We Are at War

by Steve Noble
DESCRIPTION
You better take up the whole armor of God or you stand no chance of survival, let alone victory.
Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Remember: every time you see a “therefore” in Scripture you need to stop, back up, and read the preceding verses to see what it’s there for. In this case, the fact that we are at war with the powers of darkness is why today’s verse starts with “therefore.” In essence, we would then read this as “Since we are at war with the powers of darkness, we must take up the whole armor of God…”

It doesn’t matter how smart you are or how successful you are or even how many years you have been going to church. When it comes to spiritual warfare, you need to wake up each day and prepare for the battle that awaits you. You won’t be putting on your own armor like Saul tried to do for young David… but rather, the armor that God provides for you. Left to your own abilities, you won’t last the day, but by utilizing God’s provision you will be able to withstand the onslaught and come out victorious.

A final word of caution: the war isn’t just what the world throws at you, but includes the battle that rages inside your own heart and mind on a daily basis. The war over your thoughts and words and deeds. The war over selfishness and bitterness  and unforgiveness. As a Christian, war surrounds you every moment of every day… therefore, you better take up the whole armor of God or you stand no chance of survival, let alone victory.

Where Is Your Strength?

by Bryant Wright
DESCRIPTION
God doesn’t promise to meet tomorrow’s need today. He promises to meet today’s need today.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped (Psalm 28:7, NIV).

He had not spoken with her since high school and was enjoying their impromptu reunion. She had been his favorite teacher,  and her impact went far beyond the facts and information she had taught. It was also in the character she had role-modeled.

He proudly told her of the things he had accomplished and of his family. “How’s Millie?” he then asked, referring to her energetic, always-smiling eight-year-old daughter, whom he had often seen playing in the classroom after school. The teacher’s eyes suddenly became sad and misty as she told him that Millie had died a few years earlier. “She had an unexpected and unexplained heart attack when she was twenty-three.”

“I don’t know how it is possible to handle that,” the man responded. “I could never have the strength to handle the death of my child.”

Then his former teacher presented him with one more bit of wisdom. “I’ve discovered that sometimes God does not give us the strength we need until we need it,” she said. “But then, when you do need it, you can always count on His providing it.”

Do you believe that? Will you choose to believe that? When the need comes, God will meet the need. Not before it comes, but when it comes. God doesn’t promise to meet tomorrow’s need today. He promises to meet today’s need today.

God, I'm a Little Mad and a Lot Confused

by Lysa TerKeurst
DESCRIPTION
Our God is big enough to handle our honest feelings. But don't let your feelings lead you away from God or away from His truth.
"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:2 (NIV)

When God doesn't seem to be answering our prayers it can be hard. Sometimes, down right awful.

One minute I'm determined to trust God.

In the next, I feel myself slipping. The "why" questions tumble in so hard. My heart hurts. My eyes leak. And in those raw moments I just feel a little mad and a lot confused.

Ever been there?

I don't want to oversimplify what to do in these times. I know from prayer requests I've received over the years many of us are facing really tough issues. Situations where the answers aren't easy or clear cut.

But I have discovered a few things that help me when God seems silent...

Press in to God when you want to pull away.
When I really want to hear from God but He seems silent, I sometimes find I want to disengage from my normal spiritual activities. Skip church. Put my Bible on my shelf. And let more and more time lapse between prayers.

But the Bible says we will find God if we seek Him with all our heart. Jeremiah 29:13, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (NIV). All my heart includes the parts that are broken. Bring it all to God.

He can handle your honesty and will respond. But we have to position ourselves to go where truth is. Go to church. Listen to praise music. Read verses. Memorize verses. And keep talking to God.

Praise God out loud when you want to get lost in complaints.
In the midst of what you're facing, find simple things for which to praise God. I don't mean thank Him for the hard stuff. I mean thank Him for the other simple, good things still in the midst. A child's laugh. A bush that blooms. The warmth of a blanket. The gift of this breath and then the next.

Psalm 40:3 reminds me God will give me a new song when I make praise the habit of my heart and mouth. "He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD" (NIV).

Put yourself in the company of truth.
That friend that speaks truth? Listen to her. Stay connected to her. Let her speak truth into your life even when you're tired of hearing it. Stand in the shadow of her faith when you feel your own faith is weak. Let her lead you back to God time and time again.

Proverbs 12:26, "One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor ..." (ESV).

