Deceptive appearances
Today most of all homes are built quickly, with little concern for quality, with the paint and the trim look impressive.
Today most of all automobiles feature fancy gadgets, plush seats, and racing stripes, but rattles and vibrations come early. Poor workmanship covered up to look good.
Today, we often build our lives in the same fashion. Not much attention to a solid foundation of Biblical truth. Not much character building. Not much painstaking attention to quality parenting. Instead, we concentrate on body building, social graces, fashion design, and cosmetics. Deceptive appearances covered up to look good.
Ezekiel uses similar imagery to describe the false prophets of Israel. They cry “‘Peace’ when there is no peace” (Ezekiel 13:10) and make Jerusalem falsely secure. In reality Jerusalem is like a flimsy wall built on a shaky foundation. The prophets merely cover that wall with whitewash to make it look good. But the Sovereign Lord will unleash a violent wind with hailstones and rain so that the wall collapses. Flimsy building exposed. No whitewash cover-up will help.
But God also brings hope. He sent His Son Jesus Christ as chief cornerstone of a new building. By His sin-atoning death on the cross and His resurrection, Jesus provides a solid base for the building of His church. By baptism we are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). No flimsy building. No need for cover-up. We concentrate on inner growth in the Word, which keeps us strong.
Ezekiel 13 : 10 - 11
Because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall
(Stops & Steps 1057 01IX2009)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Stops & Steps 1056 31VIII2009
Transitions
How can we face transitions with confidence?
Each of us faces transition points in life. Transitions often bring much pain, create anxiety, and disrupt our lives. They also present new challenges and opportunities for growth.
In Deuteronomy 31, Moses comes to the end of his life. Israel gathers at the Jordan River ready to enter the Promised Land. God taps Joshua as Moses’ successor. Truly a time of transition. Joshua may have felt overwhelmed by the new responsibilities. But Moses gives these reassuring words: “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God comes to each of us in our transitions. His Son moved from heaven to earth as a human being, began His ministry with His baptism in the Jordan, set His face toward Jerusalem, and went willingly from Gethsemane to Calvary. He faced each transition with confidence and made the transition from death to life to demonstrate his victory over sin. That saving and helping God now says to us, in the midst of our transition anxiety: “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31 : 8
The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
(Stops & Steps 1056 31VIII2009)
How can we face transitions with confidence?
Each of us faces transition points in life. Transitions often bring much pain, create anxiety, and disrupt our lives. They also present new challenges and opportunities for growth.
In Deuteronomy 31, Moses comes to the end of his life. Israel gathers at the Jordan River ready to enter the Promised Land. God taps Joshua as Moses’ successor. Truly a time of transition. Joshua may have felt overwhelmed by the new responsibilities. But Moses gives these reassuring words: “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
God comes to each of us in our transitions. His Son moved from heaven to earth as a human being, began His ministry with His baptism in the Jordan, set His face toward Jerusalem, and went willingly from Gethsemane to Calvary. He faced each transition with confidence and made the transition from death to life to demonstrate his victory over sin. That saving and helping God now says to us, in the midst of our transition anxiety: “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31 : 8
The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
(Stops & Steps 1056 31VIII2009)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Stops & Steps 1055 30VIII2009
Changeless
We face many transitions in life and realize how rapidly our world changes. Change can be positive or negative, but in either case we need to adjust to it.
In Malachi God says to Israel, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed. He implies that Israel has turned from God and gone back on her covenant responsibilities. She has changed in her relationship to God. But God reaffirms His love. He does not go back on His covenant promises. He pleads, “Return to Me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7).
In this changing world we often stand guilty of changing our loyalties from God to the enticements of worldly progress. But God, who sent His Son to fulfill His covenant promise by dying on the cross for our sins, declares to us, “I the LORD do not change.” He provides solid ground for us as we come to Him in repentance. Indeed, we have “a changeless Christ for a changing world." We can see God’s hand in change and turn to Him for strength until He calls us home eternally.
Malachi 3:6
I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
(Stops & Steps 1055 30VIII2009)
We face many transitions in life and realize how rapidly our world changes. Change can be positive or negative, but in either case we need to adjust to it.
In Malachi God says to Israel, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendents of Jacob, are not destroyed. He implies that Israel has turned from God and gone back on her covenant responsibilities. She has changed in her relationship to God. But God reaffirms His love. He does not go back on His covenant promises. He pleads, “Return to Me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7).
In this changing world we often stand guilty of changing our loyalties from God to the enticements of worldly progress. But God, who sent His Son to fulfill His covenant promise by dying on the cross for our sins, declares to us, “I the LORD do not change.” He provides solid ground for us as we come to Him in repentance. Indeed, we have “a changeless Christ for a changing world." We can see God’s hand in change and turn to Him for strength until He calls us home eternally.
Malachi 3:6
I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
(Stops & Steps 1055 30VIII2009)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Stops & Steps 1054 29VIII2009
Beware !!
Jesus tells a parable about a man who sows wheat in his field. By night his enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. Not until the wheat sprouts do the servants realize that weeds stand side by side with the wheat. In the early stages it resembles wheat exactly. Its roots become intertwined with the wheat.
Satan, the enemy, still plants weeds today among the believers. He sows an evil influence in society. Side by side with believers live people who strive to undermine God’s law. We often react naively in an undiscriminating fashion. We see people as “nice, beautiful, friendly.” We begin to accept their values. We intermarry and choose close friends from among them. Before we recognize them as weeds, we discover intertwined roots and a tremendous weakening of our faith. Destruction threatens.
While we should oppose Satan’s evil planting in society, we should not judge the individual plants We must realize that only faith in Christ makes the difference. Some whom we consider our kind of people may in fact be weeds, and vice versa. Some make early mistakes and repent. Others begin in the faith and fall away. Only God can judge the heart.
Jesus cautions us to await God’s judgment at harvest time. Then the weeds will be separated and receive eternal punishment in hell. The wheat will be harvested and gathered to eternal life in heaven. God alone makes us wheat by His grace in our baptism. He sent His Son to die for us. He keeps us growing to maturity.
Matthew 13:26
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
(Stops & Steps 1054 29VIII2009)
Jesus tells a parable about a man who sows wheat in his field. By night his enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. Not until the wheat sprouts do the servants realize that weeds stand side by side with the wheat. In the early stages it resembles wheat exactly. Its roots become intertwined with the wheat.
