Rest In The Lord

Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass."
Negative thoughts block your creativity and problem solving abilities, as does worrying about what others do and say. Make up your mind to embrace personal changes as an opportunity to be different and rise above the commotion of life. There is always a benefit and opportunity when you replace anticipation with expectancy  You will notice a more powerful attitude of faith growing within you each passing day. So, choose your thoughts and attitudes about each change you encounter and that you make. Recognize how your positive thoughts build bridges to possibilities and opportunities in your present and future. Let your mind and spirit rest in the hope of the Lord. and quit fretting over what people do or say. It's that relaxation that allows you to deal well with any positive changes in your lifestyle and mindset. Create smart goals so you can consciously guide the changes you anticipate making. Realistic goal setting helps you decide how to make the changes happen that you need. It also helps you experience your successes through the grace and glory of God in spite of what people say and do. Your goal is to please God, rest in Him, and not let others persuade you that you can't change. Just wait patiently on Him and see Him do in you what nobody else can do.

Dine at the Master's Table

Why do you accept seconds rather than do what is  needed to keep your faith fresh and really trust God in all things.? It appears that many in the church would rather ride a dead horse into the ground before accepting the necessary changes that would make their faith relevant to the problems they face today. You have to refuse to be afraid of change or think that change is always bad. God is real and so is life and change is going to come whether you like it or not. It's what you do with it that makes the difference.You've heard many talk about old time faith, but faith is never old time. It always on time faith that you read about in Hebrews 11. It's not about just getting by, but it's about persevering even in the worst possible conditions. Nobody in that chapter settled for seconds and neither should you. If God said it, then believe it, accept it, and receive it. Let your faith be fresh and full and dine at the Master's table!

You are important to God and you are needed to do His work.  It’s too late to sit around and wait for somebody else to do something someday.  Your someday is now and the somebody the world needs is you equipped with the gifts God has place within you. 

Don't waste another day-rejoice is His salvation, speak His Word, and see His glory manifested in the lives of those who so desperately nee Him. Who knows, the next Billy Graham may be among those that you reach today.

Reflect

At Christmas, we all reflect upon how we grew this past year through our relationships, that serve as building blocks for the coming year. As we remember the good and bad we have faced during the year, Jesus finds a way to remind us how we made it through the difficulties and challenges. The removal of old dusty attitudes and ideas offer us the opportunity to sweep away what no longer mattes and clears the path for new information and enlightenment. In the center of the clearing, lies the opportunity for a rebirth of Spirit, moving us ever forward toward an abundant future. The Christmas season is a reminder that something new was on the horizon. Let His glory renew your path and make your future bright.

The Carpenter

Jesus is often identified as a carpenter because of his earthy heritage. I'm sure he learned this earthly trade from His earthly father, but His spiritual building is the greatest you will ever know. Whatever repair is in order, you can open His Word and find precisely what you need to hear. His shop never closes, there's no charge for His services, and He does incredible work that lasts for eternity. So, let the Christmas carpenter have full control of your life and give Him all the broken pieces. He wants to fix whatever's wrong, assemble all the parts, put them back in working order, and place you on display before the world as a heavenly-crafted person. If you've been repaired and renewed by this Christmas carpenter from Nazareth testify of His goodness today. Let the work of the Christmas craftsman fill you with hope in this wonderful season.

A Dead Horse

Most people will accept seconds rather than make the changes needed to keep them fresh and trusting God. To quote an old saying, "They will ride a dead horse into the ground" before accepting the necessary changes that could make them relevant. I refuse to be afraid of change or think that change is always bad. God is real and so is life and change is going to come whether we like it or not. It's what we do with it that makes the difference.

Can your church once once again impact and influence your community?  The answer is yes, but the window of opportunity is closing quickly.  The work ahead will take a radical commitment to change your direction and fulfill the Godly expectations that you read from His Word.



Acts 2:42 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."


The word "devoted" originates from two Greek words (pros) and (kartereo) which means to be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, to attend assiduously all the exercises, to adhere closely to, to attend continually, to wait on.


The early church, did not meet and vote to get a consensus about the direction they were going to take in the building of God's church on this earth. They simply acted out of spiritual conviction that this is what God was directing in their lives. They had the example of their spiritual leaders such as Peter on the day of Pentecost. 


Jesus prepared the 12 disciples to turn the world upside down with only the Gospel. He didn't have them focus on the politics of the day.
 He didn't have them attempt to compromise with the religious structure of the day. He didn't tell them to develop a focus on programs. He simply poured His life into these men and gave them His life and His message so they could infiltrate their culture with a passionate desire to serve God and to build others to serve God. It was done by conviction and not by majority vote. They were not only willing to give their lives, but to die in the process. 

It was an improbable strategy, but it worked and you have this historical perspective as an encouragement that if God has done it once through a surrendered life then He can do it again. He can use you and your church to be a blessing once again to those who need Him the most!