Some time ago, I visited a friend of a church member who had cancer and wanted healing. He was all ears, lapping and soaking up everything I shared with him. Today, he worships with us in our church and is completely healed of cancer.
I remember being at another man's home at the invitation of his family members. He too was suffering from cancer. When I entered his home, the man had his television on. I started sharing Christ with him but he was not at all interested in what I was saying. He continued watching the television program. I knew then that his healing comes from hearing God's word, not by watching television, reading newspapers or listening to your favorite music.
Don't get me wrong. I am not against these things, but they are not going to heal you. When you are sick, what you want is God's healing flowing in your body. How does that happen?
One of the primary ways in which it happens is when you read your Bible, soaking up everything on Jesus. Before you know it, His divine health flows into your body, driving out every symptom of pain, sickness and disease. Even your discouragement dissolves effortlessly. You find yourself discouraged, refreshed and your darkness giving way to light. You see, there is no way you can feed on Jesus through reading and hearing His word, and still remain the same. He said, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)
My friend, God wants Jesus to be food for you. We feed on Christ by seeing Him unveiled in the Word, by seeing and meditating on what the Holy Spirit reveals of His beauty and glory, and His finished work at Calvary. That is how we enjoy Jesus. It is like having a good meal. And when you do that, Jesus Himself promises that "he who feeds on Me will live because of Me!"
Thought for the day:
There is no way you can feed on Jesus through reading and hearing His Word, and still remain the same.
-Taken from Joseph Prince's devotional
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Jesus Measures Greatness by Service
The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige and position. If you can demand service from others, you've arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept.
Yet God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.
The truth is, without a servant's heart, you are tempted to misuse your God-given SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences) for personal gain. While knowing your SHAPE is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is more important.
Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant's heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can serve. All it requires is character.
How can you know if you have the heart of a servant? Jesus said, "You can tell what they are by what they do."( Matthew 7:16 CEV)
-from Rick Warren Devotional
WOW! That is what life is all about! Leaders? IF you really want to know about leadership, this is really what it is about! SERVANT LEADERSHIP!! Serving others! I pray that as leaders, we stay humble and lead by example, let the pride, ego and attitude go! Thank you Jesus for all you do and all you are going to do! In Jesus name, AMEN!!
Yet God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you.
The truth is, without a servant's heart, you are tempted to misuse your God-given SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences) for personal gain. While knowing your SHAPE is important for serving God, having the heart of a servant is more important.
Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant's heart will reveal your maturity. No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting to pick up trash or stack chairs. Anyone can serve. All it requires is character.
How can you know if you have the heart of a servant? Jesus said, "You can tell what they are by what they do."( Matthew 7:16 CEV)
-from Rick Warren Devotional
WOW! That is what life is all about! Leaders? IF you really want to know about leadership, this is really what it is about! SERVANT LEADERSHIP!! Serving others! I pray that as leaders, we stay humble and lead by example, let the pride, ego and attitude go! Thank you Jesus for all you do and all you are going to do! In Jesus name, AMEN!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Why Do I Procrastinate?
The Bible says you procrastinate for one of five reasons.
Indecision: "A double minded man is unstable in all he does." (James 1:8 LB) Indecision causes you to postpone buying a car, choosing a college, getting married, buying new clothes, changing a job.
Perfectionism: "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done!" (Ecclesiastes 11:4 LB) If you wait for things to be perfect, you're going to wait for a long time.
Fear: "The fear of man is a trap." (Proverbs 29:25 LB) Have you been postponing going to the dentist? Or getting into marriage counseling? Ask yourself, "what am I afraid of?"
Anger: "A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive." (Proverbs 18:9 GNT) Procrastination is passive resistance. I don't want to do it because I don't like you telling me to do what I have to do. Anger causes us to put things off.
Laziness: "Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering." (Proverbs 13:4 LB) One of the most popular words in America is "easy." If it's easy, we like it. If it's hard, we don't like it.
The next time you find yourself procrastinating, stop and ask yourself why. Then ask God to help you overcome it so you can move forward and do what you need to do.
Indecision: "A double minded man is unstable in all he does." (James 1:8 LB) Indecision causes you to postpone buying a car, choosing a college, getting married, buying new clothes, changing a job.
Perfectionism: "If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done!" (Ecclesiastes 11:4 LB) If you wait for things to be perfect, you're going to wait for a long time.
Fear: "The fear of man is a trap." (Proverbs 29:25 LB) Have you been postponing going to the dentist? Or getting into marriage counseling? Ask yourself, "what am I afraid of?"
Anger: "A lazy person is as bad as someone who is destructive." (Proverbs 18:9 GNT) Procrastination is passive resistance. I don't want to do it because I don't like you telling me to do what I have to do. Anger causes us to put things off.