It's okay to feel a little mad and a lot confused. Our God is big enough to handle our honest feelings. But don't let your feelings lead you away from God or away from His truth. Press into Him. Praise Him. And put yourself in the company of truth.

As you stay with God in these ways, you will become ready to receive His answer when it comes.

Dear Lord, thank You for hearing every 'why' my heart sends up to You. Forgive me when I retreat from You and Your Word. I want to trust You more. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Power Verses:
Psalm 42:3-5, "My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?' These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.

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." (NIV)

Patience with Perspective

by Daily Disciples
DESCRIPTION

Are there times in your life when you become tired of trying? It is in these most challenging times that you can endure only by continuing to look to the Lord.
Today's Reading: Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Are there ever times when you become tired of trying? From work to your family, the list of needs seem endless with all fingers pointing to you. You know the promises of God and know that He is absolutely working in your life, but the “flesh” part of you becomes worn out and on edge.

The other night, at dinner time, I was trying to cook…and help with homework…and talk to my mother who was visiting. In addition, the phone was ringing, the news was on and my youngest child was singing for everyone to hear.  I could sense the tension rising within me. The noise seemed too loud and the night was becoming too long.  Because I recognized these feelings and knew how poorly I have handled them before, with all the self control I could muster, I prayed to the Lord and said, “Please help me do all this with an attitude and with words that would please You.”  Immediately I sensed the Lord say to me, “Enjoy it; find peace right now.” That thought was the furthest thing from my mind but those words pierced my heart.

It just doesn’t matter if everything gets done on time or in the right order. It just does not matter if there are grease stains on my daughter’s homework paper and there are dishes left in the sink when I go to bed. What does matter is that I honor the Lord by pouring out His love through me especially in the times that push and pull on my nerves. What matters is that I find the joy of the Lord in everyday challenges and appreciate every passing moment of the day. It is in these most challenging times, when you feel as if everyone is looking to you, that you can only endure by continuing to look to the Lord. God hears and answers the smallest of prayers when they are dripping with honesty. He knows us and understands us. Today, when the anxiety is increasing and your patience is decreasing, turn to the Lord so that you can soar above the circumstances while renewing your perspective and strength.

Character Counts

by Bayless Conley
DESCRIPTION
If your character is out of whack, then people are going to have a hard time hearing what you have to say. Character counts!
One of the "C's" of soul winning is—character.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27, particularly verse 27, tells us the importance of character in witnessing to others,

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus:  not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight:  not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Paul said he was temperate in all things, that he disciplined his body.  He would bring it into subjection, meaning he had problems keeping his body in subjection, just like you and I do.

Every one of us has a propensity toward certain sins.  It is important, though, that we rein in our flesh and that we are temperate in all things because our lifestyle affects our message.

Take just a moment and do the following exercise.  Imagine you are an employer.  If you wanted to hire an efficient, competent, trustworthy employee, would you hire yourself at your present salary?

Or let’s say that you were going to have to spend the rest of your life with someone just like you.  Would you look forward to it as a great opportunity and privilege?  Or not?

If your character is out of whack, people are going to have a hard time hearing what you have to say.  Character counts!

Forging a Sword of Character

by Lisa Bevere
DESCRIPTION
At times, God will walk us through seasons of trial as He uses adverse circumstances to refine our character.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (Isaiah 43:1-2, ESV)

Fire, water, and pressure are the tools used to refine metal, temper steel, and create swords. In the process of forging a sword, pressure is usually applied immediately after heating. Pressure works best when the subject is pliable, because that which is brittle will break!

At times, God will walk us through seasons of trial as He uses adverse circumstances to refine our character. When we are most desperate for His deliverance is often when we grow closest to Him, learn the most about His nature and desires for us, and see His majesty revealed. Though hardship is never what our good Father desires for His children, He will make the most of these experiences to make the most of us.

In our weakness, God makes us strong. Before the heat of the fiery furnace has cooled, He effectively molds us, taking advantage of a window of time when we will bend but not break.

As the legacy of the Apostle Paul attests, Jesus loves to take our calloused, hard hearts and make them soft and pure so that He can send us to save others from an eternity in hell. Paul underwent trial and affliction, but because he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was radically transformed into a dogged pursuit after God.