Satan, the enemy, still plants weeds today among the believers. He sows an evil influence in society. Side by side with believers live people who strive to undermine God’s law. We often react naively in an undiscriminating fashion. We see people as “nice, beautiful, friendly.” We begin to accept their values. We intermarry and choose close friends from among them. Before we recognize them as weeds, we discover intertwined roots and a tremendous weakening of our faith. Destruction threatens.
While we should oppose Satan’s evil planting in society, we should not judge the individual plants We must realize that only faith in Christ makes the difference. Some whom we consider our kind of people may in fact be weeds, and vice versa. Some make early mistakes and repent. Others begin in the faith and fall away. Only God can judge the heart.
Jesus cautions us to await God’s judgment at harvest time. Then the weeds will be separated and receive eternal punishment in hell. The wheat will be harvested and gathered to eternal life in heaven. God alone makes us wheat by His grace in our baptism. He sent His Son to die for us. He keeps us growing to maturity.
Matthew 13:26
When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
(Stops & Steps 1054 29VIII2009)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Stops & Steps 1053 28VIII2009
Do not be depressed
Have you ever felt downcast? Head bowed.Thoughts race through your mind without focus and clarity. Gloom overwhelms you. Why ?? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise HIM, my Saviour and my God, says Psalm 43 : 5 The human predicament provides no hope. Sin grips our hearts and makes us downcast. But God provides hope of forgiveness and salvation through the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The psalmist feels cut off from God, longs for worship in the temple, and experiences the depression of emptiness. He cries out, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” He answers his own question with a glance upward. “Put your hope in God.”
We need hope in God. He comes to us in our discouragement. He knows our depression.
God takes us where we are – downcast, hopeless, discouraged, afraid, uncertain, self-pitying – and lifts our hands to praise Him, our Savior and our God. Filled with the hope of Christ’s resurrection, we long for regular worship in God’s house and praise Him day by day. We have moved from downcast hearts to hands upraised in praise!
Psalm 43 : 5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
(Stops & Steps 1053 28VIII2009)
Have you ever felt downcast? Head bowed.Thoughts race through your mind without focus and clarity. Gloom overwhelms you. Why ?? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise HIM, my Saviour and my God, says Psalm 43 : 5 The human predicament provides no hope. Sin grips our hearts and makes us downcast. But God provides hope of forgiveness and salvation through the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
The psalmist feels cut off from God, longs for worship in the temple, and experiences the depression of emptiness. He cries out, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” He answers his own question with a glance upward. “Put your hope in God.”
We need hope in God. He comes to us in our discouragement. He knows our depression.
God takes us where we are – downcast, hopeless, discouraged, afraid, uncertain, self-pitying – and lifts our hands to praise Him, our Savior and our God. Filled with the hope of Christ’s resurrection, we long for regular worship in God’s house and praise Him day by day. We have moved from downcast hearts to hands upraised in praise!
Psalm 43 : 5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
(Stops & Steps 1053 28VIII2009)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Stops & Steps 1052 27VIII2009
Are we productive ?
The Bible has the following fruit-bearing possibilities:
Bad fruit.
Jesus says, “A bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17).
Backbiting, badmouthing, and gossip all evidence bad fruit in a life.
No fruit.
Jesus says, “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit” (John 15:2).
If bad fruit represents sins of commission, no fruit describes sins of omission – a lack of love, joy, peace and the other fruits of the Spirit.
Little fruit.
“Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2).
Sometimes unnecessary leaves and shoots drain off nourishment needed to produce fruit. The result – little fruit in both quantity and quality. We are bogged down by the world and its cares.
Good fruit.
“If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:5).
The godly person is like a tree “which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3). The fruits of the Spirit are evident, and a life of witnessing brings many into the kingdom of God.
John 15 : 4
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
Now do you know how can we bear much good fruit?
(Stops & Steps 1052 27VIII2009)
The Bible has the following fruit-bearing possibilities:
Bad fruit.
Jesus says, “A bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17).
Backbiting, badmouthing, and gossip all evidence bad fruit in a life.
No fruit.
Jesus says, “He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit” (John 15:2).
If bad fruit represents sins of commission, no fruit describes sins of omission – a lack of love, joy, peace and the other fruits of the Spirit.
Little fruit.
“Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2).
Sometimes unnecessary leaves and shoots drain off nourishment needed to produce fruit. The result – little fruit in both quantity and quality. We are bogged down by the world and its cares.
Good fruit.
“If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:5).
The godly person is like a tree “which yields its fruit in season” (Psalm 1:3). The fruits of the Spirit are evident, and a life of witnessing brings many into the kingdom of God.
John 15 : 4
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
Now do you know how can we bear much good fruit?
(Stops & Steps 1052 27VIII2009)
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Stops & Steps 1051 26VIII2009
Why suffer ?
Do you share this same experience ?
We observe suffering all around us. Innocent people perish in terrorist attacks. Hurricanes and tornadoes claim lives. Diving accidents result in permanent paralysis. The list goes on. Why suffering?
On a more personal level, we watch troubles come into our lives and ask, “Why is this happening to me? Doesn’t God care? Why does He permit it?”
Paul answers in Romans 5 : 3 – 4. Suffering causes us to despair of ourselves and look to God. We are then reminded that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, an objective reality. God’s peace in the midst of continued suffering produces perseverance in us, which in turn builds character. Ultimately suffering leads to the hope of God’s glory. From start to finish, suffering immerses us in the loving God who sent His Suffering Servant Son to pay the price for us.
The suffering may continue. We may feel deserted by God. But He stands ready with His unfailing hope for today, tomorrow, and through eternity.
Romans 5 : 3 - 4
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
(Stops & Steps 1051 26VIII2009)
Do you share this same experience ?
We observe suffering all around us. Innocent people perish in terrorist attacks. Hurricanes and tornadoes claim lives. Diving accidents result in permanent paralysis. The list goes on. Why suffering?
On a more personal level, we watch troubles come into our lives and ask, “Why is this happening to me? Doesn’t God care? Why does He permit it?”
Paul answers in Romans 5 : 3 – 4. Suffering causes us to despair of ourselves and look to God. We are then reminded that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, an objective reality. God’s peace in the midst of continued suffering produces perseverance in us, which in turn builds character. Ultimately suffering leads to the hope of God’s glory. From start to finish, suffering immerses us in the loving God who sent His Suffering Servant Son to pay the price for us.
