"How big is the universe? asks Alicia Larde (Jennifer Connolly) of John Forbes Nash, Jr. (Russell Crowe) in the movie A Beautiful Mind as the couple gaze at the stars during a date.
Nash, who is Larde's professor, responds, "Infinite."
"How do you know for sure?," says Alicia.
Nash says, "I don't. I just believe."
"It's the same with love I guess," Larde replies.
Love is not the only thing on Nash's mind. One of the fears that Nash has is that he will not come up with a truly original idea in his profession. He pushes himself relentlessly in pursuit of his truly original idea.
Abram, who God later names Abraham, was afraid that he would not have a child. In response to his fear, God said to Abram in a dream recorded in Genesis 15:1 Amplified Bible, ". . . Fear not, Abram, I am your Shield, your abundant compensation, and your reward shall be exceedingly great."
God and Abram also do some stargazing. Genesis 15:5 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Then he brought him outside and said, “Look up at the sky, and count the stars — if you can count them! Your descendants will be that many!”"
Larde and Nash date and marry. Abram and God are already married. However, everyone but God has a lot to learn about love. 1 John 4:18-19 Amplified Bible says, "There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us."
Nash is so smart and strangely sexy. Larde initiates their relationship and is excited about her catch. However, it isn't long after marrying that Nash exhibits truly bizarre behavior.
Nash seemed so capable when Larde married him. Later Larde and others discover that Nash has paranoid schizophrenia. He often has delusional dreams that he avidly participates in and at times his mental illness prohibits him from working and performing sexually. In one scene Larde screams in the bathroom after Nash refuses sexual relations.
Instead of waiting for God to open his wife's, Sarah's, womb, in fulfillment of God's promise to bless Abraham and Sarah's lovemaking with a child, Abraham agrees to have sex with Hagar, Sarah's maid. Ishmael is conceived from Hagar's and Abraham's sinful, extra-marital, sexual relationship.
Later when Ishmael is an adolescent, Sarah asks Abraham to cast Ishmael and Hagar out of Sarah's and Abraham's home. Abraham is hurt, but God says this is His will, and God will make a great nation of Ishmael.
Even though God does not always do what Abraham expects, he remains in love with God. Even though Nash is deeply ill and dysfunctional, Larde remains in love with Nash. Larde doesn't divorce Nash.
We can find ourselves in relationships that at times we ask something like, "Who is this?" When people don't behave the way we expect, it can be hard to take, and some take off.
But the love of God operating inside believers seeks to grow and overcome the obstacles of relationships. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Amplified Bible says, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]."
One day the pain and disappointment in this life's relationships will cease and something far superior will commence. Revelations 21:3-4 New Living Translation promises, "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”"
What is any trouble in this life's relationships compared to the ecstasy of relating with God face to face forever?
A Yoruba of Nigeria proverb says, "One should keep one's eyes on one's destination, not on where one stumbled."
Showing posts with label Commitment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commitment. Show all posts
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Estas loco! (Are You Crazy!)
A Chinese proverb says, "Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes." One great soul, George Washington Carver said, ". . . It has always been the one great ideal of my life . . . to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people."
Carver was born of slave parents in the 1860's on a plantation in Missouri. Carver taught himself to read. Although he won a scholarship to attend Highland University, when he showed up for school, Highland refused Carver admission because he was black. This set-back did not stop Carver from furthering his educating.
Another black man, Booker Taliaferro Washington, saw the bounteous ability in Carver who had been doing research at Iowa Agricultural College after 1891.
Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, sent Carver a letter in 1896 asking Carver to work at the Tuskegee Institute as the head of its Agriculture Department. Susan Altman writes in her book, Extraordinary Black Americans From Colonial To Contemporary Times, "At Tuskegee, Carver developed a system of crop rotation. He planted a legume crop (such as peanuts, which replenish minerals in the soil) one year, followed by a crop of cotton the next year. Its purpose was to keep the soil rich and improve the harvest. This system became so successful that an oversupply of peanuts resulted. Carver responded by coming up with more than two dozen uses for them. Soon, farmers were making more money raising peanuts than harvesting cotton."
