Verse and Message (Week of January 26-31, 2009) January 26, 2009

  

 

Psalm 18:30

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him.

When I pray regarding my own needs, I have made it a practice to pray that my desires would reflect God’s desires for my life. I pray for direction, discernment, obedience, and ACCEPTANCE of His perfect will. I have learned that sometimes it is difficult to grasp complete acceptance of His plan. When I think of acceptance, I reflect on a prayer that we all know……

 

American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr composed this profoundly simple verse that came to be known as the Serenity Prayer:

 

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

 

It’s so much easier to recite these words than to live by them.  However, we were never meant to live by these words in our own strength and power.  We have a Father of TRUTH who has gifted us with His Spirit and all the tools necessary to live our lives incorporating acceptance, courage, and wisdom. 

 

Websters on line defines acceptance as follows:

To receive willingly

To endure without protest or reaction

To recognize as TRUE

 

Sometimes we cannot alter our circumstances, and we definitely can’t change the past or change people.  Changing people and changing hearts belong to God.  When we attempt to change or manipulate something or someone other than ourselves, we are channeling our energy in the wrong direction.  We must use that energy to do something worthwhile:  PRAY!  Prayer is the most powerful way to change things.  In fact, the Bible indicates that our prayers stir up the heavenlies and change the atmosphere. 

 

Has anyone ever asked you for advice, and you shared what you would do in that particular situation? The person keeps approaching you and asking for assistance, but the person won’t accept your advice….IF you think you are frustrated–think how frustrated God feels when He is actively working on your behalf and you don’t accept His BEST plan for your life. 

 

Our Lord loves when we come to His Throne to talk to Him, but He desires the reverence for us to have faith in His sovereignty. My friend Jason says that FAITH is trusting in advance what will only make sense in reverse. So, no one ever said that practicing faith is easy, but it is promised that God is forever FAITHFUL! If He is faithful and His Spirit is within us, then we are “faith- filled” and we need to use that faith!

 

If we fully trust in Him, then we can be confident of the WAY He is directing us, we can trust that He is TRUTH, and He not only sees the big picture, but He has His BEST design in mind for our lives.   

 

Once we have a heart of acceptance, the Miracle Maker opens our eyes to His Amazing and Beautiful Work!

 

ACCEPT HIS PLAN BY LETTING FAITH RISE IN YOUR HEART!

EMBRACE HIS PROMISES WHILE MAINTAINING A POSTURE OF HUMILITY!!

DON’T STRUGGLE – TRUST IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY!

HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!

  

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of January 18-24, 2009) January 21, 2009

Job 42:2

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

   

The aforementioned verse is one of my new favorite verses. It’s clearly a relief to know that no matter how much I mess up….God can use me as well as the havoc I create. IF we didn’t mess up, we wouldn’t need a Savior. To further elaborate this point, I rewrote a theme on a message I received in December from the on line devotional series, “Crosswalk: Girlfriends In God.”

 

God will take our mistakes and pain and bring good out of it. If we let Him, He will use the pain of our past and the consequences of our mistakes as a foundation to grow us and make all things new again, therefore, advancing us into more effective ministry for His Kingdom. 

 

As difficult it is to face at the time, the strength that we gain from pain, can be gained no other way. What is the old saying, “Experience is the best teacher”?? Well, we know that the real Teacher is the One Who is in charge of our Experiences. However, we being who we are …..imperfect but created in His image, we have the gift of making our own choices…ie free will. God won’t remove our mistakes, but when we seek Him and His divine mercy, He offers hope and allows our eyes to be open to His wisdom, power, and insight. He uses our mishaps and struggles to mold us to become more like Jesus. Don’t ever say that you have wasted your time in any arena……whether it is a job, a relationship, a project, etc…..He will use every single experience to guide us all to victory.

 

When I look back on some past trauma in my life, my vision is clear of what God was doing. At the time, I cried out, “Why God?” He is forever faithful. In fact, He made things better than before….and uses me and my experiences to help others going through similar trials. There’s something so cool about truly being able to empathize with someone as opposed to just sympathizing in the tough time they may be going through. When I can share the sincerity of my past pain, and declare in confidence that “I am more than a conqueror”…..I have given someone who might be hopeless a light from Jesus that he/she may have never seen without my tribulation. 

