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"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."
Heb.6:19
As we are drawing near to Christmas, there is a sense of wonder and mystery in the air. People are going to Christmas parties, baking cookies, celebrating with friends, singing Christmas songs, shopping for presents and spreading good cheer as they remember traditions and customs in their households. It is all wonderful--as it should be! This is a time of great JOY that our Savior is coming to bring peace to this earth. But at the same time I find myself so involved in all these activities that I can lose sight of the real meaning of Christmas....Christ's coming and taking time to really ponder and meditate on this wondrous event. My heart also goes out to those who are having a rough time during these holidays. While I'm filled with joy there are others who are grieving the loss of a loved one and missing them this Christmas; there are others who have no family or who struggle with family disputes during this time; there are others who are homeless and some who have no money to even buy Christmas presents for their children; there's someone who has just gotten a terminal diagnosis etc. the list could go on and on. So I pray for them and ask God to send an angel of light...someone to remind them of the HOPE of a better tomorrow ...that Christ is their anchor, He is their hope, He is their peace, He is their Savior. He has come and He is coming again. Joy to the World--the Lord is come.
Hold on to Hope--the Anchor of the Soul
A ccept Christ as your only hope
"Christ in you the hope of glory." Col.1:27
N ever put your trust in what is seen, but hope in what you do not see
"Hope that is seen is no hope at all... but if we hope for what we do not yet have,
we wait for it patiently." Ro.8:24-25
C laim the plans and promises of God
"I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you Hope and a future." Jer.29:11
H ope in the redeeming power of God
"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise
Him." Ps.42:5
O pen yourself to trust
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him." Ro.15:13
R ely totally on Jesus
"On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help
us by your prayers." 2 Co.1:9
BLESSED AND MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
A new week lies before me...
Visions
Dreams
Possibilities
and sparkling new Opportunities
that are beyond what I could ever imagine.
But then I fall into my "turtle syndrome" and pull back into the comfort and safety of my shell--afraid, hesitant to venture too far off the path called "familiar." Looking out from my safe place and thinking...
...it's beyond my talents and ability
...it's too big and too scary
...someone else can do it better
...I'd only make a fool of myself
...I don't want to fail
Then I remember
"I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Ps.139:14
"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23
"If God is for me, who can be against me." Ro.8:31
As if on cue, slowly and confidently,
I come out of my shell... and
"God stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved- surprised to be loved." Ps. 18:19 (message)
I find myself moving forward
not holding back
Ready to face
difficult circumstances
trials
struggles
relationships
Ready to embrace
His purpose for my life
His amazing plans
His calling to hope
Ready to reach for the stars
to move mountains
to go beyond the beyond
to Chase Life
What about you?
Won't you join me?
Imagine what we can do together
for the Kingdom of God...
Beyond the Beyond!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil.4:13
The problems you face in life can make you bitter or better. They will either defeat you or develop you--depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately, most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring. Let's look at how problems in our lives can be transformed into opportunities to grow in grace.
Here are 5 ways God can help you do that...
#1 God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God needs to do something drastic to get our attention. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Think about it...Is God trying to get your attention? Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. Prov.20:30
#2 God uses problems to INSPECT you. People can be like tea bags...if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot boiling water. Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience." James 1:2-3
#3 God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain, struggle, and failure. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to ever touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something...health, money, a job, a relationship--by losing it. Psalm 119:71-72
#4 God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. An acquaintance of mine was fired from her job for refusing to do something unethical. Her unemployment was a problem--but it saved her from future prosecution that took place within the company. Genesis 50:20
#5 God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than in your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take into eternity. Romans 5:3-5
Here's the point: God is at work in your life--even when you do not recognize or understand it. So the next time a problem arises, consider it from God's perspective and turn that problem into a life-changing opportunity to grow in grace and to give Him honor.
"Sometimes in tragedy we find our life's purpose--
the eye sheds a tear to find its focus." --Robert Brault
"Listen to His voice and hold fast to HIm." Dt.30:20
Perhaps some of you have seen the newest reality show called THE VOICE. It's comprised of 4 celebrity judges who- on the first round- simply listen to the singing voices of the contestants. The judges sit with their backs to the participants so that they will only focus on the VOICE and not be distracted by appearance or first impressions. If they like what they hear then they turn their chairs around to show their interest and approval.
This morning during my quiet time I was stirred by the lyrics of a song from Gateway Worship. The inspiring words of the song stayed with me for hours.
"I hear the voice, the voice of the One I love. He's calling my name.
Come up higher, and hear the angels sing.
Come up higher, my beloved.
Come up higher, and leave this world behind.
You'll find me to be beautiful.
I am running, running after You.
You've become my soul's delight.
I am running, running after You.
Here with You I find my life..."
The words caused me to reflect on the VOICES in my life.
Who do I listen to the most? My friends, family, co-workers,
critics, believers, strangers, commercials, the enemy, or my faithful God????
I thought of all the myriad distractions that invade my everyday life.... do I let them get in the way of Listening to the voice of my Beloved? I realized that sometimes I seek out the voices of others before my Lord's... not proud about that. And worse still...giving any attention at all to the voice of the enemy trying to distract me from the voice of God. It's His still small voice that I want to seek and listen to above the noise of the crowd.
I think how blessed am I that He wants to converse with me...to take me to that place where I only hear His voice. I pray for deeper attentiveness to the voice of the Spirit within me. I pray that for all of you also. I pray that we all listen to His voice and hold fast to Him.
I found myself so excited about the Voice that I went to the Scriptures and found more verses to cherish throughout the day. Allow me to share them with you. I ask God to breathe His Voice over you in blessing as you read and reflect on them.
Ps.95:7-8 Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
John 10:4 His sheep follow him because they know His voice.
