Quote from an Andy Stanley Book

Interesting quote :)

"The problem is, the law convicts me of my sin but does nothing to help me overcome it. The law declares me guilty, but it provides no promise of forgiveness. Our only hope in the end is to be delivered and forgiven. The law offers provisions for neither. Jesus, on the other hand, came to this earth to be both deliverer and forgiver." - Andy Stanley in Since Nobody's Perfect...How Good is Good Enough? 

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. (Romans 8:3 NLT)

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. (Psalms 51:10-12 NASB)

I love these verses! They came to me in a time back in college when I was not going hard after God and I was struggling mentally, emotionally, and more importantly, spiritually! God felt distant and My lack of seeking God out was the reason for that distance!

I felt like I had put such a huge gap between me and God that I started doubting we still had a relationship! 

One night, my spirit's desire for God motivated me to pull out my Bible and I started reading. The easiest place to start is always in the book of Psalms. I found myself reading Psalm 51 and the verses (10-12) ripped into my heart and spoke directly to my heart/spirit! I felt God! His presence! He was with me that night! He "renewed a steadfast spirit within me" and "restored the joy of my salvation"! My eyes watered up and joy took over! God spoke to me through His Word! He made sense again and I knew my lack of desire for Him and my lack of seeking Him out was the reason He felt so distant! And I realized that night that one of the quickest ways to bridge the gap between me and God was to read His Word! 

Do you have a story like this or any specific verses that served a similar purpose in your life? Please share...

Matthew 23:11-12

The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11, 12 NIV)

So different from what the world teaches us, isn't it? Lord help me to look at Your life and mimic Your Words and Your actions. Looking at You and how You lived is the only way for me to truly know how to do what You've asked of me in the verses above. Thank You for setting such a great example and for being so graceful, forgiving, and merciful with me when I don't live up to the standards You've set! You are an awesome God and I want all of my life to glorify You! I pray these things in Your Holy Son's name, Jesus...Amen!

Happy Resurrection Day!

“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (Jeremiah 33:2, 3 NIV)

I love these verses! Countless times growing up I can remember my mom repeating these verses from memory to me and my brother! Such a deep promise and bold statement from God to us, His children! God doesn't throw out any "maybes" or "I mights"...He gives us powerful, confident words! "I will tell you GREAT and UNSEARCHABLE things that YOU do not know!"(emphasis mine).

You have to love our God! Happy Resurrection Day!

Wide Awake by Erwin McManus Chapter 6 Highlights

A few weeks ago I made a post about an online "book club" idea (see the post here).  The following post is mostly everything that I stood out to me in the sixth chapter.  You can see my notes from Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and Chapter 5 here. I will continue to make posts for each chapter as I read through the book.  I would love to hear what those of you reading this book thought after reading each chapter so definitely leave comments! Even if you aren't reading through the book, feel free to read the quotes and comment on any that might strike up some thoughts or emotions in you!

