Today is my birthday: I have had the opportunity to take advantage of a day off to look back at my life. I am grateful for the time I have been able to exist on this earth. But I also am aware that there is much more in store for me. God has blessed me with the gift of teaching; I have been told that I have the ability to take a difficult spiritual concept and break it down into something easy to understand.
As I get older, I am understanding more of the importance of sharing wisdom with others. Many go through their lives trying to do their best to live for Him, but failing miserably. We all struggle in the attempt to be more like Christ. It truly is a journey of faith: but it is through our trusting in God's wisdom to guide, lead and direct us, rather than relying on our own wisdom, that brings us peace and joy.
We do not know the day or the hour of our passing from this earth, but we are to make the most of every opportunity we are given to serve Him. Developing the passion for a godly life can take a lifetime to achieve, but it is WELL worth it!
May God bless you richly today!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Day One of the new 90-day prayer journey...
This morning started a little rough; sinuses working overtime and have a cough. But even with that hampering me, I realize that God is able to use us in our weakness to rely on His strength. I am challenged to really focus in on the spiritual issues in my own life and see how I can be used for God through these next three months.
2011 has been an interesting year; financially, a trying time. But, spiritually, it has been a real blessing. He has helped me to 'be still,and know that [He is] God...' One of the greatest lessons that I learned from the first journey was that the greatest part was LISTENING to God's voice, not simply praying prayers for others or myself.
Day One is always the most difficult day: it is the beginning where the stage is set for the remainder of the journey. You have to start somewhere: right now seemed like the best time for me.
2011 has been an interesting year; financially, a trying time. But, spiritually, it has been a real blessing. He has helped me to 'be still,and know that [He is] God...' One of the greatest lessons that I learned from the first journey was that the greatest part was LISTENING to God's voice, not simply praying prayers for others or myself.
Day One is always the most difficult day: it is the beginning where the stage is set for the remainder of the journey. You have to start somewhere: right now seemed like the best time for me.
Friday, September 30, 2011
A new 90-day prayer journey...
Last spring, the pastor at our church challenged us to take a 90-day prayer journey. Personally and spiritually, I received a lot from that journey. I have been a faithful servant of God for many years, yet I had (admittedly) lost a lot of my PASSION for God and the ministry. The prayer journey reminded me that my faith was not about me and my needs, but how God could serve others through me. We as Christians are simply vessels of His grace and mercy.
The last few months since the original prayer journey have been challenging, but this time I knew that He would see us through. Through this time, my faith never wavered; I truly believed that God would sustain us. There were times that I couldn't see how He could do it, but every single time that we called out to Him, He responded according to His will, not ours.
I am very hopeful for the future; I am positive that we are on the verge of something of a great blessing; but I know that I need to be prepared spiritually for the task. The 'prayer journey' is a simple task: simply take one minute every waking hour and pray for a need that God has laid on your heart. THAT IS IT! It is that simple: but it is about putting Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. That is where you find true JOY in living!
If you choose to pray, tomorrow (October 1st, 2011) is the start date. We will pray until the end of December. If you choose to have a need prayed for, leave a request
The last few months since the original prayer journey have been challenging, but this time I knew that He would see us through. Through this time, my faith never wavered; I truly believed that God would sustain us. There were times that I couldn't see how He could do it, but every single time that we called out to Him, He responded according to His will, not ours.
I am very hopeful for the future; I am positive that we are on the verge of something of a great blessing; but I know that I need to be prepared spiritually for the task. The 'prayer journey' is a simple task: simply take one minute every waking hour and pray for a need that God has laid on your heart. THAT IS IT! It is that simple: but it is about putting Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. That is where you find true JOY in living!
If you choose to pray, tomorrow (October 1st, 2011) is the start date. We will pray until the end of December. If you choose to have a need prayed for, leave a request
Monday, August 22, 2011
Looking at John 3:16...
I had an opportunity to really sink into the depth of John 3:16; most people know it by heart, but can often miss the deeper meaning of the scripture.
- "For God so loved..." (His love for us is unimaginable; it is deeper than we can conceive, yet simple to accept)
- "...the world..." (His love was for EVERY nation; not just a select few; everyone who is willing to accept His love can receive it FREELY.)
