woke up.. had lots of time for school.. decided to play my iphone game..
looked at the clock.. now i was running late..
Went to class. had to be an attorney for my issues and ethics class.
I had some good arguments but they also had good defenses for their side.
jury said the defendant was not guilty. And i was tryin to prove she was.
Then the professor/judge decided to override their call and say that she actually was guilty.
So i think we ended up winning. but it doesn't matter, since we arn't graded on it
in class we talked about more ways a church leader can get sued. If information is revealed to you, that has the potential to harm other students, you must take immediate action. Even with all the right preventative and protective safety measure, things can still go wrong. Makes me a little nervous about counseling.
Christian counseling in my opinion, offers a deeper ministry than clinical/psychological therapy. Ideally, combining the two would be the best approach. I feel that there are so many troubled families now days. I've been hearing so many issues within family relationships. I see the brokenness that sin causes. I see people going through signs of depression and loneliness. In short, I believe Christ not only offers salvation, but healing for this life as well. In Christian counseling, the goal isn't to find solutions or answers. The goal is to lead them to see what God may be doing in their situation. The goal is to invite God into their problems, so that He can help one come to their own conclusions. I just think God's counseling trumps all other forms of man's counseling.
Anyways...
later i went to albertsons, and this tall big guy started yelling at this smaller dude in the parking lot
everyone was very curious, and one guy even stepped in to see if everything was okay
i went to look for a security guard in albertsons but couldnt find one.
so i went to subway.. mm i heart bacon and cookies
then when i came out 4 police cars were out looking for the guy
i was like snap!
then i went to get a hair cut.
i observed a little boy and mom tickling and laughing together while they waited.
I think the joys of parenting are ultimately worth all the sacrifice
You ever go to the barber and you don't know how to strike up a conversation?
I like to get hair cuts by ladies who at least know how to small talk.
otherwise, i end up being really quiet and starring at the ground for a long time, lol
so it was nice to have this lady ask me a few questions
but it's hard when you meet a stranger and u can't find the right topic to talk about
sometimes u just don't have similar interest or interesting things to talk about
then i bought my snowboard game
i've basically been playin it ever since
i'm kinda bummed cuz it doesn't have offline multiplayer split screen like the old days
This game really makes me wanna snowboard!
ok time for a cookie!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Living in the Spirit
Making bad decisions makes me angry at myself
Missing perfect opportunities makes me regretful
Giving my best effort and still not being good enough is discouraging
Hurting someone makes me feel absolutely horrible
Taking a risk and drastically losing makes me feel like a failure
Not living to my full potential makes me feel unproductive
Being unable to accomplish my goals again and again is frustrating
__________________________________________
Being saved by Jesus Christ through faith causes my heart to worship
Knowing God's grace is sufficient for all my shortcomings is strengthening
Being in the company of good fellowship is rejuvenating
Counting my blessings make me grateful
Being empowered by the Holy Spirit is transforming
Receiving God's forgiveness is redeeming
Experiencing the warmth of His love is priceless
Friday, February 17, 2012
Simplicity
I was sitting in Theology class. And we were goin over Harmatology (doctrine of sin) Christology (doctrine of Christ) and Soteriology (docrtine of Salvation). And sometimes i feel like i sit in classes and don't really get anything new, deep or exciting out of it. And lately i've been full on knocking out for 20min naps with my head down (no1 seems to buy that i'm reading, lol.. Least i don't snore like this one guy, lol). Anyways... I asked my professor, "What is our personal relationship with Jesus?" Meaning what is His role. I usually hear God the Father speak to me and I turn to the Father in prayer. I see the role of the Holy Spirit in my life when I'm empowered, led, strengthened or convicted of sin. But exactly what does Jesus do personally in my relationship with Him? Yes the historical Jesus died on the cross as an atonement for my sins and is interceding for me at the right hand of the Father. Yes Jesus is the Lamb of God, King, Priest, Prophet, Vine, Shepherd, Teacher and Friend. But do i truly experience those roles in my own life? Do i really communicate or abide in Jesus?
