Posts Tagged ‘Abiding’

Why Are You Fearful?

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

“Now when [Jesus] got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”
Matthew 8:23-26

Are you experiencing a storm or storms in your life? Are you weary from battling the storm? Are you fearful the storm will destroy you, your family, or your career? Do you wish there was someone…anyone that could calm your storm?

In this incredible biblical story the disciples literally feared for their lives when “suddenly a great tempest arose” and threatened their boat. That word, “tempest,” literally means, “a shaking, a commotion, or an earthquake.” And notice it hit “suddenly.” The disciples were caught off-guard, and reacted with swift panic, crying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But what was a surprise to the disciples was no surprise to Jesus. Not only did He know the storm would hit before they ever stepped foot in the boat, but He also had the power to calm it.

You see, God uses storms in our lives to shake us. We like to be in control, but storms remind us that we are not in contro and challenges us to, no matter what happens, trust Him in the storm? He wants to stretch our faith, to get us outside our comfort zone, and to demonstrate His power in our lives. Sometimes we can see the storm coming, and sometimes we can’t. But we must always remember that Jesus is in control, not us. Storms do not surprise or intimidate Him. God’s love is a perfecting not a pampering love as many teach today.

Today, Jesus has the power to calm every storm in your life. In those moments when you feel overwhelmed by the waves crashing around you, and the winds blowing against you, trust Him to bring a great calm in and around you. The only way out of a trial is living through a trial.

As I’ve been thinking about trials we all face, it has occurred to me that God says it is not possible for any man to be at complete rest until he is aware that all things are happening according to a divine plan. It’s like looking at a tapestry from the thread side instead of looking at the picture. Looking at the picture makes sense, not the threads. It is like that with all of the tangled patterns of life for the one who has been called according to the divine plan. When we know this fact we can be at peace with the world around us because we are at peace within our own souls; and we are at peace within our own souls because we are at peace with our Heavenly Father. Then and only then can we count it joy and begin to learn the secret of contentment. When our world is falling apart, He keeps us grounded. He is the anchor that keeps us from drifting.

If you are not going through a storm today, guess what, one is coming. And if you are in the middle of a storm the question is the same for both situations: Do you trust Him…in the storm and with your life?

To learn more about trusting Jesus, I reccomend reading God’s word, the Bible first, but the following resource could also help you. Enjoy!

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New Years Resolutions

Monday, January 11th, 2010

 Have you declared your New Years resolution(s) for 2010?  If you have not, you know someone who has. New Years resolutions are made each year in an attempt to improve our lives and help make us happier.

According to the USA.gov (”Government Made Easy”) website, the dozen most popular New Year’s Resolutions are: lose weight, manage debt, save more, change jobs, get in shape, go back to school, drink less, stop smoking, reduce stress in general, reduce stress at work, travel, and volunteer. Any of those look familiar? Since they’re the “most popular,” they probably do.

Here’s a different approach for 2010: Instead of focusing on what’s wrong with yourself or your circumstances, resolve this year to focus on God. Instead of making resolutions, resolve to do one main thing: Make your life the subject of gentle conversation between you and God on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean in the sense of, “God, I want . . . I need . . . I wish.” Rather, “God, I want to reflect Your glory in my life more in 2010 than in 2009. I want to live today in light of the end of my life. Speak to me and empower me to be conformed, gently but surely, more into the image of Christ this year.

“Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.” (Psalm 39:4)

That’s a prayer God will answer by replacing the weakness of our resolve with the strength of His; a resolution that will not fail; a resolution that will make you happier in life and at work.

God’s peace!

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The Truth Will Set You Free!

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

It is supposed to be a Happy New Year, but many of you are not really Happy or upbeat about the coming year at all…are you?  What are you feeling? Disappointment? Discouragement? Depression?  Disillusionment? Loneliness? Fear? Anger?  Pain? Uncertainty?  Frustration?

The world is full of problems and pressures that can cause us to feel any or all of these ways.  For example, I was just released from my position at work after 12 years.  The leadership of the organization made a decision to go in a different direction and the new plan did not include my position.  We all know what the economy is like right now, so many would say that I have a reason and maybe even a right to have all those feelings.  But, I do not.  I am actually very excited and looking forward to the journey that lies ahead of me.   I have an incredible sense of freedom and hope as I look forward to what God has to teach me during this time and what he has planned for the next season of my life.  I know and believe God is my provider and that he will never leave me nor forasake me.  Don’t misunderstand me; I know this will not be easy, and will likely even be difficult at times, but I plan to abide closely in God and trust him to guide and direct me to my next assignment for him. This faith in God provides me peace, hope and freedom, and these feelings trump the others! Why do I know and believe this; because God tells me so…

“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8:31-32

Here are some Truths That Set Us Free:

1. God is good (Ps. 119:68; 136:1).

2. God loves me and wants me to have His best (Rom. 8:32, 38-39).

3. I am complete and accepted in Christ (Eph. 1:6).

4. God is enough (Ps. 23:1).

5. God can be trusted (Isa. 28:16).

6. God doesn’t make any mistakes (Isa. 46:10)!

• Everything that comes into my life has been “filtered through His fingers of love.”

