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Monday, September 28, 2009

All the Time, God is Good

There were two choices you had this morning, either to go to work happy or to go to work sad. I don’t know which one you chose but isn’t it good to have the opportunity to work? As you reflect on that I want you to always remember the message in the following article:

Cinde Lucas
Overflow Ministries

There's a popular chorus that is sung throughout the Christian Community that goes like this: God is good ALL THE TIME; All the time GOD IS GOOD. It sounds so wonderful when you hear an entire audience declare God's goodness. But what about when there's not a crowd around? What are we declaring then?

When the chips are down and the enemy is hot on our heels, that's when what we really believe comes out. In the middle of the night when your child is sick with a fever or when you have more bills than money at the end of the month, it may be more difficult to recall God's goodness. In those times we have to reach down into what we know, not what we feel, and on purpose declare that no matter what, GOD IS GOOD.

Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20 that He is with us always. Romans 8:28 says that God works all things to good for those who love Him. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that He has a good plan for us to give us a hope and a future. He is on our side and His power in us is greater than the powers of darkness that try to come against us.

Whatever you're facing today, I pray that you will remember that God is good ALL THE TIME. There is no in-between. He is always working for our good. His goodness surrounds us like a shield. He always has a good plan for us. He is abounding in grace towards us and He is committed to finishing all the good things that He has started in us. So may the words of our mouth boldly declare today and everyday that God is Good,

ALL THE TIME!

Dear Lord it seems at times that I am blinded to Your goodness. Help me to look past my circumstances and remember that You are with me. Unveil my eyes to SEE Your goodness and Your salvation. You alone know the Truth that can set me free from the darkness that tries to invade my life. You have promised that You will never leave or forsake me and so I stand on the Truth of Your Word because You are Good all the time and Your mercy endures forever. You are my Help, my Deliver, and my Strong Tower. Thank You for Your goodness Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.

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Cinde Lucas is an ordinary person, who happens to LOVE to encourage and motivate people! She has a passion to share the Love of God with people and to let them know that God is GOOD and He has an AWESOME plan for their lives! Cinde truly desires to lead people into a closer relationship with God through music; her prayer is that the ministry we share will uplift and encourage people to be all that God created them to be. Visit Overflow Ministries at www.CindeLucas.com.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

A Word of Encouragement for a Season of Doubt

There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.
Katharine Butler Hathaway



A Word of Encouragement for a Season of Doubt
Bayless Conley
Answers with Bayless Conley

Being a Christian doesn't mean you won't have doubts. In fact, some of the greatest heroes of the Christian faith had doubts and crises of faith, one of which we find recorded in Luke chapter 7.

In this chapter, we find John the Baptist in an intense season of doubt and fear. He was in prison after being arrested by King Herod, and in his struggle of faith he asked of Jesus, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

That's right… the same John who had been there on the Jordan River when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove… the same John who heard the voice of God say, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"… the same John who had publicly testified that Jesus was the Son of God, saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"… doubted that Jesus was whom He said He was.
John… the great sage, prophet, and spiritual leader… struggled with doubt!

Yet through his struggle we learn two lessons that can encourage us when we find ourselves in a season of doubt.

The first lesson is to go to the right place with our doubts and fears—which is straight to the Lord.

What I love about John is that he didn't let pride keep him from going to the Lord about his doubts and fears. He could have thought, "Hey, I told everybody He's the One! What will my disciples think if I let them know I'm doubting? I'm going to look really stupid if it looks like I doubt the very things I've preached and proclaimed myself."

Yet John went straight to the Lord… and so must we!

If you're grappling with doubt, tell the Lord. He knows anyway. The worst thing you can do when you're having a crisis of faith is to allow yourself to become isolated, because Satan knows that isolation is where you are most vulnerable. When you doubt, you must draw close to God and to friends of faith who can encourage you!

The second lesson we can learn from John's crisis of faith is that in the eyes of the Lord, it's the whole journey that defines us—not just a single event.