The suffering may continue. We may feel deserted by God. But He stands ready with His unfailing hope for today, tomorrow, and through eternity.
Romans 5 : 3 - 4
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
(Stops & Steps 1051 26VIII2009)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Stops & Steps 1050 25VIII2009
A solid foundation for hope
This is a common question, “Does a person live after death?”
Paul gives a ringing answer in Romans 5, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Not only does he affirm life after death, but he rejoices in the sure hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven. In Romans 8 Paul further explains : “We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:23-24). Because Jesus Christ died for us and rose again, we are justified through faith. Therefore we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Our bodies will be raised at the Last Day to live with God forever. A solid foundation for hope.
Share God’s answer. No need for despair, gloom, and futility. True, the paths of human glory lead to the grave. But those of us who believe in Christ as Savior can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Daily life is worth living in praise to God, for eternal life beckons.
Romans 5 : 2
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Stops & Steps 1050 25VIII2009)
This is a common question, “Does a person live after death?”
Paul gives a ringing answer in Romans 5, “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Not only does he affirm life after death, but he rejoices in the sure hope of eternal life with Christ in heaven. In Romans 8 Paul further explains : “We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:23-24). Because Jesus Christ died for us and rose again, we are justified through faith. Therefore we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Our bodies will be raised at the Last Day to live with God forever. A solid foundation for hope.
Share God’s answer. No need for despair, gloom, and futility. True, the paths of human glory lead to the grave. But those of us who believe in Christ as Savior can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Daily life is worth living in praise to God, for eternal life beckons.
Romans 5 : 2
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
(Stops & Steps 1050 25VIII2009)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Stops & Steps 1049 24VIII2009
Receiving due attention
Are you in this situation ?
Why does God seem so far away? I pray but He does not seem to hear me.
Government seems so big and bureaucracy so tangled that I can not get anyone to listen to me or help me. Everyone seems so inaccessible.
Paul writes of Christ in Romans 5, “Through Him we have gained access.” God is not far away. Jesus Christ came into this world and bridged the gap by His death on the cross. We have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Through Christ we have immediate access to God.
We have direct access to God. No red tape. No appointments necessary. No obstacles or delays. We have access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Robed in Christ’s righteousness, we stand before God every day with full and free access to His mercy and grace.
God may seem far away. Our prayers may seem to go unanswered. But Paul assures us that we have access and that God speaks to us through His Word and sacraments. Share God’s gracious answer with those who are asking, “Why does God seem so far away?”
Romans 5 : 2
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
(Stops & Steps 1049 24VIII2009)
Are you in this situation ?
Why does God seem so far away? I pray but He does not seem to hear me.
Government seems so big and bureaucracy so tangled that I can not get anyone to listen to me or help me. Everyone seems so inaccessible.
Paul writes of Christ in Romans 5, “Through Him we have gained access.” God is not far away. Jesus Christ came into this world and bridged the gap by His death on the cross. We have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Through Christ we have immediate access to God.
We have direct access to God. No red tape. No appointments necessary. No obstacles or delays. We have access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Robed in Christ’s righteousness, we stand before God every day with full and free access to His mercy and grace.
God may seem far away. Our prayers may seem to go unanswered. But Paul assures us that we have access and that God speaks to us through His Word and sacraments. Share God’s gracious answer with those who are asking, “Why does God seem so far away?”
Romans 5 : 2
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
(Stops & Steps 1049 24VIII2009)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Stops & Steps 1048 23VIII2009
Objective peace
Jobs change. Life-styles change. Values change. Pressures pound us and create headaches. Conflicts arise both externally and internally. We feel dissatisfied with life and are troubled by inner guilt. How can I survive with all the turmoil around me?
Paul answers with Romans 5. Peace provides the answer to turmoil. God’s peace. Not a subjective feeling of peace, but an objective peace established between God and humanity. He explains the basis for this peace.
“We have been justified through faith.” The peace comes “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s Son came to earth to restore peace. We had rebelled against God. Satan joined forces with the world to lead us astray. We were helpless to bring peace. But Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for us and died on the cross to atone for our sins. God declares the world righteous because of Christ. Through faith, God’s gift, we receive God’s peace which lasts forever.
Right with God, at peace with Him through Jesus Christ, we now face a world in turmoil. His peace frees us to experience inner peace with ourselves and to establish peace with others. We will not always feel peaceful, but God’s peace remains. Looking to Him again and again in His Word and sacraments, we discover a growing peace.
Romans 5 : 1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Stops & Steps 1048 23VIII2009)
Jobs change. Life-styles change. Values change. Pressures pound us and create headaches. Conflicts arise both externally and internally. We feel dissatisfied with life and are troubled by inner guilt. How can I survive with all the turmoil around me?
Paul answers with Romans 5. Peace provides the answer to turmoil. God’s peace. Not a subjective feeling of peace, but an objective peace established between God and humanity. He explains the basis for this peace.
“We have been justified through faith.” The peace comes “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God’s Son came to earth to restore peace. We had rebelled against God. Satan joined forces with the world to lead us astray. We were helpless to bring peace. But Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for us and died on the cross to atone for our sins. God declares the world righteous because of Christ. Through faith, God’s gift, we receive God’s peace which lasts forever.
Right with God, at peace with Him through Jesus Christ, we now face a world in turmoil. His peace frees us to experience inner peace with ourselves and to establish peace with others. We will not always feel peaceful, but God’s peace remains. Looking to Him again and again in His Word and sacraments, we discover a growing peace.
Romans 5 : 1
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Stops & Steps 1048 23VIII2009)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Stops & Steps 1047 22VIII2009
The joy of worship
Do you have an enthusiasm for worship ?
We sometimes lack the joy of worship. Why?
• we have not kept up with our pledge to worship
• we feel unworthy
• we worship because we feel duty-bound
• we want to avoid criticism or excommunication from the church
• we want freedom - to worship as and when we feel like it
• we want to worship the traditional way, more comfortable
• we are bored to the same old routine at worship, we want excitement
The results of the above causes
• No gladness in worship when we are afraid.
• No gladness in worship when we are stubborn.
• No gladness in worship when we are bored.
Psalm 122 : 1
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
(Stops & Steps 1047 22VIII2009)
Do you have an enthusiasm for worship ?