I also wonder how Christ was separated from the trinity when God poured out His wrath on Jesus. It's kinda confusing since Christ who is God became sin for us. So.. how exactly did Christ take all the sin upon Himself, satisfy the wrath of God, and become forsaken during that time? God made Him who had no sin, to become sin for us. but God can't become sin.. right? i'm so confused! If Christ was separated, then wouldn't God become a duality (Father and Spirit) instead of a trinity? Which honestly doesn't make sense cuz God doesn't change in nature. Still kinda confused with the specifics. However, i guess it would be possible for Christ to have the dual nature of being fully man and fully God. And then having our sin imputed to His human nature, while still maintaining a divine relationship with the other persons of the trinity in His divine nature. But then.. i thought the consequence of sin is death for us spiritually too and not just physical. And then how exactly did Christ pay for all those sins. Can God pour wrath upon Himself?
Basically i realized i don't need to find all the answers for my questions. I usually end up with more questions and less answers. I realized that i should just enjoy attending a school with Christian teachers and classmates. It's actually quite a joy to hear your professor say, "Open your bibles to.." or "Let's open in prayer." Even if i don't get something radical out of every class, it's a joy to hear teachers proclaim God's Word and truth. I was listening to a worship song, and realized that it's not how much you know, or what you know, but who you know. Sometimes it takes genius to be simple. Sometimes we over complicate Christianity. We can easily turn it into our own religion.
The bottom line is actually quite simple. Simply come to Jesus. Run to the Father. Walk by the Spirit. Spend time with Him, dance in His freedom, worship, sing, rejoice and delight in Him. Receive His infinite love and grace. Obedience, repentance, holiness and the pursuit of knowledge will all follow from the motivation of encountering God's love. Receive with child-like trust and faith. Receive His blessing, so we can become a blessing to others. What a joy it is to have such a loving God.
I also wonder how Christ was separated from the trinity when God poured out His wrath on Jesus. It's kinda confusing since Christ who is God became sin for us. So.. how exactly did Christ take all the sin upon Himself, satisfy the wrath of God, and become forsaken during that time? God made Him who had no sin, to become sin for us. but God can't become sin.. right? i'm so confused! If Christ was separated, then wouldn't God become a duality (Father and Spirit) instead of a trinity? Which honestly doesn't make sense cuz God doesn't change in nature. Still kinda confused with the specifics. However, i guess it would be possible for Christ to have the dual nature of being fully man and fully God. And then having our sin imputed to His human nature, while still maintaining a divine relationship with the other persons of the trinity in His divine nature. But then.. i thought the consequence of sin is death for us spiritually too and not just physical. And then how exactly did Christ pay for all those sins. Can God pour wrath upon Himself?
Basically i realized i don't need to find all the answers for my questions. I usually end up with more questions and less answers. I realized that i should just enjoy attending a school with Christian teachers and classmates. It's actually quite a joy to hear your professor say, "Open your bibles to.." or "Let's open in prayer." Even if i don't get something radical out of every class, it's a joy to hear teachers proclaim God's Word and truth. I was listening to a worship song, and realized that it's not how much you know, or what you know, but who you know. Sometimes it takes genius to be simple. Sometimes we over complicate Christianity. We can easily turn it into our own religion.
