Thankfulness

 

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." -Colossians 3:15

The best cure for restlessness and lack of contentment is learning to be thankful. 

Contentment doesn't have to do with the stuff we have now, the place we're at, where we want to be, or the person we hope to be - it has to do with a choice that we make in our hearts in the here and now. The Bible says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise." (Ps 100:4) Thankfulness invites the peace and presence of God.

There is a story of a blind boy who sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were just a few coins in the hat.

"A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up.

A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?"

What do you have to be thankful for today? 





Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1603377/a-parable-about-being-thankful

Our Image in Christ

“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.”  -John 14:10

Have you ever found yourself lost in something?  We can often find ourselves lost in movies, entertainment, work, or other activities.  It isn’t wrong to be completely focused on something; in fact God calls us to work diligently and faithfully.

But when something consumes us before God, it can cause identity issues, limiting us from God’s unlimited power and presence in our lives.

Recently I was sitting in church during worship asking God some questions about certain things that were going on in my life.  "Look to Me," I heard Him say. At that moment, a gush of revelation about being "in Christ" came over me. 

"Your image in Me is going to look different than anybody else.  Don’t look to others - look to Me.  I am the source of your true identity."  When we look to Jesus, we don’t look to anything else to find or define ourselves.  We are defined by God and His plan for our lives. We can’t look to others for our identity because God has made us each unique.  It is okay to honor someone who has helped you in your walk, and it is okay to look to an admirable person as a good example.  But, when we cross the line into comparing ourselves and trying to live exactly how they live and do the things they do in order to earn acceptance by others, we are headed for trouble. God made us each uniquely, with a unique call and a unique set of gifts for our life.  This is not to say we do not live blameless, holy lives. 

When we look to Christ, the old image of our old self passes away.  (2 Cor 5:17) We become a new creation in Him.  We are no longer bound by old ways of thinking - we are released to live life to its fullest potential.  Our faith in Christ releases us to pursue all we’ve been given with everything we are.  Our weaknesses are overcome by His image being released in us.    If we are in Him then He is in us - and our true identity with shine through.  We find ourselves in Him.  "Lose your life to find it," (Matt 10:39) means when we lose ourselves in Him we find all we were really meant to be. 

Do you find your image in Christ?  Let Him help you discover all you were meant to be in Him today. 

Having Faith for Today

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. -Matthew 21:21

Faith is difficult sometimes. When we're in a tough spot, when things are hard - it's challenging to have faith for situations. Sometimes our problems look so big compared to God, although we know in our minds that God is bigger. That's because our knowledge hasn't translated into faith - into real belief. The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
 
Faith is not just saying we believe - it's having a sure conviction in our hearts that this or that thing will be accomplished. It is moving past our natural circumstances and into a supernatural dimension, where God's words resonate. Faith is belief we feel in our hearts when we have decided put our complete and total trust in God.
 
Just as we can't live on other people's faith, we can't expect to live today using yesterday's faith. Each day, situation, problem is different, with its own set of challenges. We need new faith every day, for every situation, to get through the tough spots in life. We need God's words to guide us for today. Have you ever thought about it? The Bible says God's mercies are new each day... and we need our faith to be that way too. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." -2 Corinthians 4:16
 
If you need faith for today, I invite you to pray this prayer: "God, give me faith for _______. I believe that you are bigger than my situation, and you able to do anything!"-and believe in your heart that God is bigger. He will honor your faith - for whatever you encounter!
 
"These (trials) have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." -1 Peter 1:7

Jesus Empathized with Us

"We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin." -Hebrews 4:15

Do you ever have days where you feel like no one else understands?  I'm sure we've all had those days - we feel like the only one who has a less than ideal job, the only one with family issues, the only one struggling with sickness, who is stressed, or the only one who is single or who doesn’t have what we want out of life.

But you know what?  Our God and king has experienced all the things we go through - and even more. Another translation of this verse says, "This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin." (NLT)  We may not fully understand how God as man was able to go through the things we experienced, but we know since He lived on earth, He experienced life on life’s terms.  The night before His arrest, Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine." (Luke 22:42) I can only imagine what He must have been going through at that time.