We sometimes lack the joy of worship. Why?
• we have not kept up with our pledge to worship
• we feel unworthy
• we worship because we feel duty-bound
• we want to avoid criticism or excommunication from the church
• we want freedom - to worship as and when we feel like it
• we want to worship the traditional way, more comfortable
• we are bored to the same old routine at worship, we want excitement
The results of the above causes
• No gladness in worship when we are afraid.
• No gladness in worship when we are stubborn.
• No gladness in worship when we are bored.
Psalm 122 : 1
I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
(Stops & Steps 1047 22VIII2009)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Stops & Steps 1046 21VIII2009
Just look at an egg !!
Have you ever wonder at the perfect shape of an egg, the beauty of its construction and the promise of life within and yet fail to see the hands of God at work.
The shell is so thin, yet of a consistent, precise thickness that protects the new life, or the nutritious food within. Yet it is only when the shell is broken from within by the emerging chick, or purposely broken from without to feed and sustain life, that its true value and usefulness can be appreciated. If left untouched, it eventually spoils and is cast aside.
The hatching chick must crack open the shell to enter its new world.
An egg needs to be fertilized in order to become a living creature.
Just like the hatching chick, I also need to break the resistance of my human self-sufficient "shell" by acknowledging my fallen nature and by inviting God's Holy Spirit into my heart to change me from within, so that I can enter the new world of His Spirit. Inviting God's Holy Spirit into our hearts is a matter of choice, for God Himself gave us the gift of free will.
Just like an egg needs to be fertilized, I need the mysterious power of God's Holy Spirit at work within me to become a new creature. With the Holy Spirit's help the gifts and skills God has graciously bestowed upon each of us may then be used in His service.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(Stops & Steps 1046 21VIII2009)
Have you ever wonder at the perfect shape of an egg, the beauty of its construction and the promise of life within and yet fail to see the hands of God at work.
The shell is so thin, yet of a consistent, precise thickness that protects the new life, or the nutritious food within. Yet it is only when the shell is broken from within by the emerging chick, or purposely broken from without to feed and sustain life, that its true value and usefulness can be appreciated. If left untouched, it eventually spoils and is cast aside.
The hatching chick must crack open the shell to enter its new world.
An egg needs to be fertilized in order to become a living creature.
Just like the hatching chick, I also need to break the resistance of my human self-sufficient "shell" by acknowledging my fallen nature and by inviting God's Holy Spirit into my heart to change me from within, so that I can enter the new world of His Spirit. Inviting God's Holy Spirit into our hearts is a matter of choice, for God Himself gave us the gift of free will.
Just like an egg needs to be fertilized, I need the mysterious power of God's Holy Spirit at work within me to become a new creature. With the Holy Spirit's help the gifts and skills God has graciously bestowed upon each of us may then be used in His service.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
Psalm 51:17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
(Stops & Steps 1046 21VIII2009)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Stops & Steps 1045 20VIII2009
In the dark times
We have all had times when we experienced the nearness and greatness of God. He is always near us, drawing us closer to Himself. We are conscious of God’s workings in our lives and showing us what HE wanted us to do. HE had helped us overcome many obstacles and had provided for all our needs. We feel God’s presence with us throughout each day. It is because we know that we can do nothing in ourselves, and we depend upon HIM for strength and wisdom every day. HE gives us grace, courage and joy in everything we do.
Sometimes we do not feel God’s nearness. There have been testings and trials, failures and disappointments. It is during such times that we must remember that God has always been at our side, as well as in our heart. We do not feel HIS nearness, maybe we have ceased quoting Scriptures to remind ourselves that we could serve God only in HIS strength. We must always remind ourselves that we have to wholly rely upon Him for every word and deed we say and do.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(Stops & Steps 1045 20VIII2009)
We have all had times when we experienced the nearness and greatness of God. He is always near us, drawing us closer to Himself. We are conscious of God’s workings in our lives and showing us what HE wanted us to do. HE had helped us overcome many obstacles and had provided for all our needs. We feel God’s presence with us throughout each day. It is because we know that we can do nothing in ourselves, and we depend upon HIM for strength and wisdom every day. HE gives us grace, courage and joy in everything we do.
Sometimes we do not feel God’s nearness. There have been testings and trials, failures and disappointments. It is during such times that we must remember that God has always been at our side, as well as in our heart. We do not feel HIS nearness, maybe we have ceased quoting Scriptures to remind ourselves that we could serve God only in HIS strength. We must always remind ourselves that we have to wholly rely upon Him for every word and deed we say and do.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
(Stops & Steps 1045 20VIII2009)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Stops & Steps 1044 19VIII2009
True or false?
There have been times in our lives when God has "long been silent", not because He had nothing to say to us, but because we were not in the mood to listen. The Bible, while sitting on the bookshelf, had little ability to either inspire or restore.
Similarly, when we fear what unbelievers many think or say and thus remove God entirely from our conversations at work or school, or with our neighbours and family, we act falsely to God, and deny others the opportunity to be inspired through us. By bearing witness to the blessings of God we have experienced in our own lives, we influence others to "remember" Him and to ponder the blessedness of having God in their own hearts.
Acts 4:20
For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.
Isaiah 57:11
Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me, nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?
(Stops & Steps 1044 19VIII2009)
There have been times in our lives when God has "long been silent", not because He had nothing to say to us, but because we were not in the mood to listen. The Bible, while sitting on the bookshelf, had little ability to either inspire or restore.
Similarly, when we fear what unbelievers many think or say and thus remove God entirely from our conversations at work or school, or with our neighbours and family, we act falsely to God, and deny others the opportunity to be inspired through us. By bearing witness to the blessings of God we have experienced in our own lives, we influence others to "remember" Him and to ponder the blessedness of having God in their own hearts.
Acts 4:20
For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.
Isaiah 57:11
Whom have you so dreaded and feared that you have been false to me, and have neither remembered me, nor pondered this in your hearts? Is it not because I have long been silent that you do not fear me?
(Stops & Steps 1044 19VIII2009)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Stops & Steps 1043 18VIII2009
Where are you going ?
A familiar scene from The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
Alice arrives at a fork in the road she is travelling, uncertain which way to go. Conveniently, in a tree at the roadside, is a Cheshire cat, ready to give advice.Alice asks the cat which way she should go, and the cat replies that it depends on where she is going. Alice answers that she doesn't much care, and so the cat says, "Well, then, it doesn't really matter which road you take."