I pray that you, lovely one, will have life-changing encounters with Jesus that help you to walk through the fiery furnaces you encounter. I pray that you will know you are His and He will never leave you. He will not let the waters overtake you.  He will not let the fire consume you. Instead, may you be consumed with Him

Coffee Can Change Your World

by Lisa Bevere

DESCRIPTION
Are you thriving, or merely surviving?
I love coffee. I wake up excited to drink it, and with good reason. Recently I discovered a few more reasons to love my morning mochas. Coffee is so crammed full of anti-aging antioxidants that it keeps you healthy and young. Coffee wakes me up, clears the fog, and grants me perspective just like the Word of God.

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God (Romans 13:11, The Message).

Like a sponge, your day-to-day activities will try to absorb or suck the life out of you. Without an awareness of what God is doing, obligations can exhaust you. Purpose is factored in when we steward obligations as entrustments.

Caring for young children can be exhausting if you miss what God is doing in this season. Just like so many young mothers, I was not thriving: I was surviving. John was serving as a youth pastor and I was struggling to track my time. What do I mean by this? My days were a blurred haze of busy. At the close of each exhausting day I looked at my messy house and wondered where the time had gone.

About that time, coffee mixed with ice cream came into my world. Coffee helped me mark my hours. I sat down with its warmth and navigated the Word of God and how it applied to me in my season. I began to measure my days by an awareness of what God was doing in my life, children, and marriage, rather than what was on my list that I hadn’t finished.

You see, ultimately, our days and our children are his. Rather than burnout, there needs to be some warmth and laughter. The opposite of absorb is to exude or to radiate, and the opposite of exhausted is renewed, refreshed. So my friend, what is absorbing and exhausting you? We need you renewed and radiant. So refresh yourself with some antioxidant coffee and watch for what God is doing in your life!

God Is Working

by Boyd Bailey

DESCRIPTION

We don't always understand how or where God is at work, but we can be confident that His Spirit is on the move.
This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. Mark 4:26-27

God’s work is not rushed or rattled. He quietly gets things done. While man sleeps, the Lord neither sleeps nor slumbers. The effective work of the Holy Spirit is not bound by human efforts. Indeed, the Spirit softens the heart so when the word of God is sown it grows. There is a divine dynamic taking place that may seem delayed in its outcome. For example, those who hide hymns in their precious hearts as children will hear music in their ears as teenagers.

We do not always understand how or where God is at work, but we can be confident that His Spirit is on the move to grow His kingdom. He is at work in your work: since you have sown seeds of integrity, He has harvested a culture of honesty. He is at work in your single adult life: since you have sown seeds of purity, He has harvested a relationship of respect. He is at work in your finances: since you have sown seeds of generosity, He has harvested a heart of joy.

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. Psalm 126:6

You may feel frustrated by the lack of progress in your personal finances. If so, remain faithful in sowing seeds of wise stewardship because God is at work growing good habits in your giving, saving and spending. Consequences from unhealthy money decisions that took years to accumulate will take time to correct. However, the Lord is working, so surround yourself with wise money managers and loving friends who model generosity. Give your way out of worry.

God is working in the hearts of friends and family who do not know Jesus. Keep sowing a life of love--and one day they may love to know the Lord. As you comfort those whose hearts have been crushed, plant the seed of their need for a Savior. Tragedy makes a mind teachable to spiritual truths. Each day scatter the seed of a committed life to Christ. The Spirit will grow those around you to be more like Jesus. His quiet work never ends; one day it brings a holy harvest.

It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, but the one who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7

Putting the Past behind You so New Hope Can Grow

by Joyce Meyer
DESCRIPTION

If you want to see change in your life, then you’ve got to get a vision that goes beyond what you’ve already seen and experienced. A good place to start is the promises in God’s Word.
Ephesians 4:22-23 is a very encouraging passage of scripture. It says, “Strip yourselves of your former nature.… And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]” (AMP).
In other words, you can overcome any negative situation or pain from your past if you will just get with God and say, “Yes, this happened in my life. But You are on my side and I know You have a good plan for me.”

In fact, with God’s help, you can do anything within His will for you. For example, God wants you to be healthy. So if you need to lose weight and you decide to go on a diet, when the hunger pains start coming, no matter how much your flesh is screaming, you can set your mind to not give in. And you will see results! Well, that truth applies to every other area of your life.

I think a lot of us try to do things in our own strength without God. But in order to have the godly determination we need to get results, we need to come under the leadership of the Holy Spirit―and we need to have a vision.

You’ve Got to Have a Vision

The Israelites stayed in the wilderness forty years because they couldn’t see God’s vision for their life. They thought of everything in terms of their past. In fact, they complained to Moses that they wanted to go back to Egypt and return to a life of slavery because that’s what they knew. But God wanted them to get a new vision―a land flowing with milk and honey.

