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Dr. James C. Denison...Dr. Bill Tolar was dean of the School of Theology at Southwestern Seminary and a science major in college before experiencing a call to ministry. Long fascinated by scientific evidence for biblical truth, he wrote a sermon called "Faith in a Scientific Age" which he has preached around the world.

Dr. Tolar describes ten facts about our planet and its relation to the sun and moon. Change any of these, and life on earth would be impossible. One: our earth must tilt on its axis or the planet would absorb too much or too little heat. Two: if we were to rotate slower or faster than our present 1,000 mph, our atmosphere would be drastically affected. Three: if our planet's upward wobble on its axis were more than three degrees, the oceans would evaporate. Four: if we were to wobble downward by more than three degrees, the ice caps would melt. Five: if the ocean's depths were to change, our atmosphere could not function.

Six: if the earth's crust were ten feet thicker, free oxygen would be oxidized out of the air. Seven: if we were to orbit the sun more slowly, we would be pulled into it; any faster and we would be thrown away from it. Eight: if the sun were closer we would burn up; if further away, we would freeze. Nine: if the moon were to rotate at a different distance, tides would be too small or too great. And last, if the photosynthesis process were to be altered, life would cease to be.

God designed the universe in just the right way for life to exist on our planet. Then he designed you. David was right: you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). There is a reason why he made you just as you are. Have you surrendered your day to his purpose?

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Rick Warren...A man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

 The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations - what you love to do and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."

 When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about. Where did those interests come from? They came from God!  God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.

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Rick Warren...The Bible says our thoughts influence our lives. For instance --

My interpretation influences my situation -- It's not what happens to me that matters as much as how I choose to see it. The way I react will determine whether the circumstance makes me better or bitter. I can view everything as an obstacle or an opportunity for growth - a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

 My beliefs influence my behavior -- We always act according to our beliefs, even when those ideas are false. Always make sure you are operating on true information.  Your convictions about yourself, about life, and about God influence your conduct. 

My self-talk influences my self-esteem - We constantly talk to ourselves. Do you run yourself down with your self-talk? Stop doing that: "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV).

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Rick Warren...When Job's life fell apart, and God was silent, Job still found reasons to praise God:

Trust God to keep his promises. During times of spiritual dryness you must patiently rely on the promises of God, not your emotions, and realize that he is taking you to a deeper level of maturity. A friendship based on emotion is shallow indeed.

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Rick Warren...Good advice from Ecclesiastes 4:12: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves" (NIV).  Does anyone have your back? Is anyone defending you - watching out for your spiritual welfare? You need a community of people who are saying to you: "We'll be with you when you're going through the tough times. We're not going to let you get discouraged or depressed."

Community is God's answer to defeat. Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him" (NIV).  Remember: You can try, but you can't live life well on your own. We all need other people - to walk with us, to work with us, and to watch out for us.

Do you have a safety net - a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life's toughest times? If not, go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, and only a fool would go into them unprepared.

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Rick Warren...Nothing really worthwhile ever comes easy in life. You keep working it and going after it, and little-by-little your life becomes a masterpiece of God’s grace.

So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9 (NLT)

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Rick Warren...Jesus knew he wouldn’t be with the disciples forever. He knew at the Last Supper that He would be hanging on cross within a few hours.  This is what he prayed: “Now I am departing the world; I am leaving them behind and coming to You.  Holy Father, keep them and care for them ….” (John 17:11, NLT)

You’re not going to be with your children forever. Parenting is a season. It isn’t going to last forever, but it’s never too late to start leading.  You may be a grandparent now, but you can still be a spiritual leader to those around you.

You can echo Jesus’ prayer, saying, “Father, before I depart the world, help me to impart godly truths to my children and grandchildren. Before I leave them behind and come to you, guide me to be a good steward of those you put in my care. And then I can give them back to you, knowing you have always and will always care for them.”

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Rick Warren...God's five purposes for your children, your life and for the church.

LIVE FOR CHRIST
GROW STRONG
SERVE CHRIST
EXPERIENCE FELLOWSHIP
BRING OTHERS TO CHRIST

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Dr. James C. Denison…In understanding the logic of praying to an all-knowing, all-loving God, here’s where I think we are. One: Praying positions us to receive what God’s grace intends to give. Two: Praying changes us, as the Holy Spirit uses our communion with God to mold us into the image of Christ. Three: Praying for other people or in ways which involve others will bring results insofar as God does not violate their freedom. So pray persistently. Don’t give up on God.

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Rick Warren…Spiritually, your mind is your most vulnerable organ. To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God’s Word and other good thoughts. You defeat bad thoughts by thinking of something better. This is the principle of replacement. You overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

Satan can’t get your attention when your mind is preoccupied with something else. That’s why the Bible repeatedly tells us to keep our minds focused: “Fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1 NIV). “Fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable” (Philippians 4:8 TEV).

If you’re serious about defeating temptation you must manage your mind and monitor your media intake. The wisest man who ever lived warned, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 TEV).

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Rick Warren…The Six Phases of Faith: “Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it happen, then, just as you believe!” Matthew 9:29 (TEV) God takes our belief and he blesses us through it, and that makes life a great adventure. It is critical that we cooperate with God as he builds faith within us.

Phase 1—Dream: Do I have a dream planted in me by God? If you don’t have a dream, start praying, “God give me your dream.” If you can’t write down the dream God has given you, you need to be praying. If you don’t have a dream, you’re not living, you’re just existing. God placed you on this earth for a purpose.

Phase 2—Decision: Do I need to make a faith-decision that will help that dream become a reality? Some of you have a dream from God, but you haven’t made a decision to follow it. You’re still on the fence. God’s word for you is “Go for it!” Some of you may need to make the decision to give your life to Christ. Some of you may need to make the decision to join a church. Some of you may need to make the decision to get involved in ministry.

Phase 3—Delay: What has caused my dream to be delayed? If your prayer hasn’t been answered, that’s okay. It just means you’re in God’s waiting room. Now is not the time to detour. When things don’t happen on our timetable, we tend to run ahead of God and create detours to make it happen. You may end up making the wrong decision. Wait, wait, and wait for God to work his hand.

Phase 4—Difficulty: What difficulties have I faced waiting for the dream to be fulfilled? You are being tested, but it’s not going to be the last time. You’ll go through many, many tests in life. God says, “I know exactly what you’re going through. I see it. I’m watching. Don’t think I’ve forgotten you—I haven’t.”

Phase 5—Dead End: Have I come to a dead end yet? Some of you are there ready to give up. But the truth is—you’re right where God wants you. You’re getting prepared for deliverance. God’s word for you is “Hang on! Keep on believing! Don’t give up!”

Phase 6—Deliverance: Do I expect and trust God to deliver me? “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matthew 9:29 NIV) God is faithful. What he tells us to do, he will do. But it doesn’t happen overnight. You go through the faith-phases of Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulty, and Dead End . . . and then comes Deliverance.

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Chuck Swindoll…”God never promised He would inform us ahead of time all about His plan. He’s just promised He has one. Ultimately, it’s for our good and His glory.” God works all things together for good. I know that He is in control. And I know that He is good.

Writer Katy Read asked in a recent AARP article if we ‘baby boomers’ have an “Attention Crisis” also known as the “culture of distraction”, “information-fatigue syndrome” or simply “modern life”. Researchers at the University of California-San Diego recently said that, on average, Americans hear, see or read 34 gigabytes worth of information a day–about 100,000 words–from TV, the Internet, books, radio, newspapers, and other sources. That has grown more than 5 percent annually since 1980.

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Albert Einstein: "Our situation on this earth seems strange.  Every one of us appears here involuntarily and uninvited for a short stay, without knowing the whys and the wherefore." 

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Greg Laurie

 Why Do Some Live Longer Than Others?

 Why do some die young, while others live long lives? We can come up with all of our fanciful ideas as to why God lets one person live and takes another.

I fall back on the fact that I will probably never know why God called my son home so young. And even if I did, I seriously doubt that I would understand.

But one day I will. The Bible promises that, saying, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now" (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

So why does God take choice servants "before their time"? For example, Stephen was a young man, and yet he became the first martyr of the early Church.  In Stephen's case, God used it to get the believers, who seemed to be "landlocked" in Jerusalem, out of their comfortable "holy huddle" and take the gospel to the other regions.

Because of the wave of persecution against the Church following Stephen's death, the believers spread out, and so did the gospel. Then, the very man hunting them ended up coming to Christ! I am speaking, of course, of Saul of Tarsus who became the great apostle Paul.

God has His purposes

Why does he allow torment for some, and triumph for others? No one can say this side of heaven.

The Bible tells the story of the wicked King Herod, who arrested and executed the apostle James. This was James, the brother of John, who was a close personal friend of Jesus when He walked this earth.

Just like that, he was gone. Seeing that this pleased the religious leaders who were not fond of the growing Christian Church, Herod went and arrested Simon Peter, their leader. It looked like the end for the great fisherman, but the believers prayed and God delivered Peter from his prison and he lived to preach another day.

Why did James die, and Peter go free? It's hard to say. Life just doesn't make sense a great deal of the time. But God has His purposes that often remain a mystery to us.

"They died before their time"

When we say that someone "died before their time," we falsely assume that everyone has the unwritten promise of a long life. We operate by the greeting of Spock from Star Trek, "Live long and prosper!"

The Bible makes no such guarantees. The Bible says that our times are in His hands. It also tells us that "there is a time to be born, and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2 NLT). We don't really get any say regarding the date of our birth or death.

Then again, we have a lot to say about that space in the middle: "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12 NKJV). To "number our days" means to make the most of our time.

Here is how it breaks down:

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Rick Warren
You will share in Christ's mission in the world. When Jesus walked the earth, God worked through the physical body of Christ; today he uses his spiritual body. The church is God's instrument on earth.

As members of Christ's body, we are his hands, his feet, his eyes, and his heart. He works through us in the world. We each have a contribution to make.