In our walk through this life, we have a choice to make as to which road we follow: the wide road, which leads to destruction but offers so many pleasures along the way, or the narrow road, which leads to eternal life but requires a sacrificial walk. At the junction of these two roads there is also One, ready to guide. But we need to make the decision, first of all, as to where we desire to go. Our God would answer the same as did the Cheshire cat: the road you take depends on where you wish to go.
We have a tremendous responsibility, not only in regard to our own lives and the decisions that affect us, but also our responsibility in regard to children. We need to touch those within our own families and our church families, and also those outside the doors of the church, for God loves them all.
We must ask God to give us strength of faith to make right choices for ourselves, becoming guideposts for others, always pointing them to the more excellent way, the way of love.
Matthew 7:13-14
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
(Stops & Steps 1043 18VIII2009)
A familiar scene from The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
Alice arrives at a fork in the road she is travelling, uncertain which way to go. Conveniently, in a tree at the roadside, is a Cheshire cat, ready to give advice.Alice asks the cat which way she should go, and the cat replies that it depends on where she is going. Alice answers that she doesn't much care, and so the cat says, "Well, then, it doesn't really matter which road you take."
In our walk through this life, we have a choice to make as to which road we follow: the wide road, which leads to destruction but offers so many pleasures along the way, or the narrow road, which leads to eternal life but requires a sacrificial walk. At the junction of these two roads there is also One, ready to guide. But we need to make the decision, first of all, as to where we desire to go. Our God would answer the same as did the Cheshire cat: the road you take depends on where you wish to go.
We have a tremendous responsibility, not only in regard to our own lives and the decisions that affect us, but also our responsibility in regard to children. We need to touch those within our own families and our church families, and also those outside the doors of the church, for God loves them all.
We must ask God to give us strength of faith to make right choices for ourselves, becoming guideposts for others, always pointing them to the more excellent way, the way of love.
Matthew 7:13-14
For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
(Stops & Steps 1043 18VIII2009)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Stops & Steps 1042 17VIII2009
Gifts of the Spirit
As Christians, we belong to a community of faith, which possesses a diversity of gifts. Just as the human body has different functions, so does the body of Christ. These gifts come from Christ and are to be used for His service.
As Christians, when the Spirit lead us, we are spiritually qualified to deliver our service to those who are in need. We should not withhold the gift the Spirit has given us because we think we do not meet the standards set by the world.
Romans 12:7
If it is serving, let him serve, if it is teaching, let him teach.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.
(Stops & Steps 1042 17VIII2009)
As Christians, we belong to a community of faith, which possesses a diversity of gifts. Just as the human body has different functions, so does the body of Christ. These gifts come from Christ and are to be used for His service.
As Christians, when the Spirit lead us, we are spiritually qualified to deliver our service to those who are in need. We should not withhold the gift the Spirit has given us because we think we do not meet the standards set by the world.
Romans 12:7
If it is serving, let him serve, if it is teaching, let him teach.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what God's will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.
(Stops & Steps 1042 17VIII2009)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Stops & Steps 1041 16VIII2009
Refilling the love
How often we let the warm comfort of God's love slip slowly away from our lives because we have put Him aside. We have hung Him in the closets of our hearts, flipping past Him as we move busily on with our lives. He is always present somewhere in the background, but never out in the open, so that others may experience the power of His love through us.
We need to remember to refill the love. The love of Christ is a warm, comforting experience that we can share, not only with those we love, but with everyone we meet. We need to put aside a little time each day to keep our faith fresh, to hold God close to our hearts, and to let Him wrap us in the warmth of His comforting arms.
Isaiah 56:6-7
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love the name of the Lord and to worship Him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant, these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in house my of prayer.
(Stops & Steps 1041 16VIII2009)
How often we let the warm comfort of God's love slip slowly away from our lives because we have put Him aside. We have hung Him in the closets of our hearts, flipping past Him as we move busily on with our lives. He is always present somewhere in the background, but never out in the open, so that others may experience the power of His love through us.
We need to remember to refill the love. The love of Christ is a warm, comforting experience that we can share, not only with those we love, but with everyone we meet. We need to put aside a little time each day to keep our faith fresh, to hold God close to our hearts, and to let Him wrap us in the warmth of His comforting arms.
Isaiah 56:6-7
And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love the name of the Lord and to worship Him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant, these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in house my of prayer.
(Stops & Steps 1041 16VIII2009)
Friday, August 14, 2009
Stops & Steps 1040 15VIII2009
Finding my centre
Each relationship is balanced like a seesaw; both ends must have weight, substance, or there is no relationship. It is dynamic, not static, meaning that there is communication, which may be seen in the rise and fall of each side of the seesaw. Sometimes the balance is uneven, and one end needs to carry more of the weight of life, so both people adjust, and one moves closer to the other in support. Eventually the balance will right again, then tip the other way -- a perpetual interchange.
Some of us always feel called to give. This can be dangerous: if we are always giving, we will soon be empty. What good is a seesaw that doesn't move? A Christ-like heart is giving, but is prompted by the will of God, rather than the need to be liked or needed by others. Christ spoke to crowds and ministered to his disciples and other individuals, but also found time to recharge alone in prayer.
Look at James 2:26 -- "Faith without works is dead." Where most people interpret this verse as a call to demonstrate God's love through giving, I also see it as a call to be centred, to be balanced, and to find ourselves, or we will have nothing to give when God calls us to do so. We cannot enter into relationship with everyone, so we must ask ourselves whether this is God's will, or our own vanity and need to be affirmed, that drives us to keep giving.
James 2:22
His faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
(Stops & Steps 1040 15VIII2009)
Each relationship is balanced like a seesaw; both ends must have weight, substance, or there is no relationship. It is dynamic, not static, meaning that there is communication, which may be seen in the rise and fall of each side of the seesaw. Sometimes the balance is uneven, and one end needs to carry more of the weight of life, so both people adjust, and one moves closer to the other in support. Eventually the balance will right again, then tip the other way -- a perpetual interchange.