7. God’s grace is sufficient for me (2 Cor. 12:9).

8. The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover all my sin (1 John 1:7).

9. The cross of Christ is sufficient to conquer my sinful flesh (Rom. 6:6-7).

• I don’t have to sin (Rom. 6:14).

10. My past does not have to plague me (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

• My past failures can become stepping stones to greater victory and fruitfulness.
• If I will let Him, God will cause everything that has happened to me to work together for my good and for His glory.

11. God’s Word is sufficient to lead me, teach me, and heal me (Ps. 19:7; 107:20; 119:105).

12. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, God will enable me to do anything that He commands me to do (1 Thess. 5:24).

• There is no one that I cannot forgive (Mark 11:25).
• There is no one that I cannot love (Matt. 5:44).
• I can give thanks in all things (1 Thess. 5:18).
• I can be content (Heb. 13:5; Phil. 4:11).

13. I am responsible before God, for my behavior, responses, and choices (Ez. 18:19-22).

14. I will reap whatever I sow (Gal. 6:7-8).

15. The pathway to true joy is to relinquish control (Luke 1:38; 1 Peter 5:7; Matt.16:25):

• of my life
• of my husband
• of my children
• of my circumstances

16. The greatest freedom I can experience is found through submission to God-ordained authority (Eph. 5:23).

• The husband is the head of the wife (Eph. 5:23).
• The wife is to reverence and submit to her husband (Eph. 5:22, 33).
• “The heart of the king is in the Lord’s hand . . .” (Prov. 21:1).

17. In the will of God, there is no higher, holier calling than to be a wife and mother (Titus 2:4-5).

18. Personal holiness is more important than temporal happiness. (Eph. 5:26-27).

• Happiness is not a right.

19. God is more concerned about changing me and glorifying Himself, than about solving my problems (Rom. 8:29).

20. It is impossible to be godly, without suffering.

• Suffering is a tool in the hand of God to conform me to the image of Jesus (1 Peter 5:10).

21. My suffering will not last forever (2 Cor. 4:17-18; Ps. 30:5).

22. “It’s not about me; it’s all about Him!” (Col. 1:16-18).

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Live Fearlessly Enter The Promised Land

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Do you want to enter your own “Promise Land”?

Are you familiar with the story in the Bible about Joshua and Caleb and their reconnaissance mission into the territory God had led them to, The Promised Land…filled with milk and honey…a land full of promise, opportunity, and safety.

Joshua and Caleb were part of a group of 12 sent into The Promised Land to see if it could be taken as God had promised.  The other 10 gave a bad report that instilled fear in the people.  They had a spirit of fear, and the ultimate result of their fear-based actions was rebellion among the people and ultimate death of an entire generation; they never made it into and were never abel to enjoy The Promised Land.  Joshua and  Caleb, who are described as men who had a different spirit (the Spirit of the Lord), were the only two who gave a report saying that the land could be taken just as God had promised.  They were the only two of their generation to enter The Promised Land.

Are you a person led by a spirit of fear or are you led by the Spirit of God?

God says of Caleb and Joshua, “because my servants have a different spirit and follow me wholeheartedly, I will bring them into the land they went into, and their descendants will inherit it.”   God’s Spirit led Joshua and Caleb; they were not led by fear!

Fear is powerful.  It can paralyze us.  Many of us fail to enter into our own Promise Land because we have failed to be led by the Spirit and are instead led by fear.  Fear prevents us from entering into what God has reserved for us…a life and an inheritance that is exceedingly good.  God described The Promised Land as a land of milk and honey.  Our own Promise Land is the same, but The Spirit must lead you in.

Romans 8:13-14 says it this way:

“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

To learn more about living a fearless life led by The Spirit, we reccomend the following resource

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Restoration!

Friday, November 6th, 2009

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you.” – Joel 2:25

There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. Solomon tells us that He has made everything beautiful in its time and that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven. (See Ecclesiastes 3:1,11.)

God brings about both the good and the bad. The seasons of famine have a divine purpose in our lives. They accomplish things that only these hard places can accomplish. But there is a time when those hard places have accomplished their purpose and He begins to restore. God did this with the nation of Israel after a season of famine and devastation.

Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will My people be shamed” (Joel 2:23-27).