Paul tells us, "He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." (Ephesians 2:10 (MSG)

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Rick Warren

Even in the perfect, sinless environment of Eden, God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18 NIV)

We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God's purposes by ourselves. The Bible knows nothing of solitary saints or spiritual hermits isolated from other believers and deprived of fellowship.

You're not on your own anymore!

 While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private. In God's family you are connected to every other believer, and we will belong to each other for eternity. The Bible says, "In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:5 NIV)

 Following Christ includes belonging, not just believing. We are members of his Body—the church. C. S. Lewis noted that the word membership is of Christian origin, but the world has emptied it of its original meaning. Stores offer discounts to "members," and advertisers use member names to create mailing lists. In churches, membership is often reduced to simply adding your name to a roll, with no requirements or expectations.

 To Paul, being a "member" of the church meant being a vital organ of a living body, an indispensable, interconnected part of the Body of Christ. We need to recover and practice the biblical meaning of membership. The church is a body, not a building; an organism, not an organization. (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 12:12-27)

God's purposes for his church are identical to his five purposes for you. Worship helps you focus on God; fellowship helps you face life's problems; discipleship helps fortify your faith; ministry helps find your talents; power helps fulfill your mission. There is nothing else on earth like the church!

Love your spiritual family. 1 Peter 2:17b (MSG)

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.

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)

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)

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)

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.

A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle. You will never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle.

The Bible says, "As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:16b NLT)

 Over fifty times in the New Testament the phrase "one another" or "each other" is used. We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other's burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks. This is biblical membership!

We need more than the Bible in order to grow; we need other believers. We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable to each other. When others share what God is teaching them, I learn and grow, too.


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Greg Laurie

Why?

When tragedy hits us, we often ask the question, "Why?" The book of Job is filled with moments when Job asks the question "Why?"

Now, there isn't anything necessarily wrong with asking God, "Why?" It's OK to ask, as long as we don't get the idea that God somehow owes us an answer. Frankly, God does not owe you or me an explanation.

Yet we may still wonder, "Why?"

Let me ask you this: if the Lord did tell you why things happen the way they do, would that ease your pain or heal your broken heart? I don't think so. In fact, it would raise even more questions.

God says, "My ways are above your ways, and my thoughts above yours." We live on promises, not explanations, so we shouldn't spend too much time asking God why.

I too have asked, "Why?" When my oldest son was suddenly called home to heaven, I asked, why did God take my son, and not me?

He was only 33 years old, with so much promise. He was a loving husband and father. He was a much-loved son and brother and friend to many. He was walking with God and serving Him.

Why? I don't know. That is my answer.

Chuck Smith told me recently that we should never trade what you don't know for what you do know.

So what do I know?

So I will stand on what I know, instead of what I don't know.

In his commentary on the book of Job, Chuck Swindoll wrote:

God never promised He would inform us all about His plan ahead of time; He's just promised He has one. Ultimately, it's for our good and His glory. He knows–we don't. That's why we shrug and admit, 'I don't know.'

But I do know this: The death of His Son was not in vain; Christ died for you; and if you believe in Him, He will forgive your sins, and you will go to live with Him forever. You'll have heaven and all the blessings of it, I do know that.

It's a tough journey, getting there. Full of confusion, struggle, and shrugs, followed by a lot of "I don't knows." But when the heavens open and we're there, hey, there will be no more shrugs, and you'll be able to say, "Now I know!"

Secret things

We could ask the question, "Why?" about many people in the Bible. Why take Stephen at such a young age as a martyr? Later, we read of James being beheaded while Peter is spared.

Why? I don't know. It was God's plan. His mysterious, at times frustrating, unknowable plan.

The Bible says, "The secret things belong to the Lord" (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV).

Poor old Job did not know how his life would turn out. All he knew was that one day things were delightful and the next day they were dreadful.

He lost his home, his health, and, worst of all, his children. He had not read the last chapter of his book, so he did not know God would bless him later.

Oh sure, his health would return, his possessions would multiply, but the children he lost were not replaced, so there was still great pain.

Sometimes, when a child has died, people will ask if you have any other children and say, "Well, at least you still have your other kids." But every child is precious and irreplaceable and dear, whether you have two children or 20.

An eternal perspective

In John 11, after the unexpected death of her brother, Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!" (John 11:21 NKJV)

 Martha was saying to Jesus, "Unfair, foul, not right!" But she still cried out to Jesus.

That is what we must do as well. Go to Jesus with your frustrations, anguish, and questions. Call out to Him. Just make sure you listen to His response!

Jesus did not correct Martha for making this statement. Rather, He sought to get Martha back to an eternal perspective here.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NKJV)

 Death is not the end. Jesus has overcome it.

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Rick Warren...

Tuning in to God

God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it." Job 33:14 (NCV)  "God's will is found in God's Word."

After we ask in faith for God's guidance, we need to listen for God's response!

Did you know that the room you are in right now is filled with radio waves? You can't see them but if you had the right type of receiver - like a radio - to tune them in, you'd be able to hear them.

God designed you to hear His voice. There is a receiver in you that allows you to get guidance from God. Job 33:14 says, "God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—even though people may not understand it." We don't understand when we're not tuned in.

What channels does God use? The primary way that God speaks is through the Bible. The Bible is God's guide book. It's like a road map to guide us along the way. It helps you negotiate the mazes you face in life, giving you the directions you need. This is why we need to read the Bible very day. God's will is found in God's Word.

God also speaks through godly Bible teachers. Have you ever been in church or at a Bible study and you feel like the teacher is speaking directly to you? In that moment, God is speaking directly to you.

God not only speaks through teachers, he also speaks through every Christian. He even speaks through you. If you'll stay in tune to Him and learn His Word, sometimes God will use you to say things to people that He wants to say to them. It's not something special reserved only for pastors; God speaks through every believer at different times. 

God also speaks through your circumstances and your pain. God whispers to us in our pleasure, but He shouts to us in our pain.

God is speaking all the time. But we must listen. Tune in to God and He will lead you on the right path.

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Rick Warren...

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). 

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. 

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.

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Rick Warren...

 Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" John 6:8-9 (NLT) 

 Whenever you have a need, acknowledge your faith by planting a seed. In other words, take your focus off your need and look at ways you can provide for the needs of others, planting a seed in their lives.

 This isn't easy; it goes against our nature; it's totally illogical. If I'm out of money, I'm probably going to think, 'I can't give away any money?' Or, if I'm out of time, I'm probably going to think, 'Why should I spend more time on something else?' Or, if I don't have any energy in a relationship, I'm probably going to think, 'How can I give more energy away?'

 Yet, God says this is exactly what demonstrates faith: when you have a need, you plant a seed.

 You can see this principle imbedded in our blood. When you give away blood, you get more blood. You don't end up with less blood; you end up with as much blood or more than you had before.

God often works through this harvest principle, that when you have a need, you give - and what you give away, God replenishes. Faith is like a seed, so it has to be planted - deposited.

 Remember the story of the little boy who had five loaves and two fish? He gives them away, and God uses it to feed 5,000 people. Jesus takes what the boy gives; He breaks it; He blesses it; and He uses it. 

That's what God does in our lives.  He takes us; He breaks us; He blesses us; and He uses us. He multiplied a little into a lot because it was planted as a seed.

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Dr. James Denison...

Once a week, Jonathan Edwards, the greatest theologian in American history, read to himself a list of 70 resolutions he made over the years, calling himself to renewed submission to his Lord.  Among them:


I don't know when the next blizzard will arrive or the Lord will come.  The only safe thing is to be ready for both.  I want to live today in such a way that I can pray with conviction the last prayer of Scripture: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20).  Will you join me?

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Dr. James Denison...Perhaps this prayer by Dr. Matheson could be yours this morning: "My God, I have never thanked thee for my thorn.  I have thanked thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorn.  Teach me the glory of my cross.  Teach me the value of my thorn.  Show me that I have climbed to thee by the path of my pain.  Show me that my tears have made my rainbows."

Amen?

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Max Lucado...Proper prayer follows the path of revealing God to us before revealing our needs to God. The purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us.

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Dr. James Denison...The good news is that Christians never die.  When we close our eyes here we open them immediately in paradise.  Our last breath here is our first breath there.  Scripture reminds us, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15).  Those you love who have died in Christ, didn't.  You have Jesus' word on it: "Whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:26). 

 If you're in Jesus' hands, nothing can take you from his omnipotent grasp (John 10:28).  Your eternal destiny is guaranteed.  You are immortal.  As Justin the Martyr reminded his persecutors, "You can kill us but you cannot harm us."

 God urges us: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).  What will happen when you do?  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (v. 7).

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Dr. James Denison...As I so often warn people, sin will always take us further than we wanted to go, keep us longer than we wanted to stay, and cost us more than we wanted to pay.  The best way to begin every day is to submit it to the Spirit of God, asking him to bring to our minds anything in our lives which displeases God.  We confess what comes to our thoughts, repenting of our sins and claiming God's forgiving grace (1 John 1:9).  Then we ask the Spirit to take control of our day (Ephesians 5:18).

 

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Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, writes "The nature of the spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty." He describes this as "gracious uncertainty," where "we are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God." I would add we can be certain of God's grace while being graciously uncertain of the future details of our lives.

 With gracious uncertainty, we can be confident in our expectations, knowing our hope in the Lord will not disappoint (Romans 5:5). With gracious uncertainty, we can release the things we have no responsibility for, yet worry about anyway.

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Rick Warren...Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GW)

 Surrendering your life means -

You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life -- Because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money," and "Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also."

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my, life or in another's life, please don't take it away!"

