Images

A Dedicated Life

When I think of the word worship, I instantly think of me praising God in a service or me being in my prayer time. But it’s not just that. Romans 12:1 explains ” I beseech you therefore, brethern, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

As we walk in His ways everyday by staying humble, obedient and doing His will, that is also a part of our worship to Him.
The apostle Paul has just spent the first eleven chapters of Romans establishing Jesus Christ as the sole basis for our salvation and grace as the means by which every believer lives. In response to such great mercy, Paul writes that the most logical response is worship. He’s not talking about singing songs; he’s talking about the dedication of our entire beings to God’s service.
From this verse, I began a habit of mentally going through a process of offering myself to God. It goes something like this:

God, today I dedicate my mind to you. I want to think on things that are good, right, pure, and excellent. I want to take captive any thoughts that aren’t from you. I want to remember your past faithfulness when I am tempted to doubt.
Today, I dedicate my eyes to you. I want to see others the way you see them. I want to view my circumstances through the lens of hope and faith. I want to look at life as one who is confident that you are with me.
Today, I dedicate my ears to you. I want to hear your voice above all the others clamoring for my attention. I want to listen to you and to honor others by listening well to them.

Today, I dedicate my mouth to you. I want my words to be life-giving. I want to speak honestly and sincerely. I want to think before I speak. I want to let others have the last word.

Today, I dedicate my heart to you. I want my heart to be pure and undivided. I want to master my emotions, not serve them. I want my dreams and desires to please you.

Today, I dedicate my hands to you. I want to work hard at whatever I put my hands to. I want to touch others in love and goodwill. I want my hands to be open for whatever you want to give me and willing to release anything you want me to surrender.

Today, I dedicate my feet to you. I want to go wherever you send me. I want to walk toward the messes, not run from them. I want to stand firmly upon the truth and not stumble.

The most important relationship I have deserves my greatest expression of worship: a dedicated life.

this blog was from a post on Youversion called STAY FIT: Strengthening Your Connection To Jesus a 30 day devotional and this topic was wrote by Elaine Scott @Brownsbridgechurch

Walking Past the Distractions

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Distractions are obviously from the devil. Anything he can do to pull, wedge, or separate you from God he will try. I have learned to cut out some things that I used to do in order not to be distracted. For an example, I own a small business and for months I was so wrapped up in it. Trying to figure out ways to make more sales and so forth, I was doing my monthly reports from the previous month instead of choosing one day to do it all. Now I have one day to catch up on everything related to the business. I don’t have to worry about how to make more sales, I’m trusting in God to provide for me instead of leaning on my ability, I lean on Him. But I thought I was really doing some good. And then one day I realized my study time and prayer life had diminished quite a bit. Thats when I had to take the Mary approach. 
CHALLENGE:

I challenge you this week to ask God everyday to start showing what distracts you. And when He does, simply surrender that task and have Him to help you surrender it daily.
RELATIONSHIP APPLICATION:

God wants to be your everything but with distractions we may be hurting oursleves by not hearing the Holy Spirit, being pulled back from pursuing God because this certaing task you think couldn’t wait. Time spent with God is time that is never wasted.
DISCUSSION/QUESTIONS

Do you have a Martha or Mary approach?

Do you have an excuse to have a certain distraction?

WISDOM

  I believe a prayer that God will always answer is a prayer to receive wisdom in your life. Just as a father would want his child to walk in wisdom. so does our heavenly father. 

When I think of wisdom, I think of King Solomon. The wisest man that has ever lived none other than Jesus. Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs.
I pray everyday for more of God’s wisdom. But lately I had been praying and asking God in a more urgent manner to give me more of His wisdom in my walk with Him. As I was out driving one day the Lord just spoke to me and said ” I am going to give you wisdom” and the third chapter of Proverbs 3:3:14 flashed in my mind. “For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Wisdom is priceless. It can only be obtained through God by having a holy relevance, a fear of God. 
God will not give this priceless gift to His child without Him first “breaking” you. What do I mean? I mean this, Iv’e had a particular area in my life that I was not obedient to God. I spent many sleepless nights and tear shed moments lamenting over the “pet sin.” But one day I completely surrendered it and started leaning on Him instead of my understanding. That’s when God started to show me wisdom. I always have this verse come to my mind when I think about what God has brought me out of. “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord.” – Isaiah 66:9 
What is God bringing into your life? Are you ready for it? In what area do you need wisdom? I believe a prayer that God will always answer is a prayer to receive wisdom in your life. Just as a father would want his child to walk in wisdom. so does our heavenly father. 
When I think of wisdom, I think of King Solomon. The wisest man that has ever lived none other than Jesus. Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs.
I pray everyday for more of God’s wisdom. But lately I had been praying and asking God in a more urgent manner to give me more of His wisdom in my walk with Him. As I was out driving one day the Lord just spoke to me and said ” I am going to give you wisdom” and the third chapter of Proverbs 3:3:14 flashed in my mind. “For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Wisdom is priceless. It can only be obtained through God by having a holy relevance, a fear of God. 
God will not give this priceless gift to His child without Him first “breaking” you. What do I mean? I mean this, Iv’e had a particular area in my life that I was not obedient to God. I spent many sleepless nights and tear shed moments lamenting over the “pet sin.” But one day I completely surrendered it and started leaning on Him instead of my understanding. That’s when God started to show me wisdom. I always have this verse come to my mind when I think about what God has brought me out of. “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord.” – Isaiah 66:9 
What is God bringing into your life? Are you ready for it? In what area do you need wisdom? 

