Friday, May 21, 2010
The Greatest Kingdom
The greatest kingdom is in the heart and mind but where this is only self-preservation there is only a dark prison, decay and death. Where there is hate, self justification, and only conditional love there is little or no conscience- but where the Spirit of God speaks- and those who listen -there lay the greatest kingdom that has ever come or ever will be for the greatest kingdom is in the heart and mind and it can never be taken. J.D. Johns
Friday, May 14, 2010
Freedom From Our Circumstances
Peace in our Lives
We all have the gift of choice as God’s prized creation.
Choice:
1. We instinctively know right and wrong when it comes to choice because God has put this knowledge in us.
2. Choice is only a freedom to us when we trust God in our choices.
Paul faced with death and prison still considered himself free in Christ.
So what is this “freedom” we have as Christians?
1 Corinthians 6:12 “You may say, “I am allowed to do anything,” But I reply, “Not everything is good for you.” And even though “I am allowed to do anything, “I must not become a slave to anything.”
This includes our thoughts and feelings and what others think about us (good or bad.)
Is this freedom a matter of degree or extreme circumstances?
Hum…. Stephen still had the freedom of peace even though he was attacked and stoned to death.
Can you and I groove to our Christian principles and beliefs even when the roaring sea of life tosses our lives around like some little toy boat?
Can you and I keep every human instinct from coming unleashed or unglued in trying circumstances?
Can our Godly love keep us moving up that mountain of life even when everything seems to spinning all round us?
Can you and I stay calm when everything is crashing down all round us?
When everything seems to be stacked against us can we believe and stand and remember in what we have been taught and believe about God?
Will we stay faithful and aglow when the unthinkable comes to darken and shadow our dreams or what we hold dear?
Will we remain flexible and bendable and fixed on the foundation God has placed us on or will we give in to the pressures and opinions of others in this life?
We will rationalize, move to human understanding and let our imagination go to “what if’s”?
Tough are the choices in life but they taste better in the long run if we trust in God and rely on his Holy Spirit instead of our human nature, which often leads to destructiveness.
The human mind seems to wonder, bringing up imaginary circumstances that haven’t even occurred, or will occur and we worry and doubt. Oh yeah we have all been there?
What is going to influence us? Is it going to be our human understanding, the ideals of others and attractive proposals of the world or are we going to listen and follow that still quiet voice of God inside of us.
God voice (The Holy Spirit): The voice that guides us to all truth, peace, wisdom, love and real understanding.
I saw a saying on a church board recently that said, “ Take a deep breath…”. We all need to take a deep breath and instead of look at everything that needs to be done on our checklist and prioritized to our wants and needs we need to just take a minute, moment, hour at a time.
Have you ever noticed when we try to force something instead of wait and work and walk in God’s timing? What happens?
We need to “walk out” on of our frazzled mindset and walk back into God’s mindset.
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace.” Romans 8:5
Same is true with our thinking….. Are we selective about what comes in or do we just let everything come?
The human ways of understanding wants to pay God no mind. It wants to ignore God….
Now look when we doubt, have fear, are stressed out…. It really shows a lack of faith. We have all been there……
Hebrews 11:6 “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
If we are getting stressed and don’t have our minds where it needs to be then how is God going to be pleased? For only in God’s love do we ever have a lasting effect. Thank God for his Holy
Spirit that ministers to us.
God isn’t moved by others negative opinions of him. He isn’t worried about when something is going to get done or happen. He knows what our needs are before we even ask him. He knows the fight isn’t really a fight because he has already won and we just have to get back in line to “see” straight.
See straight in every act of our lives…… We have the mind of Christ … right?
Quiet……
“Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. “1Peter 3:3-4
Don’t be concerned with what the world tells you, you need.
Don’t be concerned about what the opposite sex may think or not think about you? Are you a slave to them? Don’t let them occupy your mind and cause you to act foolish.
For only a gentle quiet spirit can hear from God.
Sure things come to stir and knock but like headlines in the “daily planet” … they come and go and change day to day but the “Good News” never changes. -
The temporary evils that ripple will soon fade. The waves that come to make many run will wipe many out by their own human understanding but those who stand on the rock and assist others up on the same foundation of Jesus Christ will see and “experience” many glorious things.
The clouds may come to cloud up our skies but we know where our source of light comes from and we know he is trustworthy because he has shown himself faithful so many times and times again.
Trust God not our human understanding or our circumstances… good or bad.
Jesus told us to give him all our worries so they would not become bondage and slavery issues.
Remember God spins the earth. He is the one who built the tallest mountains, the stars in the skies, and he reminds forever… and since he is in us… we will remain in his love in what sometimes seems the ruins of life… but we must trust him to have peace in all situations.
Remember anything not done in love is useless.
The world makes regulations to follow…. Some good some bad.
When we “follow” negative regulations that go against God’s word and ideals we become slaves.
The world says we have to dress the part, smell the part, look the part… The world says we have to earn “it” (praise, salvation, friendship, love, etc) but we have received someone who can never be earned but thankful given freely to those who believe in the Son of God Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we have received the choice of real freedom.
In that freedom we can see the Lord work in our lives for those who trust him. We are no longer slaves to what may come or present itself in our lives but we are free in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, John 8:34-36, Gal 2:4-5
Joseph sold to slavery did not let his circumstances that seemed all set against him hold his faith in God captive but continued to trust in God- and God used him mightily. Acts 7:9-10
John a man that ate locusts and honey and dressed in furs and looked more or less like a wild man didn’t let the pressures of life and what others thought of him to influence his calling.
