Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
We are a "new creation" and we have "new LIFE!"
God gave us the breath of life --> we become living beings on Earth. But Jesus turned this "old creation" to become a "new creation" when He gave us the breath of life after His resurrection (John 20:21) --> we have LIFE! --> abundant life; victorious life. ^.^
What is in your hand?
Recall God's questin: "What is that in your hand?" (Exodus4:2)
What current circumstances and relationships can God use for your benefit and His glory? Entrust them - and your life - to Him.
Onward and upward your course plan today,
Seeking new heights as you walk Jesus' way;
Heed not past failures, but strive for the prize,
Aiming for goals fit for His holy eyes.
-Brandt-
What current circumstances and relationships can God use for your benefit and His glory? Entrust them - and your life - to Him.
Onward and upward your course plan today,
Seeking new heights as you walk Jesus' way;
Heed not past failures, but strive for the prize,
Aiming for goals fit for His holy eyes.
-Brandt-
Our light affliction... is but for a moment (2Cor 4:17)
"We Take the laughter and the tears however they come, and let our God of reality make sense of it all." -Susan Lenzkes, Life Is Like Licking Honey Off a Thorn
People of faith are realists who "receive it all - all the good and bad of life - and repeatedly choose to know that God really loves us and is constantly at work for our good and His glory."
The purporses of God are right,
Although we may not see
Just how He works all thigns for good
And transforms tragedy.
--Sper--
People of faith are realists who "receive it all - all the good and bad of life - and repeatedly choose to know that God really loves us and is constantly at work for our good and His glory."
The purporses of God are right,
Although we may not see
Just how He works all thigns for good
And transforms tragedy.
--Sper--
You are a chosen generation... (1Peter 2:9)
Being holy means that we are unique, set apart of rjesus, beocming like Him, and reflecting His countercultural ways of living. It means that we are forgiving in the face of cruel offenses; and merciful, gracious, truthful, and loyal to our promises. It means being just like Him.
O child of God, guard well your life
From anything that stains the heart;
Forsake those things that soil the mind -
Your Father wants you set apart.
--Fasick--
O child of God, guard well your life
From anything that stains the heart;
Forsake those things that soil the mind -
Your Father wants you set apart.
--Fasick--
Feeding on God's truth will help us avoid swallowing lies.
To walk close by Your side, my dear Savior,
To be led by You, doing each task,
To feast richly on grace at Your table,
And to know You is all that I ask.
--Somerville--
To be led by You, doing each task,
To feast richly on grace at Your table,
And to know You is all that I ask.
--Somerville--
More than Loaves
Follow Jesus, not just because He can provide "the loaves" (physical provision), but because He can satifsy your deepest hunger - the quest for eternal fellowship with Him.
--Marvin Williams--
--Marvin Williams--
Aim High
"Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you." ~2Cor 13:11~
Isn't life a lot like that? If we set our sights too low, we really don't accomplish all that we can. sometimes we ahve to aim high in order to reach a desired goal.
Conversion is the miracle of a moment; maturing takes a lifetime.
Isn't life a lot like that? If we set our sights too low, we really don't accomplish all that we can. sometimes we ahve to aim high in order to reach a desired goal.
Conversion is the miracle of a moment; maturing takes a lifetime.
In a skeptical world you can trust God's reliable word
Consider this: Over a period of 1,600 years, 40 different authors wrote the 66books of the Bible. there were 400 silent years between the 39books of the Old Testament and the 27 of the New Testament. Yet, Genesis to Revelation tell one unified story.
**not to mention written in different languages, authors from different scopes of life/occupation... ...
**not to mention written in different languages, authors from different scopes of life/occupation... ...
Dependency on Him
Norwegian theologian Ole Hallesby settled on the sigle word helplessness as the best summary of the heart attitude that God accepts as prayer. He said, "only he who is helpless can truly pray".
We never outgrow dependence, and to the extent we think we do, we delude ourselves. Prayer is our declaration of dependence upon the Lord.
