Renewing your mind

Don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. I understand your struggles; I know that the world exerts relentless pressure on you, trying to squeeze you into its mold. This is why you need time alone with me. When you open up to me and invite me to transform you, I can work freely in you and accomplish amazing things.  One of my most challenging tasks is renovating your mind, and my spirit is always at work on this project. He does not overwhelm you with his power. Instead, he prompts the prompts you gently and convicts you cleanly – showing you where you need to make changes and helping you develop new attitudes.

Many Christians are unable to discern my will because their minds are entangled in worldliness. The glitter and glamour of this world distract them from me, so they do not since my nearness. As you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, you progress in your ability to discern my good and perfect will. You  also become increasingly aware of my loving presents with you.  This awareness is so pleasurable that it draws you ever closer to me - increasing the effectiveness of my work in you, creating an upward spiral of transformation. Thus you grow not only closer to me but also more like me. This is a foretaste of what is to come when I am fully revealed: you will be like me, for you will see me as I am.  

(From a devotional by Sarah young)

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. (1 John 3:2 NLT)

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17 NLT)

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Footprints

Be strong and courageous. Don’t tremble! Don’t be afraid of them! The LORD your God is the one who is going with you. He won’t abandon you or leave you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 GW)

http://youtu.be/IbAk1WxdSXI

We all walk a path in life.  For some the path is illuminated and obvious where it leads. Others it is more dark, or even pitch black. Still others it wanders into and out of the light. No matter what, or how you may feel god is always right beside you. You might stray from the path, it doesn't mean god leaves you to find your way back in the dark.  He is still there.  

The following poem I think sums it up better than I can. 

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream...

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and

Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;

One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of my life flashed before us,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that many times along the path of my life,

There was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life

This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

You would walk with me all the way;

But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,

There is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why in times when I

needed you the most, you should leave me.

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious

child. I love you, and I would never,

never leave you during your times of

trial and suffering.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

                                                         ~~~~~~

Footprints Prayer

Blinders

While sitting on i66 this morning in traffic it occurred to me that everyone was intently focused straight ahead, not much concerned with what was to their left or right, but intently focused forward.  It was almost as if they had blinders on.  It also occurred to me that we can get so focused on what is in our path, we fail to see the beauty of what god has given us.  We are so intent on focusing all our energy on what we see that we neglect to see the plan god has for each one of us.  I pray that I am always mindful and aware of his will and his plan.  Not to focus on what is in front of me, but to seek his will in all I say and do.

http://youtu.be/86dsfBbZfWs

http://youtu.be/LA_uwWPE6lQ

What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. (Galatians 2:19-21 MSG)

http://youtu.be/8T3EySH-o7w

Grace is free, but isn't cheap.

Grace is free, but isn't cheap.  

Grace

By Mary Fairchild

Definition: Grace is God's unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don't deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

A preacher once explained grace to me with this acronym: 
God's 
Riches 
At 
Christ's 
Expense

God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8 GW)

After all, God’s saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people. (Titus 2:11 GW)

Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this so that the kindness he had given us in his dear Son would be praised and given glory. Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness. (Ephesians 1:4-7 GW)

Normally when we think of cheap we think of something that is either free or costs very little. We often seek the cheep way out of most situations seeking to take the cheep way rather than something that costs us.  When god sent his son he, sent him knowing that he was to be a sacrifice. Costing him everything.  I belelive Jesus knew he was to be a sacrifice.  I believe he knew he was to die on the cross. He knew when he came he was to be our savior, costing him everything.  

Jesus sacrificed everything for us...he bled the ground red on Calvary giving his all so we wouldn't have to die an eternal death.  What will we sacrifice In his name, what will we strive to be better at?    I challenge all who read this to cling to the cross, every minute of every day seek a fresh touch from the father above, his mercies are new each day. Don't let things that happen rob you of the grace Jesus poured out.

Call to worship

Below is my devotional for today, I thought it was worth sharing.

Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God, who made us! Oh yes, he’s our God, and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: “Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’ Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They’ll never get where they’re headed, never be able to sit down and rest.’” (Psalm 95:1-11 MSG)

Twice the psalmist invites us to come before God in praise and worship (95:1, 6). Worship requires relocation. We must leave where we are and enter a place where God can be exalted and glorified. This is not primarily a physical location as much as it is a spiritual and emotional one. It has less to do with our surroundings as with our attention, where and on whom it is focused.

For ancient Israel the call to worship the Lord, “the great King above all gods,” meant that they could no longer dally with idols. To truly worship they must focus on the true God whose awesome grandeur can be perceived in His creation. Israel had to come out of their tendency to bitterly complain against God whenever they felt their needs and comfort were not being sufficiently met. They needed a new vision of themselves as “the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” A proud posture will not do, “Come, let us bow down.

Focus your attention on Him and not the false idols this world extols.

Author: Duane C. Brush

Trust

Below is today's streams in the desert I thought it was worth reposting.

 I trust in thy word" (Ps. 119:42)

 Just in proportion in which we believe that God will do just what He has said, is our faith strong or weak. Faith has nothing to do with feelings, or with impressions, with improbabilities, or with outward appearances. If we desire to couple them with faith, then we are no longer resting on the Word of God because faith needs nothing of the kind. Faith rests on the naked Word of God. When we take Him at His Word, the heart is at peace.

 

God delights to exercise faith, first for blessing in our own souls, then for blessing in the Church at large, and also for those without. But this exercise we shrink from instead of welcoming. When trials come, we should say: "My Heavenly Father puts this cup of trial into my hands, that I may have something sweet afterwards."

 

Trials are the food of faith. Oh, let us leave ourselves in the hands of our Heavenly Father! It is the joy of His heart to do good to all His children.

 

But trials and difficulties are not the only means by which faith is exercised and thereby increased. There is the reading of the Scriptures, that we may by them acquaint ourselves with God as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

 

Are you able to say, from the acquaintance you have made with God, that He is a lovely Being? If not, let me affectionately entreat you to ask God to bring you to this, that you may admire His gentleness and kindness, that you may be able to say how good He is, and what a delight it is to the heart of God to do good to His children.

 

Now the nearer we come to this in our inmost souls, the more ready we are to leave ourselves in His hands, satisfied with all His dealings with us. And when trial comes, we shall say:

 

"I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it." Thus we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others.
--George Mueller

Just a dot

This morning as we left from Ocracoke island North Carolina before sun up I couldn't help but be a little sad. Over the past  three days almost 100 men journeyed to the island with one purpose, to seek and worship the king of kings and lord of lords. This morning on the ferry ride back to cape hatteras  I couldn't help stand on the ferry in wonder and awe at the beauty of his creation as the sun came up over the water. The sun danced over the almost flat calm water painting a beautiful orange sunrise.  To tell the truth I kinda felt like a little dot on top of a huge ball. As the ferry floated over the water I got to thinking of even though I am merely a dot on a ball, he loved this dot enough to send his one and only son to earth in human flesh. Not only to show us the path we should walk, but he came to make the ultimate sacrifice.  He took the nails so I didn't have to. While he was on the   Cross I was on his mind, while he was feeling forsaken by the father, I was on his mind. He went through hell and the grave for me so I wouldn't have to.

I felt absolute peace this morning watching the sun come up over the water  knowing I am 100% his and he is 100% mine. I might just be a dot, but my savior died for this dot!  He died for you too.