Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 30). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition . I know there would be some who are embarrassed and put off when they hear someone dealing with things in an audacious way.  I know that we are sometimes put off by some of the statements of certain Christian groups who say outlandish things that they believe that God wants to do in their lives.  I understand that feeling. But I wonder if we should be the ones who are embarrassed about our lack of audacious expectations in our God in our lives.  I mean, God is love, He is omniscient and omnipotent.  There is nothing He can’t do and He said all we had to do was ask and He would do what is best for us.  So we should be embarrassed because we don’t really believe Him.  Now I understand why we don’t.  We are afraid of looking foolish but because we don’t, we are foolish.  God wants to do things in our liv

A thought by Mark Batterson (2011-12-13) from his book Be a Circle Maker: The Solution to 10,000 Problems (Kindle Locations 186-187). Zondervan. Kindle Edition . If we believe in a big God then we believe that we can’t bring anything to Him that is too big for Him to handle.  There is nothing that is impossible for God but the problem is whether we believe that He cares about us enough to listen to us and do something.  That is a different story. Trust is a major part of prayer.  Do I trust myself to really know what is best for my life or do I really trust Him?  Is prayer to me just a way to get what I want or is it to get what is best?  If you have the ability to see all the ramifications that come out of getting what you ask for then that is one thing.  But the truth is God is the only one who is omniscient, who knows everything.  So who should you trust? Now the answer to the question, “Will He?” if you have a relationship with Him, the answer is, “Yes.”  But will He

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 30). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. That is so true.  They haven’t had the disappointments in life that we who are older have experienced.   They still believe that they can climb that mountain and from a physical standpoint they can.  They still have a lifetime ahead of them and they need that unquestioning optimism.  That is true if it is just in themselves and their own abilities. But for those of us who have found a deep dependency on God to be the key to real unquestioning optimism then I think the older I get the more optimistic I become.  Granted building a great church in St. Petersburg may be out of the question but building a worldwide influence may not.  If God is in it the sky is the limit.  I can sit here in Walsingham Park in Largo, Florida and reach the world with my computer.   I can know from experience that I can trust God

A thought by Miles McPherson (2009-11-01) from his book, DO Something!: Make Your Life Count (Kindle Locations 914-915). Baker Books. Kindle Edition. I find it so interesting how people believe that they can have a relationship without talking.  Somehow our little boys are learning that from watching their dads who never talk to their wife, their kids, and their parents or even to God.  They are teaching their sons a very harmful lesson.  Their family is dying because of their not connecting with those around them. The same is true in our relationship with God.  That relationship is also enhanced through talking.  And that is a something that Satan wants to keeps us doing.  He knows the power that is available to us from a relationship with God and He knows that we are week in that relationship if we don’t talk to God. I am just now seeing this as an important time in my day.  Oh I always have some of those quick acknowledging times with Him – thank You for this meal, Go

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-03-31) from his book, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (p. 48). Thomas Nelson - A. Kindle Edition. If you have spent any time with me here on JCTT you know that I have been following a fairly successful path of losing weight.  I started at 260 lbs. and I got down to 211 but I have hit a danger zone.  My path to weighing less than 200 lbs. has hit a detour and I know it but to see the problem is only a part of the solution.  I must now do something. We have gone through a change in location and with that some changes in routine.  Now my path for success had walking a hour and a half six days a week and eating right in it.  But with the move both of those had stopped.  The walking has come back but without the success.  In order to get back on the right path then I need to make adjustments also in my eating habits.  I cannot live off of past successes but keep focused on the future goals by continu

A thought by Steven Furtick (2010-09-21) from his book, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (p. 102). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I am looking on my other blog, bill’s front porch , at The Lord’s Prayer.  It is what Jesus shared with His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Now the first request He told them to ask for was to ask that God’s name be hallowed.  Now to hallow means that we are to acknowledge who God really is.  One way to do that is to start your prayer with praising God. I am right now sitting on a picnic table outside close to a beautiful Florida lake.  I am in the middle of my walking.  In my first part of my walking I listened on my iPhone to last Sunday’s message by Brian Moll who is the Pastor of Forefront Church in Manhattan and when that was done I had a time of focused prayer.  Now in the first part of my prayer I acknowledge who God was through praising Him. Some think that pra

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-03-31) in his book, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (p. 73). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. So much of the dishonesty is that we play the blame game which is to be lame.  It is so easy to say it’s my parent’s fault, the way they raised me.  Or it’s my spouses fault, they made me do this.  I didn’t really want to do it.  But somewhere we have to be honest as to why we are on the path.  The Bible says, “ the truth will set you free” .  And that is where you start? Just be honest. Why do I choose the wrong people to have a relationship with, people who will hurt me, people who are totally selfish, and people who have a track record of no commitment?  Why have I continually chosen that path of failure?  You start with a question?  That is the first step in being honest.  Why did you choose this path?  And for many that is a difficult thing to do because it puts the results back on you not so