As we wrap up 2011 and embark on 2012, we typically pause and evaluate our production. What has gone well and/or what needs improvement? There is plenty to consider when we evaluate the varied lives we live. It is easy to look at the externals in our lives and decide what we want to change, where we want to go, how we think our lives should look this next year naturally focusing on external production. It is another matter to consider changing our internal focus, to focus on our being rather than our doing. Could we consider living our lives bearing the fruit rather than producing the spiritual fruit? Would we benefit if we focused on abiding in Christ rather than producing for Christ?
On this earth the focus is on production, output, externals and performance. As believers in Jesus Christ we do want to produce, we do desire fruitful lives. And yes,we are designed to bear fruit. The temptation is to take on this world's methods of production; oh yes, we are trained to produce! God's fruit is difficult to define and for good reason. We are not to try and produce His fruit, we are simply to bear spiritual fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.(Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit is simply an outward expression of the nature we received when we received the nature/spirit of Christ.
Christ lives in His children, our purpose is to allow Christ to live through us. We are simply branches(John 15:1-5), fruit-hangers. The branches do not determine what fruit they bear, they are not the producers of fruit. Branches do not determine when the fruit is produced, the seasons of fruit production. Branches do not decide who picks the fruit, how it's used, why it is produced or even who is impacted by the fruit. Thus branches are not burnt out, not working hard, they are not even concentrating on themselves or the fruit. Branches Simply Abide in the Vine.
To Abide; to sink into, to depend on,to dwell with, to remain in Christ. The idea is to be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, to surrender to Christ. Abiding is active, not passive. We must to choose to exchange our life, our agenda, for His. God can and will do things we cannot even imagine! What an adventure life can be, walking with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords on this earth.
How about evaluating if we can simply abide in Christ for the next 15 minutes?
May it lead to 15 more and 15 more..........
May you abide in Christ this day and begin a fruit-filled 2012.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
God is not disappointed in you
Have you ever disappointed anyone? I mean really let them down, maybe it was your parents, kids, friends, spouse, boss, employees or your pastor. They were expecting you to come through and you failed, you fell short of their expectations. You were a disappointment.
We have all been in those situations, often what really hurts is the disappointment we feel toward ourselves. We know we let someone down; we can feel embarrassed, worthless, like a loser, shamed. We can wallow in our shame for years, feeling judged by every observation anyone makes about us or our lives. It is easy to take these same beliefs into our relationship with God. We sin, we fail, thus we believe God is disappointed in us. We know we have let Him down. At these times, we become convinced whatever happens, God must be punishing me. He must be judging me, paying me back for my failures.
Today I bring you good news of great joy, God is not disappointed in you!!
To be disappointed by definition means to be sad or displeased because someone or something failed to fulfill one's expectations.
But God knows!!! He is infinite, all-knowing, the Great I AM! God is not bound by time, He is eternal, no beginning, no end, He is I AM.
For God to be disappointed you would have to fail to meet His expectations, but God knows, He expects you to be here now. Take your situation and turn to Almighty God. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway!
Discipline not Disappointment
We have all been in those situations, often what really hurts is the disappointment we feel toward ourselves. We know we let someone down; we can feel embarrassed, worthless, like a loser, shamed. We can wallow in our shame for years, feeling judged by every observation anyone makes about us or our lives. It is easy to take these same beliefs into our relationship with God. We sin, we fail, thus we believe God is disappointed in us. We know we have let Him down. At these times, we become convinced whatever happens, God must be punishing me. He must be judging me, paying me back for my failures.
Today I bring you good news of great joy, God is not disappointed in you!!
To be disappointed by definition means to be sad or displeased because someone or something failed to fulfill one's expectations.
But God knows!!! He is infinite, all-knowing, the Great I AM! God is not bound by time, He is eternal, no beginning, no end, He is I AM.
For God to be disappointed you would have to fail to meet His expectations, but God knows, He expects you to be here now. Take your situation and turn to Almighty God. He knows everything about you and loves you anyway!
Discipline not Disappointment
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Changing Seasons
The seasons are changing, summer has given way to fall. The once green, healthy leaves on the trees now are a brownish yellow and they cover the yard(I probably should be raking). The trees stand uncovered ready for the cold blasts of winter that are certainly on the way. Baseball has given way to football, for Viking's fans we endure and begin to already look to next year.