If you want to see change happen in your life, you’ve got to get a vision that goes beyond what you’ve already seen and experienced. And a good place to start is the promises in God’s Word. There are thousands of them, and you can claim each one of them for yourself.

We need to learn how to encourage ourselves in the Word. That’s what David did in Psalm 27:13-14. Even in the midst of his troubles he said, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (NIV).

Stop Staring at Your Past

Our hope should never be based on what we can see or what’s in our past. Our hope should be based on the Word of God and His promises for our life.

Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (NIV).

God is always doing something new. We need to use our gift of spiritual discernment to follow His plan and stop following our own thoughts and feelings. Glance at your circumstance and stare at Jesus. He’s the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Your Circumstances Cannot Keep You Down

Abraham had a choice to make in Genesis 13. You see, he and Lot had grown so wealthy that, between the two of them, they had too many cattle to feed on the land. So Abraham said to Lot, “Let’s split up. I’ll give you first pick of the land.” Well, Lot chose the best part of the Jordan valley for himself. Abraham could have gotten pretty angry about that, but he knew that if he kept a good attitude, God would bless him. Let’s see what happened.

Verses 14-15: “The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, ‘Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever’” (NIV).

Talk about a vision!

Do you know what? God will give you anything you can see as long as it’s biblical. If you will just stop thinking about everything you’ve lost, everything you’re not, everything you’ve given up, the way you’ve been treated in the past, and set your mind on His vision for your future, God will bring you to your Promised Land. But first, you have to let go of what lies behind.

Pray - Don’t Lose Heart!

by Greg Laurie
DESCRIPTION

You do not have because you do not ask. So, pray—and ask.
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know  (Jeremiah 33:3).

What a remarkable verse. What a magnificent invitation! God spoke these words originally to the prophet Jeremiah when he was imprisoned by an evil king who hated his messages from the Lord. So there he was, imprisoned and with an uncertain future, and God was saying, “Call to Me. Pray to Me. I will answer you. I’ll show you things beyond what you could have ever dreamed.”

And He says the same thing to each of us. But He won’t show us those “great and mighty things” unless we do call. In Luke 18:1 we read that Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” If you ever needed an answer for why you ought to pray, that is the best one right there. Jesus told you to. Beyond the simple blessing of obedience, however, those of us who pray will experience the joy and satisfaction of answered prayers—such as the salvation of a loved one, a divine healing, or God’s special provision in our lives.

Prayer is God’s appointed way for our obtaining things. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” There are potential answered prayers waiting for you... answers that you won’t receive unless you ask for them.

Maybe you have wondered, Why is it that I never seem to know what the will of God is for my life? Again, you do not have, because you do not ask. Why is it that I never have the opportunity to lead people to Christ? You do not have because you do not ask. Why am I always just scraping by and never seem to have enough? You do not have because you do not ask. Why do I have this affliction or problem that won’t go away? You do not have because you do not ask.

Let me be clear here: I am not suggesting that if you pray, you never will be sick again, never have an unpaid bill, or never wonder what God’s will is for your life. But I am saying there are many times when God will indeed truly heal you, provide for you, and reveal His will to you. He’s just waiting for you to ask.

Reborn: Day 7 - Stars

"Every Sunrise"
EverySunrise

Every sunrise is a present, a gift from God above, 
Gift-wrapped with scarlet ribbons and tied with bows of love. 
Each is a new beginning, a time to start anew, 
While all the stars are sleeping, and the rose is fresh with dew. 
Each day's a new creation, too lovely to ignore, 
And we may not find a blessing, just outside our door. 
We cannot keep the past, like fireflies in a jar, 
Nor journey to the future by wishing on a star. 
Every sunrise is a blessing, a gift for just today, 
Rejoice, my friend, embrace it before it fades away!

~Author Unknown~ 

Revelation 1:18-20The Message (MSG)

17-20 “Don’t fear: I am First, I am Last, I’m Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death’s doors, they open and lock Hell’s gates. Now write down everything you see: things that are, things about to be. The Seven Stars you saw in my right hand and the seven-branched gold menorah—do you want to know what’s behind them? The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches; the menorah’s seven branches are the seven churches.”

