MODERN DAY PROPHET

Enough Forgiveness

2011-11-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

God has not only forgiven me - but He has provided me with all of the forgiveness that I would ever really need. (So it doesn't really matter if people refuse to forgive me.) I can obediently make my amends to those from whom I want forgiveness. But my victorious living isn't dependent on their granting me that forgiveness.

Stages of Belief

2011-08-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

Generally speaking, there tend to be four (4) distinct phases of belief. It is through these phases that we each acquire our most significant belief systems in life.

1. It is too absurd to be true. It's impossible to believe. Doesn't make sense.

2. I'm investigating and considering the facts, but am still puzzled --- and not convinced.

3. Personal experience occurs; a personal encounter with the truth causes me to accept the facts as truth. I'm no longer puzzled or confused about the matter.

4. Because of my conviction, I now commit myself to the truth and begin to behave differently as a result of what I now believe.

Taking Charge

2011-08-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Often times we find ourselves in difficult situations where it is tempting to take matters into our own hands and force the issue. Most often, such moves lead to sin though. The more perplexing the dilemma, the more important it is that I first turn to God and ask Him to lead my response.

Holy & Righteous

2011-08-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

When I confess my sins to God, He not only forgives me, but He declares me to be holy and righteous. That is not because of what I've done or not done. Rather it is because of who God is.

Sin of Unbelief

2011-08-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

According to Jesus, not believing in Him is a sin! (John 16:8-9 NLT)

Holy Spirit's Role

2011-08-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit both a "Counselor" and a "Spirit of Truth." He is both. The "Counselor" encourages, helps, and strengthens us. His "Spirit of Truth" teaches, illuminates, and reminds us of the truth that God has revealed to us through His Word, through other people and yes, even through His Spirit.

Knowing His Love

2011-08-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

We cannot possibly know the depth of Jesus' love for us until we are able to comprehend the fact that He knows us completely. Otherwise, we are fooled into thinking or believing that He must love the people we pretend to be --- versus the sinners that we really are.

Age & Experience

2011-08-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

Age and experience tend to humble us as we become more aware and more conscious of our sinful nature and our desparate need for a Savior.

Suffering's Training

2011-08-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's been said that suffering is the training ground for spiritual maturity. Does that mean that those who haven't suffered can't truly be spiritually mature?

Restoring the Broken

2011-08-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

Almost every miracle that Jesus ever performed involved restoration of fallen creation. He restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and made the lame to walk. He even raised the dead. We must remember that He is the God who continues His creation --- by renewing life in the weak, depressed, bi-polar, obese, alcoholic, orphaned, drug addicted, abandoned, oppressed, poor, discouraged, abused and others who are in desperate need of renewal and re-creation.

Sin's Choices

2011-08-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4:15 reminds me that I don't have to sin when I am tempted. It is a choice that I make ... or that I (foolishly) allow others to make for me.

Priorities

2011-08-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that life is just a string of choices. And I have to decide.

Am I more intersted in being right ... or being reconciled (to those with whom I have a difference)?
Am I more interested in personal power and influence ... or in participation and community?
Am I more interested in domination and control ... or service to others?
Am I more interested in getting what I want ... or giving what I cherish?

It would seem that the answers to questions like these really form the basis for my character.

Paying Attention

2011-08-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

Paying careful attention (to anything or anyone) is hard work. It involves focusing our mind, body and senses.

Confirm or Deny?

2011-08-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

It's been said that people don't always do what they say - but they will always do what they believe. Does your life confirm or contradict what you say you believe?

Effective Christian

2011-08-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

The marks of an effective Christian life are that he (or she) can stand firm amidst persecution, are faithful in their work, are full of loving deeds, and lives in eager anticipation of the Lord's return. How are you doing?

Victory Incomplete?

2011-08-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

So when I struggle with sin pattern in my life (like maybe losing weight or sticking to a financial budget), is the fact that I'm not completely victorious yet evidence that my victory is incomplete? Or is it instead evidence that I am trapped in sin? Am I trying to justify my own sin, waiting for someone else (maybe God) to take responsibility for it and give me victory over it? (1 John 3:8-0 & notes.)

Growing Up

2011-08-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Once we see our need for Godand His Word - and begin to find nourishment in Christ Jesus, our spiritual appetite will increase - and we will start to mature spiritually.