I believe there is a spiritual picture in the changing seasons that is so obvious we often miss it, God works in our lives in seasons. Every season is important and necessary for to us to bear spiritual fruit.
We have seasons of rest, re-staging in our lives, maybe some pruning, like winter. Our role in the winter is to abide.
We have seasons of new spiritual growth, vibrant life appears, like in the spring, our role is to abide.
We have seasons of spiritual maturity, they often involve discipline, pain and heat like the summer. We trust, our role is to abide.
We have seasons of bearing fruit, we experience the harvest, fall...our role is to abide.
As the seasons change around us, we for some reason do not expect our spiritual seasons to change. We expect a continual harvest,it ends. In the midst of pruning and discipline we think it will never end, yet the seasons change. Each season in our lives is designed by our loving God to bring us to maturity in Christ, our role is to abide. To abide; to dwell, to tarry, to live, to rest, to be at home in Christ. Our role is to surrender, to walk in the Spirit....simply to abide.
Whatever season you are in today, decide to look to God and rest in His grace, trust Him, His plan is for our good and His glory.
For all the Vikings fans we can celebrate yesterday's victory and look forward to this week's game(wait a bye week)...next week's game, enjoying the football season as it unfolds with the ups, downs, highs and lows...rather than looking to next year,we can just enjoy the moments of this season.
I believe there is a spiritual picture in the changing seasons that is so obvious we often miss it, God works in our lives in seasons. Every season is important and necessary for to us to bear spiritual fruit.
We have seasons of rest, re-staging in our lives, maybe some pruning, like winter. Our role in the winter is to abide.
We have seasons of new spiritual growth, vibrant life appears, like in the spring, our role is to abide.
We have seasons of spiritual maturity, they often involve discipline, pain and heat like the summer. We trust, our role is to abide.
We have seasons of bearing fruit, we experience the harvest, fall...our role is to abide.
As the seasons change around us, we for some reason do not expect our spiritual seasons to change. We expect a continual harvest,it ends. In the midst of pruning and discipline we think it will never end, yet the seasons change. Each season in our lives is designed by our loving God to bring us to maturity in Christ, our role is to abide. To abide; to dwell, to tarry, to live, to rest, to be at home in Christ. Our role is to surrender, to walk in the Spirit....simply to abide.
Whatever season you are in today, decide to look to God and rest in His grace, trust Him, His plan is for our good and His glory.
For all the Vikings fans we can celebrate yesterday's victory and look forward to this week's game(wait a bye week)...next week's game, enjoying the football season as it unfolds with the ups, downs, highs and lows...rather than looking to next year,we can just enjoy the moments of this season.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Strive to take God's Grace too far...
I believe we are naturally afraid of grace, we are taught there is no free lunch or there is nothing of value that is not earned. Maybe we might be believing.... "If we let this grace thing get out of hand, what will people do?" "Will everyone just go crazy in sin?" " Who will serve God if they don't feel forced to serve?" " Will God's law be trampled?"
Consider John 1:14-18, Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.
We as believers can accept that God is Truth; Jesus is God; He is the Word; He is the ultimate Truth. We can accept that Christ is the One who perfectly kept all of God's law. So what are we to think about all this "full of grace" stuff?
Jesus Christ is completely full of God's Grace. Consider taking God's Grace too far, imagine if you take God's Grace so far, I mean so far that you are full of it (you can't go any farther than full, right?) Where does this complete and total grace lead? Of course,the only place it can lead is to Jesus Christ. If we are filled with God's Grace, we keep God's Laws, because Christ fulfills the law through us. If we surrender to Christ and allow His Life to live through us, how will He live? Amazing...His amazing Grace!!
More:
Strive to take God's Grace too far
Consider John 1:14-18, Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth.
We as believers can accept that God is Truth; Jesus is God; He is the Word; He is the ultimate Truth. We can accept that Christ is the One who perfectly kept all of God's law. So what are we to think about all this "full of grace" stuff?