You know, when John's disciples left and Jesus began talking to the multitude, He could have said, "John is such a disappointment! I can't believe it. He was there at the Jordan River at My baptism… God has dealt with him like no other man of this generation… he has more knowledge than a hundred men put together. He's My cousin, for goodness sake! I can't believe he's asking Me if I am the One!"

But Jesus didn't say that. Instead, He said, "Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist."

Even though John doubted, Jesus didn't condemn him!

And when you stumble, Jesus won't condemn you because of that one misstep. Even though some people may define who you are by one stupid mistake you've made, God doesn't. He's looking at the whole journey… and your journey isn't done.

So, my friend, no matter what doubt you may be facing today, be encouraged. Jesus is always there for you… ready for you to come to Him. And don't worry if you've messed up. He won't condemn you, but instead, He looks at the whole of your life!

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For more from Bayless Conley, check out the Answers for Each Day devotional, or click here for the Answers with Bayless Conley broadcast at OnePlace.com
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
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Thursday, September 3, 2009

The Spirituality of Work

"The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them"
Robert Frost

The Spirituality of Work
Don Whitney
Baptist Press

Bill often wonders whether he is a second-class Christian because of the less-than-Christian atmosphere where he works. His occupation is good and necessary for society, but it’s also one in which liars, cheats and thieves seem to flourish. Vulgar and blasphemous language typically fills the air of Bill’s workplace.

For other believers, the problem at work is not a godless environment; it’s the gnawing lack of meaning to their labor. They trudge through tedious days on a job that often feels intolerably unimportant.

Can followers of Jesus work in these conditions and still maintain a close relationship with Him? Or is the Lord somewhat disappointed in them because of where they work or what they do?

God ordained work. Before sin entered the world, “the Lord God took the man [Adam] and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). All kinds of work - paid and unpaid - are necessary in the world for us “to subdue it” according to God’s will (Genesis 1:28). People must grow food, care for children, make clothes, tend the sick, construct buildings and roads, transport goods, govern the cities and so forth.

Obviously, therefore, God intends for most people to devote themselves to what’s often called "secular" employment. Only a small percentage should be vocational pastors, church-planting missionaries and the like (even though more are needed). Otherwise, who'd work the fields, deliver the mail, build ships and cars, develop water systems, and make medicines?

Because God has ordained it, all work has a spiritual dimension. The Bible repeatedly commends useful, honest labor (see Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10), which shows God's intense interest in it. When we actively recognize His presence in our workplace, we acknowledge His sovereignty over all of life. And that’s basic to true spirituality.

Even if your daily responsibilities may seem dull and unimportant or cause you to associate with worldly, God-hating people, remember that “the Lord takes pleasure in His people” (Psalm 149:4). And He takes pleasure in us not just at church, but at work as well. He’s as attentive to us in our work routines as He was to Joseph in his service as Potiphar’s slave, to Jesus in the carpentry shop and to the Apostle Paul when he was making tents.

Work is not a hindrance to spirituality; it is a part of it. Even slaves were instructed by Paul not to fear that their awful condition in any way diminished their spiritual standing with God (see 1 Corinthians 7:22). Our spirituality depends upon who we are in Christ, not the circumstances of our workplace. God’s presence and favor are not limited by co-workers or job descriptions.

Enlarge your vision of your spiritual life to include your daily work. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24). Present your work to God. You are working for Him.

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Don Whitney is associate professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. He is the author of several books, including "Simplify Your Spiritual Life" (NavPress, 2003). This article and many others can be downloaded as free bulletin inserts at his website, www.BiblicalSpirituality.org.
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Take care until…......and God Bless ya
http://jamesedgecombe2.blogspot.com/

Are you ready to face eternity? If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of your life and desire to make that commitment now please repeat the following prayer:

Lord Jesus be merciful to me a sinner. I realize that I have sinned against you and come short of your glory. I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and I believe in my heart that God has raised him from the dead. I pray for your forgiveness and ask that you save me now and accept me into your kingdom. Give me eternal life today.
In Jesus Name, Amen.
Read more!