Being Different

2011-08-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

As Christians, Jesus expects us to think clearly, exercise self-control, and stay focused on the things that matter to Him. We are to be quite different than the world we live in.

True Love

2011-08-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Sincere love involves self-less giving --- much like Jesus' love, giving of Himself for me. A self-centered person then is incapable of truly loving anyone else (besides themselves).

Blog Resumes

2011-05-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, the long hiatus is officially over. Blogspot appears to have resolved the formatting issues that were so troubling to me. So effective June 1st, I will resume publishing the VictoriousConqueror blog. On August 1st I will resume publishing DearVictorious and ModernDayProphet blogs.

http://www.victoriousconqueror.blogspot.com/
The musings of committed Christ follower on life and application of spiritual principles.

http://www.dearvictorious.blogspot.com/
Answering any and all questions that people have about faith and its practical application.

http://www.moderndayprophet.blogspot.com/
Words of prophecy revealed to me during my own personal time with the Lord each day.

Pride's Control

2011-03-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever I find myself wanting to do things my way or looking down on other people disapprovingly, I am being controlled by my pride. Only when I eliminate my pride can God help me be all He meant me to be.

Rationalize & Justify

2011-03-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

People can rationalize anything if they have no standard for judging right from wrong. We can always "prove" that we are right. Often it starts by simply saying something like, "There's nothing wrong with ...."

Wise People

2011-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

The person who has wisdom is loving and faithful. He trusts in the Lord, puts God first, turns way from evil, knows right from wrong, listens and learns, and strive to do what's right. He possesses knowledge and discretion, hates pride, arrogance and evil behavior. He respects and fears God, gives good advice and has common sense. He loves and accepts correction, is teachable and knows God. (Proverbs 3 & 4, Proverbs 8:9)

Where Glory Lies

2011-03-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

The glory of a battle is in the hope of winning. But the glory of peace making is that it may actually produce two winners - who realize that it is far better to be reconciled than it is to be right (or to "win").

Achievements

2011-03-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

Achievements are simply examples of what God can do through someone's life. The most effective leaders spoken of in the Bible had little awareness of the impact of their lives on others. They were too busy obeying God to keep track of their own successes.

Great leaders, through whom God does great things, put themselves in positions to be used by God like that because they dedicate themselves to studying God's Word, they lead with the intent to make practical application of God's Word, they are purposefully obedient to God's Word and finally, they teach God's Word to others. It is through this "to do" list that they become most useful to God.

Remembering God

2011-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

I must intentionally remember all that God has already done for me - and it's a lot - so that I won't be drawn away from Him by the world's pleasures. The world's "gods" are enticing with power, influence, sex, money, fame, etc. But God is much more than all of that together even. He is the desire of my heart. Let my head be conscious of the truth in my heart every minute of every day.

Heart of Evangelism

2011-03-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

It is said that some of us have a spiritual gift of evangelism. But I'm not sure that's really accurate. It seems to me that when we truly comprehend God's majesty and goodness, we cannot help but tell others about Him. Witnessing comes naturally when our hearts are full of appreciation for who God is and what God has done.

Strong Believers

2011-03-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

Psalm 92:10 says, "But You have made me as strong as a wild bull. How refreshed I am by Your power."

God's true followers are upright, strong and immovable. We are not moved or swayed by our circumstances. God's Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ in us, make us that way. We are defined that way. When we place our faith firmly in God, we can have this strength and vitality in our everyday lives. We can live true to who we are in Christ. If I live any other way, then I am not living as Christ intended. Jesus' death on the cross was purposed for my victorious life.

Expensive Obedience

2011-03-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

The Bible calls each of us to be submitted and obedient to the will of God. What many of us fail to realize though is that obedience will always cost you something. It is never free. But the thing is, often we can't know the price of obedience before we commit ourselves to it. So can you commit to something before you know it's price? That is precisely what God calls His followers to do.

Sinner's Prayer

2011-03-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, how can I know all the sins that may be lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from hidden faults. Keep me from deliberate sin. Don't let them control me. Help me to rise up against the darkness that wants to control me - from within me. And may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be please to you, Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Children

2011-03-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord, I pray for my children - as I have so many times before. They are dear to me, Lord. They are embedded in my heart forever. Perhaps that is why my heart aches when I see them making wrong choices that threaten their ability to lead victorious lives in Christ.