Give Him each perplexing problem,
All your needs to Him make known;
Bring to Him your daily burdens -
Never carry them alone!
--Adams--
We never outgrow dependence, and to the extent we think we do, we delude ourselves. Prayer is our declaration of dependence upon the Lord.
Give Him each perplexing problem,
All your needs to Him make known;
Bring to Him your daily burdens -
Never carry them alone!
--Adams--
Don't Fear Authentic Relationships
by Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Connection
"But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
Authentic fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It's genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing.
It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, and superficial politeness, but shallow conversation.
People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.
It's only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.
Why would anyone take such a risk?
Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed" (James 5:16 MSG).
"But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
Authentic fellowship is not superficial, surface-level chit-chat. It's genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing.
It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, disclose their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.
Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, and superficial politeness, but shallow conversation.
People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.
It's only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, "If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves" (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).
The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in the light, we bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.
Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.
Why would anyone take such a risk?
Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed" (James 5:16 MSG).
Don't Fear Deeper Friendships
by Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Connection
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).
When we're full of fear and anxiety, we don't get close to each other. We back off from each other. We're afraid of being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, or used. All of these fears cause us to disconnect in life.
This fear is as old as humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, and God came looking for them, Adam said, "I was afraid . . . so I hid" (Genesis 3:10 NIV). People have been doing that ever since. We're afraid, so we hide. We hide our true selves.
We don't let people know what we're really like. We don't let them see the inside of us. Why? Because if we let people know what we're like and they don't like it, we're up a creek without a paddle. Tough luck. Why am I afraid to tell you who I am? Because if I tell you who I am, and you don't like me, I'm in for it. I have no alternative. So we wear masks and we pretend.
Fear does three terrible things to relationships:
1. Fear makes us defensive. We're afraid to reveal ourselves. We defend ourselves. When people point out our weaknesses, we retaliate and defend ourselves.
2. Fear keeps us distant. We don't let people get close to us. We want to withdraw, pull back. We want to hide our emotions. We don't want to be open and honest. We become defensive and distant.
3. Fear makes us demanding. Whenever we're insecure, and the more insecure we are, the more we try to control. So we try to have the last word in a relationship. We try to dominate, control. It's always a symptom of fear and insecurity.
Where do you get the confidence, the courage, to take the first step in connecting with someone, to go into a deeper intimacy? Where do you get that courage?
You get it from God's Spirit in your life. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For the Holy Spirit, God's gift, does not want you to be afraid of people but to be wise and strong (courageous), and to love them and enjoy being with them" (LB).
How do you know when you're filled with God's Spirit? You're more courageous in your relationships. You love people. You enjoy being with them. You're not afraid of them because God's Spirit is in your life. The Bible says "God is love," and "Love casts out all fear." The more of God you have in your life, the less of fear you're going to have in your life.
So the starting point in connecting with anybody is to pause, pray, and say, "God, give me the courage to take the first step." You need to do that now with a person you want to connect with.
God, I just am too proud perhaps to want to come before you and ask for your Godly Confidence to be upon me... pride perhaps. But i know Lord, there's so other way out... ... how long will i procrastinate... ... the more i do, the more i hurt, but the more it seemed to be the way i'm choosing for now... ... ... ...
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).
When we're full of fear and anxiety, we don't get close to each other. We back off from each other. We're afraid of being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, hurt, or used. All of these fears cause us to disconnect in life.
This fear is as old as humanity. When Adam and Eve sinned, and God came looking for them, Adam said, "I was afraid . . . so I hid" (Genesis 3:10 NIV). People have been doing that ever since. We're afraid, so we hide. We hide our true selves.
We don't let people know what we're really like. We don't let them see the inside of us. Why? Because if we let people know what we're like and they don't like it, we're up a creek without a paddle. Tough luck. Why am I afraid to tell you who I am? Because if I tell you who I am, and you don't like me, I'm in for it. I have no alternative. So we wear masks and we pretend.