The bottom line is actually quite simple. Simply come to Jesus. Run to the Father. Walk by the Spirit. Spend time with Him, dance in His freedom, worship, sing, rejoice and delight in Him. Receive His infinite love and grace. Obedience, repentance, holiness and the pursuit of knowledge will all follow from the motivation of encountering God's love. Receive with child-like trust and faith. Receive His blessing, so we can become a blessing to others. What a joy it is to have such a loving God.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thank You for Jesus
God help me to be faithful to what you have called me to. Save me from myself. Save me from my insecurities, lack of self-discipline, and self-condemnation. Make me the person you want me to be. Lead me to where you want me to go. Give me the strength and the faith to trust you through the challenges. May your will be done in me. Father help me to wait upon you and soak up your explosive love. May i grow in your wisdom and pursue a greater glimpse of you. May i extend myself better relationally to those around me. You are the true Vine, may i abide in you. You are the Light of the world, may you shine through me. You are the King of the world, may that truth be proclaimed in my life. Shepherd me to green pastures and still waters. May your staff comfort me and your rod discipline me where needed. Father I want to be completely satisfied in you and completely in awe of you. I pray for joyful obedience. I don't just want to sit around and become idol. Use me as your instrument. Give me the boldness to go beyond my own comforts. Give me a broken heart for the lost. Help me to pray for others. Help me to serve others. thank you for blessing me with a loving family and great friends. Help me to show and express that appreciation. Keep me from distractions, keep me from idols, and guard me from sin so i can pursue your righteousness. May I decrease so that you increase. God help me to be more disciplined. Grow me to become more Christ-centered. I give you all that i am. May your Name receive the highest glory, honor and fame. Take my heart Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. Amen.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Having Grace for Yourself
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5
sometimes i get down on myself, but as Christians we are to practice a self talk. We are to preach to ourselves the gospel. God has conquered over both sin and death; i'm sure He's big enough to handle our problems and anxieties too. Cry out to the Lord in your despair. He is a God of peace, comfort and healing. Every second God is overflowing with infinite grace and is pouring out His endless love. Are we intentional on receiving it? By not having grace for ourselves we are in a sense denying His grace. I feel like a child who still can't walk properly. Even though i keep falling down, God keeps saying, "Let's get back up and try again." Even when I stumble and fall, i delight that i have a Father holding me with each step.
Ever know that you could do something well, and then not do as well as you expected? Sometimes i get disappointed and mad at myself for not doing my best. We have the capacity and potential to be great, and yet we often settle for alright. It's not about just getting by or doing enough. We are called to live to our fullest. We are to maximize our influence in this world and manage ourselves in a way that is honoring to God.
Not loving when i know i could and should upsets me. Having the allotted time to accomplish something and not taking advantage of that time to get the task done upsets me. Procrastinating and operating on 50% upsets me. I know that there's a chris who can lead in confidence, a chris that is responsible, a chris that is unwavering in faith, but lately i've only seen the chris that only hits the status quo. I hate that i live by cutting corners and taking short cuts. Greater quality requires greater commitment.
When we don't strive to become the best we can be, we see our mediocre results and products of it. By not exercising and eating right, our bodies show that we haven't been taking care of ourselves. By rushing through a homework assignment, we receive the average grade we deserved. By not putting in time to do the proper research and preparation, we see the lack there of. I beat myself up and self condemn myself for not doing and being my best. I'm not saying we should be perfectionist, i'm saying we shouldn't settle for short. I'm a C+ B- kind of guy. My whole life i've figured out ways to not expend energy so i didn't need to work too hard.
What's frustrating is that now that I do try to put in 100% of my energy into performing certain task, i still fail and can't get an A. It makes you feel like your not good enough at something, inadequate and weak. Doing your best and still ending up in failure is even more discouraging. Wanting to do better and yet still fumbling the same importunity makes me upset at myself. I know i can do better, but i'm struggling to be better. I can preach about spiritual things and how we ought to live, but actually living by the spirit and not gratifying the desires of the flesh in my own daily life is a whole different thing.
I need grace for myself. God is full of grace and loves us even after we've dropped all the eggs. However, i need to learn to find grace for myself. Sanctification is saying no to sin and yes to righteousness more and more in our life. We are to conform our mind, desires, emotions, and will to the likeness of Christ. Imitating Christ is more than just imitating His actions. We are to conform our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes to His. We are to have the same dependent relationship with the Father as Jesus did.
Lately i've felt a little overwhelmed with life. Trying to do everything at 100% is impossible. There needs to be sacrifices and the one thing i don't want to sacrifice is my spiritual walk and time with God. I want to be faithful to all my responsibilities, but I get so quickly exhausted and burnt out from trying to prepare for the coming week. My bad sleep schedule affects my entire life. If i don't get enough sleep the previous night, i'm normally a zombie to other people. It's so hard to express love when your exhausted. Getting natural and spiritual rest are very important disciplines. Sometimes i only rest and then never put in the time to do work. I also need to have the self discipline to stay focused on a specific task. I get way too distracted or lazy.
