A Spirit led life demands flexibility not formulas. By flexibility, I mean learning to be led by God and not trying to lead him using some thought process like, "if I do this, then God will do that." Or probably more like, "if I do this, God owes me that." Or even worse, "God owes me this."
A couple of days ago, woman exhorted me something to "tell God what you want so that he can give it to you, know you, his will."
I'm serious. Really, I am.
Any yet even though it sounds silly to my ears, my heart also echos silliness like:
"How do I let God lead me to what I want?"
"How to I find peace in his plan when I don't want to see my plan executed right now"
"How do I desire his will over my own seeing that I certainly know what I want."
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
'march into hell for a heavenly cause'
I just started reading Sen. Jim DeMint's new book Saving Freedom. In the acknowledgments, Sen. DeMint thanks his "dedicated staff that God gave me in Congressional and Senate offices. Their youthful energy and optimism inspired me to keep fighting even when I knew I was beaten. Their commitment to American and belief in freedom gave me the courage to 'march into hell for a heaven cause.'" (emphasis mine.)
Well said--our fight is for a heaven cause, our sight is set on things unseen, our journey is hard, but the reward is great.
In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. - James Madison, The Federalist 51
Well said--our fight is for a heaven cause, our sight is set on things unseen, our journey is hard, but the reward is great.
In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. - James Madison, The Federalist 51
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Today We Express Our Tomorrows
Last Sunday morning, Alan Scotland, a father figure in our church body, tenderly prodded our congregation to be a people motivated by not by the concerns of this world, but be a people in tune with reality. We must be the person we want to be tomorrow today.
His text for the sermon was 1 Kings 18:46 - 1 Kings 19.
After Elijah's trust in a living God made mockery of the pagan priests worship of an unresponsive god (Baal) in Kings 18, Elijah falls asleep in the wilderness discouraged by Jezebel's death threat (1 Kings 19:2). The study notes in my Bible comment: "Although the Lord had defeated Baal, Elijah has become a fugitive from Ahab and Jezebel (rulers in Israel). Because of the incongruity between the visible (the promoters of Baal who still govern Israel) and the invisible (the lordship of Yahweh), Elijah wants to die."
1 Kings 19:6-8 recounts how God renewed Elijah's hope and restored his prophetic soul.
God's plan for you is the same: to renew your hope in a God and to restore your prophetic soul.
Alan defined "prophetic expression"as the heart of where God is. Our "soul" is the actual personality of our spirit (our motivations). The call on a Christian's life is to reflect Him in the deepest ways possible.
We do not know the half of the plans that God has for us.
It is difficult to get to a place where God can speak to us.
Do you feel his hand on you?
Sure, you may not feel worthy. And well, you aren't. But it's not down to you. It's not about your worthiness. When the Lord's hand is upon you, you can be who God wants you to be. He'll give you the determination.
The enemy sometimes doesn't need the devil but one word from someone at the right time to lock you up for the rest of your life.
We need to learn to recognize God's intent to use you and work in you.
Elijah cried out to God in suicidal despair: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4). God then fed Elijah and sustained on his journey.
What God is doing in this world is wonderful. He does not leave us to without food or direction.
Half the problem is that we are running on empty. We aren't talking to God. We aren't reading his word. We aren't serving one another.
Alan asked the following questions, much like God asked Elijah in 1 King 19:9 --
What are you doing here?
Where are you going in the place your in?
Why are you are where you are?
Is your prophetic soul alive and well?
The call on our lives is to reflect Him. How well are you reflecting who he is? You can't reflect what you don't know. How well do you know Him?
Enough is enough.
Today we express our tomorrows.
Rise to the voice of the Lord today.
Amen!
(To listen to Alan's message in it's entirety go to Risen Lord Community Church sermon downloads.)
His text for the sermon was 1 Kings 18:46 - 1 Kings 19.
After Elijah's trust in a living God made mockery of the pagan priests worship of an unresponsive god (Baal) in Kings 18, Elijah falls asleep in the wilderness discouraged by Jezebel's death threat (1 Kings 19:2). The study notes in my Bible comment: "Although the Lord had defeated Baal, Elijah has become a fugitive from Ahab and Jezebel (rulers in Israel). Because of the incongruity between the visible (the promoters of Baal who still govern Israel) and the invisible (the lordship of Yahweh), Elijah wants to die."
1 Kings 19:6-8 recounts how God renewed Elijah's hope and restored his prophetic soul.
God's plan for you is the same: to renew your hope in a God and to restore your prophetic soul.
Alan defined "prophetic expression"as the heart of where God is. Our "soul" is the actual personality of our spirit (our motivations). The call on a Christian's life is to reflect Him in the deepest ways possible.
We do not know the half of the plans that God has for us.
It is difficult to get to a place where God can speak to us.
Do you feel his hand on you?
Sure, you may not feel worthy. And well, you aren't. But it's not down to you. It's not about your worthiness. When the Lord's hand is upon you, you can be who God wants you to be. He'll give you the determination.
The enemy sometimes doesn't need the devil but one word from someone at the right time to lock you up for the rest of your life.
We need to learn to recognize God's intent to use you and work in you.
Elijah cried out to God in suicidal despair: "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers" (1 Kings 19:4). God then fed Elijah and sustained on his journey.
What God is doing in this world is wonderful. He does not leave us to without food or direction.
Half the problem is that we are running on empty. We aren't talking to God. We aren't reading his word. We aren't serving one another.
Alan asked the following questions, much like God asked Elijah in 1 King 19:9 --
What are you doing here?
Where are you going in the place your in?
Why are you are where you are?
Is your prophetic soul alive and well?
The call on our lives is to reflect Him. How well are you reflecting who he is? You can't reflect what you don't know. How well do you know Him?
Enough is enough.
Today we express our tomorrows.
Rise to the voice of the Lord today.
Amen!
(To listen to Alan's message in it's entirety go to Risen Lord Community Church sermon downloads.)
Monday, March 02, 2009
Hope: 1.5 Millon Homeschoolers
1.5 million students are being homeschooled in the U.S. this year.
Data from the March 2009 Townhall magazine, pg. 19.
Data from the March 2009 Townhall magazine, pg. 19.
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