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Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category

Quote- Martin Luther

12 Jun

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.
Martin Luther

Prayer is our communication with the Lord.

Prayer isn’t always a formal gathering.  The nice thing about those is when 2 or more are gathered it says the Lord is there with them.

Matthew 18:20 – 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

However, we should be praying all the time to our LORD.  It’s our communication line that we can praise Him, thank Him, request to Him, ask Him to answer questions, ask Him for understanding, ask Him for strength, etc.

A relationship without communication; is what kind of relationship?

I’ll let you answer that one.

How often should we pray?

1Thessalonians 5:17 –  17Pray without ceasing.

 
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Intervention

09 Jun

Matthew 2:12 – 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Who has the ultimate upper hand?

That’s right God does.

The devil knew that the best time to try and kill Jesus was when he was a baby.  Satan knew he was coming into the world.  However, he needed to have the evil people who were willing to get the job done available.  In this case it was Herod.  Herod was king and one put into position by the Roman government.  His motivation was that there was only room for one king and that was him.  Enough so that he ended up going and killing the male Jewish babies that could have possibly have been Jesus.

Wow.  That’s evil.  We’ve seen many evil people in the history of the world.  They’re all listening to the wrong voice.

God is good.  So what is evil?  The further away you get from God (good), the more evil you become.

There is only one God in three Persons.  Only He knows the future and can intervene concerning time.  That’s pretty powerful.  Actually it’s beyond full comprehension.  That’s why only God can one hundred percent predict the future in prophecy he has shared. 

What are some on the intervening things that happen?  In the past we have heard of people not being able to visibly see others that they are hunting down.  Then there is the warning dream like we read above.  Also there is the angel that can be a messenger.

I have no doubt that God who knows the future, intervenes at times for things that could have happen.  How easy is it to throw off a continuous motion and disrupt time?  You’re lying in bed and the fire alarm goes off.  It stops after about 15 seconds and there is no sign of any fire or smoke.  Your timeline has just been changed compared if it had not gone off.

It doesn’t take much, but God is in control.

What’s He not in control of?  Evil thinking people.  They are out of control for the most part.  Some way more than others.

Intervening.  Mind boggling stuff and really none of us probably understand it past a small extent, but we do see it.  If we pay attention and keep our eyes open and hearts on God, it happens to us all.

Prayer is so important.  Continually pray for yourself, your loved ones, and anything else the Lord puts on your heart, because there is power in prayer.  No selfish power, but God loving power.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Opinion, Reflections

 

Psalm 24:1

08 Jun

Psalm 24:1 –  1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

Do you think there are many people living in America that would have a problem with this verse?

Oh yeah, this country is full of people that have a problem with that verse. 

Why?

Because they have allowed their hearts to become hard.  They have bought the lie that they don’t have to answer to God and that God has no right to be able to tell them what to do or how they should live.

God created the earth.  God created us. 

Yet because the fall and pride, man’s heart either is going to accept Him as Lord, or they will reject Him.

Ultimately there will be no excuse, because if they seek Him, they will find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8 –   7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

We were created by God.  The whole universe was created by God.

Who do you think is in charge?  Who would it be wise to listen to?

 
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You Used To Walk In These Ways

07 Jun

Colossians 3:5-11 –   5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

That says change.  Repent means change.  Change takes dedication and love for the Lord.  It says He first not me first.

That’s really it.  Life is full of decisions and all the excuses the world provides for us in social sciences, isn’t going to hold water.  Change is hard.  Breaking sinful habits isn’t easy.  However, a decision is made either by choosing God or choosing whatever it is you want to.  The strength of the Holy Spirit is there waiting.

What’s the old saying?  It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission? 

This is not good in our relationship with the Lord.  It’s good to ask for forgiveness, but it’s not good to abuse it. 

If you have someone that comes up and slaps you in the face and asks for forgiveness, eventually if they keep coming up and slapping and never stop it’s going to get old.  If they keep apologizing after they do it, it’s going to come off insincere quick.  We are told to repent and sin no more.  Obviously we know that is impossible for man, but it is the goal.

John 8:10-11- 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?  11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.   KJV

For one we need to stop our known sin and it takes effort.  God is worth that effort.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Demons and bad spirits don’t like a clean spiritual house, it’s boring and uncomfortable for them.

You used to walk that way, but as a new creation in God and Jesus, you don’t no more.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Inspiration, Motivation

 

Love Each Other Deeply

06 Jun

1 Peter 4:8 – 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

So what is love?  Ah, I see some of you shimmying your heads sideways.  C’mon, don’t hurt me.  No more. 

Love isn’t just telling everybody what they want to hear.  Love isn’t agreeing with what everyone has to say. 

Love is about truly about caring for others in a way that causes you to go out of your way to make sure they are taken care of.  It’s about looking out for their well being.

I look up to people who are strong at this.  Probably because I have to work at it with people I’m not really close to.  It’s easy for me to Love others I’m close to, but the Lord wants us to love our neighbor.  He wants us to show love and kindness to those that it doesn’t come natural. 

Think about those people.  We all know a few.  Their love because of God shines through and it’s genuine.  God’s love is powerful.  Who are we close to?  I know I’m drawn to people who look out for me, love me, and we have things in common.