I met with one of my favorite professors this week. He's probably the busiest guy I know and yet his life always seems so well together. He's a husband, professor, pastor, and not to mention a father of 10 children. He gave me some good advice. Learn when to say No to things and also when to say Yes to things. When i told him i felt guilty for not reading devotions daily he said that it shouldn't be the only way we go about spirituality. We are to look at how well we are producing the fruits of the Spirit in our life. Is there love, joy, peace, self-control, etc? Are we serving others and faithfully obeying Him in worship? Do we mediate and think upon God? Do we abide and commune with Him throughout our day. We need to see ourselves with the perspective that we aren't really that busy. We actually have tons of time throughout our day to accomplish our given responsibilities. Christians have the special perk of tapping into God's strength for help. He gives us the ability to persevere through trails, manage ourselves and to devote ourselves to His will.
Trials make you stronger. Experience makes you wiser. Practice produces precision. Trust, abide, and delight in Him. Receive His grace. See yourself the way God sees you. See others the way God sees them. As works in progress, we know that in faith we are growing, training and learning to become the disciples He desires us to be. Be a faithful steward with what God has entrusted you with, trust in God's strength, follow where God leads, and live in the fullness of who God has created and called you to be.
Man i'm so tired, i dont even know what i'm saying.. time to go to sleeeeep! XD
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
"8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." -1 Timothy 4:8-16
"5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:5-8
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5
sometimes i get down on myself, but as Christians we are to practice a self talk. We are to preach to ourselves the gospel. God has conquered over both sin and death; i'm sure He's big enough to handle our problems and anxieties too. Cry out to the Lord in your despair. He is a God of peace, comfort and healing. Every second God is overflowing with infinite grace and is pouring out His endless love. Are we intentional on receiving it? By not having grace for ourselves we are in a sense denying His grace. I feel like a child who still can't walk properly. Even though i keep falling down, God keeps saying, "Let's get back up and try again." Even when I stumble and fall, i delight that i have a Father holding me with each step.
Ever know that you could do something well, and then not do as well as you expected? Sometimes i get disappointed and mad at myself for not doing my best. We have the capacity and potential to be great, and yet we often settle for alright. It's not about just getting by or doing enough. We are called to live to our fullest. We are to maximize our influence in this world and manage ourselves in a way that is honoring to God.
Not loving when i know i could and should upsets me. Having the allotted time to accomplish something and not taking advantage of that time to get the task done upsets me. Procrastinating and operating on 50% upsets me. I know that there's a chris who can lead in confidence, a chris that is responsible, a chris that is unwavering in faith, but lately i've only seen the chris that only hits the status quo. I hate that i live by cutting corners and taking short cuts. Greater quality requires greater commitment.
When we don't strive to become the best we can be, we see our mediocre results and products of it. By not exercising and eating right, our bodies show that we haven't been taking care of ourselves. By rushing through a homework assignment, we receive the average grade we deserved. By not putting in time to do the proper research and preparation, we see the lack there of. I beat myself up and self condemn myself for not doing and being my best. I'm not saying we should be perfectionist, i'm saying we shouldn't settle for short. I'm a C+ B- kind of guy. My whole life i've figured out ways to not expend energy so i didn't need to work too hard.
What's frustrating is that now that I do try to put in 100% of my energy into performing certain task, i still fail and can't get an A. It makes you feel like your not good enough at something, inadequate and weak. Doing your best and still ending up in failure is even more discouraging. Wanting to do better and yet still fumbling the same importunity makes me upset at myself. I know i can do better, but i'm struggling to be better. I can preach about spiritual things and how we ought to live, but actually living by the spirit and not gratifying the desires of the flesh in my own daily life is a whole different thing.
I need grace for myself. God is full of grace and loves us even after we've dropped all the eggs. However, i need to learn to find grace for myself. Sanctification is saying no to sin and yes to righteousness more and more in our life. We are to conform our mind, desires, emotions, and will to the likeness of Christ. Imitating Christ is more than just imitating His actions. We are to conform our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes to His. We are to have the same dependent relationship with the Father as Jesus did.