Some of us always feel called to give. This can be dangerous: if we are always giving, we will soon be empty. What good is a seesaw that doesn't move? A Christ-like heart is giving, but is prompted by the will of God, rather than the need to be liked or needed by others. Christ spoke to crowds and ministered to his disciples and other individuals, but also found time to recharge alone in prayer.
Look at James 2:26 -- "Faith without works is dead." Where most people interpret this verse as a call to demonstrate God's love through giving, I also see it as a call to be centred, to be balanced, and to find ourselves, or we will have nothing to give when God calls us to do so. We cannot enter into relationship with everyone, so we must ask ourselves whether this is God's will, or our own vanity and need to be affirmed, that drives us to keep giving.
James 2:22
His faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
(Stops & Steps 1040 15VIII2009)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Stops & Steps 1039 14VIII2009
The secret
The circumstances of life can carry us in directions we would never have chosen. They can drop us off into situations far different from any we have thus far experienced.
The apostle Paul discovered this first hand. He was beaten up, run out of town, unjustly tossed into jail, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake. Yet, amidst it all, he grew and bloomed where he found himself, for he had discovered a secret. Paul had found that things and circumstances weren't as important as where he was: rooted and established in the soil of God's love. God's love empowered him to be content, growing and blooming for Jesus, within his innermost being as well as outwardly, glorifying God through his words and actions, no matter where life's circumstances planted him.
Have you found Paul's secret yet?
Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Ephesians 3:17-18
I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
(Stops & Steps 1039 14VIII2009)
The circumstances of life can carry us in directions we would never have chosen. They can drop us off into situations far different from any we have thus far experienced.
The apostle Paul discovered this first hand. He was beaten up, run out of town, unjustly tossed into jail, shipwrecked, and bitten by a poisonous snake. Yet, amidst it all, he grew and bloomed where he found himself, for he had discovered a secret. Paul had found that things and circumstances weren't as important as where he was: rooted and established in the soil of God's love. God's love empowered him to be content, growing and blooming for Jesus, within his innermost being as well as outwardly, glorifying God through his words and actions, no matter where life's circumstances planted him.
Have you found Paul's secret yet?
Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Ephesians 3:17-18
I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
(Stops & Steps 1039 14VIII2009)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Stops & Steps 1038 13VIII2009
Prompt service
Nowadays we hear of food outlets who pride itself on its ability to deliver or serve the food to the customer within a stipulated time or the order was free.
Do you also want your prayers to be delivered immediately to you ??
Few of the problems we experience were created in such a short time, yet we forget, and we expect instant gratification. We need to remember that God knows our every need, and that He answers our every prayer as He sees it needs to be answered -- and when.
Proverbs 21:5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
(Stops & Steps 1038 13VIII2009)
Nowadays we hear of food outlets who pride itself on its ability to deliver or serve the food to the customer within a stipulated time or the order was free.
Do you also want your prayers to be delivered immediately to you ??
Few of the problems we experience were created in such a short time, yet we forget, and we expect instant gratification. We need to remember that God knows our every need, and that He answers our every prayer as He sees it needs to be answered -- and when.
Proverbs 21:5
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.
Ecclesiastes 5:2
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
(Stops & Steps 1038 13VIII2009)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Stops & Steps 1037 12VIII2009
The Wait
This is a typical scene in our lives. You reach the hospital for an appointment. As you fill out information papers with the receptionist, the hands of time on the face of the clock seem to stand still. You stare at the queue number and yours seem a long time away. And the waiting begins.
People come and go. Each life is different. People in wheelchairs and people walking with crutches come and go through the doors of the hospital room. It is now your turn to be examined by the doctor and you are referred to another department to have your tests done. You wait again, yet not alone, as other people are waiting also. Everyone in the room has a story, and everyone is anxious and worried about their loved one's results.
Your turn came and the tests were done. As you traveled home, the waiting begins again, as you wait for the test results. It is at times like these that we cry out to God, from the very depths of our being, for help, for healing, and for peace.
It is at times like these that God is with us. He will give us the strength, the comfort, and the hope to carry on. It is His Word that will remain with us forever, and it is His Word that will turn our sorrow into joy and give us peace.
Psalm 130:1,2
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
(Stops & Steps 1037 12VIII2009)
This is a typical scene in our lives. You reach the hospital for an appointment. As you fill out information papers with the receptionist, the hands of time on the face of the clock seem to stand still. You stare at the queue number and yours seem a long time away. And the waiting begins.
People come and go. Each life is different. People in wheelchairs and people walking with crutches come and go through the doors of the hospital room. It is now your turn to be examined by the doctor and you are referred to another department to have your tests done. You wait again, yet not alone, as other people are waiting also. Everyone in the room has a story, and everyone is anxious and worried about their loved one's results.
Your turn came and the tests were done. As you traveled home, the waiting begins again, as you wait for the test results. It is at times like these that we cry out to God, from the very depths of our being, for help, for healing, and for peace.
It is at times like these that God is with us. He will give us the strength, the comfort, and the hope to carry on. It is His Word that will remain with us forever, and it is His Word that will turn our sorrow into joy and give us peace.
Psalm 130:1,2
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
(Stops & Steps 1037 12VIII2009)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Stops & Steps 1036 11VIII2009
Friends
God uses Christian friends in many ways. They can help teach us some of the lessons that He wants us to learn. They can demonstrate how to put faith into action. By following their example, we are encouraged to become friends with others and show God's love to them.
We must thank God for friends who uplift us and encourage us to be better persons, simply by being in our lives. We must ask God to help us to be friends to others who need our support and encouragement.
Exodus 33:11
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
Job 6:14
A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the almighty.
(Stops & Steps 1036 11VIII2009)
God uses Christian friends in many ways. They can help teach us some of the lessons that He wants us to learn. They can demonstrate how to put faith into action. By following their example, we are encouraged to become friends with others and show God's love to them.
We must thank God for friends who uplift us and encourage us to be better persons, simply by being in our lives. We must ask God to help us to be friends to others who need our support and encouragement.
Exodus 33:11
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
Job 6:14
A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends, even though he forsakes the fear of the almighty.
(Stops & Steps 1036 11VIII2009)
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Stops & Steps 1035 10VIII2009
When God seems so far away
The highest level of worshipping God is to praise Him in spite of pain, thanking Him during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering while suffering and loving Him when He seems so far away.
