True & Not True

Just because I don't believe it doesn't mean that it's not true.
Just because I believe it doesn't mean that it is true.

People have been believing lies and not believing truths for centuries. And most of the time, they don't know the difference. They're not aware that they're believing lies and not believing truths - because they never imagine that they could believe anything that's not true.

True Happiness

True happiness is not in our power to attain. Humans are simply not capable of that which they aspire to. The problem? We will always want more than we have - and will never be happy with what we've got.

Waiting On the Lord

Waiting on the Lord means living with the very real expectation that God will fulfill His promises in His Word and strengthen us to rise above life's challenges.

Free Will

The desire to move away from restrictions - to gain our freedom - can also move us completely outside of God's will.

Strength Revealed

Oddly enough, the strongest man in the history of the world (Jesus) exhibited His great strength in humility, suffering for those He loved.

Christian Teachers

As Christians who teach or preach, we do not merely teach lessons from the life of a good teacher (Jesus). Rather we proclaim the reality of the resurrection of Christ. It has significant meaning that changes everything.

Disappearing Opposition

If we are faithful to God, obeying Him, honoring Him and seeking Him - He will make opposition in our lives disappear. Said differently, those who faithfully obey, honor and seek God can expect His favor in all aspects of their lives.

Good Judgment

God doesn't demand that our judgment be perfect in all situations. He simply expects us to trust in Him and then make the best decisions that we know how to make based on the information we have, the best criteria we can identify ... and our trust in God.

Making Life Work

When we stay in constant contact with God, we are much less likely to create painful circumstances for ourselves or others. Moreover, trying to control our own lives without God leads to struggle and confusion. He is the answer.

Wisdom Revealed

Wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. Most of us can find compelling reasons (justification) for anything we've done or want to do. But if we do not examine that thinking in the light of God's truth, we are very likely to end up sincerely wrong. Real truth can only be confirmed when it stands in the light of God's final Word.

Character Revealed

A person's character is revealed by his or her response to the unexpected ... and the unobserved or unpunished. No matter what you say or do - your moral condition is really revealed in the things you would do if you knew no one would ever find out, there would be no consequences and God wouldn't judge you for it.

Truth & Evil

Truth and evil have an interesting relationship. Great evil can happen when truth is at the mercy of political pressure or popular opinion. In fact, in such circumstances, great righteousness can be trampled. Resisting the truth, bowing to other influences such as social custom or politics, leaves people without purpose or direction. Evil can make it seems as if truth doesn't even exist!

Answered Prayer

God will answer your prayers - giving you what you ask for. But He won't do it as a result of my positive attitude or my actually believing in prayer. Several conditions must be met in order for prayer to be answered in way that gives me what I've asked for.

1. You must be a Christ-follower. Your belief must have turned into action and changed behaviors.
2. You must not hold a grudge against anyone. Unforgiveness blocks effective prayer.
3. You must no be praying with selfish or otherwise wrong motives. Your heart must be aligned with God's.
4. Your request must be for the good of God's Kingdom - rather than for the good of your own current or near-future circumstances.
5. You must have faith in God versus faith in the object of your prayer. Believing on a promise or on a request is not the same as faith in God.

The kind of prayer that Jesus referred to in Mark 11 - that moves mountains - is prayer for the fruitfulness of God's Kingdom.

God Reveals

As God reveals Himself through nature, we learn about His power and our finiteness. His existence.

As God reveals Himself through Scripture, we learn about His holiness and our own sinfulness. His plan.

As God reveals Himself through our daily experiences, we learn about His gracious forgiveness that frees us from guilt. Our relationship with Him.

Psalm 19 (See also Romans 1:19-20)

Leadership Test

Look over your shoulder and see if anyone is following you. If they are - you're a leader. Likewise, if you're in a position where someone could be following, that position requires a leader.

Church Elders

Church elders are supposed to be leaders who are developing other leaders. But they can't lead if their marriages are not based on integrity, their lives have no character, and they are not already engaged in discipling others.

God's Strength

God is a shield to protect us when we're weak. But He does not want us to remain weak. He strengthens us, protects us and fortifies us so that he can send us back into an evil world to fight for His kingdom. (Psalm 18:30)

Happiness & Joy

Happiness is temporary because it is based on circumstances ... which of course we cannot control. But joy is lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we contemplate His daily presence, we find contentment. As we understand the future He has for us, we experience joy. Circumstances could never reflect the truth of my situation. They could also never offer true joy.

Christian Speech

Perhaps nothing so distinguishes a true Christ-follower as their ability to control their speech. They speak quiet truth, refuse to slander or gossip, keep promises they make and are slow to anger or respond without thought.

Praise & Worship

Praise is simply expressing my appreciation to God and expressing my understanding of His worth. It means saying thank you for each of His divine attributes. My inward attitude becomes outward expression. My head knowledge moves to my heart. When I praise God, I'm expanding my awareness of who He is.

Knowing Enough

We can never know enough to answer all of life's questions. Even God is incomprehensible. I can't ever know Him completely in this life. Our lives will always create more questions than answers. So I must continue in my search for wisdom, being like a sponge with my Bible and prayers to seek and find God's wisdom to sustain me through all of life's unanswered questions.

Greatest Challenge

The greatest challenge that God may ever give me is that of not knowing why. Being informed gives me a sense of security. So even bad circumstances are more bearable if I can understand them. But God may call me to endure without knowing why. I have to trust God's goodness even when my circumstances don't look good. If He didn't call me to walk without this understanding, I probably wouldn't ever get sufficiently tested - and my faith might never really grow.

Wisdom Created

God created wisdom. He measured it. He examined it. He tested it for us. The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; and to forsake evil is real understanding. (See Proverbs 1:7-9)

Wisdom

People don't know where to find wisdom - and yet we all want to be viewed as wise. But wisdom cannot be found among the living. The ultimate interpretation of life - who we are and where we're going - must come from God.

God's Insructions

In Leviticus 9:6, Moses said to the people, "When you have followed these instructions from the Lord, the glorious presence of the Lord will appear to you."

Am I following His instructions? Does His glorious presence appear to me? Consistently?

Generous & Faithful

Generous people aren't necessarily faithful to God. But truly faithful people are always very generous.

Stress

In the pressure of the moment, we often cannot focus on the real cause of our stares, and are tempted to think only of the quickest way of escape. I must focus on God's power and wisdom to help me deal with the real causes of my stress.

Prophecy & Music

Prophesy and music are often closely related in the Bible.

"... you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying." - 1 Samuel 10:5

"... for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals ..." - 1 Chronicles 25:1

So what is the connection that God makes between prophesy and music? Why do you think He makes it?

Prayerful Guidance

Sometimes we know what to do, but we keep on praying for guidance - probably as a subconscious effort to postpone doing it for whatever reasons we may have. If we know what we should do, then it is time to act. Continuing to pray will not enhance our position.

Leadership Reaction

Leadership often involves reaction. IF we want to react with instincts consistent with God's will, we must develop habits of obedience to God. Consistent obedience to God is best developed in times of less stress - when our focus isn't stretched so thin.