Conflict's Root(s)

2011-03-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Wherever there is conflict, there is sin. The challenge is to find the sin and identify it's owner(s). Then of course the sin must be confessed, repented of, turned from, etc. Conflict has that firm of a foundation.

How God Works

2011-03-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

God seems to work in the world through one of three different ways.

1. Natural Order - where God sets in action (through creation) a normal working of the universe and everything in it. This includes His revealing His will to people through His Word and even through their consiences.

2. Miracles - where God breaks into the natural order of things to respond to expressed needs of the people.

3. Providence - where God overrules the natural order to accomplish something that His people may or may not have asked Him for. (This often looks like coincidences or irony.)

Leadership's Greatness

2011-03-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

The greatness of a leader is usually limited to the quality of his advisors.

Non-Believers vs. Believers

2011-03-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Non-believers (in Jesus) are victims of life, swept along by its current and wondering if there is any meaning to it. Believers, however, can use life well because they understand its true purpose. For believers, even death holds no terrors --- Christ has conquered all fears.

Sin's Foundation

2011-03-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Temptation (to sin) is very often the combination of a real need coupled with a possible doubt --- which creates an inappropriate desire.

Hearing & Listening

2011-03-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

We hear with our ears. But there is a deeper kind of listening with the mind and heart that is necessary in order to gain spiritual understanding from Jesus' (God's) words. Without this deeper kind of hearing, we can never really comprehend Biblical truth. (Mark 4)

Forgiving Others

2011-03-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

As Christians we should forgive as we have been forgiven. Matthew 6:12 and Ephesians 4:31-32 tell us about that. True forgiveness means that we treat the one that we've forgiven as we would want to be treated - or even better!

Prayer Requests

2011-03-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

You may ask God for what you want. But don't be surprised if, instead, He gives you what you need.

My Future

2011-03-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

It is not God's nature to reveal my future to me. Rather He walks with me as my future unfolds.

Believing Jesus

2011-03-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Jesus performed many miracles so that people could easier believe in Him. People today need to see Christ's power in transformed lives, through fresh encounters with His Spirit, etc. in order to fully believe and to live out what they believe.

Seeing Self

2011-03-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

When we truly understand who Christ is, our pride and self importance melt away. And finally, we have ourselves in the proper perspective.

Believing

2011-03-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Believing does not occur in the mind. Believing is an action. It is making decisions and living out choices that would fail if our beliefs were not based on what is true.

Christian Suffering

2011-03-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

In the second century, the church father Tertullian wrote that, "The blood of Christians is the seed of the church." He'd observed that because of the persecution of the church, it just grew even faster. So today, if I suffer in doing God's work, it helps me know Christ better, makes me more determined, etc. Beyond me though, it actually makes the global church and the overall Christian faith grow stronger.

Self Righteousness

2011-03-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

Self righteousness is usually something that creeps up on us. It occurs when we believe that we deserve something ... maybe just respect. But self righteousness is a dangerous tool. It usually leads to pride, causes us to not really love others and most of all - it prevents us from learning anything from God.

Self righteousness comes about when I am focused on how right I am (or how wrong you are). But it is blinding. How right I am is rarely the point.

Stages of Belief

2011-03-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

There are four (4) stages of belief:

1. See it as impossible to believe. Perhaps a fairy tale?
2. Investigate the facts but still unconvinced. Maybe want to believe but just can't.
3. Encounter Jesus personally on this issue and He begins to provide the belief.
4. Commit myself to Jesus and to serving Him, then begin to fully understand and live the reality of what I now believe.

True Faith

2011-03-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

True faith is simply a complete trust in and loyalty to God that results in an open and ongoing willingness to do His will. Do I have that?

Godly Correction

2011-03-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

To rebuke someone means to bring sin to a person's attention with the purpose of reconciling him or her to God and other people. When I rebuke someone, it is NOT about putting them in their place, calling them out, etc. So when I rebuke someone, I must check my attitude before I speak. Do I love that individual? Am I willing to forgive that individual? Is love the real motive that I have for speaking to them about this sin that I observe in their life?