Is.30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind
you saying, "This is the way; walk in it. "
Ps.29:3-9 The voice of the Lord is over the waters...
The voice of the Lord is powerful...
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars...
The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning
The voice of the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare and in his
temple all cry, "Glory."
Rev.3:20 If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with
him, and he with Me.
JOURNAL EXERCISE:
Choose one of the scriptures above.
Write it in your journal.
Pray it out loud several times.
Post it on an index card that you can keep before you through the day.
Ask God what He is saying to you through this verse?
Write your response to God in your journal.
Write the verse back to God as a prayer. ( as a paraphrase, poem, acrostic etc.)
QUESTION: WHOSE VOICE WILL YOU LISTEN TO TODAY?
"Purpose is what gives life meaning" Charles H. PerkhurstHave you ever wondered about your purpose in life?
Why you were born?
What dream or vision is calling out to you?
Where you are called to make a difference?
These are questions we all struggle or wrestle with from time to time.
For myself, I really want to know God's will and purpose in and for my life.
I don't want to miss it.........not even by a tiny margin. Perhaps you're in that zone of exploration now--asking, seeking, praying, discerning, and inviting counsel from godly friends. Sometimes when we want an answer "RIGHT NOW" it can lead to doubt, fear, and more confusion. It's an uncomfortable position to be in as many others will tell you. But you have to guard against making hasty or impulsive decisions without prayer, trust, and waiting for God's revelation. Believe me, it's worth the wait!
3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR FINDING YOUR PURPOSE:
#1 Know that you have a purpose
Jer.29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
The word of God tells us we are fearfully, wonderfully made. You have value, significance and worth in the eyes of God. After all, He made you in his image and likeness and created you to have an intimate relationship with Him.
#2 Pray
Matt.7:7 "Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
God wants you to pray and seek his will. He plants His desires deep in your heart and spirit. He gives you certain talents, abilities, skills, character traits and gifts that can lead and draw you toward His divine plan for your life.
#3 Read and Meditate on the Word of God
Ps.119:130 "The unfolding of His words gives light."
His words are LIFE! Each day as you immerse yourself in the Word of God, his Spirit, living within you will lead and guide you in the way of wisdom and discernment.
Prov.4:4 "Lay hold of my words with all your heart."
Ps.119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
God has a divine design and purpose for your life. It is uniquely tailored just for you. So trust Him and believe that He is working all things according to your good. His will and purpose for your life is being revealed to you in His Spirit.
Enjoy the time and process of discovery...it is a time of Grace.
"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for."
--William Shedd
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Heb.6:19
We all want to have hope for the Journey,don't we? We want to have something to anticipate, to expect, to hold on to? Hope, indeed, keeps us anchored, steady, secure because our hope is in Jesus....the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Aldous Huxley once said: " Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what man does with what happens to him."
Perhaps some of you are in circumstances and situations that are challenging, overwhelming, and depressing. You're asking questions like:
Is life worth living?
Is there any hope for my marriage?
Is there any hope for my family members to be saved?
Is there any hope to overcome these addictions?
Is there any hope for forgiveness?
Is there any hope for selling my house?
Is there any hope of finding a job?
Is there any hope that this abuse will end?
Is there any hope for this illness?
It's a good question isn't it? I often wonder how people can survive horrific experiences or even day to day setbacks without having Hope and Faith. You can go 40 days without food...3 days without water...8 min. without air...but you can't go a single second without HOPE. When Hope is gone...your life ceases.
HOPE makes all the difference.
When you have hope--you are capable of bearing incredible burdens and standing firm under trial. You become an overcomer.
Where do we get HOPE?
Ps.42:5 Put your hope in God
Ro.5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Our hope as Christians is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ. Without Him...our life is truly meaningless.
You have to have hope to believe that God will work in your life.
You have to have hope to believe that God can change your situation or circumstances.
You have to have hope that He will indeed work all things together for your good.
Hold fast to Jesus and you will go from hope to hope. You will not give in to despair or temptation.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful Heb.10:23
Where in your life right now do you need HOPE?
Take a moment and jot it down...bring it to the Lord in prayer with believing faith. Our God does not disappoint. He will never leave or abandon you. He is working in your circumstances, relationships, trials even now as you wait upon Him.
"What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise." Oscar Wilde
One of my favorite passages from Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength--they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not grow faint.
Allow God today to revive your spirit and fill you with renewed hope in Him and in the promises of His Word.
" I don't have a great vision. A great Vision Has Me." Willie George
Don't you think this statement describes Jesus? The vision and the will of the Father marked every word and action of Jesus' life here on earth. He imparted that same vision to His disciples and told them to take it to the nations with the power and anointing of his Holy Spirit. When I read this statement I think to myself:
Wow! I want that! I want Jesus' vision to be in me and to transform me. Because of His vision in me..........I want to make a difference in this world. I want to make an impact for His honor and glory.That's why I'm so excited about the direction and vision that God is giving to our church.
BUILDING DISCIPLES: LIVING AND LOVING LIKE JESUS.
To become part of something bigger than ourselves is both exciting and challenging. It stretches us and calls us out of our familiar comfort zones.
And when we do it together as a church body, we grow in love and unity. We become Focused, Direct, and Intentional as we discover ways to spread the love of Jesus not only overseas but right here in our own "local outreaches." I pray that God gives us holy zeal as He continues to unfold His plan more clearly day by day.
John Maxwell says,
"To cast a vision,
you must see it clearly
show it creatively
and say it continually."
Building Disciples: Living and Loving Like Jesus
As we begin to live and walk out this vision may the words of the psalm 37:5 come to mind. "Commit your way to the Lord and He shall bring it to pass."