 

So, here are some thoughts to ponder as you reflect on your past pain and mistakes:

 

*God uses mistakes to direct us.*

Some of the most stupid things I have ever done have yielded the most prominent lessons in my life. God has a unique way of revealing what needs change in my life. When He gets my attention, I am more apt to trust His direction. If I would listen to Him at the beginning, however, things would be less complicated.

  

*God uses mistakes to inspect us.”

How we react to mistakes and trouble will test the strength and reality of our faith. If faith is tested, our endurance has the chance to grow, ultimately building our character and making us into the person we were designed to be. (James 1:2-3) 

 

*God uses mistakes to correct us.*

Sometimes a child has to burn his hand on the stove in order to comprehend his mistake and further give him the sense to resist the next time. No matter how many times a parent says “NO!” the child does his own thing. Don’t we tend to try to do things our own way? Our own way never works.

 

*God uses mistakes to protect us.*

I cannot help but think about the stories I heard in regard to 9/11 with people who were late to work, because of procrastination or whatever they might have been doing instead of being where they normally are in the Twin Towers. So, don’t fret when you have left your cell phone at home…..it may be a diversion to keep you from getting into an accident on the highway.

 

*God uses our mistakes to perfect us.

  

Our relationship with God and people and our character are the only things we can take with us into eternity. We should consider it all joy when we face troubles. If we have a mind to persevere and develop passionate long-suffering we will be prepared for whatever the devil throws at us, or whatever God wants to do next in our lives. God is not interested in complacency; He’s determined to take us to the next level of maturity.

 

Even when we don’t understand or recognize the reason we may be experiencing trouble….or when we question the order and time of things….God is at work on our behalf. Someone once said, “Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched, and moments shared along the way.”

 

WHY ASK WHY?

SCARRED BUT SMARTER…

IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE LIKE HIM,

YOU MUST ALLOW HIM TO GROW YOU!

SUSIE MC

Verse and Message (Week of January 18-24, 2009) January 21, 2009

Job 42:2

“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

   

The aforementioned verse is one of my new favorite verses. It’s clearly a relief to know that no matter how much I mess up….God can use me as well as the havoc I create. IF we didn’t mess up, we wouldn’t need a Savior. To further elaborate this point, I rewrote a theme on a message I received in December from the on line devotional series, “Crosswalk: Girlfriends In God.”

 

God will take our mistakes and pain and bring good out of it. If we let Him, He will use the pain of our past and the consequences of our mistakes as a foundation to grow us and make all things new again, therefore, advancing us into more effective ministry for His Kingdom. 

 

As difficult it is to face at the time, the strength that we gain from pain, can be gained no other way. What is the old saying, “Experience is the best teacher”?? Well, we know that the real Teacher is the One Who is in charge of our Experiences. However, we being who we are …..imperfect but created in His image, we have the gift of making our own choices…ie free will. God won’t remove our mistakes, but when we seek Him and His divine mercy, He offers hope and allows our eyes to be open to His wisdom, power, and insight. He uses our mishaps and struggles to mold us to become more like Jesus. Don’t ever say that you have wasted your time in any arena……whether it is a job, a relationship, a project, etc…..He will use every single experience to guide us all to victory.

 

When I look back on some past trauma in my life, my vision is clear of what God was doing. At the time, I cried out, “Why God?” He is forever faithful. In fact, He made things better than before….and uses me and my experiences to help others going through similar trials. There’s something so cool about truly being able to empathize with someone as opposed to just sympathizing in the tough time they may be going through. When I can share the sincerity of my past pain, and declare in confidence that “I am more than a conqueror”…..I have given someone who might be hopeless a light from Jesus that he/she may have never seen without my tribulation. 

 

So, here are some thoughts to ponder as you reflect on your past pain and mistakes:

 

*God uses mistakes to direct us.*

Some of the most stupid things I have ever done have yielded the most prominent lessons in my life. God has a unique way of revealing what needs change in my life. When He gets my attention, I am more apt to trust His direction. If I would listen to Him at the beginning, however, things would be less complicated.

  

*God uses mistakes to inspect us.”

How we react to mistakes and trouble will test the strength and reality of our faith. If faith is tested, our endurance has the chance to grow, ultimately building our character and making us into the person we were designed to be. (James 1:2-3) 

 

*God uses mistakes to correct us.*

Sometimes a child has to burn his hand on the stove in order to comprehend his mistake and further give him the sense to resist the next time. No matter how many times a parent says “NO!” the child does his own thing. Don’t we tend to try to do things our own way? Our own way never works.