This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweats drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Since God knows what's best for us, we should gratefully accept the way he has fashioned us. The Bible says, "But who are you, my friend, to talk back to God? A clay pot does not ask the man who made it, "Why did you make me like this?" (Romans 9:20 TEV)

Your shape was sovereignly determined by God for his purpose, so you shouldn't resent it or reject it. Instead of trying to reshape yourself to be like someone else, you should celebrate the shape God has given only to you. "Christ has given each of us special abilities” whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts." (Ephesians 4:7 LB)

Part of accepting your shape is recognizing your limitations. Nobody is good at everything, and no one is called to be everything. We all have defined roles. "Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us." (2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

The word boundaries refers to the fact that God assigns each of us a field or sphere of service. Your shape determines your specialty. When we try to overextend our ministry reach beyond what God shaped us for, we experience stress. Just as each runner in a race is given a different lane to run in, we must individually "run with patience the particular race that God has set before us." (Hebrews 12:1 LB)

Don't be envious of the runner in the lane next to you; just focus on finishing your race. God wants you to enjoy using the shape he has given you. The Bible says, "Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else." (Galatians 6:4 NLT)

Satan will try to steal the joy of service from you in a couple of ways: by tempting you to compare your ministry with others, and by tempting you to conform your ministry to the expectations of others. Both are deadly traps that will distract you from serving in the ways God intended. Whenever you lose your joy in ministry, start by considering if either one of these temptations is the cause.

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Rick Warren...Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16, Msg).

Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" -- serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do -- that which God gave you a heart for -- and then do it for his glory!

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Rick Warren...A man's heart reflects the man. Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations -- what you love to do and what you care about most.

When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about.

Those interests come from? They came from God!  God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.

 Listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.

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Greg Laurie...You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.— 1 Peter 2:5  

In the church, every person is a brick. We are living stones placed in the church, each with gifts that God has given to us to contribute toward the work of the church. How are you doing your part in the church today?

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Rick Warren...Your hands shaped me and made me. Job 10:8 (NIV)

 God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped" to do certain things.

 Before architects design any new building they first ask, "What will be its purpose? How will it be used?" The intended function always determines the form of the building.

Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how he wanted you to serve him, and then he shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.

The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV). Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." You're God's hand-crafted work of art. You're a custom designed, one-of-a kind, original masterpiece.

God deliberately shaped and formed you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique. He carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail God gave in designing each of us: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous" (Psalm 139:13-14, NLT).

Not only did God shape you before your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process. David continues, "Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139:16, NLT).

This means nothing that happens in your life is insignificant. God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others, and shape you for your service to him.

 God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory. By identifying and understanding these factors you can discover God's will for your life.

 The Bible says you are "wonderfully complex." You're a combination of many different factors: "The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises." (Isaiah 43:21, NJB)

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Greg Laurie..."For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (NKJV)

Each of the above names of Jesus deals with an important area of our lives. They are like five Christmas gifts that we can open, and each is special and unusual.

First, His name is Wonderful. That takes care of the dullness of life. "Wonderful" comes from the root word "wonder." The word used here could also be translated as "amazing, surprising, astonishing, or awe-inspiring." And as I contemplate the fact that the Almighty God made this sacrifice for me, it will produce in my heart a sense of bewilderment, awe, and, finally, worship

 Second, His name is Counselor. That takes care of the decisions of life. We all have very important decisions that we have to make. The God who is Wonderful wants to give us counsel and direction. God has a plan for each of our lives—an individual plan, not a one-size-fits-all plan. When you are overwhelmed with the decisions of life, remember that there is a God who wants to counsel you.

Third, He is the Mighty God. That takes care of the demands of life. We need to be reminded that Jesus was not just a good man. He was the God-man. And this God who is Wonderful, this God who wants to be your Counselor, will give you the strength to live the life He has called you to live.

Fourth, His name is Everlasting Father. That takes care of the destiny of life. We believe in an Everlasting Father with no beginning and with no end. It reminds us that life on Earth is temporal, that heaven is so much better than anything this world has to offer.

Also, this hope of an Everlasting Father resonates with those who have never had an earthly father. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can now refer to the Almighty God, Creator of the universe, as our Father who is in heaven.

Fifth, His name is the Prince of Peace. That takes care of the disturbances of life. Life is filled with disturbances and, quite frankly, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year. Old problems are often brought back to the surface. Friction, stress, and problems that you are having with various family members can be at the forefront of your life at this time of year.

But here is One who is the Prince of Peace, One who will help you with the disturbances of life.

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Dr. James Denison...If Jesus is your Lord, you are part of the largest family in human history.  There may be times when you feel alone and lonely during the holidays, but you're not.  You have a Father in heaven who loves you and likes you and thinks your eternal life is worth the death of his Son.  Your Savior is praying for you right now (Romans 8:34); the Holy Spirit lives in you and is interceding for you before the Father at this very moment (Rom. 8:27).  You are surrounded by unseen angels whose only purpose is to serve and help you (Hebrews 1:14).  You are the child of God.  And it's all because of Christmas.

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Greg Laurie...It has been said that you can't direct the wind, but you can adjust your sails. I cannot control the world. Nor can I control the circumstances that come my way. But I can control my reaction to them. I can redirect my sails and adapt.

We all will face storms, difficulties, and even shipwrecks. So it is time for us to develop our sea legs and not focus so much on how to avoid storms, but on how to get through them, how to survive them, and how to learn the lessons that we can only learn in such places.

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Max Lucado…God never sends you out alone. Are you on the eve of change? Do you find yourself looking into a new chapter? Is the foliage of your world showing signs of a new season? Heaven’s message for you is clear: when everything else changes, God presence never does. You journey in the company of the Holy Spirit, who “will teach you and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26 NLT).


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Rick Warren...When God puts someone in need right in front of you, he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servanthood.

 God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.

 Faithfulness has always been a rare quality (Psalm 12:1; Proverbs 20:6; Philippians 2:19-22).

Most people don't know the meaning of commitment. They make commitments casually, then break them for the slightest reason without any hesitation, remorse, or regret. Every week, churches and other organizations must improvise because volunteers didn't prepare, didn't show up, or didn't even call to say they weren't coming.

God has promised to reward your faithfulness in eternity. Imagine what it will feel like one day to have God say to you, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!" (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

By the way, faithful servants never retire. They serve faithfully as long as they're alive. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God.

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Dr. James Denison...Jesus' advice was clear: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:33-34).  In light of his wisdom, I'm choosing not to fret over neckties and baggage fees and Iran.  I'm going to make God my King and let him run his kingdom, serving the Lord who loves me and leaving everything else in his omnipotent hands.

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Max Lucato:  Success is not defined by position or pay scale but by doing the most of what you do the best.

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Rick Warren

James reminds us, "you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14).  The good news is that our Father in heaven knows us better than we know ourselves.  His angels are surrounding us this very moment.

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Rick Warren

 The moment you start retaliating or seeking revenge is the same moment you give up control of your life. You have allowed the person you're angry at to gain control of your life because you are reacting, which is a position of weakness, as opposed to forgiving, which is a position of Christlike strength.

The Bible teaches, "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 'I will take revenge; I will pay them back,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19 NLT).

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By Dr. James C. Denison
 Using your hippocampus

 Multitasking apparently isn't.  Today's New York Times carries a feature story about the dangers of driving while using our cellphones and laptops.  The conventional parts of the report detail the dangers of this ubiquitous practice-talking on a cellphone makes us four times more likely to have a wreck, even if we use hands-free devices.  Texting while driving is even more dangerous.

 I knew all of that.  But I didn't know that the work I think I'm doing while driving isn't getting done very well.  One psychologist says that "there is an illusion of productivity" when we multitask.  One reason is that our brains must switch between neural regions, making us less effective learners.

 The other has to do with brain physiology.  When we focus on a single task, our brains use the hippocampus, a region which is critical to storing and recalling information.  When we try to work while driving, our brains use the striatum, a region involved in motor skills.  (I'm impressed that I got to use "hippocampus" and "striatum" this morning, but then I'm not multitasking at the moment.)

 The article warns us that we are more easily manipulated when talking while driving.  Multitasking over time also makes us less able to concentrate on in-depth tasks, even when we focus only on them.  "The brain is fundamentally built to unitask," one researcher concludes.

 Maybe that's because we're made in the image of God, and he doesn't multitask.  You'd think he must--running the universe while listening to millions of people using hundreds of languages to pray to him right now.  But he doesn't live in time as we do.  He created the space-time continuum, and stands outside of it.  We know that our Lord is not bound by space--it's harder for us to imagine him outside of time, but he is.  To quote C. S. Lewis: if we imagine time as a line on a page, God is the page.

 As a result, your Father has all of eternity to listen to your next prayer.  To focus on your next problem or opportunity.  To welcome your worship and speak to you through his word and empower you by his Spirit.  He is the Great I Am-all of God there is, is in this moment.

 The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has all the time in the world for you.  Why is that fact good news for your soul this morning?

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Dr. James Denison

I may live to be 101 or this may be the last essay I write.  Jesus could come back to our planet before I go to bed tonight-we're one day closer to his return than ever before.  In the meanwhile, the worst thing that can happen to me will lead instantly to the best thing that can happen to me.  One second on the other side of death, I'll be glad I'm home.

 Justin the Martyr (executed for his faith in AD 165) told the Emperor, "You can kill us but you cannot harm us."  If Jesus is your Lord, you already have eternal life.  You are immortal.  You will live forever with your Father in his perfect paradise.

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Rick Warren

Cooperate with God as he prunes--Praise God for the work he's doing in your life, remembering "he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more" (John 15:2 NLT).

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Read Your Life Backward

 by Max Lucado

 God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.
Philippians 2:13 NCV

What God said about Jeremiah, he said about you: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jer. 1:5 NCV).

 Set apart for a special work.  God shaped you according to yours. How else can you explain yourself?

 And in your case, he knew what your generation would need and gave it. He designed you. And his design defines your destiny.

 “God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him” (Phil. 2:13 NCV). Your Designer couples the “want to” with the “be able to.” Desire shares the driver’s seat with ability. “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps. 37:4 NIV). Your Father is too gracious to assign you to a life of misery.

