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Been Dropped? - Part 2
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2 Samuel 9
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Got Faithfulness?
It would seem that faithfulness starts out as an attitude and then goes beyond that.
Sure want it.. so that others can count on me and what I say. How 'bout you? Do you want to be faithful instead of flakey? Sure you do!
Faithfulness has a lot to do with faith, trust, reliability, follow-through and a deep sense of loyalty. Jesus Christ was a faithful witness for the heavenly Father - every day of the week, all the time - and He can make you a faithful witness for the Father's glory. Just ask him to, believer.
Not a believer yet? You can be today!
Be a faithful friend first. Faithful friends are gifts from God up in heaven. If ya find one, be grateful, and please don't ditch or offend them for you have found a real treasure that is truly treasured by Jesus Christ. ~ kvs
What Is A Family Even For?
My family is not mine and it is not to be for me. It ain't about me or what I want. A family is for the praise of His (God's) glory primarily - yup, you and your family are for blessing the Lord. It's about Him. Sure it's a place where we can be used of the Lord to meet each other's needs and bless one another. After that God wants to make you together a bright light on a hill if you will. Others around you need what you have, believers! So go tell em the Gospel when the time is right. Don't be afraid to listen, to tell your own story or some fitting verses, or to just be there for your neighbors.
It's not always easy to be in a family, because each of us can by our old sinful nature so easily act selfish, but stickin' it out in love rather than just bailin' out each time there are some big or small problems can help us to grow. Not talking about when there's physical abuse-weirdness in the home of course.
So many are lookin' for red hot ..yet good romance, lookin' for stability, lookin' for the warmth of safety and real security, and even for real family life. Are you? Perhaps you've been raised in a hellish, strange kinda home and fear such a commitment. So sorry about that, but there is Someone who can fix all that for real.. who can heal and restore.
So many so SO desperately lonely, and pushed out, and disfranchised in the cold weather today. It's amazing all the complicated plans that are contrived just to deal with it, or as they say, "cope."
"A family is a place where principles are hammered and honed on the anvil of everyday living." ~ Charles R. Swindoll
Listen, "God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land." Sure He ain't religious and verklempt, He's very practical. Read More...
Seems like sometimes the best things ever accomplished..
..by a person, or even the most primo lessons that we could ever learn, actually happen while on the Path towards another goal, yes, while headed to someplace else.
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Eccl. 9:10).
Don't mean to pry at all, but do you mind if I ask a few questions? Of course you don't need to answer me… just trying to simulate your mind in a good way. Might sound kinda funny, but I wanna challenge us to higher living if you will.
Who do you pray for on a regular basis to come to know Jesus Christ? How are you building relationship with them. Is God giving you courage inside, preparing you, and perhaps leading you to go talk with them soon?
On another level, what are you working towards.. or are you? Do you have some long and short range goals? Have you written em down somewhere, or talked about them to a wise and trustworthy person? Are these goals worth your sacrifice? Is it tough to find balance with all this stuff. What's the action plan—what are the simple steps that you plan to take to reach them?
Have you started acting on em.. you know, done more than wishing. Have you rightly prioritized all your goals? Do you hang with the wrong close friends who pull you down in one or more ways? How will you keep yourself from becoming distracted away from reaching these goals ..by friends or other unexpected interests once you get going? Have you read the Bible, sought your Maker and discovered what He would have you do… cuz you could really thrive and feel fulfilled inside doing that?
Many opportunities are totally missed, because they seem to arrive wearing overalls and work boots.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds…
..between your arms?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends' (Zec13:6).
What can quickly immobilize you from witnessing more than any persecution if you let it? Stabs or spiritual abuse from a so called brother you trusted. Real love is kind.
There is a real Friend who can give us enough love for all those around us. There is also a real enemy who wants us turning the sword upon each other and seeks to steal our unity, but we just need to recognize who that dweeb is.
