RelationSHIPS....

"As in all aspects of our life in relationship we have to realize the importance of the work of God in us during the relationship.  We can become focused on what the other person should be doing or fixing, but God wants us listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us.  This is how we can learn and know how to navigate the “SHIP” or abandon the “SHIP”."

- Relation"SHIP" p. 53 - "I" Can Relate: How Not to Lose Yourself in Relationships by Wanda L. Scott

People stay in relationships - bad relationships - dead relationships because they at least know "that" pain.  They know how "that" person will hurt them. Sometimes they are afraid to hope for something better. They are afraid to hope that there is someone who will love them, respect them, cherish them...  

It is our human nature to accept what is easier especially if we have not seen anything different or don't expect anything different. 

I see people walking together lifeless in their relationship........

I see people sitting together lifeless in their relationship..........

Communication is dead. Love is dead. Hope is gone. BUT we serve a God who restores, repairs, and does the supernatural to any heart and any relationship! Hallelujah & Amen.

Psalm 84¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. ¹² O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

I declare and decree that anything that is dead in relationships will either come to life in the name of Jesus, or either it will be removed, released, retired, fired or thrown away for the new thing God has ordained and prepared for those that hope in Him....in the name of Jesus Amen. 

Practice for 2016

“Practice what you preach.”   “Did you go to football practice today?” 

“How many days a week do you practice?”

“I practice Medicine….”  “My practice is to read at least one book a month.”

How many of you have heard or said any of these common phrases or statements?  What do you practice? We spend our time and sincere effort doing a lot of things.  Practice is an investment of time and effort, so that typically means that if we practice something, we put value in it. The bible says some interesting things about what you practice.  I know in 2016 I will be practicing following and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  I will be practicing using my gifts, skills and abilities that God has given me to His glory.  I will be practicing at spending time with God in His word and in prayer.  These are the things that will bring joy.  These things will bring me peace.  These habits that I will practice will help me operate in the kingdom of God so His will will be done and His kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven. 

So what will you practice in 2016?

1 John 1⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 3⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

The bible is full of God’s people practicing other things that only brought them destruction and strained their relationship with God.  We even see in Psalm 141 David praying for God to help him not practice evil…

Psalm 141⁴ Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity…

It is my hope for you and I that we practice love, first of all loving God by worshiping and obeying Him, and second by loving one another.

1 John 3¹⁶ By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. ²⁰ For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. ²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. ²³ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. ²⁴ Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Here’s to purposeful practice in 2016!

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.