In Philippians 1:6 Paul wrote,
...being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
What an exciting promise! Has God begun a good work in you? If He has then you can rest assured that He will carry it on to completion!
Our goal is to become like Christ, and sometimes on this journey, we feel overwhelmed and defeated, almost like giving up. Sometimes we feel that there is just too much wrong with us to ever become like Christ.
God changes us "little by little". Every day He is working in us and changing us and sometimes we won't notice these changes for days, weeks,or months. Dare I say years? But if you will continue to trust and continue in His Word, He will complete the work He began in you! That's a promise!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Complaining?
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...
Philippians 2:14-16
I have to admit, I am still working on this one... God has really brought it to my attention how much I actually complain. But I have noticed that more and more often I take note of when I am about to complain and just shut my mouth.
If you ask him to, the Holy Spirit will convict you or "nudge" you when you are about to complain or argue. And if you are listening to Him you can notice it and stop! Then immediately you can change your thought to one of thankfulness.
I love what the verse says, we can shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the Word of life. Who is going to listen to the Word from a person who spends their time complaining? Complaining means we are discontent and unthankful and that means we are not trusting God. Ouch. I guess today, this was a lesson for me. Thanks God!
Philippians 2:14-16
I have to admit, I am still working on this one... God has really brought it to my attention how much I actually complain. But I have noticed that more and more often I take note of when I am about to complain and just shut my mouth.
If you ask him to, the Holy Spirit will convict you or "nudge" you when you are about to complain or argue. And if you are listening to Him you can notice it and stop! Then immediately you can change your thought to one of thankfulness.
I love what the verse says, we can shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the Word of life. Who is going to listen to the Word from a person who spends their time complaining? Complaining means we are discontent and unthankful and that means we are not trusting God. Ouch. I guess today, this was a lesson for me. Thanks God!
Friday, December 5, 2008
Whatever things are Noble
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.
I will never leave you alone about the issue of "what you think about". You know why? Because it can make or break you!
I was reading an article in Joyce Meyer's magazine this morning. It said that our thoughts have actual physical structure and that whenever we think good thoughts our minds are bathed in a good chemical and when we think bad thoughts our minds are bathed in a bad chemical. The article said that medical science has proven that almost all illness originates from our thought life! Amazing! Didn't God say that a long time ago though?
In Proverbs it says,
A merry heart does good like a medicine but a broken spirit dries the bones!
God is so good, how does He know all this stuff? :) (you know I am kidding right?)
2 Corinthians 10:5 ... We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We have to take our thoughts captive! We have to cast down the bad thoughts and replace them with the truth. We have to literally fill our minds with whatever is good, true, and wholesome!
When we watch television or listen to music, we have to be careful what we let in! Because what goes in will come out! If you feed fear in, then you will have fear. If you feed curse words in, they will eventually come out! But what if we only watched wholesome shows and we filled our minds with music and books that give God glory? We would be so full of God that we would be overflowing! We might even start to think more positively!
Matthew 12:34
...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Proverbs 23:7
For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he...
By the way, you can get Joyce Meyer's magazine for free by going on her website and signing up for it. The website is http://www.joycemeyerministries.org/. It is packed with great information.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.
I will never leave you alone about the issue of "what you think about". You know why? Because it can make or break you!
I was reading an article in Joyce Meyer's magazine this morning. It said that our thoughts have actual physical structure and that whenever we think good thoughts our minds are bathed in a good chemical and when we think bad thoughts our minds are bathed in a bad chemical. The article said that medical science has proven that almost all illness originates from our thought life! Amazing! Didn't God say that a long time ago though?
In Proverbs it says,
A merry heart does good like a medicine but a broken spirit dries the bones!
God is so good, how does He know all this stuff? :) (you know I am kidding right?)
2 Corinthians 10:5 ... We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We have to take our thoughts captive! We have to cast down the bad thoughts and replace them with the truth. We have to literally fill our minds with whatever is good, true, and wholesome!
When we watch television or listen to music, we have to be careful what we let in! Because what goes in will come out! If you feed fear in, then you will have fear. If you feed curse words in, they will eventually come out! But what if we only watched wholesome shows and we filled our minds with music and books that give God glory? We would be so full of God that we would be overflowing! We might even start to think more positively!