"Whatever you are, be a good one," said former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, encouraging border states to outlaw slavery, helped push through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which finally freed all the slaves nationwide in December 1865, led the United States through the American Civil War preserving the Union and battled periods of depression. In addition to his crop-rotation system Carver invented more than 300 products from the peanut and more than 100 products from the sweet potato.
Carver received job offers from famous and accomplished people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford says Altman. Carver rejected these offers. Some may have told Carver something like, "Estas loco!" (You are crazy!)."
Money was not the primary motivator of Carver's life. Carver is a Christian who was committed to God and the advancement of people, especially African Americans.
Carver worked 47 years for Washington, who was freed from African-American slavery as a boy and rose to becoming an educator, speaker, author and to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation.
"Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible," said Carver.
"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge," says Proverbs 18:15 Amplified Bible.
Carver prized and practiced seeking and sharing education all his life. God makes each person unique. Everyone has something to share. Romans 12:13 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality."
Carver was born of slave parents in the 1860's on a plantation in Missouri. Carver taught himself to read. Although he won a scholarship to attend Highland University, when he showed up for school, Highland refused Carver admission because he was black. This set-back did not stop Carver from furthering his educating.
Another black man, Booker Taliaferro Washington, saw the bounteous ability in Carver who had been doing research at Iowa Agricultural College after 1891.
Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, sent Carver a letter in 1896 asking Carver to work at the Tuskegee Institute as the head of its Agriculture Department. Susan Altman writes in her book, Extraordinary Black Americans From Colonial To Contemporary Times, "At Tuskegee, Carver developed a system of crop rotation. He planted a legume crop (such as peanuts, which replenish minerals in the soil) one year, followed by a crop of cotton the next year. Its purpose was to keep the soil rich and improve the harvest. This system became so successful that an oversupply of peanuts resulted. Carver responded by coming up with more than two dozen uses for them. Soon, farmers were making more money raising peanuts than harvesting cotton."
"Whatever you are, be a good one," said former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, encouraging border states to outlaw slavery, helped push through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which finally freed all the slaves nationwide in December 1865, led the United States through the American Civil War preserving the Union and battled periods of depression. In addition to his crop-rotation system Carver invented more than 300 products from the peanut and more than 100 products from the sweet potato.
Carver received job offers from famous and accomplished people like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford says Altman. Carver rejected these offers. Some may have told Carver something like, "Estas loco!" (You are crazy!)."
Money was not the primary motivator of Carver's life. Carver is a Christian who was committed to God and the advancement of people, especially African Americans.
Carver worked 47 years for Washington, who was freed from African-American slavery as a boy and rose to becoming an educator, speaker, author and to the top of African-American leadership during Jim Crow segregation.
"Since new developments are the products of a creative mind, we must therefore stimulate and encourage that type of mind in every way possible," said Carver.
"The mind of the prudent is ever getting knowledge, and the ear of the wise is ever seeking (inquiring for and craving) knowledge," says Proverbs 18:15 Amplified Bible.
Carver prized and practiced seeking and sharing education all his life. God makes each person unique. Everyone has something to share. Romans 12:13 Complete Jewish Bible says, "Share what you have with God’s people, and practice hospitality."
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Financial Infidelity
Psalm 18:25 New Living Translation Bible says, "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity." We often receive what we give. Many of us desire transparency, trust and true love, but live contrary to our beliefs. Financial infidelity is rampant in marriages because we are not faithful in our management of finances which enables our spouses to be unfaithful. Common transparency and trust sins are failing to discuss and unite around financial values and goals, creating and maintaining an atmosphere of unequal knowledge about all family finances, hiding credit card statements, demanding bank statements for your-eyes-only via email, hiding paychecks, secret spending sprees, failing to appreciate each others money management styles, failing to create and cooperate with a mutually-agreed-upon money management system, etc. Prayer and asking God and ones spouse for forgiveness are a start to fixing financial infidelity.
Next empathize to enable understanding of a spouse who may have a different money management style from our own. We are not all motivated by the same things. Some of us are motivated by authority or attention. Others are motivated by acceptance or accuracy. God made us different because He likes diversity. We can learn about God by studying diversity. Cherish the God in your spouse instead of habitual criticizing.