Financial Priorities

2011-03-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

If your financial goals and priorities and/or your possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving on others, or serving God - sell whatever you must to bring your life into proper perspective. Similarly, if your lifestyle is so large that it hinders your obedience to God - downsize and live a simpler life. It is what God expects of you.

Measuring Greatness

2011-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

The level of care and genuine concern that we show for others will be revealed in the amount of action that we take as a result of that care and concern. Moreover, our care for others is a measure of our own greatness.

Generous Hearts

2011-02-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Our generosity reveals much about the purity of our hearts.

Gossip

2011-02-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

An easy way to comprehend the sin of gossip is to consider the reason I would tell someone something about you. If they are (or could be) part of the problem or part of the solution --- then telling them or talking to them about your problem is appropriate. Otherwise, it is the sin of gossip. And it is a sin against you.

Opportunity & Responsibility

2011-02-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Each and every God-given opportunity in life comes complete with one or more God-given responsibilities. While we often work hard to understand the opportunity and ensure that we've been good stewards of it, we must be just as diligent to be sure we've identified the responsibility and been good steward of that as well.

Picking Family

2011-02-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes our family of origin can be highly dysfunctional. We may need to move on if we are to become the people God intends us to be. Sometimes our homes of origin are sources of much pain and confusion. In such cases it is important for us to leave those dysfunctional contexts in order to build a new life in a more healthy atmosphere. Saying good-bye to dysfunctional relationships is never easy. But it is always right.

Against All Sin

2011-02-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

We each have a set of powers to use against the temptations to sin that we face:

1. Our respect for God.
2. Our respect for whoever else the sin would be against.
3. The conviction of the Holy Spirit - who gives us emotional pain when we sin against Him.

Been With the Lord

2011-02-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Reading your Bible, praying and meditating should have such an effect on on you that people will know you have been with the Lord. (Exodus 34)

Breaking the Cycle

2011-02-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

Children learn much from their parents. Unfortunately they are not selective about what they learn. So sinful patterns in my life are likely to be the sinful patterns in my children's lives. Family dysfunctions tend to repeat themselves generation after generation. However, the cycles and patterns can be broken if we seek first the Lord and submit to His ways - leaning not on our own understanding of things (which we acquired from our parents).

Minimizing Mistakes

2011-02-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

Mistakes that we make in life, even the biggest ones, can become insignificant through our sincere repentance and obedience to God. So it is that God can reverse the course of our worst mistakes in life. He can help us right a wrong even.

Finding Peace

2011-02-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

The only way to enjoy the benefits of God's promises is to obey Him. When people obey God, they find peace with Him, with others and - most importantly - peace with themselves.

Stand for God

2011-02-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

When you stand for God, you will stand out. It may be painful. It may not have a happy ending. But it will be worth whatever it costs you.

Said differently? Standing for God is expensive - but worth it.

Winning Features

2011-02-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

No characteristic wins the hearts of adults more quickly than wisdom in words and actions of young persons.

Hearing God

2011-02-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

Each of us must come to a place where we first recognize and submit to God's power and sovereignty. Only then can we hear what God has to say to us.

Your Purpose

2011-02-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

God has not placed you in your present position or circumstances for your own benefit. Rather, He has put you there to serve and glorify Him.

Opportunities

2011-02-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

The opportunities that we have in life are considerably more important the the opportunities that we wish we had.

Strong Faith

2011-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Your gifts, strengths and talents won't be worth very much if your faith to deal with your weaknesses and faults isn't also strong.

Back-Sliding

2011-02-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

Since the dawn of humanity, back-sliding has been an ever-present danger. We must constantly live examined lives - checking our behavior against God's standards in the Bible so that we do not slide back into sinful ways of living.

Obedience

2011-02-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Grudging compliance is not obedience. Forced submission is not obedience. Obedience is the willful compliance that is born of a respectful heart.

Decision Making

2011-02-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

All parents want their children to make right, good decisions. But to do this, they must first learn to make their own decisions. Making bad decisions - and experiencing their consequences - helps them learn to make good ones. If children never learn to make decisions their effectiveness will be limited to the quality of their advisers (the people who really are making their decisions for them).