"If we're too busy using our sickles on one another, we're going to miss the Harvest." ~ Vance Havner
Jesus Himself was hurt and wounded in the house of His friends, so He can totally understand what that feels like. He is there to comfort you if you will let Him. Follow Him today.
Read More...Sunday, July 17, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
If You're lonely, God is there for you. But no need to remain all isolated or sad or like a pitiful beat-down, no...
..NO! "God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land" (Ps. 68:6, nlt).
And look around you. There sure are a whole lot of solitary, depressed, and bound people today ..peeps who need real family around them. I never want to look down on, slight or be cavalier towards any, cuz I feel for those who have been disenfranchised or cut off. There are a lot of things that we just can't control or prevent at times during this life.
Whats' cool is that the Lord proactively, "bringeth out those which are bound with chains…" (kjv). Are you? Will you let Him this thang? (Read More...)
“Cast all your anxiety on Him...
..because He cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7 niv). Absolutely... really really REALLY cares about you and all that you care about. When we pray and listen to His Word we come to see that.
He cares about all our friends too.
"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden." ~ Corrie Ten Boom
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall" (Ps. 55:22 nlt).
Way! Check in out.. in Hebrew. "Cast" means: to chuck or throw out like dead-worthless-weight, to throw down, to fling far away, to hurl (..not hurl like after you eat a spoiled lunch at a fast-food greasy hamburger joint, but you know what I mean).
What that word does not mean ..is to tenderly take back to your bosom after you cast (break up with the wrong kinda care), nor to hug, or kiss, or cherish, or to stow it away and keep like a valuable hoarded treasure - but to actually chunk it like a big smelly diaper or lumpy Glad trash bag (yeah, to "chunk it" like they say here in Tejas) over that culvert away from yourself. (Read More...)
Listening to some light old school Jazz. Kinda strolling through...
..Psalm 34 tonight, yeah, in between some potential distractions tryin' to pull me away. But I'm not lettin' em right now. Love this passage! "Halleluiah" with no weird inflection from my mouth like.. a thousand times out loud! Been too long since I said that.
Huge HUGE profit in simply reading through the Scriptures, believer. Here's a few highlights.. "His praise shall continually be in my mouth" (v. 1).
We always ..or at least often.. think about those "less than ideal circumstances" that we can find ourselves in—"Man, I hate em, Lord. Send real mercy soon. How did I even get here? When will You please hear my simple prayer and change these uber-horrid circumstances?"
Have you been there before? Ever said something like that?
But you know deep down in your know-er how God is often more concerned with changing us in those circumstances—yep, interested in changing our hearts. He loves a right heart, a right thought life, and right motives. He is interested in how we feel and He can handle all our brutal honesty.
Just thinking about these verses a minute.. "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" (Ps. 34:3-5). This is in the context of the prayer being rewarded for seeking Him. And that makes a person feel like worshipping!
Yup, He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, and who actually put Him first .......before all other priorities no matter how cool those priorities are. Hey, you knew that!
But..but..but..what if He doesn't listen to me or provide good? ..what if they reject me? ..what if I'm not successful.. what if He doesn't protect? Etc.
No worries, you might not get everything you want, but He always keeps His promises and doesn't disappoint. He is never late.
Question: Ever walk away from your time in prayer alone with God and realize that what changed is that all those lame inner fears regarding the crummy circumstances around you ..have just vanished? (Read More...)
Sunday, July 3, 2011
"Going Social" ..Only Goes So Far
It’s a bit sad at times for me to observe my unregenerate, gifted friends who are hyper-involved in this social media revolution as they call it. So many uber-tallented, highly intelligent puter-friends of mine are having fun geekin'-out to the max inside of the latest features over in Google+ beta this week. I’m with em and listening more than talking. The competition between Facebook and Google is really heating up - the former integrating Skype video chatting more and more just to compete against the later's current "Hang-outs" (10 person vid-chat feature).