Both men and women need to be well informed about money and financial issues. Some wives sin in leaving all or most of the responsibility for household finances with their husbands. It's a dangerous way to live with 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce and age 56 being the average age of widowhood.
Someone motivated by authority views money as power. They are highly productive, focused and hardworking. They always seem to have a vision. Having vision is godly. Proverbs 29:18 Amplified Bible says, "Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he." They have clear ideas to manage large budgets and large challenges and take large risks. They have to be careful to remember that personal relationships with people are just as important as the big vision. Jesus Christ says in John 13:34-35 English Standard Version, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Someone motivated by attention views money as a way to connect with people and to create memories. They are very generous. Generosity is a way to expand the kingdom of God. Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible says, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)." They have to be careful not to overspend and to value savings and investments.
Someone motivated by acceptance desires to live in peace. They want simplicity and balance around money issues not living in the stress of spending more than a family makes. They value getting along with each other and cooperation. Romans 12:18 New Living Translation Bible says, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." They need to make sure they confront money issues as needed and not pursue peace at any price.
Someone motivated by accuracy desires to follow a specific money management system. They are emotionally attached to a budget. If the budget is $100.00 a week for groceries; spending $110.00 will probably cause an argument. They are big on saving, loss prevention, planning, counting their money and assets and minimizing their liabilities. They like to be in the know, and don't like surprises. Proverbs 27:23 Amplified Bible says, "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds." God is for savings and investments and having more than enough. Psalm 33:7 Amplified Bible says, "He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; He puts the deeps in storage places." Those motivated by accuracy have to be careful as they accumulate more financial resources not to place their security in resources instead of God. They also have to guard against stinginess. While we want to have more than enough, they have to sometimes remember spending and giving are good; money and financial resources are tools to be used for the glory of God in all areas of living.
After understanding and empathizing with our spouse comes seeking ways to cooperate and collaborate. View differences positively. Lose attitudes of superiority. Mutual respect and participation in money management are vital. God made each one of us unique, so our way of coming together in money management will be unique. Coming together involves:
praying,
forgiving,
brainstorming,
talking,
studying,
researching,
committing to each other and agreements and
meditating on the agreements to live them out daily.
Sometimes a spouse struggles to forgive a bankruptcy, large gambling debt, huge investment failure, a housing foreclosure, a job or business loss, a lack of job promotion or business growth or some other financial failure. Joyce Meyer writes in her book, Love Out Loud 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others, "Do you hold unforgiveness toward anyone for any reason? If so, it needs to be eliminated from your heart and mind right away because it's keeping you in bondage. You may be thinking, Well, Joyce, that's easy for you to say. You haven't been hurt like I have. That is true, but I have been hurt in life to a very deep degree. I was abused, abandoned, rejected, blamed, lied about, misunderstood, and betrayed by family and friends, and I allowed the enemy to fill my heart with hatred for those who hurt me. But when I began to learn about love, I moved from hatred to bitterness to mild resentment and finally to freedom, which only comes through forgiveness. The Lord graciously brought restitution into my life. God promises to bring justice into our lives and to give us a double reward for our former shame, pain, and unfair treatment (See Isa. 61:7). When we try to bring justice ourselves through vengeful acts, we only prevent God from working on our behalf."
Money challenges are not always the result of negative life experiences. When a spouse retires before age 50, starts a business, inherits a large sum of money and/or property or some other significant, positive, financial experience, the other spouse may experience feelings of jealousy, envy, resentment and/or other negative emotions and attitudes. All emotions and attitudes impact the atmosphere in a marriage. Proverbs 14:30 Amplified Bible says, "A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones." Proverbs 27:4 Amplified Bible says, "Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy?"
Money and other financial issues can be very difficult to discuss. Be sure to rely on the Holy-Spirit-given fruit of self-control and the wisdom of our Christ mind to manage our emotions. Ravi Zacharias counsels in his sermon, "Divided Heart, Divided Home," "But if good advice is to be effective. It should be timed rightly." Converse at times that are convenient for both members of the couple. Lynn Toler says in her book, Making Marriage Work New Rules For An Old Institution, "If you think of communication as the Superman of relationships, Right Now is Kryptonite. Right Now is when the issue first arises. Right Now is when you are mad. Right Now is when the hurt you feel about what he or she has done is felt for the first time. Right Now is good for arguments, catharses, and contention. Right Now is almost never amenable to a conversation."
