I have been reading a lot...abnormal amounts of time with my nose in the Bible or in a book have consumed my "free time". I am the world's worst at totally messing things up. I have that spiritual gift...you know, the one that has the gift of putting one's foot in one's mouth? I have it. And I am also one that can take something and do it, but sometimes it is totally backward of what God intended or how He has it set up. By nature, I am a problem-solver. I tend to treat everything like it is a situation that can be overcome or there is another way to get around it or the best and my favorite way of dealing with a problem...head on and knock it on its backside like an Adrian Peterson run.
However, rest is not always something that I can easily solve. Here is the reason...there will always be a tension between what I do and who I am because they run so closely together. I say it all the time...ministers, minister; doctors, doctor; coaches, coach; ushers, ush (not exactly sure about that one). A little over one month ago, a good friend challenged me with a devotion and has since felt like God's purpose for him in my life is to remind me to REST. I also have a mindset of...I don't have time to rest! Guess what? The world will still revolve, people will still have needs, my family will still be there...however, God told us to take a Sabbath...and REST. I am guilty...I haven't been observing a Sabbath. As a minister, my work is done during worship on most people's Sabbath. Sure, I can take a day off, but what good is a day off if I consume it with work anyway and neglect resting?
I read this little excerpt in a book from Dr. Wayne Cordeiro called Leading on Empty. In this few paragraphs, he reminded me that God broke out lifetime down into bite-sized chunks that we call years, where every 365 days or so everything begins anew. And within that, he gave us four season, or quarters (sorry for the football reference here...I like it!) as opportunities to start all over again. Even within that, he factored in what we call months, repetitions of the lunar cycle. And, if that weren't enough, He broke it down to days or 24 hour segments of time, and those into minutes, unlimited opportunities to start again, to begin fresh!
Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us of this new beginning: "The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
A few weeks ago, I went and played golf. I used to be pretty good at the game...then I began working. Golf kind of took a backseat. Anyway, I was lined up to hit my drive and I crushed it! I was sitting there in my finishing pose watching a drive that Tiger Woods would have envied when it happened...my ball took a hard right into the homes that were lining the fairway. The ball made serious contact. However, I did not hear a scream, yelp or crash so I thought I was alright. Then I started thinking about the rules...that is a 2 stroke penalty. I was playing with a friend and said, "Take a mulligan!"
I immediately made this dude the first one I call to do anything. A mulligan is a free do-over. No penalty.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could imagine a conversation like this one at the end of the day?
"Oh God, I don't even know what to say. I messed up so much today."
And the Lord smiles and says, "Take a mulligan. Just do it over. Tomorrow is your second try, so get some rest."
In essence, that is exactly what He does. I'm not saying we should minimize our sins or deny our problems and mistakes. We need to deal with them correctly, in the way God would have us deal with them. Often we do, but then we still don't take the mulligan!
The Lord says, "I am giving you forgiveness. Let's start all over."
And we say, "Ah, no, no. I feel so badly. I've got to beat myself to death."
And God says, "Won't you just take it?"
How many of you would say, "Boy, I could really use a new chance at life." This is why God gives us 24 hour increments. A new beginning.
Psalm 30:5 says, "Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning."
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."
Prayer: God, I pray for all who read this that they be inspired to rest. Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in you. I pray that we accept the built in mulligans you have provided for us with each new day. May each person strive to do your will for their lives. Amen.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Passion is the Spark for Your Fuse...
Passion Is The Spark For Your Fuse
Ecclesiastes 9:10
God has put into every person the potential to be passionate. One person with a passion is greater than 100 people with an interest. What is the main reason that people don't know what they are going to do with their future? They have only an "interest" in their destiny.
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Ecclesiastes 9:10.
Everyone loves something. We are shaped and motivated by the things that we love. Those things that we love is our passion. If you ignore that thing that you are passionate about, then you ignore one of the greatest potentials that God has placed inside of you!
"Nothing significant was ever achieved without passion." - John Mason
Sometimes, we forget that there are some things that we love to do…something that we are good at doing and not just good at, but when we do it, it is relaxing. Paul had to remind Timothy of this in his 2nd letter to him.
2Ti 1:6-7 ISV
(6) For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flames the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.
(7) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.
QUESTION: What would you do, right now, if you knew you could not fail?
Jesus Christ was a passionate man. He died for us because He loved us passionately!!
How else would someone come to the conclusion to die for you and me.
How can I become passionate about something if I know I will probably mess it up? This question shows that a person has a negative outlook on themselves. This is the "loser" mentality. Isn't it ashamed that God doesn't look on me as a loser like I do? Most winners are ex-losers who got passionate about something.
What is Passion? Passion is simply this... enthusiasm, excitement, joy, happiness, etc. The worst loss in the world is the person who has lost his enthusiasm, his passion.
Why is it then that you see so many Christians that are totally opposite? Some are excited, some aren't.
I believe that you see a difference in Christian’s excitement because of one of two things:
1. There is an abundance of passion in their life, or
2. There is a lack of passion in their life.
You see, when you add passion to belief, it becomes a conviction. And there is a big difference in belief and conviction.
What is the difference?
Belief agrees with facts, while conviction brings consistent action to your belief.