Kindness: An Admirable Quality

Kindness: An Admirable Quality
by Dr. Charles Stanley

DESCRIPTION
Kindness is not something we put on for certain occasions, like a piece of jewelry; rather, it is an attribute of God's that He desires to reproduce in us.
Jeremiah 9:23-24

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us of the fruit produced in a Spirit-filled life and notes that all the other qualities are expressions of the first one—love. Author Ray Stedman explains, “After all, joy is love enjoying itself; peace is love resting; patience is love waiting; kindness is love reacting; goodness is love choosing; faithfulness is love keeping its word; gentleness is love empathizing; and self-control is love resisting temptation.”

Let’s focus on kindness, which he says is how love reacts. It is revealed in . . .

Generous thoughts that look for the good first.
Sensitive words that are spoken to the unruly for discipline and the well-behaved for praise.
Considerate responses that are made in the face of anger or injustice.
Intentional actions that benefit others without personal gain.
Think of your responses over the past week. Might there be any irritation, impatience, or words you wish you could take back?

Kindness is not something that we put on for certain occasions, like a piece of jewelry; rather, it is an attribute of God’s that He desires to reproduce in us. Take time to bow your head and acknowledge how kind your heavenly Father has been to you. Confess any acts of unkindness, and receive the forgiveness He promises (1 John 1:9). Then ask Him to continue working through the Holy Spirit to develop the fruit of kindness in you. Tell Him you know that is one of the qualities He delights in and that you desire it to be evident in you

Reborn: Day 6 - Renew

New Beginnings ~ By Deborah Ann

a-fresh-start

A fresh start,
new beginnings too
not just for today . . .
but, all year through.

If you let Jesus,
be your resolution
He will bring to you
a glorious restoration.

Putting behind the past,
pressing into the goal
believing in God with . . .
your whole heart and soul.

Letting Him change you,
from the inside out . . .
pushing back your fears
giving Him your doubt.

