Be men of courage, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Never pray for an easier life - pray to be a stronger person! Never pray for tasks equal to your power - pray for power equal to your tasks. Then doing your work will be no miracle - you will be the miracle!
We must remember that Christ will not lead us to greatness through an easy or self-indulgent life. An easy life does not lift us up but only takes us down. Heaven is always above us, and we must continually be looking toward it.
Some people always avoid things that are costly, or things that require self-denial, self-restraint, and self-sacrifice. Yet, it is hard work and difficulties that ultimately lead us to greatness, for greatness is not found by walking the moss-covered path laid out for us through the meadow. It is found by being sent to carve out our own path with our own hands.
Are you willing to sacrifice to reach the glorious mountain peaks of God's purpose for you?
Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it.
It is God's gift.
Be strong!
Say not the days are evil-Who's to blame?
Or fold your hands, as in defeat-O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely,
In God's name.
Be strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long,
Faint not, fight on!
Tomorrow comes the song!
"Streams In The Desert" L. B. Cowman
Love to you all...
Mitch
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Key, if not THE Key
The rich words of 1 Peter are so helpful in understanding how to respond to suffering and difficulties we face. The book of James speaks to this same area of importance. As I've studied both, I somehow think that they chatted with each other before they wrote their epistles. They share so many similarities and support each other, so congruent in their advice to us.
Focusing on Chapter 5, verses 5-11 has increasingly enlightened me as I've meditated here. I call these times I've enjoyed "selah moments". In essence, he says:
Humility is the key to finding grace!
Grace released is God's commodities poured out to exalt you at just the right moment...He becomes "your glory and the lifter of your head."
Anxiety is certain in all types of difficulty and suffering, and He invites us to cast all of that on Him because, inspite of the amazing multi-tasking God performs in the managing of a vast universe, He is very personal, zealous and attentive in His care for you and me. He feels our pain!
Stay Centered and Endure - Cast all cares on Him...be sober and alert...resist our known resourceful, yet defeated enemy, firm in our faith, remebering that many are going through the same things you are, and we'll suffer for only a "little while"...THEN...
GOD, the dispenser of all grace will intervene and personally:
Focusing on Chapter 5, verses 5-11 has increasingly enlightened me as I've meditated here. I call these times I've enjoyed "selah moments". In essence, he says:
Humility is the key to finding grace!
Grace released is God's commodities poured out to exalt you at just the right moment...He becomes "your glory and the lifter of your head."
Anxiety is certain in all types of difficulty and suffering, and He invites us to cast all of that on Him because, inspite of the amazing multi-tasking God performs in the managing of a vast universe, He is very personal, zealous and attentive in His care for you and me. He feels our pain!
Stay Centered and Endure - Cast all cares on Him...be sober and alert...resist our known resourceful, yet defeated enemy, firm in our faith, remebering that many are going through the same things you are, and we'll suffer for only a "little while"...THEN...
GOD, the dispenser of all grace will intervene and personally:
- Perfect You - Make needed updates and improvements
- Confirm You - Assure you and others who see your plight, that you are indeed His child and His marks of ownership and provision will be evident to all!
- Strengthen You - In increasing ways, He'll resource you to keep on keeping on...comfort, courage, peace that blows our mind, joy in spite of..., and MUCH MORE!
- Establish You - Firmly and securely plant your feet on the Rock, making you increasingly stable, resilient and immovable in your resolve to "deny your self and take up your cross daily."
Praise is consequently the irresistably reflexive thing that will flow from you ("...You've put a new song in my heart.") in response to His "Amazing Grace' operative in you.
"To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen!!"
Speechless,
Mitch
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Essentials For Living - Part 4
To live the Life that God intends...
4. I must be convinced that God's expectation for us is to be holy and that this miracle transformation is impossible without the Holy Spirit's power.
A christian's will in itself does not produce holiness, but it does initiate the circumstances in which holiness can be realized. One's conscious openness, dependancy, and expectation of receiving the necessary risen-life energy is essential and opens the "door" for the Holy Spirit to work! This openness to him and his supernatural empowering must be an attitude of the mind, not simply a passing thought. I resolve to say yes to anything He might wish to do in and through my life - He is soverein. It is then that I find myself moving into an entirely new dimension of living. The scenery changes, I realize my life is changing and that Jesus is being seen through me!
My will does in fact initiate this work and that same will continues to function daily as I open my Bible and read words and sentences using my intellect. But, I find I cannot credit my will with the adequate power to move me from where I am to where I need to be. The credit goes to God, the Holy Spirit. He is my life...He is my strength (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19).