Why is this so important? Because a person that is driven by passionate conviction, can do anything they want to do with their life-except give up on the thing that they care about!
A good example of a “passionate conviction” can be found in 1 Samuel 14:
1Sa 14:6-15 MKJV
(6) And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
(7) And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart.
(8) And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
(9) If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.
(10) But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.
(11) And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.
(12) And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
(13) And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed after him.
(14) And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field.
(15) And there was trembling in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked, and it was a very great trembling.
"What generates passion and zeal in you is a clue to revealing your destiny. What you love is a clue to something you contain, which is your future." - Mike Murdock
What is destiny? It is your fate, your vocation, it is what you are on this planet for…
Fulfilling God's plan for your life is a passion or it is nothing. In Deuteronomy 10:12 says, " Serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul."
"Without passion man is a mere latent force and a possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."- Henri Frederic Amiel
You see the attitude that looks negative all the time always quits before it is time for success to happen. Pessimism never won any battles.
"there are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a very few that catch my heart... it is those I consider to pursue." -Tim Redmond
If you couple passion to what you were created for…you can change the world.
Let The Passion That Is Within You Rise To Meet Your Destiny.
Prayer: God help everyone who reads this to regain their passion for you. Help each of us to become passionate as Christ was passionate. Help us to let others realize that the passion we have on the outside is from a change on the inside. Amen.
My Prayer for you:
1. Have you lost your passion for God?
2. Do you want to regain that lost passion for God?
3. Are you afraid of what God wants you to do?
4. Do you want to become a passionate person like Christ was passionate?
5. Will you respond to the Holy Spirit this morning?
Ecclesiastes 9:10
God has put into every person the potential to be passionate. One person with a passion is greater than 100 people with an interest. What is the main reason that people don't know what they are going to do with their future? They have only an "interest" in their destiny.
"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." Ecclesiastes 9:10.
Everyone loves something. We are shaped and motivated by the things that we love. Those things that we love is our passion. If you ignore that thing that you are passionate about, then you ignore one of the greatest potentials that God has placed inside of you!
"Nothing significant was ever achieved without passion." - John Mason
Sometimes, we forget that there are some things that we love to do…something that we are good at doing and not just good at, but when we do it, it is relaxing. Paul had to remind Timothy of this in his 2nd letter to him.
2Ti 1:6-7 ISV
(6) For this reason, I am reminding you to fan into flames the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands.
(7) For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love, and self-discipline.
QUESTION: What would you do, right now, if you knew you could not fail?
Jesus Christ was a passionate man. He died for us because He loved us passionately!!
How else would someone come to the conclusion to die for you and me.
How can I become passionate about something if I know I will probably mess it up? This question shows that a person has a negative outlook on themselves. This is the "loser" mentality. Isn't it ashamed that God doesn't look on me as a loser like I do? Most winners are ex-losers who got passionate about something.
What is Passion? Passion is simply this... enthusiasm, excitement, joy, happiness, etc. The worst loss in the world is the person who has lost his enthusiasm, his passion.
Why is it then that you see so many Christians that are totally opposite? Some are excited, some aren't.
I believe that you see a difference in Christian’s excitement because of one of two things:
1. There is an abundance of passion in their life, or
2. There is a lack of passion in their life.
You see, when you add passion to belief, it becomes a conviction. And there is a big difference in belief and conviction.
What is the difference?
Belief agrees with facts, while conviction brings consistent action to your belief.
Why is this so important? Because a person that is driven by passionate conviction, can do anything they want to do with their life-except give up on the thing that they care about!
A good example of a “passionate conviction” can be found in 1 Samuel 14:
1Sa 14:6-15 MKJV
(6) And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. It may be that Jehovah will work for us. For there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
(7) And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart.
(8) And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
(9) If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.
(10) But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.
(11) And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.
(12) And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
(13) And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed after him.
(14) And this was the first blow, when Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck about twenty men in about half of a furrow of an acre of a field.
(15) And there was trembling in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the spoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked, and it was a very great trembling.
"What generates passion and zeal in you is a clue to revealing your destiny. What you love is a clue to something you contain, which is your future." - Mike Murdock
What is destiny? It is your fate, your vocation, it is what you are on this planet for…
Fulfilling God's plan for your life is a passion or it is nothing. In Deuteronomy 10:12 says, " Serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul."
"Without passion man is a mere latent force and a possibility, like the flint which awaits the shock of the iron before it can give forth its spark."- Henri Frederic Amiel
You see the attitude that looks negative all the time always quits before it is time for success to happen. Pessimism never won any battles.
"there are many things that will catch my eye, but there are only a very few that catch my heart... it is those I consider to pursue." -Tim Redmond
If you couple passion to what you were created for…you can change the world.
Let The Passion That Is Within You Rise To Meet Your Destiny.
Prayer: God help everyone who reads this to regain their passion for you. Help each of us to become passionate as Christ was passionate. Help us to let others realize that the passion we have on the outside is from a change on the inside. Amen.
My Prayer for you:
1. Have you lost your passion for God?
2. Do you want to regain that lost passion for God?
3. Are you afraid of what God wants you to do?
4. Do you want to become a passionate person like Christ was passionate?
5. Will you respond to the Holy Spirit this morning?
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