Lately i've felt a little overwhelmed with life. Trying to do everything at 100% is impossible. There needs to be sacrifices and the one thing i don't want to sacrifice is my spiritual walk and time with God. I want to be faithful to all my responsibilities, but I get so quickly exhausted and burnt out from trying to prepare for the coming week. My bad sleep schedule affects my entire life. If i don't get enough sleep the previous night, i'm normally a zombie to other people. It's so hard to express love when your exhausted. Getting natural and spiritual rest are very important disciplines. Sometimes i only rest and then never put in the time to do work. I also need to have the self discipline to stay focused on a specific task. I get way too distracted or lazy.
I met with one of my favorite professors this week. He's probably the busiest guy I know and yet his life always seems so well together. He's a husband, professor, pastor, and not to mention a father of 10 children. He gave me some good advice. Learn when to say No to things and also when to say Yes to things. When i told him i felt guilty for not reading devotions daily he said that it shouldn't be the only way we go about spirituality. We are to look at how well we are producing the fruits of the Spirit in our life. Is there love, joy, peace, self-control, etc? Are we serving others and faithfully obeying Him in worship? Do we mediate and think upon God? Do we abide and commune with Him throughout our day. We need to see ourselves with the perspective that we aren't really that busy. We actually have tons of time throughout our day to accomplish our given responsibilities. Christians have the special perk of tapping into God's strength for help. He gives us the ability to persevere through trails, manage ourselves and to devote ourselves to His will.
Trials make you stronger. Experience makes you wiser. Practice produces precision. Trust, abide, and delight in Him. Receive His grace. See yourself the way God sees you. See others the way God sees them. As works in progress, we know that in faith we are growing, training and learning to become the disciples He desires us to be. Be a faithful steward with what God has entrusted you with, trust in God's strength, follow where God leads, and live in the fullness of who God has created and called you to be.
Man i'm so tired, i dont even know what i'm saying.. time to go to sleeeeep! XD
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5
"8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." -1 Timothy 4:8-16
"5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -2 Peter 1:5-8
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
God,
Sometimes i have trouble praying. Sometimes I have a hard time making time for you. Help me to desire you more. Help me to love you more. Help me to receive from you more. You are my strength. You are my joy. You are my God. I long to know you more. I long to be in the fullness of your presence. I long to hear your voice. Father pick me up when i fall down. Strengthen me when i am weak. Grab my heart when it gets distracted. Help me to see people the way you see them. Help me to live by your Word. Help me to proclaim Jesus to everyone I meet. I pray that you would reign first and foremost in my life. Help me to be faithful in ministry, in my school work, in my health, and in my relationships. Help me to use my time wisely. Help me to be there for others. Help me to live with purpose and servitude. God help me to wait upon you. Help me to sit in silence and feel your heartbeat. Grant me the discipline and strength to accomplish what you desire. Protect me from evil, shield me from lust, humble my pride. Tear down my walls and break down my idols so I can worship you full heartily. I thank you that your grace overcomes my sin. Help me to run the race for the prize and treasure you as my reward. Transform me into your likeness. Transform my heart, mind and will. May I stand for your truth and live with your righteousness. I desire to be pure and holy as you are holy. I desire to abide in you. May you be the center of my life. Give me a heart for my family and friends. Help me to love those who are hard to love. Help me pray for those who are in need of you. Take my heart, soul and all that I am. Use me for your glory. I rejoice in your sovereignty, in your faithfulness, in your freedom, your power, in your salvation, and in your name. Amen.
