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It’s just a fact
One of my favorite stories is told in a book called “Believe in the God who Believes in You.” Robert Schuller tells about spending the week with a guide in Russia. The lady was an atheist. Bob prayed “What can I say to her?” Here’s what he said happened:
“My words came out without a forethought… I said “I have good news for you.” “Well?” She looked at me; she waited.
“God loves you,” I said. “even if you don’t believe it. And God believes in you even if you don’t believe in Him.”
Wow! That’s so powerful. Even when we don’t believe in Him. Even when we don’t know about Him. Even if we are being just plain stubborn… God believes in us.
It’s just a fact. Because our God is Good.
What can go wrong?
What can go wrong? Our fear is that anything and everything will go wrong. That is an enemy whispering in our ear. It isn’t true.
We serve a loving savior, Jesus. The plans He has for us are good ones. May we focus on what He is doing and not listen to the enemy whispering in our ear.
“If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you will always do so.” ~~C.S.Lewis
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Should we do it?
Because of what Jesus did, we can walk right up to God. We don’t even have to hesitate. We can just go right in to His presence and the place where His absolute perfection radiates completely. Jesus made the way clear. It was by His blood and His sacrifice. Nothing I could do to make it happen. This is His new plan for us. He has a whole new strategy for how we can be with Him and His awesome love.
So … let’s do it. Let us believe and be confident that we are in fact presentable. We don’t have to be ashamed at all. We are clean inside and out. Let’s get a firm grip on the promises that keep us moving in to His way. Has He ever not kept His word?
In fact, let’s get creative in how we can encourage love and helping each other out. Let’s be really inventive coming up with entirely new ways to show it. The Big Day is coming. Let’s get ready for it.
May we spur each other on. May we help each other out every time we get a chance.
Are we at war? Is he being too dramatic?
John Eldredge makes a great point. We are at war. We need to be careful how we live. We need to watch our step. These are, in fact, desperate times.
Great news. Jesus has won the battle. God is in an amazing mood and can protect us. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to do battle though.
Again, this is exactly what the Scriptures have been trying to wake us up to for years.
“Wake up, O sleeper . . . Be very careful, then, how you live . . . because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:14–16).
Or as The Message has it: “So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!”
Christianity isn’t a religion about going to Sunday school, potluck suppers, being nice, holding car washes, sending our secondhand clothes off to Mexico. This is a world at war. Something large and immensely dangerous is unfolding all around us, we are caught up in it, and above all we doubt we have been given a key role to play. Do you think I’m being too dramatic?”
~~John Eldredge
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“What the Father does, the Son does.” ~~Jesus
Jesus is perfectly aligned with His Father, God. That is the source of His power. That is His challenge to us. Become aligned with God our Father. Pray, “On earth as it is in Heaven.”
How is it in Heaven? What is God doing? Answer that and do that is what Jesus demands.
Pray, “Your will be done.” What does God want to happen right now? Answer that and pray for that. Do that.
Jesus challenges us “to do” what God is doing. That is His way.
“What the Father does, the Son does.” ~~Jesus (John 5:19-20 The Message)
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Here is the story
Jesus will not be molded into someone who makes me feel comfortable. I must be absolutely devoted to Him. I must mold myself to do what he wants.
“Don’t be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.” ~~Jesus
God is in an amazing mood. He has so much He wants to give us. 
Jesus challenges us because He knows what we are focused on. He demands that we don’t focus on getting things. He knows when that is our focus, we don’t see what God wants to give us. This is radical because His focus on the Father is radical.
To receive our Father’s gifts we have to respond to Him. If we are looking to get more in this world, we have the wrong focus.
“Don’t be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 6:29-31 The Message)
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“Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ ” ~~Jesus
Jesus lives in a clear world. He is light. There is no darkness in Him at all. 
His Father is all about clarity. He demands the same from us. His radical world and plan for us is that we be clear as well. No ambiguity. No waffling. No wavering.