Due to Jesus' overcoming death, He gives new life to us.  Could it be that within our struggles, He is working His overcoming life in us? As we overcome difficulty, we can help others overcome as well.  We are never alone in anything we go through - Jesus is right there with us, every step of the way, even if it may not feel like it.

Do you believe that God is with you every step of the way, and understands how you feel?  "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." Hebrews 4:16  God wants us to know that He is with us - and He can help us overcome any obstacle we may face, as we go boldly before His throne of grace. 

Strengthening Our Faith Muscle

"And without faith, it is impossible to please God" – Hebrews 11:6

Do you regularly strengthen your "faith muscle"?  All the time, we need strengthening of our faith.  Just as it’s healthy to go to the gym and build muscle mass, (it prevents osteoporosis) it’s spiritually healthy for us to build our faith muscle. (And, it prevents the drying of our spiritual bones, A.K.A. DISCOURAGEMENT!)  (Ezekiel 37:11)

But, sometimes in life circumstances can get the better of us.  When one thing happens after another, we lose the ability to BELIEVE.  When these times come, we need our brothers and sisters who do have faith for the situation to pray and believe for us.  This will strengthen our faith - even for the most languid in spirit.  We need to continually stay in a place of faith in order to allow God to work.  God cannot work in a situation where there is no faith.  Faith is the precursor to God’s action on our behalf.  It is the fertile ground necessary for the miraculous to occur.  It is in faith that we are "alive in Christ."

Gunnar Olsen, a Christian businessman in Sweden tells a story called "The Plastic Bag Story."  At one time he owned a packing business, and during this time he received a large order for some plastic bags.  After receiving the shipment, the warehouse manager had informed Gunnar that the bags were sealed shut!  On a Friday, they checked all the boxes of bags - and every one of them had melted together.

Well, as you can imagine, it caused quite a panic.  Gunnar’s brother who also worked with him became very upset and Gunnar asked him to go play golf. His brother was incredulous - but Gunnar knew it would not be a good idea for his brother to be around.  He needed to be filled with faith for the situation, and he knew his brother was afraid.

Gunnar and his family went to the warehouse the following Saturday and stood in a circle praying together.  After they had prayed his daughter spoke up, "I think we should pray for the boxes!  God wouldn't want these bags to be sealed." So they did.  They laid hands on all 3,000 boxes of them.

The following Monday, they checked the bags.  They were unsealed, as if nothing had ever happened. 

The enemy wants nothing more than to STEAL our seeds of faith.  If he does that, he knows he can discourage us, and make us feel completely devoid of hope.  But, this is not what God wants for us!  God wants us to be full of faith – all the time!  However, in order to have faith in our lives we must want it – and we must learn to activate it.

Are you strengthening your "faith muscle"?

Encountering the Sauls in Our Lives

(Source : http://www.paintinghere.com/painting/Saul_Attacking_David_227.html)

"Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 1 Samuel 23:17

Have you ever had a dream or goal that someone in your life was jealous over? This could be a supervisor, spiritual leader, friend, or family member. Have you ever had a boss who may have seemed threatened with your anointing or gifting? This was the case for David.
 
Anointed to be king when he was just a boy, and serving under the reign of Saul, David evoked such jealousy in Saul as he grew older that Saul tried to kill him! But David stayed pure in heart in spite of Saul's schemes and found strength in God even in the midst of his circumstances. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." -Psalm 73:26
 
There are some things that David did that we should consider emulating when we find ourselves in tough spots when it comes to bosses, co-workers, or friends who appear to be threatened or jealous. David never tried to overthrow Saul by his own strength. Although he had the chance to kill Saul, he never did because he knew if he did, he would be taking matters into his own hands. Saul eventually killed himself by falling on his own sword. (1 Samuel 31:4) David simply served Saul until it was time for him to become king. And God used these experiences to purify David's heart as well, and to test him.
 
Do you have people in your life who are like Sauls, (perhaps unknowingly) trying to discourage you from your purpose? Are you prepared to let God fight those battles for you and stay pure in heart, and focused on Him?

The True Star

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." -Revelation 22:16
 

We live in a culture saturated with entertainment. Anywhere you go you can't get away from the stars' faces on magazines in the grocery checkout isle, TMZ news after the regular news, and familiar faces in movies and TV. Celebrity culture has become a part of our lives. But it didn't always used to be this way. 