I believe a prayer that God will always answer is a prayer to receive wisdom in your life. Just as a father would want his child to walk in wisdom. so does our heavenly father. 
When I think of wisdom, I think of King Solomon. The wisest man that has ever lived none other than Jesus. Solomon wrote the book of Proverbs.
I pray everyday for more of God’s wisdom. But lately I had been praying and asking God in a more urgent manner to give me more of His wisdom in my walk with Him. As I was out driving one day the Lord just spoke to me and said ” I am going to give you wisdom” and the third chapter of Proverbs 3:3:14 flashed in my mind. “For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Wisdom is priceless. It can only be obtained through God by having a holy relevance, a fear of God. 
God will not give this priceless gift to His child without Him first “breaking” you. What do I mean? I mean this, Iv’e had a particular area in my life that I was not obedient to God. I spent many sleepless nights and tear shed moments lamenting over the “pet sin.” But one day I completely surrendered it and started leaning on Him instead of my understanding. That’s when God started to show me wisdom. I always have this verse come to my mind when I think about what God has brought me out of. “I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born, says the Lord.” – Isaiah 66:9 
What is God bringing into your life? Are you ready for it? In what area do you need wisdom? 

Consumed.

IMG_0069

I love this time of the year! watching the leaves change colors, and most of all are the bon fires that I like going to. With evenings dropping down to the mid 50’s it feels good to stay close to a fire. I stayed near the fire as much as I could at the church bon fire, I felt warm and safe. But once everyone started leaving I had to make myself walk away.

God in a way has the characteristics of a fire. If we stay near to Him, we are protected, we feel safe in knowing that His Word never fails, and His Spirit guides us and leads us with discernment. He is able to work on us more since we are near to Him, He consumes us down to the core. As the Psalm of 51:10 describes “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 

But when we don’t pursue going closer to the fire, complacency creeps in and before you know it we start backing up and not realizing the numbness of the cold. We forget that His strength will sustain us through it all.

GFJ

He is Able

If I were to challenge you to get in the Word and write down every miracle, every time that God done something supernatural and i’ll tell you about a God that still performs those miracles to this day. Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man, when He raised the dead He still does, when He calms the storms He still does. When all of your life has changed so much He hasn’t, why? God never changes. And because He is a never changing God, He is able to perform those same miracles in your life.

“For I am the LORD, I change not” – Malachi 3:6

Even though we may change. As the years pass by we will face some hard times. Some mountains, but yet we will survive, we will endure. We will flourish and we will look back and see all that God has done for us. All that He asks is that we abide in His word. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” – John 15:7,8

If we abide in His word and not move with every passing wind and we hold onto the Rock which is Jesus Christ and believe that what we ask in His name it shall be done!

I believe why we don’t see God perform as much as those same miracles is that we don’t let Him, we try and put God in a box. We become content at the place where we are at in God. Even though His spirit is bidding us to come closer, we stay back from the fire, we have lost that burning passion that we once had. But God is able.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”
– Ephesians 3:20

As Paul came to this great height (what can there be higher than the fullness of God?), it is logical to ask how this can ever be. How can something so far above us ever become reality? It can only happen because God is able to do far beyond what we ask or think.

Do you have a need that God has not met you with yet? Don’t have doubts, keep trusting! If it is His will for you to have in your life, God will deliver!

GFJ

Feeling Empty?

IMG_0075

Are you longing for something more in life but just can’t put a finger on it? It’s a empty feeling like a missing piece that you don’t have. Maybe you’ve tried other things like alcohol, sex, drugs or anything that made you feel a “high” that lasted for a short time. But it’s getting worse, you keep wanting more but you feel the same, empty. 

I know of a remedy. I know someone who can take residence. Filling in that emptiness in your life. You’ve been trying things trying to imitate the feeling of peace in your life. But truthfully, the only “thing” is not a “thing”. It’s a person who loves you so much he displayed it on a cross so you could have freedom from those “things” and experience a peace that I cannot explain. Am I talking about religion? Not at all. His name is Jesus and He longs to be in a relationship with you! Only He can fill that void. If this emptiness is leading you to questions look no further. He is the answer! 

The Finish Line

the finish line

Can you finish a race by only running half way? I’m afraid not.

What about running without endurance? Nope.

Neither can you live a Christian life and not give all to Jesus.

It was a night that I had prayed for bondage’s to be broken in the church, you know those “pet sins” that we tend to keep a hold of, I know it’s not a prayer that most people pray but that night God had put that on my heart. I prayed and sought the face of God that evening. Later when I was in bed about to fall asleep. The Lord spoke and said,“Many of my people are only going half way in their walk with me. They’ve forgotten what I have done for them and turning to other gods. But those who choose to seek Me shall find their strength in Me.”

In a race we have two options. Run with perseverance or just jog. There is no in-between and living for Jesus there is no in- between.

“So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” – Rev. 3:16

It’s impossible to finish a race half way, we’ve got to run and not get weary.

“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” – Gal 5:7

The number 1 tactic that the enemy uses is distractions. There everywhere! You always have something else to do when your doing a work for the Lord. Whether its Bible study or picking your kids up from a game. There is always going to be something that catches our attention.

I used to get so distracted by doing unnecessary jobs that I thought were important. Now I look back and think to myself “why?” The enemy is a master at creating distractions around your environment.

gray bar 40

Are you not running the race well? Something hindering your walk? Maybe it’s the hurdles that keep you from running with endurance. Don’t lose hope! When your struggling, submit to God by asking for His help.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Cor. 12:9

GFJ