In Jesus’ world, he challenges us to no “ifs, ands or buts”. It is all yes and no. Jesus challenges us to not be manipulative, trying to get our own way with our answers.
“And don’t say anything you don’t mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ and never doing it, or saying, ‘God be with you,’ and not meaning it. You don’t make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong. (Matthew 5:33-37The Message)
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Worrying is a nasty habit ..you’ll notice if it ain’t one thing it’s another.
Why worry? God has a plan. God is working his plan. We can trust in Him. He is in a very good mood. He will do what He says. He never abandons us at all. He is always looking out for our best interest. That is just the way He rolls.
Worry is a nasty habit. Worry has a some very evil brothers and sisters. Worry will derail us. 
With worry, if it is not one thing it is another. Worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.
Why worry? God has a plan.
Worrying is a nasty habit ..you’ll notice if it ain’t one thing it’s another.
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It is my choice. Will I show mercy?
There are experts galore. No lack of those who “officially” know all the rules and regulations. When Jesus asked the question, He got an answer from an expert. So … what is it that God desires from us? Who showed love to his neighbor? The one who showed mercy.
That is what we should do. That is what I should do. This is how we love our neighbors. Have mercy. Be merciful. Show mercy in every way!!! Simple.
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:37
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God is talking
God has been talking to me a long time. I can go way back. Dr. Pirtle spoke the word of God that lead me to Jesus. Jay Fesperman led me into a disciplined life in God. Bob Mumford challenged me to submit to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Derek Prince helped me see how fully I am redeemed. Most recently, Bill Johnson has shown the way to how good God is. Jack Graham shows the way to the goodness of fellowship. Sally Fesperman on how intercession is the way to Gods absolute perfection. On and on it goes. His word right out of the mouths of those I know.
It is a long line of men and women who have addressed me in different ways. And it started way before me. Thousands of years going back to the beginning, the word has come to me through those who went before me. And there were those who proceeded Jesus. In the scheme of things, that wasn’t that long ago. Jesus word holds true today coming to me directly.
It was through Jesus (and the word He spoke) that God created everything that we know as the world and the universe. He created it and it will all be His in the end. It will all belong to Jesus for sure. Jesus absolutely perfectly mirrors God. Everything God is is stamped into who Jesus is now. Because God spoke it to begin with. He is now holding it all together today by the same word He spoke so long ago. He has such powerful words. Oh my goodness, His word blasts forward to make it all happen.
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May we focus on God’s opportunities and not worry about our competence. He is willing and able. He is God!!
God gives us opportunities every day. We all know it is true. So look back a few years.
How much of what we have missed in life is due to missing God’s opportunities or our own incompetence?
We worry so much about ourselves and miss what God wants to do through us. Let’s get with it. Let’s get with God.
May we focus on God’s opportunities and not worry about our competence. He is willing and able. He is God!! ~~Michael Wilson
We have someone guarding our heart. It is Jesus the Messiah. Now that is some good news.
We all know it deep down. Our hearts are very fragile. They can be broken. 
We are people with hope. Jesus has won the day. He is guarding our hearts.
We have someone guarding our heart. It is Jesus the Messiah. Now that is some good news. ~~Michael Wilson
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Do I love enough?
This says so much. And I think St. Augustine knew something about this. God wants us to love him like we love no one else. That is the main thing about the main thing. Do we long for Him?
May my whole existence long for You. Every minute of every day.
“The whole life of the good Christian,” said Augustine, “is a holy longing.”
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Am I willing to look foolish?
Great story from Max Lucado. We never know how our faith in Jesus will pay off. Even when it makes us look foolish.
Dear Friend
by Max LucadoDear Friend,
I’m writing to say thanks. I wish I could thank you personally, but I don’t know where you are. I wish I could call you, but I don’t know your name. If I knew your appearance, I’d look for you, but your face is fuzzy in my memory. But I’ll never forget what you did.