Before Television made it possible for everyone to view the same thing at one time, local artists entertained local people at a local theater. It was more community focused. And, it is doubtful we had the same type of celebrity-consumer relationship we have today. We see everything we want to see - no flaws, perfect makeup, perfect hair - all while consuming the dramatic aspects of their personal lives. We see them so often on movies and in TV that our brain actually interprets their presence in our lives as a close friend or family member. Is that crazy or what?! 

But, what we need to recognize is these celebrities are just people. If we feel differently about any of them that anyone else we are engaging in idolatry. The true star is Jesus - our Morning Star! 

In the kingdom, we were never meant to be celebrities; we were meant to be lovers of people, and most of all lovers of God.

Do you look to Jesus as your true north star?

His Representatives

"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

At the moment we are born-again, we become new creatures. Not only this, but at the moment of our conception into faith we become His representatives on earth. Now, when we say we are Christians, we are saying we are a reflection of Jesus. (Which can be challenging at times!)
 
We will never be perfect - that's for certain. That's why we needed Christ in our lives in the first place. But even though we know we're still full of flaws, it doesn't mean we aren't striving for God's reflection in our lives. The moment we are saved we become ambassadors for His kingdom, wherever we are. We become His ministers, in whatever we are doing. We grow in love as His sons and daughters. Day by day, we become more like Him, as we study His word and spend time worshipping Him. There is nothing to be afraid of - He knows we will fall short. That is why He has given us His gift of grace to help us when we make mistakes.
 
Imagine you are working for a company, one of the best in the world. This company is known for its service excellence and the way it treats its customers, employees, and the community. You have just been hired to be on the sales team, and you go through the training to learn the company rules and procedures. These policies aren't too distant from those found in the Bible. In order to keep your position however, and grow in the company, you must attempt to follow those rules and procedures to the best of your ability. Sure, there are fun days at work. Sure, challenges will happen. But, the policies and procedures will help to guide you through the business landscapes you will endure.
 
Being a Christian isn't all that different - the Bible is our guide. As we walk into our future in Him, we move knowing that our lives are a reflection of His love, grace, mercy, beauty, strength, and everything else that He is. Consider yourself a sales representative for the greatest franchise in history - the Kingdom of God. Both an exciting and sobering concept, huh?
 
May we grow in faith, grace, excellence, integrity, and most of all love, as we discover who we really are as His representatives on earth. 

Spiritual Warfare

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10

If we think we live in a world where there is no enemy distracting us and trying to keep us from the purpose, plan, and true intention of God's will for our lives, we are deceived. Every day, good Christian people get off track because they weren't prepared for the battle that happens every day on behalf of the souls of men, saved and unsaved.
 
If you're a Christian, the enemy's goal is to make you completely spiritually handicapped, either by an emotional wound or by lack of knowledge.
 
If you're not a Christian yet, the entirety of hell wants to make sure you stay that way.
 
My husband and I help administrate a bi-weekly discipleship group for the worship team and anyone creative in our church. Once the night before the group I went to my husband Justin and said, "Babe, I just don't want to do this anymore. I am worn out. I don't really feel like what I'm doing matters. I don't really feel like it's what I need to be doing."
 
The next night at the group was the best we had had yet, with a larger than normal number of people who came. It was a huge blessing to be a part of. The presence of God was very strong. This has also happened to me before an event when I was asked to speak. I was depressed before the event. I was filled with feelings of unforgiveness. But I prayed, and went for it anyway. The outcome was that people were touched and got a lot out of what I had shared. I was sharing on the power of forgiveness.
 
We know that we're right where God wants us to be when we experience a level of spiritual warfare that we wouldn't otherwise experience. It could be illness, emotional fatigue, circumstances, a sour attitude from ourselves or someone close to us, or all of the above. We need to combat these by worship, prayer, asking others for help & prayer, and getting suited up for battle. (Eph 6:11-15) Are you prepared for the battle ahead?


Transactional vs. Relational Leadership

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." -John 15:13

Many a book has been written about the servant leadership Jesus modeled.  He said in a famous verse, "...he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." -Luke 22:26  But, what was so special about the way Jesus led His followers?

