Like Us
Follow @catster
Google +1 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Contact Us
♥♥Christian Dogs and Cats♥♥ » Group Forum

NOURISHING YOUR SPIRIT

  
(Page 8 of 8: Viewing entries 71 to 76)  
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  
Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Sun May 6, '12 9:20am PST 
wavewavewavewavewavewave
HARVEST
GREG LAURIE

The Witness of Worship
They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. - (Acts 2:46–47)
Your worship can be a witness. Acts 2 tells us the early church praised God and enjoyed the favor of the people, and “each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved” (verse 47). Is that somehow suggesting there could be a connection between worship and witness? I think so.
I think it is a powerful testimony to the world when a Christian can praise God despite hardship. Christians lose their jobs. Christians get cancer. Christians die in automobile accidents. Christians lose loved ones. Christians face all of the hardships that others face. But when people see Christians praising God despite the adverse circumstances, when they see us honoring the Lord, that is a powerful testimony.
I came to Christ initially because I saw a bunch of Christians worshipping the Lord on my high school campus. I was just a kid with no direction in life, and as I was walking across my high school campus, there was a group of Christians sitting on the lawn, singing songs. They were really simple songs. There was nothing aesthetically attractive about them. But what interested me was why they were singing songs about God at lunchtime on the front lawn of my high school campus. So I sat down far enough away where people wouldn’t think I was joining them, but close enough where I could eavesdrop on what they were doing. And as I watched them sing these very simple songs about God, I was moved by it. It opened my heart to hear the Word of God proclaimed.
I think the same was true of the early church. They worshipped the Lord, and it was a powerful testimony. You see, worship and witness can go together. Our worship can be a witness.
Summary sentence: Your worship can be a witness to someone else!
GOD BLESS ALL,MAZYbig hugkissingflowersdog walk
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Mon May 7, '12 3:26pm PST 
wavewavewavewavewavewave
STREAMS IN THE DESERT
L.B. COWMAN

Nothing is Too Hard
"Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?" (Gen. 18:14).
Here is God's loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life.
That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will (as a son to Abraham and Sarah was), God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of anyone's supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him.
"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and do His will, and let Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve.
The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is too hard for Jehovah to do for them that trust Him
GOD BLESS ALL,MAZYbig hugkissingdog walk
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Thu May 17, '12 7:34am PST 
wavewavewavewavewavewave
ACTIVE WORD
BOB COY

Bird food
Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,“Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.” 1 Kings 17:2-3 (NKJV)
About three-quarters of the way into the Book of First Kings, an interesting individual named Elijah suddenly shows up. He’s a powerful prophet who delivers a hard message to the King of Israel, Ahab: “There will be no rain for three years.”
Then, as suddenly as he shows up, Elijah leaves. By God’s direction, he hides away in a desolate place by the Brook of Cherith. And it’s there, as he’s all alone in this solitary spot, that God makes a special provision for him:
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. (1 Kings 17:4-6 NKJV)
Each morning and evening, a flock of ravens would bring Elijah bread and meat to sustain him! We can safely put this in the “miracle” category for obvious reasons. But there’s also a powerful principle for us to uncover here. It was when Elijah was alone, away from the cities and resources of other people, that he witnessed God’s miraculous provision.
Sometimes, the Lord will call us to our own Brook of Cherith. He’ll lead us to a place where we have no one to rely on but Him. Why? Because it’s then and there that His miraculous provision can be fully revealed to us. And when it is revealed, when we’re sustained by the proverbial ravens, our trust in Him takes on a whole new shape.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
GOD BLESS ALL,MAZYkissingbig hugdog walk
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends


Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Sat May 19, '12 1:18pm PST 
ACTIVE WORD
BOB COY
wavewavewavewavewave
HAVE A PAWSOME WEEKENDdancingdancingdancingdancing