Jesus Christ is completely full of God's Grace. Consider taking God's Grace too far, imagine if you take God's Grace so far, I mean so far that you are full of it (you can't go any farther than full, right?) Where does this complete and total grace lead? Of course,the only place it can lead is to Jesus Christ. If we are filled with God's Grace, we keep God's Laws, because Christ fulfills the law through us. If we surrender to Christ and allow His Life to live through us, how will He live? Amazing...His amazing Grace!!
More:
Strive to take God's Grace too far
Monday, September 12, 2011
Greater Works
I am convinced that we have a more vivid and real faith in the past work of Christ than in His present work in our lives. We believe the Word, the parting of the Red Sea, the pillar of fire that led God's people toward the promised land. We believe God sent the fire to burn up Elijah's sacrifice on Mt. Carmel, we believe that Jesus caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, even that He raised Lazarus from the dead.
In John 14:12 Jesus said " Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."
Have you witnessed these greater works? Consider, Lazarus died again! Consider as believers in Jesus Christ we go from death to life, separate from God, spiritually dead to alive! Not only a temporary life, but eternal life! Think about all the believers you know, the work that God did in them is greater than physically raising Lazarus from the dead. God has allowed us to experience great miracles. We are living in amazing times, pause today and be thankful. Jesus is in the Father, we are in Him and He is in us, John 14:20. Praise!!!
In John 14:12 Jesus said " Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."
Have you witnessed these greater works? Consider, Lazarus died again! Consider as believers in Jesus Christ we go from death to life, separate from God, spiritually dead to alive! Not only a temporary life, but eternal life! Think about all the believers you know, the work that God did in them is greater than physically raising Lazarus from the dead. God has allowed us to experience great miracles. We are living in amazing times, pause today and be thankful. Jesus is in the Father, we are in Him and He is in us, John 14:20. Praise!!!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Worry or Pray #3
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We are commanded to be anxious for nothing and to pray about everything. So what do we get? PEACE.
Now we can admit what we usually want are answers, we want results, we want solutions to our problems. We think we need answers, results, solutions, yet we have a Heavenly Father who knows what we really need and what we need is Peace! That's right, what we really need as we face anxiety, problems, changes, challenges and circumstances beyond our control, we need peace.
We need that peace that passes understanding, peace that permeates deep into our souls. His peace lets us know that God is God, that He is in control,that He loves us and that all will be well. This peace let's know that God is at work that His plan is in place and even when we don't understand, we can trust. This moment on this day, as you face life, be not anxious. Pray and may you be overwhelmed by the peace of God!
We are commanded to be anxious for nothing and to pray about everything. So what do we get? PEACE.
Now we can admit what we usually want are answers, we want results, we want solutions to our problems. We think we need answers, results, solutions, yet we have a Heavenly Father who knows what we really need and what we need is Peace! That's right, what we really need as we face anxiety, problems, changes, challenges and circumstances beyond our control, we need peace.
We need that peace that passes understanding, peace that permeates deep into our souls. His peace lets us know that God is God, that He is in control,that He loves us and that all will be well. This peace let's know that God is at work that His plan is in place and even when we don't understand, we can trust. This moment on this day, as you face life, be not anxious. Pray and may you be overwhelmed by the peace of God!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Worry or Pray? #2
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
We are commanded to be anxious for nothing, instead we are to pray.
The question becomes,what are we to pray about? EVERYTHING. Does everything include my family, my finances, my career, my house, my sports, my small decisions, big decisions, my friends,
my enemies, my schedule, my country, my leaders, my kid's games, my pets (for you Marsh), yes, everything includes everything.
Are you tired of being anxious about the past, about the future, about other people, about your health, about death, about your circumstances, about your sin? Let's put all these things on the everything list to pray about and give them to Father God! Thank Him for being God and allowing us to step off of His throne.
How about just for today, everything becomes everything as we go to God in prayer.
I am excited to see what He does! Praise God!
We are commanded to be anxious for nothing, instead we are to pray.
The question becomes,what are we to pray about? EVERYTHING. Does everything include my family, my finances, my career, my house, my sports, my small decisions, big decisions, my friends,
my enemies, my schedule, my country, my leaders, my kid's games, my pets (for you Marsh), yes, everything includes everything.
Are you tired of being anxious about the past, about the future, about other people, about your health, about death, about your circumstances, about your sin? Let's put all these things on the everything list to pray about and give them to Father God! Thank Him for being God and allowing us to step off of His throne.