God tests us with periods of seeming separation, times when it feels as if He has abandoned or forgotten us. The truth is God does not leave us. He has promised repeatedly that He will never leave us nor forsake us.(Deuteronomy 3131 : 8 ; Psalm 37 : 28 ; John 14 : 16-18 ; Hebrews 13 : 5 ; Isaiah 45 : 15)
Hebrews 13 : 5
For God has said, ‘I will never leave you, I will never abandon you’
(Stops & Steps 1035 10VIII2009)
The highest level of worshipping God is to praise Him in spite of pain, thanking Him during a trial, trusting Him when tempted, surrendering while suffering and loving Him when He seems so far away.
God tests us with periods of seeming separation, times when it feels as if He has abandoned or forgotten us. The truth is God does not leave us. He has promised repeatedly that He will never leave us nor forsake us.(Deuteronomy 3131 : 8 ; Psalm 37 : 28 ; John 14 : 16-18 ; Hebrews 13 : 5 ; Isaiah 45 : 15)
Hebrews 13 : 5
For God has said, ‘I will never leave you, I will never abandon you’
(Stops & Steps 1035 10VIII2009)
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Stops & Steps 1034 09VIII2009
Be close to God as you choose to be
God wants complete honesty from us about our faults and our feelings. Many examples from the Bible show us that God wants us to be completely honest with Him.
• Abraham questioned and challenged God over the destruction of the city of Sodom.
• God listened patiently to David’s many accusations of unfairness, betrayal and abandonment.
• God did not slay Jeremiah when he claimed that God had tricked him
• Job was allowed to vent his bitterness during his ordeal and in the end God defended Job for being honest
• Examine the conversation between Moses and God in Exodus 33 : 12-17.
The above Bible characters had bouts with doubt and they candidly voiced them openly and publicly.
We must choose to obey God in faith and trust His wisdom. John 15 : 14 says that “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” To be close to God, we need to intentionally seek it. It is a choice.
James 4 : 8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(Stops & Steps 1034 09VIII2009)
God wants complete honesty from us about our faults and our feelings. Many examples from the Bible show us that God wants us to be completely honest with Him.
• Abraham questioned and challenged God over the destruction of the city of Sodom.
• God listened patiently to David’s many accusations of unfairness, betrayal and abandonment.
• God did not slay Jeremiah when he claimed that God had tricked him
• Job was allowed to vent his bitterness during his ordeal and in the end God defended Job for being honest
• Examine the conversation between Moses and God in Exodus 33 : 12-17.
The above Bible characters had bouts with doubt and they candidly voiced them openly and publicly.
We must choose to obey God in faith and trust His wisdom. John 15 : 14 says that “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” To be close to God, we need to intentionally seek it. It is a choice.
James 4 : 8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(Stops & Steps 1034 09VIII2009)
Friday, August 07, 2009
Stops & Steps 1033 08VIII2009
The heart of worship
Surrender is admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game, yielding to a stronger opponent. It is losing and no one wants to be a loser.
True worship happens only when you surrender to God. In Romans 12 : 1 we are asked to offer ourselves to God.
What stops you from surrendering ourselves to God. It is our pride, our fear and our confusion. When we trust God, we can surrender to God completely. Fear keeps us from surrendering to God. Trust Him. We must admit that we are not in charge of everything. God is.
Surrendering means to change what needs to be changed. Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. Trust is also important.
When we surrender, we have peace, freedom and we experience God’s power in our lives. All stubborn temptations and difficult problems can be defeated by Christ when we surrender to Him.
Surrender is not the best way to live, it is the only way to live. Nothing else works. It takes years and you will eventually discover that the greatest hindrance to God’s blessing in your life is yourself – your will, your pride and personal ambition. So begin now to give it all to God – our past regrets, our present problems, our future ambitions, our fears, our dreams, our weakness, our habits, our hurts and hang-ups.
Philippians 4 : 13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
James 4 : 7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Luke 9 : 23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Romans 6 : 13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Stops & Steps 1033 08VIII2009)
Surrender is admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game, yielding to a stronger opponent. It is losing and no one wants to be a loser.
True worship happens only when you surrender to God. In Romans 12 : 1 we are asked to offer ourselves to God.
What stops you from surrendering ourselves to God. It is our pride, our fear and our confusion. When we trust God, we can surrender to God completely. Fear keeps us from surrendering to God. Trust Him. We must admit that we are not in charge of everything. God is.
Surrendering means to change what needs to be changed. Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. Trust is also important.
When we surrender, we have peace, freedom and we experience God’s power in our lives. All stubborn temptations and difficult problems can be defeated by Christ when we surrender to Him.
Surrender is not the best way to live, it is the only way to live. Nothing else works. It takes years and you will eventually discover that the greatest hindrance to God’s blessing in your life is yourself – your will, your pride and personal ambition. So begin now to give it all to God – our past regrets, our present problems, our future ambitions, our fears, our dreams, our weakness, our habits, our hurts and hang-ups.
Philippians 4 : 13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
James 4 : 7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Luke 9 : 23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Romans 6 : 13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
(Stops & Steps 1033 08VIII2009)
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Stops & Steps 1032 07VIII2009
We are on a temporary assignment
We must make the best use of our life here on earth because life is extremely brief. The earth is our only temporary residence. This is not our permanent home or final destination. We are just passing through.
True believers understand that there is far more to life than just a few years we live on this planet.
The greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success and power in this life. The greatest heroes of faith are those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.
2 Corinthians 4 : 18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(Stops & Steps 1032 07VIII2009)
We must make the best use of our life here on earth because life is extremely brief. The earth is our only temporary residence. This is not our permanent home or final destination. We are just passing through.
True believers understand that there is far more to life than just a few years we live on this planet.
The greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success and power in this life. The greatest heroes of faith are those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.
2 Corinthians 4 : 18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
(Stops & Steps 1032 07VIII2009)
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Stops & Steps 1031 06VIII2009
Life is a trust
Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships and resources are all given by God. God entrusted these gifts to our care and management. We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. The first job God gave humans was to manage and take care of His “stuff” on earth. Everything we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. At the end of our life on earth we will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well we handed what God entrusted us to do, even simple chores have eternal implications.