Ford Taylor is a leadership consultant who trains leaders of leaders, and is involved in community transformation in the state of Ohio.  He teaches something called "transformational leadership", which is basically developing a relationship with someone to such an extent that they actually want to do whatever it is the leader is asking them to do.  This is also called relational leadership.

Businesses and other organizations cite fewer problems, higher revenue, and much less turnover by employing his principles.  Building relationship as being primary in leadership isn't a new concept:  Josh McDowell, the well-known youth leader and apologist has said, "Sharing truth without relationship leads to rejection. Discipline without relationship leads to anger."
 

Do you think the disciples wanted to follow Jesus?  Nobody was making them follow Him.  In fact, Jesus didn’t even pay them.  Through His relationship with the disciples, Jesus was able to change their minds about a lot of things, including who He was.  He was king of the Jews, even though He wore no crown, had no castle, and had no horse to ride upon.  But, He developed such a relationship with the disciples that they would have followed Him anywhere, and they would have died for Him.  Many did die for Him, after they realized who He was and that He first died for their sins.  It really was quite profound.

Is relational leadership something you employ?  Think about ways you can motivate those you serve by being more focused on building relationship.

Stepping Into Influence

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Prov 3: 5-6  

My best friend got her Masters in Accounting and was looking for a job after she finished her degree. The job market was tough; not many people were hiring, and it was the second January after the big recession of 2008 hit.
 
She kept on applying to different companies and ended up with two choices. One was with one of the four big accounting firms; the other was with a smaller company that would be closer to home. The large company offered her a great package, but she decided to turn it down in lieu of the hours she would be working. The contact for this company called her back and said, "No, you absolutely must work here," after which she prayed, negotiated, and agreed to work there for a season. She knew that God had been orchestrating these events for her future.
 
During the job, it was very hard work and stressful, but she gained a lot of favor with the managers and other employees of the company. One in particular took special interest in her to mentor her along the way, and they developed a type of Elijah/Elisha relationship. Although the work was difficult and required resilience, God was definitely the wind in the sails of her life.
 
When we allow God to move us forward, we'll find ourselves in places we didn?t expect. Often these places will result in influence we weren't necessarily seeking. As we move forward in God, we need to make sure our hearts are open, so we don't miss the steps God has orchestrated in order to move us into greater places of influence. He desires we be in place of influence so that His light can shine before men. (Matt 5:16) He promises that we will be protected as we move under His authority for our lives.
 
Are you on a journey of stepping into influence?

Smaller Story vs. Larger Story

"Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."  -Matthew 4:21&22

Each of us has a story.  When we have completed our lives here on earth, a story will have been written.  But, what we do today determines whether we will have lived our smaller story, or whether we stepped out into our larger story.

What is a larger or smaller story?  A smaller story is written when we accept the adversity life has handed us as reality.  We stay stuck in ruts unable to move forward due to our feelings about where we are.  We let our circumstances and past define us, instead of letting God define our now and our future.  We hold on the grudges and resentment citing other people to blame for our problems.  We accept mediocrity.  We likely don't enjoy where we are in life, but don't have much hope about the future.

In contrast, if living our smaller story is about doubt and defeat, living our larger story is all about faith and victory.  It takes much more faith to walk in our larger story, even if we believed in Jesus in the first place.  There are many people who believe in Jesus but stop there.  They don't have the faith that He can transform their lives. 

If we want to live extraordinary lives in Christ, then we have to have the belief that anything is possible, no matter what we've seen before.  This may involved a process of emotional healing and restoration, training in the things of God, and the letting go of past hurts and resentments through the power of the cross.  This may involve trying new things and stepping out into situations that are uncomfortable for us. Whatever it is, if we want to step into our larger story, discomfort and faith is defininitely a part of this process.

Which story are you living?  Are you living your smaller or larger story?  Pray and ask God today to bring you into the larger story He intends for your life.

Discerning Right from Wrong

"Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
 
King Solomon was a wise king.  The Bible says that he was the wisest man who lived during that time!  (1 Kings 4:31)  God was pleased that Solomon did not ask for wealth and riches at the beginning of his rule - instead he asked for wisdom to govern God’s people well and to know the difference between right and wrong.

Many times when we are just coming to know God, we are not really aware of sin in our lives.  We may not think a lot about what we do may that may not be good for us.  More often than not, through life experience, the influence of culture, and our upbringing we become desensitized to sin, without us even realizing it. 
 