A fresh new start,
is waiting for you . . .
oh, the mighty things
Jesus wants to do!

~~~~~~~~

Psalm 51:10

“Create in me a clean heart,
O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

King James Version
by Public Domain

Copyright 2015
Deborah Ann Belka

God's Answer For Anxiety

God's Answer For Anxiety

by Dr. James Merritt

DESCRIPTION
This is a choice we have every day. Will I continue to worry about things that may or may not happen, or will I choose to live in this moment and see all that God has given and to be grateful?
“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 your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7.

How am I going to pay all of my bills this month? What if I lose my job? What if the biopsy results say I have cancer? What if something bad happens to my children or spouse? Will this economy ever turn around? 

Questions like these plague our minds, and can become overwhelming. Anxiety and depression have reached an all-time high as the economy continues to be unstable and relationships continue to crumble. Facing each day can seem like an insurmountable mountain if our focus is on circumstances, and not on our God.

There is a defense for anxiety. Many would call it too simplistic... too idealistic for the problems of the world. It is these two words: thank you. Many of us bring our requests to God, begging Him to help us in the midst of tough circumstances. But, do we say “thank you?” It is almost impossible to worry and give thanks at the same time.

If you are alive, reading this, you have much to be thankful for, regardless of circumstances. Who gave you life this morning? Who keeps your heart beating and lungs breathing throughout this day? Who provided the clothes you wear, the food you will eat today or the clean water you will drink? Who caused the sun to rise, giving life to the earth? Who sends rain to water the plants so that life can flourish today?

Most importantly, Who has provided His Son as a sacrifice for our sins? God’s extravagant grace is everywhere at all times. But we must choose to see it. God wants us to come to Him with our problems, but He also wants us to say thank you. And when we do, an incredible transaction happens. Anxiety is exchanged for peace... God’s peace.

This is a choice we have every day. Will I continue to worry about things that may or may not happen, or will I choose to live in this moment and see all that God has given and to be grateful? 

Lord Jesus, thank You for all of the good gifts that You give each day. Please forgive me for being ungrateful for Your grace and mercy. Please take away my anxiety and give me a spirit of thanksgiving as I go through this day. Amen

Reborn: Day 5 - Brand New Me

Poem by Tameeka Smith

brand-new-me/

I am new and improved
Looking at the world in a different view
Now this I can get use to
It took me years
To conquer my fears
With God's help I now
See everything clear
No more tears
No more saddness
Just a whole lot of gladness
Thinking negative less
Thinking positive quick
No second guessing it
Living carefree
No stress No stress
Yes Yes Yes
Feeling so blessed
Finally I am
Enjoying the brand new me
That's what God wants to see
This I truly believe
My relationship with Him
Is great and I am happy
I pray that He is pleased
By all of the positive things
That I am doing
I am always smiling
Its such a blessing
So glad that I am able 
To get things together
Not only have I changed on
The outside but on the inside
As well and its for the better
Loving the feeling
That I get when I look
Into the mirror and love
What I see
Embracing the Brand New Me
To God Be The Glory 

Godly Discipline

Godly Discipline
by Jud Wilhite

DESCRIPTION
Remember, God loves you with perfect love, and, therefore, He disciplines you with perfect discipline.
Hebrews 12:7-8 (NLT): As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

Godly discipline can take a number of forms. Sometimes God doesn’t open opportunities in our lives until we are ready, or sometimes He will close opportunities we aren’t ready for. Maybe you had wandered from the Lord and only began returning when you lost something important to you. Or you got distracted by something and just sort of forgot God and God gave you a wake up call to remind you to put Him first.

There are a couple ways to react to Godly discipline: fear or frustration. If you project all the imperfections of your earthly parents on God, you are going to be afraid. God will seem unstable or cruel. If you are used to always getting your own way, you may feel offended and put down. But remember, God loves you with perfect love and therefore He disciplines you with perfect discipline. He cares more for your character than your comfort. He cares less about what you want, and more about who you are becoming. Even when you don’t understand, you can trust Him because perfect love drives out all fear. Not perfect understanding. Not perfect control. Perfect love. If He can hold the world together, he can hold your life together, even when it feels like it’s falling apart.

Reborn: Day 4 - Butterfly in the sky!

1 John 5:18-21The Message (MSG)

18-21 We know that none of the God-begotten makes a practice of sin—fatal sin. The God-begotten are also the God-protected. The Evil One can’t lay a hand on them. We know that we are held firm by God; it’s only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. This Jesus is both True God and Real Life. Dear children, be on guard against all clever facsimiles.

new-life-in-christ

Can a butterfly go back into a cocoon after it’s come out as a caterpillar? Of course not. It can’t happen. Once the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it is what it is — a butterfly.

When you become a believer, you’re like that butterfly — you come out of your cocoon. It may take you some time to fly spiritually, but once you become a new creation in Christ, you are what you are. You are a new creation.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new” (CEV).

So what does it mean to become a new creation in Christ? The moment you believe in Christ, there’s a spiritual metamorphosis — everything changes! This is a matter of faith and not sight.

The greatest step of faith we can take in our lives is to believe what God says about who Jesus is and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

I believe the second greatest step you can take is to believe what God says about who you are. You are a new creation in Christ! The Bible says in Romans 6:14, “Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace” (NLT).

A true life, a better life, a wonderful life is only found in Christ. When you become a Christian, you have a new life in him.