It also doesn't hurt to create a calming environment for conversation. Perhaps putting on Lonnie Plaxico's Melange jazz album, or one of your favorite albums, or whatever it is that you both enjoy and find edifying for conversation. The little things that show you took the time and effort to know what pleases a person can really communicate love. Dr. Derek Grier writes in his book, 60 Minutes of Wisdom Insight In An Instant, "John Maxwell, an expert on gaining personal influence, states, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." In other words, before you attempt to direct, you must connect."
If financial infidelity has visited our home, living according to Biblical principles will encourage financial infidelity to leave as an unwelcome guest.
Next empathize to enable understanding of a spouse who may have a different money management style from our own. We are not all motivated by the same things. Some of us are motivated by authority or attention. Others are motivated by acceptance or accuracy. God made us different because He likes diversity. We can learn about God by studying diversity. Cherish the God in your spouse instead of habitual criticizing.
Both men and women need to be well informed about money and financial issues. Some wives sin in leaving all or most of the responsibility for household finances with their husbands. It's a dangerous way to live with 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce and age 56 being the average age of widowhood.
Someone motivated by authority views money as power. They are highly productive, focused and hardworking. They always seem to have a vision. Having vision is godly. Proverbs 29:18 Amplified Bible says, "Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he." They have clear ideas to manage large budgets and large challenges and take large risks. They have to be careful to remember that personal relationships with people are just as important as the big vision. Jesus Christ says in John 13:34-35 English Standard Version, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Someone motivated by attention views money as a way to connect with people and to create memories. They are very generous. Generosity is a way to expand the kingdom of God. Luke 16:9 Amplified Bible says, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), so that when it fails, they [those you have favored] may receive and welcome you into the everlasting habitations (dwellings)." They have to be careful not to overspend and to value savings and investments.
Someone motivated by acceptance desires to live in peace. They want simplicity and balance around money issues not living in the stress of spending more than a family makes. They value getting along with each other and cooperation. Romans 12:18 New Living Translation Bible says, "Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone." They need to make sure they confront money issues as needed and not pursue peace at any price.
Someone motivated by accuracy desires to follow a specific money management system. They are emotionally attached to a budget. If the budget is $100.00 a week for groceries; spending $110.00 will probably cause an argument. They are big on saving, loss prevention, planning, counting their money and assets and minimizing their liabilities. They like to be in the know, and don't like surprises. Proverbs 27:23 Amplified Bible says, "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and look well to your herds." God is for savings and investments and having more than enough. Psalm 33:7 Amplified Bible says, "He gathers the waters of the sea as in a bottle; He puts the deeps in storage places." Those motivated by accuracy have to be careful as they accumulate more financial resources not to place their security in resources instead of God. They also have to guard against stinginess. While we want to have more than enough, they have to sometimes remember spending and giving are good; money and financial resources are tools to be used for the glory of God in all areas of living.
After understanding and empathizing with our spouse comes seeking ways to cooperate and collaborate. View differences positively. Lose attitudes of superiority. Mutual respect and participation in money management are vital. God made each one of us unique, so our way of coming together in money management will be unique. Coming together involves:
praying,
forgiving,
brainstorming,
talking,
studying,
researching,
committing to each other and agreements and
meditating on the agreements to live them out daily.
Sometimes a spouse struggles to forgive a bankruptcy, large gambling debt, huge investment failure, a housing foreclosure, a job or business loss, a lack of job promotion or business growth or some other financial failure. Joyce Meyer writes in her book, Love Out Loud 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others, "Do you hold unforgiveness toward anyone for any reason? If so, it needs to be eliminated from your heart and mind right away because it's keeping you in bondage. You may be thinking, Well, Joyce, that's easy for you to say. You haven't been hurt like I have. That is true, but I have been hurt in life to a very deep degree. I was abused, abandoned, rejected, blamed, lied about, misunderstood, and betrayed by family and friends, and I allowed the enemy to fill my heart with hatred for those who hurt me. But when I began to learn about love, I moved from hatred to bitterness to mild resentment and finally to freedom, which only comes through forgiveness. The Lord graciously brought restitution into my life. God promises to bring justice into our lives and to give us a double reward for our former shame, pain, and unfair treatment (See Isa. 61:7). When we try to bring justice ourselves through vengeful acts, we only prevent God from working on our behalf."