Above all, love isn’t about letting people slip into eternity into Hell without sharing the Gospel and Jesus as much as you can while you or the others are still alive.  A little here and little there is all it can take.  Understandably there are those who will never accept Him, but we don’t ever want it because we never shared it enough.

The devil loves to have people take the attitude that their faith is a personal thing and they don’t need to share it.  Wow!  Someone share that verse with me?  We’re to be a light on a hill.  Salt that loses its saltiness is only good for throwing in the river.

Matthew 5:13-16-13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

   14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

We need to let our light shine and love each other deeply!

I had a reflection that came to my mind when reading the last part of 1 Peter 4:8.  We know that it is the blood of Jesus that covers our sins.  The thing that I got from the fact love covers over a multitude of sins is much sin comes from our selfish desires.  If one loves deeply for others and concentrates on that, they are probably staying away from more areas that lead to sin.  That’s not a breakdown from the concordance or anything, but just something that came to my mind.

To end this post;

 Jesus feels that loving God and your neighbor are pretty important.

Matthew 22:36-40-   36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 
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Quote – Keith Green

05 Jun

If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence…? You’d be bored to tears in heaven, if you’re not ecstatic about God now!
Keith Green

I would like to add that the fast paced, pleasure seeking country we live in has really brought this quote to life.

If God made this earth and everything that is in it, including us, how can man feel this way that Keith was referring to? 

I see most people feeling this way and that’s why they are chasing after this world. 

To think that the world would have more to offer than our Lord is just a matter of not seeking Him.  I can look back on my own life and before I turned the reigns over to Him, I made things unhappy, stressful, and my life was nowhere mess. 

Don’t buy the lie.  The lie has been for sale for 6,000 years.  The serpent and Devil has been selling this untruth for anyone willing to buy.

What are going to seek?  The other lie is that you can live one way and still be fine in the other.  The New Testament warnings do not indicate that.  Either to not know Him at all;

Matthew 7:21-13 –  21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

or to be saved, but all works burnt up, can’t be the goal Christians will want to have come the Judgment.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Seek the Lord!  You will find that the more you seek Him and truly know Him better, the more you will understand what Keith Green is saying.  You will also find the true reason you were created and will get back on the path God had intended for you.

If you take time to seek Him, he’ll still give you some time to enjoy those special things you enjoy.  You just won’t be making them the priority of your life and forgetting the most important.

 
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Posted in Encouragement, Quotes, Reflections

 

Psalm 51:1-2

03 Jun

Psalm 51:1-2 – 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

The Psalm was written by David after his adultery sin with Bathsheba.  David knew the importance of having his sins forgiven and washed away long before Jesus came onto the earth.

God’s redemptive plan in the Bible starts in the first book of the finishes with the last. 

It’s so important that Christians know the Word the best they can.  We always have to be studying it and staying in it.

We’re all sinners.  That means we all start on the same playing field. 

His sheep listen to His voice.

John 10:27 – 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

He doesn’t want any to perish, but those that don’t listen to His voice are listening to another one. 

You want to hear His voice?  It’s in the Word.

 
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Philippians 3:7-8

02 Jun

Philippians 3:7-8- 7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Do you want to why people can become missionaries and follow God while appearing to be sacrificing their own personal lives?  This scripture tells the story very well.

They found the true treasure.  They found the meaning of life.

We were created to voluntarily worship and serve the King.  However, we were created with a free will to either do so or not.  Either way it doesn’t change the fact of why you were created.

Those who find Jesus and make Him their King are sheep that have found their way back home.  Those who choose to continue to live life the way they see fit and their own way are listening to Satan which has deceived man to rebel against God from the beginning.

We need to find Christ like Paul is talking about.  You’ll know your getting closer to Philippians 3:7-8 when your goal isn’t how big your possessions are or how quickly you can retire, but rather what can I do for the King?

 
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Live A Holy Life

01 Jun

1 Thessalonians 4:7 – 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

Once we accepted Christ as Savior, we have been called.

The Lord has shared the Holy Spirit with us, but the Holy Spirit isn’t comfortable in living in a corrupt house.

We are called to live a holy life.  What does that mean?

The problem is we know deep down what that means.  It means not living in sin.  It means not living like the world lives.  It means dying to our own selfish wants and living for the Creator who loves us and died for us.

The Bible is full of reminders of how to live holy.  Funny that when were not living right, we don’t seem to have time to crack it open.

When someone cleans up their house they do it one room at a time, one job at a time.  However, if you never make an effort to clean it up, you have a disaster.

Grace is what saves and without we are lost in our sins.  It is not by works.  However, too many of us sin and use grace as a tool to keep on doing what were not supposed to be doing.

We’re called to do our best to live a holy life for the Lord.  He knows if we are trying or not.

 
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Reflection Of A Song

31 May

Today I just want to reflect on the song that was copyright by Brian Doerksen in 1998.

Come, now is the time to worship.

What an awesome song.  The lyrics are only 8 lines long and yet they tell a story.

We are encouraged to come and worship the Lord now.  We are also encouraged to give our heart over to Him.  Just as we are, we need to come and worship our God.

We then are reminded of the scriptures Philippians 2:10-11.

Philippians 2:10-11- 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

It finishes with encouraging us that rewards and treasures are given to those who love and obey and gladly choose Him now.   Gladly is a very important word.  He needs to be our first love.  Now is the time worship.

Rather than put a link to one of the versions of the song I want you to encourage you to Google the song and listen to it.

 
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