Go,Go,Go!

by Guideposts

DESCRIPTION
Even in busyness your spirit can be calm.
Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace (Matthew 11:28, MSG).

Fortunately for my children, I stuffed those impatient words and led the way to our waiting vehicle. As my toddler and preschooler climbed ever so slowly into their car seats, I did some neck rolls to relieve tension. Could they move any slower? I wanted to scoop them into their seats, but I knew they took pride in doing it themselves, so I avoided their tantrums and threw an inner one of my own.

As the minutes ticked—and ticked me off—we finally were buckled and ready to go. With a sigh, I shoved the gearshift into reverse, glanced in my rearview mirror... and saw my sweet kiddos waiting quietly, one sucking his thumb, the other sucking her first two fingers.

That hurried heart sank as it filled with compassion for my son and daughter. What on earth should a four-year-old and a two-year-old have to hurry so much for anyway? I recalled a friend’s comment over a similar situation with her kids. She said, “I don’t know why I get stressed. It’s just minutes.” How wise!

Jesus’ days contained the same number of minutes as ours, yet He always valued people over tasks. It’s interesting that although His profession as a carpenter is mentioned, the Bible doesn’t contain a single scene of Him doing that job. Instead, Scripture tells tale after tale of Him caring for people and offering refreshment wherever He went. The underlying message? He prioritized His primary ministry.

I felt His presence quiet me as I remembered the call I feel to make my family my first ministry.

FAITH STEP: Commit this month to live unhurried. Even in busyness your spirit can be calm.

Witness While You Work

Witness While You Work

by Ignite Your Faith
DESCRIPTION

Witness while you work with these five ways to glorify God in the workplace.
Whether you work in an office, a diner, a boutique or a barn, there's one job you share with every other Christian in the work force: serving God in all you do. The way you show your faith at work will depend on your situation, but here's how some readers are getting the Word out while getting the job done:

1. Actions speak louder. Lots of Christians find that their lifestyle—especially the things they avoid—is their clearest witness at work. It can be something as small as steering clear of gossip and bad language. Or it can be something big, like not taking advantage of their employers. When 16-year-old Jennifer Brehm of Decatur, Illinois, received a too-big paycheck from her job at an eye doctor's office, she returned the money. "I know people are constantly watching me, so I really try to be honest and work my hardest for the Lord," she says.

2. The subtle approach. Sometimes it doesn't take much to make an impact. Jennifer Peterson, 17, of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, wears Christian T-shirts when she goes to pick up her schedule at the Sonic restaurant. Christy Marble, 16, of Attica, Michigan, tunes in a Christian radio station while she's working at the Dawg Haus Coney Island restaurant.

3. Bolder steps. Once they've started some good relationships, Christians can be even more up-front with their faith. John Weatherford, 16, of Forest, Mississippi, started a Bible study with his coworkers at Vowells Market Place. Jillian Walker, a 17-year-old Burger King employee from Piney Flats, Tennessee, asks her coworkers to support her for missions trips—and almost 100 percent of them do. She says, "God has used me in a year and a half to completely turn the building around spiritually!"

4. A positive attitude. If someone's always cheerful at work or never bad-mouths the boss, people are going to notice. Sarah Halbert, a 16-year-old daycare worker from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, says that others appreciate her upbeat attitude. "I'm a very patient person when it comes to problems at work. If there's ever a problem and my coworkers are too impatient to handle it, they come to me."

An added benefit of being positive is that the boss will notice, too. Seventeen-year-old Molly Blaski of Bartlett, Illinois, who works as a secretary, is sure her supervisor has picked up on her good attitude. "My boss told my mom that she's never met a teenager like me before," Molly says. "I was really glad she could see that I'm different because I'm a Christian."

5. Kindness counts. As in all areas of life, the most powerful witness in the workplace is love. Ryan Rockey, 17, of Andover, Massachusetts, opens up his heart to the people he works with at a hardware store. "I try to be someone who is caring and who my coworkers can come to when they need some encouragement or help," he says. Virginia Dicken, 17, teaches love when she's babysitting kids in and around her hometown of Edwardsville, Indiana. "I try hard to keep the kids focused on loving one another and displaying the fruit of the Spirit instead of arguing." Priscilla Stites, 17, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, shows compassion for the elderly residents she meets as a nursing assistant. She comforts them, cares for them, and stays with them when fear creeps in. She says, "I pray with those who are willing to pray or who know they are on their deathbed."

What about you? Take a few minutes to think about your job situation. How can you make sure everyone you work with knows where you stand as a Christian? What can you do to strengthen your witness? Who can you reach out to with a smile, a kind word, or an invitation to church? And most importantly, how can you share God's love in everything you do?

As the apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:7-8, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does. So when the job gets grimy, your coworkers are griping, and the boss just won't get off your back, remember this: You might not see the payoff yet, but when you're working for God, the benefits are terrific.

Written by Elesha Hodge

Reborn: Day 3 - New Me!

2 Corinthians 5:17-20The Message (MSG)

16-20 Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

Creation

Meeting Christ is a radical experience. It is a life changing message. However, there is no preset list of changes that you are handed when you meet Christ. No one can say that your experience of Christ means you must give up drinking, smoking, gambling or the like. What will change are the things that are separating you from God. If you truly seek to live a Christian life, all those things that prevent you from living that life will fall away. Each of us has different issues in our lives that separate us from God. Where are your troubles? Does drinking separate you from God? Pray and work for release, it will come. Does another addiction, be it smoking, gambling or sex, separate you from God? Pray and work for release, it will come. Does anger or jealousy or pride separate you from God? Pray and work for release, it will come. If these things are problems in your life and they separate you from God, indeed, they should change. But, becoming a new creation in Christ means different things to different people.