Sometimes i have trouble praying. Sometimes I have a hard time making time for you. Help me to desire you more. Help me to love you more. Help me to receive from you more. You are my strength. You are my joy. You are my God. I long to know you more. I long to be in the fullness of your presence. I long to hear your voice. Father pick me up when i fall down. Strengthen me when i am weak. Grab my heart when it gets distracted. Help me to see people the way you see them. Help me to live by your Word. Help me to proclaim Jesus to everyone I meet. I pray that you would reign first and foremost in my life. Help me to be faithful in ministry, in my school work, in my health, and in my relationships. Help me to use my time wisely. Help me to be there for others. Help me to live with purpose and servitude. God help me to wait upon you. Help me to sit in silence and feel your heartbeat. Grant me the discipline and strength to accomplish what you desire. Protect me from evil, shield me from lust, humble my pride. Tear down my walls and break down my idols so I can worship you full heartily. I thank you that your grace overcomes my sin. Help me to run the race for the prize and treasure you as my reward. Transform me into your likeness. Transform my heart, mind and will. May I stand for your truth and live with your righteousness. I desire to be pure and holy as you are holy. I desire to abide in you. May you be the center of my life. Give me a heart for my family and friends. Help me to love those who are hard to love. Help me pray for those who are in need of you. Take my heart, soul and all that I am. Use me for your glory. I rejoice in your sovereignty, in your faithfulness, in your freedom, your power, in your salvation, and in your name. Amen.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Psalm 89:14-18
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
and by your favor you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
God Gave Ducks Wings to Fly
A parable is told of a community of ducks waddling off to duck church one Sunday to hear their duck preacher. After they waddled into the duck sanctuary, the service began and the duck preacher spoke eloquently of how God had given the ducks wings with which to fly.
He pounded the pulpit with his beak and said, “With these wings, there is nowhere we ducks can not go!
”There is no God-given task we ducks cannot accomplish!
”With these wings we no longer need walk through life. We can soar high in the sky!”
Shouts of “Amen!¨ were quacked throughout the duck congregation.
The duck preacher concluded his message by exclaiming, “With our wings we can fly through life! WE CAN FLY!!!!¨
More ducks quacked out loud “AMEN!” in response.
Every duck loved the service.
In fact all the ducks that were present commented on what a wonderfully convicting message they had heard from their duck preacher....and then they left the church and waddled all the way home.
Too often we waddle away from worship the same way we waddled in....unchanged.
He pounded the pulpit with his beak and said, “With these wings, there is nowhere we ducks can not go!
”There is no God-given task we ducks cannot accomplish!
”With these wings we no longer need walk through life. We can soar high in the sky!”
Shouts of “Amen!¨ were quacked throughout the duck congregation.
The duck preacher concluded his message by exclaiming, “With our wings we can fly through life! WE CAN FLY!!!!¨
More ducks quacked out loud “AMEN!” in response.
Every duck loved the service.
In fact all the ducks that were present commented on what a wonderfully convicting message they had heard from their duck preacher....and then they left the church and waddled all the way home.
Too often we waddle away from worship the same way we waddled in....unchanged.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
D. A. Carson writes,
To approach the Bible correctly it is important to know something of the God who stands behind it. God is both transcendent (i.e., he is "above" space and time) and personal. He is the sovereign and all-powerful Creator to whom the entire universe owes its existence, yet he is the God who graciously condescends to interact with human beings whom he has himself formed in his own image.
Because we are locked in time and space, God meets us here; he is the personal God who interacts with other persons, persons he has made to glorify him and to enjoy him forever. . . .
The point to emphasize is that a genuinely Christian understanding of the Bible presupposes the God of the Bible, a God who makes himself known in a wide diversity of ways so that human beings may know the purpose for which they were made — to know and love and worship God, and so delight in that relationship that God is glorified while they receive the matchless benefit of becoming all that God wants them to be.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Relationally Intentional
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
Instead of thinking about ourselves, we are to extend ourselves for others around us. How often do we only pray for ourselves? How often are we too busy with our own lives to care about the trials of others. We are to intentionally relate and connect with others by showing compassion. When Jesus was off busy going about his ministry, he would stop to listen to those who needed comfort. He went out of his way to be with people in their need. In the same way, we are to reach out towards others. Sometimes the best way to be there for people is to just listen to them. Have you ever had so much to talk about, with no one to talk to? Listen to what others want to share. And if the Holy Spirit leads us to speak into their life and circumstance, by all means encourage them. "Let us not love with words and speech but also in deed and action." 1 John 3:18 "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." Matt 5:41
Take the initiative to greet someone. Take the initiative to ask how people are. Where there is pain in their life, guide them to the Healer. We are flooded with opportunities. Sometimes it's a simple phone call. Sometimes it's a simple prayer. Serve, sacrifice, and love one another. Consider others more important than yourselves and point them to Jesus.