You have a choice to be free regardless of your circumstances.
Check out Mercy Me’s new CD… is pretty good.
We all have the gift of choice as God’s prized creation.
Choice:
1. We instinctively know right and wrong when it comes to choice because God has put this knowledge in us.
2. Choice is only a freedom to us when we trust God in our choices.
Paul faced with death and prison still considered himself free in Christ.
So what is this “freedom” we have as Christians?
1 Corinthians 6:12 “You may say, “I am allowed to do anything,” But I reply, “Not everything is good for you.” And even though “I am allowed to do anything, “I must not become a slave to anything.”
This includes our thoughts and feelings and what others think about us (good or bad.)
Is this freedom a matter of degree or extreme circumstances?
Hum…. Stephen still had the freedom of peace even though he was attacked and stoned to death.
Can you and I groove to our Christian principles and beliefs even when the roaring sea of life tosses our lives around like some little toy boat?
Can you and I keep every human instinct from coming unleashed or unglued in trying circumstances?
Can our Godly love keep us moving up that mountain of life even when everything seems to spinning all round us?
Can you and I stay calm when everything is crashing down all round us?
When everything seems to be stacked against us can we believe and stand and remember in what we have been taught and believe about God?
Will we stay faithful and aglow when the unthinkable comes to darken and shadow our dreams or what we hold dear?
Will we remain flexible and bendable and fixed on the foundation God has placed us on or will we give in to the pressures and opinions of others in this life?
We will rationalize, move to human understanding and let our imagination go to “what if’s”?
Tough are the choices in life but they taste better in the long run if we trust in God and rely on his Holy Spirit instead of our human nature, which often leads to destructiveness.
The human mind seems to wonder, bringing up imaginary circumstances that haven’t even occurred, or will occur and we worry and doubt. Oh yeah we have all been there?
What is going to influence us? Is it going to be our human understanding, the ideals of others and attractive proposals of the world or are we going to listen and follow that still quiet voice of God inside of us.
God voice (The Holy Spirit): The voice that guides us to all truth, peace, wisdom, love and real understanding.
I saw a saying on a church board recently that said, “ Take a deep breath…”. We all need to take a deep breath and instead of look at everything that needs to be done on our checklist and prioritized to our wants and needs we need to just take a minute, moment, hour at a time.
Have you ever noticed when we try to force something instead of wait and work and walk in God’s timing? What happens?
We need to “walk out” on of our frazzled mindset and walk back into God’s mindset.
“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind there is life and peace.” Romans 8:5
Same is true with our thinking….. Are we selective about what comes in or do we just let everything come?
The human ways of understanding wants to pay God no mind. It wants to ignore God….
Now look when we doubt, have fear, are stressed out…. It really shows a lack of faith. We have all been there……
Hebrews 11:6 “So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
If we are getting stressed and don’t have our minds where it needs to be then how is God going to be pleased? For only in God’s love do we ever have a lasting effect. Thank God for his Holy
Spirit that ministers to us.
God isn’t moved by others negative opinions of him. He isn’t worried about when something is going to get done or happen. He knows what our needs are before we even ask him. He knows the fight isn’t really a fight because he has already won and we just have to get back in line to “see” straight.
See straight in every act of our lives…… We have the mind of Christ … right?
Quiet……
“Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.
You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. “1Peter 3:3-4
Don’t be concerned with what the world tells you, you need.
Don’t be concerned about what the opposite sex may think or not think about you? Are you a slave to them? Don’t let them occupy your mind and cause you to act foolish.
For only a gentle quiet spirit can hear from God.
Sure things come to stir and knock but like headlines in the “daily planet” … they come and go and change day to day but the “Good News” never changes. -
The temporary evils that ripple will soon fade. The waves that come to make many run will wipe many out by their own human understanding but those who stand on the rock and assist others up on the same foundation of Jesus Christ will see and “experience” many glorious things.
The clouds may come to cloud up our skies but we know where our source of light comes from and we know he is trustworthy because he has shown himself faithful so many times and times again.
Trust God not our human understanding or our circumstances… good or bad.
Jesus told us to give him all our worries so they would not become bondage and slavery issues.
Remember God spins the earth. He is the one who built the tallest mountains, the stars in the skies, and he reminds forever… and since he is in us… we will remain in his love in what sometimes seems the ruins of life… but we must trust him to have peace in all situations.
Remember anything not done in love is useless.
The world makes regulations to follow…. Some good some bad.
When we “follow” negative regulations that go against God’s word and ideals we become slaves.
The world says we have to dress the part, smell the part, look the part… The world says we have to earn “it” (praise, salvation, friendship, love, etc) but we have received someone who can never be earned but thankful given freely to those who believe in the Son of God Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we have received the choice of real freedom.
In that freedom we can see the Lord work in our lives for those who trust him. We are no longer slaves to what may come or present itself in our lives but we are free in Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31, John 8:34-36, Gal 2:4-5
Joseph sold to slavery did not let his circumstances that seemed all set against him hold his faith in God captive but continued to trust in God- and God used him mightily. Acts 7:9-10
John a man that ate locusts and honey and dressed in furs and looked more or less like a wild man didn’t let the pressures of life and what others thought of him to influence his calling.
You have a choice to be free regardless of your circumstances.
Check out Mercy Me’s new CD… is pretty good.
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