There you were, leaning against your pickup in the West Texas oil field. An engineer of some sort. A supervisor on the job. Your khakis and clean shirt set you apart from us roustabouts. In the oil field pecking order, we were at the bottom. You were the boss. We were the workers. You read the blueprints. We dug the ditches. You inspected the pipe. We laid it. You ate with the bosses in the shed. We ate with each other in the shade.
Except that day.
I remember wondering why you did it.
We weren’t much to look at. What wasn’t sweaty was oily. Faces burnt from the sun; skin black from the grease. Didn’t bother me, though. I was there only for the summer. A high-school boy earning good money laying pipe.
We weren’t much to listen to, either. Our language was sandpaper coarse. After lunch, we’d light the cigarettes and begin the jokes. Someone always had a deck of cards with lacy-clad girls on the back. For thirty minutes in the heat of the day, the oil patch became Las Vegas—replete with foul language, dirty stories, blackjack, and barstools that doubled as lunch pails.
In the middle of such a game, you approached us. I thought you had a job for us that couldn’t wait another few minutes. Like the others, I groaned when I saw you coming.
You were nervous. You shifted your weight from one leg to the other as you began to speak.
“Uh, fellows,” you started.
We turned and looked up at you.
“I, uh, I just wanted, uh, to invite … “
You were way out of your comfort zone. I had no idea what you might be about to say, but I knew that it had nothing to do with work.
“I just wanted to tell you that, uh, our church is having a service tonight and, uh … “
“What?” I couldn’t believe it. “He’s talking church? Out here? With us?”
“I wanted to invite any of you to come along.”
Silence. Screaming silence.
Several guys stared at the dirt. A few shot glances at the others. Snickers rose just inches from the surface.
“Well, that’s it. Uh, if any of you want to go … uh, let me know.”
After you turned and left, we turned and laughed. We called you “reverend,” “preacher,” and “the pope.” We poked fun at each other, daring one another to go. You became the butt of the day’s jokes.
I’m sure you knew that. I’m sure you went back to your truck knowing the only good you’d done was to make a good fool out of yourself. If that’s what you thought, then you were wrong.
That’s the reason for this letter.
Some five years later, a college sophomore was struggling with a decision. He had drifted from the faith given to him by his parents. He wanted to come back. He wanted to come home. But the price was high. His friends might laugh. His habits would have to change. His reputation would have to be overcome.
Could he do it? Did he have the courage?
That’s when I thought of you. As I sat in my dorm room late one night, looking for the guts to do what I knew was right, I thought of you.
I thought of how your love for God had been greater than your love for your reputation.
I thought of how your obedience had been greater than your common sense.
I remembered how you had cared more about making disciples than about making a good first impression. And when I thought of you, your memory became my motivation.
So I came home.
I’ve told your story dozens of times to thousands of people. Each time the reaction is the same: The audience becomes a sea of smiles, and heads bob in understanding. Some smile because they think of the “clean-shirted engineers” in their lives. They remember the neighbor who brought the cake, the aunt who wrote the letter, the teacher who listened …
Others smile because they have done what you did. And they, too, wonder if their “lunchtime loyalty” was worth the effort.
You wondered that. What you did that day wasn’t much. And I’m sure you walked away that day thinking that your efforts had been wasted.
They weren’t.
So I’m writing to say thanks. Thanks for the example. Thanks for the courage. Thanks for giving your lunch to God. He did something with it; it became the Bread of Life for me.
Gratefully,
Max
What is my give to get ratio?
I live in a culture where there is always something else to get. Today is a day to think about my give to get ratio.
So, what did I give? What did I get?
Jesus is about giving. He came and continues to serve.
Jesus challenges us to give. He is all about love. My evaluation of the day should be based on how much did I give.
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Feel like you are missing God’s blessings? Try stepping out in faith on what you have already heard Him say.
God is talking to us. Just like Jesus did with Peter when Jesus was walking on the water in the middle of a storm. They all saw Jesus but thought it was a ghost. But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come ahead.” Two words. “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?”
Peter received the blessing. First doubt, then faith, then fear, then restoration and then the lesson that leads to maturity.