Instead of thinking about ourselves, we are to extend ourselves for others around us. How often do we only pray for ourselves? How often are we too busy with our own lives to care about the trials of others. We are to intentionally relate and connect with others by showing compassion. When Jesus was off busy going about his ministry, he would stop to listen to those who needed comfort. He went out of his way to be with people in their need. In the same way, we are to reach out towards others. Sometimes the best way to be there for people is to just listen to them. Have you ever had so much to talk about, with no one to talk to? Listen to what others want to share. And if the Holy Spirit leads us to speak into their life and circumstance, by all means encourage them. "Let us not love with words and speech but also in deed and action." 1 John 3:18 "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles." Matt 5:41
Take the initiative to greet someone. Take the initiative to ask how people are. Where there is pain in their life, guide them to the Healer. We are flooded with opportunities. Sometimes it's a simple phone call. Sometimes it's a simple prayer. Serve, sacrifice, and love one another. Consider others more important than yourselves and point them to Jesus.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Compassion
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Matt. 25:34-40
Monday, December 26, 2011
Where God Guides, God Provides
Usually waiting for something is worth it. But have you ever waited and waited, to find out that you really didnt need the thing you were waiting for? The thing you wanted most, somehow became average. Sometimes it's like ordering your favorite meal. Then one day, it just doesn't seem so appealing anymore. Maybe you over exaggerated how great it was. Perhaps it really was that great, but then your taste or perspective changed. I know this happens to me with video games. For 6 months i'll salivate over a new video game coming out. I'll read all the reviews, watch trailers and get extremely excited about it. Then when it comes out, i play it for 2 hours and say "meh, it's alright."
My point is that sometimes we chase after things. We sometimes chase after things that aren't really the best for us. We chase and chase, when in actuality it may not be right for us to have. Even though a boat has long sailed away, i kept my eyes on it. I kept dreaming of riding the ocean seas on this boat. I figured if i was stubborn enough, had enough patience, and just tried really hard to catch up to the boat, then maybe i'd get a chance to get on board. God wisely placed strong waves to keep hitting me back. This boat is obviously not something for my best, nor for God's utmost glory. Therefore, i realized i need to submit to God's waves.
Sometimes ill be paddling so hard to get out further out in the ocean, then suddenly a huge wave just swipes me away in the opposite direction. In fact, sometimes waves are so powerful that they take you whether or not you wanted to catch it or not. In this illustration, if the waves represent God's sovereign will; we are to catch these waves and surf in God's Spirit. Never fight or go against God's leading Spirit. Humble yourself and conform your will to His.
Sometimes God doesn't even give you a clear destination, because he wants you to embrace and enjoy the present riding experience. Maybe the point is to find satisfaction in the process. Perhaps this is where the transformation takes place. Trust in His sovereignty, provision, and find communion with Him. Sometimes you'll fall off that wave. And it'll be tempting to start going in your own direction again. However, if God brings another big wave, start paddling to catch it. Where is God guiding today?
Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you
My point is that sometimes we chase after things. We sometimes chase after things that aren't really the best for us. We chase and chase, when in actuality it may not be right for us to have. Even though a boat has long sailed away, i kept my eyes on it. I kept dreaming of riding the ocean seas on this boat. I figured if i was stubborn enough, had enough patience, and just tried really hard to catch up to the boat, then maybe i'd get a chance to get on board. God wisely placed strong waves to keep hitting me back. This boat is obviously not something for my best, nor for God's utmost glory. Therefore, i realized i need to submit to God's waves.
Sometimes ill be paddling so hard to get out further out in the ocean, then suddenly a huge wave just swipes me away in the opposite direction. In fact, sometimes waves are so powerful that they take you whether or not you wanted to catch it or not. In this illustration, if the waves represent God's sovereign will; we are to catch these waves and surf in God's Spirit. Never fight or go against God's leading Spirit. Humble yourself and conform your will to His.
Sometimes God doesn't even give you a clear destination, because he wants you to embrace and enjoy the present riding experience. Maybe the point is to find satisfaction in the process. Perhaps this is where the transformation takes place. Trust in His sovereignty, provision, and find communion with Him. Sometimes you'll fall off that wave. And it'll be tempting to start going in your own direction again. However, if God brings another big wave, start paddling to catch it. Where is God guiding today?
Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you
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