Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus, (2006-11-14) from his book, Soul Cravings: An Exploration of the Human Spirit (p. 19). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. Many people don’t realize that what they have is so great.   They can take it for granted and look over the fence and think that the grass is greener over there.   But the truth is the grass is greener where you feed it and water it. There are so many who wish that they could be with someone who really cherishes them.   So many at thirty have been used to the point that they think that is all love is about,   Some of those are even married but there is more than that. Listen, real authentic love is not self-seeking but other-minded.   There is real authentic love out there.   Now it starts with a real authentic relationship with God.   That is where you initially get that kind of love.   David in the psalms said that in sin did my mother conceive me.   That means we came into this world as self-seeker, as users.   I

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within ( Kindle Location 383). Kindle Edition. I am reading the New Testament Gospels thirteen times in 2013.   I want to really catch a glimpse of what Jesus thinks is important.   One thing I’ve found is what Erwin says in this thought, Jesus brings about change. He brought religious change by His continually healing people on the Sabbath.   He brought vocational change to a group of swine owners when He cast some demons out of a man named, Legion and they were sent into the pigs and they went over a cliff.   He also brought structural change to a house when some men tore open a roof to drop their sick friend down in front of Jesus so he could be healed.   Over and over He brought change through His teachings and His miracles where ever He went.   Have you noticed that in all of the good He did for someone He was it seemed messing up someone else’s day to day world?   I mean t

A thought by Les Parrott, (2012-08-02) from his book,   You're Stronger Than You Think: The Power to Do What You Feel You Can't (p. 19). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition. We have so many things that go through our minds, so many voices and so much noise.   Have you ever wondered why there is music everywhere, even in elevators?   I spend time at Starbucks and on those mornings when they have forgotten to turn the music on I usually ask them about it.     We really have problems with it being quiet.   The noise seems to have a calming effect. But when I really want to think and to hear from God I don’t want any noise.   I usually go someplace in nature where it is quiet so I can clear my mind of any distractions so I can hear God.   There are so many different voices in our minds that want to be heard on any decision that we need to make.   There is our self-centered voice, there is Satan’s voice and there is our friend’s voice or our parent’s voice.  

A thought by David Stoop from his book, You Are What You Think (Kindle Locations 344-345). Kindle Editio n. Now I am not normally a complainer.   I look at my life and see it as a positive situation.   I love my life so why would I complain.   But I am right now on my other blog, bill’s front porch , writing about complaining and I have been having a difficult time keeping from complaining.   My thoughts have been about things that I deserved to complain about.   In other words I have been focusing on me. Whenever as a preacher I was preparing a sermon on a certain subject then I would have trouble on that particular subject.   Margaret would always sense it and would understand what was happening after she heard me preach the sermon.    You see our thoughts, our focus create our emotions. Now the key is we can change our emotions by changing our thoughts, our focus.   The key for me this week on the subject of complaining is to focus on the remedy instead of the problem

A thought by Leonard Sweet, (2012-03-13) from his book, Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival (p. 115). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition. I have just finished reading the gospel of Mark’s account of the trial of Jesus in front of Pilot.   The Jewish leaders were bringing so many accusations against Jesus to this Roman Governor, Pilot.   After each accusation Pilot would ask Jesus to respond and Jesus response was always silence. Silence is always the best way to deal with accusations.   As Jesus showed us God is the one who will fight for us.   We leave it to Him.   He will always do a better job than we will and He is the only one who can deal with the source.   The battle was won on the cross. One of my dad’s favorite verses was the one in Joshua, “The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace.”   That is how we as Christ-followers handle accusations. So are you handling it or are you letting God handle it?

A thought by David Stoop from his book, You Are What You Think (Kindle Location 217). Kindle Edition. An example would be, the reason why I am lonely is because I have no friends.   The truth is many people are lonely with many friends and some aren’t lonely who have no friends.   The having or not having friends doesn’t mean I am lonely. I am unhappy because I am single.   Many married people are also unhappy.   I would feel deep satisfaction if I got that promotion.   You get the promotion and you’re still not satisfied. The key word in there is the word, believe.   Our thoughts, our self-talk, our beliefs determine our feelings and emotions not the events in our lives. Let’s say someone says they will call you and set up a time for the two of you to get together and you are very excited about it.   But let’s say they don’t call you as soon as you think you should and you start feeling very hurt and very depressed.   Now the fact that they haven’t called you isn’t

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within (Kindle Location 380). Kindle Edition. When you really learn that He can be trusted then you do want to step out and risk more.   You just don’t want to waste the fact that you are connected to Him. Now there is the other side.   In the gospels in the New Testament there is the story of the two times that Jesus fed great groups of people with just a few pieces of bread and a few fish and even had some left over.   You would think that the disciples would really trust Him to provide food for them but they didn’t and Jesus got after them.   He fed 5,000 then 4,000 with a few loaves and some fish.   What about us?   He has shown us that we can trust Him but we still live with so much worry.   I mean look how He brought us through April but we’re not going to survive in May.   He has shown He can be trusted but we are afraid to risk.   They saw Him feed 9,000 people but