These friends are radically committed to the vision.. to developing all this fun stuff in multiple networks that we use and ..praise the Lord.. they keep making em better. Personally, I feel grateful for much of what they produce! But with some people it’s like these new networks are "the final hope for unity and love in our society," yup, to somehow bring in a harmonious utopia of sorts. But they haven't yet addressed their inner old nature or dead human spirit. Let's pray hard for em. It has become like a religion to many - this social thang. You know, I saw the same thing happen with many surfers towards surfing when I lived at the beach. Some would even say, Kurt, this is my fix. It's more than a sport to me, it’s my religion and the way I worship.
Sad!
Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for the cyber communication tools, just like I still am about using a telephone or old fax machine with friends overseas. But I feel like exclaiming, “Social” ain’t an end in itself! Going social if you will, should really serve a greater purpose ..huh. Honest, transparent, communication ..including all the new tools to make this happen.. these things aren’t ends in themselves either. Jesus Himself is the beginning and the end - the Alpha and Omega for all people.
I'm not looking down on anyone here, but to me “going social” for the unregenerate person is perhaps the closest thing that they can find to experiencing true fellowship that we believers enjoy in Christ each day, and I mean together with His real Church (born again believers). Fellowship with God must come first - it's more important. After that, fellowship with spiritual believers is also very important. I SO want this for each of my techonaught-buddies today.
Yes, there is something much deeper, much richer, more spiritually healthy, and much more satisfying in a true connection with God and His people. We call it fellowship. Do you have righteous fellowship with the Lord?
It’s so edifying!!!
It’s more than just a conversation.. a dialogue both upwards and outwards. Yes, it has to do with true harmony, true unity, and the building-up of others within the family of God. It's what God wants for all peoples in each nation. Deep down "outsiders" (lost people if you will..) long for this unconditional love and a right relationship with God, but you know how they are often looking for this in the wrong places. Hey, I’ve been there. We can point em to the Word, yes, showing em exactly where to find this great fellowship!
“Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays.” ~ Andrew Murray
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” ~ 1 John 1:7
“Though I know intellectually how vulnerable I am to pride and power, I am the last one to know when I succumb to their seduction. That's why spiritual Lone Rangers are so dangerous - and why we must depend on trusted brothers and sisters who love us enough to tell us the truth.” ~ Charles (Chuck) Colson
“The first service one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love of God begins in listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God's love for us that He not only gives us His Word but lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Human fellowship can go to great lengths, but not all the way. Fellowship with God can go to all lengths.” ~ Oswald Chambers
Why do I feel for them? It’s because they are missing out on so much! They crave the love of Jesus - full-on fellowship with Him most.
Perhaps many around you have been burned by callous religious folk in dry or dead churches, and now don’t know where this premium type of fellowship is to be found. The TV and Radio personalities keep telling em lies about where it is. Hey, I say that a relationship with a mortal, "a lover" ain’t the ultimate answer for you, even if the person is moral, nor is it with drugs, with alcohol, with business success, or with Mac puters and networks.
But this longing in them is why I want to effectively witness ..by life, attitude, words and deeds. P. Lord please do help me represent you well.
Yes, I still feel like sharing with my open-family-members too, and with those far outside of my family circle, in hopes that they will be open and then understand God’s Message in the Bible.
So many broken homes, broken dreams, broken hearts, and broken people today! So much misunderstanding and ignorance of the truth prevails down here. People today in our Western culture seem more isolated, isolated, lonely, empty, guilty, unfulfilled, afraid and now intense about finding connection with other like-minded people just for support, for comfort, and for loving community. But in the world mere online community etc only goes so far. The tools we use are also still limiting.
Man, I feel for em, don’t you? I want them to see what it’s like to enJOY true and righteous fellowship. Yes, we believers indeed have the best Answer for those around us, and it starts with the establishing of a vital relationship with Jesus Christ via biblical faith and a turning from sin. facebook.com/shareJesus
