The God Influence

@2015  A Poem from "I" Can Relate: How Not to Lose Yourself in Relationships

Who has influenced you?

God wants to…

What has defined you?

Until you read God’s word,

You won’t know the truth.

What do you think of yourself?

You were created by God himself.

His love will define you.

His love should influence you.

His love is always thinking of you.

His love is waiting on you.

WLS

The Secret of Joy

What are you?  Are you allowing God to enable you to be a witness for Him (Acts 1:8), so that you can make disciples (Matthew 28:19)? Oswald Chambers says in The Method of Missions that “….you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself.” 

This is a powerful statement, yet it is simple.  The power of it can sometimes escape us if we have not truly evaluated to see if we are allowing ourselves to be discipled by the Lord Jesus.  So what does the word Disciple mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: as a convinced adherent of a school or individual; a student or a pupil.  This means if you are a disciple of Jesus that you are learning about and from Jesus, and are convinced in the doctrine (teachings) of the bible.  Does that describe you?

Oswald goes on to say, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20).  I want the secret of joy…don’t you?  I am a witness to Oswald’s statement, because I can feel the peace and joy of the Lord when I am walking in the Spirit in close relationship with God. Our right relationship comes through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

So who is for Joy?  Let’s not just do church work, let’s not just do community service, let’s be in right relationship with God as His disciples serving Him with joy. 

Rejoice!

I am so excited.  I literally feel joy welling up inside of me.  It feels good.  Smile.  I am believing God for so much right now, trying to remain hopeful and needing a miracle.  What excites me besides my love and hope in God is the fact that I see God moving all around me in the lives of people I know.  I know God is always moving, but when it is in the lives of those close to me, I know I am next!  Hallelujah. 

I am rejoicing with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I love to see God move in the lives of the ones He loves…it encourages me because it confirms that He answers prayer.  It encourages me because it proves His faithfulness and that He cares.  I love the Lord and know that He is no respecter of persons, so my miracle is on the way.  Amen!

Romans 12:¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.  ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another…….