Living circumspectly…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Life

                                 Being conscious of your thoughts!

Yes we are continually bombarded with thoughts and impressions,
… particularly through social media and the news!
The question is,
… what are we doing about those thoughts and impressions?

      bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
      2 Cor 10 5

Great advice … since we are thinking ALL the time,
… and very often many of those thoughts are simply negative.

      We need to diligently start taking notice of all thoughts
      … and not simply ignore or disregard them
      or even worse, acting upon those thoughts
      … without actively involving God in our decisions.

However …
it is not only about negative thoughts,
… but even more so about positive thoughts.
What are we doing with them?

      Consider this…
      Many of our thoughts are more than likely
      … from God or inspired by His Word,
      and unless we take those thoughts captive,
      … allowing God to develop them in us and for us,
      then, all that God wants to reveal to us,
      … all that God wants to empower us with,
      … all that involves our future and success,
      may well be totally lost.

Therefore be sure to …
      … seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
      and all these things shall be added to you.
      Matt 6 33
 

I was not there…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Life

                                              … when Jesus was here!

      That which was from the beginning,
      which we have heard,
      which we have seen with our eyes,
      which we have looked upon,
      and our hands have handled,
      concerning the Word of life—
      John 1 1

BUT – I was not there!
When did I see, look upon, touch, handle the Word of Life – Jesus?
When did I see and when was this life manifested to me?

      Every time you read the Bible,
      Every time you pray to Him,
      Every time you speak to Him,
      Every time you look for Him,
      Every time you listen to Him…

You have been there
… and He has been there.
He has touched you
… and you have touched Him.

      He manifested Himself to YOU
      … reached out to you
      and brought His life to you, for you!

So put your hand in His hand,
… step into His peace, His love
… and trust Him for whatever you need.

      If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
      you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
      John 15 7
 

Living in His favor

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Blessing, Faith, Favor, Grace

                                            … by faith!

 
Grace is – God’s undeserved favor
… opening the way to the fullness of His blessings,
… of all that God has prepared for us!

Faith is – stepping into God’s grace,
… into that blessed life that God wants us to have.
… His grace that takes care of today,
… His grace that provides for the future!

Being blessed is – living in God’s favor and grace,
… enabled and empowered by God,
… in the Lord Jesus
… by the Holy Spirit!

      that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body,
      and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
      of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace
      of God given to me by the effective working of His power.
      Eph 3 6-7

But how do I live and walk in this grace,
… how does God’s blessing manifest in my life?

      And my God shall supply all your need
      according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
      Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
      Phil 4 19-20

God shall supply our needs or wants
… according to the supply that is already in us,
… according to all that Jesus did, on the cross, on our behalf,

      I have come that they may have life,
      and that they may have it more abundantly.
      John 10 10

 

Created in love…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Love, Relationship, Value

                                                      … by Love!

God created us in love.
God set us on earth – to live love.
We misunderstood love,
… we lost love,
and our connection to Love!

God sent Jesus the Son of His love,
… because of His love,
… to restore us to Love.

      Love covers all sins.
      Prov 10 12

Jesus showed us love,
… touched us with love.
… lived love before us,
gave Himself for us in love.
… restoring us to Love!

      I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,
      that the love with which You loved Me
      may be in them, and I in them.
      John 17 26

How does love work in my life?

      And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
      God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God,
      and God in him.
      1 John 4 16

And receiving Love is easy,

      We love Him because He first loved us.
      1 John 4:19

 

The Tree of Life

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Challenge, Choice, Trust

                                            …the way and the truth!

 
When God created man He breathed His life into man …

      And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
      and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
      and man became a living being.
      Gen. 2 7

And God provided what man would need to live that life.

      The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden,
      Gen. 2 9

But how do I get connected to this life?

      By going to the source of life!
      Accepting God as GOD!
      Accepting Jesus as Lord!
      Accepting the Holy Spirit as helper, teacher and guide!

Sounds great, but where is this life God promised us?

      Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
      No one comes to the Father except through Me.
      John 14 6

Jesus is the tree of life, and He himself said …

      I have come that they may have life,
      and that they may have it more abundantly.
      John 10 10

So as I truly make Jesus Lord in my life,
… I will be drawing from the Tree of Life,
and as I make Him Lord of my future,
… by bringing every thought and decision under His Lordship,
Jesus, the Tree of life, will expose the tree of good and evil!

      For you died to this life,
      and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
      Col 3 3

 

The Tree of Knowledge

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Challenge, Choice, Trust

                                            … of good and evil!

 
You are probably familiar with the following scripture,
      The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden,
      and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
      Gen. 2 9

and that God said to man …
      of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat
      Gen. 2 17

Why did God say that?
Did God want to limit us or control us?
Neither!
      God created us special in a unique place and position,
      … in control over our own destiny,
      by giving us the right to decide for ourselves,
      … and the ability to choose our future for ourselves!
      A choice with life changing results.

However God did tell us which is the right choice,
… and which is the wrong choice,
as well as the consequences of the wrong choice,
saying …
      I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
      that I have set before you life and death,
      blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,
      Deut 30 19

Making it easy to know what the right choice is…
His choice – Life!

 

How does God see you?

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Relationship, Value

                                      … through the eyes of Love!

God is not looking at you,
… at what you did wrong
… or where you have missed it.
Never …

But…

      God is looking at the person He created
      … in His image and likeness!

      God is looking at what Christ did,
      … at who you are in Jesus!


      God is looking at you through the eyes of Love,
      … and the image of love that you are!

So…

      Start seeing yourself
      … through the eyes of Love,
      … in the likeness of Love.

For…

      God so loved the world
      that He gave His only begotten Son,
      that whoever believes in Him should not perish
      but have everlasting life.
      John 3 16

 

The Son of Man

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Relationship, Trust

                                      … the Son of God!

Jesus came to the earth as the Son of Man,
… in the image of God
Just like Adam was created,
… in the image of God,
… without sin!

      Satan came to tempt Adam
      … Adam failed.
      Satan came to tempt Jesus
      … Jesus did not fail.

What was the difference?
Adam ignored God’s Word,
… and satan snared man through disobedience into sin.
Jesus used God’s Word,
… and was victorious over satan – every time!

How did Jesus do that?

      When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know
      that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself;
      but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
      John 8 28

Jesus spoke and lived God’s Word,
… and so can we, by simply

      casting down arguments and every high thing
      that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,
      bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
      2 Cor 10 5

And as Jesus Himself said to us …
      If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
      John 14:14

 

Honoring God…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Commitment, Trust

                                                … in what you do!

      Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible,
      to God who alone is wise,
      be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
      1 Tim 1 17

What is it that God expects of us?
… that we honor Him!
But how do we honor God?
… by doing what Jesus did!

      Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.
      It is My Father who honors Me,
      of whom you say that He is your God.
      John 8 54

What did Jesus do?
How did Jesus honor God?

      Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself,
      but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does,
      the Son also does in like manner.
      John 5 19

Jesus did the works of the Father!
In other words,
… Jesus did what the Father did!

So how do we honor God?
Not by the result of our works, like Cain did.
But like Abel, bringing to God the best he had,
… a lamb in thanksgiving for God’s goodness and love!

      By this My Father is glorified,
      that you bear much fruit;
      so you will be My disciples.
      John 15 8
 

When you pray…

Posted on janLeave a commentPosted in Commitment, Trust

                                                            … listen!

 
When you pray, listen,
… not for what you think God will say,
… not what you want Him to say,
but whatever He wants to say to you,
… hear that!
It may NOT seem to be what you expect,
… but listen and then do what He said
and if you are not sure, ASK!

      Call to Me, and I will answer you,
      and show you great and mighty things,
      which you do not know.
      Jer 33:3

God is faithful.
and as you get into the habit of listening to Him,
… the easier it will become to hear Him!

However, at all times be vigilant, as Jesus said…

      Therefore take heed how you hear.
      For whoever has, to him more will be given;
      and whoever does not have,
      even what he seems to have will be taken from him.
      Luke 8 18

So, listen…
for as you act on the little that you hear,
… God will not only say more,
… but also give you more direction in your life,
because you have heard
… and acted on what He said!