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From Greg Laurie

That is why I think our generation could easily be called the iGeneration, because we think it is all about us. It is all about our getting what we want, when we want to get it. Now that we can get our information on demand, we don't want to be told what we can see or hear—or let others decide when we can hear and see it. We want what we want, and we want it when we want it. And many are taking the same approach to morality

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Rick Warren

In Philippians 4, Paul says, "May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord." Can we really be joyful in all circumstances? The Bible suggests the following strategy:

Don't worry about anything--Worrying doesn't change anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.

How do you unlearn it? Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). He's saying don't open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.

Pray about everything--Next, instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

Thank God in all things--Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

Think about the right things--If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.

This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the positive and on God's word.

What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul tells us the result is, "you will experience God's peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."

What a guarantee!


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Dr. James Denison…

 I think the key to his time-management philosophy is found in a single verse of Scripture: "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).  Jesus began the day by connecting his soul with his Father.  Even the divine Son of God knew that without his Father's guidance and the Spirit's power, he could not fulfill his purpose for the day.  As he surrendered his day to his Father, he was led through the decisions and dilemmas he would face.  As he sought the empowerment of the Holy Spirit he was enabled to live in joyous victory.


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Here's the good news: the mind which is contemplating you right now thinks you're more valuable than all the diamonds in all the mines in all the world.  The God of the universe thinks about you more often than the number of grains of sand in the world (Psalm 139:17).  He says that "whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye" (Zechariah 2:8).  With David you can pray this morning, "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:8).

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Focus Only on Doing God's Will
 by Rick Warren

"Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light" (Matthew 11:27-30 TEV).


How heavy is God's yoke? Jesus says, "The yoke I will give you is light and easy." You say, "But my Christian life isn't easy. My Christian life is heavy; it's like a duty that I have to fulfill."

Then it may be you are out of God's will. You may be doing something that God never intended for you to do. I can't say it any plainer than this: It may be some of the things you think God is asking you to do, He's not asking you to do. Your conscious and your perfectionism are asking you to do them.

Jesus did not come to give you a burden but a blessing.

 

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Info from Dr. James Denison

All Muslims believe in five tenets (often called the "five pillars of Islam"): the witness ("There is no God but God and Muhammad is his prophet"); prayers five times a day while facing toward Mecca (Muhammad's hometown); a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in the Muslim's lifetime (or financial provision for another to go in one's place); fasting during the month of Ramadan (the first "revelation" which came to comprise the Quran was given to Muhammad on the 17th day of the month of Ramadan); and alms-giving to the poor (at least 2.5% of one's goods). We are in Ramadan now; the observance will continue to September 19 this year.

Radical Muslims adhere to two additional beliefs. First, they assert that the West has been attacking the Muslim world since the Crusades (1095-1291) and especially with our support for Israel. This is a crucial belief, since the Quran forbids a Muslim to initiate aggression but requires him to defend Islam. Second, radical Muslims argue that since the West is made of democracies in which the people elect their leaders and support their military, there are no innocent victims in the West. You and I are viewed in the same way we might see Germans who supported Hitler and the Nazi movement.

As a result, 9-11 was not an unprovoked attack on innocent Americans in the mind of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. They saw it as a defense of Islam, striking at the symbols of Western imperialistic aggression—the Twin Towers represented the financial, the Pentagon the military, and Washington the political. (For my essay on our subject, including a history of Islam, the beliefs of Muslims, and the threat of Radical Islam, I invite you to go to our website, www.informedfaith.com.)


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Dr. James Denison

 "Helicopter parenting," is where moms and dads hover protectively and constantly over their kids.

You may not want neighbors or parents "helicoptering" over you today, but there are some observers you and I should welcome. Last Friday I commented on the fact that angels are watching you read these words right now. There are angelic beings in the room with you, created by God as "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

Angels protected Lot and his daughters in Sodom (Genesis 19), the Hebrews from Egyptian armies (Exodus 14:19-20), and the Israelites from their enemies in Canaan (Exodus 23:20-23; 33:2-3). An angel saved Hezekiah and his people from annihilation by the Assyrians (2 Kings 19:32-36). Across the history of Israel, "the angel of his presence saved him" (Isaiah 63:9). Angels rescued the apostles from prison (Acts 5:17-19) and Peter from death (Acts 12:6-11).

The next time you feel alone and lonely, think about your angelic guardians. Know that they work for our Father in heaven, your omnipotent "helicopter Parent." Take comfort and courage in their presence, and trust their Lord for your strength and peace. This is the invitation of God.



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Choose Well by Greg Laurie

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them."  — Ecclesiastes 12:1


A French proverb says, "Forty is the old age of youth and fifty is the youth of old age."

When you are middle-aged, you begin to wonder who put the quicksand in the hourglass of time, because your days, months, and years go by so quickly.

And we all need to take stock of our lives and ask, "What is my life all about? What is the legacy that I will leave? How will I be remembered?"  It is really important to not only think of this as you are getting older, but it is also crucial to think about when you are young, because that is when you are charting the course your life will take. That is when you are developing habits and making decisions like the career path you will follow and the person you will marry.

You will decide the evening of your life by the morning of it, or the end by the beginning. So make the right choices.

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Success Is Living Your Values

Rick Warren
From PurposeDriven.com

“We should choose to follow what is right. But first of all we must define among ourselves what is good” (Job 34:4 LB).

Everything you do is influenced by your values. Your actions in life are largely determined by the values you hold. Every time you make a decision, you’re relying on your values to tell you what to do.

Unfortunately, some of the values you operate by are counterproductive to your success and a hindrance to your satisfaction in life. You see, many of the unconscious values you live by are ones you didn’t choose; they were imposed on you by parents, peers, and the culture around you. (Today television is the #1 values shaper in our society.) You may be operating on incorrect information and values that don’t stand up under pressure.

Just like the set of the sail determines the direction of a sailboat, your values chart the course for your life. The question is: In what direction are your values leading you? Are they going to deliver what you hope or will you eventually be disappointed?

Here’s another fact about values: they cause a lot of your stress! Stress occurs when what you say you believe and what you actually do don’t line up. For instance:

• When you say, “My family is important to me,” but you’re always too busy or too tired to enjoy them.

• When you say, “I value my health,” but you overwork, overeat, and never exercise.

• When you say, “I’m not materialistic,” but you become so in debt you must worry constantly about finances.

When two of your values conflict, that’s called a dilemma. My experience is that these incongruent values are the #1 cause of emotional tension among believers. What’s the solution?

Identify what is really important in life. “We can choose the sounds we want to listen to; we can choose the taste we want in food, and we should choose to follow what is right. But first of all we must define among ourselves what is good” (Job 34:3–4 LB).

You need to come up with a personal definition of success, not someone else’s definition but your own. Remember this: “Success is the feeling I get when I live out my values.” It’s not a destination. You can be successful at any stage of your life, based on your own personal values and goals. Begin by making a list of what you value most in life. Ask yourself “What is going to last?”

Begin eliminating those things that really aren’t important. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2 NLT).


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The God we worship is a "good, pleasing and perfect" will for every one of us, every day of our lives. Romans 12:1-2. It calls us to make Christ our Savior and put him on the throne of our lives as our Lord, refusing the world's influence wherever it contradicts the word of God. We close with Paul's final admonition: "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (v. 2b).

Be "transformed," remade in your inmost nature. "By the renewing of your mind"—spend time with God, so that he makes new your mind by Scripture and prayer. Meet your Father every morning in Bible study and prayer. All through the day, seek his mind, his biblical guidance, his Spirit's leadership through prayer and worship. Pray about every problem and opportunity. Ask what Scripture says about every issue. Spend the day practicing the presence of Jesus, and his Spirit will transform and renew your mind and soul.

When you put God in charge, refuse the world's standards, and seek his mind, you will experience his "good, pleasing and perfect will" (v. 2c). "Good" means that which works well in practical experience. "Pleasing" means that which brings delight and joy in emotional experience. "Perfect" means that which brings complete fulfillment of your purpose in personal experience.

Now you are in position to seek God's specific will for your specific problem or decision. He will guide you through biblical truth, open and closed doors and circumstances, the counsel of godly friends, and the urging of his Spirit in your heart. You will know what to do, when you need to know. And his will is always for your good and his glory.

Those used greatly by God have all come to a place of surrender, aligning their lives with the one purpose of serving Jesus Christ every moment, in every way. The Chinese theologian Watchman Nee said it well:

"A day must come in our lives, as definite as the day of our conversion, when we give up all right to ourselves and submit to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ. . . . there must be a day when, without reservation, we surrender everything to Him--ourselves, our families, our possessions, our business and our time. All we are and have becomes His, to be held henceforth entirely at His disposal. From that day we are no longer our own masters, but only stewards. Not until the Lordship of Jesus Christ is a settled thing in our hearts can the Holy Spirit really operate effectively in us. He cannot direct our lives effectively until all control of them is committed to Him. If we do not give Him absolute authority in our lives, He can be present, but He cannot be powerful. The power of the Spirit is stayed."

Andrew Murray said, "God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him." Will yours be that life today?

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Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily if we would follow him (Luke 9:23). Paul testifies, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). My life will be most significant today when it is most surrendered to Jesus as my King.

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: "I know, even though you are temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations. This is no accident—it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold" (1 Peter 1:6-7 PH).

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"But 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).

 Even as you make a decision to follow the dream God places in your heart, you can expect a delay. God will not fulfill your dream immediately because this is another step toward building your faith.

• Noah waited 120 years from the time he started building the ark until it began to rain.
• Abraham was told he would be the father of a great nation and didn't have a child until he was 99.
• God told Moses he would be the leader to lead his people out of 400 years of slavery, but then made him wait in the desert 40 years.
• Joseph spent years in prison before God raised him up and he became the ruler God wanted him to be.
• God had David anointed as king, but then David waited for years until he actually got to be king.

We all have to go through these waiting periods. Even Jesus waited for 30 years in the carpenter's shop before setting out on his public ministry.

Why do we wait? It teaches us to trust in God. We learn that His timing is perfect. One of the facts we have to learn is this: God's delay never destroys His purpose.