Laziness: "Lazy people want much but get little, while the diligent are prospering." (Proverbs 13:4 LB) One of the most popular words in America is "easy." If it's easy, we like it. If it's hard, we don't like it.
The next time you find yourself procrastinating, stop and ask yourself why. Then ask God to help you overcome it so you can move forward and do what you need to do.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Prayers have an IMPACT!
Man i needed to hear this! I hope you are as encouraged as I was! This was taken from Rick Warren's daily devotional.
-Do you ever wonder if prayer really works? You're praying about something and Satan whispers to you, "This is a waste of time. Forget it! Who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing? God is not listening. Don't waste your time."
-Prayer works because God is in control. The basis of all miracles is God's sovereignty. Why does He do one and not another? Because God is in control. We have to trust His wisdom and His goodness.
-Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes." (Living Bible Translation)
-Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you. Twenty times in the New Testament it says, "Ask." It's encouraging to know that things that are out of my control are not out of God's. I may not be able to change a situation but I can pray and God can change it.
I don't know what kinds of things that you might be going through: family issues, health issues, work issues, any kind of issue, etc. But I do know that God is healer , provider, protector, strength, guidance, wisdom and the list goes on and on! I pray that God will reveal Himself to you in a real way, a tangible way so that you can experience His love and goodness! I pray that you will invite Jesus Christ into your life, and your heart. I pray all these things in Jesus name, AMEN!
-Do you ever wonder if prayer really works? You're praying about something and Satan whispers to you, "This is a waste of time. Forget it! Who do you think you are? What do you think you're doing? God is not listening. Don't waste your time."
-Prayer works because God is in control. The basis of all miracles is God's sovereignty. Why does He do one and not another? Because God is in control. We have to trust His wisdom and His goodness.
-Ephesians 3:20 says, "God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes." (Living Bible Translation)
-Prayer can do whatever God can do. His resources are available to you. Twenty times in the New Testament it says, "Ask." It's encouraging to know that things that are out of my control are not out of God's. I may not be able to change a situation but I can pray and God can change it.
I don't know what kinds of things that you might be going through: family issues, health issues, work issues, any kind of issue, etc. But I do know that God is healer , provider, protector, strength, guidance, wisdom and the list goes on and on! I pray that God will reveal Himself to you in a real way, a tangible way so that you can experience His love and goodness! I pray that you will invite Jesus Christ into your life, and your heart. I pray all these things in Jesus name, AMEN!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Restoring Relationships: Listen First
As human beings we sometimes are stubborn and ego, pride, etc. get in the way of making things right with the person there is an issue with. I hope you just as encouraged as I was when I read this message from Rick Warren.
The third biblical step toward restoring a relationship is to sympathize with the other person's feelings.
If you're going to restore broken relations, you need to use your ears more than your mouth. Before attempting to solve any disagreement you must first listen to the other's feelings. The apostle Paul advised, "Look out for one another's interests, not just your own."(Philippians 2:4 TEV)
The phrase "look out for" is the Greek word skopos, from which we form our words telescope and microscope. It means pay close attention! Focus on their feelings, not the facts. Begin with sympathy, not solutions.
Don't try to talk people out of how they feel at first. Just listen and let them unload emotionally without being defensive. Nod that you understand even when you don't agree. Feelings are not always true or logical. In fact, resentment makes us act and think in foolish ways. King David admitted, "When my thoughts were bitter and my feelings were hurt, I was as stupid as an animal." (Psalm 73:21-22 TEV) We all act beastly when hurt.
In contrast, the Bible says, " A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11 NIV) Listening says,"I value your opinion, I care about our relationship, and you matter to me." The cliche is true: People don't care what we know until they know we care.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Call on those things that are not as though they are!!!
WHOA!!!!! Good to read before I start my day!!!! Hope you are as encouraged as I am!! This is from a devotional with Joseph Prince!
"Pastor Prince, I feel the pain in my body. How can I go around saying that Christ has redeemed me from this sickness? How can I say that by His stripes I am healed?"
Well, God's way is to call those things that are not as though they are. And because you are made in God's image, you can also call those things that are not as though they are!
When God wanted to make Abraham a father of many nations, what did He do? He changed the way Abraham talked. At that time, Abraham did not even have a single child from Sarah because she was barren. So how could he become a father of many nations?
God changed the way he talked. How? By changing his name from Abram to Abraham, which means "father of many nations." (Genesis 17:5)
Just imagine: from then on, every time he met someone, he would say, "hi, my name is Father of Many Nations." Every time dinner was ready, Sarah would call out to Abraham, "Darling Father of Many Nations dinner is ready! Father Of Many Nations" You can just hear their neighbors saying, "They want a child so much they have gone mad!" But God changed the way Abraham talked so that he called forth what God saw him already blessed with.