Fear does three terrible things to relationships:
1. Fear makes us defensive. We're afraid to reveal ourselves. We defend ourselves. When people point out our weaknesses, we retaliate and defend ourselves.
2. Fear keeps us distant. We don't let people get close to us. We want to withdraw, pull back. We want to hide our emotions. We don't want to be open and honest. We become defensive and distant.
3. Fear makes us demanding. Whenever we're insecure, and the more insecure we are, the more we try to control. So we try to have the last word in a relationship. We try to dominate, control. It's always a symptom of fear and insecurity.
Where do you get the confidence, the courage, to take the first step in connecting with someone, to go into a deeper intimacy? Where do you get that courage?
You get it from God's Spirit in your life. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For the Holy Spirit, God's gift, does not want you to be afraid of people but to be wise and strong (courageous), and to love them and enjoy being with them" (LB).
How do you know when you're filled with God's Spirit? You're more courageous in your relationships. You love people. You enjoy being with them. You're not afraid of them because God's Spirit is in your life. The Bible says "God is love," and "Love casts out all fear." The more of God you have in your life, the less of fear you're going to have in your life.
So the starting point in connecting with anybody is to pause, pray, and say, "God, give me the courage to take the first step." You need to do that now with a person you want to connect with.
God, I just am too proud perhaps to want to come before you and ask for your Godly Confidence to be upon me... pride perhaps. But i know Lord, there's so other way out... ... how long will i procrastinate... ... the more i do, the more i hurt, but the more it seemed to be the way i'm choosing for now... ... ... ...
What do we see??
"What we see depends mainly on what we look for," said British states-man John Lubbock (1834-1913)
A good attitude and the right focus help us to handle life joyfully, even though it doesn't change our circumstances!
A good attitude and the right focus help us to handle life joyfully, even though it doesn't change our circumstances!
The eyes of faith when fixed on Christ
Give hope for what's ahead,
But focus on life's obstacles
And faith gives way to dread.
-D. De Haan-
You are the centre of it all
The universe declares it all
Your majesty, I surrender all
I'll make you the centre of my life
Lord I'll respond with all I am
You place in me the song of heaven's melody
Your majesty, I live to sing your song
The universe declares it all
Your majesty, I surrender all
I'll make you the centre of my life
Lord I'll respond with all I am
You place in me the song of heaven's melody
Your majesty, I live to sing your song
Shall we accept good and not adversity?
"Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?"
--Job 2:10--
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
-JOB-
Blessed be the name of the Lord
He is worthy to be praised and adored
So we lift up holy hands in one accord
Singing blessed be the name
Blessed be the name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
--Job 2:10--
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
-JOB-
Blessed be the name of the Lord
He is worthy to be praised and adored
So we lift up holy hands in one accord
Singing blessed be the name
Blessed be the name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Part of a timely post on Ignyte web
God wants us to be fruitful. However, to be fruitful does not always mean going through a smooth and easy life most of the times. Every victory in life comes with a battle, no matter how big and small. But today we can rest assured that it is God’s promise for us is to bear fruits (= [abundant living], and so what do we do then??? The answer is in John 15 – REMAIN IN GOD.
Every plant that bears fruit would first need to go through the process of pruning or change in their life cycle. The flower petals have to drop and wither; the branches with weeds and algae need to be cut off so that healthy fruit can be bear.
Likewise, it is the same for our lives. Sometimes, God will allow us to face difficult situations; not to torment and make us suffer, but to give us the opportunity to make Godly decisions and grow from it. The result of pruning/molding is FRUITFULNESS.
Fruitfulness = Abundant Living = Godly Character and a Blessed Life.
So don’t shrink or run away when you have storms in your lives.
But know that such situations are inevitable, yet we don’t resign to it, but start to see such occurrence as God pruning our character, pruning our lives so that we can fulfill His purpose in our lives.