God wants each of us to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He is a loving Father who tenderly guides His children through the difficult places. If God has taken you through a time of leanness, know that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. He will do it.

Reccomended reading: The Joseph-Daniel Calling

Like Joseph and Daniel in the Bible, God is calling men and women to serve in strategic positions of influence and power in the workplace for His purposes. This book addresses the dynamics of this calling, God?s economy, and the challenges of these uniquely called Josephs and Daniels. Among other agendas, they will be facilitators of the release of the wealth of the wicked into Kingdom initiatives.

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Be Attentive In Life and At Work

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Do you have distractions in your life?  Of course, we all do.

Distractions are the poison of life.  Thye keep us from seeing and being a part of God’s work in and around us.  Author Leighton Ford knew this, so he began a journey of longing and looking for God. And it started with paying attention.

In the pages of his book, The Attentive Life: Discerning God’s Presence in All Things, he invites you to journey with him as he seeks to rid himself of distractions and live the joyfilled, purposeful life God intended.

I encourage you to read this book!

Ford will walk with you, helping you pay attention to God’s work in you and around you throughout each day and in different seasons of your life.  He will help you to realize that spending time alone with God, away from the normal distractions of life, will bring you a peace never before experienced.  You will learn to abide rather than strive.  You will learn to trust God more and worry less.  You will learn to hear God’s still, quiet voice and be confident in your focus and pupose each day.

So, If you’re busy, distracted, discouraged, disillusioned, and tired of rushing through each day, you might be feeling disconnected from God, unable to see how he’s working and how you fit into his work. But the way toward him starts with a pause and a prayer with intention and attention and becomes a way of life, awake and alive to the peaceful, powerful presence of God.

I hope you enjoy The Attentive Life by Leighton Ford.

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Happy Life and Career; plan the work and work the plan

Saturday, October 31st, 2009

You may have heard the saying “plan the work and work the plan”.  It is a great reminder that, in order to experience success, it helps to have a vision and a plan for what you hope to accomplish, to remian focused and committed to your plan, and to be purposeful and intentional in working toward accomplishing the plan.

This adage is most commonly applied in business, but I believe we shoud all consider applying it within our families.  Our families need a vision, a mssion, and a plan.  A good place to start is to establish your family values, a set of guiding principles that help steer eveyone as they makes decsions about what you do, what you say, who you select as friends, and how you spend your money and time.  Below are some examples of family values that I have collected from freinds that will give you some ideas and help get you jump started.  You can develop your own (as a family); make it fun, let eveyone participate and contribute, and make sure you have consensus before finalizing.  Post them on the refrigerator, on the family bulletin board, and on bathroom mirrors so they are consistently top-of-mind with everyone, and use them when making decisions, and to mentor, coach and discipline your kids.  Good luck and remember to walk in love!

Family Values:

  1. We will love honor and obey God in all that we think, speak, and do
  2. We will, in humility, love, respect, and serve each other and those around us
  3. We first listen, then think, then speak
  4. We try our best in everything we do
  5. We look for the good in every situation and maintain an attitude of thankfulness
  6. We will forgive and make every effort to live at peace with everyone
  7. We take every opportunity to share God’s love and the hope we have in Jesus
  8. We make memories together
  9. We keep our family time as a high priority
  10. We nurture a generous heart by living simply and sharing with those in need
  11. We invest ourselves in building God’e kingdom

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Unchanging Truth

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth . . . .” Ephesians 6:14a

The economic meltdown that began almost a year ago begs a central question: What is the truth about our situation? The new president and his advisers have worked for months to find the answer to that question. And they continue to think more money is the answer. How bad is the damage? What will it take to make things right? It seems new versions of “the truth” about our situation emerge daily.

Granted, the economics of an entire nation are murky at best. But what if you were tasked with the job of defining truth about every person, every situation, every fact, and every possibility? When we look at our world, it is obvious that there are many versions of “truth” at work—creating the resulting discord and chaos. Oprah promotes a new gospel using the same words like repentance and Christian as an example, but defines it radically different than Scripture. She is very dangerous. As Steve Camp sang in his song “Where have you gone to my America” he sang..”And the talk show host is the Holy Ghost.”

Jesus Christ, in a prayer to the Father, said what truth is in just a few words: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s words, found in God’s Word (living and written), are the standard of truth concerning whatever they touch. The Bible may not address everything in all of history, but whatever it says about whatever it addresses is true.

To navigate the uncertain parts of life, you need an unchanging source of truth: God and His Word. When questions arise, make sure you answer them with the answers God has provided.

“Though all truth is not in the Bible, everything in the Bible is true.” Unknown

God’s peace!