Water longs to be walked on again. Will you step out? Will you receive the blessing? Be bold!! Have courage!!
Feel like you are missing God’s blessings? Try stepping out in faith on what you have already heard Him say.
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All who wander are not lost. Israel knew how to get to the promised land. They didn’t have the courage to go.
Wandering around is not a sign you are lost. In your heart, you probably know where God wants you to go. We need to be bold. He gives us faith and courage.
Let’s head on up to the promised land. God has given it to us. Be brave. God is with us.
All who wander are not lost. Israel knew how to get to the promised land. They didn’t have the courage to go.
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Do you think you are pushing things too far? That is the only way to know how far you can go.
God challenges us to get radical for his blessed son Jesus. We need more passion not less. We need to more radical not softer. We need to pray to be more bold.
This is his way.
Do you think you are pushing things too far? That is the only way to know how far you can go.
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“Stand here where we can see you.”~~Jesus
Jesus is in church. He found a man with a crippled hand. 
The Deacons (Pharisees) had their eyes on Jesus to see if he would heal him, hoping to catch him in breaking a church rule. Jesus knows this. And so He is deliberate. He says to the man, “Stand here where we can see you.”
Then he spoke to the people: “What kind of action suits Sunday best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?” No one said a word. Imagine, they were completely silent. This is stunning that they can’t answer this question.
He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! The Deacons (Pharisees) got out as fast as they could, sputtering about how they would join forces with Herod’s followers and ruin him.
Jesus is deliberate. His challenge to us is clear. He wants everyone to know the rules aren’t helpful if they don’t focus on doing what God wants.
“Stand here where we can see you.”~~Jesus (Mark 3:3 The Message)
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His love endures forever
Give thanks to the Lord, Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm
His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
CHORUS:
Forever God is faithful
Forever God is strong
Forever God is with us
Forever and ever, forever (2X)
From the rising to the setting sun
His love endures forever
And by the grace of God we will carry on
His love endures forever
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
(CHORUS)
His love endures forever (8X)
Sing praise, sing praise
Sing praise, sing praise
(CHORUS)
What can I do?
Some days it is hard to describe. And, if the Apostle Paul couldn’t do it some days, I guess it is OK
if I can’t either.
But … I can be thankful. And so, I am!!!
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15
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Which one of these is your church?
We have a choice about what kind of church we attend. Which will it be? One where the power of Jesus the Messiah rules everyone and everything OR one where we feel good?
That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus the Messiah, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
All this energy issues from the Messiah: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, the Messiah rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. Ephesians 1:19-23 The Message (MSG)
What can’t God do?
What can’t God do? It is a simple question. The silence around this one is deafening.
There is nothing He can’t do. Nothing is impossible with Him. Not a single thing. Nada.
May we all have supernatural courage. Let’s give it up for God!! He is so good. He is so great.
He is God.
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Is God serious?
Is God serious? God is very serious about His business. We should take Him seriously. He doesn’t mess around. He put the earth in place. He created it all. From nothing His word was obeyed. Everything that exists is here because He wants it that way. He has a new plan. It is bought and paid for. No need to hold back.
It is still that way. In faith, His gifts abound. His Word is still obeyed. His word doesn’t come back to Him with no results. When He says something, it happens. You can count on it.
God is very serious about His business. We should be too.
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This is a great reminder on a beautiful Sunday. God made all the days for us.
Enjoy!!
“Then He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” – Mark 2:27
Jesus explained to all who questioned Him about picking some heads of grain as they walked on the Sabbath. He let them know that the purpose of the Sabbath was made to provide rest for man, rather than man being made for rest.
We are all called to do some sort of work unto Him. For some, it is managing house and home; for others, it is something outside of the home. Each of us are called to something that requires work. After several days of work, our bodies need a bit of rest so that our hearts and minds may be restored – equipping us to continue in our calling.
None of us are made for the Sabbath. We are made to commune with Christ. If we labor and toil…
View original post 265 more words
Who messed up here?