Adapted from "Birthright" by David Needham
4. I must be convinced that God's expectation for us is to be holy and that this miracle transformation is impossible without the Holy Spirit's power.
A christian's will in itself does not produce holiness, but it does initiate the circumstances in which holiness can be realized. One's conscious openness, dependancy, and expectation of receiving the necessary risen-life energy is essential and opens the "door" for the Holy Spirit to work! This openness to him and his supernatural empowering must be an attitude of the mind, not simply a passing thought. I resolve to say yes to anything He might wish to do in and through my life - He is soverein. It is then that I find myself moving into an entirely new dimension of living. The scenery changes, I realize my life is changing and that Jesus is being seen through me!
My will does in fact initiate this work and that same will continues to function daily as I open my Bible and read words and sentences using my intellect. But, I find I cannot credit my will with the adequate power to move me from where I am to where I need to be. The credit goes to God, the Holy Spirit. He is my life...He is my strength (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19).
Adapted from "Birthright" by David Needham
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Essentials for Living, Part 3
To live the exemplary life God intends:
3. I must be settled once and for all as to who I most deeply am and therefore where life is to be found.
Like scuba divers on the floor of the sea, the apostles knew they were living in an alien environment. They were not of this world (John 17:14, 16). Life for them had come from above...from their true home. Though to the world, they may have appeared to be a bit strange, they knew they were aliens. They looked at life through different eyes. Their awareness of their new identity produced in them a revolutionary change as to why they were alive...as to who and what it was that gave purpose and significance to their existence.
No longer was meaning or personal worth measured by prosperity or worldly acclaim. Holiness comes in saying no to all of my desires in order to say yes to God. Paul said, "I have suffered the loss of all things...that I may gain Christ." He knew that to say death to the flesh was simultaneously saying life, not only to the glory of God but also to himself as a future partaker of that glory as a joint heir with his Lord. Christians who really know this can truly be themselves without being selfish.
It's so easy to find self worth in other places: physical attractiveness, intelligence, our grasp of the scriptures, talents, abilities, giftedness, ministry successes, material things, realtionships, position and power...and the list could go on. If these things are working for you then why should we seek a higher calling?
We must acknowledge that though we may have many things that commend us to ourselves and others, our greatest worth is found in discovering that we are God's masterpieces. This enables us to move forward in our discovery of meaning...we can focus less on self and increasingly more on life right in front of us! Though the initial focus is on identity, the lasting focus must be on life. "And this is eternal life," Jesus said, "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3) John later added that if we truly know God, our active reaching out in love toward people would be the proof that our life indeed was from God (1 John 4:7-12). Hence, authentic life is always relational, both vertical and horizontal.
Adapted from "Birthright" by David Needham
Blessings,
Mitch
3. I must be settled once and for all as to who I most deeply am and therefore where life is to be found.
Like scuba divers on the floor of the sea, the apostles knew they were living in an alien environment. They were not of this world (John 17:14, 16). Life for them had come from above...from their true home. Though to the world, they may have appeared to be a bit strange, they knew they were aliens. They looked at life through different eyes. Their awareness of their new identity produced in them a revolutionary change as to why they were alive...as to who and what it was that gave purpose and significance to their existence.
No longer was meaning or personal worth measured by prosperity or worldly acclaim. Holiness comes in saying no to all of my desires in order to say yes to God. Paul said, "I have suffered the loss of all things...that I may gain Christ." He knew that to say death to the flesh was simultaneously saying life, not only to the glory of God but also to himself as a future partaker of that glory as a joint heir with his Lord. Christians who really know this can truly be themselves without being selfish.
It's so easy to find self worth in other places: physical attractiveness, intelligence, our grasp of the scriptures, talents, abilities, giftedness, ministry successes, material things, realtionships, position and power...and the list could go on. If these things are working for you then why should we seek a higher calling?
We must acknowledge that though we may have many things that commend us to ourselves and others, our greatest worth is found in discovering that we are God's masterpieces. This enables us to move forward in our discovery of meaning...we can focus less on self and increasingly more on life right in front of us! Though the initial focus is on identity, the lasting focus must be on life. "And this is eternal life," Jesus said, "that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3) John later added that if we truly know God, our active reaching out in love toward people would be the proof that our life indeed was from God (1 John 4:7-12). Hence, authentic life is always relational, both vertical and horizontal.
Adapted from "Birthright" by David Needham
Blessings,
Mitch
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