You know, when Jesus saw the man with a withered hand, He didn't say, "My goodness! It is so withered!" He said, "Stretch out your hand!" (Matthew 12:13) He called forth what He wanted. He looked at the paralytic and said, "Rise, take up your bed and go home!" (Matthew 9:6) He didn't see the way it was in the natural. He saw the way God meant it to be and He called it forth.
Genesis 1 tells us that in the beginning, there was darkness over the face of the whole earth. God saw the darkness and He said, "Light be!" And light was. God called forth what He wanted and it became so! If it had been me or you, we would probably have said, "Whoa! It is so dark!
My friend, despite the pain, call forth your healing. It is pointless to state the obvious. So change the way you talk. See the way God meant it to be, and start calling forth your healing and wholeness!
Thought for the day:
God's way is to call those things that are not as though they are.
"As it is written : 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not"
Romans 4:17
"Pastor Prince, I feel the pain in my body. How can I go around saying that Christ has redeemed me from this sickness? How can I say that by His stripes I am healed?"
Well, God's way is to call those things that are not as though they are. And because you are made in God's image, you can also call those things that are not as though they are!
When God wanted to make Abraham a father of many nations, what did He do? He changed the way Abraham talked. At that time, Abraham did not even have a single child from Sarah because she was barren. So how could he become a father of many nations?
God changed the way he talked. How? By changing his name from Abram to Abraham, which means "father of many nations." (Genesis 17:5)
Just imagine: from then on, every time he met someone, he would say, "hi, my name is Father of Many Nations." Every time dinner was ready, Sarah would call out to Abraham, "Darling Father of Many Nations dinner is ready! Father Of Many Nations" You can just hear their neighbors saying, "They want a child so much they have gone mad!" But God changed the way Abraham talked so that he called forth what God saw him already blessed with.
You know, when Jesus saw the man with a withered hand, He didn't say, "My goodness! It is so withered!" He said, "Stretch out your hand!" (Matthew 12:13) He called forth what He wanted. He looked at the paralytic and said, "Rise, take up your bed and go home!" (Matthew 9:6) He didn't see the way it was in the natural. He saw the way God meant it to be and He called it forth.
Genesis 1 tells us that in the beginning, there was darkness over the face of the whole earth. God saw the darkness and He said, "Light be!" And light was. God called forth what He wanted and it became so! If it had been me or you, we would probably have said, "Whoa! It is so dark!
My friend, despite the pain, call forth your healing. It is pointless to state the obvious. So change the way you talk. See the way God meant it to be, and start calling forth your healing and wholeness!
Thought for the day:
God's way is to call those things that are not as though they are.
"As it is written : 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not"
Romans 4:17
Friday, September 2, 2011
Back from a youth retreat!!
Just got back from a youth retreat with an awesome group of high school students!! I had a great time! The weather was pure hot and humid, cabins with no air, extremely scorching HOT showers, well water, and on then on the last day of the retreat there was not running water, no showers, no bathroom use and it was just simply amazing!! LOL!! It was a great time really! Got to meet a lot of cool students, and hang out with them!
Life has been so busy, I don't even know where to begin! But i am so excited about what is about to take place! Some crazy things just happened, found out my cousin got engaged, found out another cousin only has a few weeks to live, and cousin is getting married this weekend!
Just started the fall league of adult park district soccer in division 1( competitive league), we won our first game 5-1 !! We are too excited about the season!!!! We are going to surprise a lot of people!! Can't wait!
Anyhow, getting late! Work in the morn, wedding in the evening! Going to be awesome to see the WHOLE family again!
Life has been so busy, I don't even know where to begin! But i am so excited about what is about to take place! Some crazy things just happened, found out my cousin got engaged, found out another cousin only has a few weeks to live, and cousin is getting married this weekend!
Just started the fall league of adult park district soccer in division 1( competitive league), we won our first game 5-1 !! We are too excited about the season!!!! We are going to surprise a lot of people!! Can't wait!
Anyhow, getting late! Work in the morn, wedding in the evening! Going to be awesome to see the WHOLE family again!
Be Enthusiastic in Your Work
Whoa!!!! devo with Rick Warren !!!!!!
Enthusiasm is not based on how fun your job is or how much it pays; its based on why you do what you do. In fact, the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek words "en theos" which mean " in God."
If you want to be enthusiastic about your work, remember these three things:
Your work is a test from God--
"whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, but if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?" (Luke 16:10-12 NIV)
God is watching what you do, even when no one else is--
"work hard so God can say to you, 'well done.' Be a good workman, one who does not need to be ashamed when God examines your work." (2Timothy 2:15 LB)
Your attitude determines your joy--
"the diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work." (Proverbs 12:24 MSG)
You can't succeed in life until you change your attitude about the work you are doing right now. Romans 12:11 says, "never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically." (NLT)
Bible verses:
ecclesiastes 9:10
luke 16:10-12
2timothy 2:15
proverbs 12:24
romans 12:11
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