Create: The Activist

• The Creator as the ultimate act of creativity, has created you and me to be creative. (pg. 154)
• For them (artists) the boundaries are the parameters, not the limitations. (pg. 155)
• He (God) is the One who takes the zero and from it creates the infinite. And by the way, in case you've been wondering, you are incapable of this. That may be your primary source of frustration in your life. You're trying to create out of nothing. (pg. 156)
• ...our lives are to be more than cheap imitations of another's. That wouldn't even be living; that wouldn't even be existing--that would be torment. All of us long to find our own unique path. Even those who are deeply devoted to Jesus strive to imitate Christ without becoming an imitation. (pg. 157)
• The world, as Paul describes it, will rob you of your uniqueness. If you conform to it, you will lose your soul. You will lose yourself. To conform to Christ is to allow the One who created you to shape your character. It is here that God begins to reclaim, redirect, and unleash your creative potential. To conform to Christ is not to surrender your creative potential but to fully actualize it. (pg. 157)
• --if there is any creativity in us, it is because the creator God put it within us. We have been told that only God is creative, and all we are supposed to do is obey. No wonder people outside the faith see us as controlling and dogmatic. (pg. 157)
• You at your best are not in competition with God but in concert with God. (pg. 157-158)
• Every choice you make has momentum long past the action. Good choices create a better world and a better future. Destructive choices bring pain and tragedy. Either way, you are creating a future for yourself and the people affected by your life. (pg. 159)
• You are responsible for your actions and the consequences of your actions. (pg. 159)
• When Jesus gave us insight into the kingdom of God, he focused not so much on what God would do for us but instead on what he will expect from us. (pg. 160)
• We often convince ourselves that the fastest way to get somewhere in life is the shortest distance between two places. There are times and circumstances where what you did on the way to the destination is all that matters. (pg. 163)
• What Jesus is pressing us to acknowledge here is that some things are in our control. We are responsible to be prepared. We need to live our lives with the knowledge that one day Jesus will come back and evaluate our lives and take into measure the opportunities given to us. There are things that are not only in our control, but also for which we are responsible and will be held accountable. (pg. 163)
• "Life is short. Stay awake for it." (pg. 164)
• Often, the person who has the most luck is the person who won't quit. (pg. 164)
• When we fail, when we blow it, when we fall short because we were unprepared for an opportunity, we blow it off and say, "Well, that must have been the Lord's will." That's a Christianized way of blaming God for our own problems. (pg. 165)
• You Giving your best will honor God. (pg. 166)
• Do now whatever you must to be prepared for the future you desire. (pg. 166)
• You can't be a light if you don't have any oil for your lamp. (pg. 168) (referencing the parable of the ten virgins waiting to meet the bridegroom in Matthew 25:1-12)
• ...what God has entrusted to us, he holds us accountable for. (pg. 170)
• You have no control over how you live, only how well you live. You alone are the steward of your life, and you must choose what you will do with the talent God has given you. (pg. 170)
• We may all be created equal, but we aren't created the same. There are people out there more talented that we are. And yes, it's irritating and at times discouraging. Yet someone less talented can accomplish more than a person with superior talent by working harder. On the other hand, a more talented person might give less effort and still succeed more than the rest of us. Life is anything but fair. (pg. 171)
• Talent you don't use is talent you have abused. To waste what God has put in you is a dishonor to God and a disservice to humanity. (pg. 172)
• God is the source of all creativity, of all beauty, of all that is good in the world. (pg. 172)
• If you don't believe that you're part of the creative process, then just sit at the table tonight and wait until God brings you dinner. (pg. 173)
• ...Your potential will only be fully expressed in relationship to the creative God who made you creative. (pg. 173)
• It would be tragic if only those with the worst of intentions believed they could affect the future of humanity. What would happen if those who believed in love, hope, peace, and the value of human spirit also believed they could effect change in the world? (pg. 173)
• ...you can actually do whatever you want with your life. You've been created by God to choose. I think a lot of us want to abdicate our life responsibility, even our free will. You get to decide what you do today and what you do tomorrow, but you will be accountable for your choices. (pg. 174)
• You may say, "I don't know what career God wants me to have." Do you know what a good starting point is? Quit blaming everything on God. Quit blaming your inability to make a decision. Quit blaming your indecisiveness on God. How about just owning up to the fact that you're afraid to make a choice. (pg. 174)
• We're absolutely afraid of God. We think if we risk and then fail, then God is going to punish us....God, though isn't looking at failure but faithfulness. He's not waiting for you to fail so he can punish you or succeed so he can pillage you. He wants to celebrate your life. (pg. 175)
• God finds no pleasure in the punishment of the wicked. He doesn't find any pleasure punishing the people many of us would love to punish. In the same way, he is not waiting for you to blow it so he can tell you how badly you have done. (pg. 175)
• God does not measure success the way we do. (pg. 175)
• Every time God created, it was good. (pg. 178)
• You want to know what your role is in the creative process? You are created by God to expand the good....Most of us understand that we're not created to be evil, but we act as if we were created to be neutral....God designed you to be an expression of his goodness. (pg. 178)
• God loves when his children reflect his character. (pg. 179)
• Jesus makes clear that the righteous people in his parable didn't help the poor try to earn God's love or earn a place in God's kingdom. Their service to others was a genuine reflection of their hearts. (pg. 179)
• This is your life and no one else's--so own it. It's your responsibility to maximize your capacity, to take an inventory of who you are and to understand how God has designed you, to harness all the talent and skills God has placed in you, and to recognize that you will not be measured against anyone else's life but your own. (pg. 179)
• You will only expand the good when your life is fueled by love and proved by action. It's not enough to feel empathy for others; you have to take some kind of action that reflects the heart of God as you serve the world. (pg. 180)
• Even while we are meeting the needs of others, God has a wonderful way of meeting our needs. When your dreams include the good of others, don't be surprised when God brings your dreams to pass. (pg. 181)
• God did not create you to be neutral; God did not create you to be a puppet; God did not create you to simply walk through life passively concluding, Whatever God's going to do, God's going to do. You can't create out of nothing, but don't underestimate the amazing potential that resides within you. (pg. 184)
• When you become an activist you become proactive. To create you must act. (pg. 185)

