Sunday, June 05, 2005

Gospel Ramblings

What is important to you is what you will spend your time at.
To change your desires, just change what you are looking at.What you constantly look at will motivate you, propel you in that direction.

Most important aspect in our lives as Christians is prayer (communion, 2way communication) with our God (Abba Father), through the Holy Spirit, based on the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary.

Our union with the Lord is so complete, so perfect, so divine.
That communion maintains our relationship.

Life’s trials are God’s school of faith. –sign on church in Azle TX

At MCI, we believe that everyone can be a leader:
All of us influence other people in the course of our daily life in one way or another. Our decisions and our actions influence our family, our friends, and our colleagues at work, school or University for good or for bad. Influence is the basis of leadership. Those we influence are our followers. In the Great Commission Jesus commanded us first of all to be disciples and then to make disciples. He wants to influence us first, becoming his disciples, so that we can in turn influence others and make disciples.

As we walk closely with the Lord, two things happen - we reflect the glory of God like a mirror and we are transformed into His glorious likeness. This is the purpose of God for our lives. As we walk in His purpose, the glory of God is revealed through us to the world.

We each have a sphere of influence that God can use to reach those around us, through us.
It is up to us to be fit and ready, spiritually and mentally and physically.

Distractions are designed to keep your focus off of God to keep you from prayer and the presence of God. When we pray, we should be in the presence of God. (It is not some spiritual exercise or ritual we perform to get God to move in our behalf.) We must make every effort to get into His presence.

Each of us as a member of the body has a different aspect of God’s nature, ability, etc placed in us to use to reach humanity for God’s purpose and intent.

Christianity is impossible without a proper understanding of the Apostle Paul’s revelation: the believer’s relationship to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. -Mark Hankins

The vital key to your prosperity, et.al., is your obedience to God.
You cannot pick & choose what you want to hear & obey. That's a tickling ear.

I am not my own. I am bought with a price.
(This is part of your worldview –how you look at the world based on your belief system.)

The decision/choices you make affects everyone else on planet earth.
As long as it is OK in your mind to sin,
Then your worldview is wrong and your purpose is out of focus.

Stability In Christ
1—know who you are, where you came from, where you are going
2—being a participator (a doer)

Christianity is not a passive religion…it is active, participatory, inter-relational.

Anyone can pour chocolate syrup into a glass of milk, but it benefits no one until it is stirred up and drank.

Paula White says partnership allows you to partake of something bigger than yourself.

Healing and health has its basis in the promises of God for our life and well-being. Faith appropriates those promises into our lives and manifests the power and life of God in our mortal bodies. The key is finding 2 or 3 scriptures with which to anchors our souls. Then it is only a matter of faith and patience to inherit these promises.

All fruitfulness flows out of intimacy with Him. (John 14 and 15) –Heidi Baker

The pages are turning on God's prophetic calendar, approaching the mysterious day when He will step once again into the world of time and space. What is the key to this fulfillment? The answer is Israel. And the controversy over her destiny affects every nation on earth. -- from "Praying for Israel's Destiny" by James W. Goll

Awakenings--column by Henry Blackerby

Today there is a great moving of God for His people to be on mission with Him. Each church is facing a God-sized assignment because the assignment requires both the presence and the resources of God to accomplish it. This requires a significant new level of faith. Therefore, each believer and church that desires to be on mission with God must know and act on the promises of God. He has promised every resource necessary for His people to honor Him in their total mission involvement with Him.

Here are some of God’s promises on missions and promised provisions to accomplish His will:
• And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
• All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore... and... I am with you always... (Matthew 28:18-20).
• Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it (Isaiah 46:11b).
• The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (Psalm 23:1b).

Behind every assignment in missions (at home and around the world) God affirms to us what He said to His people through Jeremiah: For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

The effective obedience to God in missions has a great effect on the church family. They experience great joy, and great expectation and faith for their own personal lives.