Every plant that bears fruit would first need to go through the process of pruning or change in their life cycle. The flower petals have to drop and wither; the branches with weeds and algae need to be cut off so that healthy fruit can be bear.
Likewise, it is the same for our lives. Sometimes, God will allow us to face difficult situations; not to torment and make us suffer, but to give us the opportunity to make Godly decisions and grow from it. The result of pruning/molding is FRUITFULNESS.
Fruitfulness = Abundant Living = Godly Character and a Blessed Life.
So don’t shrink or run away when you have storms in your lives.
But know that such situations are inevitable, yet we don’t resign to it, but start to see such occurrence as God pruning our character, pruning our lives so that we can fulfill His purpose in our lives.
Freedom indeed
On our journey of faith, there are times when the "freedom" of sin that we left behind is more appealing than the restrictions of faith that lie ahead. We must trust the protective boundaries found in God's Word as the only way to get to the place of ultimate freedom.
Sin's lure may look like freedom
But in its grip we're bound;
It's when we're bound to Jesus
Real freedom will be found.
--D. De Haan--
true... sometimes going back to the ways of the world is just so tempting, and i admit that at times the thoughts of wishing i wasnt a christian ever flashed across my mind. But i thank God that i'm still standing here, a proud daughter of the One Most High, becoz i know this is where i belong, and this is where i want to be. :) Hard lessons to learn at times when living in the protective boundaries of God's Word, becoz it seemed to infringe into our "freedom". But what is freedom? We discussed about it in sec sch... and i realised what the world defines as freedom, what we ourselves define as freedom, sometimes isnt really freedom, becoz it's still restricted. haha. But i've learnt through experience that indeed living in the boundaries of God's Word, ultimately is living in freedom. It's hard to explain, and esp hard to do it here (easier in verbal words i guess), but only if you persevere in experiencing it will you know what i mean. =D No one said it would be easy, but when you ultimately experience that freedom, you'll praise the Lord, becoz persuing our own freedom sometimes lead to regrets, guilt, sadness, and other bondages, but with Jesus there is joy, liberty, peace.
Sin's lure may look like freedom
But in its grip we're bound;
It's when we're bound to Jesus
Real freedom will be found.
--D. De Haan--
true... sometimes going back to the ways of the world is just so tempting, and i admit that at times the thoughts of wishing i wasnt a christian ever flashed across my mind. But i thank God that i'm still standing here, a proud daughter of the One Most High, becoz i know this is where i belong, and this is where i want to be. :) Hard lessons to learn at times when living in the protective boundaries of God's Word, becoz it seemed to infringe into our "freedom". But what is freedom? We discussed about it in sec sch... and i realised what the world defines as freedom, what we ourselves define as freedom, sometimes isnt really freedom, becoz it's still restricted. haha. But i've learnt through experience that indeed living in the boundaries of God's Word, ultimately is living in freedom. It's hard to explain, and esp hard to do it here (easier in verbal words i guess), but only if you persevere in experiencing it will you know what i mean. =D No one said it would be easy, but when you ultimately experience that freedom, you'll praise the Lord, becoz persuing our own freedom sometimes lead to regrets, guilt, sadness, and other bondages, but with Jesus there is joy, liberty, peace.
~Mark 12:41-44~
The widow's sacrifice is an example and an encouragement - she gave all she had!
Have we ever been so generous? Jesus is using an unnamed widow to teach us what giving is all about.
It was less than a cent, yet it was a priceless gift of love to God.
Yet, if we wait till riches grow, it well may be we'll never start.
God looks at the heart, not the hand; the giver, not the gift.
The widow's sacrifice is an example and an encouragement - she gave all she had!
Have we ever been so generous? Jesus is using an unnamed widow to teach us what giving is all about.
It was less than a cent, yet it was a priceless gift of love to God.
Yet, if we wait till riches grow, it well may be we'll never start.
God looks at the heart, not the hand; the giver, not the gift.
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