Sunday Summary 3/18/12

Matthew 26:37–38

 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

What an amazing set of sermons yesterday delivered by head pastor Jon Davis at Summit Church.  He Spoke on the power of God's touch and how Jesus knows our pain because He carried it for us!  The above verses really touched my soul and gave me a greater appreciation and understanding of the what Jesus went through for us on the cross! 

In the above verses, we see Jesus open up His heart to His disciples stating "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death."  What a powerful statement coming from our Almighty God!  Why was Jesus so overwhelmed with sorrow?  Because He had the weight of the world, the sin of the world, the hurt of the world on His shoulders!  He carried all of that and went through everything that He went through on the cross...for us!  He understands our pains!  He understands our sorrows!  He has been there, and through His death on the cross and His resurrection, He demolished any hold our hurts, wrongdoings, and sorrows could ever have on us. 

We have to stop falling for satan's lies.  The devil tells us that we are all alone, that nobody knows what we are dealing with, and that we have strayed too far for God to ever love/forgive us.  Those are all lies!  God wants to forgive us of our pasts!  He wants to join in an amazing relationship with each and every one of us!  Let's stop making excuses and accept God's amazing gift! .

--

God Bless

Jon Abercrombie
holybloggers.blogspot.com

Mark 12:28-31

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating.
   Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked
   him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
   "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O
   Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord
   your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
   all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is
   this: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
   commandment greater than these."

   Mark 12:28-31

A Different World...?

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
   arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so
   uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides
   us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do
   good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and
   willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for
   themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that
   they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

   1 Timothy 6:17-19

How different would the world be right now if we lived by these verses?

Think about it...

Psalm 43:1-5

O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; rescue
me from deceitful and wicked men. You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy? Send forth your light and your
truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy
mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to
the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will
praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you
downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your
hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my
God.

Psalm 43:1-5

Complacency...

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith
goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge,
self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you
possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will
keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8

These verses made me think about how complacent I get in my life sometimes. I settle for where I am instead of pushing to be better...to be more like Jesus. What are some ways you can think of to always be growing in these areas?

How nice will this day be...?

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be
established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised
above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many
peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He
will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle
disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will
not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for
war anymore.

Isaiah 2:2-4

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

An End to Habitual Sin by Charles Stanley

Thursday, December 02, 2010

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:10-11

Satan looks for weak spots in a believer’s life where he can set up a stronghold. Once his fortress is established, he knows that the person will justify it, defend it, and keep adding bricks to it, one sin at a time. The appeal can be so strong that we return to a habitual sin even after confessing before God. Satan whispers, “One more time won’t hurt,” and we fall to temptation again.

Just as in medieval times when armies warred over high rock fortresses, a sin stronghold is usually the ground for a skirmish. We might expect the fight to be primarily between God and Satan, but that’s not the case—the Lord can knock down the Devil’s walls instantly. Instead, the struggle goes on within our spirit: Do
we want God to break our habit or not?

