God always was the healer. He is the healer still, and will ever remain the healer.
"For I am the Lord, I change not"
Malachi 3:6
Saturday, August 21, 2010
think good thoughts ...
What you dislike in another, take care to correct in your self
"Take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye"
Matthew 7:5 NRSV
"Take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye"
Matthew 7:5 NRSV
think good thoughts ...
The secret of success is to start from scratch and keep on scratching.
"And the seed in good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance"
Luke 8:15 NASB
"And the seed in good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance"
Luke 8:15 NASB
think good thoughts ...
When confronted with a goliath-sized problem, which way do you respond: “He’s too big to hit” or He’s too big to miss”?
The Lord that delivered me out the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:37
The Lord that delivered me out the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:37
think good thoughts ...
It is good to remember that the tea kettle, although up to its neck in hot water, continues to sing.
Rejoice evermore. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18
Rejoice evermore. In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18
think good thoughts ...
He who stops being better, stops being good.
The righteous hold to their ways, and they that have clean hands grow stronger and stronger.
Job 17:9 NRSV
The righteous hold to their ways, and they that have clean hands grow stronger and stronger.
Job 17:9 NRSV
think good thoughts ...
Many a man thinks he has an open mind, when it’s merely vacant. …I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought (not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance)…
Romans 12:3 AMP
Romans 12:3 AMP
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Gift Part 2
There are Spiritual gifts and there are natural gifts. Every “good and perfect gift” comes from God; James 1: 17, 18. In our lifetime we will receive a lot of gifts; Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, “just because” gifts and so on and so forth. God is a giver; God gives gifts – God’s most precious gift to us is, of course, regeneration through the new birth and the restoration of His Kingdom here on earth. The Creator God has given an endowment to every human being. God has given a gift to every person who has been or ever will be born into the earth. We’ve all been given an inborn capacity to take on the nature of God Himself and thereby fulfill a specific plan for our life and the lives of everyone we touch throughout our lifetime. Adam and Eve set the reproductive process in motion and bore the human race. We have a predisposition to connect with the God who created Adam and Eve. Understanding this makes it easy to follow a destiny that is unique to each individual and helps us to enjoy the good life that God’s plan and purpose provides.
Of all the gifts that are good and pleasurable and necessary to living the good life there is one gift that is totally unique. It is the gift that God installs inside us; it’s like buried treasure. In the same way that fingerprints and DNA are unique to every person; it is a gift that no one else on earth has. This “gift” we’ve been given is God’s “investment” in us. It is a gift placed “in us” and it is God’s gift to the world that is expressed “through us.” Call it flair, call it instinct, call it genius, call it potential, intellectual ability, resolve or call it talent and ability; it’s “the stuff” that makes you the “you” that God predestined “you” to be and it’s “what it takes” to enable your life to bring glory to Him. Maybe you never thought about your life actually bringing glory to God and maybe you don’t intend to live a lifestyle that brings glory to God; it’s your life and you’re free to choose. If, for some reason, you don’t want your life to glorify God then prepare to choose your battles and fight them alone but you still possess a talent and ability that was given to by The Creator. What you choose to do with your gift is totally up to you. Your talent carries great responsibility. It is meant to produce an intimate relationship with Creator God; for you and for the people who are affected by God’s gift in you. Whether you’re a world renowned concert pianist or a cracker-jack auto mechanic your gift makes room for you in this world and everywhere your gift is used it should establish God’s covenant and show forth His love to all mankind; you are an ambassador and your gift is a peace offering. The gift does not belong to you but it is free to you and whether you choose to use it for good or evil, right or wrong, genius or stupid is up to “the free agent” God created you to be. You alone will answer for the way you used your God given gift and the destiny that is tied to it. Your gift is unique to you and you alone but it affects the destinies of everyone in your sphere of influence.
Deuteronomy 8: 18 says, “you shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” The “power” he’s talking about is your gift; it is our native ability to use our strength’s to produce a positive end. It is an empowerment that enables us to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for the life we live on this earth; it is your God given talent and ability to amass wealth to bring prosperity into your life until it overflows into the lives of everyone around us. We are “blessed to be a blessing” to others. God’s ultimate intention; the hope of His calling in us is “to establish His covenant in the earth.” If your ability to play the guitar transforms you into a Superstar then you have a decision to make. If your talent for throwing a football or hitting a baseball brings worldwide attention to you then you have a decision to make. You have to decide who gets credit for the attention that your gift brings you.
You have to decide how to use your blessing to be a blessing. There are billions of people on the planet and no two DNA samples are alike. In the same way that DNA identifies our biological being – our “spiritual DNA” identifies our spiritual being. The newborn infant is a blank slate; a formatted hard drive awaiting data to be written on it! But, everything the newborn is intended to be has already been created and installed and ready to be activated!
The Bible says much about God’s design for our life.
Psalm 139: 13 - “for You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Jeremiah 1:5 – “before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; and I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Romans 8:29, 30 – “for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, He also called and whom He called He also justified and whom He justified He also glorified.”
