Friday, March 20, 2009

Make Over of the Heart Bible Study


During one of my "trips" around blogland I found a fantastic Bible Study over at ~called "Makeover of the Heart" & the ladies all "meet" on Tuesdays & Thursdays! I am starting today! Yay!


***Sorry! You can check out the Bible study over at "Thirsty for Him" http://tracyberta.blogspot.com

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Surrender

Everybody Surrenders to Something
by Rick Warren



Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. Philippians 2:6-7 (LB)



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Everybody surrenders to something or someone in life.If not to God, you’ll surrender to popular opinion, to money, to resentment or fear, or to your own pride, lust, and ego.


We were designed to worship something, and when we fail to worship God, we create gods (idols) to surrender ourselves to. E. Stanley Jones said, “If you don’t surrender to Christ, you surrender to chaos.” You’re free to choose what you surrender to, but you’re not free from the consequences of that choice: “So give yourselves completely to God” (James 4:7 NCV).



Surrender is not the best way to live; it is the only way to live. Nothing else works.All other approaches lead to frustration, disappointment, and self-destruction.


The King James Version of Romans 12:1 calls surrender“your reasonable service.” The Contemporary English Version translates it: “the most sensible way to serve God.”


Surrendering your life is not a foolish emotional impulse but a rational, intelligent act, the most responsible and sensible thing you can do with your life.Your wisest moments will be those when you say yes to God: “So we make it our goal to please him …” (2 Corinthians 5:9 NIV).


Sometimes it takes years, but eventually you discover the greatest hindrance to God’s blessing in your life is not others, it is yourself – your self will, stubborn pride, and personal ambition.You cannot fulfill God’s purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. If God is going to do his deepest work in you, it will begin with this.


So give it all to God: your past regrets; your present problems; your future ambitions; your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Put Christ in the driver’s seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don’t be afraid; nothing under his control can ever be out of control.


Mastered by Christ, you can handle anything: “I am ready for anything and equal to anything through him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency” (Philippians 4:13 AMP).


You may worry, “What if I stumble or relapse?”


If? You will stumble in pleasing God! No one can live a perfectly surrendered life except Jesus.


But God has provided for the inevitability of your sin: “If you do sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who pleases God completely” (1 John 2:1 LB).











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What will it take?

America needs healing. We need healing in our economy. We need healing in our schools. We need healing in our marriages and families. And, most of all, we need healing in our hearts. So what will it take to heal our land?
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 ()

Dancin' in God's Rain!


When God allows storms in your life, ask Him to teach you to dance in the rain!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Parents, please be aware!

Beware of this book- Oprah is pushing it!

If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you
have neighborhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the
information below and pass it along to others. Schools are making this book available to children through the Scholastic Book Club.

The name of the book is Conversations with God.. James Dobson talked about
this book twice this week. It is devastating . Parents, churches and
Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to
church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins,
friends.

Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God
for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their
titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list
for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a
book by its cover or title."

The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the
"voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and

go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase),
when a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she
was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed,
with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her
differences.

Another girls poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents
say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?"


His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done
nothing wrong."

Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not
forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing
as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do
not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong,
because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."

Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some
instances quote (in error) the Word of God.

And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to
schoolchildren through The Scholastic Book Club, and we need to be aware of
what is being fed to our children.

Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant
about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to
worldly mediums, because our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring
lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually
hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.

Pass this on to every Believer you know. God bless! And, if you are in
doubt, check out the books yourself.



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Sunday, January 18, 2009

My daily walk..continued

The prayer Jabez cried out to God is simply one of my ALL TIME favorites & I really try to live my life accordingly....trying my best to be His servant....in this very temporary place...before heading HOME!

My Daily Walk....

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Prayer of Jabez: What is it?The Prayer of Jabez comes from the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read: "And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested." The prayer is composed of four parts. First, Jabez asks God to bless him. Second, he asks God to enlarge his territory or increase his responsibility. Third, he prays that God will be with him and stay close. Lastly, Jabez asks that God keep him from harm so that he will be free from pain.
Prayer of Jabez: Why is it important?The Prayer of Jabez reveals that Jabez understands what many people do not -- there is only one God and He should be the center of our work God wants to bless every life. But, we must first make the choice to invite God into our life and ask for His blessings. Jabez wants to succeed and increase his sphere of influence for God. The specific sphere of influence is not important. What is important is that when we want to reach for goals and accomplishments that we have God on our side. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." It is critical to understand and practice this in a close relationship with God. Further, it is equally important to stay close to God and rely on His continued support and guidance throughout life. Jabez clearly knows and prays specifically to the One who can protect him from evil and pain -- God. At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of this faithful prayer by granting it. It is also important to see that Jabez was passionate in his plea to God: "He cried out to the God of Israel." God wants to hear that we need Him through passionate prayer.
Prayer of Jabez: What does it mean to you?The Prayer of Jabez reminds us that everybody struggles with choosing to rely on himself or God. Whether you are a focused Christianor just searching to find out more about God, life is a growing process. However, it is very clear in reviewing the Prayer of Jabez, as well as the rest of the Bible, that God is faithful in caring for those who seek Him. Jabez sets a great example of how God wants everyone to come to Him through constant and passionate prayer. If you are looking to start a relationship with God or improve your existing relationship with Him, start with prayer. God answers prayers when you trust Him (1 Chronicles 5:20). Prayers to God also please Him (Proverbs 15:8). We can all learn from Jabez and faithfully pray to God always in everything that we do.
Prayer of Jabez: The Book by Bruce WilkinsonThe Prayer of Jabez is covered in phenomenal detail by Bruce Wilkinson in his book of the same name. We highly encourage you to read this fantastic and inspiring resource, that challenges each of us to:
"Attempt something large enough that failure is guaranteed…unless God steps in!"