Giving up habitual sin is hard. The sinner finds comfort, pleasure, and/or satisfaction in the practice. Hot on the heels of those emotions, however, are guilt, shame, and despair, which drive a person to plead for help. But holy God cannot cleanse unrighteousness until people genuinely repent. True repentance means that a believer sees a sin for the wickedness that it is and turns his back on it. And we turn away as often as it takes—one time, a hundred times, or every single day for the rest of our lives.

Just thinking about giving up a sinful habit brings some people to the brink of despair. They want to be free of a stronghold, but the thought of resisting temptation makes them feel weak. Here is good news: the Holy Spirit’s power is enough to enable any believer to walk away. That includes you.

Copyright 2010 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.

Simple Ways to Pay it Forward...

Came across this list online today for simple ways to "pay it forward" in our daily lives...check them out...

-When getting off of a long airplane flight, leave that magazine you bought at the airport. The next flyer won't be stuck with nothing to read but the boring airlines magazine.

-This idea didn't even used to be considered a good deed, but common courtesy. Sadly though, I am truly shocked when someone stands and holds open a door for me nowadays. Try it sometime. It's not a sexist thing. It doesn't matter if you are man or woman, or the other person's gender either. Simply hold open the door for someone behind you and let them step in first. Bonus points if it's cold, raining, or you're in a really big hurry.

-If you have a great waiter or waitress, go out of your way to let them personally know how much you appreciate them. We humans are quick to complain, but usually accept great service with no recognition. Try asking your waiter for the manager. When he or she brings back his/her boss, tell the manager what an excellent employee they hired. It doesn't hurt to give a generous tip as well.

What are some other simple ways we can "pay it forward" in our day-to-day lives?  To post a comment click on the "Comment" link below, or click on the topic header "Simple Ways to Pay it Forward..." at the top and follow the on-screen instructions to post your thoughts/comments.

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

Reading these verses this morning had me thinking...if nothing can separate us from God why does He sometimes feel so distant? I feel like God told me that I/we distance ourselves from God...not Him from us.  We get so wrapped up in our own little world that we feel we don't need God for the day to day stuff...we only want Him around when something "big" happens.  Because we have gotten in the habit of doing things our own way when things are good, when we feel like we really "need" Him, we aren't sure where to look, so He feels distant...God is never far away from us...in the good times and the bad!  

It is our pride and our selfishness that makes us believe we can do things our own way and that we don't need God...it is only when reality kicks us in the face that we realize how screwed up we are as humans and how much we really need God to guide us through the highs and lows of life!  Surrendering our lives to Christ is hard...something that has to be done daily, hourly, or maybe even minute by minute!

God Bless...

Psalm 27:11-14

Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.  Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait or the LORD.

Psalm 27:11-14

Do Not Give the Devil a Foothold...

This video gives an example of what could happen in our lives, and the lives of others we have relationships with, when we let Satan cling to an area of our life. This video more specifically deals with Ephesians 4:26-27:

26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.


Satan comes to dinner from Seacoast Church on Vimeo.

This video may seem a little dramatic, but I feel that it helps show how Satan makes fun of the turmoil he helps create in our lives. It is his mission to destroy our lives and the lives of our families and to put as many barriers between us and God as he can.

We should really try to settle any disputes with have with others, especially our spouses and family members, as quickly as possible! The longer an issue lingers, the more anger and resentment we will feel towards the other person. Don't let pride or selfishness get in the way of doing what God calls you to do...

Psalm 18:2-3

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.  

Psalms 18:2-3

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MY GOD IS MY ROCK!!!  I love that!  I like how the word "horn" here means "strength"!  We get our strength from God!  I also love in Verse 3 where it says "I call to the LORD...and I am saved"!!!!  Lord help me remember these verses and let them sink into my mind and heart and give me strength to carry on!

James 1:5-8

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

James 1:5-8


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I went over these verses recently and they really spoke to me!  I know I lack wisdom and the one person I can get it from is God, but I haven't been going to Him like I should.  Too often I rely on my own abilities and resources to handle situations when in reality, nothing I do could be accomplished without God.  It also pointed areas where I doubt God and HIS abilities!  Lord, help me take you out of the box and help me stop doubting You and Your awesomeness!