Of all the gifts that are good and pleasurable and necessary to living the good life there is one gift that is totally unique. It is the gift that God installs inside us; it’s like buried treasure. In the same way that fingerprints and DNA are unique to every person; it is a gift that no one else on earth has. This “gift” we’ve been given is God’s “investment” in us. It is a gift placed “in us” and it is God’s gift to the world that is expressed “through us.” Call it flair, call it instinct, call it genius, call it potential, intellectual ability, resolve or call it talent and ability; it’s “the stuff” that makes you the “you” that God predestined “you” to be and it’s “what it takes” to enable your life to bring glory to Him. Maybe you never thought about your life actually bringing glory to God and maybe you don’t intend to live a lifestyle that brings glory to God; it’s your life and you’re free to choose. If, for some reason, you don’t want your life to glorify God then prepare to choose your battles and fight them alone but you still possess a talent and ability that was given to by The Creator. What you choose to do with your gift is totally up to you. Your talent carries great responsibility. It is meant to produce an intimate relationship with Creator God; for you and for the people who are affected by God’s gift in you. Whether you’re a world renowned concert pianist or a cracker-jack auto mechanic your gift makes room for you in this world and everywhere your gift is used it should establish God’s covenant and show forth His love to all mankind; you are an ambassador and your gift is a peace offering. The gift does not belong to you but it is free to you and whether you choose to use it for good or evil, right or wrong, genius or stupid is up to “the free agent” God created you to be. You alone will answer for the way you used your God given gift and the destiny that is tied to it. Your gift is unique to you and you alone but it affects the destinies of everyone in your sphere of influence.
Deuteronomy 8: 18 says, “you shall remember the Lord your God for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” The “power” he’s talking about is your gift; it is our native ability to use our strength’s to produce a positive end. It is an empowerment that enables us to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for the life we live on this earth; it is your God given talent and ability to amass wealth to bring prosperity into your life until it overflows into the lives of everyone around us. We are “blessed to be a blessing” to others. God’s ultimate intention; the hope of His calling in us is “to establish His covenant in the earth.” If your ability to play the guitar transforms you into a Superstar then you have a decision to make. If your talent for throwing a football or hitting a baseball brings worldwide attention to you then you have a decision to make. You have to decide who gets credit for the attention that your gift brings you.
You have to decide how to use your blessing to be a blessing. There are billions of people on the planet and no two DNA samples are alike. In the same way that DNA identifies our biological being – our “spiritual DNA” identifies our spiritual being. The newborn infant is a blank slate; a formatted hard drive awaiting data to be written on it! But, everything the newborn is intended to be has already been created and installed and ready to be activated!
The Bible says much about God’s design for our life.
Psalm 139: 13 - “for You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Jeremiah 1:5 – “before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you as My chosen instrument, and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; and I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Romans 8:29, 30 – “for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, He also called and whom He called He also justified and whom He justified He also glorified.”
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
think good thoughts ...
A winner makes commitments; a loser makes promises.
Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary ? He whose walk is blameless…who keeps his oath even when it hurts.
Psalm 15:1a,2, NIV
Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary ? He whose walk is blameless…who keeps his oath even when it hurts.
Psalm 15:1a,2, NIV
think good thoughts ...
One–half the trouble of this life can be traced to saying yes too quick, and not saying no soon enough.
Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
Proverbs 29:20
Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
Proverbs 29:20
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Andy Rooney
Andy Rooney says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire
a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not
like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and
the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others more than 200-to-1! So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome ...
But 'what about the atheists?' is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin , but I didn't go out and hire
a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not
like somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and
the fans going home from the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada , countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others more than 200-to-1! So what would you expect -- somebody chanting Hare Krishna?
If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.
If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.
If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome ...
But 'what about the atheists?' is another argument. What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.
Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
think good thoughts ...
A pint of example is worth a barrel full of advice
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Philippians 3:17 NAS
Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Philippians 3:17 NAS
think good thoughts ...
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel
…pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience Gods peace…His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest… Philippians 4:6,7 TLB
…pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience Gods peace…His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest… Philippians 4:6,7 TLB
think good thoughts ...
Our faith should be our steering wheel not our spare tire
…but the righteous will live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4 NIV
…but the righteous will live by his faith.
Habakkuk 2:4 NIV
think good thoughts ...
Look carefully at the closest associations in your life, for that is the direction you are heading.
We become like those with whom we associate: “A mirror reflects a mans face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.” Proverbs 27:29 TLB
We become like those with whom we associate: “A mirror reflects a mans face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.” Proverbs 27:29 TLB
think good thoughts ...
The man who makes no mistakes does not normally make anything
Though he fail, he shall not utterly be cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hands
Psalm 37:24.
Though he fail, he shall not utterly be cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hands
Psalm 37:24.
think good thoughts ...
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
Anything is possible if you have faith.
Mark 9:23
Anything is possible if you have faith.
Mark 9:23
think good thoughts ...
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.
For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:11,13
For I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:11,13
think good thoughts ...
The way to get to the top is to get off your bottom.
How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
Proverbs 6:9 NASB
How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?
Proverbs 6:9 NASB
think good thoughts ...
Don’t be discouraged; everyone who got where he is, started where he was.
Though your beginning was insignificant, yet your end will increase greatly. Job 8:7 NASB
Though your beginning was insignificant, yet your end will increase greatly. Job 8:7 NASB
think good thoughts ...
Don’t ask God for what you think is good; ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.
After this manner therefore pray ye… thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9,10
After this manner therefore pray ye… thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:9,10
think good thoughts ...
If you were given a nickname descriptive of your character, would you be proud of it?
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…
Proverbs 22:1
think good thoughts ...
Anger is a stone thrown at a wasp’s nest.
Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 AMP
Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 AMP
Sunday, August 1, 2010
think good thoughts ...
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.
"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refineth his lips is wise"
Proverbs 10:19
"In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refineth his lips is wise"
Proverbs 10:19
think good thoughts ...
Being at peace with yourself is a direct result of finding peace with God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7