 A delay is not a denial. Children must learn the difference between "no" and "not yet," and so must we. Many times we think God is saying, "No," but He is saying, "Not yet."

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How God Builds Your Faith: Decision  by Rick Warren

 "But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind . . . Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do" (James 1:6, 8 NLT).

 I know Someone who knows exactly what the economy will do today, and next Thursday, and every day until the stock market dies or the Lord returns, whichever comes first.

Here's his wisdom on the subject of financial worries (or any other kind): "I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25). "Do not worry" is what Greek professors call a present-tense imperative. In essence, Jesus ordered us: "Do not worry at any moment about anything at all." If you are fretting about your finances or your job or your health or your family or anything else, stop it this moment. Cease, desist, quit. We can do this, or Jesus wouldn't tell us to.

Why stop worrying now? "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (v. 26). What good does worry do anyway? "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (v. 27).

After God gives you a dream, the next step for building your faith is decision; God challenges you to do something about your dream.

Nothing is going to happen to that dream until you wake up and put it into action. You've got to make the decision: "I'm going to go for it!" For every ten dreamers in the world, there is only one decision maker. A lot of people have dreams but they never get to step two: making the decision to trust God and follow their dream.

James says, "But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind. If you are like that, unable to make up your mind and undecided in all you do, you must not think that you will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6-7 TEV).

Faith is a verb. It's active and not passive. It's something you do. Decision making is a faith-building activity. You use your muscles of faith.

Faithful decision making requires two things:

1. You must decide to invest your time, money, reputation, and energy. You lay it on the line; you take the plunge. You say, "God, You've told me to do this and I'm going to be faithful to do it!"

2. You have to let go of security. You cannot move in faith and hold onto the past at the same time. You have to move forward. God told Abraham that He was going to make him the father of a great nation, and that meant Abraham had to leave his home for an unknown destination. Moses had to let go of his position in Pharaoh's kingdom in order to do God's will. Nehemiah gave up a secure job in order to go build a wall around Jerusalem. In other words, if you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat.

A great illustration of God's plan is a trapeze artist. They swing out holding onto a trapeze bar, and then they let go in order to grab hold of another trapeze bar that swings them to the other side. But, at one point, they're not holding on to any bar. They're suspended in air for a split second.

Have you ever been there in a career, where you're leaving one job for another and nothing's in between? You're 180 feet above the ground with no net below and holding onto nothing.

But if you don't let go and grab onto the vision God wants you to have, you swing back. Only you don't swing all the way back; instead, you swing back lower and lower until you're finally stopped, hanging there in the air. And there's only one way out: down!

That's why God brings you to a point of decision, so your faith will build as you swing toward the dream God has given you.

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 Jesus reflected the father heart of God when He prayed for the disciples. You can pray that your children will focus on the five purposes of God which are the same as God's five purposes for your life and for the church.

Jesus said, "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given me, for they are Yours" (John 17:9 NIV).

We can pray that our children will live for Christ joyfully: "I say these things while I'm still in the world so that they will have the same joy that I have" (John 17:13 GWT).

We can pray that our children will grow strong spiritually: "I'm not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one" (John 17:15 NLT).

We can pray that our children will serve Christ effectively: "Make them ready for Your service through Your truth; Your teaching is truth" (John 17:17 NCV).

We can pray that our children will experience fellowship personally: "My prayer . . . is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are one, Father . . . and the world will believe You sent me" (John 17:21 LB).

We can pray that our children will bring others to Christ regularly: "I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in Me because of their message" (John 17:20 TEV).

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 On our wedding anniversary, I am to be congratulated for my wonderful good fortune. Pam is to be commended for her perseverance and grace.

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The good news is that the One whose estimation counts most considers you to be a person of infinite worth.  Unless your sin has corrupted the entire human race and the rest of the planet, you're not a worse sinner than Adam and Eve.  Unless you're a murderer running from the law, your past is no more shameful than Moses'.  Until you commit adultery and then murder to cover your sin, your failures are no worse than David's.  Their Father is your Father.  Their grace is your grace.

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We need to read Romans 8:26-29 to get the whole picture!

Let's put this all together, because this is showing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Allow me a very loose paraphrase/interpretation.

There are times when we are overwhelmed with the way life is going. We are so distressed that we don't even know how to pray, so we just sigh or groan. But the Holy Spirit takes these groans and sighs and turns them to prayers to the Father.

No matter what is happening, God is going to take your present circumstances and bring good out of bad. But His ultimate goal is take all that happens, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, and make us more like Jesus. Because that is the objective and endgame for every believer.

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I seldom know how my desires and experiences impact the rest of my world.  A domino I can see knocks down many I cannot.  God works for our good in ways we cannot imagine.

We're a piled-on, stretched-to-the limit society; chronically rushed, chronically late, chronically exhausted. Many of us feel like Job did when he said, "I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming" (Job 3:26 GWT).

Overload comes when we have too much activity in our lives, too much change, too many choices, too much work, too much debt, too much media exposure.

Dr. Richard Swenson says, "The conditions of modern day living devour margin. If you're homeless we direct you to a shelter. If you're penniless we offer you food stamps. If you're breathless we connect you to oxygen. But if you're marginless we give you one more thing to do. Marginless is being thirty minutes late to the doctor's office because you were twenty minutes late getting out of the hairdresser because you were ten minutes late dropping the children off at school because the car ran out of gas two blocks from a gas station and you forgot your purse. That's marginless."

You need margin in your life. When you're not hurrying and worrying all the time, you have time to think. Time to relax. Time to enjoy life. Time to be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).

"Reverence for God adds hours to each day" (Proverbs 10:27 LB).

Do you ever get to the end of your day and think, "Did I accomplish anything?"

Where does all the time go?

If you don't master your schedule, it will master you!

Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule and increasing the margin:

1. Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don't have time to do everything, so you must make choices. You must decide what's really important and what isn't. Take some time to consider the direction of your life. The Bible says, "An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions" (Proverbs 17:24 GNT); "It is stupid to waste time on useless projects" (Proverbs 12:11, GNT); "We should make plans—counting on God to direct us" (Proverbs 16:9 LB).

2. Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head; a lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says, "Worry weighs us down..." (Proverbs 12:25 MSG); "A relaxed attitude lengthens a man's life" (Proverbs 14:30 LB); "Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time" (Proverbs 17:22 GNT).

3. Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you've taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint.

I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don't take God seriously enough!

"Then Jesus said, 'Let's get away from the crowds for a while and rest.' There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn't even have time to eat" (Mark 6:31 NLT).

Jesus experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn't seem to disturb His peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, His life reflected a calm sense of balance.

What was His secret?

1. Identification: Know who you are (John 8:12). Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined Himself. There was no doubt in His mind as to who He was. If you are unsure of your identity, you'll allow others to pressure you into their molds. Trying to be someone you're not causes stress!

2. Dedication: Know who you want to please (John 5:30). You can't please everyone. Even God can't! Just about the time you get "Crowd A" happy, "Crowd B" will be upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate Him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

3. Organization: Set clear goals (John 8:14). Jesus said, "I know where I came from and where I am going." Preparation prevents pressure but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

4. Concentration: Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44). You can't chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from His primary goal.

5. Delegation: Don't try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14). We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. Don't allow the fear that others may not do as good a job as you, or that they may do a better job than you, to keep you from asking for help.

6. Meditation: Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35). No matter how busy Jesus got, He found time to get alone to pray every day. A daily quiet time is a great stress decompression chamber. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems, evaluate your priorities, and discover the rules for successful living by reading the Bible.

7. Relaxation: Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31). Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.

 Sometimes, we think the most dedicated Christians are pastors or missionaries. And they are dedicated. But you can serve God and glorify Him wherever He has called you.

You can glorify Him as a construction worker. You can glorify Him working in the medical field. You can glorify Him as a professional athlete. You can glorify Him as a graphic designer.

Whatever field it may be, you can bring glory to Him.

Everyone has certain abilities that have been given to them by God. Let's say that you were having some problems with your car. Who would you want to talk to—Greg, a pastor by the will of God? No, what you really need is George, an honest Christian mechanic by the will of God, because you have no idea what is going on underneath that hood.

George takes a look, shakes a couple of hoses, pulls out his tools, and starts working away, the next thing you know, your mechanical problem is solved. You find yourself thanking God for George, because he did what he could do.

But can George really glorify God as a mechanic? For starters, George can dedicate his ability to the Lord. He can help people, maybe even someone who is unable to repair his or her car. George can do his work as unto the Lord.

There are a lot of ways in which we can glorify God with the various abilities that He gives us. In fact, I think that if you are a hardworking, honest person who has integrity, then you are a rarity in today's culture. People will stand up and take notice.

I believe that if you do work hard, and if you are diligent, then you will get promoted. You will receive greater opportunities. People will want to know what motivates you and where you find your joy, even on Monday mornings.

What a great thing to be able to say, "I do it for the glory of God," to say, "I repair this car like Jesus is going to drive it," or "I make this meal like the Lord is going to eat it," or "I framed this house as though Christ is going to live inside of it."

You can take your work or vocation and do it for His glory. Whatever you do, you can do it for the glory of God. Your work can be an act of worship.

We are encouraged in 1 Corinthians, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (10:31 NKJV), and "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (6:19 NKJV).

When we seek to fulfill the purpose for which God has created us—to glorify Him, to honor Him, and to bring Him pleasure—then we will find happiness. It doesn't come from seeking it, but from seeking Him. Our life is found in proper balance.

As the Scripture says, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!" (Psalm 144:15 NKJV). We must never lose sight of the simple truth that we were created primarily to glorify God—not simply to pursue our own aims, goals, and desires. Rather, we were created to glorify God.

Consider these words I have inscribed in my preaching Bible: "There is one thing that must never be forgotten.  It is as if a king had sent you to a foreign country with a task to perform.  You go and perform many other tasks.  But if you fail to perform the task for which you were sent, it will be as if you had done nothing at all."


 Real servants maintain a low profile. Servants don't promote or call attention to themselves. Instead of acting to impress and dressing for success, they "put on the apron of humility, to serve one another" (1 Peter 5:5 TEV).

