Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 1768-1769). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. It is so easy as a retired person to stay in our caves.   To just stay in bed as long as you want to, go to bed when you want to and never go anywhere.   I mean you are retired.   You don’t have to do anything.   But that can be so dangerous.   That’s why I have a certain time that I go to bed, a certain time that I get up, get ready, read my Bible and then get out.   I know that staying in my cave would drive me to depression and discouragement real fast. I appreciate my daughter, Stefanie.   She is a stay at home mom and what I mean is she doesn’t have to get up to go out to work.   She has an 18 month old girl who is her constant companion and responsibility and it would be very easy for her to stay in her cave but she doesn’t.   She has a Bible Study at her church she

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 1081-1082). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. That is one of the lies that Satan throws at us.   He didn’t really mean you.   Steven says what we think, “Other people are meant to have joy, hear from God, and be used by Him in ways that are significant and memorable. Other people are equipped to do good works, endowed with spiritual gifts, and blessed in order that they can be a blessing.” Satan wants you to believe the lie that it is for other people, not you. In my reading in Psalm 20 this morning I wrote these words from the Psalm in my journal, “victory, desires, succeed, answer, rescues, rise up, stand firm”.   Those were words of truth that God said through David to me this morning.   That is how I started today.   Not with lies of Satan but with the truth of God for me. Steven also says, “The serpent

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Location 1065). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. So how is your Monday going?   Let me ask you two questions… 1) did you go to church this weekend?   And 2) have you read your Bible this morning? Now that can come across as being superstitious but it doesn’t have to be that way.   Why these two activities are so important on your view of today is that as this thought by Steven says, “When your perspective is preloaded with the Word of God, lies lose their power over your life.”   Here is another thought he gives, “…the more of God’s Word we know and the more we’re reminding ourselves of His truths, the less dependent we become on others to snap us out of our self-induced negative spirals. We can begin to rely on God’s Spirit to renew our minds.” So many people use the excuse of not going to church or of not getting up

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Location 1009). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. And he, Satan does it, doesn’t he?   I mean, some person who claims to be a Christian hurts you then Satan starts messing with your head about who God is not the fact that the Christian is imperfect.   The same is true with some of the Christian stands on Facebook.   Satan can tempt us to use the imperfect Christ-follower to question who God really is.   I mean those Christian don’t have any love for their fellow man.   Is that what God is like?   But as Steven says, “Before the serpent starts interjecting questions, you must already be preloaded with the Word of God so that whatever he tries to lead you into, you’re taking a stand— not on what he’s suggesting, but on what God has already said in His Word about the issue you’re facing.” How did Jesus handle imperfect

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life (Kindle Location 1888). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. I was standing in the Express Line at Whole Foods a couple of hours ago and I was really frustrated to the point that I wanted to say something to the guy in front of me who had more than 12 items.   The sign said that the line was for people who had 12 items or less.   But as I was walking out having a conversation in my mind with that guy God broke in with something that I had asked Him to forgive me for and that put me right in my place.   If God had forgiven me for the offense I had done how could I take offense at this nonsensical action this guy had done?   But we do it I think because we don’t really realize that He has forgiven us.   It’s probably because we haven’t forgiven our self or even because we haven’t accepted what He has already done for us.   “If God has forgiven me for every offense, ho

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Location 528). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. And that is totally different from ourselves and what we perceive of others in relationship to us.   We feel too many times we are what we do or cannot do.   And none of us can do everything and we try to hide what we know about us. I like how Steven says it, “This is one of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we’re comparing our behind-the-scenes with everybody else’s highlight reel.” We see us from the inside out and others just from the outside.   We see us in the mirror right after we get out of bed but we see them when they are all put together.   Wow, they look good but I have bad breath.   Steven says, “We know all too well the stuff in our lives that should disqualify us from God’s love and keep us from fulfilling His purpose. We know that we’re disorga

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2013-09-24) from his book, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life (Kindle Location 2021). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. That is so true.   I made one bad financial decision many years ago that lead to other bad decisions until finally I took my head out of the sand and started made a good decision.   We still lived with the consequences of my bad decisions but we are now starting to see the benefits of the good decision. Do you understand what Mark is saying?   Have you made a bad decision that lead to worse decisions? He uses Judas as an example.   He made the bad decision to betray Jesus and then when he realized what he had done, he made a worse decision and he went out and hung himself.   But it didn’t have to be that way. Mark continues, “The good news is that God can forgive our bad decisions. And one good decision can totally change the trajectory of our lives. And that one good decision will lead to better