Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life . (p. 149). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I am so glad to realize that God is going to be with me in those, as Steven puts it, “epic showdowns and life-altering crises.”   Those are those times that we can’t do anything, we need someone greater than us to be there, to bring us through.   But it is also important to realize that He is also present in those day to day struggles. Steven puts it this way, “He’s also superintending my everyday struggles. No detail or circumstance in my life falls outside His concern. He cares about little frustrations that can cause me to come unhinged. And since most of our spiritual momentum is gained or lost in the everyday affairs of life, it’s good to know that God is actively involved in them.”   And those little frustrations

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life. (p. 46). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Are you that kind of person?   I mean, I will do, God, whatever you want me to do but could you let me know a little more about what I am getting into?   Steven continues, “Your Father is the micromanager of the universe. If He schedules the worm for the bird and clothes the flower in designer dress, how much more will He do for you? Approach the greater life knowing God has worked it all out in advance. He’ll give you the day’s orders when you show up at the job site because He’s more interested in your full obedience than your full understanding . It’s just the way He likes to work.” Is it important for you to be understood and for you to understand?   If I understood what it is and where it is and when then I will have no problem in going and doing.   But is that real o

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life . (p. 43). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. I really haven’t had a problem with this until I have retired and I have tended to become a worrier about my future.   And I don’t like it and that is why I find this thought to be a good reminder that depending on God is the key to life no matter the age. I can make some goals for tomorrow, strive to save money for when Margaret may retire but I am in no way in control of my future even though I want to be.   What I’m in control of is who I’m going to trust for my future and if I will be obedient in a moment’s notice to where He leads. Steven says, “He will be faithful to His end of the bargain. He’ll do the showing if you will do the going. You can’t think too far ahead about where you’ll end up…the simple, uncomplicated word go is not the Father’s plan to disorient you bu

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2012-09-04) from his book, Greater: Dream Bigger. Start Smaller. Ignite God's Vision for Your Life . (p. 32). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) He then says, “Even though you don’t have a clue what He’s up to. Just because you haven’t heard God call your name or tell you specifically what to do with your life doesn’t mean He’s not conspiring great things for you. I guess you could say God likes to sneak up on you.” Over in the OT Elijah the prophet was getting old and God had already picked his replacement out.   Elijah knew who it was but Elisha the replacement didn’t.   Go over to 1 Kings 19 and read the story. As I face my life today I can see how this was happening for me.   Back five years ago I retired from my fulltime job as a Pastor.   Margaret and I moved to Long Island, New York to help our son in building a great church.   That was our plan but it

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 1240-1241). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I love this thought and I wanted to pick it out before I go to the next book I am reading.   Are you living in fear of something?   The Enemy so many times uses what-if’s to hold us back.   What if my job doesn’t turn around?   What if I don’t have enough money for retirement?   What if the economy doesn’t turn around?   What if my spouse doesn’t love me?   What if I never find anyone who will love me?   What if, what if, what if? Steven says, “The world of what-ifs is a black hole, and it will suck your joy, peace, and hope into its vortex if you venture near its vicinity.” And “your heart cannot be filled with faith in God at the same time it’s singing the refrain ‘What if …’” Maybe you need to change yo

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 3380-3381). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) It’s Wednesday, the middle of the first week of June and I thought you might need some encouragement to keep fighting, to not give up, and to not listen to the lies of the Enemy.   I don’t know what you are going through but God does and He wants you to not forfeit a victory the He has already given to you because you don’t feel like fighting.   Today is a new day, there are new victories available for us but there are also new battles.   That is the reason why I always start my day with a Psalm from the Bible.   This is what I found today, Psalm 33:20 (NLT), “We put our hope in the Lord.   He is our help and our shield.”   And I wrote down in my journal the words, hope, help and shield.   Today is a new day. L

A thought by Steven Furtick, (2014-02-11) from his book, Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others (Kindle Locations 3231-3232). The Doubleday Religious Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Here he continues, “When entitlement is high, gratitude is low. When gratitude is high, entitlement is low. Gratitude begins where our sense of entitlement ends.” It is so easy for us to step into this world of entitlement.   Have you stopped and thought about some of the things that you believe that you are entitled to, especially if you are a Christian and an America?   Some people think because they are a Christian they are entitled to being free but does that mean that that Pastor in North Korea who was given this week a life sentence for sharing Christ is lacking spiritually?   Of course not.   This is so good what Steven says, “When thoughts of discontent storm my heart, it’s important that I have set up