30 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2873

How to be nourished, blessed and sustained

While even the fiercest hunters cannot ensure their security and nourishment, those whose hunger is for God will find themselves nourished, blessed, and sustained.

Psalm 34 : 10

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD

lack no good thing.

2873

29 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2872

Our hope

Our hope in Christ for the future is the mainspring and the support of our joy here. It will animate  our hearts to think often of heaven, for all that we can desire is promised there.

Here sin is a constant grief to us,

we

are weary and toil worn, 

are always in the field of battle;

are so tempted within,

are so molested by foes without,

that we have little or no peace;

Colossians 1 : 5

The hope which is laid up for you in heaven.

2872

28 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2871

Are you terrified ?

How does the devil see you? Does he see you as a terrifying and  mighty warrior of God...or does he see you as a wimp he can whip  in a minute?

How you want the devil to see you depends on you.

If you're not strong in the Lord in your own sight, you need to change that. You need to get so full of God's Word and so full of the Holy Ghost that you walk around like a spiritual giant. Turn the tables on the devil and let him find out what it feels like to be a grasshopper for a change.

Numbers 13:33

And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight

2871

27 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2870

To be mastered

To have a master means that there is

one who knows me better than I know myself,

one who is closer than a friend,

one who fathoms the remotest abyss of my heart and satisfies it,

one who has brings me into the secure sense and

one who solves every perplexity and problem of my mind.

To have a master is this and nothing less

Our Lord never enforces obedience;

In the Bible obedience is based on the relationship of equals, that of a son with his father. Our Lord was not God's servant, He was His Son.

John 13 : 13    

You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord', and rightly so, for that is what I am.

2870

26 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2869

Surrender

   

Let us seriously look into our hearts and surrender those things that hold us back from fully following and serving God. We know what they are.

Jesus comes to us with his nail-scarred hands and reminds us that He gave up everything to redeem us. He now wants us to surrender to the Cross the things that hold us back.

Matthew 10 : 38-39

And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

2869

25 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2868

Love is an action

Love is much more than a feeling or an attitude: love is an action.

When we love, we show it by our deeds. Our love is shown by our obedience to the things Jesus taught.    Obedience brings an incredible blessing -- Jesus reveals himself to those who obey him!

John 14:21   

[Jesus said] "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

2868

24 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2867

Freedom

This is the great reminder that sin is no longer our master and no longer our choice. We choose to live for God with every fiber of our being and dislike the life of sin that once held us in bondage to death and defeat.

Romans 6:15

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!

2867

23 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2866

What to surrender

Have you "renounced the hidden things of dishonesty"

Renounce it as soon as it springs up; renounce the whole thing until there is no hidden thing of dishonesty or craftiness about you. Envy, jealousy, strife - these things arise not necessarily from the nature of sin, but from the make - up of your body which was used for this kind of thing in days gone by (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-2).

Maintain a continual watchfulness so that nothing of which you would be ashamed arises in your life.

2 Corinthians 4:2

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty.

2866

22 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2865

Do you pray ?

Do not set as your motive the desire to be known as a praying man.

Pray where no one knows you are praying

Have no other motive than to know God.

It is impossible to conduct your life as a disciple without definite times of secret prayer.

Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer.

Prayer is getting into perfect communion with God

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

2865

21 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2864

Boasting

What do we have in which we can boast ?   

We have no basis to boast in our own might.

We can't

preserve our lives.

determine the future or change the past.

We are living proof of God’s grace and mercy –

He saved us when we didn't deserve it,

He rescued us from sin and death when we had no power to preserve our lives.

God saves

the sinner,

raises up the disheartened, and

mends the broken.

Praise the LORD for his glory. Praise the LORD for his grace.

Psalm 34:2

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and

rejoice.

2864

20 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2863

Praise

Consistently praise

God to keep our life on track

God to keep our hearts surrendered to His will and His work  

God with songs.

Let us

give Him thanks for all that He has done for us.

praise Him always.

Psalm 34:1

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

2863

19 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2863

Power in Unity

There's power in unity.