Who missed God’s goal? Somebody did and it will help me if i can blame them. That can be the assumption. I am wounded. I am hurt. I suffer. I want to blame someone. Surely someone messed up. Who, we ask?
But Jesus doesn’t allow this. God has something He wants to do. He brought healing and salvation into our fallen world. He loves us. He is good. He doesn’t do evil.
When Jesus and the disciples were on the road one day, they came upon a man who had been blind since birth. “Rabbi, who missed God’s goal, this man or his parents?” they asked him. “Neither this man nor his parents messed up,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” And with that, Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud to place on the man’s eyes, and healed him. John 9
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Is God making everything new?
He walks over to me. He reaches out His hand. Slowly He wipes away my tears. He dries them off very carefully. No more mourning. No more crying. No more pain. That is all in the past. The new plan has kicked in. He is making everything according to the new plan. His goal and His strategy is now the order of the day. Not there yet but closer every day. He is in control. He is in power and will bring every aspect of the plan to a close. He executes every detail. No worry or concern.
I can count on it. It is a fact. I can write it down for He is faithful to bring it all to pass. The new plan is done.
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. Revelation 21:4-6
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Will God restore me?
I need to keep a cool head. I should be on the alert at all times. I must keep my guard up. No napping when it comes to my enemy. God has a great plan for me. My challenges won’t last forever. It is true with all my brothers and sisters in the Lord.
I must get a grip. A firm grip. Faith in Jesus will see me through. He has put me on my feet. He gets the last word. Yes, it is His way and His plan.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your fellow believers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in the Messiah, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:8-10
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“You spoke the truth there, sure enough.” ~~Jesus
Jesus knows us. Jesus knows us to our core. We can try to evade the truth but Jesus knows the truth. So there is no point in even trying. 
The kind of people our Father is out looking for are those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. He wants that kind of relationship with us.
“That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.” ~~Jesus (John 4:18 The Message)
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“The children get fed first. ” ~~Jesus
Jesus challenges us to understand certain realities. The wise person doesn’t argue with him. The wise person has insight.
A woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where Jesus was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter. Jesus didn’t respond the way we thought he would. She knows he is right. She knows her place in this world. She knows children get fed first. She also knows if there is anything left from the meal, the dogs will get fed as well. That is how she responds.
Jesus is impressed. He heals her daughter. God is in a good mood and that extends to all, not just the children. No matter what our place in this world, we have a place of honor in His world.
“The children get fed first. ” ~~Jesus Mark 7:27 (The Message)
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What decision will I make?
I have a decision to make. I get to make it every day. Is it a bad thing to worship God? I can worship something else. I can worship someone else. Now would be the time to choose.
I also get to choose for my family as well.
I choose to worship God. Me and my family.
“If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God.” ~~Joshua 24:15
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How can you build yourself up?
The mission is to keep myself in a faith that is set apart for Him. That is the real deal. That is what the end game is for me. It is a building process. I am not there for sure. But I am making progress. He has a goal where I need to be. He has a strategy for how I will get there. He “whacks” away at it every second of every day. So, bring it on my Master.
There is a coming together of the physical, the soul (heart) and spiritual. So I start with a physical act. Let’s say I raise my hands being open and outstretched to Him. I begin to experience His love being poured out on me. Then the presence of His Spirit invades the scene. Watch out then!! This all leads to love. It leads to experiencing His gift of mercy. Not justice. Just mercy.
What is the real outcome? What is this all about? A life that is unending. A life that is real.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21
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Does God need my help? Does He want me to judge others?
News flash. God can handle things with out my help!! He doesn’t need me to correct believers. This can be very tough for religious people who steeped in religious instruction year after year. I follow one person on Twitter who specializes in this area. All of his blog posts are about how wrong certain pastors are. He is bright but I don’t think he gets this part of God’s word. I know I fall into the trap sometimes as well. 