The more God give us, the more responsible He expects us to be
Psalm 24 : 1
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Genesis 1 : 28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
1 Corinthians 4 : 2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Luke 12 : 48
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
(Stops & Steps 1031 06VIII2009)
Our time on earth and our energy, intelligence, opportunities, relationships and resources are all given by God. God entrusted these gifts to our care and management. We never really own anything during our brief stay on earth. The first job God gave humans was to manage and take care of His “stuff” on earth. Everything we enjoy is to be treated as a trust that God has placed in our hands. At the end of our life on earth we will be evaluated and rewarded according to how well we handed what God entrusted us to do, even simple chores have eternal implications.
The more God give us, the more responsible He expects us to be
Psalm 24 : 1
The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Genesis 1 : 28
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
1 Corinthians 4 : 2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Luke 12 : 48
For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
(Stops & Steps 1031 06VIII2009)
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Stops & Steps 1030 05VIII2009
Life is a test
How we define life determines our destiny. Our perspective will influence how we invest our time, spend our money, use our talents and value our relationships.
To fulfill the purposes God made us for, we will have to challenge conventional wisdom and replace it with the biblical descriptions of life.
Bible says life is a test. God continually tests people’s character, faith, obedience, love, integrity and loyalty. God tested Abraham, God tested Jacob, God tested Adam and Eve, God tested David. God tested many others. Character is both developed and revealed by tests.
God constantly watches our response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment. We will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism and even senseless targets.
When we understand that life is a test, we realize that nothing is insignificant in our life. Even the smallest incident has significance for our character development. Some tests are overwhelming, while others we do not even notice. All tests have eternal implications.
1 Corinthians 10 : 13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(Stops & Steps 1030 05VIII2009)
How we define life determines our destiny. Our perspective will influence how we invest our time, spend our money, use our talents and value our relationships.
To fulfill the purposes God made us for, we will have to challenge conventional wisdom and replace it with the biblical descriptions of life.
Bible says life is a test. God continually tests people’s character, faith, obedience, love, integrity and loyalty. God tested Abraham, God tested Jacob, God tested Adam and Eve, God tested David. God tested many others. Character is both developed and revealed by tests.
God constantly watches our response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment. We will be tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible problems, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism and even senseless targets.
When we understand that life is a test, we realize that nothing is insignificant in our life. Even the smallest incident has significance for our character development. Some tests are overwhelming, while others we do not even notice. All tests have eternal implications.
1 Corinthians 10 : 13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
(Stops & Steps 1030 05VIII2009)
Monday, August 03, 2009
Stops & Steps 1029 04VIII2009
There is more to life than just here and now
While life on earth offers us many choices, eternity offers only heaven and hell. Our relationship with God on earth will determine our relationship to Him in eternity. If we learn to love and trust Jesus Christ, we will be invited to spend the rest of eternity with Him. If we reject His love, forgiveness and salvation, we will spend eternity apart from God forever.
When we fully understand that there is more to life than just here and now, we will realize that life is just preparation for eternity. We will begin to live differently. We will start to live in eternity, and that will add colour to how we handle every relationship, task and circumstances. Suddenly many activities, goals and even problems seem so small and unworthy of our attention. The closer we live to God, the smaller everything else appears. We place higher premiums on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth, achievements or fun. We will reset our priorities.
1 John 2 : 17
This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
(Stops & Steps 1029 04VIII2009)
While life on earth offers us many choices, eternity offers only heaven and hell. Our relationship with God on earth will determine our relationship to Him in eternity. If we learn to love and trust Jesus Christ, we will be invited to spend the rest of eternity with Him. If we reject His love, forgiveness and salvation, we will spend eternity apart from God forever.
When we fully understand that there is more to life than just here and now, we will realize that life is just preparation for eternity. We will begin to live differently. We will start to live in eternity, and that will add colour to how we handle every relationship, task and circumstances. Suddenly many activities, goals and even problems seem so small and unworthy of our attention. The closer we live to God, the smaller everything else appears. We place higher premiums on relationships and character instead of fame or wealth, achievements or fun. We will reset our priorities.
1 John 2 : 17
This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
(Stops & Steps 1029 04VIII2009)
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Stops & Steps 1028 03VIII2009
Knowing our purpose in life
Our life is driven by something. There are numerous circumstances, values and emotions that can drive our life.
Many people seek astrology or psychics to discover the meaning of life. Without a purpose in life, we feel like a failure, struggling to become something and without even knowing what it is. Without meaning, there is no significance or hope in life.
Knowing our purpose in life defines what we do and what we do not do. We know how to evaluate activities that are essential and which are not. With a clear purpose, we have a foundation to base our decisions, allocate our time, and use our resources. We do not make choice based on circumstances, pressures or mood. It is a simpler lifestyle. We become more focused, selective and effective.
Isaiah 49 : 4
I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Job 7 : 6
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope
Job 7 : 16
I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone my days have no meaning
(Stops & Steps 1028 03VIII2009)
Our life is driven by something. There are numerous circumstances, values and emotions that can drive our life.
Many people seek astrology or psychics to discover the meaning of life. Without a purpose in life, we feel like a failure, struggling to become something and without even knowing what it is. Without meaning, there is no significance or hope in life.
Knowing our purpose in life defines what we do and what we do not do. We know how to evaluate activities that are essential and which are not. With a clear purpose, we have a foundation to base our decisions, allocate our time, and use our resources. We do not make choice based on circumstances, pressures or mood. It is a simpler lifestyle. We become more focused, selective and effective.
Isaiah 49 : 4
I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Job 7 : 6
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and they come to an end without hope
Job 7 : 16
I despise my life; I would not live forever. Let me alone my days have no meaning
(Stops & Steps 1028 03VIII2009)
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Stops & Steps 1027 02VIII2009
Our life may be driven by the need for approval
Our life is driven by something. There are numerous circumstances, values and emotions that can drive our life.
We may be driven by the need for approval.
We allow the expectations of our parents, spouse, children, teachers or friends to control our lives. We may be driven by peer pressure, always worried about what others may think of ourselves. We fail because we try to please everyone.
Mathew 6 : 24
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money
(Stops & Steps 1027 02VIII2009)
Our life is driven by something. There are numerous circumstances, values and emotions that can drive our life.
We may be driven by the need for approval.
We allow the expectations of our parents, spouse, children, teachers or friends to control our lives. We may be driven by peer pressure, always worried about what others may think of ourselves. We fail because we try to please everyone.
Mathew 6 : 24
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money
(Stops & Steps 1027 02VIII2009)
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