Be encouraged today by this scripture from the Young's Literal Translation version of the Bible:
"Here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord's battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked."
1 Timothy 1:18-20 (YLT)
Do what you KNOW is right and you will get the right results; peace, strength and joy will always follow when all is said and done.
Be In courage, even the more!!
Blessings and love,
Linda Michelle
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Shift your thinking UPward!
In order to go up we must set our focus in the direction we are headed. Here are some "Words of wisdom", from various sources, that encourage the same message of Hope: Look UP and and go UP; move from the place of hopelessness into the center of Hope. If you are in the center of hope, advance into the swing of activation. If you are in the swing of activation, take hold of the manifestation of fullness and reap the rewards of your faith. Continue pressing onward and UpWard, towards your goals. Remember, Quitting is NOT an option!!
"Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings." (author unknown)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt.
"....If we base our self-worth on the approval of others, then we are actually saying that our ability to please others is of greater value than Christ's payment. We are the sinners, the depraved, the wretched, and the helpless. He is the loving Father, the seeking, searching, patient Savior who has made atonement for the lost, and has extended to us His grace and sonship. We add nothing to our salvation. It is God who seeks us out, convicts us of sin, and reveals Himself to us. It is God who gives us the very faith with which to accept Him. Our faith is simply our response to what He has done for us."
"So than, our worth lies in the fact that Christ's blood has paid for our sins; therefore, we are reconciled to God. We are accepted on that basis alone, but does this great truth indicate that we don't need other people in our lives? On the contrary, God very often uses other believers to demonstrate His love and
acceptance to us. The strength, comfort, encouragement, and love of Christians towards one another is a visible expression of God's love. However, our acceptance and worth are not dependant on other's acceptance of us, even if they are fellow believers. Whether they accept us or not, we are still deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted, and complete in Christ. He alone is the final authority on our worth and acceptance."- Robert S. McGee, The Search for Significance.
"In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." - Isaiah 30:15
Be IN courage, even the more!!
"Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings." (author unknown)
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt.
"....If we base our self-worth on the approval of others, then we are actually saying that our ability to please others is of greater value than Christ's payment. We are the sinners, the depraved, the wretched, and the helpless. He is the loving Father, the seeking, searching, patient Savior who has made atonement for the lost, and has extended to us His grace and sonship. We add nothing to our salvation. It is God who seeks us out, convicts us of sin, and reveals Himself to us. It is God who gives us the very faith with which to accept Him. Our faith is simply our response to what He has done for us."
"So than, our worth lies in the fact that Christ's blood has paid for our sins; therefore, we are reconciled to God. We are accepted on that basis alone, but does this great truth indicate that we don't need other people in our lives? On the contrary, God very often uses other believers to demonstrate His love and
acceptance to us. The strength, comfort, encouragement, and love of Christians towards one another is a visible expression of God's love. However, our acceptance and worth are not dependant on other's acceptance of us, even if they are fellow believers. Whether they accept us or not, we are still deeply loved, completely forgiven, fully pleasing, totally accepted, and complete in Christ. He alone is the final authority on our worth and acceptance."- Robert S. McGee, The Search for Significance."In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength." - Isaiah 30:15
Be IN courage, even the more!!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
What's The Good of Prayer?
This is from one of my favorite devotions, "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers". It is from last week, but just as vital today.
Read, receive and be renewed with hope.
August 28th.
WHAT'S THE GOOD OF PRAYER?
"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1
It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.
"Ask and ye shall receive." We grouse before God, we are apologetic or apathetic, but we ask very few things. Yet what a splendid audacity a childlike child has! Our Lord says - "Except ye become as little children." Ask, and God will do. Give Jesus Christ a chance, give Him elbow room, and no man will ever do this unless he is at his wits' end. When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get into touch with Reality. Be yourself before God and present your problems, the things you know you have come to your wits' end over. As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
It is not so true that "prayer changes things" as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man's disposition.
Be IN Courage!
Read, receive and be renewed with hope.
August 28th.
WHAT'S THE GOOD OF PRAYER?
"Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1
It is not part of the life of a natural man to pray. We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life if he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a man is born from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve that life or nourish it. Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.
"Ask and ye shall receive." We grouse before God, we are apologetic or apathetic, but we ask very few things. Yet what a splendid audacity a childlike child has! Our Lord says - "Except ye become as little children." Ask, and God will do. Give Jesus Christ a chance, give Him elbow room, and no man will ever do this unless he is at his wits' end. When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get into touch with Reality. Be yourself before God and present your problems, the things you know you have come to your wits' end over. As long as you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.
It is not so true that "prayer changes things" as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man's disposition.
Be IN Courage!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)