- '...that He gave..." (It is a FREE gift; we do not have to earn it or go through a process to get there (other than accepting the gift))
- "...His only Son..." (Jesus was the FINAL and ULTIMATE sacrifice for the salvation of our sins)
- " ...whoever believes in Him..." (It is not simply about believing in the existence of God: it is about believing IN Him - His grace is sufficient - His power is made perfect in our weakness. Believing IN Christ is about believing that His grace is sufficient to save you from your sins.)
- "...will not perish..." (You will die a physical death - but you will be spiritually renewed)
- "...but have everlasting life..." (This is the ultimate reward: life on Earth with Christ can be very rewarding...but it is nothing compared with the eternal reward given to those who faithfully live for Him.)
I know that life on Earth can be a difficult road, but I also know that faith in Christ can keep us going. It is HIS will...HIS strength...HIS wisdom that provides us with what we need here. And, when we are faithful to Him, the rewards are eternal!
- "For God so loved..." (His love for us is unimaginable; it is deeper than we can conceive, yet simple to accept)
- "...the world..." (His love was for EVERY nation; not just a select few; everyone who is willing to accept His love can receive it FREELY.)
- '...that He gave..." (It is a FREE gift; we do not have to earn it or go through a process to get there (other than accepting the gift))
- "...His only Son..." (Jesus was the FINAL and ULTIMATE sacrifice for the salvation of our sins)
- " ...whoever believes in Him..." (It is not simply about believing in the existence of God: it is about believing IN Him - His grace is sufficient - His power is made perfect in our weakness. Believing IN Christ is about believing that His grace is sufficient to save you from your sins.)
- "...will not perish..." (You will die a physical death - but you will be spiritually renewed)
- "...but have everlasting life..." (This is the ultimate reward: life on Earth with Christ can be very rewarding...but it is nothing compared with the eternal reward given to those who faithfully live for Him.)
I know that life on Earth can be a difficult road, but I also know that faith in Christ can keep us going. It is HIS will...HIS strength...HIS wisdom that provides us with what we need here. And, when we are faithful to Him, the rewards are eternal!
Friday, August 19, 2011
The peace that transcends understanding
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is found in the book of Philippians - '...and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ...' (4:7 - NIV). Today I focused on the '...transcends all understanding...' part. His peace is greater than anything we can understand. Take that in for a moment: it transcends all understanding! We cannot even grasp His peace in our minds!
This past week I was wrestling with a problem that I was dealing with that was affecting my family. It was an issue that I did not want to 'bother' God with. But my family reminded me, that when we surrender our will to God, He brings us peace. When I gave the problem to God and allowed Him to work in my life, He answered the prayer within 24 hours!
I am not going to tell you that is going to happen to everyone every time, but if we want God to bring peace in our lives, we must surrender our will to God. He will bring us peace!
This past week I was wrestling with a problem that I was dealing with that was affecting my family. It was an issue that I did not want to 'bother' God with. But my family reminded me, that when we surrender our will to God, He brings us peace. When I gave the problem to God and allowed Him to work in my life, He answered the prayer within 24 hours!
I am not going to tell you that is going to happen to everyone every time, but if we want God to bring peace in our lives, we must surrender our will to God. He will bring us peace!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Welcome to Passion for a Godly Life!
So many in life today struggle with maintaining the passion that they have for Christ. Many simply go through the motions of the faith but serve Him with no passion. I spent 13 years in full-time ministry, but through each discouragement I sank lower and lower; in 2001, I had nothing left to encourage others.
But, through moving to a new area and realizing that it was not about my service for God, then I began to regain the passion for Him. It was when I came to the realization that it was ultimately (and always) about God working through us that it became clear to me.
The ultimate purpose of this blog is to bring encouragement to those of you who HAVE lost your passion for serving Christ. It is not a theological discussion blog; it is a place of encouragement for those who have lost their way and are trying to discover (or re-discover) their 'Passion for a Godly Life'!
But, through moving to a new area and realizing that it was not about my service for God, then I began to regain the passion for Him. It was when I came to the realization that it was ultimately (and always) about God working through us that it became clear to me.
The ultimate purpose of this blog is to bring encouragement to those of you who HAVE lost your passion for serving Christ. It is not a theological discussion blog; it is a place of encouragement for those who have lost their way and are trying to discover (or re-discover) their 'Passion for a Godly Life'!
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