How about just for today, everything becomes everything as we go to God in prayer.
I am excited to see what He does! Praise God!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Worry or Pray
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It is time for me to remind myself of Truth! You are welcome to read along if you like.
I have the choice to worry or to pray, I can have stress or peace, I can trust myself or God.
The choices seem obvious, so why do I worry? Why the stress? Why not trust God? You may be different, but I often forget obvious Truth, I need to be reminded. This is not a suggestion but a command, Be anxious for Nothing!
So what should I be anxious about right now? Should my list include my finances, my past, my future, my job, my family, my health, my relationships, my schedule? Should my list include all of your problems as well? How about the problems of government, the world, the church, the future of the planet? You would think with a list that long I must be God, herein lies the problem, I have forgotten I am not God! Obvious Truth!
Just for the next few moments I am going to move these things on my list over to His and I will leave NOTHING on my list! I trust my list of problems isn't too big for God to handle, I'll leave them all to Him. I challenge you to add to His list today.
Thank you Father God for Peace!
It is time for me to remind myself of Truth! You are welcome to read along if you like.
I have the choice to worry or to pray, I can have stress or peace, I can trust myself or God.
The choices seem obvious, so why do I worry? Why the stress? Why not trust God? You may be different, but I often forget obvious Truth, I need to be reminded. This is not a suggestion but a command, Be anxious for Nothing!
So what should I be anxious about right now? Should my list include my finances, my past, my future, my job, my family, my health, my relationships, my schedule? Should my list include all of your problems as well? How about the problems of government, the world, the church, the future of the planet? You would think with a list that long I must be God, herein lies the problem, I have forgotten I am not God! Obvious Truth!
Just for the next few moments I am going to move these things on my list over to His and I will leave NOTHING on my list! I trust my list of problems isn't too big for God to handle, I'll leave them all to Him. I challenge you to add to His list today.
Thank you Father God for Peace!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
What do you want to ask God?
If you could ask God any question and you knew He would answer, what would you ask?
As I ask people what they would ask God, the questions for God are really amazing, they often don't seem to have an answer.
The nice thing about asking the question is, I don't have to have the answers, I am not God. I just know there is a God.( For some of you the question may be how do I know there is a God?)
Through the process, I have discovered most of the answers can be found as we consider the attributes of God spelled out in the Word. As we consider that God is infinite, good, just, merciful, gracious, holy, perfect to name a few of His attributes, we discover the answers to many of our questions.
What is your question for God? I challenge you to open the Bible, find what the Word reveals about God and most likely you will have your answer. If not, let me know, I love the process of getting to know God through the questions we have about Him.
As I ask people what they would ask God, the questions for God are really amazing, they often don't seem to have an answer.
The nice thing about asking the question is, I don't have to have the answers, I am not God. I just know there is a God.( For some of you the question may be how do I know there is a God?)
Through the process, I have discovered most of the answers can be found as we consider the attributes of God spelled out in the Word. As we consider that God is infinite, good, just, merciful, gracious, holy, perfect to name a few of His attributes, we discover the answers to many of our questions.
What is your question for God? I challenge you to open the Bible, find what the Word reveals about God and most likely you will have your answer. If not, let me know, I love the process of getting to know God through the questions we have about Him.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Lord is Great
As I consider God, I mean the one true God of the universe, the Creator of this whole thing, the One who keeps the whole thing together, the One with the ultimate plan...yeah, that GOD. I often find myself trying to bring Him down to my level, trying to shape a god the way I think he should look, do the things I think he should do...make the story come out the way I think it should go.
We are pretty good at trying to shape a god for ourselves, of course we'll add some of His attributes, we'll take the love and the grace, but we'd often like to get rid of the justice, the holiness, the perfection and make Him more like us. Apart from Him we have none of His attributes, we think we know how things should unfold and when they don't, we are rocked.
When you stop and ponder the attributes of the God in charge, the One with the plan, when you stop and consider Him for a moment, you will praise God that neither you or I are running the universe.
God is in completely in charge, His ways are higher than our ways, He is above us in every-way and yet he stoops so we can get a glimpse of Him.
Psalm 135:5-6 For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in the earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
Stop for a moment today and consider Him, high and lifted up, in His glory, you may never be the same.