My only assignment is to love. That, on any given day, is plenty. No need for anything else. That is my assignment. Everything else is for God. Jesus challenges us here as well. “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged” (Matthew 7:1) Pretty clear. Just love.
Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. . . If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. Romans 14:1-3;8
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Is individuality our right?
English: Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We place a great deal of emphasis on individuality. It is “our right”!!
Not really. What is important is do what God wants. That is it. And what He wants is for us to love Him without reservation.
“But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him.” ~~Oswald Chambers
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Who will intercede for us with God?
Our mission is to obey Jesus. This leads to our rescue which delivers us out of destruction and into His safety (known as salvation). 
Jesus accomplished this by reaching the end-stage, i.e. working through the entire process to reach the final phase of what God had in mind for him. It is referred to as perfection or maturity. It is well-illustrated with the old pirate’s telescope, unfolding (extending out) one stage at a time to function at full-strength (capacity effectiveness). When this happened God announced that Jesus could intercede for us. He is our perfect and mature priest.
Now this is good news. He went through everything he needed to so that he could demonstrate perfectly that he is God’s son.
“Then, having arrived at the full stature of his maturity and having been announced by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.” (Hebrews 5:10 The Message)
Is Jesus Mr. Rogers with a beard?
Jesus is passionate. He is not Mr. Rogers with a beard. His objective is not to be a nice guy but to do what God wants him to do. Am I a man of passion or apathy?
There are worse things than caring too much. Lots worse. Like caring too little. Like not caring at all. Like caring about the wrong things.
When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” He was angry. He was passionate.
Jesus leads a life of passion. He drove a bunch of crooks out of church. “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for your house will consume me’” (John 2:17).
May I be consumed with passion for being in the presence of God. May I burn with that kind of love.
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Who did God put in charge of salvation?
Who did God put in charge of salvation? Man? No. There is no way we have what it takes for that. Angels? No. Not even they could make it happen. Who then? What was His solution?
Jesus came to earth in all humility. He left His place of honor with our Father and came to us, like us. He was a little lower than the angels for a while. But then through His death and resurrection, He completed salvation for us. How amazing is that? He experienced death for us. He experienced death in our place. We are now raised to a whole new life and mission with Him.
May we appreciate all that He has done for us!
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What is God’s master plan?
God has a plan.
Stop and think about that.
God has a plan. He has a plan for us. He has had His eye on us. Looking to do great things in and through us.
God has a “master plan” for how everything works together to bring His ultimate designs together. He is God. This is the way he works. He isn’t into “one offs”. It all works together for achieving what He has had in mind all this time.
“Long before we first heard of the Messiah and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” ~Apostle Paul (Ephesians 1:12 The Message)
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Am I a stranger to power?
Tapping into God’s desire at any given moment opens us up completely to His power. His rule here, just like it is in heaven, is the big thing. Talking and listening to Him is the most important thing. I should never cease to check in and see what He wants me to do right now.
If I know what He wants me to do, I have His power all the time.
“If you are strangers to prayer you are strangers to power.”
—- Billy Sunday
Will I honor God?
Jesus is all about doing what He sees His Father doing. He listens to Him. He knows what is in God’s heart. He was obedient to the point of giving everything up, coming to live with us, perfectly following everything His Father wanted Him to do.
He honored God.
What was the result of this perfect obedience? God answered Him. Jesus became the source of eternal salvation to all who believingly obey him.
I think the essence of honor is obedience.
“Because Jesus honored God, God answered him.” (Hebrews 5:8)
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Who am I? What am I living for?
Who am I?
What am I living for?
These are essential questions. Questions that we want answers for. And so we have good news. In Jesus, the Messiah, we find the answers to these questions. He makes it all clear to us. We are living for God. It is our mission to love Him like we love nothing else. Our focus is on what He wants today. He wants us to love everyone we meet or know. Friends, enemies, strangers. We are to love them all.
It’s in the Messiah that we find out who we are and what we are living for. (Ephesians 1:11 The Message)
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Who am I focused on?