The devil takes the differences between us, differences God put there to make us stronger, and tries to use them as a wedge to drive us apart. It's the differences combined that make us strong!

Do not let the devil use those differences to drive you apart. Thank God for them!

Let us learn how to appreciate them. Let Him show you just how powerful you can be... together!

Ecclesiastes 4:12

If one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold

cord is not quickly broken.

2863

18 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2862

His mercy

God's mercy endures forever!

He is still operating in the earth.

His mercy never runs out.

Neither has it decreased or weakened.

His mercy continues to reach you day after day.

He is still generous in mercy onto those that call upon Him.

Stretch your faith to take in the boundless mercy of God.

Psalm 136:1

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth

forever."

2862

17 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2861

Seek Him

   

Have you sought the LORD lately?

Many of us had committed our lives to Him.

Have you made that commitment?

God promises wisdom to those who ask and do not doubt.

Let us ask for wisdom.

Let's join our hearts together, and with the Spirit's help, let's seek our Father so that we can honor and glorify him, finding our blessing in his presence.

Psalm 34 : 4

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

2861

16 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2860

The fountain

It is not possible to put any trash in the mouth of a flowing fountain !  The force of its own outflow protects it and keeps it clear of any impurities from the outside. Well, the spiritual fountain within you works the same way.

When you are allowing the forces of love and joy and peace and gentleness and all the others to flow out, the devil can not get any of his junk in.

How do you keep the Spirit flowing?

Keep your heart full of the Word of God that the forces of eternal life start bubbling out. Just a little at first...and then stronger and higher.

John 4:14

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of

water springing up into everlasting life.

2860

15 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2859

Languages of nature

Think of the majestic order of the universe and its obedience to unchanging law.

The language of

order,

beauty,

perfection and intelligence

speaks of the existence of God

There is

(a) certainty and regularity of the seasons

(b) precision of the movements of the sun, the moon and the stars

(c) regular coming of the night and day

(d) balance between man’s consumption of life-giving oxygen and its production by the plant-life of the earth

Psalm 19 : 1-3

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

2859

14 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2858

Happiness

The secret of happiness is

not to do what you like to do but to learn to like what you have to do.

Happiness is not found by seeking. It is not an end in itself

Pots of gold are never found at the end of the rainbow. Gold is mined from the ground or panned laboriously from a stream.

The Pharisees were not happy. They were nervous, tensed and frustrated. They were full of resentments, bitterness, prejudices and hatred. The reason was that they had lost sight of God’s idea of the pure in heart. The Pharisees thought that as long as they kept the letter of the law that was enough. But God looks deeper that the outside actions. He searches and ponders the heart. He looks to the motives, Thoughts   and intents of the heart.

1 Timothy 5 : 22

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure

2858

13 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2856

Heart

The heart pumps blood and it is the central and vital organ of the body. It is also used metaphorically when we speak of affections and feelings. The Bible speaks of heart as the well-spring of life. Hence, it is also used closely with ‘life’. When you are asked to give your heart, it does not mean to cut out our actual hearts. It means that we are to give lives, our all.

When we come to Christ, we give our intellectual assent with our minds and we also believe in our hearts – means that the will, the emotion, and the intellect are surrendered.

Romans 10 : 9

That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2857

12 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2855

Selfish lifestyle

Self-centeredness is the basic cause of much of our distress in life. Our loves, our interests and our energies are too often focused upon ourselves. Many of us live selfishly.

Matthew 19 : 21

If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.

Here in this verse, Jesus wants us to be released from selfishness and its destructive effect on our personality and life.

John 3 : 30

He must become greater; I must become less.

2855

11 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2854

How to be rich

There are two ways of being rich – have a lot or want very little

The latter way is the easiest for most of us. Many people make themselves miserable by wanting more than they can ever have. They can never get enough of the insatiable desire for more, better and newer things.

We need not learn how to get more but how to get along with what we have got, and get on with the business of really living.

