen

Level Ground May 16

Level Ground

One Sunday morning, three people walked the aisle of a Baptist church to accept Jesus.

One woman admitted she was a tattooed drug user.

One business man admitted he stole from his company.

One Chinese proclaimed he was a new American.

A young football player in the audience leaned over to his Dad and whispered “Boy the playing field at the Cross sure is level.”

Generosity May 15

Generosity

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.”  [Mt.6:22, NIV].

Jesus also meant: If your perspective on life, how you view life is openly generous, then your whole person will be more complete.

Even generosity that is not merited by someone, giving whatever to those who do not deserve a gift, enriches an individual’s personality in Christ.

Takes Time May 14

Takes Time

One day a young boy planted a small garden of vegetables. For three days, he would run out to watch to see if they had grown. On the fourth day, he went out and pulled the plants up two inches. He thought that would make them grow faster.

Being Christian takes its own time for growth.

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” [Lk.8:15, NKJV].

God Knows Best May 13

God Knows Best

A man had been out of a job for a while and was down to his last twenty dollars. He heard about a job opening in the next town over where he lived. He decided to go to church and during the service gave ten dollars of his twenty.

He went to catch a bus to the town with job opportunity and found the ticket cost 20 dollars. He started thinking he should not have given the 10 to church. But he decided to buy a 10 dollar ticket halfway to the desired town.

He walked through the bus depot, wondering what to do. He strolled over to a bulletin board, saw a phone number for a job offer. He called and got the job that ended up paying more than the original hope.

God still takes care of the faithful.

Good Intentions May 12

Good Intentions

I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Real service is my mission.

Just don’t ask me to visit a prison.

I’ll do what you want me to do, dear Lord,

I want to do your action,

But only just a fraction.

I’ll give my resources and money,

Nickels and dimes add up to thrive,

Just don’t ask me to tithe.

I’ll do what you want dear Lord- - -maybe.

Can You Say? May 11

Can You Say?

Serving Jesus is my vocation in life.

Walking with Jesus is my joy.

The will of God is my lawful directive.

I want to honor His kingdom for His glory.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” [Mt.11:29, NKJV].

God is No Trickster May 10

God is No Trickster

Verse17:“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath,

Verse18: that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie . . . . . .” [Heb.6:17-18, NKJV].

Two facts are completely unchangeable:

Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Jehovah’s Kingdom in place. 

Is Obedience Even Possible? May9

Is Obedience Even Possible?

Verse 5: “. . . giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love,

Verse 10: “. . . be more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;” [2Pe.1:5, 10; NKJV].

Adding these qualities simply means submit to them in Christ.

Wholly His May 8

Wholly His

The love of God permeates us.

The peace of God occupies us.

The will of God reminds us.

We are totally His.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided you.”

[Mt.6:33, HCSB, Holman Christian Standard Bible]. 

Responsible for Your Face May 7

Responsible for Your Face

A local church waited for a new pastor to come through the back door. Not many had seen him before.

Suddenly, a well-dressed man with a deep frown on his face came rushing through the door.

One of the congregation went up to him and asked was he the new pastor.

The man frowned deeper and said, “No, I just have a bad case of heart burn.”

Remember, our faces can show the joy of the Lord.

Lottery or Kingdom? May 6

Lottery or Kingdom?

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,

 which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells

all that he has and buys that field.”   [Mt.13:44, NKJV].

Jesus in Two Words May 5

Jesus in Two Words

There are two Greek words which explain Jesus’ life.

Kenosis---the Holy Spirit incredibly places one part of the Godhead in the cells of a man, known as Jesus’ decent, His coming down to earth.

Pluerosis---Jesus ascent, going from birth to accomplishing paying for sin on cross and back to heaven. Jesus re-enacts what had already been done in heaven before creation of the world.

“Then they said to the woman. Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

[Jo.4:42, NKJV].

Importance of One May 4

Importance of One

Never underestimate the importance of one person God tries to influence.

A tragic fact was it took God longer to get one of His children to serve as he ought than it took to save an entire city.

[Jonah2:7-9].

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”  [James 1:22, NASB]

Ought To Living May 3

Ought To Living

When Jesus cried out on the Cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Mt.27:46, NKJV], the question and agony are not immediately answered.

We have to look inside the mind of Christ and view what might He be thinking.

It seems to me, Jesus looked down and saw all those who had left him, even Father God.

But He knew down deep the Father could never leave Him, yet He did not feel His presence.

A power in Him must have responded, “Although I don’t feel the Father now, I’m going to continue this cross experience because it ought to happen.”

Life remains essential to pay attention to the “ought tos” of our lives.

Difference First and Last May2

Difference First and Last

When you move from the end of the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament, an astonishing truth emerges.

A Curse:

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”  [Malachi 4:6, NKJV.]

A Blessing:

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

 [Rev.22:21, NKJV.]

Same Heaven? May 1

Same Heaven?

So, here’s a man that spent 50 years living an evil life. Then, he gets saved on his death bed.

Then, here’s a man that has served Christ faithfully for 50 years.

And he dies.

You mean to tell me, they both get to go to the same heaven?

“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”  [Luke 15:7, NKJV]

God’s mercy and ways are not ours.