Matthew 12:34
...For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Proverbs 23:7
For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he...
By the way, you can get Joyce Meyer's magazine for free by going on her website and signing up for it. The website is http://www.joycemeyerministries.org/. It is packed with great information.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
The Greatness of Knowing Christ
My prayer for you today, dear friends, is that you would come to know Christ more intimately. I pray that He would reveal himself to you in a way that you can really sense His presence near you. I pray that He will cause you to hunger and thirst for Him first and foremost in your life. For He is more vital to you than even your bread and water.
In Philippians Paul talks about how he is a highly qualified Jew. He says that if anyone has a reason to boast, it's him because of all that he had attained from being a Pharisee. Then in chapter 3 verse 7 he says:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
He says that he counts everything as "dung" (in the King James version it says dung) compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ! Wow! Knowing Christ must be something really wonderful.
You know, there are so many people around the world who love Christ with such a passion that they are willing to sacrifice their lives, their comfort, even their friends and families for Him. Why would people do that? Because, there is NOTHING in this world that compares to the love of Jesus. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
I like the story of the little boy left in a room with a heater. His dad tells him not to touch it. When the dad walks out of the room, he touches the heater, it singes his fingers. Now he has "experienced" the heater. So later, when a fireman comes and tells him that the heater is not really hot, it is safe to touch, the little boy cannot be convinced. Because now he has experienced the heater. This is what true fellowship with Jesus Christ is like. Once you have experienced it, no one can tell you that it is not real!
In Philippians Paul talks about how he is a highly qualified Jew. He says that if anyone has a reason to boast, it's him because of all that he had attained from being a Pharisee. Then in chapter 3 verse 7 he says:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
He says that he counts everything as "dung" (in the King James version it says dung) compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ! Wow! Knowing Christ must be something really wonderful.
You know, there are so many people around the world who love Christ with such a passion that they are willing to sacrifice their lives, their comfort, even their friends and families for Him. Why would people do that? Because, there is NOTHING in this world that compares to the love of Jesus. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
I like the story of the little boy left in a room with a heater. His dad tells him not to touch it. When the dad walks out of the room, he touches the heater, it singes his fingers. Now he has "experienced" the heater. So later, when a fireman comes and tells him that the heater is not really hot, it is safe to touch, the little boy cannot be convinced. Because now he has experienced the heater. This is what true fellowship with Jesus Christ is like. Once you have experienced it, no one can tell you that it is not real!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Peace
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4: 4-7
This verse is so awesome! There is so much packed into one little section of scripture! God's Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword! Hallelujah!
I love where it says, "The Lord is near".
God gave me a revelation this morning, it's something I already knew but it just became reality to me. Do you ever have those moments? When we pray and ask God for something like for instance, healing our bodies, or providing for a need we have, we are not having to beg God. We are not trying to get God to do something that He doesn't want to do. My Pastor always says, "You don't have to twist God's arm!" God wants to heal your body. He wants to get your loved one saved. God wants to provide for you. In fact, He wants it more than you do! Can you believe that?
So friends, don't be worried about anything today! Just submit your requests to God, with thanksgiving (don't miss that part) and then the peace of God which transcends understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus!
What is peace that transcends understanding? It's when you know that you know that God is for you and not against you and that He is working on your behalf, for your good. I can promise you today, that God is for you and not against you, and that He is working all things together for your good!
Take a few minutes and reread that scripture a few times. You will begin to see more and more jewels that are within it!
I'm praying for you!
Philippians 4: 4-7
This verse is so awesome! There is so much packed into one little section of scripture! God's Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword! Hallelujah!
I love where it says, "The Lord is near".
God gave me a revelation this morning, it's something I already knew but it just became reality to me. Do you ever have those moments? When we pray and ask God for something like for instance, healing our bodies, or providing for a need we have, we are not having to beg God. We are not trying to get God to do something that He doesn't want to do. My Pastor always says, "You don't have to twist God's arm!" God wants to heal your body. He wants to get your loved one saved. God wants to provide for you. In fact, He wants it more than you do! Can you believe that?
So friends, don't be worried about anything today! Just submit your requests to God, with thanksgiving (don't miss that part) and then the peace of God which transcends understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus!