As we get to know God more and get a revelation of His ways, certain things that were once okay just don’t feel right anymore.  This doesn't mean we're immune to sin - but it means sanctification becomes a part of our walk with Him, leading us to paths of righteousness, or right living.

"He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name." -Ps 23:2 & 3

One of the biggest roadblocks you and I will run into in life is discerning between right and wrong.  I’ve heard it said this way: “Being a Christian has two pillars - one is a relationship with God and righteousness - the other is a non-relationship with wrongdoing.” 

Can you discern right from wrong in your life? Pray today that God will give you a discerning heart and mind, and so that you can be led by the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life.

Diligent Work

"The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work."  -Proverbs 12:24

Do you enjoy your job? According to Forbes magazine, 70% of all employees hate their jobs.  That’s a HUGE number!  It seems many of us are in jobs where we either don’t enjoy the work, don’t enjoy the atmosphere, or both. 

I know I have been in jobs before that I didn’t particularly enjoy.  I worked as a server for several years and initially I DREADED the idea.  But you know what’s cool about God?  Even if the job is not our natural bent (I was very shy) or doesn't use our gifts and talents, he can still use that job to shape us and teach us things that we wouldn’t otherwise learn if we were not in that situation. 

Maybe He is developing our prayer life, to pray and interceed for a less-than-ideal workplace.  Perhaps He is testing our hearts with how we respond to tasks we don’t particularly enjoy.  But, even if we are working in a less-than ideal environment, if we work as unto God, we will find eternal reward. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3: 23 &24

So even if we aren’t in work we particularly enjoy yet, we can know that the work we do has spiritual value in God’s kingdom.  If we carry a mindset of “I am working as unto the Lord today,” we will find that even the most mundane or uncomfortable of tasks can have eternal value.  When we are faithful in the little things, God can promote us to bigger things. 

Are you a diligent worker? 

No Fluff

"Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6 NIV)
 
Have you ever gotten involved in something only to realize a lot of it was hype? Marketing, promotion, and a lot of people believing in something (even thought it may not be true) can make something into something it's not, resulting in unrealistic expectations and false truth. It's the stuff celebrity obsession and cults are made of.
Jesus understood this leaven, and told people to watch out for it, especially when it came to the Pharisees: Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:6 NKJV) 

Jesus was always speaking in parables, and sometimes this got the disciples confused. They thought Ge was really talking about bread! But then they finally understood He was talking about the "fluff" of the Pharisees. 

If you think about leaven, it's purpose is to puff up bread, making it up to ten times it's normal size. When Jesus was speaking of the Pharisees, he was speaking of the fact that they taught in such a way to make themselves look bigger, to make themselves look better and more important than they really were. They highlighted their own importance, which disgusted Jesus, and had the people take their eyes off of God and onto them. 

But Jesus was no fluff. He was the real thing. The unleavened bread the Israelites ate during Passover was a prophetic sign of the coming of Jesus, the true unleavened bread. 

Have you ever ran into "fluff" in your life? Pray that God would help you to recognize it, and stay away from it. God desires we stay humble, and close to the truth, which is Jesus.

Faultless Ministry

"We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry."  -2 Corinthians 6:3

Do you have a ministry?  The answer is yes!  Each of us are called to be ministers.  We are first called to someone (Jesus), and then we are called to represent His nature in the world. That is a huge responsibility, but not one to be scared of.  I heard ministry aptly described the other day: "being an ambassador of love and reconciliation." Isn't that awesome?  Once you and I are born again, anew in Christ, we are called to be ambassadors of love and reconciliation. 

But, what about all the stuff that goes on out there?  What about the bad rap Christians get for "standing up for the truth"; being judgmental, narrow minded, and hypocritical?  It is quite a battlefield, and it's true if we're going to represent Jesus accurately, we need to be cautious and accountable for how we live our lives.  I love the verse above - "We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry."

There are many examples of ministry gone wrong.  The sign on the street that says "God hates gays", financial distributions out of wack, stingy tips at a restaurant, and all around rude or difficult behavior.  Still, some confess to be Christians but live the same way as the world.  We as the body of Christ definitely have some work to do.