Good Leaders

2011-02-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

We may think - or it may appear that the best kind of leader is an effective leader who can get the job done. But faithful leaders make sure the job is done in God's way, with God's timing. They are careful to instill God's wisdom in future leaders and build God's values into the people that they lead.

When to seek God?

2011-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

God's faithfulness when the issues are clear and enemy overwhelms is more than enough reason to seek Him and His guidance in the everyday matters of our lives. But the same is true when the issues may be less evident and/or the enemy unseen.

Good from Bad

2011-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

God can use our sins for good purposes if we are sorry for them and seek His forgiveness. When we confess our sins the way is opened for God to bring about good from a bad situation.

Wise Knowledge

2011-02-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

Wisdom is the ability to make good decisions based on proper discernment and judgement. Knowledge is the practical know-how necessary for handling everyday matters. But wisdom applies knowledge to make life better with its best decisions.

Difficult Times

2011-02-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

People can lose their perspective when they stop seeking God or focusing on who He is. When a cry of despair goes up around you - consider the larger perspective and focus on larger or higher truths. Don't focus on your distressing circumstances. You have better, more God-honoring things to do than complain when times get ruff.

Eliminating Foolishness

2011-02-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

It is much harder to recognize foolishness when we are in the middle of carrying it out. In the moment it usually seems appropriate. In order to prevent this "blind spot," we must learn to eliminate flawed thinking and wrong motives in the first place. In other words, we can simply eliminate the foolish things we do. Instead, we must eliminate the thinking and motives behind the foolish things that we do.

Source of Stability

2011-02-04T07:42:00.001-08:00

Stability does not mean a lack of change. Rather it is a moving of God through every circumstance that provides us with peace often associated with stability. And while change is often associated with difficulty (i.e., difficult transitions), that's a human point of view. Change mandated by God is not the obstacle that many people think it is.

Answered Prayer

2011-02-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

When you ask God for something and then get it, this does not necessarily mean that He has agreed with you. If you have approached Him with a sinful attitude or asked with sinful motives - getting what you want may still prove costly (i.e., have negative consequences). (Numbers 11)

Husbands & Wives

2011-02-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Husbands and wives could very well be surprised if they knew the thoughts of their spouse. Unless their intimacy and communication are closely linked and well developed, it is highly likely that what's going on inside their respective minds is not being shared. Moreover, husbands and wives could each learn great lessons from the other. But first they would have to believe that their spouse has something to say that's worth listening to. Many don't have such a belief.

But God ordained the institution of marriage and intends it to be a sacred, life-giving institution. So what would it require for you to see your marriage in such a light? What present circumstances would have to change?

Clear Vision

2011-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

Evil desires make the eyes less sensitive and blot out the light of Jesus' presence. If you have a hard time seeing God at work in the world and in your own life, check your vision. Might there still be sinful desires in you that could be blinding you to Christ?

Knowing Forgiveness

2011-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

To remain unforgiving toward anyone reveals that we have not understood that we ourselves are deeply in need of being forgiven. Comprehending my own brokenness makes me acutely aware of my own desperate need for a Savior. This in turn enables me to forgive others.

Jesus' Rescue

2011-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

Jesus has rescued all of His true followers. If you can't see yourself as one who has been rescued, than you can't really be a follower of Christ.

Overflowing Love

2011-01-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

Overflowing love is the natural response to forgiveness. It is the appropriate consequence of true faith. Until we realize the size of that forgiveness, we will be incapable of the overflowing love that God demands of His people.

Only those who comprehend the depth of their sin can appreciate the complete forgiveness that God offers them.

Following Truth

2011-01-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

Most of us can find compelling reasons to do or believe whatever suits our purposes. In our own minds and to our own thinking, what we do or believe is never foolish. But if we don't examine our own thinking against the light of God's Word, we are fools - following our own folly.

Truth's Source

2011-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

Just because something is believable doesn't mean it is true. Just because something is popularly believed by many doesn't mean that it is true. And the fact that you believe something doesn't mean that it is true. Truth can only be defined by Jesus Christ. He is the truth. Without Him, nothing is true.

Who To Follow

2011-01-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

Make sure that you are following the right leaders, mentors and teachers in life. You will never go further than the people you follow.