What is peace that transcends understanding? It's when you know that you know that God is for you and not against you and that He is working on your behalf, for your good. I can promise you today, that God is for you and not against you, and that He is working all things together for your good!
Take a few minutes and reread that scripture a few times. You will begin to see more and more jewels that are within it!
I'm praying for you!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Pressing On
I just love Philippians! It is so power packed. In chapter 3 Paul talks about how he wants to be all He can be for Christ, to live for Him only, then starting at verse 12 he says,
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes we all tend to get so bogged down in our mistakes that it is hard to look forward. Or sometimes we feel so bad about the wrong things we have done that we don't even feel that we can approach God. We run from God when we really need to run to God. No matter what we have done God is holding out His arms to us! It only takes a moment to ask forgiveness and God instantly forgives you. He separates your sin as far as the East is from the West. Just ask God to help you change in that area and move on! That's what God really wants from us! That is why we have a righteousness apart from our works! We have a righteousness that is by faith alone! Praise God!
So today, press on toward the mark! Don't look back! You may have to choose to do this again and again, but do it! Go forward! Amen
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes we all tend to get so bogged down in our mistakes that it is hard to look forward. Or sometimes we feel so bad about the wrong things we have done that we don't even feel that we can approach God. We run from God when we really need to run to God. No matter what we have done God is holding out His arms to us! It only takes a moment to ask forgiveness and God instantly forgives you. He separates your sin as far as the East is from the West. Just ask God to help you change in that area and move on! That's what God really wants from us! That is why we have a righteousness apart from our works! We have a righteousness that is by faith alone! Praise God!
So today, press on toward the mark! Don't look back! You may have to choose to do this again and again, but do it! Go forward! Amen
Monday, December 1, 2008
Joy
The Bible has a lot to say about joy. I was out shopping, by myself, the other day and I was having a great time with the Lord. We were out on a date! I was full of joy and I was feeling so strong. I told the Lord, "Wow, I wish I could feel this healthy and strong all the time." He brought a scripture immediately to my mind. "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" And I realized how very true that is. When we have joy we feel strong. When we are sad or depressed we tend to feel weak and apathetic. The Bible says that "a broken spirit dries the bones." At the moment of salvation, Jesus comes to live in our hearts and we have a "deposit" of all the fruits of the Spirit, one of them being joy. So whether you feel it or not, you have joy! Sometimes this joy is manifested easily and without effort in our lives, but most of the time we have to "stir ourselves up." We have to refuse to think bad thoughts and choose to think good ones! We have to focus on Jesus and not on our problems.
Joy is described as "calm delight." It's a feeling that is deep down in your spirit, that you can have all the time just because you know Jesus.
Psalms 16:11 says;
Thou will show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
It's in the presence of God that there is fullness of joy!
What are some ways that you can stir up joy today?
1) Think of a way you can help someone else today, it may be small or big, but it will end up bringing you joy!
2) Do something fun, something that you really enjoy. Be spontaneous!
3) Keep your life adventurous, take a different route to work or shop at a different store than you normally would, call someone and go out to lunch!
4) Put on a worship CD and Praise God! I promise you will find joy!
5) Make a list of things that you are thankful for.
6) Think of your own list of things that bring you joy.
7) Look up every scripture on joy and read it. Pick one to memorize.
Today, rejoice and be exceedingly glad! Rejoice to the King of all ages!
Joy is described as "calm delight." It's a feeling that is deep down in your spirit, that you can have all the time just because you know Jesus.
Psalms 16:11 says;
Thou will show me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
It's in the presence of God that there is fullness of joy!
What are some ways that you can stir up joy today?
1) Think of a way you can help someone else today, it may be small or big, but it will end up bringing you joy!
2) Do something fun, something that you really enjoy. Be spontaneous!
3) Keep your life adventurous, take a different route to work or shop at a different store than you normally would, call someone and go out to lunch!
4) Put on a worship CD and Praise God! I promise you will find joy!
5) Make a list of things that you are thankful for.
6) Think of your own list of things that bring you joy.
7) Look up every scripture on joy and read it. Pick one to memorize.
Today, rejoice and be exceedingly glad! Rejoice to the King of all ages!
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