Money challenges are not always the result of negative life experiences. When a spouse retires before age 50, starts a business, inherits a large sum of money and/or property or some other significant, positive, financial experience, the other spouse may experience feelings of jealousy, envy, resentment and/or other negative emotions and attitudes. All emotions and attitudes impact the atmosphere in a marriage. Proverbs 14:30 Amplified Bible says, "A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body, but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness of the bones." Proverbs 27:4 Amplified Bible says, "Wrath is cruel and anger is an overwhelming flood, but who is able to stand before jealousy?"
Money and other financial issues can be very difficult to discuss. Be sure to rely on the Holy-Spirit-given fruit of self-control and the wisdom of our Christ mind to manage our emotions. Ravi Zacharias counsels in his sermon, "Divided Heart, Divided Home," "But if good advice is to be effective. It should be timed rightly." Converse at times that are convenient for both members of the couple. Lynn Toler says in her book, Making Marriage Work New Rules For An Old Institution, "If you think of communication as the Superman of relationships, Right Now is Kryptonite. Right Now is when the issue first arises. Right Now is when you are mad. Right Now is when the hurt you feel about what he or she has done is felt for the first time. Right Now is good for arguments, catharses, and contention. Right Now is almost never amenable to a conversation."
It also doesn't hurt to create a calming environment for conversation. Perhaps putting on Lonnie Plaxico's Melange jazz album, or one of your favorite albums, or whatever it is that you both enjoy and find edifying for conversation. The little things that show you took the time and effort to know what pleases a person can really communicate love. Dr. Derek Grier writes in his book, 60 Minutes of Wisdom Insight In An Instant, "John Maxwell, an expert on gaining personal influence, states, "People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." In other words, before you attempt to direct, you must connect."
If financial infidelity has visited our home, living according to Biblical principles will encourage financial infidelity to leave as an unwelcome guest.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
May the Word of God Flourish In Adversity and Out of Adversity
God makes sure that the Word of God is made available to a multitude of people. He seeks to have disciples in all the nations. "God likes diversity," said Bishop Derek Grier in his 1/13/2013 mid-morning sermon to Grace Church in Dumfries, Virginia. The parable of the sower reveals four sets of people who respond to the Word of God.
1) "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it." -- Luke 8:5 New King James Version Bible
2) "Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture." -- Luke 8:6 New King James Version Bible
3) "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it." -- Luke 8:7 New King James Version Bible
4) "But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." -- Luke 8:8 New King James Version Bible
In the first group, they hear the Word of God, but the devil comes and takes the Word out of their hearts. The first and second group seem to believe in God intellectually, but don't actually have God living on the inside. Some of the ways the devil takes the Word out of the heart are through distraction, confusion and subversion.
In the second group, the people receive the Word of God joyfully, but they too don't seem to receive the Spirit of God and grow into spiritual maturity. John 7:38 New Living Translation Bible says, "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare "Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."" Living water wears down the rocky places of temptation. Lacking the Spirit of God, they lack the power, ability, efficiency and might to stand up to temptation. So when the temptation comes, their faith goes.
In the third group, they have the Spirit of God, but they remain undeveloped spiritually, and do not become deeply rooted in the Word of God. They allow the cares, riches and pleasures of life to block spiritual maturity. Many Christians have traded status-symbol cars, houses and spouses for a close and committed relationship with God whom they ardently chase.
It is easy to be distracted and absorbed in the work of managing a household, pursuing wealth and/or enjoying entertainment. Becoming deeply rooted in the Word of God takes a certain amount of time -- reading the Bible, studying it, applying it daily and then perfecting the application.
If we are not in the Word regularly, we cannot produce fruit. Our human nature is not loving, kind, gentle, peaceful, faithful, patient, self-controlled, joyful or good in ways that please God.