His Way vs. Ours

2011-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

The reason that we keep wanting things our way is because we haven't allowed God to have His way with us often enough to have experiential learning that His ways are better for us than our own ways might be.

Respectable Living

2011-01-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

Respectability can hinder right living if it keeps us from recognizing our true need for God and our desperate need for a Savior. Those who are "basically good people" often are headed straight for hell because they believe that their respectable ways of living are the criteria for eternal life with Christ.

Prophet's Role

2011-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

A true prophet is someone who is unusually close to God. They do not necessarily predict the future. That's not the purpose of prophecy. Rather the main role of a prophet is to speak on God's behalf - proclaiming His truth.

Pride & Humility

2011-01-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

Pride is refusing to accept God's gifts or taking credit for what God alone has done. Humility is accepting the gifts and using them to praise and serve God. Pride angers God. Humility glorifies God.

Prized Gifts

2011-01-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

The value of a gift is not determined by its amount or monetary value. Rather the value of the gift is determined by the spirit in which it is given. True gifts from the heart carry the most value.

How To Pray

2011-01-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

The kind of prayer that moves mountains is prayer for the fruitfulness of God's Kingdom. God can do the impossible. (In fact, He delights in that!) God will answer my prayers, but not as a result of my positive mental attitude. Other conditions must be met for prayer to be answered.

1. I must be a believer and Christ-follower.
2. I must be reconciled in all of my relationships.
3. I must not have unconfessed sin in my life.
4. I must not pray with selfish motives.
5. My request must be for the good of God's Kingdom.
6. I must pray with expectation.

So to pray effectively, I need faith in God, and not faith in the object of my request. If I focus only on my request, then I will be left with nothing if the request is denied.

Speak the Truth

2011-01-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

True, godly love is able to speak the truth. It doesn't hedge on that. But at the same time, it's genuine-ness affirms the listener of the truth. Said differently, when the truth is spoken in love, it can be heard by the listener. Without the love, it's just mean and unlikely to be heard.

God's Favor

2011-01-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it seems that we come to God wondering what we can do to earn His favor (in whatever form we think of it). But if we really listen to Him, we are more likely going to go away from that dialogue seeing what we are unable to do. Our brokenness seems to allow things to get in the way. Those are barriers that we don't seem to want to remove.

Equipped for Battle

2011-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

It is the ultimate heroic act to submit all of our plans, desires and motives to God. To be truly heroic, we must go into "battle" each day in our job, home, church, schools and society to make God's Kingdom a reality. (That must be our intent.) Our "weapons" are the standards, morals, truths, and convictions we receive from God's Word and our own prayerful relationship with Him. He "equips" His "warriors" for the "battle."

Vision Casting

2011-01-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

For most of us, our vision is always limited to our own time and range of experience. We use references of time and our own experiential learning to shape our vision (of anything). Without these frames of reference, vision is not possible.

Ironically, God doesn't live in the dimension of time. And He provides all of our experiential learning.

God's Leading

2011-01-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

God knows the future and as He leads me each day, He already knows what victories and defeats lie ahead of me. So I must trust God's wisdom in leading me. He alone is qualified to lead me.

Choosing Obedience

2011-01-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

Obedience is one aspect of our life that the individual believer can control. We can't always control our understanding, what other people do or how they treat us. But we can control our choice to obey. The Bible contains many relevant instructions that we can choose to ignore or choose to follow.

Answering God

2011-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

When God orders us to stop sinning or move away from a sin situation, we must not pause to debate, negotiate, compromise, consider options or rationalize. Our response to God must be swift and complete. We must be ruthless in avoiding relationships and activities that can lead us into sin.

Doing Right

2011-01-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has not submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right to him or her at the time. To know what is really right though - and to have the courage and strength to do it, we must first draw closer to God and His Word.

Standards for Living

2011-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

God has given us standards for living. He has not left our conduct up to us or to our opinions. Time has not changed human behavior either. In fact, human behavior proves over the ages to be more enduring than the learning that mankind collectively has accomplished. Most people still reject God's ways of living. Go figure.

Decision Outcomes

2011-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Sadly, many decisions with good motives can still produce negative results. We must allow for this possibility when we make any decisions. The best insurance against such a dilemma is to look carefully and prayerfully for the right criteria with which to make the decision.