Wednesday, 31 March 2010

Professional inspirations #10 - Reflect..

Psa 25:4-5 Make your ways known to me, O LORD, and teach me your paths. (5) Lead me in your truth and teach me because you are God, my savior. I wait all day long for you.

REFLECT

Rev 2:4-6 GW However, I have this against you: The love you had at first is gone. (5) Remember how far you have fallen. Return to me and change the way you think and act, and do what you did at first....

I reflected on my path with the Lord this last year. I remembered my first Passover experience last year, the fact that we were camping, the experience of holding our own Lord's Supper, just reflecting on what we are...children of GOD, only possible through Jesus Christ. Joh 14:6 Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.

740 years BC this view of the coming Messiah was recorded.

Isa 52:13-15 GW My servant (the Messiah i.e. Jesus) will be successful. He will be respected, praised, and highly honored.
(14) Many will be shocked by him. His appearance will be so disfigured that he won't look like any other man. His looks will be so disfigured that he will hardly look like a human.
(15) He will cleanse many nations with his blood. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. They will see things that they had never been told. They will understand things that they had never heard.


Today (2260 years later) we have the privilege to be able to know this fact to be true.

Thank You Lord Jesus that I do understand what you have done for me.Thank you Holy Spirit for leading me to reflect, honour, praise, worship you Lord Jesus our Saviour. Amen

Monday, 29 March 2010

Professional inspirations #9 - There is no easy way out...

Psa 25:4-5 Make your ways known to me, O LORD, and teach me your paths. (5) Lead me in your truth and teach me because you are God, my savior. I wait all day long for you.

THERE IS NO EASY WAY OUT

To plan to gain or not gain something is a mindset that can be either negative (i.e. the mind of a sluggard) or positive (i.e. the mind of the Righteous). These types of mindsets (including the mindset of a thief (Pro 1:10-19) is set out in Proverbs.

Read more about the sluggard or the Righteous (and the Proverbs related verses) in: http://ourfathershome.com/sermons/Prevailing%20Kingdom%20mindset%20-%2013.06.2009%20Cliff%20Jones.doc
Acknowledgements given to: Dr. Jonathan David – Market place invasion

A definition of mindset is follows;
1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations, or
2. An inclination or a habit.

The mindset of a sluggard

It is a spirit, a mindset that attacks you when you become comfortable – you yield to the negative force and emotions around you i.e. you have a - “I am a victim” mentality. Pro 14:23 In hard work there is always something gained, but idle talk leads only to poverty.

– If you join with them (sluggards) you will be in trouble and if you are like that (a sluggard) you are already in trouble.

The mind of the Righteous (a person in right standing with GOD)

– can only be a child of GOD, You?

Your thinking patterns must be set in such a way and into a position that you can be blessed continually by GOD. Your mind must be renewed more and more like the mind of Christ – 1Co 2:14-16 GW A person who isn't spiritual doesn't accept the teachings of God's Spirit. He thinks they're nonsense. He can't understand them because a person must be spiritual to evaluate them. (15) Spiritual people evaluate everything but are subject to no one's evaluation. (16) "Who has known the mind of the Lord so that he can teach him?" However, we have the mind of Christ.

What to do when we have a difficult task?

Are we not frustrated because we look for wisdom, abilities and strengths in ourselves?

Remember this; GOD will never call you to do anything that you cannot do! GOD does not seek capable people, HE forms those He calls to be capable!

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the sea, Peter asked Jesus to order him to come to Jesus also by walking on the sea, which he did!. Why did he then start to sink? Because he failed in himself i.e. he had little faith, he looked for the strength in himself! Mat 14:28-30 GW Peter answered, "Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water." (29) Jesus said, "Come!" So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. (30) But when he noticed how strong the wind was, he became afraid and started to sink. He shouted, "Lord, save me!"

Is there thus a easy way out?

Yes indeed there is.

If we have faith, grow in faith, excel in faith, we become a person more and more having the mind of Christ. We are then reliant on the wisdom, abilities and strengths through Jesus. We need to be less of ourselves, and more of Jesus. From the strength of Jesus and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we will, we can, approach anything with ease and peace.

Heavenly Father, thank you for knowing that you never change. That your love for us is for ever and ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for knowing that through you, we can and will achieve all that we want to; by faith in you, by your wisdom and your strength we will be capable to do anything. Use us, make us aware of you, make us aware of what you want from us. Holy Spirit, please make us faithful, trusting GOD every minute of every day. Amen.