We are pretty good at trying to shape a god for ourselves, of course we'll add some of His attributes, we'll take the love and the grace, but we'd often like to get rid of the justice, the holiness, the perfection and make Him more like us. Apart from Him we have none of His attributes, we think we know how things should unfold and when they don't, we are rocked.
When you stop and ponder the attributes of the God in charge, the One with the plan, when you stop and consider Him for a moment, you will praise God that neither you or I are running the universe.
God is in completely in charge, His ways are higher than our ways, He is above us in every-way and yet he stoops so we can get a glimpse of Him.
Psalm 135:5-6 For I know that the Lord is great, And that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in the earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
Stop for a moment today and consider Him, high and lifted up, in His glory, you may never be the same.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Surrender
We are taught by our world to never surrender, never give up, never quit! We learn these lessons well, we fight on in most areas of life, we don't want to surrender a tennis match or the remote control for the TV, much less surrender our precious time, our precious money, our precious reputations. We are trained to always be in control, to have a back-up plan, be prepared for anything, to hold tightly to everything.
Then comes the Christian life, this life is all about surrender, we are to surrender everything to God. We overlook the fact that it is His time, His money, His reputation, He lives in us. We are not asked to surrender to some wicked king, to someone who wishes to destroy us, but to the God of the universe. The one who loves us and surrendered His Son to the cross to pay the price for our sin. He knows the price He paid, we can never understand.. we are asked to surrender the stuff we are clinging to so He can give us what really blesses us. Only He knows what is truly best, trust Him.
How about just for a few hours today, try surrendering your time, your stuff, your plans to the King. You never know what He will do.
Then comes the Christian life, this life is all about surrender, we are to surrender everything to God. We overlook the fact that it is His time, His money, His reputation, He lives in us. We are not asked to surrender to some wicked king, to someone who wishes to destroy us, but to the God of the universe. The one who loves us and surrendered His Son to the cross to pay the price for our sin. He knows the price He paid, we can never understand.. we are asked to surrender the stuff we are clinging to so He can give us what really blesses us. Only He knows what is truly best, trust Him.
How about just for a few hours today, try surrendering your time, your stuff, your plans to the King. You never know what He will do.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Facing Fear
It seems when God leads us in a direction the first emotion we often face is fear.
Even as I consider writing in a blog, there is a battle with fear. There is a fear of writing something stupid,
there is a fear of embarrassment for myself, my family, my friends, our church. There is fear that I have nothing worthwhile to share, that nobody cares what I think or write, why waste the time? There is a fear of criticism, especially criticism that will be deserved. With all these fears in mind, I decided to write,
1 John 4:18-19 "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not experienced His perfect love. We love each other because He loved us first."
There is nothing to fear because I am in Christ, Loved by God! Punishment looks back, but as I look back, I am reminded that Jesus Christ took the punishment on the cross for ALL my sins....
So I write, for His Glory, I have nothing really to fear because He first loved. As God leads you to take a step for His Glory today, Just DO IT, when faced with fear, DO IT anyway...You are Loved!
Even as I consider writing in a blog, there is a battle with fear. There is a fear of writing something stupid,
there is a fear of embarrassment for myself, my family, my friends, our church. There is fear that I have nothing worthwhile to share, that nobody cares what I think or write, why waste the time? There is a fear of criticism, especially criticism that will be deserved. With all these fears in mind, I decided to write,
1 John 4:18-19 "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not experienced His perfect love. We love each other because He loved us first."
There is nothing to fear because I am in Christ, Loved by God! Punishment looks back, but as I look back, I am reminded that Jesus Christ took the punishment on the cross for ALL my sins....
So I write, for His Glory, I have nothing really to fear because He first loved. As God leads you to take a step for His Glory today, Just DO IT, when faced with fear, DO IT anyway...You are Loved!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Giving Up Control
As I begin the day in quiet, I begin one of the most difficult tasks that I face each day...giving up control, stepping off of God's throne, allowing Him to be in charge. It's quite funny to really believe I am in control, it only takes a moment, a sudden turn of events, something unexpected, a situation which I cannot impact and the reality hits home. I am not in control! Why is this obvious fact so difficult for me to grasp?