Encouragment comes
Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, “Brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now.” Acts 21:40-22:1 (NKJV)
What is that one thing you want more than anything else? Is it to see a social injustice toppled and overturned? Or is it to witness widespread revival among a particular people group? What is that one thing that drives you more than anything else?
Here’s how Paul would answer that question: “I want to see the Jews receive Jesus as their Messiah.” We know this because in Romans 9:3 he says that if possible, he would trade his salvation for theirs. So imagine how pumped up he was when he got the chance to preach the Gospel from the Temple steps to the “who’s who” of the Jewish religious community. What could be more glorious than seeing a mass conversion!
Things didn’t turn out that way. In fact, the masses turned into a mob and even tried to tear Paul into pieces. It reached a point where the Romans soldiers who stood by had to rescue the Apostle and put him in the local jail for his own safety.
Consider how devastated Paul must have been at this point. His greatest desire was dashed, and his life-long dream to see the Jews converted had become a nightmare. But as he sat all alone in his cell of despair, the Lord came near and encouraged him as only He could:
The Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” (Acts 23:11 NKJV)
It’s often when we’re all alone and feeling discouraged that we received the greatest encouragement from God. It’s then that we’re able to sense His nearness and hear His voice. If you’re discouraged for any reason, get alone with the Lord, and allow Him to encourage you as no other person can.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
GOD BLESS ALL,MAZYbig hugkissingbig hug
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Sun May 20, '12 2:32pm PST 
wavewavewavewavewavewavewave
ACTIVE WORD
BOB COY

Sensing sin
But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things…so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel. Joshua 7:1 (NKJV)
The seventh chapter in Joshua stands as a powerful warning of sin’s infectious effects. In short, it tells the story of a man named Achan and how his personal act of disobedience caused a national crisis.
Israel had begun its conquest of the Promised Land, and one city after another fell in their path, including Jericho. And it was there that God specifically commanded the Israelites to not touch or take any of the victory spoils, which is exactly what Achan did. He secretly snagged a few pieces of silver, a wedge of gold, and a Babylonian garment, and he buried them under his tent. God saw this and removed His hand of protection from His people.
Joshua, Israel’s commander, was unaware of what Achan had done, and went ahead with an invasion of Ai, which ended in disaster. Joshua couldn’t figure it out. Why had they been defeated like this? Had God forsaken them? Notice what happens when Joshua falls on his face and gets alone with God:
So the LORD said to Joshua… “Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived…” (Joshua 7:10-11 NKJV)
In his solitude with the Lord, Joshua discovered that there was a serious sin issue in Israel. Sin was brought to light and eventually dealt with. But please note that it was one-on-one time with the Holy One that got things going in the right direction.
This example can carry over into our lives, as well. When our lives are consumed with people and relationships, it’s often hard to discern sin’s presence in our hearts. But when we are set apart and in the holy presence of God, we become more sensitive to sin that needs to be dealt with.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
GOD BLESS ALL,MAZYsnoopybig hugkissing
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

Amazing- Grace

Princess of the- Ponderosa
 
 
Purred: Sun May 27, '12 12:34pm PST 
wavewavewavewavewavewave
IN TOUCH
CHARLES STANLEY

Recognize Your Vulnerability
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Some Christians see a fellow believer fall into sin but fail to acknowledge that they, too, could stumble. That's dangerous. Satan has them right where he wants them: deceived by a false sense of confidence. Three enemies are constantly at work trying to bring us down: the Devil, his world system, and our own treacherous flesh.
Even though believers have a righteous standing before God, we must each, like Paul, acknowledge an internal problem: "sin which dwells in me" (Rom. 7:20). Satan takes full advantage of this weakness, luring us with fleshly and worldly temptations. He stokes our pride so we'll be blinded to our own vulnerability to stumbling.
Christians need to be continually on guard. Since ignorance--of the nature of sin, the strategies of the Enemy, and our own areas of weakness--sets us up for failure, we cannot afford to be careless in our thinking. Anytime you find yourself excusing, redefining, or rationalizing sin, you've lost your sensitivity to the Lord. God's Word must always fill our minds and direct our steps.
If you've drifted from the Lord, turn back to Him by acknowledging your sin and accepting full responsibility for it. Repentance simply means changing your mind and going in a different direction--toward God instead of away from Him.
The next step is harder. Respond with gratitude for the Lord's chastisement. Every time believers fall into sin, God lovingly works to bring them back into a fellowship with Him. His discipline may be painful, but it's always good because it brings us to our senses and reconnects us with our Father.

PLEASE TRAVEL SAFELY THIS MEMORIAL HOLIDAY. PLEASE SAY A PRAYER FOR OUR
TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES.kissingbig hugkissingNEVER FORGET FREEDOM ISN'T FREE
MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT ALL,
MAZYkissingbig hugflowersdog walk
my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

  (Page 8 of 8: Viewing entries 71 to 76)  
1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8