Now here is some great advise from the Apostle Paul. He knew what he was talking about. This is how he lived his life in Jesus. Even when in prison for telling about the Good News of GOD, he would celebrate.
When we celebrate GOD, our focus is on Him and not us. May seem straight forward but much of conversation with God is about us, not Him. That is not the way it should be.
Celebrating God gets us focused on what He wants. That is the way it should be. I should do it all day long. From the time I wake up in bed till the time I fall asleep at night.
Celebrate God all day, every day. (Philippians 4:4 The Message)
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Am I wandering around in a fog? Is that a bad thing?
Wisdom. We all want it I think. What is the path? How do we get there?
God is GOD. He has, from before the beginning of time, had a plan in mind. He is executing against it, day by day, year by year, century by century, millennium by millennium. We seek to understand it all but some days we just can’t. It is a mystery. We are wondering around in a fog to some extent.
What we do know is that He has a plan in mind. We trust Him that it will all unfold, just as He has planed it out. His purpose will be achieved and we will see His glory. So be it!!
I want to understand God and have His wisdom. I need to seek out what is His purpose to get there.
God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. (1 Corinthians 2:6 The Message)
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What does God have in mind for us?
God is good. There is no doubt about it. The Apostle Paul starts out his message to the Colossians with a blessing. May every good thing be ours.
Is that what God has in mind for us? Yes it is. Is that our blessing to others? Yes, it should be.
May everything good from God our Father be yours! (Colossians 1:2 The Message)
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Am I anxious for the right thing?
So I have to suffer a little. It is no big deal. Some days are hard. But there is no comparison between today’s challenges and the good times that are coming. In 
fact, I should be anxious for what is coming next. I can hardly wait. I am eager for what is going to be revealed in us who are His children.
All of creation waits with eager anticipation at our revealing. It is not all clear now but it will be soon.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:18-19
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Can I rest?
REST…i haz it (Photo credit: carrierdetect)
Life is restful in Jesus!! In Him is real rest not temporary relief.
I can just take it easy when I am a partner with Him. He has won the victory. He has defeated death. He is sitting right next to His Father with everything taken care of and in order. Or I can try to work hard and do it my way.
So he beckons me with that wonderful smile on His face. He say, “Hey Mike, come over here. Sit down with me. Why don’t you quit working so hard? Why are you so worried? I will give you rest. Just sit here with me. How does that sound?”
It sounds wonderful!! Thank you so VERY much!!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
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“Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people?” ~~Oswald Chambers
Sometimes I have to be challenged. Jesus does it all the time. This quote from Oswald Chambers hit me right between the eyes. I am responsible to GOD for other people coming to His Son Jesus. There is no plan B. GOD is counting on me.
“Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people?” ~~Oswald Chambers
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“Listen now, all of you— take this to heart.” ~~Jesus
English: Sacred heart of Jesus Español: Sagrado corazon de Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus challenges us to understand that it is not what we eat that is the problem. The problem is our heart. The problem is what we think, do and say. That is the real pollution in our life. Jesus is clear that it’s what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart in GOD’s world (Kingdom).
We need to know this about our self so that we can take advantage of Jesus redeeming us from the price we have to pay for what is in our heart. Jesus gives a new heart. Now that is good news.
“Listen now, all of you— take this to heart. It’s not what you swallow that pollutes your life; it’s what you vomit—that’s the real pollution.” ~~Jesus (Mark 7:15 The Message)
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“A farmer went out to sow his seed.” ~~Jesus
Farmer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Jesus challenges us to understand GOD’s word. GOD is the farmer. It is GOD who plants the seed, His word.
This has nothing to do with us. It is all GOD’s doing. We like think we are the center of things. Even the disciples of Jesus didn’t get what Jesus was saying and they were with Him all day long for 3 years. It all starts with GOD and His word. That is the most important thing to understand. It is all about GOD and what He says / wants.
“A farmer went out to sow his seed” ~~Jesus (Luke 8:4 The Message)
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