Reborn: Day 2 - Spiritual Rebirth

The entrance requirement for God's kingdom is a new birth. It's in the Bible, John 3:3-8, NKJV.  "Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Spiritual rebirth means dying to your old life. It's in the Bible, Romans 7:4, TLB. "Your 'husband,’ your master, used to be the Jewish law; but you 'died,’ as it were, with Christ on the cross; and since you are 'dead,’ you are no longer 'married to the law,' and it has no more control over you. Then you came back to live again when Christ did and are a new person. And now you are 'married,’ so to speak, to the one who rose from the dead, so that you can produce good fruit, that is, good deeds for God."

By the Holy Spirit we are reborn and adopted by God. It's in the Bible, Romans 8:15-17, NKJV. "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

spiritual-rebirth

Reborn - Day 1: I'm Crucified!!!

Galatians 2:20-21The Message (MSG)

19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.

Dealing with Difficult People

Dealing with Difficult People

by Whole Magazine

DESCRIPTION
Have you ever noticed that retaliating in an ungentle manner toward difficult people only makes the situation worse? Only God can change their hearts, if He so chooses.
Whether it is a boss, co-worker, relative, parent, or spouse, dealing with difficult people can be trying to our patience, disturbing to our welfare, fill us with frustration, bring anger to our hearts, or cause friction in the relationship.
A common factor among difficult people (which often adds to their being difficult) is that they don't realize they are difficult.  They might say their attitude or controlling manner is intended for our benefit because they think they know what is best for us, or they feel as though they are in a place of authority (such as being a boss) and their goal is to run an office that runs smoothly or according to their schedule, regardless of how it will impact those under them (possibly demanding too much or requiring hours of overtime each week with no extra pay).

With this in mind, if difficult people refuse to change because they think they are in the right, what would be most beneficial for us - the ones suffering - is to have a total change of perspective.  We must realize difficult people became that way for a reason; they may be insecure, feel the need to have control because if they don't, their disposition will crumble, or they might have grown up with controlling parents or rough guardians who demanded much from them in an exaggerated or illogical manner.  Difficult people may have been without discipline growing up, did not suffer consequences for poor or disrespectful behavior as they aged, or have been allowed to get away with treating others in a condescending manner and therefore this character trait just snowballed from there.

To change our perspective, we must realize that God is sovereign in all things; including the people around us and the job He has provided, even for a time.  We need to remember that God often places us in situations that are not perfectly desirable, because His intent is to build our character and trust in Him through such difficulties.

We must practice asking the Lord daily, especially in the face of a heated situation or anything-but-pleasant circumstance with the particular difficult people in our lives, for the right attitude and for Him to help us be gracious and patient toward those who are clearly in the wrong with their attitude or out-there demands.  Pray that God would change your countenance and give you a healthy love toward that person, a kind demeanor, and the ability to rise above how we are currently being treated and to give us the strength to remember that difficult people might be putting up a front to hide their own insecurities or issues with anger and past hurts, so they end up treated others in a rude way.  Keep the quote in mind, "Hurt people, hurt people."

We must seek to honor God by our words and attitude, instead of allowing anger (understandably so!) to get the best of us.  The saying is true, "Two wrongs don't make a right".

And have you noticed that retaliating in an ungentle manner toward difficult people only makes the situation worse?  The most beneficial lesson I have learned when it comes to dealing with difficult people is that I will never change them.  It won't change them if I intelligently point out all their flaws and how they are obviously in the wrong.  It won't change them if I speak badly about them or gossip about them to others over their issues.  And it won't change them if I have a rebellious attitude that refuses to live up to my God-given responsibilities (like being a good worker, household chores and raising kids, treating people with common courtesy even when it is not reciprocated, etc.) out of wanting to prove the point that "I won't be treated this way!"  Only God can change their hearts, if He so chooses.

People can harden their hearts toward God; I'm sure there are professing Christians as well who are unwilling to go along with God's game plan of purging them of their lack of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23) or who blatantly refuse to surrender their lives in their entirety to the only One who can form Christ's character in them.

I highly recommend books in the "Boundaries" series. "Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Healthy Way" by Gary Chapman is an excellent resource as well. You might want to read, "The Heart of Anger" by Lou Priolo and listen to "The Healing of Anger" by Timothy Keller. Learning about anger and how to deal with it should give you the right perspective on dealing with difficult (and often short tempered, rude, or angry) people in your life.

Seeking godly counsel over how to deal with difficult people in our lives will be greatly helpful as well.  We cannot deal with trials like this on our own, so having a support system around you of like-minded believers who can encourage you to continue growing in your walk with God (thereby your character being built) is a great idea.

Elizabeth George has written,

"Every moment your life exhibits godly character is a moment that glorifies God & honors His Word."

Pray the Lord would make it so