If recognized for their service, they humbly accept it but don't allow notoriety to distract them from their work. Paul exposed a kind of service that appears to be spiritual but is really just a put-on, a show, an act to get attention. He called it "eyeservice," serving in order to impress people with how spiritual we are (Ephesians 6:6 KJV; Colossians 3:22 KJV).

This was a sin of the Pharisees. They turned helping others, giving, and even prayer into a performance for others. Jesus hated this attitude and warned, "When you do good deeds, don't try to show off. If you do, you won't get a reward from your Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:1 CEV).

Self-promotion and servanthood don't mix. Real servants don't serve for the approval or applause of others. They live for an audience of One. As Paul said, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10 NIV).

Unfortunately, many leaders today start off as servants but end up as celebrities. They become addicted to attention, unaware that always being in the spotlight blinds you.

You may be serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated. Listen: God put you where you are for a purpose! He has every hair on your head numbered, and he knows your address.

By the way, faithful servants never retire. They serve faithfully as long as they're alive. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God. 

 John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."

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Get that guilt out of your mind by getting alone with your Father today.  Write down or describe in spoken words the sin that is bothering you.  Speak to yourself biblical promises of divine forgiveness such as 1 John 1:9, Psalm 103:11-12, Micah 7:19, and Jeremiah 31:34.  Tell God that you believe his word and are applying it to your guilt.  Declare yourself forgiven, your sin forgotten by your Father.  If you keep a spiritual journal (an excellent practice), make a note of this day and event.

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Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. Proverbs 4:23 (TEV)

To change your life, you must change the way you think. Behind everything you do is a thought. Every behavior is motivated by a belief, and every action is prompted by an attitude.

God revealed this thousands of years before psychologists understood it: "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts" (Proverbs 4:23 TEV).

When you try to change your life with willpower; you say, "I'll force myself to eat less ... stop smoking ... quit being disorganized and late."   Willpower can produce short-term change, but it creates constant internal stress because you haven't dealt with the root cause. The change doesn't feel natural. Eventually you give up and go back to the way you were.

There is a better and easier way: Change your autopilot; in other words, the way you think. "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think" (Romans 12:2 NLT).

Change always starts first in the mind. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel influences the way you act, which means "there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes" (Ephesians 4:23 NLT).

To be like Christ you must develop the mind of Christ. The New Testament calls this mental shift "repentance," which in Greek literally means "to change your mind."  To repent means to change the way you think - about God, yourself, sin, other people, life, your future, and everything else, and you adopt Christ's outlook and perspective on life.

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If you are a Christian, you know that you will live forever because Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25 NKJV).

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If you're struggling to trust God's promises and providence today, you might consider my favorite prayer in the Bible.  A father pled with Jesus to heal his child: "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."  Jesus promised, "Everything is possible for him who believes."  The father replied, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:22-24).  And Jesus did.

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"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do. What I ought to do, by the grace of God, I will do."

God is looking for that one who can make his or her mark. 2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself  strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him" (NKJV).

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Are you struggling with financial problems or health issues today?  "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).  Are you dealing with fear about the future?  "'I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11).  All of God there is, is in this moment.  His Web site is as close as your knees.  What change do you need from him today? 

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Practicing the presence of God means that we choose to honor him above all others and do only what pleases our holy Lord.  Richard Baxter, the seventeenth-century Puritan theologian, advises us: "Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not claim the blessings of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not be safely and properly doing if guests surprise you in the act."

It is only logical that I cannot draw close to a holy God unless I am willing to live as a holy person.  But there's one other key to intimacy with God which we often overlook—serving others.  I must breathe out to breathe in.  I must give away what is in my hand to receive something in my hand.  When I love my neighbor as myself, I can love God with my heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37, 39).  You cannot hate my family and love me.  When I serve you, I draw close to your Father.

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I will never die.  The worst that could happen to me today will lead to the best that could happen to me.  When I close my eyes here I open them instantly in paradise.  When I take my last breath here, I take my first breath in glory.  Since the Creator of the entire universe loves me like that, there is nothing for me to fear this day.  If Jesus is your Lord, the same facts are true for you.

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We replied with Paul's frank admission, "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Corinthians 15:14). But how can we demonstrate that the resurrection is factual and relevant?

The evidence for Easter is remarkably strong.  Consider the courageous witness of eyewitnesses to the risen Christ, men who previously cowered before servants and crowds.  Remember the facts regarding the empty tomb—if the authorities stole the body, they would have produced it; if the disciples went to the wrong tomb, the authorities would have pointed out the right one; if the disciples stole the body, they would not have maintained the cover-up or died for a lie; if Jesus didn't really die, he could not have produced the miracles which convinced his friends and followers of his risen life.

But evidence is not proof.  Faith in God, like all relationships, required a commitment which examines the evidence but then transcends it.  You could not prove that your job or marriage or family choices were the right decisions until you made them.  The best way to know if Jesus is the risen Lord is to meet him personally.  If you will ask him to forgive your mistakes and surrender your life to him as your Master, you will experience the reality and relevance of his deity, love, and grace.

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If anything matters, then everything matters.  – The Shack

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Don’t spend tomorrow’s money today.

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Margin is the space between your load and your limit. But most of us are far more overloaded than we can handle, and there is no margin for error in our lives.

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Jesus looks at you and doesn't see you just for what you are. He sees you for what you can become.

God can take an ordinary person and do something extraordinary. Jesus did not choose the apostles because they were great. Rather, their greatness came as a result of Jesus' choosing them.

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It’s not the work, but the purpose that makes it special.

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If God brings you to it - He will bring you through it.

It may be hard to see how you're going to get through something, but when you look back in life, you realize how true this statement is. 

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First and foremost, as we have seen this week, I can and must pray daily for our new president.  God's word makes this imperative mandatory for all believers, no matter our political affiliations and preferences (1 Timothy 2:1-4).  I am also required to demonstrate Christlike character in speaking of our new president, when I agree and when I disagree with his decisions.  Matthew 18:15 obligates me to speak to people rather than about them, our leaders included.  If you follow Jesus, you are under the same mandates.

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It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that as long as you are a good person and are being busy for God, then you are in good spiritual shape. Not true! Our spiritual health is not about what we are doing for God, but about what Christ is doing in and through us. We must keep our focus not on ourselves, but on Christ. Only then can we attain and maintain spiritual health.

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If God has called you to be a Martha, then serve! Remind the rest of us that there is evangelism in feeding the poor and there is worship in nursing the sick.

If God has called you to be a Mary, then worship! Remind the rest of us that we don’t have to be busy to be holy. Urge us with your example to put down our clipboards and megaphones and be quiet in worship.

If God has called you to be a Lazarus, then testify. Remind the rest of us that we, too, have a story to tell. We, too, have neighbors who are lost. We, too, have died and been resurrected.

Each of us has our place at the table.

Except one. there are those like Judas who take, take, take, and never give in return. Are you a Judas? I ask the question carefully, yet honestly. Are you near Christ but far from his heart? Are you at the dinner with a sour soul? Are you always criticizing the gifts of others yet seldom, if ever, giving your own? Are you benefiting from the church while never giving to it? Do others give sacrificially while you give miserly? Are you a Judas?

If you are a Martha, be strengthened. God sees your service.
If you are a Mary, be encouraged. God receives your worship.
If you are a Lazarus, be strong. God honors your conviction.
But if you are a Judas, be warned. God sees your selfishness.

by Max Lucado

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If Jesus is your Lord, when you die, you don't.  When you close your eyes on earth, you open them in heaven.  Your last breath here is your first breath there.  There is never a moment when you cease to be.  You simply step from time into eternity, from this broken world into God's glorious paradise, from death to life.  Evangelist D. L. Moody told a group of newspaper reporters gathered at his deathbed, "Don't say that Dwight Moody is dead.  I shall be more alive than you."  He is.

If you will follow Jesus, the worst that can happen to you will lead to the best that can happen to you.  In a sense you will be buried alive—your body dead but your spirit rejoicing in glory.  What about tomorrow worries you this morning?  Trust it to your Father now.  No matter what the markets do today or the election decides on Tuesday, your future is a secure as the promises of God. 

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The enemy attacks with disappointment, discouragement, and deception when we are in a weakened physical or emotional state.  But, we need to remember God is with us along with ministering angels when we need help. (I Kings 19:5-7)

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We need to get back to the God our founding fathers believed in when they established this nation. We need to get back to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We need to get back to the God who sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sin. We need to get back to the true and living God who can save America.

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One of my favorite essays is by Helen Mallicoat: "I was regretting the past and fearing the future.  Suddenly, my Lord was speaking: 'My name is I Am.'  He paused.  I waited.  He continued: 'When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard.  I am not there.  My name is not—I Was.  When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard.  I am not there.  My name is not—I Will Be.  When you live in this moment, it is not hard.  I am here.  My name is I Am.'"

All of God there is, is in this moment.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  If your Lord was ever worthy of your worship and trust, he is so today.  He has not changed.  He never will.

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It's not failure to fall down, but it is failure to stay down.  Has our fallen world fallen on you?  Is discouragement whispering in your ear?  Are you thinking of abandoning a dream for the security of mediocrity?  Don't do it.  Remember that "Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26).  When Peter turned his eyes from Jesus to the wind he was afraid and began to sink (Matthew 14:30).  But when Stephen looked up, he saw Jesus (Acts 7:56).  So will you.

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"'When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.'" (2 Samuel 23:3b-4)

God calls leaders from all walks of life, during all seasons of life. His Word promises those who honor Him as a leader will be a special blessing to those around them.

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There are those who say that we should only pray for something once; otherwise, we are demonstrating a lack of faith.  Yet Jesus taught His disciples, "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened" (Luke 11:9). We give up far too easily sometimes.

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Our spiritual enemy is the father of lies (John 8:44) who seeks to steal and kill and destroy (John 10:10).  We must resist him in God's strength (James 4:7), finding our hope in his help.  Peter exhorts us: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings" (1 Peter 5:8-9).