But all of this doesn't mean we don't continue to try.  God has given us the biggest responsibility on earth - to represent Him wherever we are.  That is a huge honor.  And it doesn't mean we're perfect, by any means.  But we understand that in our weakness, we are made strong - because of our dependence on His grace. 

Do you know that you are God's minister to a hurting world?  You could be the very person that brings hope into someone's life.  Seek after Jesus in all things.  Be an ambassador of love and reconciliation.  He will make your life count.

Love with No Agenda

"For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" -Galatians 5:14

 

How can we best share the gospel with others? There is an art to doing it, for sure. I remember trying to share Jesus with a friend of mine when I was young, and she asked me why she should believe in Jesus. I pleadingly replied, "So you don't go to hell!" 

Thankfully, there is a much better way to let people know about Jesus' love for them.

Leif Hetland's main passion is to go to places where they have never heard the name of Jesus - especially in Muslim countries. Since the inception of his ministry, thousands have come to know Jesus all over the world. Leif has this to say about how to be successful sharing Jesus with others: "As soon as love has an agenda, it is no longer love." He's said he's had the greatest success loving people, serving them, and bringing God's kingdom into their lives - without having an agenda. Naturally the leaders they talk to want to know what is different. Healing and miracles are a big part of what they do. 

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way." - 1 Corinthians 13:4

 

Where there is no agenda, fear is gone. Will you commit yourself to loving others with no agenda?

Treasures in Heaven

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." -Matthew 6:19

There is a great temptation in our lifetime to only focus on things that are in the here and now - in the physical realm.  Money, recognition, achievements, and material things have their own sense of pleasure - and they are the things we see with our physical eyes.  But, in reality, they don’t last; these things never make it to the realm of eternity.   

But what does last? How can we make the greatest impact in the kingdom that lasts for all eternity?

Imagine if every thing we did for God resulted in a jewel in our crown in heaven.  Imagine if every act of kindness, giving to the poor, acting upon the voice of the Holy Spirit, and moving in love and power were the keys that unlocked our heavenly treasures... 

"In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, But in the revenue of the wicked is trouble." -Proverbs 15:6

Obedience to God and His word are how we can store up treasure in heaven.  Are you storing up heavenly treasures?

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Sweetie

"You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did - Jesus crucified." -1 Corinthians 2:1 MSG

Sometimes we make things so complicated.  This philosophy over here, and that way of doing something over there.  I am amazed by technical people who understand computers and complex technical systems - that is not me!

The good news for me, and the rest of us, is that the message of Jesus is simple.  Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and was raised from the dead on the third day.  A true revelation of this profound and simple truth can turn your life completely around. The Bible says God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.  (1 Corinthians 1:27)

The more we learn about God and His truth, the more is built upon this simple idea.  God’s love is simple, but often very hard for us to understand - because it transcends our natural way of thinking. That is why we need faith to grab hold of it.

So, whenever you encounter something different or new from the Bible and it seems complex - be sure to keep it in perspective of the simplicity of the cross. Jesus died for all, so that all might live eternally, because of His perfect sacrifice.

Walking Out Your Calling

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” -Mark 10:49 NLT

Imagine spending 100% of your time doing things you were gifted and anointed to do.  How awesome this would be!  Perhaps this is you already, but if this is you, you are rare indeed. Experts say that just 2% of us walk in our calling - the intersection between our gifts, talents, anointing, and our calling (also called “convergence”). 

In America today, about 65% of people are unsatisfied or unhappy with their jobs.* I think one of the major reasons people are dissatisfied is that they do not see it as a calling, and they are not using the gifts and talents God put within them.  So those gifts lie dormant, and people remain frustrated, unchallenged, and demotivated.  This is detrimental to the individual, the other people in the company, and the company itself!

Does this sound like you?  Are you dissatisfied in your work and calling?

First, we need to understand that our work is worship to God.  Are you working as unto the Lord?  Second, we need to sharpen the skills that ARE in the area of our gifting, so we can move in that direction.  Is there anything you can do outside of work or school that can sharpen you in the area of your passion and move you closer toward it?  Even if our goal is to do our passion 80% of the time, that is still a great goal.

God is a Master economist.  He wants each of us where we will do the most good, however we are gifted.  Are you walking out your calling today?


*http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2012/05/18/new-survey-majority-of-employees-dissatisfied/