Luke 12 : 15

Then he said to them, Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions

2854

10Jun 2013

Thoughts#2853

Be truthful

The purity of our conduct comes from truthfulness. We should be truthful in our representation of ourselves. We should avoid hypocrisy. We should be truthful in speaking of our past achievements. A lie is anything that opposes the naked truth !!

Psalm 51 : 6

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

2853

09 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2852

Poor words and bad timing

How many times have you said just the "wrong" thing?

Jesus words on this topic are indeed convicting :

"Out of the abundance of the heart does the mouth speak."

In other words, poor words and bad timing in our speech are more issues of our heart than issues of social skills and decorum.

Let us ask God to purify, mend, and re-focus our heart on his will and passions.

Proverbs 10:32

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

2852

08 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2851

Wisdom

What are the greatest riches in life?

They are not silver and gold. Of infinitely greater value is wisdom, which helps us understand what is valuable, what is true, what is worthy of our heart, and what is not.

Proverbs 16:16

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!

2851

07 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2850

Poor words and bad timing

How many times have you said just the "wrong" thing?

Jesus words on this topic are indeed convicting :

"Out of the abundance of the heart does the mouth speak."

In other words, poor words and bad timing in our speech are more issues of our heart than issues of social skills and decorum.

Let us ask God to purify, mend, and re-focus our heart on his will and passions.

Proverbs 10:32

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

2850

06 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2849

Be encouraged !!

Courage comes from trusting God.  It comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!

Discouragement comes from fear and unbelief.

It comes when you listen to the devil's lies about what God is not going to do for you.

We must shake off discouragement and rise up with courage! We must quit looking at our own abilities and failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

If you've been discouraged lately, stop listening to Satan's lies. Stop receiving evil reports.

Once you begin to realize who you are and what you've been given by the power of God, you'll quit letting the devil run all over you.

God commands that you be strong and courageous.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

2849

05 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2848

The powerful Word

God's word

is a light to our dark path in a morally uncertain world.

is our standard for right and wrong, righteousness and evil.

delivers us from all sorts of destructive practices that can ruin our lives.

Psalm 119:133

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

2848

04 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2847

The wicked and the righteous

The wicked fear

the triumph of goodness, holiness, and righteousness.

not being in control.

death's overtaking them.

The righteous

desire the triumph of goodness, holiness, and righteousness.

offer their lives to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God.

recognize death is an enemy, but one that has been conquered by their Savior.

Proverbs 10:24

What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted.

2847

03 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2846

Anger and foolishness

   

Responding quickly to aggravation, threat, insult, or difficulty suggests strength to many folks. However, responding hastily out of anger is foolish. This response seldom produces the desired long term effect and nearly always compounds the problems that need to be addressed. Patiently dealing with frustrating and painful situations shows understanding and is nearly always more fruitful in the long run.

Proverbs 14:29

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

2846

 02 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2845

Be encouraged !!

Courage comes from trusting God.  It comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!

Discouragement comes from fear and unbelief.

It comes when you listen to the devil's lies about what God is not going to do for you.

We must shake off discouragement and rise up with courage! We must quit looking at our own abilities and failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

If you've been discouraged lately, stop listening to Satan's lies. Stop receiving evil reports.

Once you begin to realize who you are and what you've been given by the power of God, you'll quit letting the devil run all over you.

God commands that you be strong and courageous.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

2845

01 Jun 2013

Thoughts#2844

Trust

Faith is as much the rule of temporal as of spiritual life.

It is only as we learn to trust in God for the supply of all our daily need that we shall live above the world.

We are not to be idle, that would show we did not trust in God. 

We are not to be imprudent or rash; that were to trust chance, and not the living God 

We are to rely simply and entirely upon the Lord at all times.

Trusting in God always

Be you a man with living principles within; never bow to the varying customs of worldly wisdom.

Walk in your path of integrity with steadfast steps, and show that you are invincibly strong in the strength which confidence in God alone can confer.

We have no care, for he careth for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the Lord.

Psalms 62:8 

Trust in him at all times.

2844