 

*God uses mistakes to protect us.*

I cannot help but think about the stories I heard in regard to 9/11 with people who were late to work, because of procrastination or whatever they might have been doing instead of being where they normally are in the Twin Towers. So, don’t fret when you have left your cell phone at home…..it may be a diversion to keep you from getting into an accident on the highway.

 

*God uses our mistakes to perfect us.

  

Our relationship with God and people and our character are the only things we can take with us into eternity. We should consider it all joy when we face troubles. If we have a mind to persevere and develop passionate long-suffering we will be prepared for whatever the devil throws at us, or whatever God wants to do next in our lives. God is not interested in complacency; He’s determined to take us to the next level of maturity.

 

Even when we don’t understand or recognize the reason we may be experiencing trouble….or when we question the order and time of things….God is at work on our behalf. Someone once said, “Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched, and moments shared along the way.”

 

WHY ASK WHY?

SCARRED BUT SMARTER…

IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE LIKE HIM,

YOU MUST ALLOW HIM TO GROW YOU!

SUSIE MC 

Verse and Message (Week of January 11-17, 2009) January 14, 2009

 

Psalm 40:6 (The Message)

Doing something for you, bringing something to you – that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious – that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen.

 

Psalm 46:10a (NIV)

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

 

When you are with your spouse, your best friend, a family member, or someone else whom you have a close relationship…have you ever experienced a time when you are able to simply sit together quietly and enjoy a moment of comfortable stillness that doesn’t involve verbal conversation? It’s not awkward, in fact, it’s intimate and understood…peaceful and pleasant. You can be listening to music, sitting on your porch, walking on the beach, watching the sunrise or sunset, cooking, riding your bike, having a picnic, or basking in the sun. If you don’t allow yourself time for this, you are missing out on a rare and beautiful increment of a different kind of quality time.

 

This week started our annual 21 days of prayer and fasting at Church of the Highlands. We have early morning prayer gatherings from 6 am – 7 am Monday through Friday, and Saturday morning prayer time together at 9 am. 

 

So many times we only attempt to connect with God by presenting our requests and petitions of our needs and desires. Also, there are those that only connect with the Father during times of crisis or desperation. Sometimes God just wants us to rest in Him….soak in His presence, without talking to Him. I have come to realize how precious this can be. Time with God is simply that….but sometimes, our time doesn’t need to be goal driven….whether studying the Word, praying, etc….sometimes quality time with the Lord is a worship time of stillness. He delights in this opportunity with us.

 

My buddy Rob wrote a message about what God revealed to him on the first day of prayer this week.  The following is a portion of his writing that confirms why quality time can be a sweet ”still” time to feast on the Spirit. A formal ritual is not His desire….passion in our deeds, purposes, and goals occur once we have obtained an intimate relationship with Him. He wants our hearts……not our sacrifices!

 

*Rob Lagerstrom’s words – blog link http://robservations.blogspot.com/ 

Spending time in extended prayer is like a long soak.  I don’t have to be soaping, scrubbing, and rinsing the whole time.  I can just sit back and soak it all in. Once I realized this I just let my mind float. I quit talking to God and just listened. God took that time to wrap me in His warm embrace.  The music that was playing in the room surrounded me and lifted me up.  I could feel all the other people praying around me as soapy bubbles that soothed me. My mind slowed down. My heart became soft. My pride went limp. My thick skin became supple.

 

Just reading what my friend calls his “Robservation” captures the core of prayer…..it’s difficult to connect with the Almighty until we have soaked in His presence.  How much easier it is to intercede for others and be able to hear from God when we relax and relish in the closeness we can obtain by seeking Him in this capacity. Pastor Steve said it best this morning, “Our focus on God will become ‘laser-like’ when we push away distractions, noise, and static.” He also emphasized that we need to begin changing our direction by seeking Him instead of the “IT” that we are yearning for in our lives. 

 

It’s not about a routine…

It’s not about our plans…

It’s not about our concerns…

It’s about HIM, not the “IT”….

 

S - SEEK HIM completely

O - OBSERVE and Listen

A - ASK for His perfect will, first and foremost

K – KNOCK anytime, His door is open

 

CULTIVATE YOUR PRAYER LIFE BY TAKING TIME TO SOAK IN HIS BEAUTIFUL PRESENCE!

SUSIE MC