Thankfully for me and all of you, I am not in charge, instead the Good One, the Perfect One, the Loving One, the God of Grace is working all things together for good.
As I move through life on earth, I begin the days with a simple prayer;
Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior. I am Your child, liberated and depending on Your power.
Therefore Christ, this is Your day to be lived for Your glory, work through my eyes, my mouth, my thoughts, my actions to carry out Your Victory.
Although I do not know the author of the prayer, the Author of Life, I know! Praise Him!
Thankfully for me and all of you, I am not in charge, instead the Good One, the Perfect One, the Loving One, the God of Grace is working all things together for good.
As I move through life on earth, I begin the days with a simple prayer;
Jesus, You are my Lord and Savior. I am Your child, liberated and depending on Your power.
Therefore Christ, this is Your day to be lived for Your glory, work through my eyes, my mouth, my thoughts, my actions to carry out Your Victory.
Although I do not know the author of the prayer, the Author of Life, I know! Praise Him!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
How God Speaks
God speaks to us in many different ways, He speaks through His Word, through His people, through circumstances, through His creation, the list goes on...He Speaks to each of us individually. When the Word of God is preached, His Word accomplishes what He desires.
"How to have the perfect marriage" was the title of the sermon from Matthew 22, some were struck by our marriage as the bride of Christ, for others it was about sex, for others it was about Alzheimer's disease, for others it was about God's love in our marriages, for some the greatness of God, the great I AM was the key, and for others the message was about heaven. For some the message really did not mean anything to them at this time in their lives.
The significant impact on our lives comes when God speaks to us individually. It is all about God and what He through His Spirit speaks to His children...Thank You Father for your Word, Speak Lord, your servants are listening.
How to have the Perfect Marriage
"How to have the perfect marriage" was the title of the sermon from Matthew 22, some were struck by our marriage as the bride of Christ, for others it was about sex, for others it was about Alzheimer's disease, for others it was about God's love in our marriages, for some the greatness of God, the great I AM was the key, and for others the message was about heaven. For some the message really did not mean anything to them at this time in their lives.
The significant impact on our lives comes when God speaks to us individually. It is all about God and what He through His Spirit speaks to His children...Thank You Father for your Word, Speak Lord, your servants are listening.
How to have the Perfect Marriage
Monday, May 16, 2011
How are we to live the Christian Life?
Often I am asked "How do you live the Christian life?" the answer is found in the title of this little blog, by Abiding in Grace. To begin we must understand that it is impossible to live the Christian life, not difficult, impossible...how's that for encouraging? You see to live the Christian life you must live perfectly, every action, every thought, every moment. Give Up? Surrender? That's the idea...we cannot do it, we cannot perform perfectly. Thankfully Christianity is not centered on performance but on a person, Jesus Christ! The Christian life is not about Christ, not about trying to mimic His lifestyle, not about trying to perform like He would perform...You see the Christian life is really not about Christ, IT IS CHRIST! He is alive and we are to surrender to Him and abide(dwell, tarry, depend) on Him to live through us. Give Him a chance today, ask Christ to live through you...even if it is only until lunchtime.
Colossians 3:3-4, Galatians 2:20
Colossians 3:3-4, Galatians 2:20
Saturday, May 14, 2011
It's About Father
Last week on Mother's day, my friend Bill spoke to the moms to remind them that this day was not really all about them but about their mothers. Take the focus off self and place the focus on your mother.
Today let's think about this as Father's day, take the focus off of ourselves and place the focus, not on our earthly dads, but on our Heavenly Father, the God of the universe.
How about just for today...think about your Heavenly Father, let Him be the focus!
Abide in Grace
Today let's think about this as Father's day, take the focus off of ourselves and place the focus, not on our earthly dads, but on our Heavenly Father, the God of the universe.
How about just for today...think about your Heavenly Father, let Him be the focus!
Abide in Grace
Friday, May 13, 2011
We All Need God
It may seem odd to start a blog called "Abiding in Grace" with a message called "Why I Hate Religion", yet when we go beyond the surface we need the security, acceptance, significance and love which religion cannot provide. We must move beyond the world's system, the religious systems to the Redeemer.
Only in Christ can we abide in grace.
Why I Hate Religion
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)