What God Has Been Teaching Me Lately XXVIII…
Greetings My Friends~
As a simple pilgrim following Jesus through the rainforests and deserts of this earthly life, I would like to humbly share some of what God has been bubbling up in my mind/heart lately.
I pray that these thoughts are cushions in your shoes, balm to your burns, umbrellas for the rain, and shade to the scorching heat as you too follow the Lord Jesus each day.
(July 2014)
(Please click on the Bible chapter/verses below to read the actual Scriptural text)
- Heaven
Since God is hurt by our sin (Genesis 6:5-6) &
since in heaven our pain will end forever (Revelation 21:4),
maybe God’s pain will then end as well.
- Spiritual Training
“Before/after” muscle photos: Maybe God wants us to go from strong to flabby physically
so we will have time for Him to take us from flabby to strong spiritually (1 Timothy 4:7-9).
- Prayer
God—Who determines whether or not to give us what we ask for—
also determines first whether or not what we ask for will spread HIS fame (John14:13).
- Independence
God, thank You for blessing America to gain independence from Great Britain.
Thank You more for blessing me to realize & celebrate my dependence on Jesus
- Purpose
There is a burning fire in my spirit
when I read and/or listen on audio CD to the Bible book of Acts (Acts 1:8).
- Faith
I’m strangely encouraged by the times God asked others to say goodbye to people, places, or both.
Let’s dare to enter into the unfamiliar with our familiar Savior (Acts 20:36-38).
- Grace
We aren’t loved for high we climb to the clouds
but for how low Jesus crawled to the cross (1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:10).
- Prayer
A. Jesus, please help me not to try to control certain situations
but rather to trust, like a child, that You are in control of all situations (Philippians 3:20-21).
B. Lord Jesus, please help me not to “white knuckle” it thru life
but rather to relax in Your strong grip on me
In Your name I pray, amen…
- God’s Whispers
In the Bible, the word “whisper” refers to
–people plotting evil (Psalm 31:13; 41:6-8),
-people discussing who Jesus is (John 7:12),
-God communicating with people (1Kings19:12; Matthew 10:27) &
-God showing His power over nature’s storms (Psalm107:29).
What do you whisper about to others, especially when they aren’t around?
What is God whispering to you today?
Will you turn down the volume of your life to hear Him?
- Trials
Jesus endured His Cross because He focused on His Father’s joy (Hebrews 12:1-2).
What joy does God want us to focus on so we can endure our trials?
- Don’t Quit!
It can take 2+ hours after drinking water to become hydrated.
When we pass out Jesus’ love it might take time to see the effects—just don’t stop! (John 4:36-38)
- God Brings Diamonds Out Of Coal
We may be cornered in life but we cannot be contained in Christ!
God works mightily thru us in physical, emotional, mental & spiritual prisons! (Acts 16:23-33)
- Preaching
A. Each sermon should not be “look how much I know!” but rather
“look what God is teaching because of how much I don’t know!”
B. Each sermon should not be primarily “here’s what God wants you to do!” but rather
“here’s what God is teaching me to do.”
- Know Jesus
Let us not seek comfort or conditions as we crave them
but rather Christ Jesus Who alone can calm our circumstances
(Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 6:31-33).
- Purpose
God wants us to moon the world…
to clearly and consistently reflect His Son, Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
- Contentment
How does God teach us to be content with the stuff and situations that we have?
Focus on Him—the Who we have.
Hebrews 13:5—”Be content…I will never abandon you.”
- Worry & Prayer
Why does God want us to come to Him with ALL our worries?
Because deep down, all worry is doubt that God Himself will come thru for us
- How To Treat Women
Men! How does God want us to interact with women?
“Treat…older women as mothers, & younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”
(1Timothy 5:1-2).
- Maturity
God wants to sanctify us—make us holy, set us apart for His special use (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
He wants to transform us from paper plates to fine china.
- The Bible
Thinking & talking about the Bible helps us obey it.
“Keep this Book of the Law…on your lips; meditate on it…so that you may do…” (Joshua 1:8).
- Prayer
Terrified? Discouraged?
Before praying for God to change our situation,
pray He will help us trust that He is with us in our situation! (Joshua 1:9)
- Prayer
Holy Spirit, please fill us up with Jesus
so that we can pass thru the supermarkets of temptation
with no appetite for sin.
- Where & When
God decided where & when each of us would be born
to give us the best opportunities for finding HIM! (Acts 17:26-27).
- Forgiveness
Despite Saul’s terrible past,
Ananias blessed Saul & called him “brother”
based not on Saul’s actions but on his new identity in Christ (Acts 9:17).
- Are You Willing To Believe In Jesus?
Though Saul powerfully proved that Jesus is God,
most didn’t believe—some even tried to kill Saul (Acts 9:22-23)!
There is never enough proof for those who are unwilling to believe.
- Suffering
A. Many glow sticks only shine once they’re broken/cracked.
Holy Spirit, help me to trust
that You are breaking me to brighten me, not bury me…
B. Sometimes God whisks us out of our pain;
sometimes He whisks us while in our pain,
allowing us to stay to teach us that He stays with us too, even there (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
- Relying On God
David had expertise (with a slingshot) & experience (fighting lions/bears)
yet he relied on NEITHER against Goliath.
“The LORD will defeat you” (1 Samuel 17:45)
- Evangelism (telling others about Jesus)
Let’s be more afraid of someone missing out—even for a moment—on experiencing Jesus’ love
than we’re afraid of what’ll happen when we share His love (Hebrews 12:15).
- Sin
Satisfying our sin-desires doesn’t really satisfy,
no more than drinking saltwater quenches thirst.
“Unfaithful are trapped by evil desires” (Proverbs 11:6).
.
Humbly,
SoulSpartan