While praying this morning this verse came to mind:
Matthew 12:25
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."
I've read this verse quite a few times and have heard it preached on multiple occasions as well.
Abraham Lincoln used this verse as the basis of one of his most influential speeches on his way to becoming president. He spoke of our country being divided on the issue of slavery and how, if left unchanged, it would have a devastating effect on our nation.
Whether it is in business, in ministry, or in an actual household, having the same purpose and intention is extremely important. It is vital for stability as well as growth.
As I prayed I started to think of what the context of this verse was for in my own life. Was God talking to me about a physical house, apartment, or any building for that matter?
The answer was no, and as I continued to pray I began to see that He was talking about my own life.
1 Corinthians tells us that our bodies are "temples of the holy spirit"
This means that we are far more than flesh and bones.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as God is three in one (Father, Spirit, Son), we too are made are made up of three parts.
Spirit, Soul, and Body.
Just a brief overview: Our spirits are the part of ourselves that connect with what is unseen. Our Spirit is what connects with God and is the part of us which is renewed when we accept Christ into our hearts.
Our Body is what connects to the world around us. It is comprised of our five senses. It is what sees, hears, smells, touches and tastes.
Our Soul is the "switch" or "valve" between the two. It is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions. Our soul is where we make decisions about what we are going to listen to (our spirit or body).
Just as Adam and Eve had a choice to make in the Garden of Eden between the "Tree of Knowledge" and the "Tree of Life," We have a choice to make as well.
Are we going to allow our Spirit, which connects to the spirit of God, to make our decisions,
or are we going to allow our flesh (five senses) to dictate the choices we make?
You see, God created us to be led by His spirit.
Romans 8:6
"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace"
But far too often, we allow our flesh to make the decisions for us. We use our emotions, past experiences, and what we can see and feel around us, to lead and guide us in our everyday life.
As we see from this verse, there can only be one result from this way of thinking, and that is death.
We need to bring ourselves into the correct alignment. Alignment is when His Spirit feeding is our spirit, bringing our mind, will, and emotions into submission to our Creator.
When we allow ourselves to be governed by anything other than His Spirit, we become a house divided against itself, unable to stand firmly in who we were created to be. We are unable to grow and fulfill His purpose for our lives.
In many cases, being disconnected hinders us from seeing the true power of who He is and made us to be, and what is needed to bring the change in our lives that we so desire.
Do you have areas in your life that seem to be left unchanged? Do you have issues that seem to reoccur time and time again?
Maybe it is time to see if there is a division in what you think about the situation and what God is truly saying to you in the midst of it.
If there are two different points of view, that division may be exactly what is preventing you from "standing" in the place God has for you.
think about it.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Time Flies
They say, "Time flies when you're having fun." The truth is that sometimes it feels like time flies whether you're having an amazing time or you are miserable. At times you can look back one year, three years, even five years ago and it can feel like just yesterday. The truth is time is a very valuable thing.
James 4:13-15 cautions us that tomorrow is not promised; that our lives are like a vapor. But does this take any value from our lives what so ever? No, absolutely not! If anything, it just makes every moment we live that much MORE valuable.
So what are some of those things we want to change in our lives?
What are some of the things that we want to do to make the most our of every second?
And even more importantly, how do we intend to make those changes?
Too often in our lives we try to make big "life changes," and we try to change direction abruptly. At the speed our lives our traveling, however, that can quickly lead to disaster.
The truth is that when we accept Christ into our hearts, we have an the most amazing co-pilot that we could ever have because He has already gone ahead and made the way for us!
1 Kings 19:11-13 tells us that he speaks to us in a "still, small voice."
When we are open and sensitive to what He is saying, we are able to make those necessary adjustments in our lives that are going to put us directly on the course that He designed for us.
Too often we look at the things in our lives that need to change and we try to fix the behavior rather than find that cure. For example, a tissue doesn't cure a runny nose. It deals with a symptom. Usually, it takes some medicine to deal with the source.
For us, it may be as simple (and it usually is) as a change in our thoughts, in our perception- the way the we view ourselves or others around us. But at the speed that our lives travel, a small adjustment will have a huge impact on our final destination.
After all, shouldn't we be trusting the one who knows the beginning from the end, the one who knows our start as well as the incredible things He has in store for us?
Take a moment to hear that still, small voice and allow God to show you where He wants us to see things differently. You may be very surprised to see where you end up!
James 4:13-15 cautions us that tomorrow is not promised; that our lives are like a vapor. But does this take any value from our lives what so ever? No, absolutely not! If anything, it just makes every moment we live that much MORE valuable.
So what are some of those things we want to change in our lives?
What are some of the things that we want to do to make the most our of every second?
And even more importantly, how do we intend to make those changes?
Too often in our lives we try to make big "life changes," and we try to change direction abruptly. At the speed our lives our traveling, however, that can quickly lead to disaster.
The truth is that when we accept Christ into our hearts, we have an the most amazing co-pilot that we could ever have because He has already gone ahead and made the way for us!
1 Kings 19:11-13 tells us that he speaks to us in a "still, small voice."
When we are open and sensitive to what He is saying, we are able to make those necessary adjustments in our lives that are going to put us directly on the course that He designed for us.
Too often we look at the things in our lives that need to change and we try to fix the behavior rather than find that cure. For example, a tissue doesn't cure a runny nose. It deals with a symptom. Usually, it takes some medicine to deal with the source.
For us, it may be as simple (and it usually is) as a change in our thoughts, in our perception- the way the we view ourselves or others around us. But at the speed that our lives travel, a small adjustment will have a huge impact on our final destination.
After all, shouldn't we be trusting the one who knows the beginning from the end, the one who knows our start as well as the incredible things He has in store for us?
Take a moment to hear that still, small voice and allow God to show you where He wants us to see things differently. You may be very surprised to see where you end up!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The Kingdom
Kingdom:a governing influence of the king over his territory impacting it with his will purpose and intention producing a citizenry of people who express his culture and reflect his nature
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
GN T-shirt design contest
Winners will receive a $25 i tunes gift card for ideas or designs used to create one of our shirts
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