In the fourth group, these people have the Spirit of God and cooperate with God to grow in their relationship with God. As a consequence they bear much fruit over a period of time and in a positive manner.
While God is always stimulating us to connect with Him, the fourth group understands that God likes to be chased. We should not take our relationship with God for granted. Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation Bible says, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
God's Word in our life is meant to be active, living. The Bible is not just for reading pleasure. God wants us to first see ourselves. and others clearly and then to cooperate with God to be transformed into the image of Christ. Hebrews 4:12 New Living Translation Bible says, "For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Once we see, then secondly we can cooperate with God to an ever-increasingly accurate reflection of Jesus Christ..
God is most concerned with our inner life. When we first enter relationship with Him our Spirit is reborn, but our mind has an unchanged part. The Word of God is designed to magnify the mind of Christ in us and minimize the mind of human nature. The more the mind of Christ rules, the more the fruit of the Spirit will show through us.
Pray that many will receive a relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and that those who already have a relationship with God will not be deceived by Satan become lazy and lose interest in their First Love. Pastor and author Francis Chan says in his book multiply disciples making disciples, "Following Jesus is not about diligently keeping a set of rules or conjuring up the moral fortitude to lead good lives. It's about loving God and enjoying Him."
Please share a message about how you love God and people and enjoy them.
1) "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it." -- Luke 8:5 New King James Version Bible
2) "Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture." -- Luke 8:6 New King James Version Bible
3) "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it." -- Luke 8:7 New King James Version Bible
4) "But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop of a hundredfold." -- Luke 8:8 New King James Version Bible
In the first group, they hear the Word of God, but the devil comes and takes the Word out of their hearts. The first and second group seem to believe in God intellectually, but don't actually have God living on the inside. Some of the ways the devil takes the Word out of the heart are through distraction, confusion and subversion.
In the second group, the people receive the Word of God joyfully, but they too don't seem to receive the Spirit of God and grow into spiritual maturity. John 7:38 New Living Translation Bible says, "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare "Rivers of living water will flow from his heart."" Living water wears down the rocky places of temptation. Lacking the Spirit of God, they lack the power, ability, efficiency and might to stand up to temptation. So when the temptation comes, their faith goes.
In the third group, they have the Spirit of God, but they remain undeveloped spiritually, and do not become deeply rooted in the Word of God. They allow the cares, riches and pleasures of life to block spiritual maturity. Many Christians have traded status-symbol cars, houses and spouses for a close and committed relationship with God whom they ardently chase.
It is easy to be distracted and absorbed in the work of managing a household, pursuing wealth and/or enjoying entertainment. Becoming deeply rooted in the Word of God takes a certain amount of time -- reading the Bible, studying it, applying it daily and then perfecting the application.
If we are not in the Word regularly, we cannot produce fruit. Our human nature is not loving, kind, gentle, peaceful, faithful, patient, self-controlled, joyful or good in ways that please God.
In the fourth group, these people have the Spirit of God and cooperate with God to grow in their relationship with God. As a consequence they bear much fruit over a period of time and in a positive manner.
While God is always stimulating us to connect with Him, the fourth group understands that God likes to be chased. We should not take our relationship with God for granted. Hebrews 11:6 New Living Translation Bible says, "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
God's Word in our life is meant to be active, living. The Bible is not just for reading pleasure. God wants us to first see ourselves. and others clearly and then to cooperate with God to be transformed into the image of Christ. Hebrews 4:12 New Living Translation Bible says, "For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Once we see, then secondly we can cooperate with God to an ever-increasingly accurate reflection of Jesus Christ..
God is most concerned with our inner life. When we first enter relationship with Him our Spirit is reborn, but our mind has an unchanged part. The Word of God is designed to magnify the mind of Christ in us and minimize the mind of human nature. The more the mind of Christ rules, the more the fruit of the Spirit will show through us.
Pray that many will receive a relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and that those who already have a relationship with God will not be deceived by Satan become lazy and lose interest in their First Love. Pastor and author Francis Chan says in his book multiply disciples making disciples, "Following Jesus is not about diligently keeping a set of rules or conjuring up the moral fortitude to lead good lives. It's about loving God and enjoying Him."
Please share a message about how you love God and people and enjoy them.
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