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Facing Uncertainty

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

“When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Matthew 8:23-26

James MacDonald writes: Why didn’t somebody tell me earlier in my life that I can’t fix everything? I thought that with due diligence, everything can get resolved. If there were things up ahead that concerned me, I could just make a plan to solve them. In time, I could have it all figured out and then set the automatic “good life” pilot and let it take over.

It’s only more recently that I have grasped that life will never be “together” this side of eternity. It’s hard to accept sometimes that perfect is only for heaven.

There will always be people problems. There will always be financial challenges. There will always be a home burden, or a crisis of some kind. Every day I live in this world, there will always be some uncertainty ringing my doorbell.

So much for my assumption that if you just worked hard enough, eventually everything would be sorted out, categorized, and put neatly on the shelf. I have never gotten to that day and what’s more, I now know it’s never coming.

In Matthew 8:23-24, we land in Jesus’ life on a day that perfectly illustrates the imperfections of human existence. “When he got into the boat, His disciplines followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm.” In the original language, the two words great storm can be translated to mega and seismic. As in, And behold, there arose a mega seismic on the sea, so that the boat was consumed by the waves. It’s worth remembering that this description comes from Matthew, one of the disciples who wasn’t a fisherman. He had the terrified layman’s perspective on this storm!

I have a few questions about that whole scene:

1. Did Jesus not check the Weather Channel? He totally knew that storm was coming yet He led them right into it. Get in the boat, boys. He knowingly took them into harm’s way.
2. Could Jesus have stopped the storm before it started? Sure He could have but He let the storm come.
3. So is it true to say that He wanted the storm? I think we could surmise that He was actually looking forward to how He was going to use the storm in the disciples’ lives.

I believe it is important for all of us, including me to understand that sometimes Jesus disguises exciting opportunities for personal growth as difficult circumstances. We would choose to avoid trials at all costs, but Jesus sees the bigger picture. Sometimes we just need to trust God and get out of the boat…especially if we want to walk on the water and be happy in life and at work!

28638: If You Want to Walk on Water, You"ve Got to Get Out of the Boat If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat
By John Ortberg / Zondervan

Far too many of us have put our faith in a casual Christianity that never compels us to leave our comfort zones. But, deep within our hearts we know that Christ has not called us to comfort, but to an exciting, sacrificial and overwhelmingly fulfilling faith. In If You’re Going to Walk on Water John Ortberg teaches us how to step out of the “boat” of casual Christianity so that we can faithfully follow the Lord who is calling us out onto the risky, exciting waters of the high seas. Let Pastor Ortberg teach you how to leave your comfort zone for a remarkable life of faith.

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Be Happier by Abiding Rather than Striving

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1a

What does it mean for the Lord to build the house? It almost seems a contradiction when we consider that we might be the builders in this passage. God wants us to allow Him to build the house. He explains further:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for He grants sleep to those He loves” (Psalm 127:1-2).

God is telling us there is a way of living and working without striving. There is a way to go about our lives and to conduct business without sweating and toiling for outcome. His warning to each of us is to avoid thinking that outcome is based on our sweat and toil. Outcome is based on faithfulness and obedience. That outcome is sometimes more than we deserve. Sometimes it is less than we hoped for. His desire for each of us is to see Him working in our daily personal and work life. He wants us to avoid looking to our own effort to gain an outcome.

One day Jesus called out to Peter from the shore of the lake and suggested he throw his net on the other side of the boat. It was this simple act of obedience that yielded a tremendous catch that he would not have received unless he obeyed.

We are called to live life and work; He is called to bring forth the fruit. He is the vine. We are the branches. Fruit comes forth naturally from a healthy tree.

Today, ask God to show you when you enter into striving, in your personal or work life. Ask Him to show you the difference between loving trust and obedience and striving for outcome. It can be challenging for us to balance this in our daily life and work experiences. He wants to help us walk in this freedom and rest. when we do this, we will be happier and have immeasurably more peace and joy in our lives both at home and at work.

737960: The 9 to 5 Window: How Faith Can Transform the Workplace The 9 to 5 Window: How Faith Can Transform the Workplace
By Os Hillman / Gospel Light

What happens when we take the Word of God literally and begin to apply it where most us spend 60 to 70 percent of our waking hours? What happens when we move in a spiritual dimension in our work lives as few have endeavored to do before now? Lives, workplaces, cities and nations become transformed by the power of Jesus Christ!

Called the “next great movement of God,” ministry in the workplace is like a sleeping giant that is starting to take the nation by storm. In The 9 to 5 Window, Os Hillman, one of the leading authorities on “faith at work” today, introduces you to the new breed of worker who has gone beyond the status quo to become a transformer. Learn the facts on the current movement, how to bring God’s presence into your life and your workplace, how to transform your life, your workplace, and city. This offer includes a terrific study guide suitable for either individual or small group use.

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