When do we need to go to God with our temptations and struggles?  Now.  This moment.  It will never be easier to refuse sin than when it first appears in your mind or heart.  Don't fight back with your strength or resolve.  Give the temptation or struggle immediately to your Father, and ask him for his power and victory.  Then they will be yours.  He will never allow a temptation or test he will not give you the strength to defeat (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Never give up.  You are in this battle until you go to God or God comes to us.  Satan tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry and at its end.  He will tempt you until you are with the Lord.  In fact, one of Satan's most subtle strategies is to tempt you, expecting you to turn to God for strength.  Then when you are victorious he brings his temptation against you again, hoping you'll decide that your prayer didn't work since the temptation returned.  He is happy to lose a battle so long as he can win a war.

So every time the temptation strikes or the struggle returns, give it to your God.  Discouragement is of the devil.  Guilt is of the enemy.  But grace is greater than all our sin.  Our Father is greater than all our enemies.  Go to him today.

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The bible is a revelation of truth about God that comes from God that otherwise we would never know about God.  I can only know God as he shows himself to me in the bible.  The bible is “God’s Autobiography”.  If I want to know God I have to look at the bible.  To grow in God, I have to learn the bible.  2 Timothy 3:16:  “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”  To show God I must live the bible.

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It's not what I possess that matters, but the One who possesses me.

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God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. As we submit and pursue Him, He is glorified.

GOD IS IN CONTROL! ALL THE TIME!

2 Samuel 8 is jolting - full of war, death, killing, and plunder. Taken in context, it is a chapter of faith, hope, and continued fulfillment of God's plan. We are reminded that God does not call the equipped, but equips the called.

How do battles thousands of years ago apply to me?  It is hard to remember sometimes that it is NOT about ME. I admit, sometimes I get up in a rush to start my busy day. It is hours before I think about God or even pray to Him. Amazed, I can allow MY day, MY goals, MY rush to lead me into a SELF-directed, SELFish time. As I reflect, it is apparent that the fruit of the Spirit is hindered as I stressfully rush myself and others to meet human goals. At those times, I miss promptings of the Holy Spirit and where the Lord would call me to serve Him. This is flabbergasting. Humbled, I seek God's forgiveness. He is always faithful to forgive, reminding me of the journey. I rest in the fact that God is in control - even when selfish actions misguide me. David had larger battlefields, but God's teaching reminds us that He will lead, guide, and prompt by His Holy Spirit. As I submit and pursue Him, He is glorified.

David's battles teach me that what appears as an insurmountable obstacle is not insurmountable to God. Just as David submitted, I submit to see God lead, instruct, redeem, and fulfill His plan. May God get all the glory!

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What to do in impossible situations?      Joshua 6:1-20
How to deal with your Jericho?
1.  Know the Problem
2.  Know His Promise
3.  Listen for His Plan
4.  Trust in His Provision

Hebrews 11:30 - Faith leads to obedience.  Trust God and obey what he has called you to do.
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When we confess our sins to our Father with genuine repentance, he remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34)…"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

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Everything you have was given to you by God. He appointed the time of your birth, the family you were born into, your home country, your physical attributes, your talents, skills, and gifts--all were given to you. Even your most prized possession--the reward of eternal life in heaven--is a gift you received by faith.

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God's purpose for everything on this planet.

 

Romans 11:36  Everything comes from God alone.  Everything lives by His power and everything is for His Glory.

 

"Living for God's glory is the greatest achievement we can accomplish with our lives." -- Rick Warren

 

This is what we are primarily to do as a family, husband, wife or child.

 

John 17:4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do.

 

When we do what God wants, we bring him glory.

 

It’s not about me and what I want but it’s about Him and what He wants.

It’s not about my happiness, it’s about His glory.

It’s not about my expectations, it’s about His desires.

 

Dr. James Merritt

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In a special way, God reassured Paul of His presence. Acts 27 tells us that the Lord sent an angel to reassure him.

You can take heart in the face of danger or uncertainty because of your awareness of God's presence with you. When your heart sinks, when it seems as though your life is falling apart, you must remember the Lord is there with you.

You are not alone. No, there are not always easy answers. But we can be sure of this: He will be with us through the storm.

God was standing by Paul's side, and God is with us in our storms as well. He may not necessarily send an angel. We may not necessarily hear an audible voice. But if we pay attention, we can hear the still, small voice of God. And certainly, He will speak to us through His Word.

Then we, like Paul, can reassure others that the Lord is in control.

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Serve One Another by Max Lucado

Jesus “set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion” (Phil. 2:7–8 MSG).

Let’s follow his example. Let’s “put on the apron of humility, to serve one another” (1 Pet. 5:5 TEV). Jesus entered the world to serve. We can enter our jobs, our homes, our churches. Servanthood requires no unique skill or seminary degree. Regardless of your strengths, training, or church tenure, you can …

Love the overlooked. Jesus sits in your classroom, wearing the thick glasses, outdated clothing, and a sad face. You’ve seen him. He’s Jesus.

Jesus works in your office. Pregnant again, she shows up to work late and tired. No one knows the father. According to water-cooler rumors, even she doesn’t know the father. You’ve seen her. She’s Jesus.

When you talk to the lonely student, befriend the weary mom, you love Jesus. He dresses in the garb of the overlooked and ignored. “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me” (Matt. 25:40 MSG).

You can do that. Even if your sweet spot has nothing to do with encouraging others, the cure for the common life involves loving the overlooked.

 

You can also …

Wave a white flag. We fight so much. “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from?” asks the brother of Jesus. “Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves” (James 4:1 MSG). Serve someone by swallowing your pride. One more aspect of servanthood…..

Every day do something you don’t want to do. Pick up someone else’s trash. Surrender your parking place. Call the long-winded relative. Carry the cooler. Doesn’t have to be a big thing. Helen Keller once told the Tennessee legislature that when she was young, she had longed to do great things and could not, so she decided to do small things in a great way. Don’t be too big to do something small. “Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort” (1 Cor. 15:58 MSG).

A good action not only brings good fortune, it brings God’s attention. He notices the actions of servants. He sent his Son to be one.

When you and I crest Mount Zion and hear the applause of saints, we’ll realize this: hands pushed us up the mountain too. The pierced hands of Jesus Christ, the greatest servant who ever lived.

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An Uncommon Call to an Uncommon Life

by Max Lucado

Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.

1 Corinthians 12:7 MSG

Da Vinci painted one Mona Lisa. Beethoven composed one Fifth Symphony. And God made one version of you. He custom designed you for a one-of-a-kind assignment. Mine like a gold digger the unique-to-you nuggets from your life.

When I was six years old, my father built us a house. Architectural Digest didn’t notice, but my mom sure did. Dad constructed it, board by board, every day after work. My youth didn’t deter him from giving me a job. He tied an empty nail apron around my waist, placed a magnet in my hands, and sent me on daily patrols around the building site, carrying my magnet only inches off the ground.

One look at my tools and you could guess my job. Stray-nail collector.

One look at yours and the same can be said. Brick by brick, life by life, God is creating a kingdom, a “spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5 CEV). He entrusted you with a key task in the project. Examine your tools and discover it. Your ability unveils your destiny. “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:11). When God gives an assignment, he also gives the skill. Study your skills, then, to reveal your assignment.

Look at you. Your uncanny ease with numbers. Your quenchless curiosity about chemistry. Others stare at blueprints and yawn; you read them and drool. “I was made to do this,” you say.

Heed that inner music. No one else hears it the way you do.

What about you? Our Maker gives assignments to people, “to each according to each one’s unique ability” (Matt. 25:15). As he calls, he equips. Look back over your life. What have you consistently done well? What have you loved to do? Stand at the intersection of your affections and successes and find your uniqueness.

You have one. A divine spark. An uncommon call to an uncommon life. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others” (1 Cor. 12:7 CEV). So much for the excuse “I don’t have anything to offer.” Did the apostle Paul say, “The Spirit has given some of us …”? Or, “The Spirit has given a few of us …”? No. “The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others.” Enough of this self-deprecating “I can’t do anything.”

And enough of its arrogant opposite: “I have to do everything.” No, you don’t! You’re not God’s solution to society, but a solution in society. Imitate Paul, who said, “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us” (2 Cor. 10:13 NLT). Clarify your contribution.

Don’t worry about skills you don’t have. Don’t covet strengths others do have. Just extract your uniqueness. “Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6 NASB).

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Use your uniqueness (what you do)

to make a big deal out of God (why you do it)

every day of your life (where you do it).

At the convergence of all three, you’ll find the cure for the common life: your sweet spot.

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Don't feel yourself into a new way of acting--act yourself into a new way of feeling.

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Give God time to make you righteous.  Meet him in Scripture, so he can transform your mind.  Meet him in prayer, so he can transform your spirit.  Meet him in worship, so he can transform your soul.  Let the carpenter work with the wood, molding and shaping it into his own image.

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How do you see yourself? Do you value yourself based on outward appearances and qualities, or do you see that the spirit inside you is truly what makes you valuable?  I find myself sometimes striving after temporary things. But as I reflect on the truth, I realize my identity comes from Christ and the transforming work of His spirit within me.

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Andrew Murray, the great South African preacher, once observed: "Most churches do not know that God rules the world by the prayers of his saints, that prayer is the power by which Satan is conquered, that by prayer the Church on earth has at its disposal the powers of the heavenly world."  Conversely, "it is because you do not pray that you do not receive" (James 4:2, New Jerusalem Bible).

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Not only does God speak to us through His Word, and not only does He speak to us through people and circumstances, but God also speaks to us through His peace. Colossians says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful" (3:15). Another way to translate that verse is, "Let God's peace act as an umpire in your lives, settling with finality all matters that arise."

Has God called you to trust him in some new step of faith?  His will never leads where his grace cannot sustain.  So step into the torrential Jordan River and it will stop its flood.  March around Jericho and its walls will crumble.  Preach the gospel and the Spirit will fall.  Worship Jesus on your Patmos and he will reveal himself to you.  Attack the gates of hell and God will give you the victory.  Why not today?

Things can look good outwardly. Everything can seem right. Be careful. Learn to listen to that still, small voice. Learn to pay attention to that peace, or lack of it, in your life because that is one of the ways God will lead you. When you're in the will of God, you will have His peace.

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God speaks to us through people. For example, there have been times when I have been listening to someone preach or have been talking with a friend, and suddenly what he is saying addresses the situation I'm going through, even though he is completely unaware of my circumstances. It makes me realize that it is God himself speaking to me through those individuals.

Maybe God has spoken to you through a pastor or a Christian friend. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you through circumstances. Listen carefully, and remember that He will never contradict His Word.

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I used to say that my heart’s desire is to know Christ and make him known.  I now believe that statement needs to be changed: to love him and love others to him.  Then we fulfill the two great commandments.  Then we make his passion ours.  Then we find the “one thing” which makes life meaningful.

We love others through service.  A kind word, deed, email, phone call.  Praying for a lost person.  Sharing the gospel with someone.  If we don’t feel love, we should act as if we do.  Counselors say it’s better to act ourselves into feelings than to feel our way into actions.  If you don't feel love for a person, spend some time worshiping Jesus and he will warm your heart.  If you don't feel close to Jesus, love someone in his name and you will.

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We are so blessed as a church family to have the privilege of being used by God for His glory. He has given each of us specific gifts. Everyone is to employ them for "the building of our church." When I truly allow Christ to work through me, it is energizing, refreshing, and joyful. If I put the same energy and enthusiasm into "building the Body of Christ", the results will be astounding, and the blessings innumerable.

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Never wonder again if your life has meaning and value, for you have been "died for."  The Son of God went to your cross, bearing your sin, to save your soul.

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Our cry should be: Lord, I am presenting myself wholly to You for this day. What would you have me do? What is Your agenda for me today? I am Your servant, for I am under grace.

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Whatever you are doing for Christ, make sure your signs of life are signs of His life in you.

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The devil continues to look for easy targets. He knows that it's easier to hit something stationary than something that is on the move. Those who are moving forward in Christ, who are growing in their love for the Lord, are not nearly as easy to hit as a person who has begun to relax his grip on the Lord. That is the one whom the devil will set his sights on and become his next casualty.

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Christians are not saved by good works, but they are saved for good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 could not be clearer: We are saved by grace alone through faith in order to accomplish the good works for which God saved us. Our ongoing works, carried out for God, become a sign and testimony of the reality of our salvation. A person saved by grace stops working for self and begins working for God.

Christ's work on the cross removed any necessity of our works for salvation. Our works are an expression of gratitude for His.

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The safest place in the entire world to be is the center of the will of God."  Are you in that center?

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Christianity can be condensed into four words: admit, submit, commit, and transmit.

Samuel Wilberforce

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Being frugal is a virtue

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"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."

— Ecclesiastes 3:11

You, too, are a work in progress. God is doing a work in your life. When it is done, He will show you. If it is not done yet, be patient. God sees the end from the beginning. We can't see what it is, but God can. That is important to remember.

Your Father is not a customer you must please.  If Jesus is your Lord, you are the child of God.  There's nothing you can do to make him like you any more or less than he does right now.  Your society will evaluate you by your performance, but your Father already knows everything you'll do wrong today and loves you anyway.  So accept his acceptance of you and thank him for such grace.  There's no better way to start the day.

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The Bible tells us that "A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor" (Proverbs 29:23). A moment of humility will gain more respect than a lifetime of pride. Begin to live a humble life, moment by moment.

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"And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you . . . " (Genesis 43:14)

From time to time, God arranges things so that we're forced to let go of any illusion of control, and fully trust in His divine mercies. He does this to grow us up in faith.

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Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it."  "I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires."  (Genesis 41:15)

God deserves all the glory because God is the one who gives us our gifts and abilities.

God has blessed each of us with unique gifts and abilities. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can we use them. When we allow God to work through us, as Joseph allowed Him to do, people will notice.  When someone says, to us “I heard . . ." or "I noticed . . ." we can turn around and say Not I, but Christ!

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Are you using your resources and talents for His glory?

God wants us to do His will in His way in His timing.

If you're working with children in your home, church or school, it's a Christlike calling. None are as high in the Lord's work as those who stoop down to the level of children and minister to our Lord's little friends.  The greatest hope for the local church lies in raising godly children.

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If living a good moral life would get us to heaven, then Jesus never would have died for us. But He did, because there was and is no other way. He had to pay the price for our sin. At the Cross, Jesus purchased the salvation of the world.

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"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?  When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.  Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future" (Ecclesiastes 7:13-14).

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Charles Swindoll’s definition of the good life from his book "Living on the Ragged Edge":

“The good life—the one that truly satisfies—exists only when we stop wanting a better one. It is the condition of savoring what is rather than longing for what might be. The itch for things, the lust for more—so brilliantly injected by those who peddle them—is a virus draining our souls of happy contentment. Have you noticed? A man never earns enough. A woman is never beautiful enough. Clothes are never fashionable enough. Cars are never nice enough. Gadgets are never modern enough. Houses are never furnished enough. Food is never fancy enough. Relationships are never romantic enough. Life is never full enough.”

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Friends, God's ways are not our ways, His thoughts are unlike our thoughts; His plans are so much bigger than we could ever imagine or dream. Let Him work in His unique way and watch as His beautiful plan is revealed in your life.

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For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.  Psalm 84:10

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A sign hanging in Albert Einstein's Princeton office proclaimed, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."  He maintained that "imagination is more important than knowledge."

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In his final message to the Israelites, Moses told them to be strong, courageous, and mindful of God's presence as they crossed Jordan and entered the Promised Land. "He will not leave you nor forsake you," Moses said. The New Testament applies those words to us in Hebrews 11:5, so we can claim them as a promise of our own for the New Year.

We might be frightened by an uncertain future, but as Christians, we don't have to be afraid. We can welcome the New Year with an anticipation of what God will do in us and through us. Our future as Christians is as bright as the promises of God.

God may have something new for you in 2008, but perhaps it seems foggy just now. Maybe your family isn't on board, or you don't have the details worked out. But remember: The Lord repeatedly led individuals into new territory in the Bible, and not once did He fail to show them the way. So be strong and of good courage. He will never leave you nor forsake you.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11–13). God has a future and a hope for you.

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1 Cor 11:14  Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, NIV

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licentious (lì-sèn´shes) adjective

1.Lacking moral discipline or ignoring legal restraint, especially in sexual conduct.

2.Having no regard for accepted rules or standards.

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Created for a Purpose

Years ago, one of my sons asked me, "Dad, why did God put us here on the earth?" I said, "God put us here on the earth so that we might worship Him and glorify Him and know the God who created us."

Our ultimate purpose in life is not to attain success, fame, or even happiness. It should be to know the God who made us. In fact, the Bible says there are those in heaven singing, "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created" (Revelation 4:11).We were created to worship God.

Greg Laurie

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As Christians, we have no reason to fear death. The game has been played, the Lord has won, and the Bible promises us that "we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection" (Romans 6:5b NIV).

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For He Is Good

"Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

— Psalm 106:1

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A mentor of mine once told me that there are four things children need to hear from us every day:

“Have a great day.” This is the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24); you have one shot to enjoy it.

“Do your best today” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Not be the best; do your best.

“Remember whose you are.” It’s a great thing to be part of the Nigg family….

“Remember that I love you.”

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I have heard people say, "Christians are a lot like tea bags: you don't know what they are made of until you put them into hot water." Sometimes we think we are doing pretty well spiritually when all of a sudden, God puts us in some hot water. He lets us go through a trial. He allows temptation in our lives. Yet it is those difficult times that help to strengthen us spiritually. - Greg Laurie

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Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

This evening before you go to bed, ask yourself the following five questions:

1. Did I avoid causing harm?

2. Did I make things better?

3. Did I respect others?

4. Was I fair?

5. Was I compassionate?

Then you are in for a good night's sleep.

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Read Galatians 4:7 again out loud. Did you hear that? You are God’s own child! The Creator of the universe is your daddy! He scooped us up even with our sins, and sent His beloved Son to the cross, so that our sin could no longer be seen. So then, why is it that we allow Satan to try and steal that incredible feeling of freedom? The only way to counteract those lies, is to input the truth of what your Daddy in heaven thinks about you. Rejoice in the freedom you have because of His son! “PLAY…You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139)! You are rejoiced over (Zech. 3:17)! You are deeply loved (John 3:16)! You are without blemish (Eph 5:27)! You are not alone (Isaiah 43:1-3)! You are protected (Ps. 46:1).” Rest in Him!

In classical Greek, the word for "humility" is a derogatory term suggesting low-mindedness and groveling servanthood. The Greeks had no place in their language or beliefs for humility. It was looked upon as a bad thing. That is even true in our culture, as evidenced by attitudes that say, "Look out for number-one" and "What's in it for me?"

Contrary to conventional wisdom of today, the Bible tells us to put the needs of others above ourselves and to be humble. It also tells us to function in meekness.

Meekness is sometimes perceived as weakness. But that is not what the Bible is saying. The word "meekness" as used in the Bible means "power under constraint." A meek person may have the ability to hurt you, but chooses not to. That is power under constraint.

Jesus was described as meek and mild. That doesn't mean He was weak. He was far from it. He was strong. He did not return insult for insult. He did not strike back. He gave us the example to follow in humility and weakness and in dealing with others in gentleness.

This means humbling ourselves. Sometimes, it means going to a person and saying, "I don't know if I have done something to harm you or if you think I have done something, but let's try to work it out," even if you think you are right and that person is wrong. That is where humility and meekness come in.

We need to get rid of any me-first, what's-in-it-for-me attitudes and start thinking biblically. And we need to be asking, What can I do to help others? How can I learn to resolve conflicts? It can change your life.